Together Again

by Lady-Ravenhawk

Feared by the Gods themselves, the first humans to walk the earth were torn into two bodies, each one half of one soul. Destined to search for each other through their many lives lived upon the earth, neither remembers who they once were. That is until a fateful meeting reunites them as they work to save an innocent child from the years of abuse no one else was able to see.

17. Voice of the Dragon

Rose awoke early the next morning, excited about her day off. Goku had promised to come get her as soon as his morning chores were done. She slipped on her red vintage-looking swimming suit with the tiny white polkadots and pulled on a jean skirt and a red halter top over it. She hoped it wasn't too revealing. She didn't want problems from Mrs. Shinhan, although Rose had to admit, she dressed a little provocatively herself. Rose slipped on her high heeled sandals and grabbed her purse, then sat on the couch to wait. Time seemed to drag by and she kept looking at the clock, which seemed to have died. She sighed. Maybe they didn't want her to come after all. She was playing with her oversized white sunglasses when she heard Goku's voice.

Goku appeared in Rose's apartment a little after nine in the morning. He had just finished his morning chores and cleaned up as best he could before disappearing and popping into her living room, "Morning there! Sorry I'm a little late. The rooster was in a mood this morning!" He saw she had dressed ready for a day of relaxing, he hadn't seen her so dressed down before...well...save for that night he came over and talked, and watched the movie, "I told Dende yesterday we were going to stop by to say hi. You ready to go?"

"Dende?" she asked, "You mean the guardian of earth?" Goku gave a nod. "Well, sure, I guess," Rose said, shouldering her purse. "So, uh, how does this work?"

He grinned and he stepped closer to her, "Just hold onto me, close your eyes if you get dizzy easily." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pressing his fingers to his forehead and suddenly, they were high up in the air, standing on the edge of the Lookout, way above the world. He held her carefully, "Oh, got us a little close to the edge. Don't freak out when you open your eyes. I've got you."

Rose carefully cracked an eye open and clung to Goku's neck. "A little?" she squeaked, scrambling backwards, still holding onto him, practically dragging him with her. Her heart hammered in her chest and her stomach twisted in knots. They were above the clouds. If Rose didn't have better manners, a long line of curse words would have escaped from her mouth.

Goku carried her away from the edge chuckling, "Sorry about that. Here we go. You can't see over the edge any more!" He looked up as he heard a high pitched squeal and a sudden shouting

"GoGo!" Paige cried and he smiled as a little namek came running towards him.

He set Rose down on the tiled floor and leaned down and caught the little girl, "Hi there Paige! You've gotten big!" He tickled her and she giggled at him, "Papaw taught me Fina Fash better, wanna see? He say it show you!" She laughed all bubbly.

Goku chuckled at her, "Maybe another time cutie, have you seen Dende? I brought someone to see him."

Paige nodded enthusiastically and squirmed until Goku put her back down and she ran off at full speed into the structure, "DEN DEN! DENNDENN!"

"Ohhhhh my gosh," Rose gushed. "She is, without a doubt, one of the CUTEST kids I've ever seen!" She watched Paige run across the big tiled floor and found herself walking after the little Namek. She couldn't help it; it had become so ingrained in her to constantly keep an eye on the children.

Dende was on the other side of the lookout making his rounds about the whole area. He paused when he heard Paige calling for him and he couldn't help but shake his head, smiling over his shoulder as the little girl appeared. "DEN DEN! Gogo here to see you! Dere's a strange lady wid him!"

He smiled down at her, reaching down and ruffling her hair, "Is he now?" He looked up as a new face appeared from the same place that Paige had come from, Goku appearing behind her. He smiled at his friend, "Goku. I thought I heard your name on the wind." He turned from the edge and walked over to him, hugging the man, "How are you holding up? Piccolo told me what was going on. I'm sorry to hear about all that."

Goku patted him on the back and stood back, smiling at him, "Don't worry about it. Goten is in good hands." He motioned to Rose, "She's been looking out for him. She's Rose… ah..." He scratched the back of his head. "Do you have a last name?"

