Hello again, Cambreon bringing you more DBZ: The kind I have no rights to, that is :) And I just realized that it would be a good idea to post a picture of Midori on my profile... I mean, I've only been drawing her for the last 4.5 years xD Oh, and, reviews are appreciated!

So, Chapter 8: Midori sees Cell... wonder what they'll talk about.

"More visitors? I'm becoming quite tired of all this…"

I located the smooth voice to my right, and proceeded forward. 'Well… Maybe I shouldn't get too close…' I grimaced ever so slightly. He… it stood in the middle of the massive, marble ring, arms folded stiffly over its chest. I didn't know quite how to describe the android. 'A giant, green... spotted insect, maybe?'

He was odd to say in the least, but not… repulsive.

I mirrored his stance, feeling less at ease than before. "Your are Cell, are you not?"

Beyond his mouth, not a muscle twitched as he spoke. "Only those who have been living under a rock do not know my identity." His tone lacked amusement.

I allowed the creature his sarcasm, even laughed lightly at his comment. "My apologies, Cell. I'm not from this planet… I just arrived—yesterday. You might know some of my friends and family."

This seemed to catch his attention.

"Oh really? And who might they be?" His violet eyes flashed in the dark, and I could see them tracking the lazy movements of my tail.

"A young man from the future named Trunks. The proud saiyan prince, Vegeta… And lastly, Goku and his son… Gohan."

Even his smile was cold. "Ah… of course. I can see you are a saiyan, after all. Related to Vegeta, no doubt."

I nodded, smirking at his correct assumptions. "But why guess Vegeta?"

"I was fed information about Goku since the time of his boyhood. He has no other saiyan family other than his son and a deceased brother."

A grin pulled at my lips. "Your information could be wrong. After all, I came from a different planet. I could have been a relative separated from my kin."

Cell was silent for a moment, eyes narrowed. "I suppose you do have a point, but common sense tells me that you are of blood relation to Vegeta. You don't seem anything like Goku. You're much colder… and calculating, just like Vegeta, but you try to hide it…"

I frowned, glaring darkly at the somewhat humanoid machine. 'So the robot has got some mechanical balls to boot...' He'd hit me below the belt with that comment, whether he knew it or not.

…

Droplets of blood hit floor with a light plopping sound as a young man slid painfully down a wall.

There was a gaping whole in his chest, in which his crimson lifeline poured freely from, but he still had enough energy to sputter and cough. "I… knew it." He choked out.

Across the cramped room, Midori stood silently, lowering her once glowing hand back to her side. "I'm sorry," She murmured softly. Her words held some sincerity in them, but with her face set as hard as a rock, she believed her once friend would die not believing her.

"No you're not!" he coughed, successfully showering himself in blood. His once lively blue eyes were strained, and the bright color faded with each passing second. "You're just as cold and calculating as the other two… I can't believe I considered you to be different…"

His eyes drooped as he finally whispered, "You lead me on… all the while hiding your true self…"

…He was dead.

…

I regarded the smug android evenly. "I don't like it when people judge me by my cover... You wouldn't be trying to get on my bad side, would you, Cell?" With my arms still folded, I thrummed my fingers on the side of my bicep, where small sparks crackled around them.

He laughed a short, hearty laugh. "Like Vegeta, I bet your bark is far worse than your bite. Besides, I read 'em like I see 'em, sweetheart." His lips pulled up into a defiant smirk.

I scoffed. "Believe me, if I were anything more like Vegeta—" I found my tone becoming harsher as I continued. "I'd tear you to shreds this instant for your trash talk and there would be no need for such an idiotic tournament after tonight." I was growling at the end. That was the problem with villains: no respect for anyone… Damn android thought he was so great...

All humor was drained from the ring. Cell just stared. His sharp, unblinking eyes gave off a faint glow in the dark.

The sun had officially gone down. The moon was plump in the middle of the sky and lit up the arena so that even our shadows could be with us.

I had to be careful about that...

