Disclaimer-I don't own DBZ or the song

A/N-It's my first DBZ fic in my new account, based on the song "Anywhere Is" by Enya. so please be nice! This one's for you, Deadly Beauty!

Anywhere Is

18 was walking. She was sick of flying just for the sake of flying and anyway, she liked exercising.

She was so sick of 17's trailer. All he did was hunt and chop trees, and he always came home smelling to high heaven and blood-spattered because the squirrels or the occasional dear he had shot were slung about his shoulders.

For her complaints she had gotten: "Well, sister dear, live with me, live with my gun." He had an unnatural fondness for his gun despite his ability to use ki, and had even taken to shooting at strange hunters and yelling, "Gits offer my property!" in an accent that 18 could not place.

Besides that, though she would die before she admitted it, it was lonely at 17's house with just herself and sometimes 17's dog. She was not crazy over dogs, infinitely preferring cats, but 17 had dragged the mutt home and since he had paid for the trailer, she did not protest. The dog was lousy company, and he often was not company at all, because 17 took him out hunting every other day.

18 wanted to be surrounded by people, bright lights, fancy clothes, anything that suggested a city, or at least a nice suburbia. Heck, she'd even go for a house with a foundation, rather than a trailer that swayed with every strong wind.

There was only house that she knew she'd be entirely welcome in. And that was Kame House. Krillin had written to her, on the sly of course, and said that he'd like to see her again sometime.

This puzzled her. She knew that in her previous life, as a normal teenage human, she had received love letters from the school nerds and his letter's tone as reminiscent of those letters.

She did not like puzzles. She liked everything cut and dry. So she might as well ask Krillin about them.

She was fast approaching the shoreline of mainland Japan. She was headed for the dock, where you could rent boats. She had some Zeni with her, enough to cover the trip to Kame Island. She could fly back if she wanted to, but right now she wanted to relax.

She had left early in the evening and night was approaching. The Boat Rental was empty except for an elderly man. He was strong for his age and looked sea-worn, and 18 could tell he knew his way around a boat.

"What can I help you with, Miss?" he asked, gruff yet kind.

"I want a ride to Kame Island."

"Kame Island? You aren't Maron, are you?"

"No…" 18 looked puzzled. "Who's she?"

"She visited the island all the time. Haven't seen her in a couple years, though. I didn't think you were her. She had blue hair. You've got the exact same eyes, though."

"Hmm." A Maron girl with blue hair and eyes just like hers and 17's. An old girlfriend of Krillin's, perhaps? She didn't know why she suddenly hated the idea of Krillin belonging to someone else. It was one of her business who his ex was, she told herself. She was just here to find out why he was always wanting to see her.

"So, a ride to Kame Island, eh? Round trip or one-way?"

"One-way."

"That'll be 40 Zeni."

She counted out 40 Zeni and handed it to him. He locked it in a safe, said, "This way," and led her to a boat.

It was similar to a gondola, looking battle-worn and steadfast.

"This one's lived through storms, so don't fret about it, Miss," the man said as 18 stepped into the boat.

"I wasn't about to."

"The trip'll take about an hour, so it'll be far into the night when we get there, but not too late."

He shoved that boat into the water, then waded along the coast and climbed in.

"So, Miss, where're you from?"

"I'd prefer to keep that to myself, if you please."

"Oh, I see. Well, when you're that secretive it means one of three things. It's either destruction or business or love."

"I assure you it's not destruction."

"So, it's business or love, eh? Which one, if you don't mind my asking."

"I do mind your asking."

"Aha, a saucy one, eh? That means it's love. Pardon my intrusive ways, Miss. This old sea dog don't get much company."

"Neither do I, for that matter."

"Sorry for that, Miss. You go in hopes of some company on Kame Island?"

"I suppose you could say that." It was God's honest truth, but she didn't want to spill her guts to a stranger. Especially because she didn't know why she sought company in that particular place.

Night settled over the ocean about halfway to the island. 18 leaned backwards and propped herself up on the rear of the gondola, staring up at the stars.

"Me wife, rest her soul, always took a fancy to the stars," the old captain said conversationally. "Drove me up the wall, all her talk about stars and destiny and such nonsense. She always said that the stars brought her and me together."

18 made a soft sound, arranging her head so she was facing his back.

"She put a stock in those stars. Just before she passed on she said to me, "Jim", she says, "the stars are saying it's time for me to go now. And they also say that you're to go on boating people to those islands. Who knows, maybe the stars will bring together two other people just like us"."

He shook his head disparagingly but 18 could tell that Jim missed his wife. She also had an interesting view on the stars. 18 didn't hold with such nonsense as astrology but it was fun to hear about it. She tilted her head back and looked up at the stars again, but this time, clouds had drifted over, making sure that not even the moon could be seen. The captain turned on the fog light, and 18 began to feel slightly nervous. This might be what humans called "Signs". Jim's wife would say this was a sign that she was headed for some trouble with Krillin.

18 puckered her lips and then frowned. She would not be sucked into such human superstitions. She was going to talk to Krillin and that was that. No questions asked or problems happening.

"Well, Miss, here we are."

18 stopped looking at the night sky as the gondola approached the coastline of Kame Island. Jim guided the boat onto the sand.

"Have a nice stay here, Miss," Jim said amicably.

"Thanks for taking me."

"T'wasn't a problem."

18 stepped out of the boat, getting her land legs back, as Jim pulled away from the shore and drifted back into sea.

Once 18 had steadied herself, she looked towards Kame House. The lights were still on, so she wouldn't be interrupting anyone's sleep.

Feeling almost hesitant, 18 went forward and knocked on the door.

