In honor of Valentine's Day an update! Okay, so I know that these oneshots are not usually supposed to be connected, but after realizing how long this one was going to be, I decided to do a 3 part mini-story. I plan on updating one part per day. :D

UPDATE: So, I'm not a big fan of how my "3 part mini-story" turned out, so feel free to just skip past this chapter and the next two for more interesting stuff!


Theme #10: Opportunities

(Kame house, a year or so after the Cell Saga.)

Part 1: Day 1

Krillin sat alone at the table. He let out a gloomy sigh and stirred his glass of apple juice. He liked drinking juice. It made him feel like a kid again. Like he was staying at Kame house because he needed the training from Master Roshi, not because he needed a roof to live under, being unmarried, jobless, and lonely.

Not that staying here seemed to ever help his loneliness. Roshi almost always seemed to leave to go do "errands". For a hermit, he wasn't acting like it that much lately. He was probably out and about, trying to talk it up with some beautiful lady, yet here Krillin was sitting at the table all on his own.

It was pathetic really. Bulma tells him a lot that he needs to get out more often or else he'd end up all alone like the old turtle hermit himself. He tried "getting out" before too, but where was he supposed to go? A bar? A club? He was just never in the mood.

But there had been that one girl whom he was convinced that he was in love with. Perhaps it was the blonde-headed beauty that caused him to be in the state that he was in now. He had even confessed his feelings to Bulma about the android. Every single one of his friends knew that he was a bald, pathetic, little man who was head-over-heels for a woman who wasn't even human.

The phone started ringing and interrupted his dreary thoughts. He rushed over and picked it up to answer. "Hello?"

"Krillin! Is that you?" He could recognize Bulma's familiar voice anywhere. "I need you to come down to Capsule Corporation immediately!"

"What?" he asked, detecting the sense of urgency in his friend's voice. "What's wrong? What happened?"

Bulma laughed on the other end. "Nothing's wrong at all! An, uh, opportunity came up, and I think you might want to be here to see it!"

He groaned loud enough so that she could hear with certainty how he felt about this. "You're trying to hook me up again?!"

"Come on! Give her a chance!"

"What?! Are you kidding?! Don't you remember what happened last time!"

"Okay, so maybe a double-date with Vegeta was a bad idea, but this isn't a date at all! She's at my house, and I think you should come to." She paused for a second. "And I'll do my best to keep Vegeta out of this..."

"Fine. I'll show up, say hello, then leave. Is that good enough for you?"

She laughed in a way that made Krillin think there was definitely something more to this story. "That'll work out nicely. In fact, maybe it'd be best if all you did was say hello!"

He was getting really frustrated. "Is it Marron?! Did you invite my ex over to your house?"

"I'm not going to say anything more!" she answered, making him even more frustrated with this. "Oh wait! Actually, I do have one more request!"

"What?" he asked impatiently.

"She doesn't know that you're coming over. I want you to make this seem as casual as possible. Anyway, use my back entrance to the lab. I'll be in there. See you in a little bit!"

Krillin hung up the phone and was practically growling. He did not want to see his ex-girlfreind Marron ever again! Bulma thought she was being so sneaky though... It made him pretty upset really. His friend knew what went down with Marron, and she knew where his emotions were now. He had moved on to someone else.

He sighed and put on some shoes. He did say that he would stop by. It would only be real quick anyway, and she said that that would be fine. So really...who was it going to hurt to pay his ex a little visit? He didn't have any feelings for her anymore, so it wouldn't even really affect him.

He could sit and whine in agony over his love for an android another day. Krillin made up his mind and decided to go after all. He went outside and took off in the direction of West City. This would just be a quick visit, so Master Roshi probably wouldn't even return before Krillin would anyway.

In almost no time at all, Krillin had arrived at the immense building known as the Capsule Corp. He landed on the grass gracefully and looked around. The sun was beginning to set, and it was getting close to dinner. Roshi would probably get home around 9. There was definitely enough time for this short visit.

