Evening
Disclaimer- I don't own Dragon Ball Z. I don't own the rights to anything in the whole DBZ universe which I worship so.
Merry Christmas!!! Enjoy!
-------------------- = Changing view points or location. (Such as switching from Goku's point of view to Piccolo's) '...' = Thoughts
~*~ = Flash back *** = End flash back
Chapter 23: Daddy?
Even as he stared out over the sun lit landscape he couldn't believe what he was doing. The mere thought that he had allowed himself to sink so low brought a chill to his blood. The Namake stood at the threshold of his dwelling, arms crossed, cape lightly batting the breeze. His onyx eyes narrowed into mere slits against the brilliant sunlight steadily rising. The solemn warrior finally managed to bring the word to his lips, as if speaking it would make it more tangible and easier to handle.
"Babysitting.." The word fell from his pierced lips, but it brought no comfort as he turned to see Dawn swatting at a June bug with gentle amusement.
"I cannot believe she convinced me to do this." he said with a sigh, gaze returning to the broad landscape spread beneath him. His thoughts wandered back to the night before.
~*~
"Piccolo?" Eve spoke softly, as not to wake the sleeping child nestled against her chest. He turned slightly from what he had been doing and raised a brow. "hm?"
"Tigress is getting restless.She hasn't been able to hunt for over a week." She looked down. This caught his attention. He rose from where he had been sitting, and approached her until he came to seat himself in front of her.
"I need to let her hunt tomorrow. Could you.." she stopped, her eyes moving to meet his. His jaw tightened slightly. The look in her eyes, those enchanted blue eyes, what ever she asked, he couldn't refuse it.
"Could you look after Dawn tomorrow?" she whispered. He narrowed his eyes and broke their gaze to look at Dawn. "Fine"
***
Piccolo released a long heavy breath. 'No fault but yours..' He scolded himself and turned and walked slowly into the cool interior of the cave to sit adjacent to the cub-child.
Dawn had caught the mischievous bug, and held it on upturned hands, her wide sapphire eyes staring at the beetle as it crawled all over her palms. He raised a brow, 'she didn't harm it.odd.' He was beginning to wonder what else was different about Eve's offspring. Everyday it seemed something new surprised would surprise him.
Her growth still seemed fast, but not enough to be alarmed over. She looked to be 2 or maybe even 3 years old now. Her hair had grown out a little; just two inched off her gray shoulders. Luckily the fur-like hair that covered her body didn't seem to be growing any. In fact it seemed to be not much more than what normal humans have. Only hers was much more darker in color.
According to Eve, Dawn was talking now, but only in the language of a tiger. She was struggling to get her child to learn human speech, but Dawn didn't see why she needed too. Dawn also was reluctant to walk on two legs. She could do it, quite well actually, she just didn't see why she had too. It had Eve worried.
Piccolo narrowed his gaze at the creature seated just five feet from him. Dawn was amazingly smart, almost too smart he thought.
Dawn watched the beetle fly from her grasp in hasty retreat from the cave. Her immense blue eyes then found his gaze, with the same intensity.
"What?" he demanded coldly. Just like it had been with Eve in the beginning, he refused to admit he felt anything for her. 'Who am I kidding?' he sighed inwardly. 'I love Eve, and this. thing, she produced.' The cub child titled her head and blinked, the white of her eyes almost non- existent, as they normally were. He dropped his eyes and closed them tightly, resting his forehead against his upturned palms, and his elbows against his crossed legs.
--------------------------
Her vision was crisp as she watched the June bug until it was nearly 20 feet into the distance. Dawn then turned to look at the man that lived with she and her mother. He looked very troubled about something, she could almost feel it, as if his emotions were a tangible object in which she could run her round fingers across.
She swallowed hard. '.I can do this... he isn't so tough. A. nd mother does it everyday, he doesn't seem to mind then.' Dawn tilted her head, wondering how to start, she knew how too, but now that the moment had came to do it, her stomach felt tight. 'I'm just nervous.' she blinked.
Piccolo looked down. 'He looks so tired. I wonder what's wrong.' Her tail tapped the earth anxiously and she flexed her paw-like fingers on her knees.
"What's wrong Daddy?" she stammered, her voice was weak, from lack of use, but it tone matched her form, as that of a 3 year old. Dawn threw her large ears forward as Piccolo became suddenly alert.
------------------------
"What's wrong Daddy?"
His thoughts had been wandering, but the sound a voice not his own returned his thoughts to the present. Piccolo's coal eyes slowly trailed up from the stone floor as his head lifted. "Did you just. speak?" It seemed to be the only sensible thing to ask at the moment.
She giggled softly and nodded vigorously, like a child who just showed their parents she could do something they had thought was impossible. But once her jovial excitement faded, she urged forth her question again.
"I am not your 'Daddy', my name is Piccolo" Confused appeared to wash over her expression.
