Piccolo was getting increasingly irritated as the days dragged by. Being confined with the Saiyan prince was never on the top of his list of fun things to do, but it was gradually making its way further and further down. All he did was complain. Day in and day out, there was always something new to, as Bulma so eloquently put it, bitch about.
Bulma was surprisingly more tolerant than Piccolo expected. Oh sure, there were many occasions she and the prince got into it, their verbal war filling the ship. But, for the most part, she spent her days reading or working at the control panel, making tiny revisions here and there in the programming.
Krillin spent his days playing cards at the table. How he managed to seemingly never get bored with it was beyond Piccolo. On occasion, Bulma would join him, though Gohan was his most frequent guest.
Gohan.
Even this far into their journey, the kid was still enraptured by the vastness of space. He spent the time he wasn't playing cards sitting in front of the window, watching with awe at the unnamed planets, the fantastic solar systems, the brilliant stars passing by. So, naturally, that is where Piccolo spent his time as well. The kid actually knew quite a bit about his surroundings, courtesy of the Lady Gami, he claimed.
"There isn't much else to do when you're dead," the boy had said.
"DINNER!" Bulma called.
"Smells good, Bulma! What is it?" Krillin asked, taking a seat at the table.
"Chicken and mashed potatoes. Spicy gravy too."
"How spicy are we talking? Because you know, there's only one bathroom on this ship..."
"KRILLIN," Bulma snapped while Gohan began cracking up with laughter.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding! But seriously, how spicy?"
"Not that spicy. Just a little kick. Like the one our beloved Saiyan prince needs in the pants," Bulma said teasingly as Vegeta walked in.
"Shut up," he retorted, taking a seat.
Bulma merely smirked as she doled out portions for herself and Krillin. She then set the rest down in front of the two Saiyans, who were always sure to sit next to each other during meal time for optimal ease of eating. By now, they had figured out that the easiest way to eat was to simply share the serving platter and eat from it together.
"Woman, how far are we from our destination now?" Vegeta asked through a mouthful of food.
Piccolo grimaced.
"Okay, first of all, don't talk with your mouth full. That's disgusting. Second, my name is BULMA," Bulma said, exasperated.
"Oh god, here we go," Krillin muttered, putting his hand to his forehead.
"As soon as you start calling me Your Highness, I'll start calling you by your name," Vegeta snapped.
"Alright, Your Royal Highness, that better?"
"Drop the sarcasm and we'll talk," Vegeta sneered, standing and walking out of the kitchen area, taking the food dish with him.
"Hey!" Gohan protested indignantly, having still been eating.
"I have the information you wanted, moron!" she shouted after him. "Ugh, he is so...so...infuriating! Am I the only one who's bothered by this? I can't be the only one," she rambled, shoving her half-empty plate towards Gohan.
"My mom once said that if someone is being mean to you a lot, it means they like you," Gohan piped up innocently.
Krillin began cackling, holding his stomach. "Can you imagine those two together? It'd be like the match made in Hell!"
"Shut up, Krillin. Like that would ever happen," Bulma said.
So close. They were so close to home, Piccolo could practically taste it. Taste the water, smell the desert mosses, feel the warm breeze against his skin.
The others were getting antsy as well. Vegeta was surprisingly the most calm, having been travelling space for his whole life. He still complained, sure, but overall, he stay hovelled up in his room. Krillin had taken to pacing, which irked Piccolo to no end. Watching him go back and forth with no destination... it was annoying, to say the least. Bulma was not much better, though she limited her pacing to in front of the monitors, giving the impression she was actually doing something.
Gohan was probably the most annoying in his quiet way. During the day, he moved from window to window, hoping to get a glance of a familiar star system or planet. At night, he shifted endlessly, even in sleep. The first few times, Piccolo put an anchoring hand on his shoulder to try to still his movements. In the end, frustration ran out and he moved as soon as the boy was asleep.
"You guys! You guys!" Bulma's voice rang sharply one morning, disturbing Piccolo's rest. He had been aware of her quick footsteps, but hadn't imagined her to actually be fully conscious at this hour. He flicked his ears back in annoyance and grumbled.
"Hm, what?" Gohan mumbled groggily, sitting up from his nest on the couch and rubbing his eyes sleepily.
"Bulma, it's five in the morning..." Krillin whined tiredly, emerging from his room.
"I swear to god, this had better be good," Vegeta put in, standing next to Krillin with his arms crossed.
"We just passed Mars, you guys! Do you know what that means?" When she was met by silence, she huffed. "It means we're only eight hours from home!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up.
Vegeta growled, turned on his heel, and slammed his door shut.
"Really?" Gohan asked excitedly, sitting up, fully awake now.
