GOKU

"Very good Goku." Master Roshi sat with a magazine on his lap and his legs propped up on the bed Goku was supposed to be in. "now, on hundred sit ups."

"Right." Goku nodded and flopped onto his back. "one… two… three." Goku ignored the ach in his body with each sit up I wonder how V and Gohan are doing maybe he should have been more concerned but he wasn't so much concerned as curious about their adventure. He even smiled to himself this is Gohan's very first adventure Goku thought he's off on his own just like I was when I was about that age.

"What is going on in here?" The nurse exclaimed when she walked in.

"Oh, I'm just getting some training in." Goku smiled at the nurse as he continued his sit ups.

"Stop that right now, sir." The nurse grabbed Goku's arm but she was surprised, yet again, at his strength. This man's body had been shattered and he still had strength to move, he should be writhing in agony. Who is this guy? the nurse wondered.

"Please sir." She finally lifted him off the ground with Goku's and Master Roshi's help "now please, sir, stay in bed."

"But I have to train, my son and my daughter are off in space trying to make it to Namek and if I take too much longer to heal I'm not going to get there in time to help them and who knows how strong other aliens are." The nurse just stared at Goku, she wasn't sure if he had severe brain damage or if he really believed what he was saying.

"Goku." Chichi took that moment to storm into the room and take a seat beside Goku "you need to hurry up here, Gohan and V are out in space all by themselves." She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at Goku "do you know what I'm gonna do if they get hurt?" Chichi asked. Goku gulped "well…I…"

"If my baby comes home hurt or doesn't come home at all I will never speak to you again." Chichi grabbed Goku buy his bandages "do you understand me?" Chichi demanded.

"Miss please." The Nurse tried to stop Chichi but one sharp look from Chichi and the Nurse backed off "my baby is out in space by himself and Goku is the only one who can help him."

"Yes… ma'am…" The nurse scurried out of the room and closed the door gently behind her "what a strange family." She remembered their daughter, she had a tail like a monkey. The nurse left the couple to figure out whatever it was they were trying to figure out.

V was meditating again, Gohan was beginning to dread these meditation sessions, she always had this pain filled expression on her face and her energy always went way up. Gohan paced back and forth as he waited for V to come back to him. Gohan finally sat across from her and leaned into her face "please come back, V." Gohan begged "I don' like to see you like this." He dropped his head and just sat in front of her.

"Hey… Gohan." Krillin placed a hand on Gohan's shoulder. Gohan jolted awake, V hadn't moved an inch. Krillin gave him a sympathetic smile "she'll come back when she's finished."

"I want her back now, Krillin." Gohan whimpered, he just wanted to make her feel better. She had a family now, he was her brother, and she had a mom and dad, why did she still have to think about her past so much?

"V's been through some stuff, you've got to let her go through it." Krillin wasn't great at advice but it wasn't like there was anyone else around to give him some.

"But she doesn't have to be alone." Gohan said almost angrily "I'm right here, she's not alone."

"She's used to being alone, maybe she still feels alone." Krillin suggested.

V's mind immediately linked with Gohan at the first sign of his distress, his thoughts filtered into her mind and she slipped out of her deep meditation and found Gohan's eyes "What's wrong?" Her face morphed into concern and she reached for her brother "are you sick?" she pressed her hand to his forehead like Chichi did all the time but he didn't feel hot.

"Do you feel alone?" he asked her seriously.

"No." she smiled "I have you and mom and dad and soon we're gonna have Piccolo too."

"Right, so you know that you don't ever have to feel alone again." Gohan looked at V with hopeful eyes. "right?"

"Right." V agreed

"Good." Gohan grabbed V's hand "now let's get a snack."

"Yeah!" V hopped to her feet using her energy to lift herself up. Gohan laughed because there was just no way there was anyone in the universe that loved to fly more than V.

"Hey," Krillin chased after them "Save some for me!"

"What is with all the noise?" Bulma half shrieked half whined as she sat up and stretched.

"we're getting a snack." V said oblivious to Bulma's annoyed state.

"I want the last rice ball." V called snatching it right out from Krillin's nose "mom made it for me anyway." V stuck her tongue out at him and shoved the deliciousness into her mouth.

"can it, would ya?" Bulma snapped "I'm trying to sleep."

"Shouldn't you be keeping an eye on the controls?" V asked cocking her brow at Bulma, almost a challenge.

