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Homecoming Hill	By : TreeStar Category: +M to R > One Piece Views: 2656 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 11
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Homecoming Hill

12

1 9 6 9 ?

Zoro was reading an anthropology book called Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion via candlelight, because the sunlight that was normally muted by the shadow of the house was now hidden by clouds, making it rather dark in the room. It was from the class he had had to take of the same name, and it was giving him nothing. It would have more appropriately been called African and New Guinea Tribes People Attuning to the Spirit World, because all it talked about really was Shaman�s getting high and �seeing people�. He had known this going in, but (as no one in college ever actually read a text from cover to cover for a prerequisite class) he had still been hoping to find something useful.

Anthropologists� Zoro thought with an exasperated eye roll. The native stories he�d learned as a child had taught him more about spiritual magic than this book could.

He was about ready to throw the book across the room when he felt a tap on the shoulder that startled that bejesus out of him.

�Sorry,� Ace apologized.

Zoro laughed a little. �No, no it�s fine.�

�What are you reading?� Ace asked.

�Nothing useful,� Zoro sighed in disappointment, dropping the book on the desk with a thump. �So you�re here and Luffy�s not. Do I get my wish, then?�

�Wish?�

�Do I get to meet some more people? It might be nice. I hope it�s nice� Will it be nice?�

Ace stared at him for a moment before he burst out laughing. �Aye, you get your wish. And so does everyone else. It shall be nice, they all want to meet you.�

�Where?�

�My room. It�s rather a rendezvous right now for everyone who has nothing better to do than hang around and gossip, and with you here there isn�t much that�s more exciting than that. You ready?�

Zoro followed Ace into the hall. �What will happen if the other wing finds out that we�re here, exactly?�

Ace shrugged. �No one can be sure, but they�ll probably try to come over here. They are unpredictably violent and reason is long gone from their thought processes, so it�s better they don�t know. Still,� he shrugged, �it�s only a matter of time, and that time may be up.�

Then he smiled at Zoro reassuringly. �You�ll all be fine, no worries. We can handle whatever they throw at us.�

Zoro shook his head. �I was never worried. I trust you and Luffy.�

Ace�s grin broadened. �Good. That�s good. How is that going, by the way?�

Zoro frowned a little. �It�s not really going anywhere, but not because I don�t want it to. I want to be friends with him, and sometimes I think we�re making progress, but then I�m pushed away again. Why does he fight so hard to keep others away? He�s so lonely, anyone can see it. It�s like he�s punishing himself.�

�He is,� Ace said sadly. �That�s part of it. He blames himself for things he shouldn�t, and this is his self-appointed penance. But more than that, he�s trying to protect the others from himself. He�s very strong, and his control isn�t what it used to be, but that doesn�t make his solution right. It�s so hard to watch him bottle everything up inside of himself and feel so helpless to stop it. The others have tried to talk to him, but I guess they�re not doing it right, or maybe they�re not the right ones. Luffy�s always been drawn to certain personality types. And then I�m Big Brother, so you know that anything I tell him is automatically biased...�

Zoro tried to make the pieces fit. �I know he�s not moody, he doesn�t have an attitude problem, he�s not shy, and he doesn�t seem dislike anyone in this Wing. At least he hasn�t said anything bad about anyone here� If he is protecting you, then what would he need to protect you guys from?�

Ace took a while to answer. ��There are some things in every reality that cannot be reversed no matter what,� he finally conceded. �But he talks to you, doesn�t he?�

Zoro nodded. �Quite a bit, actually.�

Ace looked incredibly relieved. �You have no idea of the miracle you�ve been witnessing, do you?�

�Not completely, maybe, but I�m really starting to get the picture.�

�Some of us go months without even hearing his voice. I�m blessed to be an exception. And Nami� when she tries, he�ll talk to her for a short period of time. She�s usually pretty good at handling him like a big sister.�

�I did find out something else interesting, though,� Zoro said, patting his chest to make a thump-thump sound in the mimic of a heartbeat.

Ace stopped walking. �He told you THAT?!�

�He didn�t tell me. I suspected it, and then he let me check, but I don�t know if he knows what I was checking for...�

�You mean he let you touch him?� Ace looked baffled. �He didn�t get uncomfortable and pull away?�

�A couple times now. But back to the other thing, quickly. It�s not everyone, is it? Usopp felt cold when I shook his hand, but then Nami was warm. That�s why I suspected it.�

Ace reached out and shook Zoro�s hand suddenly only to let him feel it. It was warm like Luffy�s. �Luffy has not mentioned anything about it, then?�

Zoro thought about it and said, �He said that there were two kinds of victims. The dead and the vanished. I don�t know if that�s�� He trailed off.