Bulma said to go in through the back entrance to the lab... He walked around to the back, but not before noticing that there wasn't an extra car parked out front. Funny. Maybe it's in the garage.

He shook his head and knocked on the door. Bulma quickly answered with the weirdest grin on her face. "Great! You're here! Come on in!"

He looked around the lab area. It was kinda creepy being almost alone in such a large a large and drafty space with all the weird equipment lying around. A chill went down his spine. "What did you do? Build me a different android to love?"

She laughed. "Not quite! Here, take this." She placed some strange-looking tool in his hands. "I told her that in order to work on this project, I was waiting on someone to bring me another part. I totally lied though!"

He rolled his eyes. "It's no secret Bulma. I know that Marron's here. And I know that you're trying to-"

"Just go back to the front and casually act as if you're stopping by to drop this off! It's bound to work!" She was getting extremely excited about this.

None of the excitement rubbed off on Krillin as he sighed and left the lab through the back exit, only to walk around to the front again. He rang the doorbell to the house, and one of the Briefs' robots answered it and let him in. He decided to go along with the plan.

"Bulma!" he called as he strolled into the large entryway. "I have that...thing that you wanted me to bring over!"

The blue-haired genius ran into the more central living area just in front of the entrance. "Great! Can you bring it over here?"

He nodded and realized his friend was different than she has been a second ago. She now was wearing goggles on top of her head and had oil smudged on her cheekbone. It was as if she dressed herself up only to appear as if she'd been working hard on some project.

Krillin walked through the entryway and over to where Bulma was standing in the central living room. He handed the tool over to her, then looked at one of the couches.

Could- Could it be...? He stared at the woman on the couch, feeling a strange sensation in his heart (and his stomach). It was most definitely Android 18, looking as beautiful and apathetic as ever. He looked back to Bulma who was grinning like a mad scientist, which at this point, she was definitely getting close to being.

"Can I...have a word with you about this device? In the lab?" he asked his friend. Without even looking, he could almost feel 18's glare, which was practically penetrating his skin.

She nodded and led him to the lab, like an excited wolf-pup taking lead of the pack for the first time. "See? I told you that you wanted to come over this time!"

Krillin shook his head violently. "No! No way! I cannot be here right now!"

"What do you mean?" she asked him, a little confused. "Don't you 'love' her?"

"I- I guess so, but..." he dragged out the word as long as he could. "I am absolutely terrified! She's so beautiful, but she's also really scary! She's beautifully scary! Scarily beautiful!"

"This may be your once in a lifetime opportunity to talk to her again!" she told him. "I'm so tired of your mopey attitude! You just need to work up the nerve and talk to her! This isn't kindergarten, Krillin!"

"Maybe not kindergarten, but with the way you're playing matchmaker, it feels at least like seventh grade!" he spat.

She rolled her eyes. "Are you going to do it? Or not?"

He breathed. "I guess I will. What'll be my excuse to stay longer though?"

He could practically see the lightbulb brighten up above her head. "I know! It's almost dinner time, so how about I invite you to stay and eat with us?"

"Okay," he answered quietly.

The two of them walked back to the living room where the woman who was both Krillin's worst nightmare and best daydream sat in front of them. Bulma smiled at the guest. "So it looks like this device will help do the trick, but it'll take some time. Would you guys like to stay for dinner? It's getting late!"

He gave an awkward smile. "I would love to stay for dinner." Time to acknowledge her. "Are you planning on staying too, 18?"

She kept a blank face. "It kind of seems like I have to, since I'm too broken to go anywhere else."

Bulma was beaming. "Great! I'll go tell the chefs to prepare for two more!"

18 shook her head. "Have them prepare for one more. I don't need to eat, remember?"

She nodded and ran off to the kitchen. Now it was just Krillin and 18 awkwardly alone in the room together. He was no good at small talk, especially knowing that the person he'd be talking with is a deadly android. But didn't she say she was broken...?

"So, uh, what happened?" he asked slowly.

Her beautiful blue eyes were cold stones. "I'm not sure why it happened, but my energy supply started malfunctioning. Turns out, the storage tank for my energy supply is broken. I couldn't even fly here."

