A/N: Thank you all for your reviews :-D

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Piccolo was sitting in mid air meditating when Crisjin returned that night. He was the first to return which Piccolo didn't find odd at all, until he noticed the man was empty handed. Unfolding his legs and standing up, Piccolo approached Crisjin finding that the man had had the crap beaten out of him. On top of that he was near tears, his shined in the moonlight as he stared at Piccolo.

"She was just starting to trust me again." He whispered wiping blood and dirt from his face, "And I let this happen."

Piccolo furrowed his eyebrows as dread washed over him, "What happened?" He growled his voice low with repressed anger.

Crisjin bowed his head sighing deeply, "I was ambushed by 17-"

Piccolo didn't even wait to hear the rest, "Stay here," He shouted over his shoulder, "And don't you dare tell Kimura!" He had to get that child back; there was no saying what the androids would do with her. Piccolo scowled powering up and flew as fast as he could towards Goku and Vegeta's quickly lowering ki's. Suddenly they were before him both looking mussed and pissed.

"Where're they?" Piccolo demanded baring his teeth at the two men.

Goku shook his head looking frustrated and at a loss, "We can't find them. They just disappeared." He sighed rubbing the back of his neck.

Vegeta sneered at him, "They wouldn't have escaped if you hadn't been such an idiot and slowed me down!"

"I don't have time for this." Piccolo growled flying away from the two Saiyajins to leave them to their argument; he had to find those androids tonight.

He was over some mountains when he heard something, it was faint but he was positive he heard it. Crying, more specifically it was Akane crying. He stopped trying to pinpoint the sound of the cries and moved towards it. Talking joined the crying, the androids and they were arguing.

Piccolo paused ducking into the shadows as he got closer so he could listen.

"You've gone too far this time 17." 18 said cradling the crying child in her arms trying to quiet it, "I was against you raping her but this; I'm not going to allow it."

17 scowled at his sister folding his arms over his chest, "She's my child too. Just think of the damage we can do when she gets older if we train her. They wouldn't dare kill their own." He grinned at his own logic.

18 frowned rocking the baby, "No 17. I'm not doing it, I'm tired of this. I'm done and I'm taking her back."

17's face fell, "You've fallen for that human," He sneered stepping closer, "That midget that you've been tracking."

"I have not!" 18 snickered, "You think that's it? You've gone crazy dear brother."

"Then kill him. He's weak like the others were, prove that I'm crazy."

18 stared at 17, her face blank, "No." She hissed, "I won't."

Anger swept across 17's face, "Then I will." He turned away from his sister and took two steps. His eyes widened and for a minute Piccolo had thought he had been spotted when 17 fell forward revealing a smoking hole in his back.

18 let her hand fall to her side, "You won't touch him." She whispered walking away from the body.

Piccolo moved out of the shadows startling the android, he looked over her shoulder at the dead body of her brother then back to her. She met his eyes dead on and held out Akane to him. He nodded taking the child and walked away.

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Crisjin sighed in relief as Piccolo landed holding a sleeping Akane in his arms. Carefully the Saiyajin lifted her from Piccolo's arms, "Thank you." He nodded before quickly walking into the palace.

Piccolo watched Crisjin's retreating back disappear through the doors; he frowned turning to look off the lookout. The Earth was once again safe for a short while.

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Rebuilding had begun; the human's worked quickly putting up back up the buildings and skyscrapers in a matter of months. And after two years everything was back to normal.

Capsule Corps had been one of the first buildings rebuilt, and much to Vegeta's (and Tora's) delight, so was the Gravity Room. Kimura smiled watching Trunks play with Akane outside Capsule Corps; she checked her watch for the fifth time that minute and grinned. Bulma furrowed her eyebrows together opening her mouth to question the woman when an irritated scream filled the air and Tora came running around the corner of the building.

Kimura stood up brushing off the seat of her pants.

"Okay I'm here!" Tora announced grinning as she sat down in Kimura's place, "22." She nodded to Kimura before waving to Akane who giggled and went back to playing with Trunks.

Bulma looked between the two Saiyajins, "Care to fill me in?" She folded her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow.

"I'm going apartment hunting with Piccolo; Tora said she'd watch Akane for me tonight." Kimura smiled stretching.

"Yep." Tora smiled moving closer to the children and picked up a stuff bear making it dance, "Akane needs to spend more time with her auntie Tora so I can corrupt her when she gets older!" She said in a baby-like singsong voice.

Bulma blinked ignoring what Tora had just said, "Apartment hunting with Piccolo? How'd you rope him into that?"

"Crisjin's got a job; otherwise he'd have gone with me. And Piccolo… well," She shrugged, "He just said he'd go."