--------------------
'Not my Daddy?' her eyes grew larger, if possible, and her gaze fell. A truth she had known, since her first day of existence was being questioned. "Then what are you?" Her tiny voice squeaked.
She could feel tears building in her throat; the burning that made her speech tight was unmistakable. But she didn't want to cry. Dawn knew quite well it seemed to irritate 'Piccolo'.
------------------------
He sighed, 'What am I?' Piccolo could certainly understand how the child could have gotten such a conclusion. But how to explain he was not what, by all accounts, he appeared to be. His slender ears could easily hear the tears that were threatening to come forth.
He couldn't stand it when she cried; it made his stomach twist into intricate knots, and sweat to form. Why? He never figured out why, probably yet another emotion concept he had yet to master.
'Would it hurt, to let her believe it?' he asked himself. He was desperate to prevent Dawn from shedding tears on his account.
"Your right. I am your." His jaw grew tight, and he swallowed, "Daddy."
----------------------------
Dawn blinked, but smiled. "I knew it!!" she purred. She then crawled over to him, and clambered into his lap. She felt his body grow tense beneath her, but she had gotten used to that reaction. She just assumed it was the way Daddies were.
"You can't fool me, huh Daddy?" she giggled, lying on her back, looking up to him. When he shook his head with a helpless grin and smiled.
-------------------------
"So you can speak?" he questioned, He promptly received and quick nod. "Then why don't you walk on two feet?"
That question darkened her expression. And she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Why should I?" the child demanded.
Piccolo raised a brow. He decided he would use his newly acquired title for leverage. "Because daddy wants you too."
---------------------
'Really?' she slanted her left ear back a little, thinking on this. Her tail casually tapped against Piccolo's bicep while her tiny wheels turned inside her mind.
After a few long moments, she shook her head, her other ear turning back to join the other. Dawn's lower lip faintly jutted out.
---------------------------
He huffed heavily and looked out the caves mouth, thinking. It would mean a lot to Eve if he could convince Dawn to walk and talk like a human and not a tiger, but how? Piccolo stared into the blue expanse of the sky, as if it held the answer to his quandary.
A June bug floated past his field of sight and his eyes widened a touch. 'Of course.' The namake returned his gaze down to the child.
"I thought you would like to fly. But I guess not" He said looking off faintly. When he heard a mew of protest, it took some effort not to smirk.
------------------------
"I wanna fly like you! What's that got to do with walking?" She blinked, her ears now poised forward with curiosity. She shifted to sit on his lap, rather than lay; as well as face him now. Dawn's cherubic face upturned.
--------------------------
Piccolo looked questioningly down at her. "You can't learn how to fly, unless you walk enough to have strong legs." He managed to lie smoothly, and he was apparently persuasive enough for the cub, for she nodded softly.
--------------------------- ---------------------------
When evening came, and the sun had just began to set. Eve entered the cave in her human form. She looked about to see Piccolo by the fire, mediating, and Dawn right beside him pretending to mediate, mimicking the silent warrior perfectly.
Eve's jaw fell slightly ajar when Dawn Got up and walked over to her
"Hi Mommy!"
----------------------------
She smiled looking up at the surprise on her mothers face. Her tail waved joyfully behind her, curling slightly at the end of each pass.
She purred in her throat and looked back at Daddy, seeing he had returned to reality and had a mild look of amusement on his face.
"Daddy said he'd teach me how to fly when I get bigger!" Her young eyes shifting back to her mother.
-----------------------------
He stood slowly, and stalked over to them, his eyes moving to reluctantly meet Eve's eyes. As beautiful as they were, he knew the look she would have waiting for him, and she did.
"Daddy?" she questions, with the most amused smile.
He shrugged slightly, "You try telling her I'm not." He then brushed past her. "See how far it gets you" Piccolo added as he moved to stand at the cliff's edge, toes slightly off the edge.
----------------------
Eve's sapphire eyes softened and she ruffled Dawns hair and turned. Her bar feet tapped the granite floor beneath her smooth, cat-like steps until she reached him. Eve took a long breath and wrapped her arms around his torso delicately to rest her cheek against his lower back.
"Thank you, for watching her for me." Eve could feel him relax under her touch and she closed her eyes, listening to the rise and fall of his breath and the beating of his heart.
----------------------
Piccolo sighed heavily and his eyes fell closed as she embraced him. He could almost feel a tension that had been locked in his bones dissipate at the warmth of her body pressed against his.
".Your welcome.."
There you go guys!! Merry Christmas! And Happy Yule!! Hope this was a good present, I thought this was one of my better chapters myself, but hey. The long break from it did me some good; let my brain freshen up a bit.
Well hope I still have a few fans left after my extended leave. All of you guys still with me, hang on, its almost over! I'd say 4 or 5 more chapters!