Ace nodded. �This is the difference between us. It goes no further than this, however. If you�ve heard anything about the history of this place in town then you know that there are many of both. As the rumors say, many have died here, but many people have simply vanished, or become unaccounted for.�

Don�t ask why. There are some questions that we cannot answer, and that will gain you unwanted attention. So please don�t ask.

Ace�s voice left his mind, and Zoro met his eyes nodded earnestly. After that, he decided to drop the matter for safety�s sake, and adopt a different direction of conversation.

�Okay. Then may I ask -and I understand if it�s a private matter- why are you so surprised that Luffy lets me touch him? Is it so uncommon?� Zoro asked.

Ace nodded reassuringly. �That�s a good question. Just know that it�s one of those things you never want to bring up to him. He�s very private about things like that, rightfully. Anyway, it�s more than uncommon. It�s very rare. It�s not unheard of if he knows you well and you live in this wing, but he�s shied away from contact since 1969.�

�1969? You know the year?�

Ace nodded. �We know that year��

Now it was Zoro�s turn to look baffled. �1969,� he whispered. �What happened that year?�

Ace shook his head. �You don�t need to worry about it. It�s in the past now. I wish Luffy could accept that� but then how can I expect him to? Sometimes I�m quite selfish, you know? I ask a lot of him because I love him, but really I just want him to be okay. In the end all I can do is what I feel is best for him.�

�You�re his big brother,� Zoro told him. �I can relate to how you feel. Kuina� sometimes I get carried away with trying to do what�s best for her, and I lose sight of how what�s best for her is for her to choose her own path.�

�Aye, but your sister�s choices aren�t destroying her. Luffy� He used to be so happy and fun. He was snuggly and chatty and liked to sing and dance around. He loved making up his own rules for games and being hugged. He was such a huggy boy, he used to crawl into bed with me at night for no real reason except he wanted the company, and then he�d turn into this little Velcro and stick to me all night.� Ace laughed a little at the memory, then his smile grew distant. ��Though you�d never think it to try to talk to him now. �He lets you touch him�� he whispered again in awe. �Even I am barely able to� You�re special, you know?�

Zoro put up his hands. �No, no, no. People keep saying that, but really he doesn�t let me get near anything close to him. I touched him twice or thrice, but not in a way that matters.�

��You think not?� Ace asked with a tone of hint in his voice. �You sound awfully sure about it.�

Zoro frowned. What was this guy getting at?

Then Ace�s knowing expression turned into a warm smile. �Thank you. For being with him, I mean. You have no idea how much something so simple as acceptance can warm up a cold person. Sadly, acceptance is something mostly foreign to Luffy. He can�t even come to terms with himself.�

�I don�t like that,� Zoro said. �No one should ever have to hate themselves for having power they never wanted.�

Ace nodded slowly. This Outsider was smart and kind. It was hard not to let hope rise that Zoro may yet figure out how to free them all, but Ace would be satisfied with a simple breakthrough for his brother. �He�s been such a hermit for so long� If you can teach him to play again, then maybe someday��

�Whatever happened must have been intense to have such an effect on him,� Zoro wheedled.

Ace said nothing.

Zoro flumped in disappointment. He had hoped that maybe Ace would help him figure out that part of the puzzle that was Luffy. But he had dropped a lot of information. Maybe Ace could help him with something else, provided they didn�t have the same reason for being. �Ace? Why do the West Wingers hate Luffy? I heard from someone they did, and Luffy indicated the same thing a little while ago.�

Ace started walking again. �It�s because hatred and fear go hand in hand.�

�They�re afraid of him?� Zoro couldn�t believe that anyone could actually spend some time around Luffy and then be afraid of him. �Why? Is it his power?�

�Aye, basically. They feel threatened around him because Luffy can do something that no one else can. Not even I. Plus he�s very emotional, and when he feels something strongly or something triggers an emotion that takes him by surprise, the environment around him will react accordingly until he gets it back in check. So if he ever gets fired up, those around him had better watch out, if you know what I mean.�

�Really, now?� Zoro asked. That explains a few things.