"'He just said he'd go'?" Bulma repeated looking at Kimura unbelievingly.

Kimura smiled nodding then shook her head, "Okay I bugged him for three hours straight until he finally threw his arms up in the air and said, 'Fine! I'll go with you if you'd just leave me alone already!'"

Tora fell over laughing enjoying the mental image that had given her. Bulma smiled waving Kimura off, "Alright, see you tomorrow then?"

"Yep." Kimura nodded walking over to Akane and kissed the top of her head, "Bye kiddo."

Akane giggled, "Bye bye!" She said crawling over to Tora to try and take the bear from her.

"See ya!" Kimura waved hovering into the air and flew off.

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"This is it." Kimura walked into the living room of the small apartment, "What do you think?" She turned to Piccolo and shrugged.

Piccolo looked around, "When you apartment hunt, don't you usually look at more than one apartment?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Since when did you become an expert on apartment hunting?" Kimura rolled her eyes then smiled, "Usually, but I had watched them build this one and I like it."

"If we weren't really going apartment hunting today then why didn't you say so?" Piccolo grumbled thinking back to Kimura's annoyingly insistent begging from the other day.

Kimura shrugged, "I had free time," She smiled, "Come on! What do you think?"

"Looks like an apartment." Piccolo said smirking; she had payback coming to her for yesterday.

"You really like it?" Kimura grinned, "Thanks!"

Piccolo sweat dropped, 'Damn,' He thought disappointedly, 'Backfired.'

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Rain drizzled, slowly soaking Piccolo's clothes as he unlocked the door and let himself in the small apartment. He carefully closed the door and sat the key down on the table next to the door before going into the bathroom. Steam filled up the little bathroom as soon as the shower heated up to a reasonable temperature. Piccolo sighed feeling his muscles relax under the heat and pressure of the water. Murky water ran off him and down the drain, training was difficult like always. He had been pleased to see the way Gohan had been progressing. The teen was back up to fighting shape, just like his father.

His father was another story entirely.

Turning off the water, Piccolo stepped out flaring his ki to dry himself off before reapplying a clean set of clothes. Blue jeans and a black T-shirt, Kimura had commented that she liked him in that outfit.

He moved out of the bathroom and stretched himself out on the couch. The rain fell harder lulling him deep into thought. The door opened and he looked up smirking slightly unconsciously at the sight of Kimura.

She looked back at him unsurprised and smiled closing the door behind her, "It's raining outside." She sighed pulling her hair out of its ponytail and raked her hands through it before retying it back up. Grinning, she stretched her arms over her head, "Glad you didn't break the door this time." She said sarcastically as Piccolo smirked, sitting up and swung his legs over the side of the couch.

"Found your key. You shouldn't hide it in a fake rock, someone could break in."

Kimura rolled her eyes and flopped down on the floor; its carpet the same color as her blue gi, "Yea, someone." The sarcastic bite in her voice returning.

Piccolo shrugged watching her move to the couch beside him and stare at the floor. "You look like you have something on your mind." She tilted her head to the side, her eyes focused on his chest.

Piccolo shook his head, "Just thinking."

Kimura raised an eyebrow giving him a curious look, a look she had found he couldn't help but give into.

He breathed in sharply through his nose, the sound startling in the sudden silence that had taken residence there with them.

"'bout what?" Kimura pressed.

Piccolo smirked looking away from her, "About what's happened since you arrived."

"When I just walked in?" Kimura furrowed her eyebrows together and Piccolo chuckled shaking his head.

"No, when you and the other's came to Earth… When the androids attacked, and when Akane was born."

Kimura smiled lightly, "You have had a lot on your mind." She nudged his arm, "Guess what."

Piccolo raised an eyebrow snapping out of his previous thoughts of the past and on to the present, "Hm?" He grunted.

"Tora told me this and doesn't want anyone to know yet so keep quiet," Piccolo nodded and Kimura leaned in closer to him, "Goku asked her to marry him." She whispered.

Piccolo's eyes widened, "What! When did they-?"
Kimura laughed leaning back into the couch, "Oh Pic, they've been together since Chichi died!" She winced slightly realizing how that sounded and shook her head, "Tora helped him get through it. She was there when he was sick and everything. It was just timing, you know?"

"No not really, but I'll take your word for it." Piccolo leaned back against the couch, "Does that mean I'll have to wear one of those suits…" He grumbled making Kimura laugh.

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A/N: And it's been full circle! Please Review!

Edit: This is also the last chapter since I didn't like the chapter after this and it only seems fitting that this is the last chapter. (Also, then I get to work on another fic and maybe finish Journey 'sweat drop'.)

Hope you all enjoyed this story and thank you all for following along and your reviews! X-D