"It's on auto pilot." Bulma grunted trying to get comfortable again "we're on a set course, now if you would be so kind as to-"

"what's that?" V pointed to a planet that seemed to be getting closer.

"That can't possibly be Namek… can it?" Bulma ran over to the controls just as the sirens went off. "oh no!" Bulma tried to take control of the ship but it was too late.

"What's wrong, Bulma?" Gohan asked, V never rode in ships like this, it was always her space pod, but she had been there enough times when Nappa and Raditz would shoot spaceships into a planet's gravitational pull just to watch them crash.

"We're caught in the planets gravity… aren't we?" V sighed, she hoped she was wrong, she needed to get Piccolo back… and dad's other friends.

"Oh, man!" Bulma shrieked "We're going down!" Bulma strapped herself into her seat and gripped the sides "hold on everybody." V grabbed Gohan and threw him into his seat before he could even react, Krillin took the hint when he saw what V was doing and strapped himself in.

"Hurry, V." Gohan urged "you have to get strapped in too."

"I'm okay." V wrapped herself around Gohan and anchored herself with her tail.

"No, V." Gohan tried to push her away "you have to strap yourself in, I don't want you to get hurt." Gohan looked up at V glass eyed and scared for her. V simply smiled "I will always be okay if you're okay." V locked her arms and legs around the chair and braced herself. Gohan's arms slid around her and he squeezed her "then I'm not letting go either." The crash was harder than V expected, the crashes never looked that bad from where she usually watched but this one jarred V. She bit her tongue and Gohan squeezed her so hard it hurt but she held tight, she felt the metal of the seat giving way under the strength of her grasp but still she held on. Finally, the impact shook V lose and she was flung to the ceiling of the ship cracking her head against the metal then falling around and around the ship as it tumbled across whatever terrain they had fallen on.

"V!" Gohan yelled but his belt even snapped and he repeated V's injuries. Krillin tried to catch Bulma but the force of the impact sent them both into the ships solid floors.

"I don't think we shoulda taken that short cut?" Bulma quipped in a daze as the world continued to spin around her.

"what short cut?" V tried to shake her injuries off but something was wrong, V touched her head and brought her hand to the front of her face, blood dripped off and swayed until her body finally gave in and she hit the floor. V caught sight of Gohan laying on what was now the floor of the ship as the world faded out.

GOKU

I have to be ready Goku thought as he stood on his most recent battle field. He almost lost this fight, as strong as he had gotten he was not even a real match for Vegeta, had it not been for Kaoken and the help of Gohan, Krillin and V there was no way he would have won. He couldn't let that happen again. He needed to be ready for the next fight and that very well could have been in space, even with Vegeta again, he knew where to find the Dragon balls, there was no way he was going to leave the Nemekians alone and to top that off, his kids and his friends were going to that very planet for the very same thing. Goku's energy swelled, his body ached but he ignored that, he let the anger fuel his strength. He pushed his body harder even though he knew he shouldn't have done it.

"I have to get stronger!" Goku yelled, the mountains trembling under his strength and power he couldn't think how useless all his strength was on Earth while his loved ones were off on another adventure without him. H thought back to when he was young, how Bulma had first taken him to search for the dragon balls around the world and now she was taking his kids to find them in space. Goku smiled with the memories playing in his head and his imagination going a bit wild with Bulma, Krillin, Gohan and V. Some combination of need and pure stubbornness pushed Goku's energy up and up, his body straining under power it wasn't yet used to.

"I can do it" Goku ground his teeth together trying to force his broken body to handle this power. Think of Piccolo, he died for your son, you should have been there in time Goku's energy spiked again Tien, Chioatzu, Yamcha, you should have saved them. You can't let that happen again. Goku felt more, there was more there, he needed to pull out it, he needed someone to spar with, someone who could match him, push him farther, harder.

"No!" Goku's body gave out and he tumbled out of the sky and slammed into the ground. Goku squeezed his eyes shut as he panted wincing with each breath.

"darn…I…had…it…"

"GOKU!"

"Uh oh." Goku would recognize that voice anywhere "I think Chichi found out I left the hospitol." Goku sighed, now he knew how Gohan and V felt, how was he ever going to get any training done when the only person Chichi had to look after now was him. "Man, I've gotta find some way to convince that I'm okay." Goku struggled to his feet as the plane landed beside him.