"Well…"

I snapped out of my daze, my arms falling apart gently.

"After I destroy Goku, I look forward to testing you in the ring… Your threats may be less vivid than Vegeta's, but somehow they feel more genuine." He then continued, chuckling darkly, "There's nothing better than seeing someone so self-righteous and arrogant being shown up by another least suspected."

He was talking about Vegeta…

I furrowed my eyebrows, lips parted, though slightly hesitant before speaking. "… You talk as if I'm stronger than him…"

The android smiled icily for the last time that night. "We shall see…"

…

Technically it was still night, but the watch I'd found in Goku's jacket told me it was 5:17 AM. The sun would be rising in an hour, ninety minutes at the most.

I hadn't eaten or slept since the previous night, at Capsule Corp.

Maybe that's why I was so lanky… well, under saiyan standards anyway. I ate the same amount as any other saiyan would in one sitting… but that was when I got around to eating. Vegeta had commented that my build was laughable, while Bulma once said I had a "rockin' body" that made the girls at their hottest beaches look bad.

The Dragon Balls were safe and sound, though I did reprimand myself for leaving them all alone to go see that cyborg. Since my return, I'd been sitting next to them, watching as the fireflies danced in the mellow glow of their magic.

Casting my gaze over my shoulder, I smiled softly through the dark as a pair of yellow slacks came into view. "Welcome back."

Goku stared down at me with that owlish gaze of his as he scratched his head with one hand and held my jacket loosely with the other. "I just finished those puzzles like Tao said and came to get the other two balls, but my dragon radar said that they were all really close…" He pulled out the radar with his free hand and showed it to me.

Not only did the screen display six orange dots bunched together in the very center, but another one not to far off. The seventh ball…

"And I could sense that you were just as close. What happened to those guys?" His tone wasn't accusing, but genuinely curious. Hah!

I hid my smirk behind the collar of his jacket, with the help of the night. "They had more… pressing matters to attend to, and they said the dragon balls would only hinder them." I shrugged. "He gave them all—Ah, I mean, he gave his other two to me… to keep."

Goku grinned that signature grin of his and leaned against the tree behind us. "Wow! That was really nice of them."

I stifled a laugh, pretending to cough lightly. "So you did all those puzzles for no reason?"

The Super Saiyan's smile faltered. "Oh man… you're right!" He cast a sour look at the tree branches above him. "Oh well…" He wasn't too bothered.

I turned away from Goku to face an equally attractive sight: the reflection of Earth's full moon on the black lake's surface. Gorgeous... like the blond behind me... ahem. It was harmless looking at the reflection, because the moon's beams didn't come from it. It was the moonbeams that turned us into our great ape forms, which were only strong enough to do so when the moon was full and one made direct eye contact.

I tried not to act surprised when Goku sat unexpectedly close to me, his leg bumping mine when he shifted to get into a comfortable position.

My tailless companion was gazing out onto the lake as well, leaned back on one hand (his other holding my jacket which was balled up in his lap).

"Oh." I suddenly realized and removed his jacket from my person. "Here."

"Hmm? Oh, thanks." We exchanged coats silently, but he did not move to put his on as I did mine.

A moment later, he sighed heavily, pulling out the radar. After a few clicks, the faint beeping I'd grown accustomed to ceased to be heard and Goku pocketed the device; he'd turned it off.

"We're not going for the last one? It seemed to be nearby..." I pointed out softly in confusion. He was acting a bit different…

The male saiyan flopped onto his back and gave a weak laugh. "I'm tired!"

…So that was it.

I smiled gently, nodding to show my understanding.

Goku finally made use of his jacket by laying it over his chest like a blanket, pulling it all the way up to his nose.

Part of me secretly wondered if he might be inhaling my scent on the article of clothing like I'd done with his.

He then shifted slightly, laying those incredibly aquamarine eyes on me with an air of curiosity. "Hey Dori?"

"Yes?"

