"Oh, dear," a silky voice said somewhere above Daikon's head, "What have you gotten yourself into this time?"

Daikon, who had resolved to lay there in his depression until he starved to death or his ribs stopped hurting, managed to find the strength to surge to his knees.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded, trying several times to get to his feet and slipping each time. After the third attempt, the blue-skinned man standing over him grabbed his arm and hauled him to a standing position.

"Daikon," he admonished, "you look terrible. What happened to you? And what in the world are you doing here of all places?"

"Shut up, Rafano," Daikon spat, shoving the man away and nearly losing his balance in the process. "I should be asking you that," he added, still staggering. Rafano, smiling lightly in amusement, waited until Daikon was about to fall over before clamping his hand gently but firmly on his bicep, keeping him upright.

"I came looking for you, dear brother," he said, still smiling. "And it seems I've come not a moment too soon."

"Eighteen," Krillin said. Eighteen bristled and then tried not to. They hadn't made up yet, but they were at least being civil to each other now. They'd had to be, just to get Daikon to stop walking around like a kicked puppy all the time. She was hoping to keep it up now that he was gone.

"Yes?" she said, trying to keep the wariness out of her voice. He was focused on making a sandwich, and they both pretended that was why he wasn't looking at her.

"I think we have another alien visitor," he said, spreading mayonnaise on a slice of bread.

Now that was interesting.

"Where?"

"That way." He jerked his head, carefully wiping the excess mayo off the knife. "With Daikon."

"With—" She jerked upright from where she'd been leaning against the door jamb. "Who is it? What— Wait." She narrowed her eyes. "Aren't you concerned?"

"They don't seem that strong," Krillin said nonchalantly, slicing a tomato. "Daikon can handle himself."

She couldn't detect a jab at her in those words, or in his tone, but the whole topic of Daikon between them was a sore one, so she couldn't be sure.

"Still," she said slowly, watching her husband carefully. "He might need our help."

Krillin's shoulders drooped. He put the tomato slices on his sandwich and then placed his hands on either side of the plate, sighing deeply.

"I know you were just trying to help him," he said softly. It didn't sound like an apology. But it was the closest thing she'd had so far. Not that she was ready to reciprocate.

"I was."

He turned his head to look at her, smiling without warmth. She didn't know what it was he wanted from her. Daikon hadn't been technically fighting for his life, but there had been something in his eyes that told her that was exactly what he'd been doing. She only hoped his fight with Vegeta went the way it needed to, though what way that was she had no idea.

Krillin went back to his sandwich, and she stayed in the doorway, watching him. He put such care into even the little things: she didn't see what was so important about the exact placement of the lettuce, but he corrected it two or three times until it was just right. He made love that way. She wanted to walk over and kiss him, but she didn't think he would let her.

"What if that's his…?" She remembered belatedly it couldn't be his mother, but Krillin nodded like he understood.

"If he does need our help, he'll get it," and on that at least they could agree. Krillin added, "Pretty soon, actually. They're on their way here."

"Put me down, Rafano!" Daikon demanded, not for the first time. His brother ignored him. Eighteen was amazed to see Daikon, a perfectly capable warrior, if a bit rough around the edges in his training still, wiggle and squirm in the arms of his green-haired companion like a small child being restrained by an adult. Rafano landed gracefully on the beach and regarded her with polite interest.

"Excuse me, but does this belong to you?" he asked, indicating Daikon, who grimaced and wiggled harder. Eighteen had to hide a smile. She had wondered if it was just her and Krillin that found it impossible not to be parental towards Daikon, but it seemed to be universal.

"We've been feeding him," she said, folding her arms across her chest. Rafano dropped his burden on the sand without a thought and bowed deeply before her.

"It is always a pleasure to meet beautiful women," he said smoothly, "but an even greater one to meet those blessed with beauty and generosity."

Eighteen could not keep the blush off her face even as she glared, and she looked out to sea as Krillin padded out the screen door, slamming it behind him.

"Oh, hi," he said, taking in the scene. "Daikon, do you know this guy?"

Daikon sat up, nursing his broken ribs.

"Yes, unfortunately," he said venomously. "He's my half-brother; guess which half."

Eighteen raised an eyebrow, and both of Krillin's shot up.

"It is true," Rafano said mournfully. "I am from the same stock as this unfortunate here. Luckily for me I had a better upbringing."

Daikon surged to his feet and swung at Rafano, but only ended up swinging himself back down onto the sand with a painful grunt.

"Are you alright?" Eighteen asked coolly, resisting the urge, as Krillin did not, to go and help him up.

"You've done worse," Daikon said dismissively, but no one missed the way he winced as Krillin pulled him upright.

"Let's get you to Dende's, buddy," he said, carefully not looking at Eighteen. She flattened her lips, then turned to Rafano.

