Chapter 15: Guilty for Them

Tashigi jerked awake in her bed, and stared at the ceiling. Around 7 o'clock, Nami came in the crow's nest and got her. She turned to her side and observed the clock on the wall reading 12:49. To all the dismay of her body Tashigi got out of the comfortable bed, and quickly got dressed making her way to the galley. A bundled Chopper and Luffy sat at the table, letting Nami serve them food. Robin looked up from her book, and smiled, "Good afternoon, Tashigi."

"Ah, good afternoon to you too." she greeted, sitting at the table while snagging a plate to fill with food. She noticed a larger amount of food than Nami usually made, "Who made breakfast, I mean...lunch?"

"Robin-chan did!" Brook replied, sipping some tea. "It is quite delicious!"

Tashigi took a bite of the sandwich quarter, and smiled, "This is chicken salad!" Robin nodded at her response as she continued to eat more.

"So why are you and Luffy out of bed? Didn't you say, Chopper that everyone should be in bed at least two more days?"

"Well, that's what I thought originally, but Luffy and I have smaller frames than the others. That is all I can figure. I am going to study the others in a bit when I can move more." The small doctor continued to eat, thinking about what to do for the others. "If I understand this development correctly, Usopp and Sanji will most likely be up and about tomorrow afternoon. Franky the next day, and Zoro sometime after that."

Tashigi rolled her eyes at the mention of Zoro. What an idiot. You would have thought she would notice him eating while he dragged her along the riverbank. Well, you were wrong!

The day slipped away as they lay bored in the grass, only momentarily playing whenever there was wind to keep them cool. They were suddenly going through a heat wave on the waters, and that prevented much desire to do anything. Before they knew it, evening had arrived.

Tashigi lie down in the grass, and let her mind go off in thought. 'I wonder what those Marines were doing...Who is their commanding officer? Ugh, I should have used last night to escape! I'm such a gullible moron. It has been less than three weeks, and I' m watching out for them?! They are pirates for heaven's sake, and I am a Marine. Once I step off this ship onto the next port, I am entering the Marine base and returning to Smoker's side.' Her mind's rant ended there, and started to focus in on Smoker. She had worked under him for only a few years now. He had understood her judgment, and accepted her flaws. There was part her that missed him, because he had become such a large part of her daily life.

Chopper nudged Tashigi out of her thoughts, looking over at him, "Yes?"

"Nothing, just thought I'd distract you. You were looking a little stressed." Chopper nuzzled her hand, convincing her to pet him.

"I guess I am a little," she admitted.

"Are you going to stay with us?" he asked, throwing her off guard, "I like your company."

She pursed her lips, and stared at the cloudy purple sky. "I can't. I'm a Marine."

"Do you not like us?" he whimpered, frowning.

"I really like you all. I really do," she sighed, "but my place is with the Marines. They are my family, my nakama."

Chopper nodded, and asked no more questions. He laid his head on her stomach, and watched the sky darken as the sun completely vanished from the sky.

---

Everyone had made it to bed last night, instead of their intended napping in the grass. It suddenly decided to drop 40°F, and was 38°F when they woke up at 9:00 a.m. Brook's chattering teeth could be heard from above if you stood out on the deck and listened.

"How are you holding out up there?" Nami called over the intercom to him in the Crow's nest.

A crackled response came through, "My skin is crawling with goose bumps! ’Course, I have no skin! Yo ho ho ho!" Nami shook her head and rolled her eyes at his response, and walked to the kitchen, starting up omelets for the awakening crew.

One by one, figures of the crew walked in to the galley. Sanji was the last one to walk in, and looked dissatisfied that Nami had to cook for him. "Nami, let me take over. As the cook of this shi--;"

"But Saanjii, can't I cook for you in return?" Nami purred sweetly, batting her lashes and slightly puckering her lips.

"Yeah Sanji! Let her cook! This woman makes a mean omelet!" Luffy cheered, leaning back to get a good look at the pathetic looking love-cook.

