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Denial	By : Confession68 Category: +M to R > One Piece Views: 6693 -:- 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
- 18
- 19
- 20
Author�s Note: Well,
here is chapter 19. The end is near! I�m not sure how many chapters I have
left, but I know it�s not much. This chapter should be a little less confusing.
XP I hope you all enjoy it! XD Please review! 8)

Denial

Chapter 19: Love Can Never Be Forgotten

After they had found another log pose, they set out for the
next island. It hadn�t been easy. She and Luffy had to search out for someone
who had an already set pose. Then after finding one, they ended up having to
bargain with another traveler for his pose. They had to give him their old one,
plus pay him eight hundred thousand beli. She hadn�t
been happy about it, but it had been necessary.

Nami was standing out on deck watching the horizon. It felt
so good to be on the Thousand Sunny once again. She had even taken off her
shoes to be able to feel the grass under her feet. She had set them down beside
her. She was leaning against to rail and allowing the wind to blow in her face
and through her hair. She heard footsteps behind her. She didn�t turn to look,
but she hoped it was him. She noticed him lean against the rail beside her from
the corner of her eye. She smiled and finally turned to him.

He smiled in return. �How did you know?� she asked.

�Shishishi!� he laughed. �I�m not sure. It just didn�t feel
like you.� he replied.

�Feel?!� she asked with a slight blush. Then she felt
herself getting upset.

�Aa�When she first showed up, and
we went to her. As soon as I approached her and she started talking�it
just�didn�t feel like you. That�s when I knew�it couldn�t have been you.� he
explained.

Nami stared at him in amazement. �He had known�instantly��
she thought to herself. He turned and looked at her. She could only continue to
stare at him in awe. She could also feel something inside. Pride?
Would she have been able to tell if it were him or not if the situation had
been reversed? She felt emotions stir inside of her. Emotions she hadn�t
realized were there. She had the overwhelming urge to hug him. Then she
realized they had been staring at one another for a long while. She felt
herself blush as she finally turned away. She noticed him look away from the
corner of her eye.

He was glad to have her back. When he had seen her standing
here, he had wanted to come to her. He had wanted to be near her. �Nami�?� he
called softly.

�Hmm?� she replied without turning to him.

�Do you remember coming to us?� he asked quietly.

She quickly turned to him with wide eyes. �Coming to you?!�
she exclaimed.

He turned to her and nodded. She looked over to the side.
�I-I thought that was�just a dream�� she whispered. Then she turned back to
him. He had a warm smile on his face. She felt herself blush again.

�So, it really was you.� he said quietly.

�I-I-I�m sorry�about that�I mean�I didn�t know�I mean�about
what happened and�� she stuttered.

He tilted his head with the warm smile still on his lips.
�It�s okay. You don�t have to apologize.� he said before turning away. �I was
worried when you disappeared�I�I waited for you to come back, but you didn�t�until
now.� he said quietly.

Nami looked away and began to think. Then her eyes narrowed.
�You rejected me�� she whispered.

He quickly turned to her. �I�m really sorry about that. I
had thought�I mean�I wouldn�t have if�� he started to say. It was his turn to
stutter.

She turned and smiled at him. �It�s alright. I�m not sure
how I would have reacted either. You did accept me after awhile�I
remember�what�was said�and done�� she said as she looked down and blushed. Then
she brought a hand to her chin. �Come to think of it�I remember now�What
happened with the doll�I remember how she approached everyone. I remember
you�You didn�t accept her. She had wondered why. You had been�cold�� she said
as she looked up at him. �You really did know it wasn�t me�� she said quietly.

He grinned at her. �Aa!� he replied.

�Luffy�Thank you. I know that�it must have been weird�and I
know that�you wanted me to�leave�but�you let me stay with you when I was
scared�You even�let me�sleep�with you�Thank you for being there for me�� she
said quietly as she blushed. She was put on the spot earlier and couldn�t get
the words out, but she had really felt she should thank him for that.

�I did but I didn�t�� he said very quietly. She had barely
heard him. �I thought�you were in my mind�so I wanted it to go away. Then I
thought, if she is dead�she probably shouldn�t stay here�However, after I saw
you cry so many times�it made me sad�Then�I didn�t want you to leave anymore.�
he said.

�Did it really make him feel bad by trying to make me
leave?� she thought in some surprise. Then she smiled warmly, very warmly at
him. �I guess he didn�t have the heart to really make me leave�� she thought.
She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him. At the moment, she just
didn�t care if the crew saw them or not. Luffy didn�t just stand there this
time.

Having been worried she really had been dead, he wrapped his
arms around her as well. He felt some other unexplainable emotions. He didn�t
stop himself when he tried to pull her closer. Nami stepped forward so he could
do just that.