Ace frowned worriedly. �Just between you and I, I�m worried about that day coming, because he might do something he�ll never forgive himself for. He already has enough of that.�

�What is the thing that only he can do?� Zoro asked.

Instead of answering, Ace put his hand on the doorknob that was now in front of him. It was the same door that Luffy had disallowed Sanji from opening on their exploration a couple days ago. �You ready?� That brought Zoro right back to the here and now. �Remember, there�s nothing be intimidated about.�

�Of course not. They�re just people,� Zoro agreed, figuring that somehow Ace had picked up on his nervousness. He wasn�t really afraid per se, but he was metaphorically about to go into a deep dark cave with no idea what to expect. Still, he trusted Luffy, he trusted Ace. They had steered him clear of danger and been honest with him. They had given him no reason not to believe in them, so he stepped forward.

Ace grinned and pushed the door open a crack.

�RAAAH! ACE IS BACK! RAAAAH!�

Zoro hesitated until he heard Ace�s voice in his head say -That�s just Tilestone. He�s harmless- then Ace pushed the door open the rest of the way.

There were about ten Everlastings lounging around inside the room trying to look like they weren�t restraining themselves from rushing him at once (so much so that Zoro suspected there had been a pep-talk about it). Everyone but Luffy was near the middle of the room around various game boards or flopped together on chairs - literally. There were two guys and a girl trying to crowd into one chair at once and push the other two out when Nami walked over and sprawled herself over all three of their laps.

Ace approached them first.

�I�m Nami,� Nami informed informatively before laughing.

�So that�s who you are! I�ve been wondering who has been stalking my family all week��

She smiled at him and nodded decisively. Sure, it was corny, but Zoro liked her, she was like a whole different person with the group. She was fun. And she got exasperated with his elf of a cousin easily, which made her cool by default as far as Zoro cared to think about it.

�Okay, moving on,� Ace mock-rolled his eyes. He pointed to the man beneath her legs and nodded.

Said man was wearing a black tuxedo and Zoro was not surprised a bit to find that his hand was like ice when he shook it. After all, men were put into tuxes before they were put into caskets, and a body had to be found before it disappeared in order for people to know that someone had died first and then the body went missing before they could bury it. Even the mixed-up town rumors had mentioned that dead bodies vanished (or been stolen according to some) and there was only one way to know that. Of course, none of them would imagine that anyone up here was still walking around in their death-shroud�

Anyway, this guy had the squarest nose Zoro had ever seen, but a nice smile and a deep friendly voice. �Kaku,� he said by way of introduction. �I�m a field hand whom I guess you can say was caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.�

�You can say that again,� said a blonde man off to the side that looked ready to kill Nami for her behaviour (though Zoro couldn�t find anything really wrong with it).

�Zoro,� Zoro returned with a smile. �I�m here to� well, I was here to open this place to the public, but that doesn�t seem like it will work out.�

Kaku laughed and looked to the girl sitting beside him and smiled to let her know it was her turn.

This girl, the girl that Zoro had already seen, but not met, took his hand in her cold one. �I�m Sabina Kaya, and my room is right down the hall from you, next to your cousin�s. It�s nice to meet you.�

Usopp was sitting beside her and waved. �Hi again!�

�Hi!� Zoro returned the jovial greeting. Usopp was a nice kid. A little loud, but Zoro had gotten used to him real fast.

�I�M TILESTONE!� the man who was Tilestone shouted loudly. He looked like he wanted to offer his hand, but Zoro gave him a wave to his side of the room because, frankly, Tilestone was a HUGE man with HUGE muscles and Zoro was slightly afraid that in his enthusiasm the �harmless� man might accidentally break every bone in his hand.

The man that had been having a conniption fit beside Nami which was being ignored threw a pen at the mass of muscle with a name. �Tilestone, tone it down some, would ya? I�m Paulie.�

Paulie didn�t offer his hand, but that was fine because a pretty girl laughed beside him, lightening the situation. �Paulie, be nice,� she patted his arm and Paulie acted like he�d been scalded.

�Don�t touch me while you�re in the skimpy little dress!� he insisted pointing that the blonde girl�s legs.

The girl looked slightly taken aback. �I�m... sorry, but it�s not like I can change��

�Paulie, knock it off, please,� Ace warned from next to Zoro.