"Oh," he said. "I'm sorry to hear that."

An awkward silence filled the room as 18 glared at Krillin, and Krilin stared at his feet. He didn't know what to do or say now. And what was taking Bulma so long? Did it usually take this long? Was she using this as another "opportunity"? Was he just being overly nervous?

"Why did you happen to have the one tool that Bulma needed to create a new energy storage tank?" 18 asked, breaking the silence.

He laughed nervously. "Well, you see...that's a good question! I was at Kame house, and Master Roshi has the most random things sometimes!"

"Sounds like a lame excuse."

"I know."

"Why are you really here? Is it to see me?"

"Uhh... Actually..." No sense lying anymore. She'd see right through it. "Yes."

She made a grunting sound. "Of course you are, you pathetic little man."

"Hey! Watch the name calling!" he said, a little hurt. There was no way he had a chnace with her. No way at all.

"Whatever," was her only response.

Bulma walked in before things could get any worse. "Okay guys! I'm back! So it turns out the chefs were already preparing dinner, but they said there will be enough for one more. It'll be done in just a few minutes, so I'm gonna go grab Vegeta, Trunks, and my parents and be right back!"

Don't leave me alone with her again, Krillin wanted to call out. It was too late. Bulma had left the room, and things were getting uncomfortable again. He didn't know what to do, so he sat in one of the couch cushions near 18, but not directly next to her. That would've been too weird.

"What have you been up to lately?" he questioned slowly. He was doing it! He was attempting small talk!

She rolled her eyes. "Nothing of any importance. Exploring the world a bit. Avoiding you guys."

"Looks like you weren't so lucky," he tried to joke with her.

"Apparently so," she said. "When my energy storage started acting up, I knew that coming here was my only option. There's no more Gero to rely on."

He sighed with relief. "Thankfully he's gone." She was glaring at him. "I mean, it's too bad he had to die... Haha. Even though you guys killed him..."

She stared at him oddly. "It's not bad at all that he's gone. There was a reason we killed him, you know. He was always threatening to power us off. Always trying to control us."

"I can't imagine you being the type to be controlled."

"I'm not. Neither is my brother. And that is why Dr. Gero is dead."

Krillin wasn't sure what to say next. "How have you enjoyed your new freedom?"

She looked him dead in the eyes, and he gulped. "I know what you're trying to do. Your small talk is just getting annoying. What you did for me was great, but there is no reason for you to be involved in my life anymore."

"Is there another guy?" he suddenly blurted.

"What?" she asked, not without staring at him like he was an idiot first, of course.

He felt himself get a little pink. "Well, um, did you meet another guy recently? Is that the reason you haven't said much about your life lately?"

Android 18 couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Are you joking? I don't have to tell you everything that happens in my life! You've got to be kidding me!"

"Well, is there...?"

"I'm a killer android with no home, no friends, and no money...except for the little that I robbed from a bank."

"You robbed bank?!"

"That's beside the point! What I'm trying to say is, do you really think that there is any guy who would want to be with me?!"

Krillin swallowed nervously. "Well, um, I don't see why not..."

"Do the words 'killer' and 'android' mean nothing to you?" she asked incredulously.

He shrugged. "I mean, you don't have to go flaunting that information around everywhere. Nobody would even know that you're an android. They'd just see you like a normal person."

She was surprised at his response. "You think so? And why's that?"

He could feel his face flush. "Because I see you as a normal person, and I already do know what you really are!"

Now it was Android 18's turn to be at a loss of words. She tucked her hair behind her ear. She knew that he had some sort of "thing" for her, but she never expected him to say anything like that. It made her wonder about where her feelings for him really were. He had helped her out so much. Maybe she shouldn't have been so cold to him earlier.

"That's probably the kindest thing anyone's ever told me," she said. "I appreciate your...words."

"Well," he began saying, "you know...it's true. You are beautiful and strong and independent and maybe you don't need a man, but I'm sure that if you really wanted, you could definitely find the perfect guy for you."