Everyone on deck stared at the two with bugged out eyes.
�Are-are-are y-y-you seeing this?!� asked Usopp in a loud whisper.

�A-aa�� replied Chopper and Zoro.

�Nami-san!� cried Sanji quietly as tears waterfalled down
his eyes. Jin only smiled warmly as did Robin. �So, I was right�� he thought to
himself.

�I�m so glad�� said Luffy quietly. Nami smiled into his
shoulder. She had her face buried in it. She didn�t want to let go of him.
Wasn�t there another time like this? She knew it wasn�t from when she had come
to them. It was�another time�There hadn�t been another time. Yet, she felt as
if they had been this close before�maybe�closer. �That�s not possible�� she
thought. Even at that thought, she felt a need build inside her, but she had no
idea what that need was. It was almost desperation, but for what?

Having the same feelings and thoughts as her, Luffy pulled
away from her and then brought his arms up to cup her face. He looked down into
her face in confusion. She was looking up at him with the exact same
expression. Everyone else was also looking on in confusion.

�Oi�what are they doing�?� whispered Usopp.

�I don�t know�� replied Chopper in the same tone.

�Nami�I�� started Luffy as he furrowed his brows deeper.

Furrowing hers as well, she nodded. �I kinda�know what you
feel�I just�I don�t know�what�exactly�� she replied quietly.

He nodded. They stared at one another for a long while
before he finally lowered his hands. �I�I�m glad you�re back�Nami�� he said quietly
before turning and walking away. He still looked confused. She knew exactly how
he felt. She watched him walk away from her and as she did, she felt anxiety
build inside of her. Did she want to follow him? Did she not want him to walk
away? She had to fight her body as she wanted to run after him. �Why?� she
thought to herself.

Blinking a few times, she looked over to the side. She heard
the opening and closing of the men�s quarters. He probably needed to be alone.
He probably felt like her and needed time to think about what they didn�t
understand. Then she turned to the rest of the crew who were just staring at
her in just as much confusion. She felt herself blush as she looked down and
finally began to move. She walked towards the observation room. Perhaps she
could get some work done while she thought.

�What the hell just happened?� asked Zoro with a raised brow
in confusion.

�No idea�� replied Usopp.

She walked into the observation room and closed the door.
She made her way to her desk and sat down. She rolled out a piece of map paper
and dipped her pen. She immediately began to expertly sketch a map. She tried
to think of the time she had come to him. The first time she had seen him,
lying in the infirmary bed. The moment he had opened his eyes and looked at
her, she had felt relief�and something else. She still couldn�t remember what
had driven her to kiss him. She had been overwhelmed with emotions. It had been
something she just had to do.

Just now, when he had pulled away and cupped her face. She
was pretty sure she knew what he had been thinking, because she had wanted him
to. However, having that feeling probably confused him just as much as it
confused her. Unlike her, he seemed to have more self control. There was also
the fact that almost the entire crew had been on deck. That would have been a
hard one to explain.

----

Luffy stood in the middle of the men�s quarters. He still
felt completely confused about what had happened. He hadn�t really felt the way
he had when she had come to him. He did, but he didn�t. He realized that he had
denied anything he may have felt because he knew it wasn�t possible that she
could actually be there. However, after awhile, it hurt him to see her so sad,
and it killed him to reject her as many times as he did. When she had hugged
him, he had wanted to hold her close for the horrible feelings he had felt from
having done that to her.

However�when he had pulled away and cupped her face, he
had�wanted to kiss her. He had been confused by such a feeling. Why had he
wanted to do that? He was sure their relationship wasn�t like that. However,
the feeling had been overwhelming, as if it were something he wanted to do
again. The only time he remembered was when she had kissed him the first time
she had come to him. However, he was sure that wasn�t the time he was thinking
of, but there wasn�t any other time.

He finally slowly made his way to the small sofa in the room
and sat down. He leaned forward and relaxed his elbows on his knees. He was
still pretty sure something wasn�t right. He had a bad feeling about what was
to come, something ominous that he couldn�t explain. He was also still unsure
about everything he was feeling. Things he didn�t even want to think about. It
wasn�t anything bad really, just not anything he should be thinking about. He leaned forward further as he groaned
in complete confusion.

In doing so, he accidentally bumped his head on the low
table in front of the sofa. �Ouch�� he whispered. Then he felt himself
laughing. She had seen a side of him he didn�t really show anyone. The side he
usually had when he was alone. However, she had seen that he was still a little
clumsy even when he was alone. Sure he wasn�t as happy or energetic when he was
alone. There wasn�t any reason to be. There was no one around to have fun with.
He loved having fun and goofing off. What was the point of taking everything so
seriously all the time? He would rather have fun and adventures.

