Twenty six! And nearly two hundred reviews. Whoa! Thankyou to everyone who has reviewed so far! If you haven't... get your butts in gear! -hisses-

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Chapter 26: Shock and adventure

"A-ace?" Zoro asked, unsure of what he had heard. The man tilted his head to one side before swinging down and landing in front of him. He wasn't wearing a shirt but he had a pair of black, rolled up shorts on. They looked like they had once been striped, but somewhere along the line, had gotten coloured entirely black.

"Yeah. What's wrong with that?" and he moved over to the window. Zoro watched him with wary eyes.

Luffy's brother was named Ace. But… Luffy's brother died. And that face… it's Luffy's but different. Zoro thought as Ace leaned on the window, moonlight streaming through and shining on his face, illuminating the small smile that played around his lips.

"So, what're you in for?" Ace asked, turning around and putting his hands on his hips. Zoro blinked up at him silently until Ace waved a hand in front of his face.

"Uh… I'm accused of murdering someone." Zoro replied, shaking his head and looking away. Wait until he told Luffy that his brother was alive! And then Zoro's face fell. He was sure he would never see Luffy again. It just wasn't possible. He sighed.

"Well?" Ace asked. Zoro looked up, confused.

"Well what?"

"Did you?"

"Did I what?"

"Murder someone! What are you, stupid?" and Ace vaulted back up onto his bunk again and returned to his upside down position.

"I am not stupid! I was just thinking about someone…" and he brought his knees up and wrapped his arms around them as he laid back against the cold stone wall behind him.

"Hmm… I think about people too. One in particular. But, did you murder that person?"

"No."

"Oh. That's cool then." and Ace twisted around and back up onto his bed again. Zoro could see that the obviously older male of the cell had laid back and was preparing to go to sleep. He had to resist that question, the one niggling at him in such a persistent fashion. Zoro looked up at the window… and the fact that he was in jail, began to set in.

His breathing became a little ragged, his heart beat a little faster and suddenly sounds he hadn't heard when he came in here, became a lot louder and more frightening. The room seemed smaller, and the window seemed higher. He couldn't be here. He didn't belong here.

"Hey… you alright down there?" Ace asked casually. Zoro gulped silently, forcing his fear aside. It had no place here.

"Yeah… I'm fine. Thanks." he replied.

"Listen… it's okay to be frightened man. You don't have to worry. I've been here three years already. I know all the in's and out's. I'll look after you."

"I don't need looking after." Zoro snapped, getting a little annoyed.

"Alright. Don't panic. Geeze, you remind me of my brother." and there was silence in which Zoro blinked up at the bed above him and wondered. He was just about to ask the question that had been sitting in his brain all night, when light snoring reached his ears. Ace had obviously fallen asleep. Zoro sighed and placed his forehead on his knees. This place was going to drive him nuts. And the fact that he was sharing a cell with Luffy's brother, was going to make it even worse.

---

Luffy bounced around the car.

"C'mon Nami!" he cried as he tapped the roof anxiously with his hands. Nami glanced up at him before looking back down at the map in her hands.

"If we go this way, we'll be able to avoid the main roads and the like." she said.

"Hmm," Sanji hummed in agreement as he draped an arm over her shoulder. Chopper popped up from the back seat of the car. He looked up at Luffy, who was standing by the window.

"Are we leaving yet?" he asked. Luffy looked down at his little friend, and frowned.

"No. Nami's still looking at her map." and Luffy sighed.

"Well, do you want to get lost and have to face the horrible tar vampire of the road?" Usopp asked. Luffy just looked blankly back at him. This time, the story wasn't working. At least, not on Luffy, but Chopper was ducked down in his seat and shaking like a lamb. Luffy sighed.

"Namiiiiiiiii." he whined. The ginger haired woman looked up sharply.

"Luffy, you whine at me again, and you won't be eating for the rest of this damn trip." she growled. Luffy bit his lip.

"But…" and he put on his most endearing expression, "I just want to save Zoro." he replied. Nami sighed and shook her head.

"I know." and she looked back at the map one last time before folding it up again, "Let's go. Sanji, you're driving." and she tossed the chef her keys. Luffy grinned brightly and jumped into the back of the car. Usopp hurried over and got into the other side. Chopper sat happily in the middle, but whenever one of the boys moved slightly away from him, he would do a little reindeer pout until they came back.

