It's still snowing!!! EEEE!
---
Piccolo let out a soft sigh as he sat down on the couch, leaning back and trying to get comfortable. He heard faint murmuring from the room he had left, but wasn't serious about the threat. He knew that they'd probably whisper about how evil he was for sending them to bed so early. But he didn't really care. They'd fall asleep eventually. That's what he wanted. Peace and quiet.
He closed his eyes and put his hands behind his head, hoping that for some reason the part might end early, and Vegeta and Bulma would return to collect the brats ahead of schedule. He shuddered suddenly at a horrible thought. What if they got in a wreck or something happened to them on the way back?
Then they would never come to pick the kids up.
He twitched at the thought. Oh yeah, plus they would then be orphans...and Vegeta. Ah, he'd never be able to have drinking parties again with the bastard. Bulma...well....he wouldn't really miss Bulma.
His eyes widened. What if that meant...that he would have to take care of the two forever!?
He rather be killed by a mob wielding heavy, dull objects.
Piccolo shook his head to clear his mind of the frightening thoughts, assuring himself that they would be safe and arrive in one piece. At least he hoped so. He prayed to Kami it would be so. But what if something did happen to them?! He couldn't take care of children for so long. He'd probably end up hurting them rather than helping them grow up and live long fulfilling successful lives. Hell, he'd probably kill them before they could. He never could imagine himself as a successful parent.
The consequences rushed through piccolo's mind at a fast pace, making him feel disorientated and jumpy. He swallowed and grasped his chest. He could feel it coming again. One of his panic attacks. He closed his eyes tightly and leaned forward. He felt himself slipping further...Everything molded into black.
When he awoke again, he had the strange feeling of...being somehow unwhole. He sat up from his slumped position in realization. "Dammit!" He growled and looked around, wondering where his two counterparts had gone to. He felt weak without them inside his being, and felt exposed and half-completed, like a jig-saw puzzle left unfinished.
"Kami? Nail? I know you're around here somewhere." He growled, and walked to the bedroom. No sign of either of them. He checked the other rooms, but not the guest room, not wanting to awake the kids. He went to the kitchen and counted the beers. Hmm...no beers missing. Strange...
He knew that it was common for Nail, as soon as released, to steal a beer or two from the fridge while Piccolo was still unconscious from the separation. Finding the fridge untouched as he had left it was a very rare occurrence.
"Hmmm..." Confused, he wondered what was going on. Usually he at least found Kami nearby after these occurrences. Where would they have gone to?
---
"Do you think the kids are doing alright, Vegeta?" Bulma asked her husband, seated in a plush dinning chair at one of the many round tables adorned with a flowing white table cloth, decorated by an elaborate center peace with candy canes and a candle, as well as Christmas tinsel and ornaments.
Vegeta yawned, not even considering the question, "I'm sure they're doing fine." He replied, boredly. He lifted his wine glass to his lips taking a long drink.
Bulma growled slightly, sensing his carelessness. "I'm serious! I have a bad feeling..."
Vegeta yawned and sat back. "Come on woman, you always have those bad feelings. And hardly anything actually bad happens. Last time you had one of these "premonitions" the worst thing that happened was that that damned cat of your Father's almost choked on a marble."
"Still...I have a feeling it's something really bad this time."
Vegeta sighed and set his glass down. "Bulma, now you're having feelings about your feelings. Really, just relax."
"Maybe we should pick them up early. I mean the party isn't really important..."
"You've been looking forward to this damn thing for weeks," Vegeta said, looking at her sternly. "The kids are fine. Green Bean might not be the best babysitter money can buy, but he can take care of them just fine. Now stop thinking about it and enjoy yourself."
"Okay, okay." Bulma said, leaning back in her chair, trying to shake the feeling she had. She glanced to the window, frowning a bit. "I'll try."
---
"Goten, hurry it up!"
"But I'm scared, Trunks! Why do I have to go first?!"
"Because, I have to make sure the coast is clear. It'll be fine, just go down the rope I made."
"Well what if it comes untied when I get on?"
"Then you'll just fall to your death."
"TRUNKS!"
"I was just kidding! Jeez. I swear it won't come untied. Now hurry before we get caught!"
"Okay..." Goten gulped as he slowly began to lower himself over the ledge of the window, gripping the rope of tied sheets firmly.
Trunks eyes shifted to the door quickly. He heard the door knob rattle as it began to open.
"Goten, go NOW! He's coming!" Without waiting for his team mate to speed up himself, Trunks 'helped' Goten by giving him a firm shove off the window ledge, jumping down after him.