"Hey, Chichi." Goku tried to hide his wince "just getting ready to go help V and Gohan." Goku was pretty sure his body had never been in a worse condition. Chichi stomped out, hands on her hips and sized Goku up.

"I'm okay." Goku tried "see." He wanted to raised his hands at least to show her that he was okay but the second he started he felt like he might collapse, so he just stayed in his space.

"All better eh?" Chichi cocked her brow at him "then why don't you and I have a go."

"Us?" Goku gulped. "we don't have to fight, you're hair looks so nice today."

"Come on, Goku." Chichi growled with the fire in her eyes that Goku had first loved "for old time's sake."

"Uh, Chichi, please." Goku fell back a step barely managing to stay on his feet now "it's not necessary, I'll go back to the hospitol with you."

"No, Goku, by all means." Chichi advanced on him "you're all better now."

Oh no Goku thought I've done it now

V

Something was wrong, that much was easy to tell when V first slid her eyes open and found herself laying on a bed. Gohan V reached for Gohan's mind instinctively, Gohan, are you awake? V knew he wasn't but she hoped that thought would wake him. V blinked her eyes trying to focus them but something was wrong with them, it was like she couldn't see straight.

"V…" Gohan groaned and titled his head toward her, he didn't even have to think about where she was, he just knew. "where are we?" he peeled one eye open at a time and found V's gaze already on him.

"Namek?" V said it more like a question.

What happened?" Bulma groaned.

"Some short cut." Krillin complained

"Wonderful." A pair of familiar green men stood at the end of V and Gohan's beds. "you're awake."

"Who are you?" Bulma whimpered. Krillin gave them a once over, green skin, pointy ears, antenna.

"you must be the local Nemekians." Krillin offered his hand "hi, I'm Krillin."

"A pleasure to meet you." The shorter Nemekian grabbed Krillin's hand.

"I don't remember you guys." V said feeling sick to her stomach when she looked at them.

"you've been to Namek before?" the taller one asked.

"Yes and I've met Nail and Guru and where's Ve-" V stopped herself, she wasn't so sure she wanted that answer.

"They're around." The shorter one said dismissively. V shook her head and looked back to Gohan, she wasn't quite so dizzy when she was looking at him.

"I want to see Guru and Nail and Dronare before we leave." V was speaking to the Nemekians but she couldn't focus on them hmm… I don't remember that happening last time.

"I'm sure we'll be able to find them around here somewhere. The taller one smiled kindly at V, V was sure she was going to puke from so much dizziness.

"Okay." V sighed, she just didn't have it in her to be suspicious of anyone. V groaned and turned over onto her side.

"V, what's wrong?" Gohan jumped out of his bed and set his hand on her head "You don't feel warm.

"I'm just dizzy." V groaned closing her eyes, she felt better with her eyes closed "something here is making my eyes dizzy."

"That's not unusual for someone who's just hit their head as hard as you have." The taller Nemekian said.

"Here." Gohan grabbed Krillin's hat and smooshed it onto V's head, he tilted it down so that she couldn't see. "better?" Gohan asked.

"yeah." V pushed herself up and joined Gohan on the ground, as long as she stayed locked on Gohan's energy she's be fine.

"What bring you all the way out here?" The shorter Nemekian said, V wasn't sure if they said their names or not she just wished Dronare or Nail or someone she knew would show up Maybe not him V thought nervously.

Gohan was a little worried about V, she was dizzy and she was nervous maybe she's just nervous from her dizziness Gohan thought but that didn't seem quite right, there was something else, it was the same feeling he got from her from time to time on the ship, the times when she got quite and stared off into space, she'd never tell him what she was thinking about though.

"We're here for the Dragon balls." Bulma announced, V couldn't imagine a worse thing to say to the Nemekians.

"We're not here to take them." V clarified trying to give Bulma a dirty look through the hat but Bulma couldn't see and she was far too self-centered to actually notice V's tone.

"Our friends were killed in a battle." V explained "people came to earth to take it and we all fought to protect it, in the battle, the Nemekian who lived on Earth, he died and the Dragon balls that were on earth disappeared." V sighed, she really missed Piccolo, she didn't want to be out on another planet to find the dragon balls, she wanted to be home, training with her new family and studying, she never thought she'd actually miss studying. V wasn't sure why the sudden wave of home sickness tinged with grief came over her but suddenly, she just felt really tired.