Dende turned to face Rose, smiling at her as he was able to pick up on her thoughts. "Delacour. It is good to meet you." He held out a hand to her, "Guardian to those who cannot stand up for themselves yes? Perhaps even a hero to some. You are welcome here."

"You know me?" Rose asked, nervously shaking his hand. He had a kind, handsome face and she could see a lot of wisdom behind his eyes. The strangest thing happened when her hand touched his. It was as if she was greeting an old friend she hadn't seen in a very long time. "Have we met before?"

Paige was going red in the face trying to say the new name, "Ros… Ross… Roooooooos."

Goku chuckled at her and leaned down, "Hey! Is your daddy home?"

Paige nodded and kicked at the tiles, "He med… medating… Not s'posed to talk to him."

Jenny cursed to herself as she flung open the bathroom door, chucking the pregnancy test into the bathroom trash with a loud clatter. "Worthless, absolutely worthless," she said bitterly, heading over to the area where she knew Piccolo liked to meditate. "You got a vasectomy and didn't tell me, didn't you!?" she loudly accused before she stopped in her tracks at the sight of the guests, "Oh, hey Goku."

Rose blinked wide-eyed at Jenny's outburst. What an incredibly odd thing to accuse someone of. She bit her bottom lip and looked awkwardly between Goku and Dende, hoping one of them said something to smooth it over. She certainly didn't know what to say.

Dende chuckled as Jenny came over to them, "I really wish I didn't have these ears half the time." He looked at her carefully, "Still no baby?"

Goku's eyes lit up, "You're gonna have another baby?! That's great news!" He scratched at his head, "But I thought you swore off having anymore kids after Alice was born?"

"Trying to have a baby is the key word," Jenny said annoyedly, "It figures, the one time we actually choose to have a kid together and I can't get knocked up. Must be something wrong with the husband, I'll have to trade him in for the newer model."

"You'll do no such thing!" came Piccolo's voice from across the Lookout. "And I don't even know what that is that you just accused me of, but I certainly didn't do it!"

Rose clapped a hand to her mouth, refusing to show the amusement on her face. This was hilariously awkward, although she did feel sorry for Jenny's situation. That had to be frustrating.

Paige blinked up at her mother. "New baby?" she asked curiously. "But we has Ally!"

Jenny smiled as sweetly as she could at Paige, "We do, but your daddy and I are trying to make you a little brother!" She huffed, "As soon as I know your brother is on his way, I'll tell you. Gods, I think we've tried everything." She paused, her eyes lighting up, "Hey, I know! Goku, come get Sabriena to walk in on us during the act again. That'll scare the little devils right out of him!"

Goku blinked at her innocently and scratched his head, "Well, okay, but do you really think that'll work?"

Rose turned away, her face going red. She wasn't used to this sort of conversation. Usually she dealt with parents who didn't seem to want their children, not parents who were struggling to have more. She didn't know what to say in this situation. She paused, her curiosity getting the best of her. "Wait, what does Mrs. Shinhan have to do with this?" she asked. She realized her rudeness a moment later and blushed even more. "I… I'm sorry. This is none of my business. Sorry."

Jenny snickered, "Funny story, really. Piccolo and I were getting used to life as new parents, but the romance had kinda gotten lost, so he went and took romantic advice and long story short it ended up with some cheesy, romantic music, you know with the black guy in the background saying oh yeah baby and candles and the works. Well Sabriena walked in on us mid-coitus. Boom, Alice was conceived."

"Oh my!" Rose giggled, her eyes going wide. "Well, ah, I suppose it's worth trying? I really don't know anything about that." She looked at Goku curiously, "Does your wife make it a habit of walking in on people when they're, you know, busy?"

"Only if you count Tien and myself." Goku's face lit up, "Actually, just the other night..."

Dende held up his hand, "No, no. That's okay, I don't need any details on that front. Piccolo jumped off the balcony a few minutes ago anyway."

