Hello again, everyone! Yeah, updates are never going to be this frequent again, but I like having a bit of extra material live, from the start. This will stick with Saturday uploads, unless there's something that comes up.

As usual, all comments and feedback are greatly appreciated. Enjoy!


Piccolo had been flying behind Goku for what felt like hours. He was beginning to feel a little fatigued. How far away was his house, anyway? They had passed over three cities, below, and didn't make a single stop. They were passing above a large forest, and the scenery was becoming monotonous. However, anytime he tried to tune out everything and mindlessly fly, Goku would always start yammering on about something, to him.

"So, what's it like being related to Kami? It's gotta be weird, to be so close to the guardian of Earth."

"We've never been close," Piccolo said.

"Really? Huh. I guess it's a no brainer, as to why he's never mentioned you!"

Piccolo rolled his eyes.

"Hey, we're here!" Goku pointed to the ground. There was a small house with a chimney sitting in a small clearing, surrounded by wildlife and right next to the mountains. Goku flew down towards the ground, on nimbus, and Piccolo quickly followed.

He looked around. He wasn't expecting them to be living out in the middle of nowhere. He thought most humans had migrated into cities, by this point. It was scenic, to be sure, but the small house was the only sign of civilization that he could see. There was a small pile of firewood, a well, and a dirt road leading up to the house. They didn't even have a vehicle.

"I lived out here with my grandpa, when I was a kid. I moved back, when I grew up and finished my training." Goku put his hands on his hips, and looked around. He sighed, wistfully. "This place always brings back a lot of memories."

Goku grabbed Piccolo's arm, and started dragging him to the door. "Come on! I'll give you the tour!" Piccolo pulled his arm away, and continued to follow him. He'd indulge him, for now; the first chance he got, he'd run away.

Goku opened the door, taking off his shoes with his feet. He kicked them against the wall.

"The old house we used to live in is out back. Chi-Chi said we could move here, as long as we got a bigger place. Her dad helped build everything."

The place was cozy, to be sure. The kitchen and parlor were together, in one clump. There wasn't a lot of technology, either. The stoves and cooking appliances were the most advanced tech, in the house. Piccolo was beginning to wonder how closed off this guy was, from the rest of the world. It would explain his attitude, to be sure.

What caught his eyes were the pictures, sitting on the fireplace. One had who he assumed was a young Goku, standing with an old man and a bald kid. The other one was he, standing with a group of young men, giving thumbs up. The last was of him laughing, as a short dark-haired woman was holding his arm. He was still so young, yet it seemed that he had already lived a full life. Piccolo crushed any feelings of jealousy that brought on. He couldn't change what had happened; he just had to deal with it.

He shut his eyes, and winced. Suddenly, a loud, high-pitched cry was echoing in the house. He hunched over, trying to shield his ears from the sound. What was that? It was unbearable, to his sensitive hearing.

He peeked an eye open, seeing Goku running towards the back of the house, and turning a corner near the end of the hallway. Eventually, the wailing began to subside. Piccolo exhaled, in relief, digging into his ear with his pinky finger. He could see Goku's shadow out of the corner of his eye. He was pacing around the room, holding something in his arms. His curiosity got the better of him, and he followed his steps.

He was actually stupefied, by what he saw. Goku was cradling a very tiny baby. His entire demeanor had seemed to change. He had a very serious expression on his face, as he looked down at the infant breathing on his chest. He was walking slowly around the nursery, with a slight bounce in his step. He wasn't exactly expecting that sort of demeanor to come from him.

The baby started nibbling on Goku's gi, soaking part of it in baby dribble. Goku pulled him up, holding him with his arms stretched out. "You hungry, little guy?" He held him, with one arm. "Let's go find your mommy, and let her know." The baby cooed and snuggled into Goku's arm.

Piccolo tilted his head, looking at the tiny infant. It was kind of freakish looking. The only hair it had was a little tuff underneath its hat. It was so chubby, too. Piccolo didn't realize Earth babies were so ugly.

He immediately regretted looking at it in the face, because it quickly stared at him, with its big dark eyes. Piccolo stared right back down at him. He didn't know what he was supposed to do.

