Girls' Day Out

A Dragonball Z fanfic

By Hana Noir

It was a brisk windy day when Piccolo, Tien and Chau-tzu prepared to go into the Room of Space and Time. The chill at the Tenka had Kyrie wearing a light jacket that Mr. Popo had dug up for her. When he tried to apologize for the lack of winter wear, she had laughed and hugged him, saying it gave her an excuse to shop. She knew she had to get some winter clothes and soon. Winter was rapidly approaching and while Dende, Piccolo and Popo didn't feel the change in the temperature, she sure did!

Tien and Lunch had their heads together, talking softly. She could pick up a great deal of reluctance on Tien's part, along with a deeply buried excitement. Lunch was no less excited, but not quite as reluctant. Chau-tzu had a hopeful look on his little face as well. Kyrie wondered what was going on, but she was too polite to pry any further than the surface. Piccolo was nearby, leaning against a pillar, arms folded across his chest, watching them all.

He noticed Kyrie heading behind the main building, no doubt for her favorite place. He waited a few more seconds, then casually followed after her. He found her right where he thought she would be, knees pulled up to her chest as she stared out into the bright blue sky. "Hi," she said, not even looking up. She knew it was him; she had sensed him as he approached. He waited for her to speak, wondering what was on her mind.

"There were a lot of files on the computer that I couldn't get into," she finally said, her voice flat. "I'm worried about what might be on them. But I don't know how to get into them."

Piccolo shrugged, he didn't see what all the fuss was about. "Ask Bulma. She and her father are supposed to be good with that sort of thing."

The look she gave him was frustrated and angry. "You don't understand. I'm worried about what kind of information might be in those files. What if they did things to me that I don't even know about??" she ducked her head, murmuring the last words. "And I don't want Bulma and the others thinking I'm some kind of freak…"

He reached out, a long finger pulling her chin up until she was looking at him. "Listen to me. What is in those files is irrelevant. You are a valid human being in your own right and no one will think less of you for the circumstances of your creation." A wry smirk pulled at his lips then. "After all, they consider me a friend don't they?" He pulled her to her feet, wrapping his arms around her shoulders when she hugged him fiercely.

"I'll miss you," she whispered, burying her face against his chest. He ran a hand through her hair, memorizing every strand.

"I'll only be gone twenty-four hours," he said, giving her a small grin. "But I won't see you for an entire year."

"I know," she said, her voice muffled by his tunic. "I'm just being silly." His answer was a warm, sweet kiss that had her going boneless in his arms. Remember that I love you…

How could I ever forget? he asked, pulling her closer and dropping a gentle kiss on the side of her neck. "We should get back," he said aloud, easing her down and stepping back. Her face wasn't quite as sad anymore as they went back out onto the platform to rejoin the others.

Tien was holding Lunch close, hugging her tightly. When they separated, she knelt and hugged Chau-tzu tightly as well. "Well, we're not getting anything accomplished standing out here," Tien said, grinning roguishly. He gave Lunch a final kiss and moved to stand next to the open doors. Chau-tzu quickly joined them.

"Take care," Lunch whispered, waving.

Yes, Kyrie echoed mentally, knowing Piccolo would hear her. Take care. Dende looked up at the silent girl, wondering what she was thinking at this moment. The three warriors stepped inside the Room and the great doors closed silently behind them.

"Well," Lunch said, her voice trembling slightly as she glanced down at her watch, "we should be going. We've got just enough time to meet up with Bulma before my appointment." She smiled at Dende and Popo, who smiled back.

"You two have fun," Dende said, waving them off. "Especially you, Kyrie. You deserve it."

"Thanks, Dende," she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek. The young guardian flushed and waved them off again. Lunch pulled out a capsule and activated it, revealing a small three seater airplane. She hopped into the pilot's seat and gestured for Kyrie to join her.

Lunch piloted the little aircraft with skill, making it look easy. In no time at all, the golden dome of Capsule Corp came into view. There was a small landing pad behind the large dome and Lunch settled down onto the X with casual precision. The canopy slid open and the two women climbed out. The plane was re-encapsulated and Lunch pocketed the capsule.