She heard rustlings inside, a shrill cry of "Krillin, get the door!" by an old man's voice, the lock turning, the knob twisting, and the creak of a door as it opened.

"18?"

18 was finally indoors again, drinking a hot cup of tea with milk and sugar. Krillin sat across the table with a mug of coffee.

"What brings you to our neck of the woods, 18?" he asked, laughing nervously. "Well, really, our neck of the sea."

"Why have you been sending me letters saying that you've been wanting to see me?" she asked straightforwardly, with no shilly-shallying.

Krillin sighed and looked into his coffee cup. "Well…18…you remember how I wished the self-destruct devices out of you guys, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, y'see…I did that for a reason. It's kinda…selfish, I guess, but I was interested in you then."

"Interested in me? Do you take me for an easy mark? For someone like Maron?"

"No! Of course I don't, and…how'd you know about Maron?"

"The person who brought me here told me about her."

"That Jim." Krillin shook his head. "He gossips like a teenage girl."

"So, you are…interested in me," 18 mused, tracing the rim of her teacup with her long index fingernail. "May I ask why?"

"Well…I won't pretend you're not attractive, 18."

"So, it was my looks?" She could feel her blood quickening. What a fool she was, of course he only liked her for her looks. The only men she'd ever met who thought her more than a pretty face was her brother and 16.

"18, that's not the only thing!" Krillin yelped.

"Really?" she retorted coldly. "Pray go on."

"Goku taught me how to read ki. How to tell if it was good ki or bad ki," he said, stumbling. "And-and, when I felt your ki, I could feel…that there was no bad ki in there. You were just programmed to think like that. And I know what a sick waste of carbon like Dr. Gero could do to people, how he can manipulate people and I thought…I thought that you deserved a second chance at life. That's why I didn't destroy you when I had the chance."

18 stared at him. She had never known anyone to take into consideration the feelings and thoughts of her and 17, except, of course, for 16, but he was gone now. And here sat this man who barely came up to her hips talking as if he had redeemed her.

"I thank you for that, Krillin," she said thinly, "but that's not what I asked. Why are you interested in me?"

"Why? How couldn't I be? You who have passion and spirit to match your beauty and…and I can tell there's something good about you and I want…I want to help bring it out," he finished quietly.

There was silence for a long time. 18 took a deep sip of her tea, and when she put it down she stared at him.

So Krillin, who she had been programmed to fight, thought that she was a good, beautiful, passionate person underneath it all. That was a novelty idea. Dr. Gero was often frustrated by her spunk and independent streak, and 17 had often teased her about how she ran them all ragged. Only 16 had ever considered her icy fire of a personality any good.

"So, your interest in me…is it quite the same as the interest you had with Maron?"

"Well…it's something like it, but it's…I guess you could say, deeper. Maron was pretty flighty. I mean, I was very much into her. I really did love her, but she…it was one-sided on my part, I guess, because she left a couple years ago. And I kinda miss being in love, and I think…you could be someone I could fall in love with."

He expected a tart remark but what he got was stunned silence.

"You…you think you could fall in love with me?" she asked, stammering for the first time in her life.

"Well, y-yeah," Krillin said.

"Do you think, Krillin, that I could fall in love with you?"

His face fell. "Yeah, it's a long shot, I know. Why would you want to be saddled with someone like me?"

"I wasn't being insulting. I was asking a question. Do you think I'm up to the task of falling in love with someone?"

"Well, yeah! Love is inevitable if you look for it."

"I'm not so sure," 18 said, swirling her cup of tea. "I haven't had any experience with this love, and you apparently have."

"Yeah, but that wasn't real love. At least, not from her side. I want to try a new relationship, like someone with his first girlfriend, except since we're both adults, we'd be more mature about it. And like I said before, I…I really think we could work out, 18."

"Hmm." 18 picked up her cup and drained it from the remaining tea. "I have to say, I do find it an interesting proposal."

"You…you do?"

"Yes. I could go far and find worse guys. And besides." She propped up her chin in the heel of her palm, resting her elbow on the table. "You're kinda…sweet."

"I am?"

"Not many men I know would give me a chance. I want to find out what this love is and I'll say this, you would be my first choice."

"…Well, this was a strange way to ask you for a date," Krillin said, chuckling nervously.

"Do you have mail service on this island?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"I want to let my brother know that I'll be staying here."

"WHAT!"

"Well, if we're going to be dating, we can't very well live on two separate land masses, can we?"

"I…I guess not. I'll show you to the guest room."

"Thank you, Krillin."

"Krillin, it's customary for boyfriends and girlfriend to kiss each other, right?" 18 asked. She and Krillin were standing outside the guest room door.

"Well, um, yeah, it is," Krillin said.

"Come up here."

Face reddening, Krillin levitated two feet into the air.

18 looked him hard in the face, then leaned in a planted a kiss on his lips.

Almost immediately she felt a pounding in her chest and ears as she brought her face back and turned away. His face was tomato-red and she could feel herself almost blushing.

"So that's what a kiss is like," she mused aloud. She turned back to him, a small smile tracing her mouth. "That was quite enjoyable. You're a good kisser, Krillin."

"Th-thanks."

"In any case, I'm glad it's you that I first-kissed."

"Really?"

"Do I have any reason to lie?" she asked. "I'm tired, Krillin, and I want to sleep. And I also believe it's customary for the guy to plan the date? Find someplace nice, Krillin."

"I will. I'll find someplace worthy of you."

18 bit the fleshy inside of her mouth under her bottom lip, ordering herself to stop this ridiculous blushing. "I'll see you in the morning, then."

"See you then."

18 turned, opened the door to her room, walked inside, and shut the door behind her.

"Well, Miss, here we are."