"Oh, yeah! This is my son," Goku introduced. "His name is Gohan." He pointed at Piccolo, sitting Gohan upright, in his arms. "That's Piccolo – he's a friend!"

Gohan didn't look afraid of Piccolo, as he thought he might have been. He looked more curious, than anything else. He tilted his head to the side. He reached his chubby little hand out towards him, wanting to grab onto something of his.

Piccolo was starting to get a little uncomfortable. Reluctantly, he pointed two of his fingers at him, hoping that would make him satisfied. Gohan latched onto the fingers, shaking them up and down, not caring about the Namekian attached to them. His grip was surprisingly tight, for such a tiny creature. Piccolo flicked his wrist, shaking him off, when it got to be too unbearable. He rubbed his sore fingers, and turned away.

Gohan pointed and laughed, making him frown. His frown turned into a snarl, when Goku started joining in.

"You're getting pretty strong, already! Just like your old man, huh? Now, we better go find your mommy, and tell her you need something to eat. Sound good?" Gohan just laughed, and bounced up and down. Goku's eyes widened, as he tried to keep a stable grip on him. "I'll take that as a yes!" He walked passed Piccolo, and went out the back door of the house. He just stayed behind, unsure if he should follow him or not. From where he could stand, Piccolo could hear a conversation going on outside.

"Chi-Chi? You out here?"

"Goku, there you are. How was the Lookout?"

"It was great! Kami said the Dragon Balls wouldn't be ready for a couple months. Hey, Gohan's getting a little hungry. Mind fixing him something?"

"Of course. You two can stay outside, for a little while – I'll whip up something, for both of you."

"Okay! Thanks!"

Piccolo heard the backdoor open and shut, again, as light steps came from the kitchen. A lithe voice was humming and singing, while pots and pans were being shuffled around. He didn't know what he was supposed to do, so he just stood there, in the dark hallway, waiting for Goku to come back. He was sure he hadn't explained that he was in their home, and was certain that he'd cause a scene.

Shoes skid across the floor, and a loud thud sounded from the kitchen. There was a curse, as he heard them trying to get back up. The unsteady footsteps left the kitchen, heading straight for where Piccolo was standing. He shuffled himself up against a wall, hoping he wouldn't get noticed.

When they turned the corner, he discovered the footsteps belonged to a small dark-haired woman – the same one from the photograph, on the fireplace. Her hair was tied up in a tight bun, though her bangs were free, and two strips of hair flowed, beside her face. She was grimacing, mumbling to herself about something, and limped into the bathroom. She pulled out a plastic pack, massaged it with her hands, and placed it on her knee. She secured it there with some gauze, and quickly limped back out of the bathroom.

Right when Piccolo thought he was in the clear, he accidentally hit a picture on the wall. It fell down to the floor, making a loud thud. The woman stopped, and turned around, groaning about having to pick up the mess.

Instead, she saw Piccolo. Her face suddenly turned blue, and she screamed.

He covered his ears. Her wailing was even worse than the baby's. His mind repeated the phrase 'shut up' over and over, again.

The back door slammed open, and Goku came clobbering into the house, balancing Gohan in one arm. "Chi-Chi! What's wrong?"

She jumped behind him. "Goku! There's a monster in the house! Do something!"

Goku blinked. "Monster?" He looked up. "Oooh. That's not a monster. That's just Piccolo."

She peaked out from behind him. "Piccolo?"

"Yeah! He's related to Kami. I met him, while I was at the lookout. I thought I'd invite him, here!"

She was starting to look less afraid. "Oh." She kept staring at him, as Goku continued to talk. Piccolo was starting to get a little sick of being gawked at. This was why he never went out in public.

"Yeah. The guy doesn't even have a house, or anything. I asked Kami if he thought that he should come live with us, and he said yes!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Chi-Chi said, stepping in front of him. She put her hands on her hips. "You invited a total stranger to stay at our house? Were you planning on ever asking if I was okay with it?"

"Well, I figured you would be. He hasn't hurt anyone."

She pointed at him, poking his pecks. "Goku! For all we know, he could be a murderer, or a child snatcher! Why would you keep this from me?"

He held his hands up, defensively. "Oh, come on, Chi – he's related to Kami. He can't be that bad. I'm sure it'll be fine!"