"It was a pleasure to meet you…"

"Rafano," he supplied, with another bow.

"Rafano. We'll be a little while; if you want to wait, you can do so here." She gestured to the beach.

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of leaving my dear brother alone in his moment of need," Rafano said, moving smoothly to Daikon's other side and attempting to hoist Daikon's weight on his own shoulder, but Daikon kicked at him.

"Go away," he said bluntly, and Eighteen was surprised to find that he was not merely being grumpy from the pain. He was actually being immature. Rafano only smiled affectionately.

"You'll feel better once these fine people get you fixed up," he said, swiftly slipping his weight under Daikon's arm before the kid could react. "Where to?" he asked, looking at Eighteen, and then Krillin.

"This way," Eighteen said, lifting off gently. The rest of them followed her into the air.

"No," Dende said firmly. All of them stared at him in amazement except Rafano, who merely looked politely puzzled.

"But —" Daikon attempted to straighten, and then winced. "But my ribs are broken."

"Maybe that will teach you not to do something this reckless again," Dende said, holding up a hand over Daikon's chest and closing his eyes. After moment he opened them again. "They'll heal properly on their own, as long as you don't aggravate them. But my part in this disgraceful farce is over." He spun on his heel and walked back to the central building of the Lookout, vibrating with anger. They all watched him go in silence, and when he had disappeared into the building Eighteen finally spoke.

"I didn't know it was possible to piss the little guy off," she said regretfully. "Daikon, make sure you apologize later."

"Me? But you —"

"Daikon, what in the great galaxy have you been doing here?" Rafano said incredulously. Daikon glared at him where he was still being supported by Krillin.

"What do you care? Why are you even here?"

"Isn't it obvious, little brother?" Rafano's half lidded eyes made him look perpetually mocking, but at the moment he seemed only to be full of concern. "I'm here for you."

Daikon swung his glare down to the floor of the lookout, as though something in his brother's gaze was painful to look at.

"Why do you care what happens to me?" he mumbled.

The concern morphed to incredulity.

"You need me to spell it out for you? With my mother gone, you are the only family I have left."

Daikon's sudden shame softened the disdain in his tone.

"Sure, whatever, but why are you here now?"

A lock of Rafano's thick green hair had spilled over his shoulder, and he flicked it back without taking his eyes off Daikon.

"Because I know you're about to hit that arbitrary marker of maturity the Brenchians consider adulthood, and I thought I would snatch you away from that woman before she made you go through the ridiculous suicide mission she has you convinced you need to carry out. But what do I find when I arrive but that she sent you away early?" Rafano's tirade suddenly took a turn for the sorrowful. "I'm sorry to inform you of this, but she's..."

"Dead? I know."

Rafano was silent for a moment, both he and Daikon staring down at the ground. Then he said in a soft voice,

"I hope you won't hate me if I point out that now I am the only family you have left."

"Actually, we have a cousin. Two of them." It was clear Daikon was stalling, but Rafano looked intrigued.

"Oh?"

"I guess Raditz had a brother that used to live here, but he's dead now."

"Then I shall have to introduce myself," Rafano said, looking thoughtful. He shook himself lightly and turned his full attention back to Daikon. "Still, cousins are not brothers, and we have to stick together."

"Just because we're brothers doesn't mean you can do whatever you want with me," Daikon said sullenly, but no one missed the fact that he did not contradict Rafano's point.

"What I want? I imagine you've had enough of people telling you what to do. I think it's high time we did whatever you want to do."

Eighteen looked sidelong at Daikon as he slowly raised his head. The look on his face, suspicion warring with hope, made her heart constrict.

"You and me?"

Rafano nodded.

"We can go wherever you want, live however you please. I've paid all my debts, severed all ties. There's nothing left for me back there now. I'm finally free to live the life I want to live, and so, it seems, are you."

"And you want to spend it with me?" The suspicion on Daikon's face was winning. Rafano shrugged, a carefree gesture that was nonetheless calculated.

"And get fawned over by all the beautiful women that will have me, but I don't see those two life goals as mutually exclusive."

Daikon snorted, a laugh he immediately tried to suppress, but the effort twinged his ribs and he gasped, wincing. Rafano went on the offensive.

"You obviously need someone to nurse you back to health, and you've been taking advantage of these fine folks' hospitality for long enough, I think."

Daikon looked up at Krillin, clearly thinking about the pallet on the floor that was all they could offer him. Finally he sighed, all the suspicion and fight seeming to go out of him at once.

"I guess, if you want to. I kind of want to stay here, though. On this planet."

Rafano smiled and draped one of Daikon's arms over his shoulders, relieving Krillin of his burden.

"Then that is what we shall do."