Disclaimer: I do not own dragonballz... Ava and her kids belong to me, though...

AN: Ok, you guys, the first chapter is a go! Remember this takes five years after Broken Pieces so if you haven't read that story this one might not make to much sense. Alrighty then! GO!

Chapter One

Thirty odd years later... Somewhere deep in space on a planet long forgotten, an alien species gathered ominously.

They shared the same burnt green skin and bulging eyes, small compact bodies, and horrible pink eyes. They were relatively unknown in the universe until now.

As one being they approached a male as completely different from them as chess is to checkers.

The lone male was tall and lithe with an almost dangerous air about him that was strangely elegant. He was extremely humanoid except for the fact that his ears came to a point that was vaguely elfin and teeth that were sharper than a razor blade. He was a mercenary.

"Will you help us?" The mass pleaded.

The figure looked down at them with barely concealed contempt.

"You still haven't said what I will gain from this?"

"The challenge of a lifetime. Surely you have heard of the saiyans power," the leader of the green-skinned aliens spoke.

"Of course I have," the mercenary snapped, "but I also heard that Frieza killed them all."

"He did, killed all but four. Two of the four died and one male escaped the destruction of the home planet as a babe. He surfaced recently so that makes the saiyan number three," the leader pleaded.

"How can you be certain?" The mercenary was now interested.

"Frieza was almost killed by the escapee and swore to finally finish the job. He was part machine when I saw him last as he paced waiting for the ship to refuel. He was ranting to himself about how he would have his revenge on the monkeys." The leader smiled seeing the excitement in the man's eyes.

"Frieza, King Kold, and Coola were never seen again after they went to the blue planet."

"Three male saiyans," The mercenary mused.

"No, two males and one female," the leader interrupted his musings, "that's why you need to destroy them before they can repopulate."

"Hmmm," the male nodded his head, "I will do this. I can see your cause for alarm, after all, the last thing we need is another world full of saiyans."

**

17 opened his eyes and sighed. He was lying in a cave on a pile of furs with a female saiyan wrapped around him, two kids in an adjoining cavern, and he had never been happier. Five years of his life were gone and he only wished to spend more of them exactly like this.

He smiled his contentment and hugged Ava closer to him, enjoying her warmth, and taking advantage of the fact that she was sleeping. Though, he knew Ava loved him, she just wasn't the type to show it in public or even in front of the kids for that matter, so he took his chances by hugging her while she dreamed. Still, he couldn't blame her for being her, she was who she was: a saiyan royal.

She groaned, stretching like a cat against him before opening her eyes to glare at him.

"Hello," 17 smiled at her.

"Were you watching me again?" She growled softly as she sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Yes," 17 grinned as she swatted at him.

Ava didn't like to be watched when she was helpless or so she told 17 on numerous occasions. Though she said nothing as she got up to leave the cavern.

17 got up slowly and stretched, wondering what they were going to do today. Ava apparently had her life planned out, while this usually would have annoyed him, the way she went about it made things interesting. Though, some of things she planned were very weird or just plain bizarre, he was never bored. Plus she was very flexible and would even plan things for him to do, it was almost funny really, she would declare the day his, and they would do whatever he wanted.

But those days weren't often, anymore, since he had decided to take his family to an amusement park. He had thought that it would be fun and different since his family was very isolated, living in the woods. Things had been going pretty well, even though Ava was a bit uncomfortable around all the humans, and the kids weren't used to hiding their power in public.

Everything went downhill from there... He had bought ten pounds of candy, remembering his family's eating capabilities, and found he didn't want to hold it... so he let the kids hold the bag...

He should have realized something was wrong when the kids eyes had glazed over and the bag of candy had disappeared... then the kids disappeared...

Flashback. "17, I do not like it here, there are too many humans here," Ava glared at him.

17 rolled his eyes.

"Loosen your gears a bit, Ava, and have some fun."

Ava smiled at him from under her lashes.

"17."

"Yes?" 17 grinned.

"Where are our offspring?"

"The kids? What do you mean where are they? They're right behind us..." he trailed off as he turned to find both four-and-a-half-year-olds gone.

"Um..." 17 turned back to Ava who was pointing up.

17 tilted his head up and winced.

Sasoli and Zarah were barely seen blurs, chasing each other around in the air screaming with high-pitched giggles.

Ava tapped her mate.

"What was in the bag you gave them?" She asked almost politely.

"Almost ten pounds of candy," 17's eyes returned to the sky where the kids were trying to find out who could spin in circles the fastest.

"Candy? What is that made of?" Ava's smile hardened slightly.

"Um... milk chocolate contains sugar, milk, cocoa butter, chocolate, Soya lecithin, an emulsifier, and vanillin, and an artificial flavoring--"

"Why did you give them almost ten pounds of candy of sugar?!" Ava started growling, not caring about the people who were starting to stare.

17 coughed his answer.

"What was that? I didn't catch that android," Ava fumed.

"I... didn't want to hold it.." 17 cringed slightly at the murderous expression she shot him, "I didn't think they would eat it all--"

"You didn't THINK at ALL! DID you?!" She screamed at him, not caring about the people who started to whisper and sneak glances at them.