He pulled down the collar covering his mouth so it rested on his chin instead. "Are you a Super Saiyan, too?"

Both of my eyebrows had risen as I turned to look down at him. "Goku, don't you think I would have used it when we were fighting the other day?" I averted my gaze quickly, my hands finding themselves busy in the thick grass beneath them.

Propping himself up on one elbow, Goku smiled despite my answer. "But you could still get there one day, couldn't you? You're really strong, I'm surprised you haven't—"

"It's not that..." I interrupted him, shaking my head. "I was taught that being able to transform isn't just a matter of strength… it has to do with your gender."

He was silent, so I continued.

"Only males are born with the chromosome that allows one to push their body past that limit… to... go Super Saiyan."

His eyes lost the glitter they once held a moment ago, and his smile faded. "Oh… that's too bad."

I turned away so my darkened gaze wouldn't startle the man. I wasn't about to tell him anymore concerning the matter. That small feeling of disgust still surfaced whenever I thought about it.

"Wake up...please..."

"Midori will need a blood transplant. My son, you are the only one with the matching blood type."

"You know…" Goku's voice was soft as he spoke.

I glanced back down at him. His eyes shined with a new light as he gazed up at the similarly twinkling stars. "Vegeta told me that a Super Saiyan is born every hundred years…" He then smiled sheepishly. "Or was it every thousand?"

I smiled slightly at the irony. "Well, it was five this time around…"

His eyes were already closed as he nodded slowly, having turned onto his side, facing me.

I studied his face with the scrutiny of an artist as he yawned. His mouth vacuumed in air as he opened it wide, his large eyes squeezing shut tight. Pale eyebrows rose to hide under his thick bangs as he exhaled, then lowered back to their original place when he was done. His eyelids relaxed, leaving his face peaceful, like an… Sort of like an angel.

I smiled sadly as realization poked me in the side. 'What's so special about you, Kakarot? Goku? I've known you for maybe five days… and you've wormed your way into my affections.'

He pulled his jacket up higher so that it covered his mouth again and grumbled something even I couldn't quite pick up.

"What?"

"Wake me up in a few hours…" he said louder this time, though pretty drowsily.

"… I will." As if waiting for my reassurance, I felt his energy signal dip low. If Goku wasn't sleeping yet, he would be any second.

'It's three 'till six… I'll wake him up at eight…'

I leaned back until the soft, overgrown grass cushioned my body, a part of me wishing away the several inches that separated our lying forms. Smiling sadly again, I settled for just elbow contact.

Before shutting my abused eyes, I spared a fleeting glance at the full moon. It was too stunning to ignore.

Miles away, the teenage son of Bulma and Vegeta was just waking up.

'6:11AM?' Trunks squinted, his eyes not believing the flashing numbers in his hand. With a sigh, he flopped back onto his bed, placing the digital clock back in its respective place as he did so.

Why was he up so early? The sun was barely visible over the horizon.

He always asked himself that question… every morning. But he already knew the answer.

"If you're so eager to watch one of our training sessions, then you'll have to get up bright and early."

Innocent baby blue eyes blinked cutely up the older woman. "How early?"

Midori smiled softly at her six-year-old nephew. "You'll have to rise with the sun."

'Eventually it was me in those training sessions and Midori watching…' Trunks remembered how he would always scramble in the early morning to watch Gohan and Midori spar and practice technique. When he turned eight, it was finally his turn to participate, as Midori watched her student teach his pupil.

And then one day… she wasn't there to watch.

Even though the teen's eyes were closed, he squeezed them shut even tighter. 'You'd think all those years would be enough time to heal… but seeing her and Gohan… seeing everyone… it's just so hard not to forget,' He sighed heavily '… that this is only temporary.'

After rolling around in his bed for a few more minutes, Trunks finally opened his eyes to stare at the dull ceiling above him. 'Midori… I wonder what she's up to...'

Everything was blurry. Above me was the brightest of lights, as if something much greater than life was calling out to me. Below me was a murky abyss, daunting with the illusion of a never-ending plunge.

