A/N: Chapter 7 is here! I want to thank you all for your patience! And support! I now know a few things that I didn't at the beginning of this hiatus; people like Sanji and Nami kissing. Well, I have about two or three scheduled. But I think that's all. So… here you go! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I can't think of anything witty to say, so I'll go with the basics:

YOU READERS. ME POOR AUTHOR WHO OWNS NOTHING. (Oh, wait, that was pretty decent -skips off into the sunset-)

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Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

Chapter 7

The hotel room where the Straw Hats, old and new alike, met was much more quiet than the times with the crew Sanji remembered. Even Luffy, king of chaos, was a bit more serious than usual. Nothing could be said for Robin and Franky, however, considering they were the ones who knew how to keep their cool. Dabelle, though…Sanji couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something about his presence…the way he displayed his attitude at the "Nami being kidnapped" incident. Was it the fact he was too calm…"

"We got something from the kidnapper today."

The words that came from Luffy's mouth crashed Sanji's train of thought as, immediately, all eyes flew to Luffy who was now standing up, holding an envelope between his index and middle fingers. Even calm and collected Robin looked eager to tear into it; her eyes were wide, and her body was leaned forward.

"What does it say?" Usopp called out, eyeing the envelope warily, as if it might explode.

Luffy pulled out a note. "It says that Nami's fine, for now, and that we're to meet them at the center of the city tomorrow at six in the afternoon. No earlier, because they'll know and want her to be 'alive for when we come.'"

All the heat left Sanji's body at that moment.

Luffy looked up then. "I know that it's a bit to planned for us, but it's all we got at the moment, and I think we should play by their rules for the moment."

Robin rubbed her eyes. She looked drained. "We can figure something out," she said, her voice hoarse and muffled by her hand. "We always do."

"Sanji," Luffy said suddenly, "do you know where the center of the city is?"

Sanji found himself nodding. "Yeah, he said, "but considering that it's a fountain, we'll have a bit of trouble getting to them."

"I can find something to help us," said Robin, looking up. "And I'm sure Chopper will help me, eh, Chopper?"

Chopper looked up from his position on Nami's bed. "Hai, Robin-chan!" he said, smiling.

"So we're all in this?" Luffy asked, looking around at everyone, as if he was expecting someone to object.

Maybe he is, Sanji thought, remaining silent. However, he quickly banished that thought to the corners of his mind. No. Of course not.

"Looks that way," Franky said, crossing his arms.

"Are you in this, Sanji?" Zoro looked at Sanji, clearly pretending he didn't care.

Sanji smiled, the first in a long time.

"I'm surprised you even had to ask," he said, lighting a cigarette.

It had been four years since he had been one of the Straw Hat Pirates.

Four years. But he was learning how to fit in again.

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The room, after Sanji had left and Dabelle had gone back to the ship, was filled only with the sound of pen scratching paper.

Robin, hunched in corner of the room, was writing with almost demonic speed, grabbing paper after paper, writing sentences and crossing out paragraphs, adding some new ones, some notes, drawing arrows at random intervals…

For once, Luffy wasn't interested.

Zoro snorted and continued sharpening the blade of one of his swords, making a slow but gratifying sound out of it.

"Does anyone know why Sanji knows where Nami was last night?" The words left his mouth without even him knowing it, realizing he had even spoken after the crew looked at him strangely.

He shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant, busying himself with his sharpening. "Just curious. I mean, it's odd that not only does Sanji know where she was last night, but he avoided the topic like the plague. It's…weird."

Robin looked back down to her paper. "Didn't I tell you all?" she asked. "She went out to dinner with Sanji and his fiancée last night."

Usopp's shock launched a pebble through the glassed-in door leading to the usually scenic patio.

"What?!"

Robin looked at Usopp, unabashed. "Yes. Yesterday, after she lectured all of you? He asked her when she was downstairs getting coffee."

"Then why didn't she tell him that we were here?" Chopper asked. "Or vice versa?"

Franky stroked his chin thoughtfully, looking slightly comical.

"She probably remembered how he left," he said wisely. "Remember? She cried, we were taken off guard and stung… I'll bet that she didn't want a repetition of that."

Zoro shot a knowing look at Luffy.

"She tries to hide it," Franky continued, "but not only has she not gotten over it, but she doesn't want to see us hurt as well. She can be a real softy sometimes, circumstances permitting."

