35.

The air smelled like dew and the headiness of pine needles. The moisture of the still morning dripped from the trees looming overhead and clung to the blades of grass at their feet. He sniffed the air, remembering what it felt like - being surrounded by nature, nothing but the clothes on his back and the knowledge in his brain to get by.

Master Roshi had often dropped him off on a nearby island to train, and part of the exercise was learning the lay of the land. Learning to survive. He thought of Roshi and Oolong back on island, waiting on their return. Probably losing hope with every passing day, growing hungrier and more desperate. Krillin frowned and shook away the images forming in his mind.

They would make it. And then Krillin would have to explain how neither Yajirobe or Yamcha had returned with him, but he'd picked up a dozen or so stowaways in exchange.

"You keep sighing," 18 said, breaking him out of his reflections. When he looked over, she was staring ahead.

"Yeah. Sorry about that."

She frowned and kept walking, through the dewy grass and toward the little dot Bulma had pointed to on the map where she believed a convenience mart or feed store might lay. They were stocked on water but their non perishable food supply was always depleting. However, they were really after substantial things: seeds, animals, farm equipment.

Things that would make surviving a part of life and not the day-to-day struggle it was now. Bulma and Goku had discussed the training island nearby that morning, too. Bulma wasn't sure if it was inhabited, but she thought it might make a good place for a garden and raising some animals. Maybe they could build some houses out that way since Kame House was sure to be crowded with the likes of Raditz and Nappa and Lunch all under one roof.

And even though he should've been thinking about things like a game plan for if they'd discovered a feed store and he probably should've been trying harder to remember if the training island had, in fact, been uninhabited, all he could do was inhale the fresh air and pine needles and sneak looks at 18.

She was beautiful. A hard, sharp beauty that fascinated him as much as it intimidated him. She was tall and lithe, with short blonde hair swinging so it just brushed her shoulders. Her clear blue eyes always held a look of animosity, but he'd seen her a bit less guarded on occasion and he wondered if she'd kick him in the balls if he confessed how those glimpses of vulnerability made him feel. Like he wanted to protect her, even if he was the least qualified man left in the universe, and even if she wasn't exactly the type of woman who needed protection.

"Wait," she snapped, and he nearly tripped over his own feet at the suddenness he braked. Those blue eyes he probably hadn't been subtle about staring at flicked one direction then another, carefully surveying the woods around them. The pine trees stood unbending to the slight breeze, tossing long shadows over the forest in the rising sunlight.

Krillin strained his ears and it wasn't long until he heard it, too. Embarrassing that she'd been more in tune with their surroundings. A long, sickening moan echoed somewhere in the east side of the forrest. He felt the cool prick of sweat on his neck and pulled out the pair of sais Master Roshi had given him for protection. He had guns now, but there was no use wasting bullets and alerting every Walker in their vicinity of his position. Not when he was perfectly capable of fighting hand-to-hand.

Before he could even see the Walker, 18 shot an arrow into the woods, waited a moment, and went after it. He was quick on her heels, listening but hearing no other signs. At the base of one of the thick pines a young Walker lay on its back. Krillin looked away as 18 unlodged her arrow from its skull. It was young. Far too young. He felt sick.

"I hate this fucking disease," 18 said. "I don't think of them as people, because they aren't, but this… It isn't right."

He could only nod, reveling in her wasting enough breath to talk to him. She didn't say anything else - just brushed the dark, clotted blood off on her pants and pressed on. So he didn't get a chance to show off his martial arts training, to prove that he was more than just a short tag-along member of the group. Although, he doubted flexing his muscles was the way to go about impressing 18.

If he knew what would work, he'd have done it already.

They continued down the trail and to where a small town lay, just where Bulma said it would. They took out the three Walkers on the street, but 18 didn't seem to notice that he'd handled two of them with ease. She just knocked on the feed store door and when nothing rattled inside, she threw it open, grabbed a duffle bag from the shelves, and started loading up. Krillin followed her quickly, taking a second bag and stuffing it with anything that seemed handy. Which, given how this town hadn't seemed too badly hit, was nearly everything. There didn't seem to be any livestock, but he wasn't sure what the logistics of bringing something like that along would be anyway. Chichi had told him what seeds would take best to the island soil and temperature, but he couldn't remember which so he stuffed all that was left into his pack. Then he felt guilty and put a few of the seed packages back, just in case some other survivors chanced upon this store and needed some for themselves.

"Why are you putting them back?" 18 asked, her bag bursting at the seams.

