A/N: This would have been updated yesterday -had this site WANTED me to even upload. But I found a way around that dilemma, which should be obvious, because I am indeed updating :)

Honestly, it was frustrating. I was up until one last night to finish it, stayed up til one thirty trying to repeatedly update it -but it wouldn't let me. Went to sleep, woke up, tried again, didn't work, went to school, got home, started replying to reviews as per usual, and VOILA! It hit me. I just replaced the content of a chapter previously uploaded! To me, that was sheer brilliance :) So, if any of you are experiencing the same difficulty, there you go! :P

So here's the chapter I promised yesterday in "Of Dreams, Clouds and Mikans", though through technical difficulties I was unable to follow through with.

Enjoy~! :)

Chapter 3

"It was nice of Franky to offer to watch over the ship today," I said slowly, looking over at Zoro as we walked through the town.

"Mm," he said, looking straight ahead.

"You're still angry."

"Of course I am," Zoro said.

"He already apologized," I reminded him.

"The point was that he was against you staying with us on the ship in the first place," Zoro muttered.

"It's fine isn't it? I'm staying," I reached between us and squeezed his hand before letting go. He was quick to chase it down and hold it gently, his finger intertwining with mine. I smiled.

He was silent for a moment as we neared the edge of the town. We kept walking though, past the wall that signified the end.

"When he said that," Zoro began, but he stopped.

"Go on," I urged gently.

"When Franky said that, it took everything in my power not to tear him to shreds. And I know I shouldn't think that way of a nakama. But the idea of you leaving the ship…"

"Zoro," I said, but he turned away, his ears red with embarrassment. "Zoro, look at me."

I pulled him to a stop and let go of his hand, bringing my hands to his face and making him look me in the eye.

"They were just trying to decide what was for the better," I said. "It's understandable, isn't it? It'd be the same if it were Nami that was pregnant."

"Luffy would protect Nami," Zoro said simply.

I smiled with how much faith he had in our captain. "Mm. He would, but the danger is always there. But the fear is still there with 'what if'."

"No one would say anything though, because Luffy's captain. If he wanted Nami by his side, then Nami would be by his side, no questions asked. But when they question it…"

I didn't have to tell him to go on, because after his voice trailed off he picked up again, though his eyes fell, not meeting my gaze.

"Isn't it kind of like saying that I'm not capable?"

"Zoro, I know better than anyone that you are very capable," I joked.

"I'm being serious here," he pulled his head away from my hands and looked away, out into the forest.

"So am I," Well, for the most part. "If I didn't trust you with my life, where would I be now?"

"With Nami?" he shrugged, not knowing.

It didn't matter where I would be though, what mattered was that I was there –beside him. "And where am I now?"

"Here," he looked back at me.

"I trust you. And despite what happened back there, the crew trusts you, and they rely on you and your loyalty, and how you don't give up no matter how many times you get knocked down. They might not trust your sense of direction, but –"

"Why?"

"Pardon?"

"Why don't they trust my sense of direction?"

I smiled, but rather than put him down I said, "It's a mystery, I know."

He scowled.

"The point I'm trying to make, Zoro," I put my hand on his shoulder as I kissed his cheek, "Is that it's not a matter of how capable you are, but that we can't predict the future. Even Luffy loses battles, and gets so injured he can barely move. But you know that better than anyone, don't you?"

"You –" he began, but stopped, shaking his head, before he barked out a laugh, picking me up off the ground. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he shifted his hold from underneath my arms to under my ass, though not in a suggestive manor. "Of course you knew. You always know. Are you going to teach our child to eavesdrop too?"

"I'll leave that to Nami," I said.

"To Nami?" he questioned.

"She does quite the job of it," I chuckled.

"She's here," he said, coming to an understanding and setting me back down on my feet.

"I'm here," Nami sighed, coming out from behind a tree. "I saw you both leaving town and followed."

"And what would you do if we came out here to have –"

"Obviously I wouldn't have stayed," she said before I could finish. "But I'm glad you weren't."

I chuckled.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"I'm fine," I told her, looking up at Zoro. "I think we both are now."

"That's good," she smiled. She walked to a different tree slowly, her hand going out to touch its bark before she looked over at us and said, "I'm glad that you're staying."

"Me too," I said, the corners of my lips lifting up. "I'd hate for you to give up your dream for me."

"What?" Zoro looked down at me.

"If I were to stay at an island, Nami offered to stay with me," I said. "She said it right after you did during the argument. But she also said it before that as well."

"She knew before I did?"

"Women's intuition," Nami said, tapping the side of her head with a grin.

"You were eavesdropping then too, weren't you?" I said.

"Maybe. And the constant throwing up was a big hint too."

"The kid's definitely going to need to take lessons from her," Zoro said, kissing the side of my head. Nami always looked surprised when he showed public affection, even though she had known for the longest time now about the two of us. But she smiled, and Zoro looked over at Nami, "Thank you."

