Sorry for the delay! It's a busy school year and it takes time to get on with a chapter.

Please ENJOY.

"Zoro?"

The bed squeaked as Zoro shifted around to face the door, a small fluffy figure scurried across the medical room of the Thousand Sunny. Small hooves pattered on the wooden floors in a frantic pace.

"Hey, Chopper."

The corners of Chopper's mouth lifted at Zoro's familiar rough drawl, but the smile swiftly disappeared when the doctor's dark eyes gave Zoro's body a hasty look-over. Seeing the new wounds on scattered around Zoro's forearm and the loosening of the old bandages from the battle at Thriller Bark, a deep frown formed between Chopper's brows. Without further ado, the doctor grabbed a small bottle of clear liquid from the metal shelves and popped open the cap with his nimble hooves. Immediately, the strong aroma of ethanol filled the room.

"Please lie down."

Zoro took off his sleeveless shirt and obediently settled his battered body on the soft mattress of the sickbed. Relaxing his tense muscles, he watched the furry body pushed the office chair near the bed, the wheels squeaking to a stop. There was a small shuffle as Chopper jumped on the seat; new bandages and medicine in hands.

"This might hurt a bit", apology laced with his soft tone, Chopper gently poured the ethanol across the wounds on the arm. Zoro felt the cool liquid rolling down his skin and sinking into each open wound, the sting of the alcohol burned as it went deeper but Zoro didn't utter a sound, not even a flinch.

While cleaning the cuts and bruises, Chopper looked deep in thought, his mouth scrunched up as if the doctor was in dilemma.

Zoro inwardly sighed, "What's wrong, Chopper?"

Surprised at Zoro question, Chopper made an incoherent sound down his throat. It wasn't until he composed himself did a bashful grin appeared on his face and he embarrassingly fixed his hat, "I'm not really good at hiding anything."

Zoro raised a brow but didn't say anything else; instead he waited patiently for Chopper's question.

The doctor went back to patching up Zoro's arm, the frustration lessened on his face.

"Zoro?"

"Hmm?"

"…I think you should apologize to Nami."

His head buried into the pillows, Zoro was quiet. Chopper's voice continued.

"Nami was worried about you, you know? You can be nicer."

Zoro turned his head to the side, his eyes still closed. With barely moving his lips, he muttered, "The moment I turn nice, that witch will—"

Feeling the roll of bandages wrapping his arm, Zoro slightly lifted his arm. Before he could finish his comment, Chopper's voice lightly cut him off, "We don't expect you to act like Sanji, Zoro…"

Zoro opened his eyes, not really looking at anything.

"…We just want you to treat her as before."

With a sigh, Zoro nodded. He understood what Chopper meant. He wasn't blind to not notice how worried the other nakamas were. The suspicion of either him or Nami leaving the crew was incredulous to him, but after being witnessed of that particular fight, he could understand their concern. Fortunately, and surprisingly, Luffy didn't interfere with their problems this time, trusting it to be solved on their own hands.

It only if it was that simple.

However, his thoughts have been cut off, when Chopper moved to his back, stripping the old bandages. This time he couldn't help but grunt at the pain.

With a gasp, Chopper couldn't stop the disapproving tone laced in his voice, "What were you thinking, Zoro? Your wounds from Thriller Bark are still recovering, yet you are still jumping in to fights!"

"Those half-assed bounty hunters weren't a problem", tightening the muscles on his jaws, Zoro mumbled, "If that stupid woman didn't always get in trouble, I would of—"

"I'm sure Nami can take care of herself."

Feeling a tap on his shoulder, Zoro motioned himself back into a sitting position, his brows still tightly twisted. Chopper grabbed a new set of clean bandages and started wrapping it around his waist.

"In next few weeks, no more drinking, Zoro. It's not good for you right now."

His words brought Zoro back to that night in the kitchen. The bottle of sake in her hands. Her eyes filled with confusion, worry, anger and something else he couldn't name.

"Chopper said you should lay off drinking for awhile."

"Mind your own business, woman."

His voice wary, "I know."

"And refrain yourself from jumping in anymore fights. You have to stop straining your body before you fully recovered."

"Stop trying to always save us! Save me! Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"I'm not—"

"You can't stop us from getting hurt! We have !"

Pushing her voice out of his head, he turned head to face Chopper. Watching the doctor efficiently tying up the ends of the bandages, he couldn't help but say, "I'm not going leave. The same with Nami."

Snapping his head up, the red hat slipped to the side a bit, Chopper's teary eyes rounded with hope, "Really?"

With a reassuring smirk, Zoro reached out to fix Chopper's hat, "Yeah. We just need some time."

Some time to figure out what is wrong between them.

Nami leaned across the railing, feeling the dips and rises of the waves as it pushes the Thousand Sunny. The salty taste of the sea air sinks in the back of her tongue while a cool breeze brushes the tips of her orange hair.

You both can't keep hiding.

With a sigh, Nami pushed back from the railing. Robin's voice has been circling her head for hours but she still could not bring herself to find Zoro.

Not yet.

Looking up, she watched the clouds swept across the blue sky. It would be days till the clouds gathered and rained, and for once she wished there could be a storm or a change in wind; something to keep her busy from thinking about it.

"Yohohoho, is there something wrong with the weather?"

Hearing Brook's familiar laughter, Nami turned and smiled, "Not for another week."

With a flamboyant bow, Brook took a place next to Nami, "For such great discovery, I wished to celebrate it by having a glimpse—"

"No", Nami deadpanned.

Again his melodic laughter echoed through the air, the musical scale of notes ringing in her ears. She eyed Brook's bony figure and saw his skeleton hands clutching his prized violin.

"Would her lady liked to listen to a tune?"

Nami shook her head, "Not now. I think I'm not in the right state to appreciate your music."

"From what I can see, even though I don't have any—", Nami lifted her hand to stop Brook from continuing his overused jest, "—Sorry. Do you have anything troubling you?"

Closing her eyes, Nami felt the light brush of the sea wind. She opened her mouth, her voice whispered with the breeze, "I wished I could just fix it so everything can be just like it used to be."

There was silence and only the sounds of the waves lightly hitting the ship could be heard.

"Nami-san."

"Hm?"

"Though we are all nakamas but we all have someone who knows us best", lifting up his violin, Brook tuned one of the strings, "Harmony did not exist from the start. There are places where we must tighten and there are places where we must loosen. And it takes time and patience to find the perfect pitch, but if you just leave it, it would only get worse."

"Wise words", Nami commented while opening her eyes again.

"Yohohohoho, it's because I lived long enough."

Chuckling, Nami gazed at her skeleton companion, "Thank you, Brook."

The gentleman bowed again, "My pleasure."

Stretching her arms and relaxing the tense muscles on her shoulders, Nami let out a relaxed hum, "About that offer you made before…"

Brook's spine straightened immediately, his black top hat bounced on his head of springy hair, "It would be my honor to see your—"

Interrupting him with exasperated roll of her eyes, Nami said sardonically, "No, the other offer."

"Well then…" his voice tinge with slight regret, Brook positioned his violin on his shoulder and his hand held the bow professionally, "Is there a song you wished to hear?"

"Hmm… Something light and sweet."

With a moment of contemplation, Brook set the bow on the violin strings. With the pull of his hand, the instrument produced a clear sound, the note singing its tune.

Well... I know it is progressing slowly but it needs chapters to explain their relationship, so please be patient.

And don't favourite my story if you don't plan to review me. I NEED REVIEWS FOR MOTIVATION.

It's that simple.