"We need to wish our friends back, please." V pleaded with her eyes even though they couldn't see her.

"Of course." The taller Nemekian said kindly "we'd be happy to help."

"Which Villages do we have to go to?" V asked please not his village V thought but was she really going to come all the way to Namek and not see her first friend, even if he was angry at her.

"Villages?" he sounded confused

"Yes, I've been here before." V said "V-a… friends told me that each village housed a Dragon ball and to get all seven we had to prove ourselves."

"Actually." The taller Namek said "we just used them a little more than a year ago and no onea has gathered them up again just yet."

"yes, that's right, we had to wish for a new sun." The shorter Namek said

"But you've already got three of them" V twisted her mouth up tried to pull the cap off but the second she laid eyes on the Nameks she felt the dizziness hit her like a sack of bricks.

"keep that on." Gohan pushed the hat back down but V stepped forward passed his hand anyway.

"One was blown up." The shorter one said.

"Oh…" V fell back a step and sighed shaking her head "I'm sorry, I just don't feel good."

"well, why don't we get to finding those dragon balls then?" the shorter Namek said.

"yeah!" Bulma exclaimed "finally we can kick this mission into high gear."

"What are you names?" Gohan wasn't sure why he suddenly remembered the question but it was polite to ask anyway "I'm Gohan, this is my sister V and my friends Krillin and Bulma."

"A pleasure to meet you." The shorter Namek said "I am Raiti and this is my oldest friend Zaacro."

"thank so much for helping us." Gohan beamed up at the Nemekians, V was just glad Gohan was handling the formalities because she wasn't so sure she could get through them without puking.

"It's our pleasure." Zaacro said. V's stomach churned and her legs trembled, it felt like she was under the full moon.

"V…" Gohan took V's hand "come on, V, you can do it, you just have to hold on for a little bit longer and then we'll have Piccolo and all out friends back."

"right." Cold sweat trickled down V's temple but she ignored it, she could hold on, she could hold on if it meant having Piccolo back.

"I'm getting a reading over here." Bulma said as V and Gohan waded through the water.

"here." Gohan grabbed V's hand and pulled her behind him, V tried to feel her way around btu something was wrong here, she didn't remember this problem the last time she was on Namek, maybe she caught something, although she didn't even really know what sick was until she came to Earth. Something had to be wrong with her.

"I'm coming." V moaned. Gohan really wished she would let him take her back to the ship to rest, he hated to see her so sick.

"I've found it." Raiti Held up the familiar orange ball.

"Yes, we've already got our first Dragon Ball. V wanted to see to celebrate but there was no way she was going to chance looking around again. The last time she did that she nearly passed out.

"Six more to go." V gagged what is wrong with me! She yelled at herself.

"You're just coming down with something." Gohan assured her "you need to rest."

"Not until we have Piccolo back." V said determinedly.

"Come on, there's another one not too far away." Bulma ran ahead, V could hear her feet against the dirt.

"Let's go." Krillin said walking beside Gohan.

"yeah…" V groaned glad she hadn't eaten anything recently "Let's go."

"if you say so." Gohan pulled V along as they followed Bulma to the next Dragon ball.

The cave was easy, V had been through much worse. Even without eyes she could tell from Bulma and Krillin's reactions that it was your typical death cave. Although V didn't remember there being such a cave on Namek before but she also hadn't had a chance to really see the whole planet before, she wasn't even sure how big it was. Besides all that, she just really didn't have the energy to be worrying about things that just didn't matter. At that moment she was listening to the others chase a dinosaur who had eaten the dragon ball I wonder how they're carrying the Dragon Balls around, since they're so much bigger than Earth's it's not like they can just put them in their pockets. V groaned and curled up against the rock Gohan left her next to. The cool stone felt nice against her too hot skin. "Please hurry up." V chewed on her tongue in an attempt to distract her mind from the awfulness she felt.

"Get him, Krillin!" Gohan yelled just missing the dinosaur's tail. It was weird how much this dinosaur reminded him of the one that used to chase him back on Earth.

"I'm trying!" Krillin snapped back. "He's a slippery one alright." Krillin dove for the dino's head but it leapt and disappeared into the lake.

"No!" Gohan kicked off his shoes, ready to jump in.

