A/N: So, I started writing this one on Saturday and I kind of took my time with it, it's kind of turned out a little different than I thought it would. I still have two more chapters planned for Alabasta left but I'm not sure I will get them done by the end of the month like I originally planned. Even though the next one will probably be pretty short.
As always thanks for the faves and follows.
ilovecatoonsgirl: Thanks, that's all I can hope for.
Ki Ken Tai Ichi: Yeah, he doesn't seem to get a chance to use them enough because of who the crew is though. Thank you.
Arxhaelogist: Thanks, I've always seen him as one of the most observant characters. And now here's one where I actually do say it.


Nami was enjoying her quiet time in the palace, for all she was worried for her captain who still hadn't woken up. The entire time they had been on Alabasta had been hectic, so the down time while they waited for Luffy was a nice change for the time being. Especially after the last twenty-four hours of their quest to save the kingdom, which was worse in terms of the sheer number of important events crammed into that small amount of time. And the rest after the lack sleep that had occurred due to it all was really nice.

In all the time they had been promising to help Vivi save her kingdom, Nami hadn't really realised just how much danger would be involved in following through. Truly, that had started to sink in at Rainbase, what with the marines (though she could admit that wasn't only an Alabasta problem for them), then Crocodile and the seastone cage in the glass room which led them to nearly drown, then the marines again.

Then there was Luffy switching places with Vivi on Crocodile's hook, leaving them without their captain hours before they started their own fights, while still needing to get most of the way across the country to reach them without getting into more trouble. For all Luffy is usually useless in terms of plans, it was still a comfort to the crew (and Nami) when he was there.

But this was the point that reminded Nami that just because someone acts in a certain way most of the time, that doesn't mean she should forget some important facts that she knew about them. In this case in particular it was Zoro that very much reminded her to pay attention and remember. She will admit that she remembered that she had recognised the swordsman as the unacknowledged first mate of the crew, but due to his general laziness she had forgotten her own reasons for doing so.

So often while they were peacefully at sea, she was the one that took up part of the traditional role of the first mate, controlling the crew when the captain would not (many times for their own safety, she might add), and making sure the chores aboard ship were split evenly. So she could forgive herself for forgetting that when in combat, where she had very little experience, she was next to useless in keeping that control over her crewmates. Or that in the actual absence of their captain, Zoro had no problem with taking control of the situation, and not one of them would be bothered with it. It was just that he was generally too lazy to.

But that night as they were racing across the desert, first on a giant crab and then on ducks, he stepped up with such decisiveness that Nami didn't even realise she was deferring to him until they were almost to the capital. He'd taken command in what could be seen as a combat situation and made tactical decisions that she could only say were well thought out. Surprising her with his ability to do so.

It was only as they were starting to put the plan into action that she remembered that theirs was not the first group he had led, she knew that he had been the leader of the group with the bounty hunters from the east blue that had called him brother (she couldn't quite remember their names clearly). She wasn't quite sure how she forgot that but it was certainly a fact that she reminded of after this incident.

Then there was the other things he had done that during the time in the capital, things that if she just thought of how he usually acted on the Merry she would not have believed he would do. Like how he had acted as her partner before the fight with the assassins, Mr. 1 and Miss Doublefinger. He had tried to put himself between them and her as much as he could until he was too busy fighting to help her. Then when it was all over, she thinks he may have somehow stayed conscious while they all collapsed in exhaustion, watching over them until he was sure they were safe after all that they had been through.

She shook herself out of her thoughts, not really wanting to think on such things at this point when she could finally rest, especially when there was so much more that she could think on about their time in the country. She was just going to have to remind herself that everyone had different sides to them and not forget again that Zoro can step up when they most need him.