I moved towards the light, my body sluggish, but at the same time as light as a feather… almost like I was flying.

I broke the surface and shook my head, water droplets flying off of my hair. 'I love swimming.'

The sun was fully out now. When I'd got in, it was just a dull glow over the tops of the mountains surrounding us (I'd only slept for about half an hour). But Goku was still sleeping. He— …I thought he'd still been sleeping.

'Strange…' I narrowed my eyes as I scanned the grounds around the lake. My clothes were still there… along with another pile of orange and yellow. 'Wait… I don't sense him either…—!' Faster than I could take my next blink, something latched on to my ankles and jerked me underwater. At least my instincts kicked in fast enough to say "hold your breath!"

But before I could use my senses correctly, I began to panic, and through the blurriness I half-knowingly swung at the man of my inquiry. A swift (yet rough) knock on the head sent him the message. His high-pitched exclamation could be heard, followed by a flurry of bubbles that invaded my limited vision.

I broke away from Goku and swam towards the surface again, my face settling into an annoyed glare. He came up a few seconds later, his hands instantly clutching the top of his head.

'That fool's hair isn't even flattened!' I noticed the upstanding blond spikes with the twitch of an eye.

"Ouch!" His voice was whiny as he rubbed his head, eyes big with disbelief. "Why'd you have to hit me so hard?"

I returned his stare with one of my own. "Why'd you have to scare me like that?"

He pouted as I arched an eyebrow in question.

"I was just playing around…" He pouted some more, his eyes slightly narrowing. He really did act like a child sometimes...

I shook my head and adverted my gaze, squinting slightly against the early sunlight.

…

As I sat cross-legged on the grass, one thing I'd noticed right away was the painfully obvious difference in the sizes between fish on this planet and any other planet I'd been on. Goku dragged one aquatic behemoth back, the newly deceased creature slung over his shoulder by the tail. It had to weigh half a ton…

Any normal person would have gaped at the scene. A slightly over average-heighted man dragging along a fish almost five times the size of him… Not to say that I wasn't staring with round eyes, but something else had caught my attention.

In my earlier annoyance, I'd failed to notice he was wearing a mere pair of boxers… (Just as I was wearing only my undergarments). Now, I wasn't really one to care about how much or how little one was wearing, but… 'Great spirits from beyond—he could kill anyone by just showing that body off!' I suddenly remembered the teenage girl who'd gotten sucked into attending the ceremonial orgy on the gypsy planet... Me. 'It's a damn shame he wasn't there with me.'

For a saiyan he had a slender waist… he wasn't at all as thick as Vegeta was when it came to lower-body muscle tone (he made up for it with those arms of his), but he still had quite the physique. And his boxers… they were stuck to his wet body like another layer of skin…

"I got me a pretty big one here, don't I?" Goku smiled victoriously, painfully oblivious to the innuendo he'd just made.

I forced my rebellious eyes to move above his waistline and nodded eagerly, feeling the oncoming bubbles of laughter. "Oh yes… I can't wait to try it." I stifled my giggles by trying to clear my throat, then coughing. My eyes were getting misty too.

Oh Kais.

He placed the fish down gently and then rubbed his chin, staring at me. "Are you coming down with a cold?" His eyes widened dramatically a second later, as if he'd seen a ghost. "Oh gosh! You shouldn't get too close then! I don't wanna go to the doctors!" He then proceeded to blubber on about doctors and hospitals.

I had stopped laughing a while ago and just watched with a weary eye as he rambled for a few minutes. "Goku," I finally spoke, silencing him abruptly. "I'm not sick."

He blinked once, then twice, and just stared some more. "…Oh. Well, in that case, let's get this baby cooked up!" He flipped the cheer switch again, gesturing towards his large catch.

I watched on while the only other full-blooded saiyan besides me and my brother moved our breakfast towards the makeshift roasting station I'd assembled, a tiny smile taking my lips.