"Hi, Bulma!" Lunch called, waving at the aqua haired woman coming toward them from the building. Kyrie watched her with a new interest. The first time they had met, she had no idea who Bulma had been. Piccolo's tales had changed that. If she had known who she had been talking to, she would have been so nervous!

"Hey, Lunch, Kyrie," Bulma said with a grin. "Are you both ready to go? I've got a car waiting out front." She peered over her shoulder, toward the house. "My mom's watching Trunks for me so we can get some shopping done. If we can just leave before—"

"Woman!!" An irritable voice bellowed from the side of the building, making Bulma wince. Kyrie's eyes narrowed with suspicion. That voice sounded familiar…

Her suspicions were confirmed when Vegeta came storming around the building. He paused for a moment, taken aback by the other two women with Bulma, then proceeded to complain. "That damn machine of yours is broken again!! Can't you fix anything right? I don't know what's worse, the quality of the materials or the quality of the workmanship!! Either way, I want it fixed now!!"

Kyrie couldn't help herself, the smart aleck comment just slipped out. "You want?? People in Hell want ice water, but I don't see them getting it anytime soon." Bulma snorted, then burst out laughing at the shocked look on Vegeta's face.

He glared at the woman impudent enough to speak to him in such a manner then did a double take when he recognized her. "Oh, it's you," he said with a smirk. "The Namek's mate." Bulma's eyes widened and Lunch hid a smile behind her hand.

Bulma intervened before the tension could escalate. "We really need to get going or Lunch will miss her appointment." She planted a smacking kiss on Vegeta's cheek, making him turn beet red. "I'll fix it when we get back. Go watch TV or something. Bye!" She caught Lunch and Kyrie and headed them toward her hovercar.

Vegeta wasn't about to let anyone else have the last word. "By the way, girl," he said, grinning maliciously, "nice haircut." Kyrie's face darkened and she gave Vegeta the finger as Bulma gaped. Since when did Vegeta notice people's hair??

They were in the car, and pulling away when Kyrie finally managed to explain about her little encounter with Vegeta. "As long as I've been around them all, I'll never understand them," Bulma said, shaking her head wryly. "So you're one of the espers Piccolo's training. Are you a telepath or a telekinetic?"

"A little of both," Kyrie said, the topic making her slightly nervous.

Bulma nodded. "I've met a few espers. Capsule Corp actually employs as many as we can find. My dad's done a lot of research into the field. He's very interested in biology. He finds Vegeta fascinating." She grinned over her shoulder at Kyrie. "My field's mechanics, and computers. I do most of our software development.

Kyrie blinked, surprised by Bulma's words. Maybe she could help her with those files… But she wanted to wait before asking. Harsh experience had taught her to be cautious. "Hey, Lunch," she said suddenly, attempting to change the topic. "You never did tell me what you're seeing the doctor about. You're not sick are you?"

Lunch blushed and Bulma laughed aloud. "I think I may be pregnant," the dark haired woman admitted, still a bit red in the face. "The home test was positive and I wanted to see a doctor to confirm it. Bulma got me in to see her OB/GYN."

"Wow…" Kyrie said, smiling. "Congratulations." Lunch blushed again. Bulma turned the car into a parking lot, searching for an empty space. She beat out another car for the only space there and gave them a rude hand gesture when they blew their horn at her.

"Jerk," she muttered, slamming her door a little harder than necessary. The three women headed into the clinic, Kyrie and Bulma finding a seat while Lunch went to check in with the receptionist. While that was going on, Bulma leaned over to Kyrie, a curious gleam in her eyes. "So…" she began, grinning widely. "You and Piccolo…" She wriggled her eyebrows for emphasis.

"What?" Kyrie asked, completely missing the implication. The look Bulma gave her was less than complimentary.

"You know," Bulma said, lowering her voice. "What's the deal?"

Kyrie finally caught on to what Bulma was asking and her eyes widened. "Oh, that. Why do you want to know?"

Bulma colored slightly, not wanting to be considered nosy. She was being eaten alive by her curiosity though. "I was just a bit surprised, that's all," she replied quickly. "After all, I've know Piccolo for a long time and he's never shown any interest in women at all."

"I see," Kyrie said, looking up as Lunch joined them, a clipboard in her hand.