"Um... Ava... calm down..." 17 pleaded softly.

"CALM DOWN!"

Ava punched him, launching him into a toy stand.

17 sat up amidst flamboyantly colored stuffed animals in time to glimpse Ava take flight in an attempt to catch their offspring. He shook himself as he rubbed his jaw, his wife was getting stronger.

"Hey man, are you all right?" A random man offered 17 a hand.

17 waved away the hand and got up without assistance after untangling himself from an neon green octopus.

"Of course I am all right," 17 replied absently.

"Who was that chick?"

17 grinned suddenly.

"My wife."

"Your wife?!" The shock was evident in his voice.

"Yes, she's mad at me right now." 17 smirked.

17 turned his attention to the sky, where the twins kept eluding their would be captor. He laughed softly when she let out a scream of frustration, the candy must have given the kids a sugar-induced speed.

"If you will excuse me," 17 lifted off the ground slowly, shocking the man.

Ava dove for Sasoli, who merely giggled and zipped out of the way. Zarah just grinned.

"Sasoli! Zarah! Come to me this instant!" She screamed.

"Silly, silly, you have to catch us!" Sasoli waved her finger at her.

"Show us how fast a saiyan can be," Zarah grabbed his sister's hand and took off deeper into the park.

Ava growled, following behind as close as possible.

17 followed as well but slowly and laughing quietly.

The twins giggled bouncing of the roller coasters wildly, it was impossible to predict where they would end up. They lost Ava after two minutes.

Zarah paused suddenly in mid-air spotting a group of kids about their age.

"What is it?" Sasoli grinned at her brother.

"Look," Zarah pointed at the small humans.

"Let's play with them!" Sasoli grabbed Zarah's arm and dropped to the ground.

The other children were waiting in line for a litte kids ride when the demi-saiyans landed.

"Holy scrap!" One shouted as they scattered and then regrouped curiously.

The twins giggled at their reaction.

"How did you do that?" The self-proclaimed leader of the group asked the blue-eyed spiky haired twins.

"Do what?" Zarah bounced lightly on his toes eager to be off.

"Fall from the sky," he asked, the other kids gathered behind the tawny haired boy.

"We didn't fall! We flew!" Sasoli giggled at the boy's silly expression.

"You can fly?" The group whispered as one.

"Yeah, it's easy," Zarah threw out his chest with pride as he had seen his Uncle do.

"Who taught you?" The boy demanded.

"Mom," Sasoli's tail twitched, she was starting to get bored, and the energy in her blood demanded she move,"Who taught you?"

"No one," The boy admitted ashamed.

"You don't know how to fly!" Zarah laughed, who were these weirdoes!

"Can you teach me?" The boy pleaded to Sasoli who was hard-pressed not to laugh as well.

"Sure," Zarah grinned evilly, "We'll teach you the way our mom taught us. Right Sasoli?"

Her eyes lit up mischievously as she nodded. She picked up Tom and tossed him to Zarah, who in turn, blasted up roughly about a hundred, and dropped him!

"Fly!" Sasoli cheered as she joined her brother in the sky.

"What's he doing?" Zarah asked his counterpart curiously.

"I don't know..." Sasoli frowned. "He's supposed to be flying!"

The boy screamed as he plunged to the ground. He thought of his mother and father... his dog he had forgotten to feed that day... the ride he had never got on... He came to an abrupt halt!

"Oh no..." The saiyan duo gasped as one when their mom glared at them as she dropped the hapless boy an inch off the ground.

"Run!" Zarah grabbed Sasoli.

"She's going to catch us!"

They bounded away and before long came upon a ride in the making. They ducked inside and lucky for everyone concerned the place was deserted. They laughed themselves sick.

"She almost caught us!" Zarah rolled on the ground.

"We are in so much trouble!" Sasoli hugged him around the middle.

Zarah pushed her away.

"Keep your distance woman!"

They grinned at each other, this was one of many games they played, and never tired of. They grinned at each other in anticipation.

"Or else what?" Their tails lashed back and forth excited.

"Or I'll..." Zarah picked up a steel beam, "I'll hit you with this big stick thingy!"

Sasoli picked up an identical beam.

"Not if I hit you first!"

17 found Ava hovering in mid-air, covering her face with her hands.

"What's wrong?" He inquired.

Ava dropped her hands to glare at him for a moment before pointing down.

17's eyes widened.

The kids were hitting each other mercilessly with steel beams, apparently trying to see who could hit harder, or who could kill the other first.

Sasoli managed to duck under the steel beam heading towards who head and swung hers toward Zarah's! He took the blow head on and he was sent flying into the rides support beams. The half finished ride collapsed on top of 17's only son while his daughter fell to the ground laughing, holding her stomach in pain. Zarah blasted through the rubble and tackled his sibling to the ground. Steel beams gave way as they wrestled over them, laughing uncontrollably.

"Disgraceful conduct!" Ava screamed as she dove forward.

They paused for a split second in fear as their eyes went skyward.