'Now when was the last time I ever laughed over something like that?' It was an immature moment on my part, regardless of the untold joke . 'With any other person I would have been privately embarrassed, but with him…'

I shook my head, my smile morphing into a smirk. 'I don't think you can get any more oblivious than that.' Unless he had known that I was openly checking him out… And he'd made that innuendo…

I narrowed my eyes at the ground, my lips forming a thin line. 'Let's hope he's as unmindful as he lets on.'

Minutes passed after that, Goku whistling an upbeat tune as he occasionally turned the fish by a branch that served as the skewer to hold it up.

I had to admit… it smelled heavenly. There was always something about the smell of roasting flesh that I loved... as perverse as that sounded. Accompanied by a hint of fresh lake water, I could already feel my stomach clenching impatiently.

Finding nothing better to do, I began fiddling with the grass. Six seconds later the clouds had caught my attention. Another six seconds and I was snapping my fingers in my lap... "I'm hungry, Goku."

He laughed lightly, turning our lunch again. "Tell me about it! I haven't eaten since yesterday morning." His stomach growled at an amazingly loud rate, as if on cue. "Oooo—see what I mean?" He rubbed his bare stomach gingerly, leaning forward slightly as if in real pain.

I leaned back on my hands, smirking playfully, allowing myself to enjoy the view once he'd turned his attention back to the task at hand. 'Yes… he's got quite the body…'

…

I don't know how he did it.

I could barely do it!

Sitting at the edge of the lake with Goku's clothes folded neatly in my lap, I frowned down at my reflection in the crystalline water. It had already been five minutes since I'd quit.

He had been underwater for SEVEN minutes. I could barely hold mine for two! So I'd left Goku to dive for the last Dragon Ball alone.

"What is he, part amphibian?" I shook my head, my reflection showing just how wary I looked. 'Well he must have just found it, because I feel him coming back up.'

Not a second sooner did he pop up from the depths, a few flecks of water splashing my face in the process.

The beeping radar was clutched in one hand as he grinned down at his other, which gently cradled the seventh and final ball…

Our gazes met and I immediately stood, not able to hold back a smile just as brilliant as his.

He then held it up triumphantly, his chest heaving as his lungs took in the fresh oxygen they'd been deprived of for so long. "And that—hah—makes seven—just in time!"

My tail hairs stood on end as I fought back the urge to jump up and down. "Well, come on! Get dressed!" I then tossed Goku his cloths as he placed the last marble next to its six shimmering siblings. His khakis hit him square in the face, whilst his jacket and shirt fell to the grass in a heap around his wet feet.

I laughed as he stood frozen in his spot. "Oops… Sorry."

He pulled at his pants slightly, so only his blank stare was visible under his bangs. "No you're not." He then yanked them fully off his face, offering his own playful smirk to show his lightheartedness.

I shrugged my left shoulder in response.

When Goku was done dressing I approached his side, my eyes lit with expectancy. "What now?"

After making sure the entirety of the Dragon Balls were secure in his coat pockets, he held out a hand, reminding me of the first time we'd met. "Take my hand," he replied with a mild grin. Before I could even respond he reached out and gently took my hand in his.

I blinked once, waiting for him to do something. I blinked twice—

"Dad! Hey, you guys made it!"

We weren't by the lake anymore.

My attention was brought to the half-saiyan child running our way. He was dressed exactly the way I'd last seen him, but with the addition of a large white cowl and cape resting over his shoulders. It fluttered behind him as he made his way across a stretch of white tile landscaping.

Discretely slipping away from Goku, I stared in awe at the new surroundings. There was a small, two-story sanctuary in the center of what seemed to be a large… floating... circular platform. Or whatever it was we were standing on. Everywhere I looked, there was sky waiting beyond its edges. We seemed to be near the clouds. It was a bit harder than usual to breath up here, but nothing to complain about.

And it seemed that there was more than just Gohan here to greet us. The namekian from before was present, along with Krillin and Trunks.

