Piccolo sat topless with his legs crossed, sewing the patch of material that Maple had kindly given back to him back onto his shirt. Stupid kid. Why did she have to rip his clothes up? It was a pain in the arse sewing them back together. He frowned. Geez, how bright was the sun?! The summer days weren't usually this hot. Almost done, though. Maybe he'd go for a swim in the lake later on just to cool down - and get a drink. Another half hour and he'd be dead of thirst. That was one annoying thing about being a namek. They dehydrated much quicker than saiyans or humans. Actually, probably quicker than most, if not all races.
"Heya!!"
"Huh?!" Piccolo gasped as a familiar and annoying voice greeted him. He glared at Maple. "Do you ALWAYS have to appear out of nowhere and shout like that?!"
"Geez, what's bugging you? Are you always this cranky when it's hot?" Maple asked.
"Hm." Piccolo turned back to his shirt.
"What are you doing?" Maple asked innocently.
"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm repairing my shirt! The one that you ripped up?" Piccolo growled.
"Hey, don't get so stressed out! I was just asking." Maple protested. "Anyway, what's gotten into you? You weren't like this yesterday."
"Nothing!" Piccolo snapped. "I'm just a little hot, that's all!"
"Hey, you're sewing?" Maple noticed. "I didn't know you could sew."
"Can't you?" Piccolo replied, not angrily this time.
"Nu - uh." Maple shook her head. "My mother and my sisters can, but not me. Is it hard?"
"Not really once you get used to it." Piccolo answered.
"Can you teach me?"
"Huh?" Piccolo looked at her.
"Well? Can you?" Maple challenged.
"... Yeah, sure." Piccolo shrugged. "I'll do it slowly, you just watch me."

Maple paid close attention as Piccolo sewed. Actually, it seemed pretty simple.
"Can I try?" she asked.
"I guess. Be careful with it." Piccolo said, handing it to her.
"I'm not a child!" Maple frowned angrily. "Humph!" she turned away and started to sew. Piccolo smirked a little. It was always fun teasing her because she got annoyed so easily. Especially if you called her a kid.
"Hey, let me see how you're doing." he instructed. Maple turned back round to show him.
"Okay?" she asked. Piccolo looked at the shirt. It was quite impressive, actually. For someone who'd never done it before.
"Pretty good." he nodded.
"It's at the end. How do I finish it off?" Maple said.
"Oh, right. Give it to me." Piccolo replied. She handed it to him, and watched as he tied up all the loose ends and snapped the excess thread off.
"There." Piccolo put the shirt back on. He stood up. "Ah, I need a drink before I melt!"
"Y'know, you should have plenty of water on a hot day. It's not healthy to go without - especially for a namek, you should know that." Maple lectured, also standing up.
"Since when were you an expert on health and safety? What are you, a doctor?" Piccolo answered back but not in a nasty tone.
"I'm just trying to warn you." Maple frowned.
"Heh heh. Yeah, I know." Piccolo waved a hand. He flew off, smirking because he knew how she'd react.
"Hey!" Maple protested as she watched him leave. "Where are you going?! Wait for me!!" she flew after him.

~~~

"Where's Maple?" Leela asked, having just woken up. She, Maple and Silvia had spent the night in their ship. Leela lay on the Sofa and Silvia sat on the armchair.
"How should I know?" Silvia shrugged. She smirked. "Probably gone to finish off her "training" session with loverboy."
"Silvia, you're so cruel! Why do you have to tease her about it?" Leela scolded, sitting up.
"Ah, she knows I'm only joking." Silvia replied. "Anyway, I hope she does stick it out with him. He's a good catch."
"But you've only met him once!" Leela protested.
"Imoto, haven't I ever told you that I'm an excellent judge of character when it comes to men." Silvia said.
"You've never told me." Leela shook her head. "Ah, but I suppose I should've guessed as much."
"What's THAT supposed to mean?!" Silvia demanded, turning round in the armchair to look at Leela.
"Nothing." Leela chuckled.
".... Hm." Silvia turned back round. "Well, do you want to go look for her? Actually, I think I'll do some exploring." she stood up, and looked at Leela. "Fancy coming along, sis?" "No... it's okay..." Leela mumbled. "I think I'll just stay here for a while."
"Hey, you're not still thinking about that Frieza are you?" Silvia asked.
"......" Leela sighed. "I can't help it... Silvia, what will I do? We were supposed to get married and be together always! Now that dream is shattered and it's only years later that I've even found out..."
"What was so special about him anyway? There ARE other princes." Silvia insisted.
"But none like Frieza..."
"Do you want me to stay here with you?" Silvia offered. Leela shook her head.
"No." she looked at Silvia and smiled at her. "I'll be fine. You go explore if you want to, okay?"
".... Well, I won't be long." Silvia said. She left the ship.