Goku laughed out loud, "Dang it, I wanted to talk to him. That's okay, I'll go hunt him down. I'll give him some pointers if you want me to, Jenny!" He looked back over at Dende and Rose and asked, "You okay here for a moment Rose?"

"I... uh... yeah, I'm okay," she said. This was awkward. Without her clipboard clutched to her chest and her fancy business suit, Rose felt very out of her element. She didn't meet people on friendly terms. She didn't want Goku to leave her side, but he seemed to need to speak to his friend, so she nodded. "You go ahead. I'll stay here." She looked at Dende, "If that's okay with you?"

Jenny waved her hand at Goku, "Couldn't hurt." She looked back at Dende and Rose, "I'm going to go feed the girls." She said and stalked off towards the kitchen.

Dende waved Goku on, "Go for it." He looked at Rose a moment and motioned for her to follow him as he started his walk around the Lookout again, putting himself between her and the edge, "No, we haven't met, but I can tell a few things about a person when I meet them. My apologies, some find it a bit unnerving." He smiled at her, "You can relax. Leave it to Goku to toss people into new situations and then run off. He has a unique way of thinking. His heart is in the right place. You've been needing to get out more, haven't you?" He smiled knowingly before he laughed and rubbed the back of his head, "So sorry. There's never an off switch for this intuition thing. My apologies. Half the world in one ear and immediate surroundings in the other."

"Maybe a bit," Rose said, grasping the strap of her purse with both hands and looking down at her strappy sandals as she walked. Her heels seemed a little louder than normal on the big white tile. There were a million questions burning her mind, but they all seemed accusatory as she thought them. She pressed her lips together, trying to work out how to start the conversation. Her mind had already returned to her work. "So you're the guardian of Earth. Did... did you know what was happening to Goten?" she finally asked.

Dende looked down, a sadness in his eyes, "I wish I had. I would have been able to if he had visited, but Chichi didn't allow him to come up here. Something about no parent in their right mind would let their kid run around a million miles above the earth with those green aliens." He shrugged at her, "More or less." He sighed, a tired sigh that sounded like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. "To be honest Rose, being guardian probably isn't what you think it is." He stopped and looked over the side at the ground, closing his eyes for a moment, "This far away, I cannot sense individuals on the planet unless I focus very hard on a specific person. Only when a collective voice rises up, during natural crisis or otherwise, do I feel and hear the troubles of the world." He looked over at her, "People like you are needed on the earth. You reach those that I cannot."

There was a sadness in Dende that pulled at Rose's heart. "I'm sorry," she said quietly, "I didn't mean to accuse you of anything." She sighed as they resumed their walk. "I just... I don't understand a lot of what's going on right now. Everyone around Goten seems so intimidating. Their powers," she gave a soft snort, "the size of these men. They're all so confident and they just act like this is perfectly normal." She risked looking at him again, "I love what I do. And I want to help Goten. But this is a LOT to take in. How am I supposed to present this information to a judge without looking like I've completely lost my mind? I could lose my job! All I want to do is help Goten."

Dende smiled warmly at her, "No. Don't worry about it." He listened quietly to her for a moment, a faint smile on his lips, "And Goku thought it would be a good idea to bring you all the way up here to meet me? To be honest, I think it was probably a good idea. All of his friends possess unique powers, and no, only a few of us are aliens. Well, the purebloods anyway. Some are humans that possess a remarkable strength within them. All humans possess that ability. Just few ever see that spark within them. They do not want to see it, so they don't. Most of them have had hard lives, Goku included, but it seems whenever he comes around, good things follow. He saved me from my dying planet, most of his friends were on a bad path and came over to the better side of things with his influence. And you have questions circling around Lindsey. I can tell you she is clean, Goku helped break her addiction." He paused and smiled, "Ah, but this is about you, not them." He looked at her. "You are right, it is a lot to take in. You are still trying to wrap your mind around the fact you are talking to a green alien from who knows where. You want to know how to present this information to the judge, present what you need to, leave out the parts about aliens, powers, feelings. Present what facts you have."