He sat up and leaned back in the sofa as he sighed. She
really did just seem to accept who he was. As did everyone else, but he felt
differently when it came to her. He really liked who she was. He didn�t care if
she would sometimes lose her temper or get angry with him for dumb things. He
didn�t care that she loved money way too much and was greedy with her mikan. He
wouldn�t change anything about her. He lo�He made a small noise as he quickly
sat up. His eyes had widened to the size of saucers. �Was I about to�say�what I
think I was�?� he thought to himself.

The thought that he was about to think just came naturally.
Did he really mean it? Did he�love her? He furrowed his eyes and thought about
their hug earlier. If he could have stayed like that longer, he would have. Did
that mean that�he loved her? �When did that happen?� he thought to himself.
�Maybe�maybe since the beginning�� he whispered out loud as he felt himself
frown.

�Did that mean�she felt the same? She had said something to
that effect, right?� he thought to himself. Then he slowly smiled. He was
pretty sure that�s what it was. He loved her. He was�in love with her�Maybe he
should tell her. He felt himself shudder as he made an exasperated face. �But
she can be real scary�What if she gets made if I say that�?� he whispered out
loud.

Then he growled. He was no coward. He had never backed down
from anything. Even if she got mad, he had to tell her how he felt. He quickly
got up and made his way to the door. He flung it open, but then was caught by
surprise. He almost fell backwards as he yelped.

�I-I�m sorry!� said Nami as she jumped herself. �I
didn�t�mean to�� she started to say.

�It�it�s okay!� exclaimed Luffy as he righted himself. Then
he felt himself get nervous.

�I was coming to�talk to you�� she said nervously as she
blushed prettily.

�Talk to me�? Actually�I�wanted to talk to you too�� he
said.

She looked at him in a little surprise. �R-Really?� she
asked.

�Aa�� he replied. Then he perked up. �Oh right!� he
exclaimed as he stepped aside.

Smiling nervously, Nami walked past him inside. �Thanks��
she said quietly.

�Aa!� laughed Luffy nervously.

Everyone watched as Nami disappeared inside and then Luffy
closed the door. �I wonder that they are going to talk about?� asked Usopp.

�Nami-swan�� squeaked Sanji as tears again waterfalled down his face.

Zoro turned to him with an irritated expression. �What the hell are crying for?! What the hell do you think
they are going to do?! They probably just need to talk.� he said.

Sanji turned to him in anger. �I know that! I mean I know
they wouldn�t do anything! It�s just that they�re alone!!� he yelled.

�They�ve been alone before! Plenty of times! What the hell is
wrong with that?! This is Luffy we�re talking about!� yelled Zoro.

Sanji looked at him in slight confusion. �I-I-I don�t really
know�and I know it�s Luffy!!� he replied quietly. Everyone looked at him in
confusion.

Jin looked around at them. They sure seemed pretty confused
about a lot of things. �What�s going on with this crew?� he thought to himself.

Both Luffy and Nami walked over to the small couch and sat
down after Luffy shut the door. They sat in silence for a long while not sure
what to say. Both were extremely nervous.

�S-So what were you going to talk to me about?� asked Nami.

�N-No why don�t you go first?� he said with a nervous smile.

�No, it�s fine�you go ahead and go first.� she said.

�But you came here to talk to me�you go first.� said Luffy
with pursed lips as sweat beaded down his face.

�Well, I asked first and you were coming to talk to me
anyway! You go first!� she said loudly. Because she was so nervous, she was
irritable.

Luffy made a small noise as he exhaled as his expression
turned slightly concerned. He was pretty sure he had never felt so nervous.
�Alright�� he finally said quietly as he sat back and turned away. �It�it�s
about earlier�� he said quietly. Nami furrowed her brows, but waited patiently
for him to continue. Earlier was also the reason she had come to talk to him.
�I had�been a little confused about�how�I felt�but then I started to give it
some thought and�I think�I mean�� he started to say.

Nami�s heart began to pound. �What was he trying to say?�
she thought to herself.

�I was�a little confused about�what I was about to�do�� he
said quietly.

Nami inhaled sharply but quietly as her eyes widened. �I was
right!� she thought to herself. �Was he going to�tell her�?� she started to
think. She could already feel her cheeks growing warm.

�It really made me think and�I realized something�� he said.
�I can do this�There is nothing to fear.� he thought to himself. He knew it as
he realized it, that that was exactly what he felt.
That was not something he should ever be afraid of. He turned to her with a
serious expression. He could see the pretty blush on her cheeks. �Does she
already know what I�m going to say? If she hasn�t stopped me�does that mean she
feels the same?� he thought to himself. He furrowed his brows. He would just
show her.