"Ugh, Bulma, that's exciting news and all, but if you had waited 'til, oh, I dunno, nine or ten, I would be more excited. And there would be less than eight hours to wait," Krillin said.
"Well fine, you ungrateful brats. Go back to bed," Bulma said. "I have important landing preparations to make." And with that, she slumped into her chair and began clattering away at the controls. Gohan was still sitting up, looking this way and that, unsure of what to do.
"Go back to sleep, kid. It's still a long while before we even get close to landing," Piccolo said.
Gohan looked up at him. "I'm too excited to sleep, Mr. Piccolo!" he said.
"Then just lay down with your eyes closed for a while and meditate."
"But...okay, Mr. Piccolo. Maybe it will make the time go faster," he relented, laying back down. Within minutes, however, he was tossing and turning again, making little grunting noises.
"Gohan, you can't meditate if you're moving around that much," Piccolo reprimanded. The boy stilled again. "Count your breaths if you must."
"One..." Breath. "Two..." Breath. "Three..."
"In your head, Gohan."
Bulma chuckled from her perch. "Perhaps I should've waited a little longer to spill the news."
Home! Home! They were nearly home! Krillin and Gohan were strapped into their seats, Piccolo holding onto the back of Gohan's chair, and Bulma fidgeting with numerous controls. Vegeta stood by the window, leaning casually against it. Piccolo felt a twinge of envy towards the Saiyan for being so at ease in space and having the ability to withstand the movements of landing while free-standing. He supposed having spent nearly his entire life on a ship had much to do with it.
Gohan was bouncing in his seat, and not just from the turbulence. The second the ship landed, he was unbuckled and standing, eagerly waiting at the door.
"Alright, kiddo, alright. Give me a sec," Bulma laughed, hitting the button that opened the door. Gohan bolted down the ramp and collapsed onto the grass, rolling in it.
"Home! Earth! I love you, I love you!" he exclaimed happily, picking up handfuls of grass and tossing them in the air.
Bulma and Krillin smiled at one another, and Piccolo couldn't help but notice that they were saddened smiles. And he realized then, how saddening it must be, to come home to a planet that really was no longer home. Not with all they knew gone. Their loved ones blown to the wind, unable to return ever again.
"My baby!" Mrs. Briefs' shrill voice cut the air like a knife as she ran out the door of Capsule Corp, dragging everyone out of their separate stupors.
"Hi Mom," Bulma said, embracing her mother.
"How was your trip, sweetie?" Dr. Briefs asked.
"Oh, uh...you know... interesting," she replied, waving it off.
"I see, I see. I just made a whole bunch of cookies and tea. Would anyone care for some?" Mrs. Briefs asked, bustling back into the house without waiting for an answer.
"Will you guys just stay for a few minutes and eat a cookie or something? She lives for this sort of thing," Bulma requested apologetically. Krillin and Gohan both nodded, having already planned on eating anyways.
"Cookies and tea! Chocolate chip!" Mrs. Briefs chortled, coming out with a tray. Krillin and Gohan dutifully took a cookie and a cup. "And this must be the little Son Gohan! You are just too precious! How old are you, sweetie?"
"Five, ma'am," Gohan replied. "These cookies are delicious!"
"Oh, I'm so glad you like them! Eat as many as you'd like!" she said happily before turning to Bulma, out of the boy's earshot. "Bulma, where will he stay? He has no family."
"He's going to stay with Piccolo for a while. I told him he's always welcome here."
"Out in the wilderness with Piccolo? Honey, that doesn't seem like a very good idea..."
"He couldn't be swayed, Mom. Piccolo will take good care of him and not let him become a little wild child. He had him for a whole year before this...mess...happened and he turned out fine. Better than fine. He thrives under his care. But, I'm sure we'll be seeing him every now and then."
"Well okay dear. Whatever you think works best. And I thi-AND WHO IS THIS?" she cried, finally spotting Vegeta standing awkwardly by the ship.
"I-uh-Mom, this is Vegeta. He...we met him on Namek."
"Oh, I see! And where will you be staying, hm? Friends? Family?"
Piccolo watched in satisfaction as the vein in the Saiyan's forehead throbbed.
"Oh, we actually haven't discussed that yet. Mom, Vegeta isn't from here. Or knows anyone besides the four of us. Um, Vegeta... did you have a plan?"
He glowered at her for a moment. "No," he ground out finally.
"Oh, honey, we have plenty of spare rooms here. Tell him!" Mrs. Briefs whispered to her daughter none-too-quietly.
Bulma put a hand to her forehead. "Ugh. Uh, well, Vegeta, would you like to stay with us for a while until you get your bearings?"
They stared at each other for a few tense moments until Vegeta finally relented. "Fine."