It only took Ava that split second to grab both their tails.

They giggled helplessly within her unbreakable grip, and only laughed harder when she shook them.

"You caught us!" Sasoli smiled, flashing her baby blues.

"You are really fast, Mom," Zarah gasped as his spiky hair fell into his eyes.

Ava's hard look softened before she sighed, blasting off, intent on going home, and forgetting the whole mess had ever happened.

17 laughed long and hard, getting it out of his system, before following. When he landed in front of the cave they called home he was bowled over by two hyper demi-saiyans.

"You are responsible, Android, so you can take care of them," was all Ava said before disappearing for the rest of the day.

It was a very long day. End Flashback.

Well, he learned a very valuable lesson about giving sugar to small saiyans. 17 shuddered remembering the way they wouldn't stop playing, talking, and, worst of all, trying to include them on their fun.

Ava pushed the sleepy demi-saiyans toward the table made of stone. 17 had made it himself, it added a rustic look to their home.

"Eat," Ava ordered the siblings before turning to 17, "You should eat as well, you will need your strength."

"So, it's a training day," 17 smirked as he sat with his offspring who grinned at him.

Training days were basically a massive-free-for-all where they all attacked him trying to get the upper hand. Ava would warm up the kids and then launch them at him before following. It usually got extremely vicious, really fast, it was loads of fun, and the kids liked it.

17 was in fact surprised by how much it sharpened his fighting ability. Sparring with five-year-olds was hard, they were completely unpredictable, and came up with interesting moves. Plus Ava was always there to push them a bit to motivate them to become stronger... like their father.

When she wasn't in the fray, Ava would study their moves, pointing out their flaws, and showing them how to improve them. She also had a very careful eye on the kids to make sure that they didn't start depending on certain moves, and they would train one on one until she broke them of it. When the kids finally wore down, Ava and 17 would go at it giving each other a thorough workout, and all the while the kids would cheer them on. There was nothing like bonding, saiyan style. Ava and the kids had gotten so much stronger with 17 training them, or more accurately, training each other that both the mother and children were at the threshold of super saiyan.

"No, it's not," Ava replied aloofly.

The siblings pouted, Ava had instilled a love of training that would complement the love of fighting later on in their lives.

"None of that," Ava scolded gently, "It's Sasoli's survival skills day."

"Why not Zarah survival skills day?" Zarah glared at his sister.

She didn't back down from him as she glared back.

"You went first on how to fly day."

"I should always go first!" Zarah stuck his nose in the air.

"Enough!" Ava growled softly as she bonked them both on the head.

"Ow," they pouted as they rubbed their heads.

"When does a saiyan admit pain?" Ava glared at them.

"Never!" They straightened up and started to eat.

"17, you can take Zarah on a shopping tree for all I care as long as you are not in this forest."

17 didn't laugh at Ava's misinterpitation of human culture as what she was saying made him frown.

"Why do we have to leave?"

"I am just going to teach Sasoli how to survive alone in the world," Ava growled at him.

"I understand that but why do we have to leave?" 17 nearly growled back, her habits were really starting to rub off on him.

"There are certain things a female needs to know to survive in the world that male relatives need not know about," Ava ground out.

"Are you referring to the birds and the bees?" 17 smiled amused, how quaint.

"Why would I talk about insects and flying mammals? You make no sense 17," Ava shook her head at him confused.

"Ok, fine," 17 chuckled as he leaned over, and gave her a quick peck on the cheek before she could move out of the way. "Zarah?"

17 turned to his son and nearly started laughing as his son looked at him with chipmunk cheeks.

"Father?" Zarah hastily swallowed his food.

"Where do you want to go today? Aunt 18's or Uncle Vegeta's house?"

"Can we go to Uncle Vegeta's? Maybe he'll let me spar with Trunks!" Zarah grinned as his sister pouted.

"Trunks is a good sparring partner," Ava nodded her approval, "Now Sasoli, you spend the day with me."

Sasoli brightened and stuck her tongue out at her brother who mirrored her action.

"If you want to keep those tongues, I suggest you put them away," Ava threatened absently.

17 smiled as both tongues retreated.

"That's a bit harsh, Ava," 17 ducked as Ava threw her bowl at him.

"Don't you dare undermine my authority!"

17 blinked in shock as she attacked him wildly. He managed to pin her arms to her sides, but she still thrashed trying to escape.

"Hey, Ava, what's wrong?" 17 asked really concerned with her odd behavior.

Without warning she went completely limp.

"Ava?" 17 turned her around in his arms so she could face him, her head lolled to the side limply.

The siblings stopped eating and looked up.

"Mommy?" Sasoli's eyes widened at the sight of her motionless mother.

"What happened?" Zarah demanded shakily.

17 wasn't paying attention to them as he pulled Ava closer to his chest and smoothed a hand over her wild hair. Panic started to claw it's way across his body as he didn't receive a single response from his wife as he hugged her in front of the children.

"Ava?" 17 pleaded hoarsely, "Answer me..."

He pulled her away from his chest as her head rolled lifelessly back

"Ava?!"

End of Chapter One