He reached out a hand and brought it to the back of her
head. He laced his fingers through her hair and pulled her to him as he claimed
her lips with his. He felt and heard her intake of breath. However, she didn�t
pull away from him. In fact, she wrapped her arms around his neck as she pulled
him closer to her. He wrapped both of his around her as they embraced each
other. He titled his head as he deepened the kiss. The moment his lips touched
her, it was like something over took him. It was an overwhelming need to�to
what? He wanted to be close to her. To be�He stopped his thought as he pulled
away from her. Both of their breathing had become labored. He was a little
frightened and unsure about what he was about to think.

He felt the confusion returning. She seemed to be feeling
the same thing. �I don�t�I don�t understand�� he breathed as he was still
trying to catch his breath.

�Me neither�� she whispered in return. �I feel like�I want
to be close to you�I�want to stay with you�I want�� she stopped what she was
about to say.

She felt the exact same as he did. �What does this mean?� he
thought to himself. He wanted to kiss her again. He started to lean forward,
but stopped himself. He had a hold of her arms. She was holding his torso. He
wanted to, but something was keeping him from doing it. It was almost a need
for him to take her lips. But why? Why was it? There
was something he was desperate to remember, but no matter how hard he tried, he
couldn�t remember it. He could tell she felt the same.

As soon as he thought it, she leaned the rest of the way and
kissed him instead. He didn�t stop her or push her away. He didn�t want to. He
wanted to feel her next to him again. �Again?� he thought to himself in
confusion. However, he was finding it harder and harder to think when she began
to unbutton his vest. She felt the same. He could feel the desperation in their
kiss between the both of them. He just couldn�t figure out why they both felt
this way. He didn�t even bother to consider the fact that anyone could walk in
on them at any moment.

Usopp tilted his head toward the men�s quarters� door. �They
sure have been in there a long time�� he said.

�Just leave them alone�I�m sure they have a lot to talk
about.� said Zoro with his eyes closed.

Sanji continued to stare at the door with a frown. They had
said they were sure they wouldn�t do anything, but why did he have the
feeling�that they might be wrong?

Jin sat quietly where he was next to Nico
Robin. They had both been conversing quietly with each other. She was a very
interesting woman indeed and very intelligent. He turned towards the four
watching the door. He smiled to himself. If he was right about just how those
two felt for each other, it might be awhile yet before one of them emerges.

Laying side by side and entangled in one another�s limbs,
Luffy and Nami stared into each other�s eyes as they both tried to catch their
breath. Both looked confused still even though they had just made love. �What
the hell was that�?� he thought to himself. He was still trying to figure out
what had just happened. He was pretty sure, having
thought he had lost her played an important factor. However, there was
something more�something he didn�t understand.

He watched as a blush crept up her cheeks. Then she looked
away. �I-I-I�m sorry.� she mumbled as she tried to untangle herself.

His hold on her tightened. She
looked up at him in surprise. He smiled. �It�s okay. There�s no reason to
apologize.� he said. Then he looked to the side. �This was a bit�strange
though.� he said.

�Un�� she replied as she blushed further.

�It wasn�t just you though�� he said quietly.

�Eh?� she asked quietly.

�You�re apologizing because you think you started this. It
wasn�t just you�I felt the same way, but I�didn�t know why�� he said quietly as
he looked into her eyes. �I�ve been thinking�something strange is going on�I
have a bad�feeling�about�� he stopped and furrowed his brows. �I�m�getting
sleepy�� he said then suddenly he sat up. �No�I refuse to go to sleep.� he
said.

�Luffy? What�s wrong?� she asked.

�Every time�I think something is wrong�I get sleepy�and then
I forget�� he whispered.

�Eh?!� exclaimed Nami as she sat up while using the covers
to cover herself. �What do you mean?� she asked.

�I�m not sure�I just know�something�something isn�t�right��
he said. Then he fell backwards with his eyes almost closed. �Can�t�forget�� he
whispered before closing his eyes.

�What�what did he mean�? Didn�t Jin say the same thing?� she
thought to herself. She got up and quickly gathered her things. There was a
trail of their clothes from the sofa to his bunk. She got dressed and then went
back to him. He looked so peaceful while he slept. She folded his clothes and
placed them next to his bed. She hoped no one found it strange that he had
fallen asleep nude. She made a face of exasperation. Who was she kidding�?

�Okay, now they have definitely been in there too long�It�s
been an hour�� whispered Usopp to Zoro. �What do you think they are talking
about?� he asked. Sanji had long disappeared into the kitchen. �Eh?� he
questioned as the door finally opened.

