Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ, any of the characters or the plots.

This is an AU story, I rewound the story line to immediately after the Androids, Cell and Cell Tournament sagas. Piccolo makes a shocking discovery that shakes the foundation of his lonely existence.

Chapter 1

Everyone made it back alive. Finally, no one had to worry about the androids or Cell wanting to destroy the planet. The Z fighters had spent the last few months apart, training, living their lives without fear of attack.

Bulma was in her lab going over some information on Dr. Gero and his experiments. She was trying to catalog everything one last time and was nearly finished when something caught her eye. It was a single piece of paper, a notice, stating that a specific property was being foreclosed. It was an address just uptown from the Capsule Corp. so Bulma took the notice and went to look for her husband.

"Vegeta!" She called as she stepped into the backyard were some men were training.

"What is it you annoying woman!" Vegeta stopped his workout to address his wife.

Bulma walked up to the arrogant Saiyan with her hands on her hips. "I want you to take me to this address." She held out the paper to her husband and he took it.

He looked over the notice in disgust. "Is this a lab of that maniac Gero?"

"Yes! I want to take a look. He might have left something there." She explained.

"Perhaps they sold the place and built some apartments. I believe they might have noticed some old lab equipment or androids!" He tried to weasel out of the trip but id didn't work.

"It won't take long. Just a zip there and back." She left to grab her coat without giving Vegeta time to protest.

About an hour later, Vegeta and Bulma were arriving at an old, under kept building. They landed at the only visible entrance on the buildings exterior. The door was jammed so Vegeta pulled it off its hinges to allow Bulma to enter. They immediately met a long hallway lined with plain doors on either side.

"This is gonna take forever to check all of these rooms." Bulma groaned as Vegeta huffed.

In the blink of an eye, Vegeta disappeared and a few second later reappeared at his wives side. "All the rooms are empty except for some beds and desks. There is a door halfway down the hall with some stairs that lead to a basement."

"Alright, lets go down there."

The couple walked to the basement door and descended the stairs. They found a single room with no doors. Equipment was scattered all over the large space. It was dark and nothing seemed to be working until Bulma noticed a light faintly blinking.

"Over there." Bulma pointed vaguely in the direction of the light. They walked over to the long, oval, capsulated machine and examined the little light. "There is still some power going into this machine." Bulma looked over the small capsule that was lying on a solid steel table with different sized tubes coming out of it.

Looking around, Bulma noticed some caples running from the tube to a small computer on another table next to the capsule. Turning it on, stats and specs filled the screen and Bulma dove into deciphering them. "They look like life signals. Heartbeat, pulse, brain signals, everything." She pointed to the different numbers and signals on the screen.

"Are you telling me that there might be a person in this capsule? It's way to small." He sneered.

Ignoring her husband, Bulma searched the table/desk and found some files in the drawer. Pulling them out she began to filter through them and found a major clue. "Look here Vegeta." She examined a specific file. "Usagi Kuran, 3 years of age. She was placed into hibernation nearly 6 years ago. Specimens viability: uncertain."

"Specimen?"

"Yeah, according to this file Gero used a genetically neutral egg and a male DNA specimen to create her. The neutral egg was used so he could add traits he felt were important of needed while the male DNA was chosen for its own charact…" Bulma paused as she read ahead. "Oh, no."

"What?"

"The male DNA used was… Piccolo!" Bulma stated in a shock.

"What?!"

"We have to get her out of here." Bulma returned to the computer and started to tap on the keys and the small capsule started to hum. "The capsule and the computer are running on the same low battery, when it starts the revival process the battery might die. When it does you have to gentle pry the lid off or she could suffocate." Bulma rattled off her orders as Vegeta positioned himself in front of the capsule, ready to pry it off if the power failed.

"Alright."

After a few more minutes a noises and humming, the capsule began its revival process. The computer read that it was about 70% finished when the screen went fuzzy and shut down. The lights on the capsule started to blink rapidly and finally went dead. The humming ceased and Bulma became wide eyed.

"Get the lid off!" She screamed at her husband.

There was a defining screech and the sound of metal flying against the wall. A little girl began to cry.

Back at Capsule Corp. Bulma was examining the little girl properly in her lab. The girl had black hair that had a red tint to it in the light. Her eyes were a bright emerald green and her ears had a slight point to them. Her skin was pale because of being in the capsule for so long but you would never had been able to tell with the huge smile on her face.

"Bulma!" She cooed at the blue haired woman tending to her.

Vegeta was sent to collect the Z fights, one in particular, Piccolo. While he was gone, Bulma had begun a DNA test on the little girl and was waiting for Piccolo to compare it to.

A knock and the door startled her. "I'm coming!" She looked at the little girl and smiled. "Ready to meet your new family?" She picked up the girl and carried her up stairs and into the backyard where all the Z fighters and their families were assembled. "Everyone, this is Usagi Kuran."

"Kuran? Isn't she your daughter?" Chi-chi stepped forward.

"No, we found her. She was hidden in an old lab once owned by none other than Dr. Gero."

"Gero?!" The group said in unison.

"This little girl is about three but it will take some time for her maturity to catch up since she has been in stasis for about 6 years. Other than that she is completely healthy and we wanted to… well, I don't know how to tell everyone this."

Damn it woman." Vegeta stepped forward. "The child belongs to the Namek"

Everyone looked to Piccolo as he sat outside the group under a shaded tree. His face had froze into a permanent expression of shock. His mind had stopped working and he couldn't remember how to move.

Bulma recovered first. "I know this is a shock but we want to do a full DNA comparison before it's finalized. I mean, just because she is genetically his doesn't mean he has to take full responsibility. There are plenty of…"

"Let's just do the test." Piccolo had recovered and strolled over the Bulma. He eyed the girl.

She looked up at the Namek with her bright emerald eyes and smiled. It was the most perfect sight he had ever seen. This little bundle of life, unbeknownst to him, was a part of him and was the very best part. She was alive, healthy and waiting for someone to take care of her. He had a choice to make and it was going to change his life forever.

"If the girl turns out to be mine, I'll be the one to care for her. She is my responsibility." He decided as he took the smiling toddler in his arms.

She eyed him quizzically at the change in position but smiled once she had settled in. "Papa?" She questioned.

He didn't know how to respond to such a small child. "Yes?"

"Papa!" She threw her small arms around him.

She had just stolen his heart away and gained a slave for life. Piccolo was wrapped around her perfect, little finger.