Momentarily, Sanji's heel met with Luffy back, but the rest of the cook's body remained facing Nami, "But of course mellorine! ~" You could almost see the love-heart radiation.

"Thank you Sanji-kun!" she smiled while blowing a kiss, ignoring a slightly aggravated and jealous captain. She finished flipping a ham and cheese omelet, and served it to Usopp, (who was basically drooling).

She started a spinach and bacon and looked over at the benefactor of the next omelet, "Tashigi, what do you think Zoro would want in his eggs?"

"Eh, why would you ask me? I just serve the food; ask Sanji." Tashigi raised her brow, and said no more. ‘Just because I serve him, doesn’t mean I stalk his diet…kind of. I’m on to you Nami!’

‘I know you know, you can’t fool me…’ Nami thought, having been curious to whether she would admit to such observations to his diet.

"Rice and pork. Are there any leftovers from the rice and vegetables yesterday? That'd be perfect in there." Sanji commented, releasing a stream of smoke from his lips.

"Right!" Nami flipped Tashigi's omelet, and went to the fridge retrieving a container. After a few more moments of watching the marine's food, she scooped it on to the plate of cheese, "should be melted in a moment, enjoy!"

"Thanks," she accepted the plate and took a seat in front of Sanji on the end. Instantly, his eyes lit up to his new company.

"Good morning buru-beri! ~ How are you? Have they really made you take care of that brute?"

She laughed at his questioning, recognizing that Zoro must be the 'brute'. "I feel well, what about you? Are you sure you should be moving around so much?"

"I'll be fine," Sanji suddenly turned toward Chopper who was wedged between Luffy and Usopp, "Chopper, the fruit that we ate, it was just a mango."

"What? Really, how do you know?" he asked, slightly leaning over his empty plate.

"Yes, I recognized it from a list in an article I had been reading. The soil there must have had minerals in it though that leeched into the plant. Whatever it was good for the plants, but too foreign for our bodies to handle." Sanji explained in detail, "not all islands are formed the same way, thus they don't always carry the same types of soil. I was reading about this awhile back when someone mentioned these 'bad fruits' to me before. I'm just sorry I didn't realize sooner."

"You shouldn't blame yourself; I'm the one who brought you the fruit in the first place." Tashigi spoke, guilt tainting the words.

"I think you're all fools for eating strange fruit in the first place." Nami pried, attempting to lighten the mood, "here Tash, take this to the biggest fool in the infirmary." Nami slid a plate across, but Sanji caught it before Tashigi.

"Allow me, you just finish your breakfast," the love-cook offered. The marine nodded in agreement, and continued eating.

"Sanji, what would you like in your omelet?" the navigator called out to him before he left.

"Just cheese and onions please," he left with orange juice in one hand and the plate in the other. Zoro looked up at him as he entered the room, disappointment evident. "What's up with you, shitty-swordsman?! You look like a kid expecting the toy store, and ends up going to the doctor," He laughed at the look and placed the plate on the bedside table.

"Hardly."

"Right, because really you're expecting a pretty girl, and you end up with me serving you." Sanji's curled brow rose, initiating a staring contest.

Zoro's eyes bore back at the other man, "That's basically what I'm used to."

"So you admit she's pretty?"

"Who are we speaking of?" Zoro played dumb, avoiding the question.

"Don't play fool shit-head; we have all noticed your constant gaze on the woman."

"How can you narrow down my observation? I watch all of you constantly; you are my nakama after all." Zoro slowly started to eat, still staring at the other man.

"Then do you care to explain the tick in your eyebrow when I'm within a two radius of Tashigi in conversation?" his taunt wasn't subtle, but knew his message would go through.

"Anytime I have to listen to your attempts at catching the eye of any woman on our ship is enough to bug anyone."