Nami stepped out and closed the door behind her. She turned
around just to meet the stares of her crewmates. �What?� she asked. She had to
fight a monster blush.

�N-Nothing�� replied Usopp.

�Where�s Luffy?� asked Zoro.

�Uh�asleep�He�fell asleep. He said he was tired so�don�t
bother him, okay?� she said as she started walking towards the observation
room. Her eyes shifted to Jin and Robin. Both were smiling at her knowingly.
She frowned and refused to blush as she past them.

�Tired?� questioned Usopp as he raised a brow and frowned.

Zoro turned back to the door of the men�s quarters. He
tilted his head slightly. Why did this seem familiar to him? It was almost as
if� �Ee!� he exclaimed in nervousness and disbelief.

Usopp turned to him in confusion. �Eh? What is it?� he
asked. Chopper turned to him with curious eyes as well.

�N-Nothing�I just�I�m going to take a nap�� he said as he
closed his eyes while sweat beaded down his face. Usopp and Chopper stared at
him awhile in confusion before turning to each other and shrugging.

Nami walked into the observation room and closed the door.
She stared at the ground in complete confusion. She had just slept with the
captain of their crew, Luffy of all people. She had been almost desperate to
feel him next to her. She had a feeling he felt the same. Since when had they
felt that way about each other?

Suddenly, she gasped. She slowly reached up and touched her
face. There were tears. �Wha-What?
Why am I�?� she stuttered. The tears wouldn�t stop. She sank to her knees as
they just kept coming. Her heart felt like it was going to break. �I�I don�t
understand�It hurts�it hurts so much�but why?� she said as she continued to
cry. �Why am I crying?� she thought to herself. She had the overwhelming urge
to go back to him, to lie down next to him and pull him to her. She cried out
in frustration.

�Why?! Why do I want to do these things?!� she said
loudly. Why did she feel like this about Luffy? Wouldn�t she only feel like
this about someone she�? She looked up quickly. �Someone I love�� she
whispered. Suddenly her heart jumped as if telling her �Bingo!�. �I love him�� she whispered. Then she furrowed her brows
in confusion. �But since when�?� she whispered. Is that what he had been trying
to tell her? He had said he needed to tell her something, but instead he
had�kissed her. �He didn�t know how to tell me�so he showed me instead�� she
thought to herself. Then she felt herself smile. She sniffled and then dried
her tears.

She felt happy. She was very happy with this realization. He
loved her too. She stood up and made her way to the bathhouse. She was in need
of a shower after what just happened. However, she stopped. She frowned when
she remembered what he had said before falling asleep. He had said when he
starts to think something isn�t right�he gets sleepy and falls asleep. Then he
had said when he walks up, he forgets. �Was it true?� she thought to herself.
She sighed to herself. �I guess I will find out when he wakes up�� she thought.
Did that also mean�he might forget what they had just done�and talked about�?
She frowned and then continued into the bathhouse.

----

Luffy stirred in his sleep, and then slowly opened his eyes.
He blinked a few times to clear his vision and to get his mind working. He sat
up and then quickly looked down. He was pretty sure he was completely nude
under the covers. He looked down and found his clothes folded up next to the
bed. �What�?� he questioned. Then he blinked a few times to force his memory to
come back. Then his eyes opened wide. �Nami�� he whispered. He remembered now.
They had made love. He looked around. She was gone. He quickly got up and put
his clothes back on. He made his way to the door and went out. Zoro, Usopp, and
Chopper immediately turned to the door.

�Oh, Luffy�You�re awake�� said Usopp.

�A-aa�I�� he started to say. Then he looked confused. �I
fell asleep�� he said. Usopp looked at him with a strange face. �I�m not even
sure why�� he said quietly. �I don�t remember�much�� he said. Then he looked
around. �Where�where is Nami?� he asked.

�Are you okay Luffy?� asked Chopper.

�Aa�� he replied.

�You�ve been losing your memory a lot lately�Maybe I should
take a look at you.� said Chopper.

�No�I�m fine.� said Luffy as he made his way to them. They
hadn�t answered his question, but it was best he not ask again.

�Nami went towards the back of the ship.� said Jin in answer
of his previous question. Everyone turned to him. Luffy looked him in the eye
and then nodded. He really needed to talk to her. He walked past everyone and
towards the back of the ship.

�Didn�t he just talk to her though�?� asked Usopp.

�Aa�� replied Chopper. Then he made a concerned expression.
�I hope he�s okay.� he said as he frowned.

�I�m sure he is just fine.� said Zoro as he leaned back
against the mast and closed his eyes.