"No, wait!" Zaacro grabbed Gohan's ankle "it's not what you're used to."

"what are you talking about?" Gohan asked "we have to get that ball."

"Watch." Raiti threw a rock into the lake, it sizzled into nothing in seconds.

"A lake of acid!" Bulma shrieked "why would you have something so stupid on your planet?" Bulma wailed "I thought this was supposed to be a peaceful planet!"

V groaned covering her ears, where all Earthlings this loud?

"It is." Raiti said "we are a very peaceful people, however, nature is nature." Raiti smiled neutrally.

"Well, we have to do something." Gohan said.

"The suit!" Bulma exclaimed jumping to her feet "one of you can put on the suit and go down there and get the ball!"

"Why didn't you say so?" Krillin exclaimed with equal excitement "I can't believe you made a suit just for an acid bath, you really are a genius." Krillin congratulated her, Bulma smiled sheepishly and played with her fingers "well, it's not meant for acid but it will take longer to eat through than flesh."

"How much longer?" Krillin asked.

"A minute maybe two." Bulma hopped to her feet "but you guys are super-fast so it'll be plenty of time." Bulma reasoned "now, which one of you is the fastest?"

"Well, Bulma." Krillin gave her an annoyed look "the fastest of us is V but she's clearly not up for the task right now, so…"

"I'll do it." Gohan said.

V nearly had a heart attack "absolutely not!" V pulsed her energy hard enough to send her flying in an arc across the sky and straight to the others.

"V!" Gohan leapt up and caught her "what are you doing, you can't even walk straight let alone fly."

"You are not going into an acid bath." V forced her legs under her and grabbed Gohan's shoulders, her hat fell to the ground "mom likes us clean but I think this goes into the category of things she doesn't want you to do."

"oh yeah." Gohan puffed himself up, he could do this. "well, she wouldn't want you to do it either and I don't want you to, you're not okay."

"I'm fine." V winced "I can do this."

"If we lose you, then what am I supposed to do?" Gohan demanded.

"It'd be worse if we lost you." V said seriously. Gohan couldn't believe it, she didn't just protect him to make mom happy, she protected him because she believed his life was more than hers.

"V, you're my sister." Gohan yelled at her "and it's my turn to protect you so stop babying me, I can do this."

V froze, she was supposed to protect him. that's what big sister did, they protected their baby brothers but in that moment, that flash of anger, Gohan made her feel small. "I know you can do it." V said in a small voice. Krillin did a double take, he had seen the timid side of V but this was something else.

"I just don't want you too." V lost her balance and fell to the ground as the dizziness worsened.

"Bulma get the suit." Gohan closed his eyes "V, are you sure you can do it, even with how bad you feel?"

V sighed in relief "yes, I can do it." V nodded and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Okay." Gohan sighed "I hope you're right."

Krillin flew Bulma back to the ship for the suit, while Gohan sat beside V and put the cap back on her head.

...

I am trying to catch up so I still match up with the one chapter a week promised way back in the Saiyan Saga, so I began this saga in September I believe and so i think that leaves me one more double posting week which may or may not be this week, we'll see I try to never force my writing but i do want to catch up.

As for uploads they will usually be on Friday or Saturday nights, this is early because I'm trying to get another chapter up this week and I also had just an awful day and would love to see some comments because your guys comments just make me feel so good. SO if you have questions, if there's something you'd like to see (such as the Older V and Piccolo ship blackcat 1516 mentioned, I mean they are only four years apart or maybe they're less or more because I have yet to share V's actual age...) I would love to see it.

Also I am kind of into everything and I Crochet and knit and sew and draw (albeit horribly) I have been working on a V crocheted doll so if you'd like to see it when I'm finished (which will be very soon, like maybe the end of the night soon) I'd love to share it with you guys but only if you're interested.

Thanks so much to all my readers who have been following since Saiyan saga chapter 1 to my new readers, please let me know what you think about V and the progress she makes from good to bad, from all alone to suddenly surrounded by all these loving, for the most part friendly, people. What about Goku, how's his fathering skills with this new, not so pampered daughter?

So let me ask you a question

what is your favorite V scene so far?

And just for those who may be wondering about V's previous time on Namek because it won't actually be gone over a whole lot in the saga's there is a separate prequel type story on my page called the Nemekian Saiyan.