Sanji sighed, giving up in the banter. He turned and waved over his shoulder, leaving through the outside door. He lit one of his cigarettes, and absorbed the tobacco flavor. Watching the creeping sun behind the clouds in the eastern sky, he sighed again, "...that idiot is in love with the Marine. Wonder how he'll deal with this...I guess all of our ladies are taken. What a shame."

---

Tashigi walked about on the upper levels. She never took real notice of the door, but it suddenly caught her interest. "I wonder..." she opened it, peering in. It smelled of gunpowder and wood. She felt the wall, and flipped the switch, revealing a small workshop; similar to Franky's under the deck.

Behind her she heard footsteps. While turning around, she met Usopp. "Hello" she greeted, Not sure what to say, feeling guilty for being caught for snooping.

"Hey, do you want to see?" he walked past, and pushed the door open further. "This is my workshop that I use to make my inventions."

"Oh? You are a craftsman as well? I never see you working on anything.,” she inquired, stepping in after him.

"That's because I do everything in secret! Shi shi shi!" Usopp dug around and turned to her, "I'll be taking those!"

Tashigi looked up at his approaching hand, and saw the removal of her battered glasses. "What are you doing?"

"Fixing them, of course!" Usopp replied, fishing around in a smaller toolbox. She sat nearby and watched him work.

"So, what do you usually work on?" she asked, curious.

"My own weapons mostly, the ammo for my sling-shot, and--! Oi! Don't touch Kabuto!" he fumbled, trying to retrieve his precious weapon from her hands.

"You must be Sogeking! I recognize this slingshot anywhere! Did you make it yourself?" she asked, looking at it closely.

"I a-am him! I did make it myself, with the most advance calculations! I can shoot it from miles away and still hit my target with accuracy! I shot hundreds of men from Enies Lobby tower!" he stopped speaking abruptly, having temporarily forgotten to whom he was speaking to.

"Really now? I sure that would have been quite the spectacular to see!" Tashigi laughed, "I bet they were surprised."

Usopp was surprised in her interest, "It did! Their guns couldn't even reach me!" He laughed with her, "They tried so hard, and their expressions were priceless!"

"You couldn't see them though!" she looked at them seriously, raising her brow, "How did you even hit them from that far away?" a grin fell on her lips sideways as she tried not to laugh.

"OOOH! A superhero never gives away his secrets!" they both started laughing again, and then after a few moments they calmed down, Tashigi wiping away the tears that had formed from the strenuous activity. Usopp tinkered and bent other metals around the rims, and the marine woman watched curiously like a small child. After a few grumbling and giggles from a spectator, Usopp managed to produce a rim for the glasses that hopefully are more durable than the previous tape-covered plastic, with a hint of glue.

"Thank you very much Usopp-kun!" Tashigi bowed generously, and smiled.

"It was the least I could do for you," Usopp grinned back with a thumbs-up.

She blew a kiss and left the workshop, and approached the lower deck, noticing the grass was a bit longer than usual due to Franky's lack of personal touch. Robin was hanging laundry in the brisk wind after having just washed it. She smiled, and Tashigi waved while approaching the swing underneath the tree. She sat down, gently swinging. She took off her new glasses, and analyzed them. In her opinion the design seemed very basic, yet very sleek. They were black, which was very different from what she was use to. Well, it was either that though, or Kabuto green.

Light came down her in a filter of green due to the tree leaves, and chilled winds were sending a shuttering effect through her body. It was funny though that she just did not feel that cold.

Ah, I had a delyed editor it seems. But all is good, so here is the newest lovely chapter. I was amused with it, and I hope you are too.

Evercold - ah, the delight your review bring me. I am sooo happy someone also believe that the random Zoro perverse moment wasn't as random. I just felt that since they were becoming close, that he'd just openly say stuff, especially in the state he's in. You definately inspired this chapter for some reason. I had finished it very quickly. It only took so long because of the editing problem...

Glad a few of you adored the little FrankyXRobin :3

Mia-san, in and out!