Anime Goddes~
Disclaimer- I don't own Dragon Ball Z. I don't own the rights to anything in the whole DBZ universe which I worship so.
Merry Christmas!!! Enjoy!
-------------------- = Changing view points or location. (Such as switching from Goku's point of view to Piccolo's) '...' = Thoughts
~*~ = Flash back *** = End flash back
Chapter 23: Daddy?
Even as he stared out over the sun lit landscape he couldn't believe what he was doing. The mere thought that he had allowed himself to sink so low brought a chill to his blood. The Namake stood at the threshold of his dwelling, arms crossed, cape lightly batting the breeze. His onyx eyes narrowed into mere slits against the brilliant sunlight steadily rising. The solemn warrior finally managed to bring the word to his lips, as if speaking it would make it more tangible and easier to handle.
"Babysitting.." The word fell from his pierced lips, but it brought no comfort as he turned to see Dawn swatting at a June bug with gentle amusement.
"I cannot believe she convinced me to do this." he said with a sigh, gaze returning to the broad landscape spread beneath him. His thoughts wandered back to the night before.
~*~
"Piccolo?" Eve spoke softly, as not to wake the sleeping child nestled against her chest. He turned slightly from what he had been doing and raised a brow. "hm?"
"Tigress is getting restless.She hasn't been able to hunt for over a week." She looked down. This caught his attention. He rose from where he had been sitting, and approached her until he came to seat himself in front of her.
"I need to let her hunt tomorrow. Could you.." she stopped, her eyes moving to meet his. His jaw tightened slightly. The look in her eyes, those enchanted blue eyes, what ever she asked, he couldn't refuse it.
"Could you look after Dawn tomorrow?" she whispered. He narrowed his eyes and broke their gaze to look at Dawn. "Fine"
***
Piccolo released a long heavy breath. 'No fault but yours..' He scolded himself and turned and walked slowly into the cool interior of the cave to sit adjacent to the cub-child.
Dawn had caught the mischievous bug, and held it on upturned hands, her wide sapphire eyes staring at the beetle as it crawled all over her palms. He raised a brow, 'she didn't harm it.odd.' He was beginning to wonder what else was different about Eve's offspring. Everyday it seemed something new surprised would surprise him.
Her growth still seemed fast, but not enough to be alarmed over. She looked to be 2 or maybe even 3 years old now. Her hair had grown out a little; just two inched off her gray shoulders. Luckily the fur-like hair that covered her body didn't seem to be growing any. In fact it seemed to be not much more than what normal humans have. Only hers was much more darker in color.
According to Eve, Dawn was talking now, but only in the language of a tiger. She was struggling to get her child to learn human speech, but Dawn didn't see why she needed too. Dawn also was reluctant to walk on two legs. She could do it, quite well actually, she just didn't see why she had too. It had Eve worried.
Piccolo narrowed his gaze at the creature seated just five feet from him. Dawn was amazingly smart, almost too smart he thought.
Dawn watched the beetle fly from her grasp in hasty retreat from the cave. Her immense blue eyes then found his gaze, with the same intensity.
"What?" he demanded coldly. Just like it had been with Eve in the beginning, he refused to admit he felt anything for her. 'Who am I kidding?' he sighed inwardly. 'I love Eve, and this. thing, she produced.' The cub child titled her head and blinked, the white of her eyes almost non- existent, as they normally were. He dropped his eyes and closed them tightly, resting his forehead against his upturned palms, and his elbows against his crossed legs.
--------------------------
Her vision was crisp as she watched the June bug until it was nearly 20 feet into the distance. Dawn then turned to look at the man that lived with she and her mother. He looked very troubled about something, she could almost feel it, as if his emotions were a tangible object in which she could run her round fingers across.
She swallowed hard. '.I can do this... he isn't so tough. A. nd mother does it everyday, he doesn't seem to mind then.' Dawn tilted her head, wondering how to start, she knew how too, but now that the moment had came to do it, her stomach felt tight. 'I'm just nervous.' she blinked.
Piccolo looked down. 'He looks so tired. I wonder what's wrong.' Her tail tapped the earth anxiously and she flexed her paw-like fingers on her knees.
"What's wrong Daddy?" she stammered, her voice was weak, from lack of use, but it tone matched her form, as that of a 3 year old. Dawn threw her large ears forward as Piccolo became suddenly alert.
------------------------
"What's wrong Daddy?"
His thoughts had been wandering, but the sound a voice not his own returned his thoughts to the present. Piccolo's coal eyes slowly trailed up from the stone floor as his head lifted. "Did you just. speak?" It seemed to be the only sensible thing to ask at the moment.
She giggled softly and nodded vigorously, like a child who just showed their parents she could do something they had thought was impossible. But once her jovial excitement faded, she urged forth her question again.
"I am not your 'Daddy', my name is Piccolo" Confused appeared to wash over her expression.
