Back yet again, with another chapter for you to read and enjoy. And now, without further ado, the fourteenth chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ.
Chapter Fourteen
Gohan raced excitedly out the door, nearly tripping over the frame and Oolong in the process. "Dad! Dad-dad-dad-dad!" he shouted as he leapt off the porch, racing across the sand and leaving footprints behind him. "He's awake! Piccolo's awake!" He veered off to the right, running around the side of the house to the trees his father relaxed under.
Goku was lounging on a lawn chair by the side of the Kame House when Gohan rounded the corner. "Dad! Piccolo's awake now!" In his excitement, the boy stopped just short of bowling over the other Saiyan. Needless to say, Goku still had to extend his hand to steady him.
"He is?" The Saiyan leapt off the chair and promptly yelped. He was still in the process of healing, no doubt about it. His arms and legs were still sore from the battle, even though it had been several days ago. "That's great! I need to talk to him. Go tell Tien and all them, would you?" he asked. "I'm sure they'll want to hear how our friend is doing. I'll be there in a minute."
Friend. Goku smiled broadly as he recalled Piccolo's use of the word four days before. On this planet, we stand by our allies, our friends. If you take on one of us, you fight us all, he had said. Goku was fairly certain he would never again hear that word coming from the Namek's mouth, so he would have to remember it and savor the moment. He would never let him live it down.
Gohan must have worked very quickly, Goku decided, as he felt the ki of his friends move into the Kame House group by group: Tien and Chiaotzu, Yamcha and Pu'ar, Bulma and Gohan. Krillin was already up the stairs. Master Roshi was reading his magazines in the sand. Chi-Chi was walking towards him. And Oolong was attempting to cook lunch. He wanted nothing to do with Piccolo, which was quite understandable – he was under one-fourth of the Namek's height, and scared stiff of him.
The small island was so full of ki that it would have acted like a beacon to anything in Earth's atmosphere.
After a minute, Chi-Chi appeared around the side of the house to help him walk. She seemed to be very upset about something or other, and Goku had a feeling he knew what it was. Still, he had to ask her. It was only polite. "What's wrong, Chi-Chi?" he asked. "What's bothering you? Didn't Bulma help you with the dishes yesterday night?" Of course, he knew that wasn't the reason. It was simply better to let her think that he thought it was.
"No, that's not it, Goku," Chi-Chi said, blinking as she took some of his weight. "I don't want Gohan spending all of his time with Piccolo." She spat the Namek's name out of her mouth as if it was venomous, and Goku did not miss it. "He's been influenced too much by that demonic alien, and I'm sick of it. Our Gohan has homework to do, for Kami's sake, and I know that he's not going to do it. He'll think of some excuse to stay with that murdering criminal upstairs and – "
"Chi-Chi, that's enough," Goku interrupted gently. "I know you don't like him, and I know you don't like having to spend time anywhere near him. I'm sorry, and I'm sorry that I'm not strong enough to get us home yet, too." He looked down at his wife, who seemed ready to either go off in a fit of rage or break down into tears. "Well, I want to know how he's doing, and I do need to talk with him, so if you want, you can just leave me in the doorway. I'll make it into the room myself."
Chi-Chi looked up at him and gave him a small smile. "Thank you, Goku dear," she said.
Piccolo was not amused to see so many people parading into the room. He'd long since been ready for them – he had sensed their ki as they came up the steps and had pushed himself up, so he looked as if he was reclining instead of lying back on the bed. The movement caused a ripple of pain in his body, but he didn't have time to do anything about it before Krillin walked in the door. "How are you feeling, Piccolo?" the midget asked, slinging himself into a chair at the foot of the bed that, until now, Piccolo had not noticed.
Piccolo rewarded him with a glare.
Yamcha and Pu'ar walked in the room in time to hear Krillin chuckle. "I guess that means better, huh?" he asked with an amused smile on his face. "Still hurts?"
"Didn't I tell you to stop asking ridiculous questions?" Piccolo growled.
"Yeah," Krillin snorted in response. "Weeks ago."
"It still holds, human."
Bulma came in then with her notebook, followed by a harried-looking Chiaotzu and a smirking Tien, both of whom settled themselves into one corner of the room. Apparently she had been conducting more research on psychic phenomenon, and Chiaotzu had once again been her subject. Why she hadn't picked him, Piccolo had no idea. It was probably his magnetic personality. Right, Piccolo snorted to himself. And I'm an angel, too.