"Thanks, Krillin," she said in a somewhat kinder tone.

Score! That was totally smooth! And now she doesn't seem to be as hostile. Maybe she'll want to talk to me more now. He stopped his thoughts because Android 18 looked as if she were going to say something else. But her words never came because the two were interrupted by a loud Saiyan man and a blue-haired woman with a baby in her arms, walking into the room.

Dr. Brief and Mrs. Brief followed them, and the man waved to where Krillin and 18 were sitting. "Hello, Krillin! It's good to see your face around here again! Who's the pretty lady? A girlfriend?"

"Dad, no!" Bulma exclaimed. "They're not together! That's Android 18!"

He looked very surprised to hear that. "But didn't we design a remote to shut her down? Why is she here?"

Bulma sighed. "It's a long story, but the point is, 18's not one of the bad guy's anymore. She's here to get something fixed."

"I don't see why we're allowing that piece of scrap metal into this house," Vegeta spat. "She's probably plotting revenge or something!"

Android 18 stood up. "Revenge? Why would I even want revenge? All I want with you people is to get away from you! And the sooner my tank gets fibis he'd, the sooner I can get out of here."

Bulma looked around the room frantically. "Alright guys! I think it's time that we should go eat dinner, don't you agree?"

"Good," Vegeta stated. "I'm starving."

Everyone walked into the dining room, including 18 who wasn't even going to eat. The table was large enough to fit everyone at it. Little Trunks was placed in a booster seat next to Bulma. Krillin sat on the opposite side of the blue-haired mother and was surprised to see that 18 chose to sit next to him.

"Why is she eating with us?" Vegeta asked bluntly.

"I am not eating with you, I am simply sitting here because, unlike some people, I'm not trying to be rude." The blonde tucked a piece of hair behind one of her ears. Krillin heard irony ringing through her words.

The chefs came out with some large turkeys. 18 declined when they tried to serve her some, but everyone else dug in. Krillin enjoyed the meal that was prepared, and thought how sad it was that Android 18 would never be able to do the same.

Small table talk was made. Vegeta and Bulma argued about who was going to give the messy 2 year old half-Saiyan a bath later tonight. Dr. Brief conversed with 18 about her design and suggested improvements he could make. Mrs. Brief terrified Krillin with all of her awfully personal questions and creepy compliments she gave him. Then dinner time was all over.

It was time for Krillin to leave. He let out a sigh as he prepared to depart and to wish his love a goodbye. And...all the others that were there too of course. But a miracle happened! Another golden opportunity! A loud clap of thunder boomed outside and a flash of lightning shone through the windows.

"Krillin, sweetie," Mrs. Brief commented. "I don't think you should fly in this weather! It'd be awfully dangerous, and we wouldn't want you to get hurt!"

Krillin looked around the room of people. He noticed that 18 was holding a suitcase. "Yeah. It is kind of bad conditions for flying right now." He looked directly at Bulma. "Do you think I could spend the night? Roshi certainly won't be missing me."

"We've fit the entire Namekian population in here before," she told him. "Having two extra guests tonight will be no problem. Vegeta, can you show them where the guest rooms are?"

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Follow me."

"Thanks, honey!" she called after him. The two guests could have sworn they saw a faint glow of red brush Vegeta's cheeks, but it was hard to tell once they were walking behind him in a dark, winding hallway.

The hall seemed to be at a constant slope upward. It must have been part of the house's design to put the guest rooms on a second story without using stairs. So not only did they have to walk through a winding hallway in the dark, they also had to walk up at an angle. Krillin almost tripped a few times.

The irritated spiky-haired man let out a huff once they intersected with a different hall, this one straight and flat. "This whole hallway is filled with empty rooms. Feel free to pick whatever ones you want. If you need anything, don't bother me. Ask the woman."

Vegeta trotted off in the other direction and left 18 with her single suitcase and Krillin with absolutely nothing to be alone with each other once again. They stared at each other for a moment. Then they stared at the rooms. Then back to each other.

"So..." Krillin drew the word out. "Which one do you want?"

