Chapter 1
Krillin could hear the waves hitting the shore outside. His eyes wandered through the window, viewing the scenery outside the Kame house. He appreciated Master Roshi letting him live here. He was his teacher, and as far as Krillin was concerned, his friend, as well. He had been there with him a long time. Krillin was really glad that he had the friends he had. Sure, he was the strongest full-blooded human, but most of his friends were incredibly stronger than him. But he wasn't complaining. He had a good life, with good friends, who were always there for him. But not now.
Krillin sighed as he focused more on the sky, rather than the ocean. It had been a couple of weeks since the end of the Cell games. Since Gohan had obtained his awesome powers, and destroyed the threat to the Earth known as Cell. Since Goku, his closest and best friend had died. Since he met her.
Krillin got a really weird feeling, even just thinking about her. It wasn't anything new. He had officially admitted his feelings about her to himself, just before he destroyed the controller designed to shut her off. Krillin frequently thought of her. Of course, the idea of going out to look after her always occurred to him. But he knew that it would never work. I'm just a short, bald, martial artist. How could someone so beautiful like her ever end up with me? Or even talk to me? He thought. Then again, he had spared her life. She couldn't just completely brush him off, could he? I have too much hope. She just wants to live the rest of her life in peace, probably with her brother. Why would she even consider being with me?
"Because you're the most decent guy I know," said a gentle and knowing voice. "What?" Krillin exclaimed as he stood up from his chair. "Goku?" A chuckle came inside his head. "Yeah, it's me, buddy. How's it been?" Krillin's voice became happy. "Oh, Goku! It's so nice to talk to you again! Using ol' King Kai to telepathically speak to me, eh?" In the Otherworld, Goku smiled. "That's right! Look, I think you should give Eighteen a try. Maybe she's looking for you right now!" Krillin hung his head. "Nah, Goku, she's probably trying to find her brother. Why would she even care about me?" Goku's voice got serious. "Krillin, you're my best friend. Even in here in the Otherworld, I care about you. I check in on you every now and again, and I hate to see you bummed out like this! If you're not going to do it for yourself, do it for me!" Krillin finally let up. It was near impossible to disagree with Goku on this issue. He wondered how Chi Chi was be so tough with him at times. "Alright. I'll do it. It's going to be difficult though, seeing as how she has no energy to track." Goku laughed. "Don't worry. You'll find her." Krillin ran out of the house, locked the door, and flew off the island, and soared across the ocean. "Maybe someone on the lookout can help me." Goku agreed. And with that, Krillin started flying towards the direction of Kami's Lookout.
Krillin reached his destination no more than 10 minutes later. Piccolo turned to see the bald man land on the tiled floor. "Hey, Piccolo! Dende's here, right?" Piccolo slightly smiled in Krillin's direction. "Hey, Krillin. Good to see you. He's right over there." Krillin watched as Dende was standing the edge, looking down at the sky. Krillin quietly walked over, not wanting to scare the Namekian. He put a hand on his shoulder. Dende turned around. Krillin smiled. "How's it going, Guardian?" Dende laughed. "It's been…peacefully quiet. I really enjoy having Mr. Popo and Piccolo around. How about you, Krillin?" Krillin placed a hand on the back of his neck. "Oh…it's been…fine." Dende frowned. "I sense some deep sadness in you. Is everything okay?" Krillin looked at the Namekian. He only wanted to help. "No." Dende nodded and sat down. Krillin did the same. "Well, there's someone I really like. And…it's…Eighteen. Android Eighteen." Dende curiously looked at Krillin. "Oh, yes, the one who you helped with the dragon's wish, right?" Krillin nodded. "Yeah. Also the one who I didn't shut off with Bulma's remote, when I had the chance." Dende smiled. "You must really like her." Krillin nodded. "Yeah. I don't care that she's an android, I think I'm in love with her." Dende laughed. "So, what are you doing here for?" Krillin looked down and began twiddling his thumbs. "Well, she's an android, and she has no energy signature for me to trace. I was hoping you could help me find her. You are the Guardian, after all. You can see a lot from up here, can't you?" Dende nodded. "Well, yes." Krillin grinned. "All right! Then can you try to find Android Eighteen's general location?" Dende nodded once more and tensed up. He looked over the edge very intensely. "Hmm…" he concentrated to find the android's whereabouts. Finally, he pointed towards a direction. "There! In that direction, there are some woods. She's somewhere in there, around the middle part of them." Krillin laughed with happiness. "Thanks! Thanks a lot!" Dende smiled back. "No problem! It was nice seeing you, Krillin!" Krillin jumped off the edge, and flew up. "You too, Dende! See ya later!" He then turned towards the direction Dende had pointed towards, and flew off.