"Piccolo," she said matter-of-factly, dropping herself down at the foot of the bed and in front of Krillin, "I need you to tell me all about that psi-down mixture Goku keeps telling us about. He's not suffering any effects from it, so I can't ask him. That leaves you. So spill." Bulma leaned over her notebook, pencil poised and ready to write.
"Get away from me, idiot woman, before I decide to kill you all," Piccolo snapped. "I am not your guinea pig, and I do not want to deal with a mob in this room while I am recovering." He shifted his body as if he was about to leap at her, and the scientist jumped off the bed with a yip. He had to stifle a yelp himself – the stretching of muscles already strained is never pleasant. Bulma scurried over to Yamcha and buried herself under his arm.
"Glad you're awake anyway, Piccolo," Krillin said, cupping his chin in his hand.
"You and Goku were nearly dead by the time Gohan and I got there," Tien added in his gruff tone of voice. "This was the first place we were able to take you, the Kame House." Unspoken between them was the reason for not stopping at the Son residence: Chi-Chi. She never would have stood for having the demon in her house, and everyone knew it.
"We thought you'd never wake up, Piccolo," Yamcha added as well.
By this time, the Namek hadn't the faintest idea of what he should make of this. It was only with the greatest amount of self-control that he did not allow the look of confusion to cross his face. He was not used to having people worrying about him; he had lived alone his entire life, and that was the way he liked it. This was strange to him. Was this what friendship really was? Well, they were either all playing him for a fool, or they really did care about his physical condition. How very odd it was.
"Why would you care?" Piccolo growled.
"Um, because you've been out for nearly four days?" Krillin ventured cautiously. "You nearly died, you know."
The Namek did not need words to express his shock; the look that crossed his face more than adequately handled that. Four days? he thought incredulously. I can see two, or even three. But four? It must have been worse than I thought for this to happen. Feh. Kami is probably worried about his health.
"You probably wouldn't have lasted the night if Tien and Gohan didn't bring you here," Krillin continued. "You really overtaxed your strength, Piccolo, and a bit more. You were really bad." The monk winced in what appeared to be sympathy.
Piccolo closed his eyes briefly against a spell of dizziness. This is wonderful, he thought sarcastically. Why am I becoming dizzy? True, I overtaxed myself, but there's more to it than that. I can feel it. What could possibly be happening now? There is definitely something wrong with me. He opened his eyes again and sighed softly.
Goku picked that exact moment to walk in the door, with Gohan trailing him closely. "Hi, Piccolo," Goku said, smiling. "Oh ally and friend of mine."
The Namek's jaw would have figuratively hit the ground had he been standing. As it was, his eyes widened perceptibly in disbelief that the man had actually remembered part of that confounded statement. Snickers erupted around the room; Piccolo's reputation still ensured that he would never be outright laughed at. He was, after all, a demon, and demons were not known for their tolerance of mockery. Even now they were pushing it, and they knew it. They simply did not care.
"Hey, Piccolo," Gohan said, "I heard you call me. I'm glad you're awake again."
The Namek was about to give the boy his customary smirk when he caught a glimpse of movement from the doorway. Chi-Chi, his ki senses told him. He quickly screwed his face into a frown. That woman always managed to ruin his day, no matter what. She had a grudge against him, all right, and knowing her it would last until one of them died.
And for the record, she was frowning, too.
Piccolo scowled as Goku began to speak again. "You do look a lot better now than you did when Tien brought you in here," he said. "You should've seen yourself."
"I was in here every day to see if you'd wake up!" Gohan boasted.
Piccolo blinked once as his vision went out of focus. What the hell is this? he thought angrily. What is happening to me? Again he became dizzy, and he closed his eyes to prevent his vision from swimming.
"Not that you would care," Chi-Chi muttered under her breath.
Piccolo usually counted his exceptional hearing among his blessings (if he had any at all), but now he rued the fact. He heard the woman's words as loud and as clear as if she had been standing next to him when she said them. And they hurt. For some strange reason, Ma Junior, the son of the Demon Lord, was pained by a simple statement. His eyes flew open as he turned his head toward the door, where Chi-Chi was standing in the shadows. If looks could kill, he would be dead, he mused. Then again, the look he shot her was not kind, either. "Why would I not?" he asked quietly.