He liked the warmth. It was nice… and warm! Sanji started the car and waited until Nami had gotten into the car before driving off. Nami waved to Nojiko and Genzo as they turned down the road. Her heart beat a little more wildly as she left. Last time she had left… it had been under different circumstances. Ones she couldn't have avoided, even if she of wanted to. But now, she was free to come back whenever she liked.

She was allowed to see her family whenever she wanted to. And that made her happy. Happier than she had ever been in all her life. And now, she had the chance to make someone else happy. Nami's eyes narrowed as they glanced at the side view mirror, and saw Luffy watching the trees flick past as the car picked up speed and left the town. She took note of the grim line that was the boy's mouth, the determined dark eyes and the tightness in his jaw.

Luffy was ready to do anything and everything to save Zoro. A faint smile caressed her lips and she looked back at the long, black road ahead. Sanji's hand suddenly grasped her own and she looked over at him as he drove with one hand, his cigarette twitching between his lips.

He glanced towards her, gave her a beaming smile before looking back out at the road again. Nami felt that feeling that she had felt when Sanji had saved her from that 'policeman'. Only, now, she recognised what it was. Love. She felt love for this annoying, possibly over-polite man sitting beside her. She smiled. And now, she would help someone else find love.

"Luffy… we'll get him back. I promise." Nami said, but she heard three other voices join her own. Sanji, Usopp and Chopper had all said the same thing, at the same time. She turned and looked at them and Luffy beamed.

"You guys are the best!" he cried, grinning widely before he grabbed the closest person, Chopper, in a hug.

"Idiot! That doesn't make me happy at all!" Chopper cried, but he made no attempt in escaping from Luffy's iron grip. Sanji chuckled and took his hand away from Nami's… but she caught it before it was placed back in his lap. She smiled at him… a sincere smile. One that held no taunting, teasing, or controlling taint in it… and Sanji understood. He didn't yell and carry on, and he didn't burst into a flurry of love hearts, he just smiled.

"Oh get a room!" Usopp muttered from the back. Nami twisted into her seat, grabbed her shoe from her foot, thwacked Usopp around the head with it and then replaced it on her foot again. Usopp held his head and frowned. Luffy continued to clutch Chopper to his chest, and the little fluffy reindeer almost purred.

---

It took them barely three hours to reach Boto, but when they did, it was well and truly past midnight. Luffy looked around anxiously, trying to spot some sign that pointed him towards where Zoro was. Sanji parked the car beside a run down looking house and Luffy was about to bound out of the car when Nami growled at him.

"Luffy." she hissed again and the boy stopped to look back at her.

"Do you want to save Zoro?" Sanji snapped as he glanced around. Usopp glanced around as well, but he was decidedly more uneasy than the chef.

"That's what I was doing!" Luffy replied, his hand on the door handle.

"You can't go off half cocked you know." Nami growled. Luffy blinked and then looked out the window, his feet shifting. He wanted to go! He wanted to save Zoro! It was unfair to make him wait like this.

"But, Nami…" and he whined slightly as he looked back at her, "Zoro!" Nami sighed.

"I know Luffy. We'll rescue him, but tonight, we need to think of something to try and clear his name. But, I have an idea." and she turned her keen, brown eyes on Usopp, who blinked and pushed himself back in the seat.

"Usopp, I have a plan, but I think the only person who can pull it off, is you." she said. Usopp stiffened and chewed on his lip for a moment.

"What is it?" he asked. Nami smiled slightly.

"I need you, to sneak over to the jail and try to find the cell Zoro is in, and if possible, find out if he knows when… how long he's got." she replied, quickly changing her last sentence so Luffy wouldn't become distressed.

"Why me?" Usopp squeaked, "You're the one who used to be a thief."

"I have to stay here and help Sanji, Luffy and Chopper investigate a few things."

"But Namiiiiiii!" Luffy whined desperately. She shushed him with a sharp glance and then turned back to Usopp, who was fidgeting nervously in his seat.

"Nami… I can't." Usopp finally said, dropping his head and staring at the floor between his legs, "I'm no good for anything but being a coward, and telling lies."