--------------------
'Not my Daddy?' her eyes grew larger, if possible, and her gaze fell. A truth she had known, since her first day of existence was being questioned. "Then what are you?" Her tiny voice squeaked.
She could feel tears building in her throat; the burning that made her speech tight was unmistakable. But she didn't want to cry. Dawn knew quite well it seemed to irritate 'Piccolo'.
------------------------
He sighed, 'What am I?' Piccolo could certainly understand how the child could have gotten such a conclusion. But how to explain he was not what, by all accounts, he appeared to be. His slender ears could easily hear the tears that were threatening to come forth.
He couldn't stand it when she cried; it made his stomach twist into intricate knots, and sweat to form. Why? He never figured out why, probably yet another emotion concept he had yet to master.
'Would it hurt, to let her believe it?' he asked himself. He was desperate to prevent Dawn from shedding tears on his account.
"Your right. I am your." His jaw grew tight, and he swallowed, "Daddy."
----------------------------
Dawn blinked, but smiled. "I knew it!!" she purred. She then crawled over to him, and clambered into his lap. She felt his body grow tense beneath her, but she had gotten used to that reaction. She just assumed it was the way Daddies were.
"You can't fool me, huh Daddy?" she giggled, lying on her back, looking up to him. When he shook his head with a helpless grin and smiled.
-------------------------
"So you can speak?" he questioned, He promptly received and quick nod. "Then why don't you walk on two feet?"
That question darkened her expression. And she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Why should I?" the child demanded.
Piccolo raised a brow. He decided he would use his newly acquired title for leverage. "Because daddy wants you too."
---------------------
'Really?' she slanted her left ear back a little, thinking on this. Her tail casually tapped against Piccolo's bicep while her tiny wheels turned inside her mind.
After a few long moments, she shook her head, her other ear turning back to join the other. Dawn's lower lip faintly jutted out.
---------------------------
He huffed heavily and looked out the caves mouth, thinking. It would mean a lot to Eve if he could convince Dawn to walk and talk like a human and not a tiger, but how? Piccolo stared into the blue expanse of the sky, as if it held the answer to his quandary.
A June bug floated past his field of sight and his eyes widened a touch. 'Of course.' The namake returned his gaze down to the child.
"I thought you would like to fly. But I guess not" He said looking off faintly. When he heard a mew of protest, it took some effort not to smirk.
------------------------
"I wanna fly like you! What's that got to do with walking?" She blinked, her ears now poised forward with curiosity. She shifted to sit on his lap, rather than lay; as well as face him now. Dawn's cherubic face upturned.
--------------------------
Piccolo looked questioningly down at her. "You can't learn how to fly, unless you walk enough to have strong legs." He managed to lie smoothly, and he was apparently persuasive enough for the cub, for she nodded softly.
--------------------------- ---------------------------
When evening came, and the sun had just began to set. Eve entered the cave in her human form. She looked about to see Piccolo by the fire, mediating, and Dawn right beside him pretending to mediate, mimicking the silent warrior perfectly.
Eve's jaw fell slightly ajar when Dawn Got up and walked over to her
"Hi Mommy!"
----------------------------
She smiled looking up at the surprise on her mothers face. Her tail waved joyfully behind her, curling slightly at the end of each pass.
She purred in her throat and looked back at Daddy, seeing he had returned to reality and had a mild look of amusement on his face.
"Daddy said he'd teach me how to fly when I get bigger!" Her young eyes shifting back to her mother.
-----------------------------
He stood slowly, and stalked over to them, his eyes moving to reluctantly meet Eve's eyes. As beautiful as they were, he knew the look she would have waiting for him, and she did.
"Daddy?" she questions, with the most amused smile.
He shrugged slightly, "You try telling her I'm not." He then brushed past her. "See how far it gets you" Piccolo added as he moved to stand at the cliff's edge, toes slightly off the edge.
----------------------
Eve's sapphire eyes softened and she ruffled Dawns hair and turned. Her bar feet tapped the granite floor beneath her smooth, cat-like steps until she reached him. Eve took a long breath and wrapped her arms around his torso delicately to rest her cheek against his lower back.
"Thank you, for watching her for me." Eve could feel him relax under her touch and she closed her eyes, listening to the rise and fall of his breath and the beating of his heart.
----------------------
Piccolo sighed heavily and his eyes fell closed as she embraced him. He could almost feel a tension that had been locked in his bones dissipate at the warmth of her body pressed against his.
".Your welcome.."
There you go guys!! Merry Christmas! And Happy Yule!! Hope this was a good present, I thought this was one of my better chapters myself, but hey. The long break from it did me some good; let my brain freshen up a bit.
Well hope I still have a few fans left after my extended leave. All of you guys still with me, hang on, its almost over! I'd say 4 or 5 more chapters!
Anime Goddes~