"Oh, how splendid! I think we have some clothes that will fit you! Whatever did you do to those garments?" Mrs. Briefs sprouted off, beginning to ramble.
"Okay, Mother, thank you very much," Bulma said, gently pushing her mother away.
"Well come on, son, let's get you some new clothes," Dr. Briefs said, motioning for Vegeta to follow him. The Saiyan followed somewhat apprehensively, glancing back once before setting his head high and walking into the house, Mrs. Briefs bustling after him.
"Aw, man. Now I'm stuck with him for god knows how long..." Bulma groaned. "I should've known Mom was going to offer him a place to stay."
"Think he'll stay long?" Krillin asked.
"God I hope not. But he literally has nowhere to go. What's he going to do, take a ship and go colonize a planet himself?"
"Come on, guys, give him a chance," Gohan piped up. "Maybe now that everything's settled down, he'll mellow out..."
"Kiddo, sometimes you sound like you're my age," Bulma sighed. "You're right. Maybe with all the space, fresh air... well... maybe things can change. A little."
"Fun times. Well, I am ready to go to my home now. I'm sure Master Roshi is just absolutely in shambles without me. Might've killed and fried up Oolong for all we know," Krillin said.
"Good imagery, thanks. Alright then. If I can't handle my houseguest, you're the first one I'm calling. And Krillin, now that everything's going to be settling down and we have time to think about things... well... don't hesitate to call, ya know?" she said, her eyes shining slightly.
"Yeah, I know. You too. Especially with him in the house." The two embraced for a few long moments. "Gohan, feel free to stop by whenever you want. You're always welcome. Piccolo will show you the way, I'm sure, if you can't feel my ki."
"You bet, Krillin," Gohan affirmed, shaking hands with him.
"See you around Piccolo. It's been an adventure. Here's to hopefully many more, yet slightly less terrifying ones." Piccolo nodded and Krillin took to the sky, waving once more before shooting off.
Bulma turned her attention to Gohan. "You sure you don't want to stay here for awhile? All the food you can eat cooked by my mother. A nice soft, warm bed."
"I'm sure. This is what I need to do."
"Okay then. What I said to Krillin applies to you too, little man. If you need anything at all, a shower, some cookies, whatever, just drop on by. Our door is always open."
"Thanks, Bulma. I appreciate it," Gohan said sincerely, hugging her tightly.
Bulma turned to Piccolo then, extending her hand. Piccolo hesitantly took it. "Thanks, Piccolo. For coming. I know...how hard this all must've been for you. Different, I mean. You're welcome here too, now. In case you and Gohan want a night out of the desert."
Piccolo nodded and hastily extracted his hand. He began lifting to the air, and Gohan took his lead, waving. Bulma waved back and then walked into her home. Piccolo increased his altitude and began to head for the desert.
"Wait, Mr. Piccolo!" Gohan's voice rang.
Piccolo stopped and looked back at the boy. "What? Did you change your mind?"
"No, of course not. I...well...can we stop at my house first? I want to grab some stuff. Some very important stuff," he requested shyly. Piccolo nodded his assent and Gohan took lead toward his mountain home.
The little house on Mount Paozu seemed none the worse for wear despite the span of time it had been deserted. It just looked so...empty. A feeling of desolation filled Piccolo's chest. Gohan landed softly on the grass and walked to the front door, then hesitated. He looked back at Piccolo, who gestured to him to open the door. Sighing, the boy turned the handle and stepped inside. He seemed to be in a stupor of sorts as he walked around, not really seeing, hands ghosting over once-familiar surfaces.
Piccolo's intellect kicked in.
This place had a steady supply of water, available food sources for the boy, and was itself a perfect shelter. There was plenty of space for sparring, and the area itself was wonderfully secluded.
"Kid," Piccolo started.
"Oh, just a second, Mr. Piccolo. Let me grab a few things and then I'll be ready, I promise," Gohan replied, cutting him off.
"No, wait. I was thinking we should stay here for a while. Everything you need is already here, and in more abundance than what is out in the desert. Would you prefer this?"
Gohan smiled brilliantly, flashing nearly all his teeth. "Oh yes! Yes , please, Mr. Piccolo!" he exclaimed, bouncing with happiness.
"Alright then. That's settled. Go on, gather food. Tomorrow we begin our training regimen once more."
"For what, Mr. Piccolo?"
"Too much idle time on that ship has made you dull in your intellect, boy. One must always train and be prepared for the inevitable."
"Well I knew that, but do we have to start tomorrow?"
"And what would you prefer?"
"I dunno... day after tomorrow?"
Piccolo stared at him blankly. "Tomorrow, Gohan."
"Oh, fine."