"Usopp!" Luffy snapped and the boy jumped and turned towards his friend. Luffy's eyes were sparkling, and looking at him with such a ferocious intensity, that Usopp had to fight desperately not to move backwards.

"Don't say those things Usopp. You're braver, braver than you give yourself credit for." Luffy began, his voice taking on a serious tone to it, "I can't go and find Zoro, I understand that. I'm no good at sneaking into heavily guarded places. I'm more of a front on attacker, and that's why I need you." and Luffy gave him an imploring look, "Please Usopp, I need you to find Zoro and tell him that we're going to save him." and he paused, waiting for the verdict. Usopp's face hardened and he pulled out the gun.

"Okay. I'll do it. I'll be back at this car when I'm done." and Usopp gently shifted Chopper so he could get out the side of the car, but before he was completely out the door, Luffy stopped him again.

"Oh and Usopp," and the boy grinned brightly, "Tell Zoro I love him." and the door was shut. Usopp blinked for a moment before smiling. Time to take on a mission. Usopp hurried down the street and around a corner, disappearing into the darkness, and two keen eyes from the back of a beaten up old car, watched him go. Luffy sighed and turned back to face Nami again once Usopp had disappeared.

"Good, now, Sanji, Luffy and Chopper, we're going to find information about Zoro's 'crime'." Nami instructed.

"How're we gonna do that?" Chopper asked, quite curiously. Sanji looked across at his girlfriend and she smiled.

"A bar. They're always open this time of night."

"A bar?" Luffy asked a little doubtfully. Nami nodded.

"Yep. We're going to go in there, act casual, and get a few answers from a few people who have had too much to drink." and she glanced at Sanji. That man was girl crazy, and drunken girls around her boyfriend… well, that just wasn't going to happen.

"Sanji," she muttered and the chef looked at her, waiting patiently for what she had to say, "Why don't you stay with Luffy and Chopper so they don't get into trouble. And if I see you flirting with one girl, drunk or not, I'm going to kick your ass from here to New Guinea." and she sniffed a little indignantly. Sanji blinked for a minute and then he grinned around his cig.

"Of course my lovely dove!" and he tilted his head, looking kind of like a little puppy, "I would never betray your trust."

"Yeah, yeah. Just get out of the car Casanova." and she stepped out of her side of the car. Luffy did so on his side, his thoughts constantly on Usopp and Zoro. Chopper skipped out of his side onto the footpath and looked around, his nose twitching as he took in the smell of burning rubber and old melting plastic. There must have been a dumpster, or a fire somewhere nearby. Sanji moved around to Nami's side, his hand in his pocket.

Although he hadn't said anything, he was down to his last cigarette. The empty box was now crumpling in his hand. He glanced at Nami, but she was watching Luffy. The boy was standing on the footpath near her, his feet twitching nervously and his hands going to his hat and adjusting it before dropping to his side again. Sanji sighed. He didn't want to ask her for money to buy them, but, he needed them!

And if he didn't get them, his mood would go downhill like a runaway train. He would become almost as shitty as that bastard of a swordsman. How dare he? Honestly. How dare that bastard go off and leave them to clean up his mess? Sanji frowned. He was doing it again.

"Luffy, calm down." Nami hissed as Luffy fidgeted underneath the streetlight. The boy turned, his eyes becoming determined and his chin jutting out. He was ready.

"Sorry. Let's go." and the four walked forward, Sanji and Nami in the lead, while Luffy and Chopper brought up the rear. It was going to be an interesting night.

---

Usopp had seen the lights shining from the prison, a few streets away. They were bright, and shifted back and forth like they were being blown about by a light breeze. He paused outside the steel bars and high, barb wire topped fence.

"Oh damn, old fashioned." he muttered, holding his gun so tightly that his hand had become sweaty, and his knuckles were turning white. Usopp glanced around, looking for some way to get through. A low growl caught his attention, and he had to sigh.

"Why, why do I do these things?" he muttered as two, very large, and very vicious Doberman dogs walked past the fence, their noses twitching and stumpy tails wagging slightly. Usopp searched his pockets for something he could use to distract them, should they come back while he was breaking and entering. It had occurred to the marksman, as he had been walking down an alley, that he could be put in jail himself for this.

