Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z.
Warnings: Mention of alcohol and brief violent thoughts (nothing graphic/barely worth noting).
Hope you enjoy!
The clock read a few minutes past midnight. The combination of waning crescent moon shining through the open window and the television provided all the light one needed to navigate the small living room.
18 opened the door to her daughter's room. The pink sheets and matching, frilly comforter wrapped around the little girl who had gone to bed three hours prior. The angel slept peacefully with her blonde locks hanging loosely about her head. 18 smiled as she stared in awe upon the beautiful creature she brought into the world. 18 shut the door then headed back towards the living room to find her husband checking the lock. He then shut the window and secured the locks.
The cyborg fought the urge to laugh at Krillin's routine. If the people who were their enemeies really desired to cause them harm, all they needed to do was send a ki blast through the door and ultimately fragment the entire house. It was a terrifying fact that some of the scum who would hurt them were low enough to murder them in their sleep. 18 hoped her husband's ki sensing was strong enough to wake him before anything of the sort occurred.
"All secure," Krillin said giving his wife a goofy smile.
Krillin turned off the television and lightly chuckled at Roshi who was snoring on the couch. 18 put her arm around Krillin and the two dawdled their way to the bedroom, exhaustion apparent in their eyes. With the tournament coming up, the two committed hours each day to training. Even though 18 was still slightly stronger than Krillin, the latter made sure to never injure her during their sparing matches.
Just as they neared the entrance to their room a loud, rhythmic knocking shook the front door. Krillin dashed to the living room with 18 in heavy tow. Roshi jumped up and positioned himself into a defensive stance. The three exchanged glances then returned their attention to the racket on the other side of the door. They could hear a loud sobbing then someone called out Krillin's name. The voice was extremely high-pitched and sounded as though the owner was in pain.
"Krillin, who is that?" 18 asked.
Krillin shrugged. "I don't know."
"Well she seems to know you," Roshi replied.
"Krillin!" the woman cried out a second time. "Krillin!"
Krillin wasted no time. He fled to the door as a million morbid images of an old acquaintance, beaten and bloody, cried for his assistance. He threw back the door to find a woman from his past fall to her knees in tears.
"Maron?" Krillin asked with wide eyes.
Roshi and 18 peered through the door at the infamous woman who dumped Krillin almost ten years prior. The blue-haired female's bare shoulders shook with each sob. She wore a form-fitting, strapless black dress that fell to the middle of her thighs. She clutched a beer bottle with five percent of the contents left.
"That's Maron?" 18 thought outloud.
Krillin glanced over his shoulder and nodded in regards to the blonde's question.
18 found herself speechless. Granted, this was the first time she laid eyes on Maron, but from what she heard she had expected something more. The perverted old man often commented how he wished he could get together with Krillin's ex were she still available. When Krillin told her the story of how he almost made the mistake of proposing to Maron only to have her leave him for another man within seconds of breaking up she had expected someone very different than the woman before her eyes. 18 liked the name and mentioned if she ever had a daughter she would name her Marron. Krillin had no objections, for he too found the name to be lovely. But now staring upon the lush she searched for any reason Krillin would find her appealing.
"Maron," Krillin said kneeling down beside her. "Maron, what happened?"
Maron's tearstained blue eyes stared up at the man who used to be her lover. "Krillin," she screeched before releasing another strain of sobs.
"Maron, it's okay, I'm here," Krillin said gripping her shoulder. The stench of alcohol radiating off her body was enough to make 18 gag. "Maron, talk to me. Are you hurt? Do you need an ambulance?"
Maron shook her head.
A sudden thought struck Krillin. "How did you even get here?"
Maron nodded to where her boat had come ashore and was stuck in the sand. Krillin sighed. Numerous times when they were dating and even several times afterwards he had warned her of the dangers of handling the boat when drunk.
"Well, you can't be operating any machinery right now," Krillin stated in a voice that left no room for argument. "I'll call someone to come pick you up." His voice softened. "What are you even doing here?" He had not heard from the woman in almost seven years then she suddenly made an appearance.
"Krillin, it's all my fault," she said with a sniff. "I'm an idiot."
Krillin's eyes narrowed. Had anyone hurt this woman he would personally clobber them.
"Maron, what happened?" he said with more force. 18 could sense the man's ki rising. The cyborg looked the woman over for any bruises or other signs of abuse.
Maron pushed her head into Krillin's chest and cried heavier. Krillin almost fell backwards from the impact. He hesitated for a second then brought his hand to her back. Painful memories surfaced the moment his fingers touched her bare skin. Krillin pushed those thoughts away, reminding himself that she was nothing more than a memory. Still he could not help but feel pity for the woman who broke his heart all those years ago.
"I shouldn't—" Maron spoke, wiping her tears on Krillin's shirt. "I shouldn't've ever left you. It was a mistake. I'm sorry."
The words clung to 18's heart. Never before had she experienced such a deep hate for another female.
"Mommy, what's going on?" three-year-old Marron said emerging from her bedroom. She rubbed her eye with one hand while holding her security blanket with the other.
18 realized how loud Maron was shouting which had woken her daughter.
18 walked towards the girl and picked her up. "Don't worry about her, sweetie. It's just an old friend of Daddy's. You just go back to sleep." Marron cuddled her head against her mother's chest and within a matter of seconds she had fallen asleep. 18's voice changed dramatically when she stepped outside the house. "Could you keep it down? I just put the baby to sleep."
Krillin nodded. Maron never noticed the other woman standing three feet from her.
"Maron—" Krillin began but was interrupted when Maron's arms encircled his neck.