She huffed. "It was still incredibly stupid and reckless, for you to try this."

Piccolo stood there, tapping his fingers on his forearm. He really didn't appreciate being talked about like this, while he was still standing there. Not once had any of them asked him how he felt about this arrangement.

"Look, you won't have to worry about that," Piccolo snapped, catching all of their attention. "Because I won't be staying here. A better question is this: why did you take Kami's word over my own? You never even let me answer."

Goku laughed, and scratched the back of his head. "I figured you had the same opinion! You did follow me here, after all. You could have just said no."

He was about to retort, but stopped himself. Unfortunately, he had a point.

"Come on! It'll be fun! At least stick around, for a little while."

Piccolo had a feeling that Goku was going to keep pestering him about it, even if he said no. Again, he had that stupid grin on his face. He even raised his eyebrows, a few times.

He rolled his eyes. "Fine."

"Awesome!"

The conversation came to an abrupt halt, when Goku's stomach began to rumble. He looked down at himself, in surprise, and laughed, awkwardly. "Maybe we better get something to eat, first." He gently tossed Gohan into the air, catching him with ease. "You gotta still be hungry, right?" Gohan just laughed and giggled.

"You boys go sit down," Chi-Chi said, with a sigh. She was holding her head in her hands. "I'll get something cooked up."

"Thanks!" Goku took Gohan, and went into the parlor.

Chi-Chi turned her attention to Piccolo. She put her hands on her hips. "Look here, mister. Even though Goku trusts you, it doesn't mean you'll get to do what you want. I frankly don't care if you're related to Kami. If you're planning on trying something funny, I'll kick you out, myself. " She stood on her toes, trying to get in his face. "And if you even think of hurting a single hair on my little Gohan's head, you'll wish you were never born." She spun on her heel, and marched out of the hallway.

Piccolo groaned, under his breath. "Just great…"


"Hey, Piccolo – you're not eating?"

Piccolo sighed, right as he lowered his hand from the front door handle. There went his plans to weasel his way out of this. He turned around. Goku was at the dining room table, tilting his head to the side.

"That won't be necessary."

"What do you mean?"

Was this idiot ever going to take a hint? "I don't need to eat."

"Sure, you do! Chi-Chi makes some of the best grub, around! You totally should!"

What he smelled was pleasant, but he didn't need to eat. His kind literally only needed water to survive. He had only ever eaten a few times, in his life. Even during the dinners with the Saiyans, he had left his plate alone. "I appreciate the offer, but I'll pass."

Goku pushed himself out of his chair. "Oh, quit being so stubborn!" He put his hand on his shoulder, pushing him down, slightly. "You're staying here, aren't you? The least we can do is feed you, while you're here."

It was becoming very clear to Piccolo that Goku was not the kind of guy to take 'no' for an answer. Maybe if he did this once to satisfy him, he wouldn't have to do it, again. He huffed, and walked over to the dining room table, sitting down across from Goku. He was tuning out whatever he was rambling on about, now.

Chi-Chi came up the table, laying down plates of food. "Alright. Here you boys are," she said, in a tired tone. There were huge portions of rice, noodles, and fish placed on the table, along with a large plate of steaming vegetables. He didn't understand how this was only supposed to be for four people. He glanced around the room, looking for any other people he might have missed.

Goku clapped his hands together, his mouth watering as he looked at the entrees. "Thanks, Chi-Chi! It looks delicious!"

Chi-Chi held her cheek, and bashfully looked away. "Oh, Goku…"

He leaned over to his son. "What do you think, Gohan? You ready to dig in?" Gohan jumped in his high chair and laughed.

Chi-Chi sat a small plate of diced vegetables and meat on the chair's tray table. She quickly ran over to her side of the table, and sat down, placing her napkin in her lap.

Goku immediately grabbed an entire plate, and shoveled most of its contents onto his. He repeated this with the rest of the entrees on the table. At one point, Piccolo stopped being awed, by how much food was going on his plate. It started getting too ridiculous. Even the Saiyans ate less than he did.

Then, he started scarfing down his meal, practically inhaling all of the food. He was being obnoxious with it, as well; bits of partially chewed food were flying around him, and onto the floor. It was kind of disgusting, actually. Piccolo eventually had to avert his eyes, from the sight.

