It was to be expected that Arugula didn't handle the news well. She wailed as any child might and threw her arms around Bulma's waist while stomping her feet and nuzzling her wet eyes and nose in her shirt. Tears streamed down her own cheeks as the child pleaded with her, "No!" She cried, "No, she can't jus' die! She can't! Please Bulma! Save 'er, please! Ye have to! I got no one left!"

Arugula's country accent was garbled as it was and between the choking sobs and stuffy nose Bulma was beginning to struggle understanding her but she stood there anyways, stroking the little girl's hair and imagining how she might have handled things if this was her own child.

She felt a profound sadness as she responded. "I'm so sorry Arugula...but there's nothing I can do."

Arugula let out a terrible despairing cry and sank to her knees, crawled over to Lettuce on all fours, wrapped her tiny hands around her shoulders and began to shake her. "Grammy! Wake up! Don' leave me!"

Bulma, alarmed, moved over to the child and gently pulled her away. "Aru! You can't do that, you might hurt her."

"Let 'er be hurt! She's betrayed me! She promised not to leave me!" She turned on her and stared balefully, an angry furrow in her brow.

Bulma sighed, feeling the deepness of her frown ache in her cheeks, but let go and sat against the wall and it was like this they sat for some time after.

It wasn't until the sun was shining through every open crevice in the walls and ceiling and the world seemed alive but for the rubble around them that Arugula finally slumped against the wall, asleep. Bulma tucked her beneath a soft blue blanket and turned to watch Goku across the room as he and a few others huddled around an old ham radio. She could vaguely hear a voice crackling on the other end of the receiver, someone at the Hideout more than likely giving them a list of needed supplies before the search party returned home.

Goku had his hands on his hips until some wire snapped and sparked and the small blinking light on the device went dark. There were several frantic murmurs and then Goku picked it up curiously and shook it then it to his ear like it was a Christmas present and he was trying to guess its contents. Before anyone could protest he gave it another hard shake and it sparked and the static in the speakers shut off completely. It was dead.

If there'd been panic before, it doubled now and all the while Bulma put her head in her hands and shook her head. "Oh Goku." She grumbled, not bothering to watch as her boyfriend rushed to put the radio back on the rock ledge as though nothing happened and scratched his head in confusion.

She knew she had to go help them and that if she didn't one of them would just bring the stupid thing to her, but when she went to stand, something stirred in the dark shadow beside her. Lettuce had opened and eye and had turned her head to look at her. There was something knowing in those sad emerald eyes that pained Bulma but she smiled anyways, sat back down and whispered, "Hey there old timer, how you feeling?"

Lettuce shook her head sternly, "Pish. Don' bother with the niceties child, we both know I ain't got much longer."

Bulma frowned and Lettuce snorted (which sounded painful with her heaving breaths).

"You city folk always look like a bug done flew in yer curds. Never smilin', always miserable."

Bulma shook her head, thoroughly put off. "I'm sorry?"

"Ah...Daft as a plank, poor dear."

To that Bulma growled, "What did you just call me you crazy old kook?"

"I called you daft, goodness me girl I thought I was the one hard of hearing."

She stared at her indignantly and grit her teeth.

"Oh relax and get a sense of humor before yer as wrinkled as me." Lettuce chuckled and offered her a near toothless grin.

Bulma was amazed at how calm the woman was being in the face of death, even if she was troublesome and she said as much to Lettuce.

She laughed and wheezed in response and reached over a frail hand to pat her own. She felt cold but Bulma didn't flinch, though she was frowning again, her anger forgotten.

"I'm gonna let ye in on a secret of death." Lettuce confided.

Instinctively, Bulma leaned closer.

There was a long silence and a low cough from deep in the woman's throat before at last she said, "Live."

That single word was so alarmingly abstruse that she pressed herself against the wall and just stared at her for a moment unsure of what to say. When nothing came to her she finally just went to wake up Arugula, thinking Lettuce would like to speak with her before it was too late.