"And yet we're welcoming the ero-cook back with open arms," Zoro muttered.

"Hey!" Luffy interjected. "We can't help it. Besides, if he does hurt her, we can always kill him after we save her!"

Zoro smiled distantly. "Yeah…" he said dreamily, and began sharpening his blade again, visions of glorious, victorious fights dancing in his head.

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A few hours later, Robin bid the crew good night, showered, and was snug in bed, a brand new history book in her hands, lamp alight beside her.

She shivered, turning the page. She had never admitted it before (and didn't plan to in the future), but she hated the quiet the night brought. Even with Nami next to her, breathing slowly and steadily at night across the room from her, she felt terribly small in the dark. It always reminded her of the years when she was alone, frightened, unwanted… With everyone asleep, he ears almost rang, missing the noise that the boys offered. The noise was the primary reason she positioned herself just so on the deck. And that was also why the noise didn't bother her the way it bothered Nami. Noise gave her something to rely on; to know that there would always be at least one noisy buffoon near her (which would soon multiply into two, then four, then six…). One enraged navigator also worked, but not as well, and with silence on the other end.

This wasn't what she preferred in the least.

She sighed and closed her forgotten book. Then, opening the bedside table, she took out her earlier papers and uncapped her pen.

She needed to finish this work.

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Dabelle walked down the empty streets, head down and hands in his pockets. His boots made an empty sound, splashing in the various puddles made by the storms that "saw" Nami and Sanji's "date."

He didn't hear anything, though, as his mind was miles away.

He had had a bad feeling about this job from the minute the man in the professionally-cut suit had dropped by his apartment with an offer he simply couldn't refuse, as he had been on his last 1,000 Beli.

But Betting close to the crew… Gaining their trust… Lie after lie building up, one after another.

Why didn't anyone ever think about how the middle man felt? Really, he was the one who knew these people. He was the one they had gradually begun to call their friend. And the one who had learned, over time in hushed tones what the "traitor" Sanji had done all of those years ago.

They're too trusting, he thought. With Sanji…and me… I can tell that this isn't going to end well…

He really shouldn't have taken this job.

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Robin and Chopper made it to the library early. They had found the building with no problems, considering it was one of the oldest around. It was hardly different in the inside, the dust irritating Chopper's allergies; however, there was a fan inside, giving little comfort to the regular summer heat.

"Look in old books," Robin told Chopper. "If there's anything about the fountain, it'll be in old documents. Possibly blueprints," She added. She began to walk towards the back, away from Chopper. "I'll be with the books, if that's alright with you," she called out.

"Hai, Robin-chan!" Chopper sang behind her. "I'll find you if there's anything!"

Robin nodded, even though she knew he couldn't see it, and walked into the high towers of books.

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About the same time Robin and Chopper were well into their search, Sanji opened the door to Mariasol's office.

"I'll be leaving early tonight."

Mariasol looked up at Sanji in surprise. "Why?" she asked. "Sanji…you never leave early. Ever. But now… What's up with you lately? Yesterday, you closed it completely in the middle of breakfast rush! Why are you doing this? I know it was because they were your old 'friends,' but you've always been so responsible when it came down to it! And that woman Nami isn't here, and she's usually the reason you close down! So why?"

Sanji looked at her curiously. "How do you know that Nami-san is…gone?" he asked. His heart pounded unconsciously. Did she know anything?

"I didn't see her when the rest of your old 'crew' was here," she said, tapping documents together, acting professional.

"Oh…" he said quietly, reflecting his thoughts perfectly.

"Don't change the subject, now, Sanji. Why are you leaving? More importantly, have you told the sous chef?"

"Yes," he said. "He said that he would be able to handle dinner without me."

"Then…"

"Mari-chan," he said seriously, coming over to her and stroking her hair, "I'm going out with some friends tonight, okay? I…can't really get out of it. You see…they're throwing a party for me."

"Okay…" she said quietly, placing her smaller hand over his larger one. She had, uncertainly, bought his tentative lie. "When will you be back?"

"Late," he said uneasily. "I might also stay over at their place, so…don't worry, okay?"

Mariasol smiled. "Alright," she said quietly.

"I'll be leaving in a few hours or so, okay?" he stated smiling down at her.

"Hai," she muttered, stroking his hand.