The android shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me. Just as long as I have somewhere to sleep."

"Androids...sleep...?" he asked with uncertainty.

She rolled her eyes. "Yes. Or at least I have been programmed to. My system needs sometime to take a rest."

"I would have never known that," he commented. "Well, if you don't have a preference for a room, then I'll just take the one that's just right here."

"Okay," she said. "And I'll take the one next to it."

The android went into her room with her suitcase and shut the door, leaving Krillin in her dust. It had been a long day for her. It took too long to get here, and it was apparent that it would be taking even more time for her new storage tank to get built. At least she could now have some down time to herself.

She looked at the back of the bedroom. There were two large doors that led to a balcony outside. She walked over to them and opened it to go outside. Although it was raining, the area was covered by a roof, so she didn't have to worry about getting too wet. She looked further along the sides and realized that all of the guest rooms seemed to be connected to this balcony.

It was dark and rainy and perfect, but even though 18 enjoyed the view and weather, it was time for her to go back inside and check in with Bulma about the details of her new storage tank and how long it was going to take. She turned around and went back inside. She half-wondered if Krillin was still in his room, but then she realized that it shouldn't even matter to her.

She walked out of her temporary bedroom and down the hall to find the living room. Bulma was not there, but Vegeta sat on one the couches and watched TV as Trunks, still messy from dinner, practiced his walking around the room.

"Where's Bulma?" Android 18 asked the Saiyan prince.

Vegeta pointed to a hallway on the left side of him. "Down there. She's in the lab, probably working on your stuff. First door on your right."

She headed down to where he had gestured. After a short amount of walking, she found the first door to her right. The lab. She wanted to just waltz right in there and demand all the information up front, but something stopped her from doing so. Perhaps it was the voices she heard coming from the inside.

"And how much exactly have you talked to her?" Bulma's distinctive voice raised a question.

"Well, not that much, but she hates me! I swear!" Krillin's voice exclaimed. "She's always glaring at me like I did something wrong!"

They were talking about Android 18! She was curious and wanted to hear more of this conversation. Why were those two talking about her? Why wasn't Bulma working on the part for her?

"I don't think it's anything personal, I think it's just in her behavior. Her emotions are different than ours," she tried to explain. "Her emotions are based on a series of wires and genetically modified and enhanced hormones."

18 stiffened. Her emotions were real! She was sure of it. They certainly felt real at least. She felt real anger and hatred toward Cell. She felt real gratitude for Krillin. She didn't hate him. She didn't hate him at all! He was right for what he had said earlier today. He really was one of the few people who actually treated her as a normal person. He was the only person that made her feel...something a little bit different than the others.

But maybe Bulma was right about 18's emotions. That woman was the scientist after all. Maybe her emotions and feelings were not as real as she thought they were. Maybe that was why she didn't understand certain feelings. She shook her head. This was not the time to ponder the meaning of life. This was her opportunity to eavesdrop on a conversation about herself.

"Okay, fine," Krillin said. 18 wondered how much of the conversation she had zoned out for. "I'll talk to her again...eventually." Not much apparently.

The door began to open, and she stepped back, trying to appear as casual as possible. The short man jumped in the air. "Geez! You nearly gave me a heart attack! I wasn't expecting you to be...right there! You didn't hear anything, did you?"

"Hmm?" she casually asked. "Oh no. I just got here. I really need to talk to the one person around here who can actually do something relevant at the moment. The scientist."

"Actually, Dr. Brief is also-"

"Quiet, baldy. And move out of the way." She wasn't sure why she treated him like that. She had just admitted to herself that he was one of the few decent humans around here. She just wasn't sure what else to do.

She shoved her way past him, and found Bulma sitting at a table. "How long is it going to take for you to finish my new energy storage tank?"

"Well, I was hoping it wouldn't take too long since I already had the plans for your design from when we built the remote, but I don't know where they went. And it got deleted off my computer too!" She was bent over examining something though.

"What are you looking at now then?" 18 asked quickly.