Paulie looked at Ace and steamed for a moment before deflating and moving to sit in a nearby chair.

The girl looked nervous until Zoro reached out to gently take her hand. She allowed him to, and he was glad to find it warm. �I�m Zoro. Who might you be?�

The girl giggled softly. �Conis,� she said, and gave him a curtsy that had Paulie groaning in disgust across the room.

Zoro laughed a little with her, and then turned to the dark beauty beside her in a high-backed Elizabethan chair.

The women smiled at him. �Nico Robin. It�s very nice to meet you. Will you be staying long, now that your plan has backfired?�

�Oh yeah. I know it won�t work, but my family doesn�t. I�ll have to come up with a doozy of an excuse to make it clear. In the meantime, I�ll be here. Besides, I�m in no rush to leave. I�m far too curious. This place is quite the mystery.�

Robin laughed again. �That it is,� she agreed mysteriously. �I wish you luck.�

�History is my forte,� Zoro returned.

Robin raised an eyebrow. �Is it now? It�s mine as well.�

�Hmm, perhaps you could help me with some literature, then?�

�Perhaps,� her smile was the slightest bit cheeky.

Ace tapped Zoro�s shoulder then and pointed to his bed. Zoro didn�t see anything. �The bed?�

�Behind the bed. Chopper? Come out here and meet someone.�

A very small boy with soft brown hair and the sweetest doe-brown eyes popped his head up over the side of the bed where he had been playing with blocks and came out from around the bed shyly.

The little boy was very young, so Zoro slowly squatted down right where he was to put himself at eye level with him. �Hi,� he said quietly. �My name is Zoro. What�s yours?�

�Chopper�� the boy answered in his babyish voice, slowly approaching Zoro to take the two offered hands.

�Chopper? That�s a neat name.�

Chopper giggled and squirmed. �My papa calls me that,� he said.

�Oh yeah?� Zoro knew better than to ask where �Papa� was. �How old are you, Chopper?�

�Six,� he said proudly, putting his hands behind his back and doing his best to thrust out his chest like a big boy.

�Six years old? Wow, I would have guessed five, but here you�re a man already!�

The boy giggled again and when he reached up to Zoro, Zoro picked him up. This boy was very much alive, as were half of the people in the manor that he�d touched so far, and Zoro just couldn�t figure out how that could be.

--------------

Sanji handed Kuina her peanut butter sandwich.

�Stay out of the vines. You could trip or get bitten by a snake, or something. And so could Syd. God only knows what he�ll dig up. Stay near the manor.�

�Okay,� Kuina said, taking her sandwich and pushing out of the kitchen with Sydian running in circles around her heels, barking for a bite. The two headed out into the backyard.

--------------

Luffy watched it all unfold. It must have been fun. They all looked so happy. Even Chopper was liking Zoro, and who wouldn�t? Zoro was the most amazing person he�d ever met! Well, there was Shanks, of course, but Luffy was drawn to Shanks in a different way.

He watched Zoro lift Chopper into his arms and hold him, and his heart filled with a longing he had felt too many times. Zoro bounced the little boy and Chopper smiled shyly.

Zoro didn�t know anything about any of them, yet he accepted them. Even more remarkable to Luffy was that he knew nothing of Luffy, but he played a game with him, he�d talked with him� he�d touched him. Despite the way that Luffy kept shutting him out and acting coldly, Zoro stayed with him.

At least he had�

In fact before now, Luffy had almost dared to pretend that Zoro wanted to touch just him, which was a dangerous thing to even imagine, but a part of him had still hoped. It made him feel special again; something that was so foreign to him it was scary to feel it again.

Before now, Zoro had always focused on him because he�d never had anyone else to look at. Now that Zoro had met the others, he wouldn�t want to spend time with Luffy anymore.

�Before now, Zoro had been his.

Damn, Luffy, are you jealous? You�re afraid to act friendly with him, but then you don�t want anyone else to do it, either. That�s hardly fair. What are you doing? Just a few days ago you were trying to get rid of him, as you still should be, but now that you have a chance to divert his attention and lose him, all you can think about is running over there and getting his attention back on you. You�re getting too attached! Do you WANT it to happen again?

No. Absolutely not. He never wanted THAT to happen again.

But even Luffy finally had to admit that Zoro was different from last time� Still, that didn�t make it safe.