Krillin pried her fingers apart and placed her arms down by her side. "Maron, you're drunk. Let me call you a cab and you go home and sleep it off."
Maron shook her head. "No, Krillin." She stared up at him with pleading eyes. "I don't ever want to leave you again. I want to be with you. Just you. Me and you."
Krillin heard 18 growl.
"Maron," Krillin said backing up before Maron had the chance to cling to him again. "Maron, listen to me. You're not in your right mind. You're drunk." He wondered how many times he would have to repeat that line before it finally sunk into the woman's skull.
"It was a mistake," Maron pleaded. "I never should've left you." She grabbed his hand. "Please give me another chance. I'm not like that anymore."
18 rolled her eyes while she muttered, "Sure you're not."
Roshi chuckled. "You can give me a chance, babydoll." 18 walloped Roshi atop his bald head. His chin collided with the floor then he fell limp while the room spun.
"Maron, I'm sorry, but I can't do that," Krillin stated forcefully, grabbing Maron's wrists. "I'm a married man, I have a family. I'm sorry, Maron, but you have to leave."
For the first time Maron noticed the seething blonde standing in reach of her. Her hands were on her hips while her eyes burned into the other woman.
Maron tilted her head to the left. "That's your wife?"
Krillin nodded. "Sure is." He stood and took 18 by the hand. "This is my beautiful wife, 18." He made eye contact with the mentioned then returned his gaze to the shuddering woman in his grasp. "18, this is Maron."
18 gave her a smile of false sincerity.
Maron wrinkled her nose. She looked down in defeat, knowing there was nothing she could say to denounce 18's beauty and inability to age. The woman was obviously much more than she could ever be leaving no way for her to compete.
"I see, so you really don't love me anymore," Maron muttered.
Those words, meant to be kept secret, but betrayed by the alcohol, were spoken aloud. Those words hit a painful chord in Krillin's heart. Had she really loved him all that time? 18 no longer wanted to pummel the girl for she too felt sympathy for this woman who had thrown away the one person who ever truly cared for her. Through it all Maron knew she had no one to blame but herself.
"Maron, you need to go home," Krillin said heading towards the house. "I'll call a cab." He stepped through the door then turned to face the crying woman one last time. "Just promise me you'll stay home until you're sober."
Maron spoke not a word but nodded without making eye contact.
Krillin hurried to the phone. One glare from 18 and Roshi disappeared into the house leaving the two women on the beach. There was awkward silence for a while.
"You're lucky," Maron said breaking the silence. "Krillin's a good man."
"He is," 18 confirmed as she remembered all he did for her. She recalled the moment he risked the safety of the entire world merely to keep her alive. She had heard several accounts from their friends how he never left her side during the battle with Cell. Over the past five years of their marriage she realized that never would he leave her side.
"I shouldn't've let him go," Maron said falling to her knees.
18 wanted to comfort her, but there was nothing she could say to bring her cheer.
Krillin returned to inform the group that a cab would be there in ten minutes. 18 invited Maron inside where Krillin handed her a glass of water in exchange for the booze. Krillin poured the liquid down the sink then tossed the bottle away.
Maron kept her eyes focused on the cup. She stared at her aging reflection. Her face was no longer blemish free and she had acquired some of the wrinkles she used to taunt Bulma and Chichi about. Several silver strands lined her fading blue hair. She was no longer as thin as she used to be. Maron choked back a sob and gulped down the water to rid herself of the makeshift mirror. She watched as 18 approached her husband in the kitchen. Maron's gaze fell to the floor. Had she not been such an idiot that could be her standing in next to Krillin.
"18," Krillin said when the blonde stopped just short of him. She knelt down and embraced the man she loved. Krillin's face lit up and he hugged her back. "18, where's this coming from?" Krillin asked. His wife was not the kind who openly displayed affection, especially in the presence of others.
18 smiled. "I love you, Krillin. I'm glad to have you."
Krillin shut his eyes. "I love you too." He leaned his temple against her shoulder. "I'll never leave you."
"I know you won't," 18 whispered. She then kissed him on the cheek.
A hovercraft landed outside. Krillin and 18 parted for the previous to escort the girl outside. Maron accepted Krillin's arm as support. Krillin paid the driver then stood in awkward silence before his ex. He gave her a weak smile then hugged her.
"I'll always be your friend, Maron," Krillin stated.
Maron nodded. "Thank you," she said before stepping into the car.
Krillin watched as the vehicle took to the sky. It soon vanished from his sight cuing the moment for him to go back inside. 18 waited for his return, leaning against the couch with her arms crossed.
"She'll be back in the morning for that," the cyborg said pointing to the boat.
Krillin nodded. "I hope she'll be alright."
18 nodded. "It's late, we should go to bed." Krillin could not help but notice a bit of sorrow in 18's voice.
"Is something wrong?" Krillin asked.
18 sighed. "I know I shouldn't be worried about girls from your past, but—"
Krillin laughed. "18, you don't have anything to worry about." He took hold of his wife's hand. "If anything her dumping me is the best thing that ever happened to me. 'Cause now I have you."
A smile emerged on 18's face. She pulled him in for a passionate kiss. Krillin put up no resistance and enjoyed the physical pleasure of his wife's lips upon his. He would have to remember to thank Maron when she returned for her boat.
When their lips finally parted Krillin said, "I could never love anyone more than you."
With those parting words Krillin returned to the door and turned the lock. Roshi had fallen back asleep leaving only Krillin and 18 awake. 18 waited for her husband to stand beside her before the two retired for the night.