"I have to fill out all these papers first," Lunch said, sitting down across from them. It took her about half an hour to work her way through the various forms. She returned the papers to the receptionist, then followed a nurse into the back.

"We'll be here for a while," Bulma said, picking up a magazine and leafing through it idly.

Kyrie pulled a capsule out of the pocket of her jeans and activated it, revealing her laptop. Might as well hack on those files while I'm sitting around, she thought, entering her password and bringing up the files. She typed away, frustration mounting as she found access denied at every turn. She ground her teeth, narrowed her eyes and continued banging on the keyboard.

The faint crackling of ki caught Bulma's attention and she looked up to see a wispy electrical charge dancing around Kyrie. She glanced around the room, making sure that no-one else had noticed, then leaned over to the younger woman. "Kyrie!" she hissed. "Get hold of yourself before you damage something."

Kyrie looked up, startled. "Huh?"

Bulma shook her head. "You were building ki, it's just lucky no one noticed." She glanced at the laptop. "What's got you so agitated?"

Kyrie considered Bulma carefully, making the scientist shiver. She felt as though she had been examined inside and out, and wondered if she passed muster or not. Kyrie, for her part, did what she always did in situations where she had no prior experience - she relied on her instinct. The method had yet to fail her. "I've got some files that I'm trying to open," she said, turning the laptop to where Bulma could see. "They're encrypted and I can't hack into them."

Bulma appropriated the laptop, looking over the first of the files. She began to frown as she studied them. Finally, she exited the program, shutting down the laptop and closing it. "Let's go outside," she said. "I need a cigarette." They rose and exited the building, finding the designated smoking area. Kyrie sat down on one of the provided benches, waiting while Bulma produced a crumpled pack of cigarettes and a worn lighter. She lit the cigarette and took a deep drag, making the end glow redly. Exhaling loudly, she stared at the girl through a haze of smoke. "Those were government encrypted files," she said calmly. "How did you get a hold of those?" Kyrie eyed Bulma warily. Would this be the one time her instincts were wrong??

Bulma took another drag on her cigarette, and tossed it down into the dirt. She ground it out with her foot then retrieved the butt, throwing it into the litter filled ashtray. She joined Kyrie on the bench, trying to convince the girl to confide in her. "Are you in some sort of trouble, Kyrie?" Bulma asked, reaching out to touch her hand gently. "I can try to help you, if you'll let me."

Kyrie bit her lip, trying to swallow past the lump in her throat. "I don't know…" She could sense Bulma's sincerity though the physical contact. "But I need help, and Piccolo said that you could probably help me." Bulma's eyes widened at the endorsement. Kyrie took a deep breath. "I'll explain it all to you, later tonight. Okay?"

Bulma started to say something when Lunch came out the door, beaming to rival the sun. She had what looked like photographs clutched tightly in her hands. She saw her two friends and rushed over to show them. "The test was right!" she exclaimed. "Just look!!" She held out the papers to them, almost shaking with excitement. Bulma and Kyrie stepped closer to examine the pictures. "The doctor did an ultrasound." The grainy black and white prints showed what looked like a bean with little nubs protruding from it. "It's to early to tell if it's a boy or a girl," she continued. "But he said that I'm eight weeks along. And he also gave me the pictures to show to Tien since he couldn't be here." There were tears in her eyes as she hugged first Bulma, then Kyrie. "I'm so happy!!"

"Congratuations, Lunch," Bulma said, smiling at her friend. "What wonderful news." Kyrie nodded, agreeing, but in the back of her mind was the nagging little fear of what was to come. She clenched her fists. No matter what, she vowed, I will make sure that nothing happens to Tien. For Lunch's sake, and their baby…

*******

(Author's notes: Okie dokie folks, we all know the drill. DBZ and its associated characters do NOT belong to me. They belong to ppl with a LOT more money than I'll ever have…

That said, I wanted to say, this is NOT the fourth part of my little saga. This is a small side story that follows "Mind Games" but comes before the fourth part. The fourth part will be the battle with the kurukon. O.o I know you're all waiting breathlessly for that, ne? Well, it's coming, so just hold tight! Thanks for reading this far!! Ja, minna! ^_^ )