~~~

"Do you live out here?" Maple asked, floating on the water's surface with her hands behind her head. She kicked the water gently, pushing herself across the lake.
"Yeah." Piccolo replied. He was lying on the grass beside the lake, also with his hands behind his head. His eyes were closed. "What's wrong with that?"
"What if there's a storm? Or if it's winter? Don't you get cold sleeping outside?" Maple questioned.
"Well, duh. I take shelter. There's loads of caves around here." Piccolo answered, opening his eyes.
"Do you eat?"
"No, not really. I don't bother with it. I've only eaten a few fish in my entire life." Piccolo told her. He closed his eyes again.
"I don't eat much." Maple kicked the water again. "I have dinner with the family just because it's the custom, but I don't bother with lunch or breakfast. I drink a lot, though." "Water?"
"Or juice. But it's usually water."
"You mean the kind of juice you dilute?" Piccolo asked.
"Mm - hm." Maple looked at him. He had his eyes closed. She smirked, and dove under the water.

Piccolo looked at the water's surface to see what that splash was. He couldn't see her and the sun was shining on the water so he couldn't see below the surface. Ah well. She'd obviously dived down. It didn't bother him. He turned his head back towards the sky, and closed his eyes. Suddenly, two hands shot out of the water and grabbed hold of him. Piccolo cried out as the creature pulled him into the water.
"Aw, God - - MAPLE!!" Piccolo exclaimed angrily as he stuck his head out of the water. He spat out a load of water that had gone into his mouth and sucked up a bit of air. He could hear Maple's laughter. He turned around, and saw her a few feet away from him, laughing.
"That wasn't funny!" he growled.
"Was too!" Maple smirked.
"Grrr..." Piccolo climbed out of the lake. He squeezed his clothing to get rid of some of the water it had soaked up. "These'll take ages to dry!"
"Big deal, you're not going anywhere." Maple shrugged, returning to her floating position.
"But I don't have a change of clothes! How am I supposed to train when my clothes are soaking wet?!" Piccolo protested. "Guess I'll have to manage.... what a brat!"
"So take 'em off. After all, nameks are asexual. It's not like you've got anything to hide." "Maple!!" Piccolo went bright red. Maple smirked.
"Geez, the things you say!" Piccolo shook his head. He took his soaked shirt off, but refused to part with his trousers.

Maple rolled her eyes.
"Fine then. Why don't you just do what Frieza did? Wear underwear and armor?"
"Because I'm not like Frieza." Piccolo replied. He smirked. "I'm not pink and gay."
Maple laughed.
"Hey, does he have other forms as well? I heard he did."
"Yeah, he's got four. I thought you'd met him?" Piccolo replied.
"I have, but briefly. He didn't transform." Maple told him.
"Oh. Well, in his second he's tall and his face is slightly different; in his third his head is big and he's got the face of a frog," Maple laughed at him. Piccolo smirked, and continued. "And in his fourth he's got pretty much the same face as his first except he his helmet isn't as big and he doesn't have horns. And he's completely white except for bits of his armor. He's got two black lines running down his face, too. Oh - and he doesn't wear clothes."
"None at all? But I though he was a -"
"There's nothing in that form." Piccolo said.
"That must be weird... maybe it's hidden somewhere..." Maple mumbled.
"Whatever." Piccolo shrugged. "It's not something I usually think about."
"I guess not ^_^" Maple looked at him. "Come swim with me."
"...." Piccolo lay back down on the grass.
"Fine, then." Maple sighed.
Piccolo smirked, and shifted his eyes towards her. She floated around on the surface of the water with her eyes closed. He sat up, and waited for her to come past him. She floated past, kicking the water gently to make herself move. She still had her eyes closed, enjoying the sun.
Piccolo waited a little more, and dove in! Maple let out a scream as he grabbed her feet, pulling her down under the water. He let go instantly so she could go back up for air.

