Author's note: The last time I wrote a Dragon Ball fanfic was... oh... late 90s or early 2000s. It was posted on a site that was probably one of the first Kuririn/No. 18 pages ever devoted to the pairing. I had written a K18 fanfic based on what happened after DBGT, because at the time that was all we got for K18 stuff... but THANK GOD FOR DRAGON BALL SUPER. It gave us much more K18 moments and feels, not to mention much deserved No. 17 spotlight time that made me want to write this. Forgive me if the characters come off OOC, because again, I haven't written any DB fics in YEARS.
"Let's see the picture."
No. 17's brow arched ever so slightly over his twin's request.
"What picture?" he asked, feigning innocence.
No. 18 held out her hand. "Family. You showed Goku, but you couldn't even show your own sister?"
"You never asked."
"... Touché." There was a sliver of regret in that cool, collective voice that only her own sibling would have picked up on. Never the less, the smartphone was placed in her open palm. On the screen was a picture of a family of five which included her younger brother. Her gaze settled upon the set of twins standing in front of an older child, the one that she remembered that No. 17 had biologically with his wife.
Knowing what his sister was studying, No. 17 stated, "Couldn't resist, and neither could she."
No. 18 wasn't sure if she could handle twins. Marron was an only child, but an absolute blessing to have created with Kuririn. He was a wonderful and loving father to their daughter, and no doubt he would have shared twice as much love if Marron came into the world along with a brother or sister. The fact that No. 17 willingly chose to take a pair of twins into his own family spoke volumes, considering the troubled lifestyles he and No. 18 shared even before Dr. Gero corrupted them.
"You will be coming over for Christmas," No. 18 expressed as she handed the phone back. "You and the family."
"Wow, and here I thought Kuririn would be the one asking for such a request; awkwardly too, might I add."
No. 18 relaxed her hands on her hips. "Not so bad for family to spend time together, is it? Besides, it'll be nice to have Marron to spend time with the twins. They look to be around the same age."
No. 17 admired the family picture on his lock screen. Outside of his sister, his wife gave him a sense of purpose, gave him a reason to live for others. Years ago, when he heard about No. 18 getting married, he couldn't fathom the notion of settling down. While he never considered himself "broken" by any means, he simply didn't consider being tied to anyone. Other than that, he had no real direction in life, other than refusing to be forced to do anyone's bidding ever again. Dr. Gero learned that mistake the hard way. Yet it was his wife, a human, who opened up this other world for him, one that allowed him to make his own choices and enabled a sense of complition within himself. She helped him realize that he had a special connection with animals, wildlife, that made him want to protect them. Even if he didn't have the park ranger job which gave him a healthy salary which allowed him to care for his family, he would have preserved the creatures for free. He didn't believe in caging anyone in captivity. It reminded him of how he and his sister were treated, and he wouldn't wish that upon anyone or anything.
No. 18 noticed the particular way her twin was looking at his family and she slowly smiled. Deep down, she always knew there was a place for him outside of their violent past. If someone like her could find happiness, despite the chaos they created together, then so could he.
"You can find someone to watch the island for a few hours, right?" she inquired, knowing how seriously he took his profession, his passion. "Don't be late, either. You have our address."
"You're so sure this is going to happen."
No. 18 snorted as she turned away, so that he couldn't see her smile widen.
"I can't wait to hear what kind of dirt my sister-in-law has on you."
No. 17 chuckled and shook his head. Even as the blonde walked back to the vehicle she used to come to the island, he muttered, "This'll be interesting."