I tilted my head to the side as Goku's son rushed past me, sending a distracted greeting my way as he went. I returned one in the same manner, focusing more on my teenage nephew.

"You cut your hair..." I greeted softly once he was close enough to touch. I did just that, and ran my fingers through his silky bangs. I liked the short hair. Much more youthful. Less hard-ass.

His beautiful blue eyes fell to the floor as he replied, "Yeah, it was getting pretty tough to handle. Especially while I was training." He seemed a bit shy in his response, but brightened up, saying, "But, you two found the Dragon Balls just in time. We still have the rest of the day to get some training in."

I folded my arms over my chest in a leisurely manner, offering the armor-clad teen a doubtful look. "Do you really think some odd hours of training are going to help us out tomorrow?"

Trunks suddenly smirked, and looked strikingly like his father... "Oh, it's way more than that. Just wait."

There was a suspenseful moment of silence, in which I stared expectantly, waiting for him to elaborate. What could he possibly be hiding up those spandex sleeves of his?

That's when I heard a new voice, gone unnoticed before.

"Now I can figure the new dragon! Thank you so much, Goku!" What looked like a very miniature version of Piccolo stood before Goku, Gohan, and Krillin. Two especially large, black eyes shined gaily with gratitude. Tiny antennas bobbed up and down as he (I assumed) giggled childishly with Gohan.

The kid was cute.

"No problem, Dende! I know that you'll do a bang-up job as the new guardian of Earth." The older saiyan regarded the alien child with one of his giant grins that never failed to instill confidence in those receiving it.

I tore my gaze away from the mushy, yet heartwarming scene.

With my interest piqued at Trunks' big secret, I almost didn't care of the Dragon Balls' fate. As long as they accomplished what they set out to do, it was all fine and good.

"Trunks. Don't keep me waiting, now. What did you have in mind?" I quirked an eyebrow and flicked my tail.

Trunks adverted his eyes (that were positively dancing with mischief) from me to the eldest saiyan present. "Hey, Goku!" he called out, issuing a few heads turning our way. "I'm going to take Midori into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber for the rest of the day."

The what?

Apparently this was something good, for there were mostly approving looks throughout the group of people.

Goku gave two thumbs up. "That's a great idea. Who knows, you guys might even get a little stronger." He was genuinely for the idea, which made me more curious yet.

I guess I was about to find out what the big deal was.

…

"A door."

"Well—it's not just any door, you know."

"Trunks," I openly rolled my eyes, and my tail snapped irritably behind me. "Juuust tell me what's behind the damn dooor…" I voiced my frustrations in a drone, never the one for silly guessing games.

I could tell he was more than okay with pushing my buttons, as he simply smiled and gestured towards the mysterious entryway in front of us with a flourish of his hands. "Ladies first."

I shook my head at his antics, then took the initiative by grabbing the handle and proceeding in. I immediately became more aware of my surroundings. Eyes set wide, my feet were on autopilot as I soaked in the new atmosphere… I steadily advanced into the oddest… emptiest place imaginable... Yes, an endless expanse of nothingness. The first thing that came to mind—'Broly. When he finally snapped. It's just like his eyes were…'

The only thing in sight was the small open-sided room we were standing in: another small sanctuary in the middle of nowhere.

I opened my mouth to comment, but the words were lost to me when a second later, the most startling gust of wind came crashing into us out of nowhere.

My arms instinctively wrapped themselves around my upper body when I felt the familiar sting of ice. This wasn't natural. It got too cold, too fast.

"What was that?" I stared, reminiscent to an amazed five-year old, into the white abyss, a thick steam escaping my lips as I spoke. My tail had coiled around my waist in an unconscious attempt to keep warm.

"I know. It's intense." Trunks was by my side now, staring out into the white horizon with me. "You feel like you might be swallowed up at any moment… unless you're constantly on guard."

My face scrunched into a small grimace as I moved ahead silently.

"Watch your step."