It was ridiculous, trying to break into a prison. It should have been the other way around, especially at this time of the night. Or morning. Whatever the hell it was. It didn't matter right now. All Usopp knew, was that if he didn't move quick, his keister would be hanging from that smoke guy's wall. Man, hadn't he been a tight ass.

The dogs finally moved on and Usopp found a few little rocks he could use to distract the dogs if they came back. Not to mention his unused ammo. He really needed to get a new slingshot. It had been an unfortunate, and untimely loss. Creeping over to the fence, Usopp peered through the wire.

"Ha, easy." he muttered as he pushed his fingers between the wire to get to the back of a small steel pole that was holding the fence up. Gently working his fingernails under the edge of a tightly wound piece of wire, he began to pry it up. It was tight, and didn't move easily, but Usopp thanked his lucky stars that it hadn't been welded. Obviously someone had been slacking off when they had been welding this fence up.

Finally, Usopp managed to undo one of the diamonds, and he began working on the others, until he had a good sized hole in the fence. One that the skinny marksman would be able to slip through without any problems. And so he did. The wall of the cell blocks was about ten metres away and Usopp sighed. He would have to hurry. Ducking his head down, and running along in a bent position, the marksman made it to the wall just as a large light flickered across just in front of him.

He sighed and wiped the sweat from his forehead before looking in the window next to him. Empty. Zoro wasn't there. Usopp quickly moved along to the next one. Two men looked back at him, but not the ones he was looking for. Next. It took him about five windows to find Zoro, and when he did, he then had to hiss and whisper to try and wake the stupid bastard up. In the end, it was the other man in the room, a tall, freckle faced man who looked vaguely familiar, who answered him.

"Wake the other guy up." Usopp hissed impatiently, glancing around behind him as he did so. The man nodded and then went over and gave Zoro's shoulder a good, hard, poke. Once again, that was a little familiar, but Usopp's brain wasn't up to thinking in correct patterns right now. Zoro looked up and saw him, before a wide smile spread across his face. The swordsman got up and hurried to the window, gripping the bars as Usopp began talking to him.

"Nami's got everything organised, and we're going to free you from this place. She promises. Sanji and Chopper are looking for a way to bust you out if we can't clear your name, she wants to know if you know what's going to happen and when it is going to happen so we can figure out how much time we have and Lu-" but before Usopp could finish, Zoro had hushed him urgently. The man behind him gave them an inquiring look, but didn't say anything. Usopp blinked in a confused way and then shrugged, deciding to finish the sentence without Luffy's name in it.

"Well, you know who," and he gave Zoro another awkward glance, "says he loves you." and Zoro nodded, a little impatiently. The man in the background was silent. Zoro thought for a minute.

"I don't know what's going to happen. I haven't seen Smoker since he shoved me in here, the stupid bastard." and Zoro let his head fall against the bars.

"Tell him I miss him. And tell Nami not to take any unnecessary risks. If they're trying to find out stuff about what happened, go to the old abandoned mansion on the very edge of the town. That's where it happened. I don't know if anyone is living there, but, you have to get a look at those rooms, or at least talk to the owners. Or something."

"Right." Usopp nodded and turned, looking over his shoulder nervously, "Now, I'm going to go because I can hear growling."

"Usopp, be careful. And, scratch what I said before, tell the kid I really miss him." and Usopp nodded before disappearing into the darkness, his footsteps not even heard in the silence of the prison yard.

Zoro watched him go, his heart throbbing painfully. But a new feeling crept up inside him. Joy, hope. They were rivalling for first row but Zoro didn't think either of them would overcome the amount of love swelling in his heart. He turned and saw Ace fixing him with a curious stare.

"What?" Zoro snapped. Ace shrugged and moved around to jump back up into his own bed again.

"Nothing. Just wondering about something." he replied.

"Well… keep it to yourself." Zoro growled as he lay down again. But the swordsman let a smile steal over his face. Luffy was coming to his rescue… yet again. That boy really knew how to sweep him off his feet.

---

Alrighty then, how was that? I dunno if Usopp was in character. Sorry if he wasn't. Well, tune in next time, when Fugitives continues. Wheeeeeeeee! Reviews would be greatly appreciated! Help me on my way to taking over the world with Fugitives! Bwahahahahaha! ... not really. :