Day 48…

Piccolo stopped an oncoming punch from a multi-form version of himself as he felt Tessa's ki flare again. The original Namekian and his three mirror counterparts looked down at her with growing concern. Tessa hadn't hadn't been herself in the last few days. Between the lack of appetite, mood swings, broken sleep patterns over the past week, he had finally had enough. Dissolving the multi-forms, he began to descend towards her as she meditated near the platform. 'Hmm…'

Tessa could be short tempered but was always quick to apologize should they have a spat. After living with her and ChiChi for several months, he had come to predict their mood swings in combination with their feminine cycle but did not believe this to be the current cause.

As he touched down five feet from her position, Piccolo instantly felt her react. Tessa's ki flared as she was pulled upward and hovered just off her feet, eyes still closed, and fists clinched. "No…don't hurt him…" Realizing that she was still in a meditative trance, Piccolo stepped closer, intent upon reviving her until the next words left her lips. "…Nail, I'm coming…no, Nail!"

As her cry echoed in his ears, flames erupted at her legs, surging and swirling around her until they'd reached her back. He knew the Time Chamber was playing with her emotions, a consequence of her unbalanced state of mind, and that if he didn't remedy the situation it would result in injury at the least. Stepping closer, he yelled. "Tessa, snap out of it!"

Though his voice echoed around them, Piccolo saw that the effort had made no difference, as if she hadn't heard him at all. "Damn it."

He considered blasting her, not enough to do real damage but enough to pull from what he assumed was a hellish nightmare. The only problem with that was ripping her violently from a mental plane had its own set of consequences. With a sigh, he assumed his meditative position hovering above the floor and closed his eyes. Going into Tessa's mind right now was risky and could prove harmful to both of them, but she'd left him with no choice…

Inside Tessa's mind…

The first thing Piccolo became aware of was their location. It was clear she'd had been thinking about Namek; not really a surprise since she cried out for Nail. The air was crisp, and the waters their shinning crystal green against the landscape of islands that spanned as far as the eye could see in their brilliant blues. 'She remembers it all so clearly...'

Taking this moment to reminisce caused a twisting in his gut. In too many ways it had been his job to protect this planet, his ancestral home. He had failed even after fusing with Nail, his efforts hadn't amounted to much more than buying time for the Saiyan they so often relayed on.

A burst of her ki brought him back to the matter at hand. Taking to the air, he crossed the expanse of her mind dividing them and came upon a scene that made his blood run cold. They were on the same stretch of island where he'd found Nail clinging to life. Just below his position, he could see the situation unfolding.

Freeza had thrown Tessa as to the ground, a wound spouting blood from her chest as he lorded Nail's battered body over her by his tail. "Poor little Earthling, had you really thought you could save your friend?"

Piccolo watched as the tyrant kicked dust in her face, caking to the waterfall of tears coming from Tessa's eyes as a sinister sickening confident smile crossed his face. "Well, you know what they say…" He flung Nail's corpse in the air and took aim. "…better take care of the ones you care for…" Energy built on the end of his finger. "…life is so fleeting." The blast echoed in her mind as the energy barreled through her mental version of Nail.

"No..noooo!"

Amazingly, Tessa found the strength to lurch up at the moment and punched Freeza, stalling his evil laughter. The tyrant snarled at her, wrapping his tail around Tessa's throat. "You stupid little primate, did you really think your actions would change anything? I've already killed him."

Piccolo watched as Tessa's horrified eyes locked on Nail's still form; Freeza's smile widening. "You couldn't save that 'green bean' and you won't save the other."

"No…" Cell's final form joined them, holding a bloodied, and battered version of himself, his nails digging to the flesh of Piccolo's neck. "…she most certainly will not."

Piccolo felt her mind begin to panic as Tessa screamed. "Piccolo!" She clawed and kicked at Freeza but it was obvious that her strength was spent.

Piccolo felt the heat from her emotions in the Time Chamber growing ever hotter, signaling that his time to pull her from this world was dwindling as the flames began licking at him as well.

Acting quickly, he sidestepped Cell and the beaten version of himself, he stopped directly in front of her. "Tessa, it's me, this isn't real! You need to snap out of this mediation!"