Luffy made his way to the back of the ship. He walked up to
the observation room door and knocked. When he didn�t receive an answer he
furrowed his brows and cautiously opened the door. He peeked inside, but didn�t
see her anywhere. He opened the door fully and stepped inside. He closed the
door and then walked in further.

�N-Nami�� he called out. No one replied. She obviously
wasn�t in here. He walked over to the stairs and climbed up. He knocked on the
door, but heard nothing. He opened it and stepped up. �Nami�� he called again.

�Luffy?� he heard from in the bathhouse. �What are you�I
mean�I thought you were asleep.� she said.

He walked up to the door. �I was asleep�I don�t remember why
though�� he said.

�A-Are you serious?� she asked.

�Aa�� he replied. There was silence and then he heard sloshing.
After about a few minutes the door opened. He stepped back away from the door
quickly, slightly startled. She was only wearing a robe.

�You had told me that you sometimes get sleepy and then when
you wake up�You forget some things.� she said as she looked at him with
concern. Then she made a weird face. �Do you�Do you remember�what�we�I mean�?�
she started to ask nervously. Then her face turned kind of sad.

He smiled. �Aa�I remember
that�just�� he said as he frowned. �Just not what we talked about after�� he
said.

She furrowed her brows in concern at him. �Why are you
forgetting things?� she asked quietly.

�I�I don�t know�I think�� he started to say as he looked
down. Then he brought a hand to cover his mouth as he was deep in thought. �I
think the crew�might have had it happen to them too�� he said as he really
tried to remember. Then he looked at her. �What had I said?� he asked.

�Maybe it�s better I didn�t tell
you�� she said as she frowned. �If I did�you might end up falling asleep
again�There is definitely something weird going on, but�maybe it�s nothing. I
mean�Maybe you are just a little stressed out about everything that has
happened. Don�t worry about it so much.� she said as she smiled at him.

He furrowed his brows slightly and then blinked a few times.
Then he slowly looked away. �Maybe�� he whispered.

�Ne, Luffy�� called Nami quietly
as she looked down.

He turned and looked at her. �Hmm?� he hummed.

�About�what happened�I realized�when I came here that�I�why
I did it was because�� she started to say.

However, he interrupted her. �Aa, I
know.� he said as he smiled warmly at her.

She quickly looked up at him and then blushed. �I also
realized�that was what you wanted to tell me�� she said quietly.

�Aa, it was�� he replied. She stepped forward and wrapped
her arms around him. She placed her head on his shoulder and held him tightly.
She felt as he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a squeeze. She smiled
and then buried her face in his shoulder.

�Nami-swan!�

Nami quickly pulled away as she gasped. �Sanji-kun!� she
exclaimed in a loud whisper. Then she quickly turned to Luffy who was staring
down at the closed door. They were both in the bathhouse alone together. Did he
know Luffy was supposed to be in here too?

�Nami-swan?�

�Uh�I�m in here! I�ll be out in a minute!� she called.

�Ha-i,
Nami-swan! Dinner is ready!� he called.

�Okay!� she replied. She heard the observation door close.
She let out a huge sigh in relief. Luffy turned to her with a big smile on his
face. She pushed him. �Geez!� she exclaimed. �That was not funny!� she said but laughed despite herself.

He let out a small giggle as his smile turned into a grin.
�I guess I better go, huh? He might come looking for me next.� he said as he
turned to leave. Then he stopped as he turned and took her lips with his. She
wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back. He pulled away with a smile on
his face before going out the door. She felt empty as soon as the door closed.
She rubbed her arms from the imaginary cold and then turned to go back inside
to change.

Luffy rounded the corner just as Sanji was coming back. He
had a frown on his face. �I was just coming to get you�� he said quietly. �The
others said you had gone to talk to Nami-san�I didn�t see you though�� he said with
a bigger frown.

�Aa�sorry I was just sitting alone. I was going to talk to
Nami, but she was in the bathhouse.� he said as he grinned. �I thought I heard
you and decided to come down. Is dinner ready?!� he continued with his grin.

Sanji looked at him suspiciously but figured he had no
reason to doubt him. �Aa�� he finally replied before turning to walk back to
the kitchen.

Rolling his eyes at Sanji�s back, Luffy followed him to the
kitchen. As soon as they made it to the kitchen, Luffy ran in laughing and then
plopped down. He immediately began to pig in. Everyone was looking at him
pointedly, but he ignored them.

�Didn�t you say Nami was in the bathhouse?� whispered Usopp
loudly.

�Aa�I found him outside.� said
Sanji.

�Oh�� said Usopp.

Luffy ignored them. If they wanted to speak as if he weren�t
there�then he wasn�t going to acknowledge them. He just continued to stuff his
face. It wasn�t any of their business anyway. This was between him and Nami.
After about ten minutes Nami walked in and sat down. She didn�t look at him,
and he didn�t look at her.