That's not what happened however, for Lettuce only held up her hand to wait and frowned so deeply that the wrinkles in her jowls touched her neck and her eyes drained of the mirth that had been there moments ago. Bulma stopped, fearful of the sadness that suddenly overcame the old woman.

"She's a strong girl." Lettuce admired, looking at the child curled up next to her, her green hair like vines sprawling out from beneath the blanket.

"Yes." Bulma agreed, watching them and realizing she almost felt envious of what Lettuce had even if she was soon going to die.

"She's gonna be OK." Lettuce continued as her eyes, sharp as ever again, found Bulma. "You watch her though, ya hear? She needs somebody, might as well be you…even if ya are daft."

Bulma gaped, too stupefied to retaliate from the insult. Tears watered the corners of her eyes and spilled over her cheek as she considered what this meant.

Lettuce was still talking slowly and she had to strain to hear her past the thudding of her heart in her ears and the insanity of her thoughts which now buzzed in her head like a thousand angry, excited bees.

Then, without much warning, Lettuce fell silent. The hand which had been on her stomach fell limp and her eyes closed with a final exhale. She was gone.

Bulma sat there for what felt like ages, staring at the body of the woman. She was thinking about death and the word which was spoken to her with such conviction -the secret which really wasn't one at all yet still held some profoundness to it. At last Arugula stirred beside her and rose blinking eyes up at Bulma which instantly and without a word to her, flashed to her grandmother.

"Grammy? Grammy! Wake up!"

Bulma put a hand on her back as Arugula again shook her stiffening shoulders and cried out.

"Aru, hey." She tried to console but it was no use, Arugula screamed "GO AWAY!" and slipped from under her hand.

She ran off into the darkness of the farthest corners of the building. Bulma could hear the echoing click of steps as she ran up the stairs where there was a platform between stairwells that had been sectioned off by large fallen stones. She'd be safe there at least.

In a flash of orange and blue, Goku was beside her again, staring at the black shadows where Arugula had vanished.

"She's gone, Goku." Bulma murmured.

"I know. I felt her energy, she was a good person. King Yema will be sure to send her to Otherworld."

"She gave her to me."

He looked confused so, with a small sigh she added. "Lettuce, she gave Arugula to me to take care of."

Bulma crossed her arms over her chest and looked up at him. She was met by his wide, wondering gaze.

"That's amazing Bulma!" Goku said at last and grinned.

She would have responded but behind him the radio, apparently having been on a snapped leg, tumbled off the ledge and smashed into pieces on the ground below.

All talk about Aru ceased then. And just like that a terrible realization occurred to her when she saw those broken coils and gears.

"Goku, we need to go back to Dr. Gero's lab."

She wasn't sure why she only thought of it now, after all these years. Perhaps grief fogged her mind or maybe she couldn't possibly imagine the world being any worse than it already was. It didn't really matter, because now it was as lucid and ominous as when a massive storm cloud approaches.

"Okay." Goku answered, "but why?"

Bulma returned her eyes to him, her gaze had glossed over slightly. "Because, Dr. Gero was mad and wanted you dead...I have a bad feeling he didn't just make two androids. What if there are more Goku?"

His face darkened. "I never thought of that."

"Lets hope the Androids haven't either."

Another, happier, idea crossed her mind and she continued, "And, if they haven't gone back, we might be able to find blueprints that will help us beat those toaster ovens into scrap metal!"

Something very close to hope filled her chest as the two grinned suddenly at each other.

"Right!" Goku announced, "We'll go as soon as we bury Lettuce."

To that, there was no arguing. They couldn't bring the corpse with them, despite the depressing idea of burying her in the back of a ruined warehouse.

(I know some of you are anxious for the androids and I promise you they are coming soon! Thank you so much to all of my followers and all the wonderful and helpful reviews. I couldn't do this without you guys! 3 )