Trunks grabbed the sheet directly beneath the window, placing his feet firmly against the wall like a rock climber. Goten however barely managed to grab the rope after falling a few feet in his fear, and swung uncontrollably toward the house, his back thumping hard against the wall. He let out a slight grunt holding onto the sheet-rope with one hand tightly. Trunks hushed him and stood frozen, listening to the activity above.
Piccolo blinked finding the room empty. Not only of Nail and Kami, who he had been searching for, but also the two children, the beds left both childless and sheet less. Only the comforter covered the bareness of each bed. He growled slightly. I have enough missing persons to worry about without those two running away. He knew that they hadn't come out of the door, unless they had escaped during his state of unconsciousness, which was too unlikely and lucky for the two to be possible. So, it was only logical that they took the only remaining exit out of the room. The window.
His eyes traveled to the window, and immediately, all his questions were answered. A sheet, tied to the foot that had been trunks' bed, stretched tightly out the window, bending sharply over the ledge from the weight that hung on it. He smirked as he watched the fabric twitch with the life that dangled from it, and walked to the window.
"Hurry up, Goten!" Trunks whispered urgently down the line. Goten whimpered, forcing himself not to look down, as he, mimicking Trunks rock-climber position moved down the taught line toward the ground.
Trunks glanced up at the window. No sign of being detected. He smirked victoriously, though it was quite cold, and the boys had forgotten about the snow, so they were dressed only in their regular clothes. The wind whipped at their single layer of clothing, making them shiver as they traveled downward.
Piccolo's voice suddenly made Trunks jump, loosing his grip on the sheet. "Cold out there, boys?"
Trunks felt his stomach drop as he physically fell backward, turning over in the air. Piccolo watched, his head out the window, his eyes widening in shock.
Goten look up to see his friend falling toward him. He reached out and caught a handful of the back of Trunk's pants, "GOTCHA!"
Trunks continued to fall until he was upside down, and suddenly the elastic of his pants lost all slack and tightened, resisting the force of gravity. Instead of crashing into the ground, the force of the fall and the direction his pants, in order to hold his weight, swung him face first against the wall.
Goten blinked and looked down watching, "Sorry Trunks!"
Trunks growled slightly and winced, pulling his face up and rubbing his bleeding nose. He blinked to see the ground less than two feet away.
Piccolo sweat dropped, watching the two. "You know, this is all very adventurous and daring and all, but why didn't you just fly out the window?"
---
Goten and Trunks sat on the couch, now wrapped in warm blankets, pouting slightly as they listened to Piccolo tell them off. Trunks had a bandage on his nose.
"What you did was completely irresponsible. What would have happened if you two did happen to get away? Where would you go then? It's less that 20 degrees outside, and you two think it's safe to go for a merry little stroll outside in your t-shirts and jeans!" He growled some as he paced, his arms behind his back. "You're mothers would have both personally taken it as their responsibilities to kill me slowly, ripping me apart limb by limb. You disobey me, you're parents, who next? Do you really want to piss Santa off this close to Christmas?"
Piccolo watched in satisfaction as the two children's eyes grew large in fear. Yes, Piccolo knew that'd get to them. He had indeed heard of the fat guy in a red suit who, as legend tells it, delivers presents to all the good children in the earth on the eve of Christmas--Was this human myth true? He did not know. He had been considered a "naughty" child all his life, he was sure, and never received or celebrated this earthly holiday.
"You really think Santa's mad now?" Goten swallowed, frowning, his eyes sparkling with oncoming tears.
Piccolo blinked. He hadn't expected such a strong reaction. He didn't want to have to deal with a crying kid. "Err...well, I think he's probably disappointed in you two." The two looked down in shame. "But I think if you behave really well and listen to your parents, then you'll be on the "Nice" list by Christmas."
"Really?" Trunks asked, looking to Piccolo hopefully.
"Yeah, Santa forgives, right?" Piccolo tried to smile, which came out as a toothy lopsided grin.
The two boys seemed much happier afterwards.
"Now, get back to bed."
A loud growl met his command.
He blinked. "Who growled at me?" He glared.
Goten's cheeks reddened slightly. "Um, well ,my tummy did."
"I'm hungry," Trunks said, frowning, "Can't we eat before we go to sleep?"
Immediately Piccolo thought of a solution. Pizza. But then he remembered. They didn't make deliveries to the lookout. He cursed under his breath.
"Err..." He looked at the two. "Do you know how to make anything?"
"I know how to make Mac and Cheese." Trunks said.
"Don't have any."
"Mommy taught me how to cook Ramen noodles!" Goten jumped.