Son Chi-Chi jumped at the sound of his voice, unaware that she had been heard. Well, now that she was, she could involve herself and tear her son from the demon's cold grasp. He wouldn't be able to fight now…he was on her level, and she intended to press her advantage. "You never seem to care if he follows you or not!" she snapped, glaring at him as she took a step into the light. "He idolizes you, or haven't you noticed that either? Gohan talks about you day in and day out, and what do you do for him? You don't care, and don't try to deny it!"
"I think it's about time to go downstairs, Yamcha," Bulma whispered into her boyfriend's ear. "This is about to get ugly." She never was one to sit around and listen to an argument that could turn physical, and this was no exception. The warrior nodded wordlessly, and together they crept quickly past Chi-Chi. Pu'ar followed them out.
The woman barely registered their escape.
Piccolo was glad that someone had the brains to leave before a brawl started. He didn't think Chi-Chi would attempt to hurt him while Gohan was around, but then again, he hadn't expected her to drag him into a pointless argument in front of him, and look where that had gotten them. He didn't know whether he should laugh at her or take a swing at her. The former would provoke an attack from Chi-Chi, and the latter would provoke a response from Goku. He furrowed his brow until his eyes were mere slits, much like a cat.
"You had the gall to not only kill my husband but steal my only child away from me! You ruined our family life, and worse, you've destroyed Gohan's future as a scholar! What school would accept a child who thinks violence is the solution to everything?" she raged.
"But mom," Gohan protested weakly, "I don't think that! Honest, I don't!"
"None!" she continued angrily. "You have ruined my son's future!"
"Chi-Chi!" Goku said sharply. "Leave him alone!"
"No, Goku," she snapped back. "I'm not done with him. He has gotten away with too much, and it's time for that to end."
Kill her. The thought came unbidden into Piccolo's mind, but he dismissed it quickly. He was in no mood to have four of the six fighters on the island attack him at once, and that was providing that Gohan didn't attack him and Yamcha didn't charge up the stairs. Hell, Bulma probably even had some kind of tranquilizer on her somewhere, and he did not want to be drugged. He looked quickly around the room and saw that everyone else was nearly as surprised by Chi-Chi's outburst as he had been. Tien and Krillin wore identical expressions of disbelief, and Chiaotzu was frowning. Gohan looked as if he was about to cry. Goku was upset.
"Do you have any idea of what you have done, Piccolo?" she demanded.
The silence in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife. Gohan's eyes were red and puffy from holding back his tears – the boy was caught between his mother and his beloved mentor and friend. How could she be doing this? he wondered dimly. It just wasn't fair.
Piccolo turned his head back to the ceiling and smirked. Those present saw a scorn-filled façade, confident and aloof. Only a practiced eye would have caught the brief glimmer of pain in his eyes before he donned his invisible mask. "I've lied, fought, enraged, hated, killed…is that enough of a list for you?" he asked bitterly. "And taught Gohan how to fight, to protect what he believes in. And died."
Everyone knew how Piccolo had leapt in front of a ki blast meant for Gohan during the battle with Vegeta and Nappa. Nappa had hurled it at the young boy, meaning to kill him, but the Namek had saved him, shielding him with his own body. All who had died because of a ki ball knew how it felt: the searing heat, almost more than what the body could bear, and the chill that came when the attack was finished, colder than the biting winds of the Yunzabit Heights. Piccolo was experienced enough to know the outcome of such an action, but he had done it anyway, without regard for his own life. He was determined to protect the boy at all costs – and he had succeeded.
Chi-Chi was unable to come up with a proper retort. Instead, she stared at the Namek, the expression on her face similar to that of a deer caught in the headlights of a car.
"Piccolo," Goku began to say.
"No, Goku," the green man said, silencing him. "I know why your wife has this grudge, and perhaps I deserve it. But the reason is not meant to be heard by all." Because of my sire, and my actions, he thought. Because of what he and I have done. Not because I am different, a Namek, but because I am a demon. Because I am evil incarnate. It was only because he had practiced long and hard to keep a calm exterior that Piccolo was able to hide his wince.
Suddenly, a familiar ki appeared in the hallway, just outside the door. Chi-Chi leapt when the owner of the ki came up behind her and greeted the group as a whole. And Piccolo suppressed a growl when that person came up next to him and frowned down at him.
For that person was none other than Kami.
* * * * *
Well, that's Chapter Fourteen for you. I find it strange, having come this far and seeing how everything falls together. Interesting. Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. 'Til next time.
~Dreamwraith