Maple gasped for air as she stuck her head above the water's surface and began to cough up the water she'd taken in. Now she could hear his laughing. She turned around and saw him smirking at her.
"You!" she yelled with a smirk.
"Hey!" Piccolo held up his hands in a "don't shoot" sign as she hit him playfully. He chuckled.
"Come here."
Maple let out a small, happy cry as he suddenly pulled her against him. He held her there and kissed her.
"Brat." he teased.
"Don't CALL ME THAT!!"

~~~~~

Vegeta went to answer the door. Where was that woman, anyway?! She'd left over an hour ago! He wouldn't mind but she only went out to get some bread.
His jaw almost dropped when he saw who it was.
"Surprise, surprise!" Silvia greeted him enthusiastically. Vegeta backed up a little as she entered Capsule Corps. "Hey, Vegeta!" she beamed, putting her arm around his shoulders. "Long time no see, right?"
"You -"
"So, what's been happening to you?" Silvia asked. Her happy tone suddenly turned into an angry growl as she got the next sentance out. "Apart from killing my little brother! Outside, NOW!" she pushed him out of the doorway and followed him out.
Vegeta caught his balance and turned around. He glared at her.
"Is your sister here, too?! So I suppose you want to kill me...?"
"Well, that was the plan." Silvia replied. "But first, I need a favor."

"A favor?" Vegeta looked at her, surprised.
"Leela's just found out about Frieza's death and she's devastated." Silvia began.
"So what? He was a bastard anyway." Vegeta shrugged.
"Well, that's one thing we can agree on." Silvia mumbled. "Maple and I aren't exactly disappointed. Actually, good riddance to him." she sighed. "But even so, Leela's my sister and I don't want to see her upset."
"So...? What does that have to do with me?" Vegeta asked.
"So..." Silvia smirked. "I thought maybe she'd forget about him if she found someone to take her find off him..." she put her arm around him again and leaned against him. "Oh, I don't know..." she circled a small part of his chest with her fingernail. "A prince, perhaps?" she moved her hand and ran it through his hair. "With dark hair..." her hand came down to stroke his face. "A handsome face... and maybe even a saiyan prince. After all, she is a saiyan."
"Oooooh, no!" Vegeta pulled away. "No way! I am NOT going through that again!"
Silvia turned away, her back to him.
"Well, if you don't want to I could always kill you now. What's your friend Goku's number?" she asked, examining her nails casually.
"KAKAROTTO?! You're gonna pass HIM off as a prince?!" Vegeta protested.
"Why not?" Silvia shrugged. "He's charming and handsome, so I've heard. She'll fall for him easily. Plus, it means I'll kill you sooner and can get off this planet."
"You couldn't kill me." Vegeta challenged.
"Hm." Silvia uttered a small laugh. She turned around to face him. "Darling, I'm stronger than you and Goku combined. I don't think disposing of you will be much of a problem - unless I break a nail." she smirked.
"But -"
"Mm?" Silvia asked. She looked at him. "Tell you what, if you do this for my sister, I might be persuaded to let you and your family go."

"Huh?!" Vegeta gasped. "You never said anything about my family! What have they got to do with anything?!"
"Well to be honest, you're part of a package deal." Silvia admitted.
"Oh, great -_-" Vegeta mumbled. He shook his head. "Silvia, even if I did agree, what am I going to tell my wife?! I can't exactly say "By the way, I'm going out with a hot saiyan girl and I'm hoping she'll fall in love with me."
"You don't need to tell her anything." Silvia replied. "It'll just be one date, I'm not asking you to have a passionate affair and sleep with her. Your wife need never find out." "But..." Vegeta mumbled.
"Oh, come on, Vegeta! Silvia urged. "For old time's sake? Then I'll leave you all in peace."
".... How do I know I can trust you?" Vegeta asked.
"Would I lie to you?" Silvia insisted.
"Hmm..." Vegeta looked at her. "......" he sighed. "Fine... I'll do it - but not for Leela! I just don't what you killing everyone."
"Well, what do you know? Vegeta's got a heart!" Silvia exclaimed.
"Grrr..." Vegeta glared at her, and growled.
"My, how you've changed since you were a teenager," Silvia continued. "So you've managed to stick with a girl for more than one night? She must be someone special."
"We get along..." Vegeta mumbled. "Just tell me a time and a place."
"Sure, but first, we need to go shopping for some new clothes." Silvia replied.
"Yeah, I wasn't gonna say anything but that dress looks kinda old." Vegeta agreed. Silvia's face went red with anger.
"I meant for you, baka!!" she yelled.
"Oh ^_^" Vegeta said. "Well what's wrong with this?"
"Well, you don't really look much like a prince." Silvia told him. "In fact, no offence sweetie, but if I saw you I'd think you'd just been let out of prison."
"HUH?!" Vegeta protested.
"Come on, we haven't got all day." Silvia took his hand. "Let's shop 'til we drop!"
"Great -_-"