Cell laughed, drawing her dead eyed gaze away from him. "It's all going to be over soon. I don't really need to absorb Piccolo but seeing as it will cause you so much glorious pain, I'll make the sacrifice anyway. Cell's left hand reached past him to affectionately stroke her face. "And then you'll be my newest plaything, well…" He smiled. "…for a time anyway."

Although he was standing in front of her, Tessa's eyes remained locked on Cell, only widening as tears spilling from them and Freeza tightened his tail. "Please Cell…*gasp*…please…*gasp*…d…don't kill him...please."

The tube grown android laughed. "Oh, it's far too late for that."

Watching his own battered face twist in agony as Cell's lanced tail pierced his skin and began to drain his life away was almost more than the Namek could take if it hadn't been for Tessa's muted cries. Ignoring the laughs from her mentally generated villains, Piccolo turned back to her and took her face in his hands. "Damn it, Tessa, you have to listen to me!" He shook her. "This isn't real, you're creating it out of your fears in the Time Chamber! You have to snap out of it, now!" No reaction, he tried again. "The chamber is creating this from your own insecurities! Are you really going to let this defeat you?!"

Freeza's tail loosened at that moment, and Tessa fell to the floor. Piccolo watched as Namek, Freeza and Cell all dissolved, leaving only the bloodied remains of himself and Nail around her. As more tears spilled, she whispered to herself softly. "I couldn't save them. Oh Kami, I couldn't save them."

Piccolo could feel the heat from the flames inside the Time Chamber beginning to burn his skin, they were out of time, he'd have to do something desperate. "Tessa." No response. Tessa remained slumped to the ground, still crying, refusing to look at any other than her nightmare. 'Forgive me.' Raising his ki, Piccolo changed his appearance to match Nail's down to the smallest detail, even his long vest and pants from Namek.

Knelling, he took her face in his hands, and spoke in Nail's more raspy voice. "Tessa, you didn't fail me, you never could."

"Na…" Tessa gasped, looking up and met his gaze. "Nail?" Her hands grasped the front of his vest. "How?"

He smiled. "This is your world, I'm just a visitor." His thumb caressed her check lovingly. "I need you to do something that won't be easy for me Tessa, can you do that?" She nodded. "Wake up, you're needed elsewhere."

More tears fell. "But…I don't want to lose you again; I've already made that mistake."

Nail smiled sadly, leaning forward to kiss her forehead. "You'll never lose me…" Taking her right hand in left, he pressed them to her heart. "I'll be right here, whenever you need me." Tessa nodded.

Meanwhile, Piccolo was using every ounce of strength he had to continue this lie. He could clearly see that Tessa's eyes were full of love for the Namekian she believed he was. He took her hands. "We're out of time, wake up Tessa." Leaning forward, he cupped the back of her head and pressed a firm kiss to her lips. Anguish filling him when she eagerly returned it.

After a moment, Piccolo allowed Nail's form to melt away and then released her from the kiss. As he sat back, her eyes opened, reality sinking in and her heart breaking. "Piccolo?"

Anger, confusion and hurt filled her mind as she pushed him from it.

Back in the Time Chamber…

Piccolo stood and blinked, trying to ignore the massive headache that was undoubtedly oncoming. He watched as Tessa regained control of her ki and the flames dyed down. She collapsed to the floor on her hands and knees, gasping for breath and whispering broken sentences as her mind cleared. Other than some redness on exposed skin, they both seem physically unharmed; though he knew she had suffered greatly at his hands emotionally. "Tessa, I didn..."

"Don't." Her words were sharp and left no way to argue as he watched her stand on shaky legs. He noticed the shin of cold sweat that covered her as she shivered. "Don't you dare try to justify that." As she swayed, he reached out and tried to steady her, though she shrugged him off, her glare icy. "It would be better if we're not around each other right now."

Piccolo crossed his arms, and turned away, his own emotions raging war inside of him. "As you wish."

With his back turned, he failed to see the disappointed look that crossed Tessa's face before she turned and made her way onto the platform, though her soft crying would haunt him for quite some time.