When he did, he saw that Chi-Chi was giving him a dirty look. She glanced at the food, then down below him, at his empty plate. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes, and reluctantly grabbed one of the entrees, putting a bit of the food onto his plate, until she finally stopped mean-mugging him.

He stuck a fork into the fish, and popped it into his mouth. His eyes widened, a bit. He quickly scooped up another bite, as if to make sure his taste buds weren't tricking him. For as loud as that woman was, she certainly could cook. Without any other coercion, he finished his plate. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Chi-Chi smirking, as she ate.

"No, Gohan! That doesn't go on your head!"

Gohan had put a handful of fish on his head. He was smiling, as he kicked his legs on his high chair.

"Goku, please tell your son that doesn't go there."

Goku scarfed down another mound of food, and hit his chest, before sighing. He looked at Chi-Chi. "Sorry, what was that? I couldn't hear you." She gestured towards their son, who was still grinning.

Goku grabbed a napkin, and wiped the fish off of his head. "Hey – food doesn't go there, little guy." He pointed at his mouth. "It goes there. Remember?"

Gohan blinked at his father. He looked down at his food, grabbed a fistful of it, and put it in his mouth. Bits of fish stuck to his cheeks and chin, but he chewed and swallowed.

Goku wiped the food off of his face, and put it into his hands. Gohan looked down at it for a moment, curiously. He looked as if he was about to shovel it into his mouth. Instead, he tossed the glob across the table.

It landed with a wet smack right on Piccolo's cheek. Any pleasure from the dinner died, right on the spot. As he slowly pushed the food off of his face, the room was completely silent. Goku and Chi-Chi glanced at each other, not sure what was going to happen next.

The silence was broken when Gohan started laughing, and clapping his hands.

Piccolo clenched his fist. "DAMMIT, YOU BRAT," he shouted, glaring and snarling at the infant.

Gohan immediately stopped laughing. As he stared at his grimace, his lower lip puffed out and trembled. He began wailing, loudly.

Chi-Chi immediately jumped out of her chair, picked her son up and cradling him away from Piccolo. "How dare you talk to my baby, that way, you inconsiderate brute! Get away from him!" She rocked him, gently. "It's okay, Gohan! You're okay! Mommy's here!"

Piccolo pushed himself out of his chair, and stormed out of the house. He powered up and flew away from Mt Paozu, with his arms crossed and his teeth clenched.

Why did he even think to humor them? This was going to happen; it always did, with these people. Of course, these Earthlings wouldn't be any different from the rest of them. He didn't know why he even wasted his time, or let that idiot talk him into staying? He had some choice words for Kami, the next time he saw him.

"Hey, wait!"

He shut his eyes, and powered up further, hoping to get away from that voice. Instead, he was stopped right in his tracks, when Goku flew in front of him, on that cloud.

"How come you left?"

Piccolo nearly fell out of the sky, right there. Was he that obtuse? "It's clear that the rest of your family doesn't want me around." He tried to fly away again, but Goku quickly caught up with him.

"What, Chi-Chi? She didn't really mean, what she said. She was just worried about you hurting Gohan. She gets like that with me, too – it's not about you."

"If she sees me as enough of a threat to your brat, then why should I stick around?"

The look on Goku's face became more serious. "You don't have anywhere else to go. We can't kick you out, like that."

So he was a guest purely out of pity. He rolled his eyes. "I've managed just fine on my own, for this long. I don't need anyone else's help."

Goku blinked, as he stared at him. He looked completely confused, as to what he was saying. "No one should be without a home. My grampa always told me that."

Piccolo turned around and crossed his arms, hoping he'd get the message and leave. He could still feel him staring, behind him.

"Well… if you ever change your mind, you know where to find us." He heard him whoosh off on the flying cloud. Piccolo glanced over his shoulder, watching him disappear over the horizon.

He scoffed. At least he left, but that idiot was still a fool for getting his hopes up, like that. He meant what he had said, before. He had survived his entire life on his own; he was more than able to continue to do so, for the rest of his days.

Piccolo landed on a small plateau, crossed his legs and arms, and shut his eyes.