I paused, gazing behind me for a spare second. I had stopped at the edge of the white tile, and if I were to take another step, I'd be standing on top of ice. Extending one leg, I cautiously tapped at the icy ground with a toe. The action was answered by a pulling sensation.

More increased gravity.

Bracing myself, I stepped out onto the ground; I could see my reflection, albeit blurry, in the floor. This was nothing compared to Bulma's gravity room, that was for sure, but... "Let me guess…" I lowered my head enough to where my eyes could still trace the ghostly area with scrutiny. "This room has some hidden dangers… that allow for intense training and adaptation to extreme situations?" My voice echoed out in the strangest way… as if my echo had had an echo... but at the same time, with no delay.

Trunks walked on ahead of me, his hands resting lightly over his hips. "Not to mention how extremely slow the time passes in here."

I found myself blinking in surprise, much like Goku would have done. "How slow?"

"Well… we'll be in here all evening." He seemed deep in thought for a moment. "Lets say we're in here for seven hours. That handful of hours outside will pass by as about one hundred twenty days in here."

I was at a loss for words.

This place, this giant enigma, would prove quite useful.

…

... ...

... ... ...

Three months exactly had passed inside the chamber. I couldn't say that my strength had taken any giant leap. My nephew's punches didn't hurt nearly as much as they had in the beginning.

I found it quite trying sparring with Trunks, though. He seemed to be able to predict all of my movements. He held the upper hand most of the time. With his in-depth knowledge of my fighting style and my limited familiarity with his… Well, it was frustrating is all.

But, my endurance had notably gotten better. My speed was now unlike any other. I could easily tire out Trunks if I wanted to, but if he did happen to land a few well-placed attacks, he could have me just the same (I was an open book, after all). The harsh environment made it simpler to accomplish.

"So, then how'd you guys escape?" Trunks pushed his hair (that'd grown out again, in record speed) over his shoulder as he leaned down to slurp the last bits of noodle from his bowl. He'd asked me about some of my old stories that he'd heard in his childhood.

Just in case my future counterpart had been making things up, I suppose.

I took a shot of my chilled water, then placed the glass gently on top of the mattress I sat on. "Well, as you know, the females on that planet were much more… rugged… than most other races." I stared pointedly at the teen as he sat cross-legged on his bed a few feet away.

It was all I could do not to laugh as his eyes widened considerably. "No way! Don't tell me you guys… Ugh!" He ended up laughing first, shaking his head at the thought of cross-dressing.

"He was the apple of every man's eye that we passed until we got off that planet… Let's just put it that way." I raised my glass again in a mock cheer and winked, smirking delightedly. Hah, Broly in a dress. good memories.

Trunks moved into a comfortable position on his side, his hair spilling over one shoulder. "So, I meant to ask you this a while ago..."

I glanced up with a stern expression, already knowing where the teen was going.

"What was with you and Goku holding hands when you arriv-"

"Oh, fool, shut up! Now, that's the tenth time you've asked! I already told you it was instant transmission—shut up!" My tail slapped the mattress under me as he collapsed onto his back laughing. There was a joker hidden under those serious walls. I'd hate to see how his smaller counterpart was going to turn out without the stress this one had to deal with...

Indeed, I had grown much closer to my nephew in the altered time we'd spent together. When we weren't training, I paid very close attention to his mannerisms, his personality, everything he did or said. I could see straight through him.

He was tough; he had been forced to be that way. But underneath that… I saw a young boy, maybe thirteen years old. He wanted desperately to hold onto those around him, but that tough-guy kept the death-grip on his shoulder. He didn't want to seem weak under certain eyes… Vegeta. Maybe even Goku… Gohan, too.

I could empathize very well with that… sharing your problems with someone you barely knew and having to trust that person, all the while desperate over the whole situation… We both put our trust in Goku; if it'd paid off for me, then I had no doubt that Cell wouldn't be a problem for much longer.