"I've got to return to the kitchen. I'll see you later, okay?"

"If you'd stop saying 'okay,' I'd be fine with it all," she snapped, her eyes flashing. "Instead, you're talking to me as if I was five. Do what you're going to do, okay?" Mariasol glared at him, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"Mari-chan…"

"Stop it!" she yelled. "We've been together for three years, Sanji. We're engaged. And lately, you've been tossing it away in favor of a group you deliberately left. I don't want you to have to make a choice between them or me, but I'm beginning to think that that's the only way that you will listen to me!"

"Mari—''

"I'm not in the mood, Sanji," she said flatly, hiding her face in her hands.

Sighing, Sanji removed his hand from the desk, where it had been thrown when she had started screaming at him. He walked slowly to the door, opened it quietly, and looked at Mariasol.

"I'll see you later, Mari-chan," he said before closing the door behind him.

Damn it all, she thought desperately. That woman's ruined everything.

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Robin rubbed her temples, tired, and looked at her watch. Three forty-one. She was meeting the Straw Hats at four-twenty and they all had to be at this…fountain…by six. And she had hardly any information about the place! Although she didn't want to admit it, she was getting irritated, and patience had always been one of her strong points. All I know about it is that it was donated by a generous benefactor, she thought, exasperated.

Sighing, she picked up yet another dusty tome. It wasn't too thick, but the cover was nearly eaten away. She flipped ahead, careful of the pages, years of experience guiding her.

"Robin!"

She looked up, surprised to see Chopper racing towards her, papers in hoof.

"Robin, look! These papers…they're about the fountain! And look here, at this one! You'll definitely like it." Chopper, in an excited frenzy, shoved the bunch into Robin's unsuspecting arms.

She picked through each one carefully, glancing at the intricate diagrams and rough sketches of an (apparently) large fountain. Until, of course, the "one she'd definitely like" caught her eye.

It was of a mansion…

Robin spread it out in front of her, wiping away the dust Chopper hadn't and pushing the others aside carefully. She traced the lines with her fingers and read the notes, placed sparsely here and there. Then, her eyes widened drastically and she grabbed another, almost placing the two together. Her eyes flickered with apprehension as Chopper watched her piece the two together as she had.

"That's it!"

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Scenes were running through Nami's head as she sat in solitude, kicking at the wall with her broken heel. Scenes from the past. Scenes she had forgotten. Or, at least, had tried to forget.

-Flashback-

"Alexander! Look at the water! Isn't it beautiful?"

"Nami, stay away from there! You could drown!"

"No, I won't! The ocean likes me! So stop saying such silly thi-yings!" Nami screeched playfully as her current boyfriend grabbed her around the waist and tossed her around his shoulder as if she was a sack of potatoes. He spun around wildly for a minute, and she laughed hysterically wile holding onto her hat. "Stoppit, Alex, stoppit! I give up!"

Smiling, Alexander let her down on a bench and sat next to her, all the while grinning madly.

"So, has that taught you a lesson about my authority, you little minx?" he asked playfully, wiggling his face in hers.

"Hahahahahaha-hai," she laughed, breathlessly. "Maybe, Alex dear. Or maybe not."

Alexander mocked a serious face. "You make these things so difficult, Nami dear. Must you always challenge me?"

"Mmmm," she murmured. "Must you always tempt me?"

Smiling again, Alexander took her hand in his, bringing it to his lips in a kiss.

"That's why we're getting married, aren't we?" he asked, rubbing the diamond fondly.

"Hai, hai," she said softly. "That's why…" her eyes were in a far off place, however, with another world at her hands, another voice…

Another man that she wanted desperately to forget.

("Mellorine…")

-End Flashback-

Nami smirked and rolled her head onto her shoulders. A month later, she had left with the Straw Hats to pillage another town, and to supposedly find a new rich man to pursue. It had hurt her, but she had still gone. While he was at a business meeting, actually. He had come home…and there was no Nami. Not even a note had been left behind. She hadn't looked back when they were sailing away.

I was never one to reflect on a forgotten, useless relationship, she thought dryly. And yet… I have the nerve to be here. To have seen him. Really, I must be absolutely insaneHer head met with the wall and her eyes closed.

Won't be the first time, though, she thought, chuckling lightly to herself. I remember Victor. Now thatwas a messy ending…

-Flashback-

"Nami, will you marry me?"