She looked up at the android woman. "This? Oh, these are your x-rays that I took earlier today. Still, it would be a lot easier if I actually had your design plans. Having those plans would give me something to compare these x-rays to..."

"So it'll take a while?"

"Yeah. Possibly. I don't really know. The x-rays aren't showing much, so I might just have to immediately pull your tank out and try to fix it without any point of reference."

"I would prefer not for you to do that..."

"Me too. I think I need to call it a night. I'll look at it some more in the morning, but for now I just need a break!" Bulma stood up from her seat. "I think we might be having a movie night of sorts, do you want to come?"

18 was surprised at the offer. This other woman didn't seem to mind the fact that she wasn't fully human either. She was giving her an offer that a normal human would usually get. Unsure of how to react, she just shook her head and declined. She'd seen a few of the strange movies in theaters, but they were not much to her liking.

"Okay, well I'll see you in the morning then. Bye!" the cheery blue-haired scientist exited the lab and left 18 alone.

18 returned to her room and sat on the bed. Maybe Krillin was right. Maybe it really didn't matter that she was an android. She was beginning to feel a lot more welcomed in this household, but somehow Krillin reached out to her differently than Bulma did.

She looked outside the balcony doors' windows and saw that it was still raining. Maybe it was time to pay another visit to the balcony itself. She went outside and enjoyed the rainy weather some more. She wasn't sure why, but she had always enjoyed looking at the rain. It made her think of something getting ruined, and the rain was another opportunity for it to start over. It made her think of her life, and the opportunity that Krillin gave her to start over.

She looked out into the city. Life was as busy as ever there, even in the night. But it held a different sort of urban beauty that she appreciated. And the rain and the darkness made things so much better.

For just this once, Android 18 didn't mind getting a little wet. She walked close to the edge and leaned against the railing. The wind blew the rain in her dircetion and it felt good on her skin. She knew that the machine parts of her body were constantly producing heat. The cool liquid refreshed her in a way she would have never imagined. She realized that maybe she didn't just enjoy looking at the rain, but she actually enjoyed being in it too.

...

Krillin had gladly accepted Bulma's invite to join their movie night, but he was a little disappointed when he found out Android 18 wasn't going to be there as well. It was no big deal though. He happened to be a big fan of chick flicks. Oh, who was he kidding?! He couldn't stand the sappy romance stories that made him cringe when he thought about the pathetic love life that belonged to him.

Still, he thanked the couple for letting him watch it with them, and also for letting him hear Vegeta's amusing commentary. ("Of course there's an ex boyfriend involved!" "Is she really going to go back to him?" "I don't like that guy! He dresses worse than Nappa did when he'd been drinking!" "That's what she's looking for in a man? Just grow up, Earth Woman!") He claimed that he hated chick flicks, yet he seemed to be the one getting the most into it.

Krillin retired to his room and enjoyed the noise of the rain outside. He let out a long sigh, undressed, and got underneath the covers of his bed. Staying the night didn't give him the extra opportunity to talk to 18 like he had hoped it would have. Instead he had to lie in a different bed where he would still feel miserable.

He tossed and turned all night. Or...for a few hours of it anyway. He just couldn't fall asleep knowing that the love of his life was in the next room over. He just laid there and felt sorry for himself. Then, a sudden burst of light from the balcony illuminated his room. After the bright burst, the light dimmed into a constant glow, which meant that it wasn't lightning. So what was it?

He went outside to the balcony surprised to find that a soaking-wet Android 18 was sitting criss-crossed on the wooden floor, holding some sort of ki orb. He stood there and stared at her, wondering how long it would take for her to notice him. She seemed to be very caught up in whatever she was trying to do.

"Are you okay?" he asked her slowly.

She looked up at him, lost her concentration, and lost her hold on the ki. "A little frustrated, but I'm fine."

"What are you doing?"

"I was trying to see if I could still use my energy tank. It's too hard to do much with it though. Bulma said it might take some time before my new one is finished."

"I'm sorry to hear that," he told her, even though he really wasn't. Maybe he could somehow come up with a reason to stay here even longer.

