Hello, everyone! Legal notice: all original plot, characters and settings belong to Eiichiro Oda. I did not receive any revenue for writing this fan fiction. Enjoy chapter 31!

She dragged herself into the galley. The warm air felt wonderful on her frozen skin. A tin mug was shoved into her hands.

"Magina-san, you're shaking! Drink up. We have plenty more cider for everyone," Sanji ladled another spoon into someone's empty glass.

A strong hand at her back guided her to a stool. If she sat down, she might not get back up. But the warm hand was insistent. It gently pressed down on her shoulders until she sat. Sanji ordered her to drink but she didn't think that she had the strength to lift the glass. And every time she swallowed; her throat was on fire. How was she supposed to drink anything? Besides, it was so noisy here, it overwhelmed her.

"Alright, siren. I understand. Love Cook, have someone bring food and tea to a room," gravel filled her ears.

Two arms picked her up. She feebly tried to push the arms away. He was hurt too; he shouldn't be carrying her. She could still walk by herself!

"Hold still, Magina. We're almost to a room. That damn Love Cook would have a fit if I dropped you," a heavy sigh exploded by her ear.

She was carried to a small dark place. The noise was dimmer here. A soft mattress eased her aching limbs, and a thick fur was wrapped around her shaking body. The warm hand took hers and gently started rubbing warmth back into her extremities. Another sigh filled the room.

"Looks like I was right. I could have carried you down from the crow's nest. You're exhausted. And going into the galley wasn't the right choice either. Even sirens can get worn out by hearing songs, I guess."

She wasn't sure if she had enough energy to argue though her annoyance roused her a little.

"You're exhausted too, Zoro. Don't carry me around anymore," she mumbled.

She couldn't retort back about being worn out from listening. Most of the time, it was fine. Everybody's song was usually peaceful. But today, they were all broadcasting strong emotions. When it was everybody… all at once, she didn't stand a chance. The adrenaline that carried her from Water 7 all the way to Enies Lobby and now finally back was depleted. She cringed away from the door. Someone was approaching. She wasn't ready to interact with anyone else. Zoro was okay but other songs bombarded her already battered senses.

"What's the matter, siren?"

"At the door… too loud," she pulled the furs over her ears and cradled her head.

She didn't see Zoro's look but his concern pierced her painfully. She couldn't suppress her small whimper. Thankfully, he understood very quickly what she needed. He opened the door and took the tray. He brought it inside before shutting the door again and arguing forcibly with the person outside.

"I'm telling you, marimo, that I'm not going to stand for this! Why are you sharing a room with Magina-san? I won't allow it!"

"Sanji. You have to leave. Now. Magina is exhausted and not just physically. She's strained because of her siren abilities too. Hearing our emotions is painful for her right now. She needs rest and time to recover. As soon as I make sure that she eats and drinks something, I'll be leaving too."

Maybe Sanji mumbled something but eventually he moved away. She sighed in relief. Quiet slowly returned. Zoro came back into the room and brought over the tray.

"I would just leave the tray here if I could trust that you'd finish it but you're falling asleep on your feet and you need to eat something. The tea will relax your throat too. You overdid it. Your voice is hoarse."

Patiently, bite by bite Zoro spooned the soup into her and coaxed her to sip the tea. She didn't have the energy to say so, but she was worried about Zoro too. He overdid it, and she didn't think that he ate yet. When she finished eating, Zoro bundled her in the fur and spread another blanket over her.

"Now, rest Magina. You need to recover soon, or you won't be able to go fishing. I know how disappointing that would be."

She drummed up enough energy for a small smile. She was barely able to keep her eyes open while she ate. She fumbled, her hand searching for his. He grasped it. She had something to say before he left.

"Thanks, Zoro."

His hand squeezed hers. He leaned over her and gave her a chaste kiss on the forehead. He was careful not to have any emotions while he was around her. He must have remembered that everybody's songs were mostly feelings. If it were Zoro, she could be around him without being overwhelmed. He could stay in the room with her since he was being so careful, but she didn't have the energy to tell him that.

"I told you earlier, siren. I'll always protect you. Rest. You won't be able to protect the rest of us if you don't."

Her protest died with a yawn and then she slept.

…

Zoro stared blankly into space. Seeing Magina in this state was shocking. Hearing it was almost unbearable. Magina never really explained what it meant that they were 'linked'. Gash never explained it either, though he suspected that Magina never told him about it because she didn't understand it herself. Zoro was suspicious that it didn't mean exactly the same thing because she was part siren.

But he understood what it meant for him. He couldn't hear Magina's song. He heard something vastly different. There was no melody, no words. What Zoro heard were Magina's pure emotions. When she sang Merry's song, her voice was as clear as ever. He also heard her sobbing uncontrollably. Until he climbed the crow's nest, and she released that grief, he heard little else.