"I don't want to be greedy. There might be others out there, trying to survive as well."

She opened her mouth and then shut it nearly as fast, looking confused but not entirely upset. Then those clear blue eyes met his like they were trying to understand him and Krillin straightened beneath the weight of her scrutiny.

"Okay then," she finally said, before turning and trying to zip her bag. When she finally managed, she took a second bag and began loading. Krillin felt entirely useless on the walk back - carrying one nearly weightless bag of seeds while 18 carried the pair of heavier duffles with ease. He'd offer to help, but that might offend her. Instead, he matched her strides and tried his hand at making conversation. It was mostly unsuccessful, but ever so often she indulged him and it made his chest tighten with pleasure.

Back at camp, Raditz was lounging by the fence and shot the pair an apologetic grimace as they approached.

"Looks like you two had a good day," he said, reaching for one of the bags. 18 handed it over and Krillin once again felt a touch inadequate. Maybe she wasn't opposed to a little chivalry. "Can't say the same for us."

To her credit, she didn't look upset when she said, "There was an attack?"

"No." Raditz gave a humorless laugh. "Maron found out that we had sex. She threw some things, Bulma yelled at her that she was going to attract Walkers, Lunch yelled at Bulma that she was going to attract Walkers. I thought we'd have a good girl fight on our hands, but Maron's since calmed down." He frowned, looking a bit off-put and Krillin figured that meant while she wasn't going to fight Bulma, Maron hadn't exactly gone and forgiven Raditz just yet.

The big, hairy man sulked off, and Krillin opened his mouth to tease 18 when he noticed she looked… guilty.

"I don't like him, if that's what you're thinking," she said, voice matter-of-fact. "I didn't even like him then."

Krillin grinned. "It's fine. I don't care what you do. Or who."

She looked even more hurt and Krillin immediately regretted his choice of words.

"I just mean," he continued, "I understand. It gets lonely out here." He'd thought about getting with Maron once. Which seemed like years ago now, even if it was only a matter of weeks.

"Yeah." She looked at him then, really looked at him and those clear blue eyes seemed a little lost and, for the first time, Krillin wasn't even intimidated by them. "It does."

"Probably wish you would've waited until after he bathed in the hot spring though."

A small grin tugged at her lips. Krillin's heart banged against his ribcage. He thought it would take weeks of him wearing her down to get her to smile like that.

"You're a good person, Krillin," she said. "I wish you'd been around when I'd let my hormones get the better of me."

And then she slinked off like she hadn't the slightest clue what those words were doing to him, and before he could even squeak in reply, Goku was there, frowning at him.

"Get any good stuff?"

Krillin shook his head. "Uh. Yep. Chichi will be thrilled."

"Good," Goku replied, his smile enthusiastic. Though as he took the light duffle bag the look of pure, unadulterated happiness faded.

"It isn't food," Krillin laughed. "But it will be. Seeds, mostly. Chichi said she'd be able to grow some things on Training Island."

"Oh! Alright! I love Training Island. Maybe Roshi will take us over there for some lessons. Maybe he'll even train Nappa and Tien and Lunch and Chichi and Vegeta, too. That would be fun."

Krillin shot his friend a slanted look at laughed at the image forming in his mind, of Nappa and 18 and Vegeta being bossed around by a wrinkling old pervert with a turtle shell on his back. Of the outbursts and the fights and, well, it wouldn't so different from now actually. Trying to all get along, to live somewhat peacefully amongst each other.

"Hey Krillin," Goku said, scratching a spot behind his neck. They'd been friends since they were kids, and Krillin knew the action was a sign that Goku was nervous about something. Usually it meant he'd lit a forest on Training Island on fire or broke Roshi's kitchen table again. "Can I ask you a question? About… girls?"

"Ah, Goku. I'm not sure I'm the best person to ask."

"I don't really know who else to ask."

Krillin thought of Goku's other acquaintances and nodded. "Fair enough."

"I think Chichi likes me."

"Yeah?"

"I think I like her too, but she's kind of scary."

Krillin laughed. "She is scary, Goku." Krillin still hoped she didn't unleash on him for getting the wrong seeds. "But sometimes scary girls are the ones you like and you just can't help it."

"Yeah." Goku nodded. "18's pretty scary too. Scarier than Chichi, probably."

Krillin frowned. "That obvious, hm?" And when Goku only shrugged, he sighed. His friend was right. 18 scared the hell out of him, but whatever else he did, he'd make sure - next time her hormones got the better of her, he'd be there.