"No." Nami looked ahead, determined not to look at the man on one knee in front of her, holding an ornate ring box popped open.

"What?"

Victor's outraged face suddenly appeared in front of hers. "Why not?"

"Because, Victor, we don't click." Nami stood up and brushed imaginary dust off of her dress. She pushed out of the way of Victor and started out of the park. "It's been fun, but we will never be ready for that."

"Then why were we even together in the first place?" he yelled after her, standing now, his arms outstretched.

"Simple, darling." She called back. "Your money has appeal."

-Flashback-

Like so many others before and after him, she never saw him again.

That, she realized, was before she had met Luffy and had still been collecting money for the safety of Cocoyashi. She had never intended for their relationship to make it far enough to start considering marriage (again, this was before Luffy; she could spend as much time conning someone as she needed), and had repeatedly acted cold and indifferent she acted to his face. She had hoped that it would quickly disinterest him, therefore giving her a chance for an easy escape.

There was another, too, she thought. One more relationship that stood out from the rest.

Max.

Max, as she reflected, was unusually hard to "catch". Not to mention, he was an utterly hopeless nerd, hence different compared to her usual taste of tall, dark, and unbespectacled men that she dated. Also, the breakup had been mutual; no fight, no disappearance… The "love" had just disappeared.

-Flashback-

"Max, pass the salt, would you?"

"Hm." Chewing carefully, he handed the shaker to his five-month and clearly distracted Nami.

"Another thing, Max…"

"Yeah?" he swallowed and looked at her, bored; the chandelier reflected off of his thick—yet charming—reading glasses.

"I think we should break up."

Max shrugged, unresponsive to what she had just said.

"Me too. What did they say the wine was called again?"

"White Star, I think."

"Huh."

"…Yeah."

-Flashback-

Nami smirked. Their relationship had lasted five months, one before she had met Alexander, and two after Sanji had left.

The blonde bastard gave me standardsshe thought, sighing deeply and closing her eyes, willing sleep, fitful or not, to come.

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Sanji tore down the street, frantically checking his watch as he headed towards the hotel the crew was meeting at and Nami had been staying at.

I'm late I'm late I'm late I'm-PEDESTRIANSanji leaped to the side as a farmer leaving the market rolled his cart down the street. He barely heard the faint "Watch it!" as he turned a sharp corner.

Can't I ever get a break? He thought desperately. I'm trying to fix things with them, not ruin it completely! He leaped neatly over a barrel of cider and continued on, the roof of the hotel now in sight. And, for the record, being late for a rescue mission isn't exactly what I need! Arms outstretched, he ran through the door and dashed through the lobby. If you had blinked, you would have missed the flash of yellow and black.

He was up the staircase and down the hall just as quick, flying by the occasional couple and family. He made a sharp corner, the flowered wallpaper blurring, before skidding to a stop at the end of the hall almost comically.

Quickly dusting himself off and brushing his bangs in front of his eye, he took a deep breath in order to slow his rapidly beating heart. Then he knocked three times, professionally, and stood back from the door. Excellent timing, too, because half a second later it was thrown open to reveal a grinning Luffy and a sulking Zoro.

"Hi Sanji!" said Luffy, grinning madly, his smile threatening to split his face in two despite the circumstances they were meeting in. "We were just talking about you!"

"No need to give him the details," Zoro muttered. Then, to Sanji, he said, "About time you got here, baka."

Sanji shrugged, acting as if he hadn't spent the past few minutes tearing down streets and through hallways. "So it took longer than I thought it would to close down the restaurant. So what? I'm here, aren't I?" he pushed past a Zoro whom was now muttering what was probably reasons why he wouldn't make it.

"Cook-san!" Robin, seated on the couch, began shuffling papers together as he entered the room. "We were just going over some things. Mostly about the plan."

"The plan?" he echoed.

"Yes—we have decided to put the brute force—which is entering the center—to you, Luffy, and Zoro. I don't believe Chopper will be able to reach part of it because it is underwater, and you and Zoro will be able to do the job quickly. Luffy will be able to handle the rest, I'm sure. However, after we get 'in,' we will split up.