The galley was an oversight on his part. Zoro knew how cold her body was. The galley had hot refreshments and stoves. He figured that was the warmest place on the ship. He had a moment's warning and he ignored it. Zoro heard Magina whimper before he opened the door. He led her inside and made her sit down. Their nakama tried to talk with her but she never acknowledged anyone. Only when the screams started, and the sobbing came back did Zoro realize what was wrong.

She needed to be alone. Their songs were emotion too and everyone was too charged to hold back. Magina was doing better now. There were times when he still caught very faint crying. At least, the sobbing and wailing stopped. There was a soft rapping on the door.

"Maa, I heard one of the Straw Hats was in poor condition. So, it was the siren girl. This has been a tough journey on you all," Iceburg said softly from the doorway.

Zoro grunted in agreement.

"The cook told your captain the siren girl's situation. If it won't harm her, he wishes for you to watch over her. Your doctor agreed. She feels safest with you, they said. You didn't get to eat earlier. I'll have one of my men bring you something. They were all very worried about her. If you think it's serious, then I can bring them a message."

Zoro nodded in gratitude. Food sounded great and if they had any sake, he wouldn't say no to that either. He leaned back in his chair.

"I can understand why they're concerned. This has never happened before. She's calmed down and she's resting now. There's no reason to worry. We'll know tomorrow if it's something more serious than exhaustion. Food would be great and maybe some booze if you could spare it," Zoro yawned.

Iceburg grinned, "Maa, I'll see what I can do."

He quietly exited the room. Zoro was left to stand vigil once again. He was going to leave at first since Magina only seemed to react to people she knew. But it was also true that she was calmer, even in his presence. He smirked. Love Cook had a reason to be upset. He was going to spend the night in Magina's room after all. He yawned again. Hopefully, food would arrive soon. He was exhausted. There was another gentle knock on the door.

"Pardon the intrusion," a portly man said as he entered, carrying a tray of food, two bowls of water and some hand towels.

Another man entered, carrying a pack similar to Chopper's medicine bag. He glanced between Zoro and the sleeping siren. Zoro nodded at Magina.

"Start checking her over first. She was wounded in Water 7 before we left so her injuries are more serious than mine."

The doctor nodded. The other man deposited the food, grabbed the tray, and left. Zoro was finally able to eat in peace. He savored every bite since he didn't have to worry about Luffy stealing it off his fork. By the time he ate everything, the doctor was finished wrapping Magina's wounds. Zoro stripped off his shirt and haramaki so that the doctor could see better.

"Everyone fought a really hard battle. You pirates pulled off a miracle!"

Zoro shrugged. They could do little else. They had to get Robin back. She was nakama. The cuts on his arm were attended to first. They were cleaned and wrapped with soft strips of cloth. He had other surface cuts on his chest along with the two serious side wounds. Zoro had to sit with his arms spread so that the doctor could wrap most of his chest. He patiently waited, knowing that as soon as this was finished, he could finally rest. He yawned again. It was getting chilly now. He might also have to scrounge up a blanket somewhere. The doctor turned his attention back to Magina with a frown.

"Her complexion is still bad, and she has a fever. She might turn restless during the night. It would be dangerous for her if that happens. Should I tie her to the bed, just in case?"

Zoro considered the options very calmly, though he was tempted to worry when the doctor spoke. He did have one idea, though Love Cook would probably try to kill him for even thinking it. Zoro did his best not to shiver. Why was it so damn cold in this room?

"That's probably not the best option. I know of a way. You only need to make sure that our cook doesn't come anywhere near this room for 24 hours. Got it?"

The doctor nodded furiously. "Then, I'll leave her to you."

He left them alone. Zoro got up from the chair, the bandages across his chest constricting his movement. Little droplets of perspiration dewed on her forehead. He grabbed a hand towel and dipped it into the water bowl. After wringing it out, he slowly wiped the sweat away, eventually folding it and leaving it on her forehead.

Magina moaned softly. "Merry! I'm sorry, so sorry, Merry!"

Zoro shook his head. "You have nothing to apologize for, siren."

Her hand restlessly searched for something. He took hold of it. Magina still shivered and her hand was as cold as ice. Well, his solution to the doctor's worry was the same answer to the problem of how cold she was. Zoro glanced at the door, his hand poised over the blanket. If there ever was a time for that damn Love Cook to interrupt, it would be now. He only waited for a few more seconds before lifting the covers and settling in the bed next to Magina. He threw the blankets over them and carefully pulled her closer.

She was absolutely frozen! She whimpered once more, but Zoro figured that it was only because he moved to turn down the lamp. She snuggled back in his arms, breathing a soft sigh of relief. Eventually, as Magina warmed up, his own chills disappeared. Complete darkness enveloped him as sleep overtook his senses.