My thoughts were brought back to Trunks. 'He seems most natural when he's around his mother, probably because he's always had her. But I see the way he looks at me and everybody else.' As if he were nervous we'd all just up and vanish. It was tragic, really.

…

'Ugh… I give up.'

I leaned back on my hands, my legs spreading out in a 'v' shape. It didn't faze me how hard the ground was, or that the air was so intensely hot that I wouldn't have been surprised to see a geyser of fire shoot from the floor.

I tried to blow a sweaty tendril of hair from my face, failing miserably. "Is any of this really necessary?" I asked as Trunks placed himself at my side, peeling his sweaty gloves off. "We're down to our last few minutes in this room, after months. I think we can rest now."

He gave a short laugh, tossing the slick gloves behind him. "Yeah, I guess it's about time we head out…"

Finally… And to think it'd still be the day that Goku and I came here together...

When we emerged from the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, the sky reminded me of the inner meat of a pink grapefruit, signaling the sun was soon to set. There wasn't anyone out to greet us right away.

Further out onto the lookout, I spotted Piccolo and a short, plump man with black skin. We bade him and 'Mr. Popo' our goodbyes, then made a speedy leave, my instant transmission the mode of transportation.

I lowered my fingers from my forehead, frowning. 'Where are we?'

"Hey, you guys! Welcome back!" Bulma hailed us over from across the large room we'd wound up in. It had the sterile and chilly feeling of a laboratory… That must've been it.

Either way, we were back in Capsule Corporation, and the change in scenery was much welcomed.

Computers and machinery lined every wall, while she and her father sat before a huge operating table with an equally huge man sitting on it.

I made my way over, careful not to disturb Mr. Briefs, who was napping in his chair. "Who have we here?" I placed a hand on Bulma's shoulder, inquiring about the very large man in the full body spandex suite.

He just sort of stared straight ahead of him...

'Odd… I don't sense a life force from this one…' My eyes narrowed as I gave the redheaded, blue-eyed giant a look over.

"Mom, did you do it?" Trunks was pulling off his boots, his armor already forgotten on the floor beside him.

Do what?

Bulma held out a hand to the silent man sitting with his legs over the side of the table. "This is Android Sixteen. And yes, I did fix him up nice and new." She waved her hand around as if she were about to say tada!

Finally, his fine-point stare turned onto me. The way his neck and upper body moved, I could definitely see the machine in him. Smooth but… creepy.

I stared back, an eyebrow arched in question to his silence. "Hello."

"Hello." He returned my greeting with an almost drawn out monotone.

A smirk found its way to my face. 'What a lovely robot.'

... ...

It was needless to say that Bulma received quite the surprise when she walked into the family room that night in search of her favorite earrings.

The television was on full blast, playing some sort of raunchy horror flick that would only air at that obscenely late hour of the night she found herself in the room.

But what really got her was the scene displayed on the couch.

Two gallons of chocolate ice cream strewn across the floor, three extra large pizza boxes, and two saiyans fast asleep: one stretched out on the sofa, the other sitting on the floor with their head on the edge of the seat.

'My gosh—look at this mess!' Bulma's quest for her lost jewelry suddenly flew out the window. For a moment, she considered a rude awakening, but thought otherwise when she took a closer look. 'Well… they look so cozy… I couldn't.' She found herself smiling despite the sticky, greasy mayhem dealt to her carpet.

Midori was snoozing peacefully on her stomach, her legs stretched out across the roomy sofa, her face buried in a plush pillow she'd probably brought down from her room. Meanwhile Trunks was sitting with his hands folded in his lap, leaned back so his head rested on the edge of the couch. Some of his long hair fell loosely over his aunt's waist, and…

'Oh, is that her tail?' Bulma had to cover her mouth to keep from giggling at the sight.

Midori's tail was poking out through Trunks' thick hair, trailing down his shoulder and laying limply across his chest. Like in an unconscious protective manner... It was too cute.

Unknown to the slumbering saiyans, the Capsule Corp. heiress had just happened to be carrying a camera in her coat pocket that night…