Author's Note: I still don't own. : ) Ratz.

Happy Birthday Vegeta

Chapter 7: Odds and Ends

"Gentlemen?"

Krillin motioned the approaching lab tech to silence, so as not to disturb the meditating Namek.

"What's up?" He inquired when they were well away from Piccolo. The technician took a piece of paper from his lab coat and handed it to Krillin. "You've received a page from Ms. Briefs. It only just came across even though it looks like it was sent hours ago."

"Why the delay?" prompted Krillin, his fingers tight on the paper. The young man shrugged. "It happens all the time, all sorts of things can interfere with the satellite…Sorry it didn't come in sooner, I got it to you as quick as I could."

"No problem," Krillin smiled at the boy, "Thanks for bringing it down." The assistant nodded and headed back down the hall to the lab. A tendril of unease curled through Krillin's stomach as he unfolded the paper and read Bulma's cryptic message. "Let's make it 12 hours. I don't like this place. Bulma."

Krillin hurried back to where Piccolo floated several feet above the ground, legs crossed Indian style, eyes closed, peace emanating from him. Before he had a chance to speak, Piccolo's gravelly voice broke the silence.

"When do we leave?"

"Now, would be good. I think it takes a couple hours of flight time to get there."

"Did she give us anything specific?" The Namek asked as he stretched and bloomed from his tightly held form, his feet reached for the ground and his cape fell in an endless, heavy drape. His eyes were worried, in the calm of his face as he sought the small warrior. Krillin shook his head in the negative. "Just that she 'didn't like' the place." He allowed himself a small grin, at Piccolo's incredulous response.

"WHAT!" She's with GOHAN for Kami's sake! What could possibly happen that he couldn't handle?" Sneered Piccolo arrogantly. Having spent many years refining Gohan's boundless abilities, he could not conceive of a challenge that his protégé could not meet.

"I have no idea." Krillin replied flatly. "But most of the twelve hours she requested is up, and they aren't back, and haven't been in contact."

"Unless there's been another delay." Piccolo's statement reminded Krillin of just how sensitive the Namek's hearing was. He frowned. It was possible of course, that there had been a later transmission that they hadn't received yet…

"Either way, we need to go. If we get there and everything is fine, cool. But if we wait for another page that never comes, it might be too late to help." Piccolo nodded his agreement with the Human's logic.

"What did she tell you about the last locale?"

Krillin thought for a moment, wrinkling his burned brow, "Not a lot. General location, that it's inhabited…I'm gonna check with that technician, she has to have a detailed research file." He paused a few feet away from Piccolo, and asked, "Should we tell Vegeta?"

The Namek snorted a laugh. "Which frightens you more? Interrupting Vegeta's training for what is most likely nothing, or telling Bulma you ruined His Majesties' birthday surprise?" A shudder ran the short length of Krillin's body. "Oh-Kay. I'll just go get that research file and we can leave." he walked away.

"You do that." smiled Piccolo at his retreating figure. As Krillin's quickened footsteps echoed down the hall, the Namek's superior ears picked up the muttered words of the Human. "You left out facing Vegeta's wrath if something has happened to Bulma and we didn't tell him."

The smile, left Piccolo's face completely.

Somewhere on the Crescent Island

"Brother? What are you doing? Mav gave specific orders--"

The older brother (who was older only by minutes) paused in his efforts and glanced sideways at his younger, more impressionable brother, before answering. "I see no reason for the body to go to waste. Mav will have her trophy, and we will feast, truly." He hefted his blade in one hand, light glinting off the slightly curved and crudely sharp edge. He twisted the blue silk of Bulma's hair around his arm repeatedly, until it drew her head up, the shimmering length taut between hand and head. The knife flashed down in an arc familiar to his muscles from long use, and severed the hair from her head in a single, nearly silent swipe.

His younger brother swayed at the insurrection. His voice came out a dry, harsh whisper. "For this blasphemy brother, I fear Mav will have our heads." His brother snorted and struggled to secure the hair with a leathered sinew strap. The lengths of hair curled up on themselves and around his fists like writhing snakes. He stood there, panting in the heat, a huge, warrior of a man, with a handful of blue hair that seemed to have a vengeful life of its own.A tiny drop of fear rose from his superstitious belly to leave a bitter taste in the back of his mouth. He grunted and thrust the mass at his little brother who fumbled to keep it from touching his body, as though it were dangerous.

"Take that to La'el, tell her to weave it into Mav's headdress for tonight. I'm going to check on the fire pit…I think if we offer Queen Mav the sweetest of meats, in her honor, it will improve her mood.

"I hope you are right brother. Else you have killed us both."