"Robin's my best friend," Nami shrugged. "And I'm sure she'd do the same for me if it were the other way around."

"Mm," I agreed.

Nami was silent again, "So, Franky did something, to make up for all that's happened."

"Oh?" I exchanged a look with Zoro, not having any idea of what it could be.

"It's back on the ship," she said.

"Is it done?" I questioned.

"That was part of the reason I'd followed you," Nami laughed. "Otherwise I would have let the two of you go off by yourselves."

"You couldn't have waited until we came back?" Zoro asked.

"No," Nami said simply.

He sighed, taking my hand in his, "Well, then let's go –"

"This way," Nami said pointing.

"I knew that."

"I'm sure you did," Nami rolled her eyes before grinning at me.

"I did."

"Never said you didn't," Nami fell into step on the other side of me. "So have you thought of names?"

"We just learned that I was pregnant less than a day ago," I chuckled.

"So?"

"Whatever the names, we're not letting you choose them," Zoro said.

"What if it's a girl?" Nami ignored him.

"Let's wait until you can actually tell that I'm pregnant before we start trying to give the baby a name," I told her.

"So you don't have any ideas at all?" She scoffed.

"Even if I did have ideas in mind, I might not choose any of them once the baby is actually born," I said as we entered the town.

"So what did Franky do?" Zoro interjected before Nami could go on.

"You'll see," She grinned. "I think you'll like it. You'll be happy. Oh, and Chopper went crazy with buying medical books on pregnancy."

"Is that so," I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Mm," She said. "I'll read them too, so that I can be of help. There are also a few books you should read."

"I'll probably read them all," I told her.

"I know," she said. "And right now I think he's talking to the doctor in this town."

"And Harumi's in disguise again," I said, catching a glimpse of her as we walked past a bar with its doors propped open. It was hot, and they wanted the breeze to sweep through the building.

"I'll go get her," Nami sighed, falling back immediately. "I told her she has to stop doing this."

"Does this mean she's spotted a Marine?" Zoro asked as Nami entered the bar.

"No, she's probably just trying to find a little peace aside from the argument this morning. You haven't noticed that in the month she's been with us that every time we've gotten into fights with other pirates and each other she puts on her disguise?"

"She does?"

I laughed, "Mm. She does."

"I didn't notice."

"Well, now you know."

We arrived at the ship, Nami and Harumi hurrying to catch up behind us. Luffy stretched his arm down to help me up, and I placed my hand in his as he pulled me up. Zoro climbed aboard, nodding at Luffy as he took my hand in his once more.

"So where's this surprise?" he asked, looking around.

"A new door," I pointed to the second level, on the opposite side of the stairs from the door that led to the women's quarters. Immediately I knew what was on the other side; a room just for Zoro and me.

"Go and look," Nami said, pushing the two of us forward a bit.

We crossed the ship and opened the door.

"Surprise!" Franky and Usopp shouted from inside. I smiled, and glanced at Zoro. Franky continued before we said anything, "We realized that simply apologizing might not be good enough for a guy like Zoro, and we all know that you have the tendency to spend the night up in the crow's nest, Robin, so we decided to make it up by providing you both a better place to sleep."

The room basically consisted of a bed and a bookshelf, as well as some of Zoro's training equipment and a closet. Though basic, it was nice. I liked it a lot. And Zoro seemed to be happy with it. He went to the bed and tested it out.

"What do you think?" Franky asked him.

Silence.

"Zoro?"

Silence.

A loud snore sounded through the room.

"He –"

"–fell asleep," Usopp finished for Franky.

"Consider yourselves forgiven," Nami said, pushing the two of them out of there. I walked over to Zoro, brushing a strand of hair out of his face. I'd have to cut it some time soon. I trailed my fingers down his cheek, then down his arm until my fingers brushed against his palm. His fingers wrapped around mind, giving them a quick squeeze. I smiled.

Brooke and Chopper arrived about then, and Brooke laughed, "Yohoho! This is good! The quarrel this morning had nearly broken my heart!"

"But you don't have a heart!" Chopper said.

"That's not funny," Brooke said. "I have feelings too."

"Shishishi," Luffy laughed.

"You know, Sanji didn't want me to build this room," Franky said to Nami as he left the room. "He said it was like giving them position to get it on at any time they wanted."

"Isn't it?" Usopp laughed.

"Only if you put a lock on the door," Brooke said.

"That can be arranged," Franky grinned.

"Just let them be," Nami sighed.

I sat down beside Zoro as Luffy pulled the door closed behind him.

"This is nice," I said, looking around the room again.

"Mm," Zoro agreed. "Now I can protect you day and night. And the bench of the crow's nest is uncomfortable in the long run."

There was a door, which I guessed led to a toilet. I chuckled to myself –my own private bathroom to throw up in.