"It doesn't matter," she stated. "Did I wake you up?"

He shook his head. "Not at all. I haven't been able to fall asleep. It's sometime after midnight, you know."

The android shrugged. "Whatever. I couldn't fall asleep either. I decided that I like it out here though. This is my third time coming out here, and I don't really want to go back inside."

"You're completely soaked!" he pointed out. "Aren't you cold or anything?"

"Not really. The rain is nice. It feels cool. I guess it's cooling down the machinery inside of me."

"Oh yeah? I guess that stuff must get pretty hot, huh?"

She shrugged again. "I don't usually notice it, but compared to the rain, I guess it must."

Krillin sat down next to her, even though he knew that he was going to get the only boxers and undershirt he had with him wet. "How long have you been out here?"

She gave yet another shrug. "Not sure. A couple of hours maybe?"

"What?!" he exclaimed. "You're gonna catch a cold!"

She rolled her blue eyes. "Androids don't catch colds."

"I guess that's true," he said. "I honestly keep forgetting that you aren't human."

"Not fully human anyway," she corrected.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm part human, part android."

"Really?"

"Yes. Dr. Gero just modified my human body to make it more...upgraded."

"Doesn't that technically make you a cyborg?"

"Technically. It's just easiest to not have to explain everything." She paused for a second and then continued. "Actually, you're the first person I've even told this to."

Krillin looked at her blankly. "Don't you think the others would trust you more if they knew about this though?"

Android 18 gave a typical shrug answer. "Whatever. I don't really care for their trust. Bulma and her father probably know, but only because they've seen my design plans. I'm mostly metal at this point anyway."

He was about to do something very courageous. He reached out and touched her face. "Well, you're mostly human in my eyes."

After staying like that for another second, 18 pushed his hand away and looked out at the city. "You said that earlier today. Or something similar anyway."

"Only because it's true." Krillin followed her gaze out to the city and looked at it with her. "Do you...ever think about that time you kissed me?"

She looked over at him and narrowed her eyes. "Of course not! Are you kidding me? It was only a kiss on the cheek anyway."

"I guess so," he said slowly. "That kiss saved your life though. If you had never kissed me, I probably wouldn't have thought of you much differently. I probably would have shut you down and destroyed you when I had the chance."

"Do you regret that decision? To not shut me down?" she asked cautiously, knowing that this would be a touchy subject.

His gaze on the city didn't even falter. "Not in a million years."

"Really?" she questioned with surprise. "But if you had destroyed me, Cell wouldn't have been able to transform. Your best friend, Goku, wouldn't be dead."

He sighed. "That may be true, but then we wouldn't be here, getting soaking wet in the rain, having this conversation now, would we?"

"It isn't all that great," she stated.

"I thought you said earlier that you liked the rain." Krillin held his hand out to catch some of the water droplets.

"Like the rain? Yes. This conversation? It's gotten a little dull..." she said with a yawn. "I think I'm going to go inside now. I'm finally ready to sleep."

She stood up, and he noticed how dripping wet she was once more. "Are you going to be able to sleep, all soaking wet?"

"I have a change of clothing. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." He watched her walk inside, and he felt his heart nearly get ripped right out of his chest. She didn't seem to hate him like he thought she did, but she didn't seem to really like him either. Still, she had tolerated their conversation for that long, and she told him something she'd never shared with anyone. Who knew what would happen now?

He entered his room and shivered. He didn't bring an extra pair of clothing because he didn't even think that he was going to be staying any longer than a few minutes. Boy how that changed quickly. Oh well. I guess one night being soaking wet won't hurt...


This one's a little longer than usual (especially since it's part 1 of 3), but hopefully it was nonetheless enjoyable! Android 18 is definitely my favorite female character from DBZ. I just love her style, her attitude, everything! Ever since I watched the show as a child, I just thought she was so cool!

Thanks for reading! Be sure to follow/favorite/review!

-TOW

P.S. I'm trying to start this running gag thing with Vegeta and chick flicks because, you know, first chapter nostalgia! XD