But then the fact that it wasn�t safe didn�t change the way his heart pulled as he watched Zoro bounce Chopper and talk to the quartet dog-piled in the chair.

If only things were different. If only�

But they weren�t different, and Luffy was cursed to spend his life looking in on what he could never have. He wished he was Chopper.

If Zoro�s not the one, at least he won�t be lonely here� Luffy thought sadly. He looked away from them all and tried his best not to envy the boy in Zoro�s arms.

----------------

Zoro glanced around and spotted his missing person in the corner by the door, sitting alone at a table in front of a Go board on which he was placing stones for both the white and the black. Luffy had no opponent, and made no effort to get one. In fact, he made no attempt to interact with anyone at all. It was like a line was drawn between him and everyone else in the room, and he sat on his side of it looking over to the other in miserable solitude. Zoro had never seen anyone�s eyes betray a desire for companionship so deep� But Luffy�s was a loneliness that he made no attempt to quench.

The others made no attempt to visit him, either. They probably thought of such actions as futile after so many decades, and if Luffy was afraid to talk to them, trying to force him too much was harassment and would only make things worse.

Zoro plopped Chopper into Nami�s lap. Usopp grunted under the added weight, and the rest laughed while Chopper snuggled to get comfy.

Zoro used the distraction to disconnect from the conversation, while at the same time, Paulie finally got twitchy enough to jump up to start lecturing Nami�s bold behaviour on the chair (Paulie believed a good woman was a modest woman). He paced around the chair in agitated circles while Nami blew him off and Ace left Zoro�s side to calm him down.

With that going on, Zoro walked across the room to approach the corner, and quietly asked, �Hey, Luffy, who�s winning?�

***

Luffy almost jumped in surprise at being addressed, and looked up at the Outsider in confusion. Zoro merely smiled at him, arms empty of Chopper. He looked around Zoro to the scene behind him for a moment before looking back up again. He didn�t understand it.

Why is Zoro over here when everyone else is over there?

�You know, that game works better with two people, I�ve heard,� Zoro continued.

Luffy looked down at his hands in his lap and said nothing.

Zoro sat down. The squabble in the background was ongoing, and Zoro wanted to take advantage of the freedom of not having all eyes on him for a few moments. �Do you want to teach me to play? Then I can play it with you, if you need a partner.�

Luffy arms slid up to hold each other. It made him look smaller. He shook his head.

Zoro gave him an out for it. �But then, it is pretty busy to teach a game in here��

Luffy hesitated for a long moment, then nodded.

�Maybe later in our room, then?�

Luffy�s brows drew together and he bit his lip as Zoro started to stand up, but nothing could have surprised him more than his next action. He meant to respond with a non-committing half-shrug, but instead he took a breath. �It- it�s a little hard to explain,� he whispered.

He felt Zoro�s eyes on him for a moment before the Outsider lowered himself back into his seat. �I�m sure it is. But if you give me a chance, I may become a great partner for you.�

As Luffy heard his words, he had to squash his hope that Zoro might not have been talking about Go anymore. �I think that would take more time than either of us have,� he finally answered.

�Oh?� Zoro noised, questioningly. �You�re that good, huh? Are you sure? Seeing as how you only play yourself��

�I always win,� Luffy returned cheekily.

�Yeah, but you always lose, too.�

Luffy stopped in mid-placement and curled his fingers around the stone in his hand. He looked at the board in consideration for a moment, then he looked up at Zoro, then back at the board, then he glanced out at the rest of the room, and placed his stone like there was no one else sitting at his table.

Zoro looked out at the room, too, and noticed that most everyone had stopped arguing and Paulie was back in his chair, sulking.

Then Zoro heard Luffy�s voice in his mind say, I don�t really play well with others anymore.

Zoro watched Luffy lay another stone, and whispered, �Maybe you�re just out of practice. When�s the last time you tried?�

Luffy hated how close to home Zoro struck sometimes. His silence answered Zoro�s question.

Zoro knew that this conversation was done for now, but he had to wonder what would have happened if the others hadn�t stopped fighting and started staring. For a moment Luffy had wavered. He�d wavered on his set silence and his apparent personal code of not interacting with anyone. It was only for a moment, but that one moment was enough time for Zoro to catch another glimpse of the scared boy under the mask. Someday he would get that mask off entirely. Somehow.

Then Chopper scampered across the room and grabbed Zoro�s hand to pull him back over to the others as Conis asked him a question.