…

Magina woke up in the dark, an unfamiliar warmth surrounding her. She attempted to roll over only two arms tightened around her and kept her still. Someone growled darkly in her ear.

"Lie still, Magina. You need the rest," Zoro commanded.

"B-But Zoro, what are you doing here?" she managed to ask, though her face felt like it was on fire.

"Why are you so nervous, siren? You looked like you were going to challenge me earlier," Zoro mumbled.

"Earlier?"

Magina was confused and he sighed in frustration. "You don't remember that before we left on the sea train that I didn't want you to go? But you insisted, and I went along with it since you promised to rest afterwards. You weren't so nervous about the prospect about being forced to rest before. You even looked excited. I'm doing exactly what I said, I'm making you rest."

"But what about the others? What about…Sanji?"

"What about them? Go back to sleep, siren. It's still too early to be up," Zoro mumbled in her ear.

Zoro stopped talking and soon snores echoed in the tiny room. Magina wasn't used to the volume of his snoring when it was so close to her ear. She yawned. Zoro was right. She was exhausted. She couldn't remember any time when she felt so drained, physically or emotionally. Maybe those weeks at Song Island? Or maybe trying to survive on the sea after that monster destroyed her father's ship? She was pretty worn out that time she was poisoned by the villagers too.

Magina yawned again. Her head felt all muddled. Well, Zoro always said how problems were clearer after he took a little nap. Maybe that would work for her too…

Magina woke in a breezy room. Zoro snored in a chair next to her bed. She smiled softly. He better not have carried her here. He was injured too. Magina frowned as she looked him over. Both of his arms had bandages and it looked like his whole chest was wrapped up tight. Other snores filled her senses. Ah, her nakama were here as well. Piles of clean clothes were laid out for each of them.

Magina gratefully took the Galley La sponsored clothing. It even looked like there was a soft, cozy sweatshirt in the pile. She changed quickly. To be honest, she was still tired, but she wasn't used to sleeping inside of a house anymore. She grabbed a light blanket and went outside, hoping that she would find a lawn chair to nap on.

"Oh, you're the girl who was looking for Ryuu. You were really a pirate? You tricked me!"

Magina bowed her head in apology. "Sorry, I tricked you."

The foreman waved it off and grinned. "None of us really understood what was going on and the whole town was hunting "the pirates". You didn't have much of a choice. Are you going somewhere?"

Magina shrugged. "I was going to find a hammock or a lawn chair nearby and sleep in the sun."

The foreman nodded in understanding. "There's a rest area behind the house. The pool has lawn chairs too but it's farther away. I'll leave a note for your nakama so they don't worry about you."

She nodded. To be honest, Magina thought that they would worry even if they had a note. The foreman left her to explore on her own. She grinned happily when she reached the back of the house. A hammock was hung up, two trees supporting the rope. Magina got comfortable. The sun beat down on her exhausted body. The breeze sent the hammock rocking gently. The sun and the slight movement lulled her back to sleep.

The sensation that someone was staring at her and the air chilling woke her. Looking around, she noticed that Zoro was the person staring so unhappily at her.

"Were you a cat in your past life, siren?" he scowled.

Magina stretched and yawned.

"Hmm, maybe. I do like fish, after all."

Zoro grunted.

"You should have told someone you were going to rest somewhere else. Sanji and Chopper were worried sick."

"One of the foremen said he would leave a note for me. I guess he was too busy. It looks like you found me okay."

Zoro grunted again. "I tried telling them that maybe you needed some time alone. They didn't believe me."

He paused and looked her over. "You look rested. Did you need more time before going back in?"

Magina sighed a little. Maybe he was right. The cramped quarters felt suffocating that day. Sometimes, she needed to be alone too. But how did Zoro know that? He waited expectantly for her answer.

She shook her head. "No, I'm okay now."

Zoro nodded. They headed around the corner and he opened the door.

"Zoro, did you find her?" Chopper demanded immediately.

He grunted and moved out of the way so that she could also come inside.

"Are you okay, Magina? Your bandages…"

"She looks fine, Chopper. Though, tell us next time, okay, Magina? The boys were worried," Nami grinned.

"Oi, Love Cook! When are we eating? I'm hungry!" Zoro complained.

Sanji ignored Zoro and turned to her instead.

"Magina-san, Robin-chan, Nami-san, what would you like for supper tonight?"

Magina suppressed a giggle when Chopper and Zoro protested. She smiled. Being back with nakama, with family, was the best after all.

Things are slowly returning back to normal for the Straw Hat crew now that they've made it back to Water 7. What kind of new adventure waits for them next? Find out in chapter 32!