�Are you feeling better Nami?� asked Chopper.

Nami turned to him and smiled cheerful. �Un,
thanks Chopper!� she replied.

Chopper grinned at her happily. �That�s good! I�m glad!� he
exclaimed happily.

�So�what did you guys talk about?� asked Usopp with a raised
brow.

Both Luffy and Nami slightly paused, but it was almost
unnoticeably. Zoro narrowed his eyes. �Nosy�� thought both
Luffy and Nami.

�We only talked about what had happened back on that island.
Then there are some things going on that we don�t understand.� explained Nami.

�Oh�� replied Usopp who seemed satisfied by this answer.

Jin felt himself smile slowly, but
had to quickly hide it. He stuck some more food in his mouth. �So, what are the
things you don�t understand, Nami-san?� asked Sanji.

�Well, for one, why Luffy keeps falling asleep when he
thinks about certain things? Then when he wakes up�he has suffered memory
loss.� she said.

�Ah! You�re right! It has happened a few times�� exclaimed
Chopper. Then he turned sad. �After�after he had gotten mad about us leaving
you�and then when he�� started Chopper. However, he stopped and looked over at
Luffy. Luffy had stopped eating, but was only staring at the table. Everyone
turned to him with frowns. He said nothing and continued to eat.

Nami looked at everyone in confusion. Then she turned back
to Chopper. �When he what?� she asked.

�Well�after he had�gotten�upset�He�cried�and then fell
asleep�after that, we found out a few days later that he had been seeing you�We
thought maybe something was wrong with him, but it was true. We saw you hit
him.� said Chopper.

Nami turned towards Luffy. �He had cried for me?� she
thought to herself. She had to keep herself from smiling warmly. �I will have
to ask him about it later�� she thought to herself. �It was true.� she finally
said. �I remember being here.� she continued as she turned back to Chopper.

�Eh?!� they all exclaimed.

�You�you do?!� asked Chopper.

�Un�I remember.� she said. �Since
he was the only one who could see me�I just stayed with him.� she explained.

�Oh�� replied Usopp and Chopper.

�Well, after you�disappeared�He started acting weird�He
wouldn�t talk to anyone�Then he started passing out, or falling asleep during
the day�When he would wake up�he couldn�t remember some things�Actually�he
isn�t the only one�Sanji kind of had the same thing happen�and I think I may
have too�� said Chopper.

�Eh?!� questioned Usopp, Zoro, Franky and
Nami. Nami turned to Luffy. �He hadn�t talked to anyone?� she thought as
she frowned. Then she turned to the others. �But it may have happened to the
others?� she thought.

Luffy immediately looked up at Chopper. �Are you serious?�
asked Usopp.

�Aa.� replied Chopper.

Sanji furrowed his brows. It was true. He remembered that�sorta. �I think�I think I had that happen too�� said Zoro.
Everyone turned to him. �Every time I think�something isn�t right�� he said.

Luffy�s eyes widened and then he stood up quickly. �I knew
it!!� he almost yelled.

Everyone quickly turned to him. �Luffy?� questioned Usopp.

�I always seem to remember again later�I�m trying to figure
out why it happens.� he said.

�You should probably stop thinking about it until we can
figure this out.� said Nami.

Jin furrowed his brows. �This is very odd though�� he said.
�Why would you get sleepy every time you think something is wrong? Unless
someone doesn�t want you to know anything�� he said. Then he shrugged. �But
that�s impossible.� he said.

Everyone was staring at him as if considering this
possibility. He shrugged and continued to eat. Everyone looked down at the
table. Nami sighed. �Let�s not think about this. I mean�at least not yet�We
might never be able to figure this out if we keeping falling asleep and
forgetting because we do think about it�� she said.

�Well, that just sounds even more strange�Why would this
happen�? It has to be someone trying to make us forget.� said Zoro.

�But why would anyone�?� started Nami. Then she blinked a
few times and looked confused. �What was I�?� she started.

Luffy sat down and began to eat again. Everyone else did the
same. Nami shrugged and just began to eat again as well.

Franky looked around. �Weren�t we talkin� �bout somethin�
just now?� he asked.

Nami looked over at him. �I don�t think so�� she replied.
�At least, nothing important.� she said.

Jin tilted his head. Then he blinked a few times. He shifted
his eyes to Luffy who was eating, but had a confused expression. �What the hell
just happened?� he thought to himself. He was also pretty sure they had been
talking about something important.

Robin stopped eating. She narrowed her eyes. �I think�we
were�� she said.

