Once Gine and Bulma returned to Mt. Paozu and relayed the good news, the discussion immediately turned to who would make the journey to Namek.

"Once I make the repairs and put in a shower," Bulma said, "I estimate we'll have room for about five or six people. Any more would just be too crowded."

"Well, I'm definitely going," Kakarot said eagerly. Chi Chi smacked him.

"You definitely are not! What did I just get done saying?"

Kakarot rubbed his head. "It's not like we'd be leaving tomorrow. I'll be back to normal by the time Bulma gets everything fixed up."

"I estimate about a week, maybe two if things are worse than they seem under the hood," Bulma said distractedly, crossing her arms and pacing as she made mental calculations.

"You're not going to be better in two weeks!" Chi Chi scolded. "If anything, you're worse now than you were when you got home." Kakarot geared up for another round of arguing, but Chi Chi beat him to it. "Me and Gohan'll go."

Kakarot's mouth clacked shut and he goggled at his wife.

"You wanna take Gohan to space?"

Chi Chi nodded firmly.

"I can't very well leave him with you. You'd just let him slack off on his studies. But it wouldn't be right not to try to get Kami and the others back. They're our friends, after all."

"I thought you didn't like Kami," Yamcha pointed out from where he was leaning over the back of the couch. Chi Chi glared at him indignantly.

"What are you talking about? He saved our lives! We have to do everything we can to get him back. Why would you say such a thing? For shame!"

Yamcha wilted and Gine stifled a smile. Bulma stopped her pacing.

"So that's three," she said. Gine started to correct her, but Bulma kept going. "And… I guess I should go. I'm the only one who'll be able to fix anything if it breaks."

"I'll come with you, babe," Yamcha said firmly. Gine looked at him.

"Aren't you still supposed to be in the hospital?"

Bulma waved a hand dismissively. "He's due to be discharged in a day or two, he'll be fine."

Yamcha grinned, giving Gine the thumbs up.

"So that's five," Bulma said. "That's probably enough people. It's really not a very big—"

"You've miscounted," Gine interrupted. "That's only four."

"Huh?" Bulma frowned, then held up a hand and counted on her fingers. "Me and Yamcha, Chi Chi and Gohan, and you. That's five."

Nonplussed, Gine could only make the weakest of objections.

"But I never said I was going."

"Of course you're going." Bulma tossed her greasy hair out of her face. She still needed a shower, especially after the wilderness of Yunzabit Heights, but she no longer looked tired. "You're the only one who knows anything about space."

Gine shook her head. It was obvious, now that she thought about it. Why shouldn't she go? But she knew she couldn't. Desperately she tried to think of an excuse.

"I mean, yes, but… Well, like I told you, those coordinates in the ship's computer are in a totally dead part of space. Nothing's going to happen. You don't need me." Bulma looked unconvinced. Gine floundered. "What if—what if the Prince comes back? We can't leave Earth undefended."

"I'll be here, ma," Kakarot said. "I mean, I'd rather go. But since I can't…"

Desperate now, Gine dug deep. "I'm a Saiyan. If I land on a peaceful planet there's going to be panic."

"Gohan's a Saiyan, and he's going," Bulma pointed out.

"But he's just a boy." Gine felt butterflies in her stomach. "He can… hide his tail…"

"So can you," Bulma said, putting her hands on her hips, and Gine snapped.

"I'm not going and that's final!"

Bulma continued to glare at her, but the rest of them shuffled in place, the mood suddenly uncomfortable.

"Oh, why are we arguing about this?" Chi Chi said impatiently. "If she doesn't want to go, she doesn't want to go."

"But who'll protect us?" Bulma said.

Yamcha slapped the back of the couch. "That would be me. I'll protect you."

The way Bulma nearly said something dismissive and then held her tongue to be polite made everyone even more uncomfortable.

"Take Krillin with you," Gine offered. "I know he's been feeling bad about not doing more at the battle. Then you'll have five."

Bulma chewed her lip for a moment and then nodded.

"Alright. If it's as out of the way as you say, we should be fine."

"Why don't you want to go, ma?" Kakarot asked baldly. As she always did when she needed steadying, Gine looked to Grandpa Gohan. He smiled at her comfortingly. Of all of them, he was the only one who knew what going into the void meant to her.

"I don't have a lot of happy memories in space, Kakarot," Gine said in a low voice. The others all nodded or looked away, but Kakarot kept staring at her, giving her a complicated look Gine couldn't interpret. Eventually he looked away too.

"Okay," he said, and though he sounded reluctant, to Gine's surprise and relief, he didn't argue any more.