The boys will head over to confront Buggy, who will probably be waiting with some…helpers. We, however," she gestured from herself to Sanji, further illustrating her point, "will go to find Nami. She'll most likely be some place else, away from most of the action, but not in a cell. That would make things too…easy…for us. Her captor will most likely be around there, guarding her. I don't think that he'd entrust her with anyone else. Chopper will be carrying the Clima Tact--'' she motioned to where Chopper was stationed, his red backpack almost bursting with the weapon, "—so she'll be able to fight. There'll be no doubt that she'll want to. Revenge, you know?"

"It'll probably take awhile," Franky added, "although we'll win."

As chatter rose concerning how big the victory dinner should be ("I want MEAT!"), techniques to be used ("Luffy, if you fall asleep during this, so help me I will KILL YOU."), and general excitement, Sanji looked around at his old teammates, feeling a sort of nostalgia. He had almost forgotten how good it felt to be working with this band of idiots—excluding Robin-chan, obviously. All of the fights they had shared had given them a sort of timing, of knowing what to predict from when they would be in a fight. Standing there, looking at the unusual group of people that called themselves nakama, Sanji wondered if they felt it too.

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Six o'clock arrived completely non-climatically, considering that when the clock did chime six, Usopp, Chopper, and Franky were arguing over some new 'experiment,' Robin scribbling away to their dictation, and Sanji explaining (with the occasional shouting, pointing of fingers, and badly-drawn diagram) why it was against the laws of physics and anatomy that Luffy was able to eat as much as he did. However, once the six chimes had ended, the entire group had been rendered silent and were staring expectedly at Robin and Luffy.

"Does everybody remember the plan?" Robin asked, looking around at the group.

"Not at all," Luffy said confidently. "So let's go!"

"YEAH!" they chorused, raising their arms up in the air, small black 'x' visible. "FOR NAMI!"

Cook-san's voice was by far one of the most audible, Robin noted with a smile as the crew trooped through the halls. Could it be that he might want this chance to prove himself to us?

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He remembered the first time he had fought this group at Water 7. He had taken the Going Merry and the "Great Captain Usopp," and the crew wasn't pleased to find that out. He had fought long and hard that day, bloody and sweaty. Then, he had gone out with the very same people he had just been fighting to save one of their own. He was gone even longer, then, for a person he had basically never met. Then, after that was done and Robin restored, he had built a boat for them. It had bits of their old, treasured ship in it and he was proud to say whom it was for.

His nakama.

With these people, he had risked his life—for and against them—and he didn't regret it in any way.

"Franky-san!"

Franky looked up, interrupted from his little daydream. Robin was standing before him, the rest of the Straw Hats (plus Sanji) ahead of the two.

"Franky-san, I want to talk to you."

"What is it?" he asked casually, catching up to her.

"Keep walking. It's important, and I'd like it if the rest of the group doesn't hear."

"Sure…" he said slowly. "What is it about?"

"Dabelle," she said simply, staring ahead. "There's something not right with him."

"You feel it too, then," he stated, keeping his pace in step with hers. "The way he's detached lately? How he was the first to volunteer to stay with the ship—even though it was my turn and he hates watching it—when we arrived? How he had been the last one Luffy had talked to before his 'great idea'? I'm emotional and flamboyant, not stupid. I know that he was to one who suggested it." He looked at her, his jaw set. "There's something not right about it. Do you think…?"

Franky trailed off and Robin ran a hand through her hair. "I don't know," she said abruptly. "I just don't know."

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(This is gonna be long, be warned)

A) I'm sorry, first of all, if I've gotten Franky's past wrong. I don't have the time to watch the episodes on You Tube (I wish I did, but…!). I am, however, able to read the wikipedia articles, even though I am aware that those are sometimes misleading. If you point mistakes out to me (politely, please!) then I will fix them.

B) Nami's past boyfriends…hmm…I wonder how this will play out…

C) I know that there is STILL no confrontation about WHO the bad guy is, but I just gave you three (more like 2) possibilities in this chapter. There will be some action in the next chapter. Most is written, so I can say that as a FACT.

D) I am completely unaware if I used 'who' and 'whom' correctly. I did not do so hot when my English class went over this. Please point mistakes out. Messages that say, "JOO IDIOT! U R STOOPID!" will be promptly ignored.

And Finally, E) I'll try to update asap. That's all I can say for now about that.

Love you all, hope you read this!

VM

PS) I get to see Game Plan! Yay modern Disney movies! (please don't have too many 'family values')