After a couple of minutes, he landed on the ground in the dense woods. He was pretty sure he was in the middle part of the woods. He walked around for a while, and then…he saw her. His heart began beater faster and faster. His head got so dizzy, he could have puked if he wasn't careful. Thinking fast, Krillin ran behind a nearby tree and observed her. Eighteen was just sitting there, with her eyes closed. Then her eyes suddenly opened to a noise that Krillin heard as well. A squirrel ran down a nearby tree, and towards Eighteen. She didn't seem to mind, as it ran up her arm and stood on her shoulder. Eighteen slightly smiled. Krillin thought that if he was ever going to do this, he was going to do it now. He stepped out of his hiding place and walked towards her. What was he going to say? "Hey, Eighteen." The android turned around. As soon as she saw it was Krillin, her eyes narrowed, and she stood up, causing the squirrel to run off of her shoulder, and back up the tree it came from. "Oh, it's you. What do you want?" She way she said 'you' made Krillin's confidence kind of drop. Then, Goku's voice entered his head once more. "You're doing fine, buddy! Keep going!" Krillin stood up high now. "So, how's it been going?" Eighteen's expression didn't seem to change it the slightest. "I was absorbed and then spat out by a monster, and lost my brother. How do you think it's going?" Krillin decided he was going to do this. Now or never. "Uh, I know you've had a hard time. But, uh, you don't have a place to live, do you?" Once again, Eighteen didn't even change her expression. "No." Krillin tried to smile. "Well, uh, you're welcome to come stay with me, if you want! I mean, only if you want to!" Finally, Eighteen's expression changed. She raised one eyebrow. Why does he care where I stay? She thought. "Why?" Krillin responded, "Well, I don't want you to just spend all your time out here in the elements." Eighteen repeated herself. "Why?" Krillin looked down. "Well…I care about you." "That'll do for now," thought Eighteen. "Fine." Krillin looked up and grinned. "But don't think I'm going to stay there forever! I'm just going to stay there until I'm ready to leave!" Krillin nodded. "Well, that's better than nothing, isn't it?" Goku chuckled. Yeah, I guess so. Krillin thought. "Follow me," he said to Eighteen, as he rose off the ground and she followed.
"This is it," he said as they flew over an island with a house, and one tree. "What? You live on an island?" Krillin looked at her. "Well, it's nice. We can just fly, so you know, it's not hard to go anywhere." Eighteen looked back down at the house. "Whatever," she said as both her and Krillin descended and landed on the ground. Krillin was about to knock, but then he realized something. He turned back towards Eighteen. "Oh, and just so you know, I'm not actually not the owner of the house. My former teacher, Master Roshi, lives here. And also, a turtle that can talk, who hangs around." Eighteen scoffed. Krillin took that as a 'fine'. He knocked on the door, and it opened, with an old man standing in the doorway. "Oh, hello Krillin. Who's this...you brought with yourself?" Krillin didn't want Master Roshi to try any funny business. "This is Eighteen. She will be staying here for a bit." Then he leaned closer towards the old man. "And don't try anything," he said firmly. Master Roshi shook his head. "Fine, fine. Welcome." He showed her to a room upstairs. "So, you like it?", asked Krillin. Eighteen turned around. "It will do," she said. Krillin turned around and walked away, with a smile on his face that only Goku could see.