"Hey, I think I have some of those." Piccolo blinked. He led the two excited boys into the kitchen. He opened the top drawer below his microwave and found the packets of dried noodles.
Goten stood on the kitchen stool as he worked with the oven and sink. When the water in the pot was boiling he added the dried noodles. He stirred them a bit, then added the flavoring. A few minutes later, the noodles were ready.
They ate at the table, ravenously, despite the burning hot temperature of the soup. Piccolo just watched with disgust, as he usually did when viewing a saiyan meal. He sighed slightly. They soon were finished, content, and dropped their spoons.
"Alright, well that was the agreement." Piccolo crossed his arms. "You two ate, now it's time to sleep."
"Aww.." Both boys groaned in defeat, and got up form their chairs.
Piccolo followed them to the guest bedroom. They jumped into bed again and he turned out the light. The continuous orb he had created still glowed as bright as ever. He watched them get comfortable, snuggling down in the covers, closing their eyes and yawning. Finally. he thought in relief, and began to close the door. The door was less than an inch open when a timid voice from the other side made him flinch.
"Mr. Piccolo?" It was Goten.
He sighed and opened the door in resignation. "Yes, kid?"
"Can...can you read us a bed time story?"
He blinked. Before he had watched Vegeta in amusement tell the children packs of lies to entertain them, remembering their enlightened faces of belief and interest. He supposed doing this wouldn't hurt. He still hadn't found his counter parts, but he supposed that he should get the two asleep before searching for them. Sitting on the edge of Goten's bed, he agreed, "Alright. I'll tell you a bed time story."
"Yay!" Both Trunks and Goten grinned in excitement.
"Once upon a time..." Piccolo started. He knew how these tales began from watching. He knew that most of these tales involved nights and dark age theme characters. "There was a brave knight. He was really in love with this one chick, but she was poor, and his bastard father wouldn't let him marry her..."
Ten Minutes Later
"And blood was everywhere! But the knight kept swinging. He was now missing a leg, a toe, his middle finger on his right hand, half of his left arm, his left ear, his nose, and his right eye. But still he fought the mob, the pain in his limbs nothing compared to the pain in his heart. He beat down the last man, only to look up and see his lady slip away from him forever. He sank to his knees and cried out in pain, lifted his bloodied sword, and stabbed it into his heart. He fell to his side, and his greedy father grinned evilly, watching from the carriage window."
The two boys stared at him, pale, their eyes larger than he had ever seen before.
"The End." Piccolo ended and smiled, getting up. "Sleep well, kids." He walked to the door.
"WAIT!" Both voices made him freeze in his tracks.
"That can't be the ending!" Goten yelled, near tears.
"The bad guy is always supposed to loose!" Trunks added.
"The good guy always wins!"
"They're supposed to live happily ever after!"
"They can't die!!!"
Piccolo jerked as both kids bust into uncontrollable tears. He sat there stunned, not knowing what he did wrong or how to fix it. A voice behind him startled him.
"He was just kidding, kids," Nail walked into the room suddenly, making Piccolo stare at him in disbelief. He had two glasses of water, and passed Piccolo, giving one each to the children, who sniffled and took a drink.
Kami stood in the doorway, arms crossed. Piccolo looked back at him, "Where the hell have you two been?"
"Singles bar." Kami answered dryly. He sighed. "Nail's idea."
"I should have known," Piccolo mumbled and looked back to Nail, who now had both kids on either side of him on Trunks' bed. He did look happier than normal. And he could tell by the slight slur in his voice that the alcohol he had consumed was still taking effect.
"Piccolo just wanted to get your blood boiling." Nail said, patting the kids on the back, who still sniffled. "Now the real story goes like this..."
Piccolo watched and listened in disbelief as Nail ended his tail in a whirl of butterflies, ponies, and happy bunnies.
"And the bunnies promised the knight that the land of Carrot-World would always be open to them. The end."
Trunks seemed less than satisfied by this fluffy rendition of the story, but seemed to prefer it over the blood and sorrow of the other. Goten smiled in completely bliss. "Wow! Did the Knight and the lady ever get married?"
"Yes they did," Nail smiled down at him, nodding slightly. "And they lived happily ever after."
These words seemed to sooth both children. Nail took Goten back to his bed, and the both settled down, content. The three left the room, silently, while the children drifted to sleep.
"I need to have a word with you." Piccolo glared at the two.
Nail and Kami glanced at each other, before following Piccolo into the kitchen.
"Can I get a beer first?" Nail asked.
"NO!"
---
There you guys go! Wow this is the fastest update I've done in a long time! Well I hope to have another out soon! Please review! BAH, the sun is out today. Noooo, snow please stay! x.X