Luffy�s eyes fell on his brother�s and he noted the sad look in Ace�s eyes before they were quickly hidden. Everyone else was acting like Zoro had never been over here, but Luffy knew when he was being carefully observed and monitored. This was all the Shifting�s fault. It had everyone nervous, and Luffy understood that. But what he didn�t understand was why they were all overreacting on his behalf. So he didn�t glow as brightly as they did. Big woop-de-doo!

Even if I don�t show off, I am the strongest Everlasting on this Hill!

He was in no danger.

------------------

Kuina chased Sydian through the backyard, careful to call him away from the grapevines when he got too close to them. She took another bite of her sandwich and looked up at the sky. It was so overcast, she wondered how it wasn�t raining. She hoped there wouldn�t be thunder. She hated thunder, and had for as long as she could remember. Lightning didn�t bother her, but the noise of the thunder was spooky. Plus it made Syd freak out in her bedroom and she�d be trying to coax him out from under her bed all night long until he finally went to find Zoro. Syd always went to Zoro when he got scared.

Zoro was a good person to go to when you got scared, but then perhaps that wasn�t fair, she thought as she looked above her to her brother�s window. Was she biased�?

Nah. So Zoro was her favorite person. What was biased about that?

She giggled, took another bite, and looked down the slope to where the vines started perhaps a quarter acre away. The wind blew through them, making the leaves shake and make a noise she couldn�t remember having heard anywhere before. Weird.

Beside her, Syd started growling at the vines.

�Syd? Whatsamatter boy?� She squatted down to try to pet him, but he only started growling harder, his fur standing on edge, and she pulled her hand back.

Was there an animal in the vines? Was that what he was growling at? Maybe it was time to go in, then. She was getting creeped out at his behaviour. Syd had been behaving strangely ever since they�d arrived here, and she wasn�t sure what to make of it.

�Syd? Come on, boy, let�s go in.� She started back towards the house, calling her dog behind her.

When he didn�t follow right away, she turned to call him louder, and froze as something flitted past the corner of her eye. She spun on it right away, but it was gone.

It was definitely time to go in. The stupid dog was making her nervous. She swore she had just seen someone standing right under Zoro�s window where she had just been. It had looked like his whole body was clouded in a bluish billow of smoke.

�SYDIAN!� she shouted, finally getting the dog�s attention off of the vines as she ran for the house. The dog turned and ran after her as she bolted through the courtyard, past the car, up the steps, and over the threshold.

�ZORO!�

------------------

In the East Wing, Ace and Luffy suddenly jumped up from where they were sitting on the bed and chair consecutively, and turned toward the door. Ace looked at Luffy sharply and gave him a nod. Luffy dispersed instantly and his presence left the room.

�What�s wrong, Ace?� Nami climbed out of the laps of the three in the chair and stood beside them. Robin set her book down. Conis backed against the wall. Chopper hugged Zoro�s neck more tightly in his arms, and even Paulie looked attentive.

All this because Ace and Luffy stood up together? thought Zoro. Wow.

�I don�t know, yet. Maybe nothing,� Ace answered, looking toward the wall that Luffy had apparently traveled through. Whispers broke out through the room, ranging from curiosity, to real worry, to fear.

Zoro didn�t know what to make of the situation at all. Is it the West Wing? Is it� �Is it my family?�

Ace held up a hand for peace and kept looking for Luffy�s return, which came only a moment later.

As soon as he felt Luffy�s presence again, the room became instantly silent of whispers.

�What is it?� Ace asked as his brother took form in the room.

�Zoro, we have to go.� Zoro heard Luffy�s voice in his mind, as the smaller boy walked straight toward the door. Zoro set Chopper down on the floor and followed after him.

Luffy looked over his shoulder at Nami, who perked a little in surprise.

The rest of the room became decidedly edgy and fidgety as Nami followed the two boys out the door. As soon as the three had turned the corner, they could all hear the sound of those left behind all talking at once while Ace did his job to try and calm them before the bedroom door closed on its own.

Zoro turned his attention back to the situation at hand. �What is it, Luffy?�

Luffy looked nervous. �I don�t know. Your sister is screaming for you and coming for our corridor, so we should be there.�

�You need to know what�s wrong?�

�We need to know what�s not wrong,� Luffy corrected.