Everyone turned to her. �I thought maybe I was saying
something�but I can�t remember what. If I can�t remember, it probably wasn�t
important.� said Nami uncaringly. Everyone turned to Nami. Then they all just
shrugged. Jin, Luffy and Robin seemed the only ones unconvinced. However, they
continued to eat with everyone else.

After dinner, everyone seemed to spread out. It had gotten
dark while they had eaten. Luffy immediately made his way to the figure head.
Nami watched as he climbed up and sat down out of sight behind the mane. She
watched as everyone else disappeared into the ship. She had heard Jin and Robin
talking about books. Both had gone to the observation room. So she couldn�t go
there. She looked back towards Luffy. She smiled and decided to make her way
over to him.

�Luffy.� she called up.

He looked over the side. �Nami...� he called in some
surprise. Then he leaned over and reached a hand down to her.

She grabbed onto it and climbed up beside him. He sat down
and scooted over some. She smiled at him with a sly smile and crawled over to
him. Instead of sitting beside him, she crawled in between his legs and sat
down. She cuddled against him. She heard him make a small noise in surprise.
However, after awhile, he wrapped his arms around her. �You better not let me
fall.� she said in a teasing voice.

�I would never let you fall.�
Besides, even if you did, I will jump in after you.� he said with a bit
of a chuckle.

She reached up and popped him on the head half heartedly.
�And then drown yourself? I would end up having to save you instead!� she said
with laughter as she looked up into his face.

He grinned down at her. �But it�s the thought that counts,
right?� he asked.

She smiled up at him warmly. Then she pulled his face down
to hers. His grin shrank into a small warm smile as he placed his lips on hers.
Then she pulled away from him with her smile. �Of course.� she replied quietly.
She wrapped her arms around his torso and then looked up at the sky. �I don�t
remember stars being so beautiful.� she said.

�Everything is best when shared�� he said with a bit of a
chuckle.

Nami looked up at him with a confused smile. �Where�d you
get that from?� she asked.

�Shishishi, I have no idea.� he replied.

�Everything is best when shared, huh?� she asked quietly as
she leaned up and kissed him. �Hmm, I guess so.� she said. He chuckled again.

She laid her head down on his chest. �Luffy?� she called
softly.

�Hmm?� he hummed. She could hear it from deep inside him
along with his heart beat.

�Did you really cry for me?� she asked softly.

He was silent for awhile. �Aa�� he whispered.

She looked up at him and leaned her chin on his chest. Then
she smiled up at him. He was looking down at her sadly. She reached out a hand
and gently placed it on his cheek. �That�s really sweet�� she whispered. His
frown was replaced by a warm smile.

�I got into a fight with Zoro too.� he said with a small
grin.

�Did you now?� she asked with her own smile.

�Aa�I was pretty mad�� he said.

�So he said.� she replied.

Then she smiled and then leaned up for another kiss. This
felt right. She felt his hold on her tighten. Then suddenly, she felt fear. Fear of what? Fear of losing him? Why would she fear losing
him? She tightened her hold on him as she deepened the kiss. She gently slid
her tongue into his mouth. She didn�t want to lose him again. She felt him slid
his hand behind her head and tilted it as he deepened the kiss further. She
moaned against his lips as she felt his tongue glide into her mouth. She didn�t
want to lose him again. Not again�

----

�Damn it�It�s getting harder and harder! What the hell is
wrong with these people?!�

�I-I-I don�t know��

�It�s happening more and more often now! This is ridiculous!
Monitor them further�Let me know if anything changes�We can�t have any more
slip ups�I�m going to go rest. Remember. Call me if anything changes in their
wave lengths. You know what to look for!�

�O-Of course!�

The lone woman stood and watched as her superior left the
room. She sighed in relief. She had let that dream slip�She couldn�t say
anything now. Besides, they hadn�t thought about it since and didn�t really
understand it. There was no need to mention it, right? She sighed again and
then sat down in her chair. She had work to do.

To Be Continued�

Author�s Note: More
confusion? Probably�or probably not. Maybe even some
of you have figured it out by now. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter more! I
have a feeling you did! XD Somethin�s fishy! XO
Anyway, please review! XD

Aleta Rois: Bahaha! XD I�m glad you are less frustrated�but that might
change soon�Thanks for your review~! :D

Noodles: It�s
okay. I�m readin� ya loud and clear Noodles! XD Glad
to know that I still surprise you even after you try
and think of how it can be resolved! :P I�m glad you
like the story! Thanks for your review~! :D

Nathanal Wilkes: I�m sorry! T_T Those poor children!!....However, they will have to wait
until chapter 24�That�s my last chapter! Bahaha! XD
Thanks for the review! XD Oh and make sure you maintain that Bee Hive�or it can
turn ugly�
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