Chapter 13: Piccolo

TWO YEARS LATER

"You're trying too hard. You just have to let the movements come to you Emily. Don't pull them."

"I'll never be as good as you!"

"Keep trying, you're doing fine."

Piccolo smiled at Goku as he taught Emily the moves of his dance. For two years now he had been the number one street dancer from the east district. Hell, he was the number one street dancer in the whole city!

Not a lot had changed in two years; some of it had but life continued on more or less the same as it always did. Chichi and Sammy were married the summer following the birth of Goku's son, whom Chichi had named Gohan. Sammy adapted Gohan and the four became a family. Piccolo was to join that family sometime in the fall for Goku had proposed to him in the spring. As soon as he did, he planned to also adapt Gohan as well for the child grew on him during the visits he spent with them.

Yamcha moved out with Tien as planned and they found a little apartment to live happily together in. Neither of them wants to push things too fast, but marriage is a reoccurring thought between them. Goku moved in with Piccolo and Emily was thinking of moving in with Krillin, but wasn't sure if she was totally ready for a relationship.

Chiaotzu? Well, despite rumors that he had died after the end of chapter 5, he's actually still alive and kicking! He moved to Hollywood when he found out about Yamcha and Tien. There, he became a singer/songwriter and only occasionally does anyone ever hear from him. As for Vegeta, no one had heard from him since the tournament in which Goku had defeated him.

So that's how things were, and everyone was more or less happy with it.

The phone rang in the apartment, interrupting Piccolo's henti thoughts of what he was gonna do to Goku that night, and he left to answer it so the Saiyan's lesson would not be interrupted. "Hello," he said into the receiver. "You've reached the residence of Goku and Piccolo. This is Piccolo speaking."

There was a moment of silence and Piccolo almost hung up thinking it was a prank call. But there came a slight breathing sound and Piccolo repeated the greeting in case they hadn't heard him. Finally, a voice asked, "is Goku there?"

"Yes he is," Piccolo said, "but he's a little busy so could you call-"

"I DON'T CARE IF HE'S BUSY!! PUT HIM ON THE PHONE RIGHT NOW!! I NEED TO TALK TO HIM!!!"

Piccolo held the phone at arm's length; the scream still hurt his ears. "Alright, calm down," he said, cautiously bringing the receiver back to his face. "I'll put him right on. Who may I say is calling?"

Another moment of silence passed before the voice replied with, "thank you Piccolo."

The Namek set the receiver on the counter and went to fetch his Saiyan lover. "Goku," he called as he opened the door. "You have a phone call. They say it's urgent."

"Who is it?" asked the boy. Piccolo shook his head to show they wouldn't tell him. Goku frowned a bit but went to answer the phone. Piccolo stayed by the doorway to listen. He didn't like having to resort to eavesdropping, especially on his lover, but he was worried. Somewhere he had heard that voice before, that dangerous voice....If the guy hadn't sounded so desperate and insistent, Piccolo would've hung up and disconnected the line; in fact, he kinda regretted that he didn't do that in the first place.

"Hello this is Goku," the Saiyan said in his cheerful voice. "Vegeta, hey! I haven't heard from you in forever! How are you?.......Oh, I'm okay. Things are great...................Right now?.........But you are talking to me..................In person? Why not over the phone?............Okay, okay, I will Vegeta! You still live in your old apartments, right?...Okay, then I'll be there soon.........Why can't I tell Piccolo?.................Surprise? Like a party?......Sooo, no party?................Yeah, I know you do. Okay I'd better be on my way then..............I got it. I'll see you soon...Bye." Goku hung up the phone.

"So, who was it? asked Emily when Goku returned.

"An old friend of mine and something's come up. I have to cut the lesson short Emily, this is really important to him, I think..."

"Was it Vegeta?" asked Piccolo knowing for sure that it was. "I don't trust him Goku, you know that."

Goku sighed. "I know you don't like him Piccolo, you don't have to." He wrapped his arms around Piccolo's waist. "I'll only be gone for half an hour, I promise. Any longer and I'll call you, okay? Nothing bad will happen, you'll see."

"No," Piccolo stated firmly. "No, you're not going Goku and that's final. No. Don't make that face at me, don't make that sad puppy face; Goku, No. No sad puppy face. No, you cannot go. No, you can't. No. No. No, no, no, no, no! No." Piccolo looked at Goku's begging face, now complete with tears and a trembling lower lip, and felt like such a bad guy; he was weakening under that look and Goku knew this. He placed his hands on either side of Goku's face and squished it together, distorting the sad puppy face. "No. Call him back and tell him he just can't have you."

"Ut IcKohoh, ee mey meed me. Aye old em iff ee ever meeded me ou all me," Goku said. Piccolo let go of his lover. "I'm worried. I really am. The last time we spoke, like really sat down and talked about stuff, he seemed to be in some sort of trouble. He wouldn't tell me what it was, but maybe now he's ready to talk. Let me go see what he wants, please?"

Piccolo looked long and hard into Goku's now normal face. He pulled Goku close and nuzzled his face, kissing anywhere he could. "Alright," he said with a heavy sigh. "You win. But you'd better make this up to me later, understand? Call me if anything comes up."

"I will," Goku promised. "In fact, I'll make it up to you right now if you want." They kissed passionately, their tongues intertwining and breaking to roll around again.

"You two make the cutest couple," said Emily. She giggled as they blushed and pulled away from each other. "Oh no, don't mind me. I know where the exit is, I'll just show myself to the door." She giggled again and skipped out of the room, making sure to close the door behind her.

"Go," said Piccolo. "You don't have time to make it up to me right now anyways. I want you for much longer then that."

"I know, me too," Goku replied. He kissed Piccolo once more and whispered, "I love you," against his lips.

"I love you too," Piccolo whispered back. They finally separated all the way as Goku left the apartment to go see what Vegeta wanted.

Piccolo paced the bedroom ground anxiously. It was almost 8 o'clock at night; Goku should've been home by then but he was still out and had been for nearly four hours without calling!! The worried Namek hit a pillow on their bed. "Damn it Goku!" he cried. "Where are you?" He fell into the bed and pulled the pillow to his chest.

It was Goku's pillow.

He nuzzled his face into it and breathed in deeply the scent of Goku's hair. It helped calm him down a little but it also reminded him that his lover still wasn't back.

He couldn't sit still for long. Something had happened, he could feel it. Casting the pillow aside, he got up to pace the ground some more. The more he paced, the more worried he got. "This is doing me no good!" he yelled at one on.

Piccolo picked up the phone and began dialing numbers.

End Chapter 13!

Ooooo....What do you suppose Vegeta's done with Goku?!? And what do you think Piccolo is gonna do to him when he finds out? See you in the next chapter!