Nami was watching Luffy with curious interest that Zoro didn�t know what to make of. She looked excited just to be coming along.

�Zoro!� Kuina burst around one corner just as the three turned the opposite corner, and all of them were suddenly in the same corridor that their rooms were located in.

�Sprite, what is it?� Zoro asked as Kuina ran up and grabbed his sleeve, completely out of breath.

�Outside, in the vineyard� there�s something� I saw a man in the side yard� but then he was gone. He just disappeared. He was just� under your balcony,� she gasped, hand falling to her knees as he tried to talk fast and catch her breath all at once.

Zoro got down in front of her. �Did he talk to you? What did he look like?�

�No,� she shook her head as Sydian came charging up behind her, barking at the two behind Zoro. �He didn�t talk to me, because� That is, he looked big and tall with white hair, but I�I�m not sure he was real. I think it was Syd scaring me. He wouldn�t stop barking at something and the wind was spooky��

�So he disappeared?� Zoro wasn�t sure if he should pretend to be confused or not. �You�re sure there�s no one out there?�

��I think so, because no one could disappear that fast. But there was something in the vines, because Syd was feral. He doesn�t do that if there�s nothing there. I think there must be an animal.�

�She�s going to be fine, Zoro,� Nami piped, because Zoro�s indecisiveness at how to handle the situation was swaying like a screen door in the breeze.

Kuina didn�t respond or react to Nami�s voice at all, and Zoro was sure that his sister still couldn�t see Nami or Luffy. She would have reacted before now. Maybe it was just a coincidence.

�Do you want me to check?� he asked her, walking beside her down the corridor. �It�ll probably leave on its own��

�Are you insane?!� Nami asked behind him.

Kuina sighed. �No� it�s nothing, I guess. I�ll go tell Sanji to add wild animals to his list of problems.�

Zoro went with her, thinking about what it meant that Kuina had seen something. He didn�t think it was a big deal at all, especially since she didn�t believe it. So she�d seen someone. That was fine. Nothing to worry about, anyway.

As they went down the steps, his mind wandered back to Luffy, as it was so often doing these days. He thought about the way the others in Ace�s room took cues from the D brothers. While they�d listened Ace�s words, Zoro had noticed that they had all been looking at Luffy�s body language. The slightest bit of assertion from him gained their immediate attention.

They put that kind of pressure on someone who doesn�t want to be exploited. They trust him with their very existences. No wonder he loves and avoids them, Zoro thought.

But that meant it was true and acknowledged to some extent by all of them; Luffy was stronger than Ace was. Strong enough to make him revered despite his seclusion.

---------------

Once the step-siblings had walked around the corner, Nami frowned. �She can�t hear us.�

Luffy gave her a nod. �It was an early sighting. I didn�t expect them to come so soon.�

�They�re running out of time. We�re running out of time with them,� Nami said, leaning back against the wall with a sigh. �And we can�t tell them anything. Not even Zoro.�

�It could become troublesome for everyone if this continues.�

�Quakes�� Nami hugged herself.

�Aye. And�� Luffy looked at the floor.

Nami raised an eyebrow. �And�? And if something happens, they�ll leave?�

Luffy�s silence was her answer.

Nami smiled and leaned forward to try and see his eyes. �Would you miss him so much if they decided to go? �Though I�m tired of being abandoned.�

Luffy restrained himself from shooting her a cold look. Nami was kind to him. She didn�t use him, and as much as he wanted her to stay away from him for her own safety, she tended to have a calming effect on him when she could spare him time. He really liked her. He didn�t want to be mean to her. She was never mean to him. But then she hadn�t arrived until� what was her year? 1978? She hadn�t been there that day. That might have had something to do with it.

�No, Nami. I would not miss him. I don�t even know him.�

Nami smiled at him. �Maybe you should get to.�

Now Luffy raised a brow at her. �Why? As you said, he won�t be here that long.�

�Or he could be here for a long time,� Nami argued, logically.

�Aye, by all means, let�s think positively,� Luffy said sarcastically. Then he sighed and shook his head. �Nami, thank you for worrying about me� but it�ll never happen.� He tried his best to give her a smile. �I�m okay, really. I don�t mind. It�s better this way.�

Nami looked sadly at him before she pushed herself away from the wall and went back to Ace�s room. �When he returns, bring him back to Ace�s room.�

Luffy watched her leave him.
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Homecoming Hill