"I... I know it's Mrs. Son who hurt Goten," Rose said. "But I have no evidence of that. I can sense it from her. She's so cold. I don't know how to get the evidence I need, short from letting her hurt him again, which I cannot do." She shook her head in frustration. "She's bound to slip. She almost did yesterday. If I can just get Goten away from her," Rose sighed, "But I don't know if any judge would award custody to Mr. Son... I mean, Goku... either." Rose pushed her glasses up and pinched the bridge of her nose. "What am i doing? I shouldn't be discussing these things with you. I could lose my job. I know better."

Dende had to stop a laugh that passed his lips, "Lose your job for telling me what? I can already hear your soul speaking up. Besides, its not like I'm going any where. I certainly won't be telling any judge anything." He stopped in his walk and pinched the bridge of his nose, just as she had done. "I wish I could tell you what to do. Even if you did leave Goten with her long enough for her to inflict pain upon him again, she would find a way to cover it up before you returned." He looked at her, "You have to decide for yourself what to do." He looked up at her, there was a pain in his eyes. He could sense it in her. Her work helping these children, working with mostly ungrateful parents, and what did she have to show for it? "Do not loose yourself because of this job. You have done great work, but do not let it put out that light within you."

Why was he so easy to talk to? She felt like she wanted to pour her heart out to him, to tell him every horrible case she'd ever encountered. Perhaps it was the way he seemed to already know it. She liked the way he spoke, poetic almost, but real and down to earth. Like her heart had been laid out in a book and he was reading her emotions aloud. "I want to do great work," she said. "Maybe... maybe if I had special powers, I could help these children." She shook her head. What was she talking about? Special powers? Rose had never dreamed that anything like this existed. And now, here she was, walking beside an alien, the guardian of earth, discussing her innermost feelings. She licked her lips and bit the lower one. "I'm afraid of becoming cold," she admitted softly. "I see the other workers, who've been there longer than I have. It's become just a job to them. There's no passion left in them. They're miserable. When I started my career, I had this warm fuzzy feeling of helping the children. I thought it would be easy, standing up for them when they can't do it themselves. I don't want you to take me wrong, I truly love what I do. But like you said, I'm afraid of losing myself in the process."

Dende chuckled, he rather liked this woman. It was a rare occurrence indeed for one of the, for lack of a better word, normal people of earth to find their way up here to him. Of course, everyone that did, in one way or another, knew Goku. That man was a link between worlds. Quite literally. Dende stopped his walking and looked at her, "Sit with me." He plopped down to the ground and looked out over the world, to the far distant horizon. He wondered what Kami would have said in this situation. He would never be Kami. He had to forge ahead on his own, be a good little guardian and watch earth and help those who sought help in return. He looked back at her smiling, "You wish for special powers that you already have you know. It is within your power to help the children that are assigned to you. What you want is a way to make it easy. Something more black and white instead of the grey you see the world in. The lives you save would not mean as much if it were easy, Rose. You would not get to know these children you come to hold dear in your heart. You would grow cold then. You would just see a case, know what the outcome was and move on. No interactions. No passion. No nothing. It is when you sit down and share your experiences with those who will listen, that you truly realize your passion. Does that make sense?"

The tile was surprisingly warm on her long legs as she sat and faced him. His words made sense to her. "I suppose you're right," she said with a slight laugh. "My dad always said nothing worth doing is ever easy. Besides, I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I didn't have to take the time to figure it all out. I can get so lost in my work," she said, a dreamy smile on her face. "I do love working it out in my head. Challenging myself. Things that come easy to me usually don't interest me. I move on too quickly. It's really the perfect job for me. I get to challenge my mind while helping others. I can't imagine doing anything else. Well, except for maybe working with my brother. He does amazing work, helping LOTS of people at once. I only take on a few cases at a time. I thought about going to work with him for a couple months, try something a little different. I have vacation time built up. But, I just can't seem to tear myself away from work." She stopped and laughed, "My friend makes fun of me. She says I want to take a vacation from work to go to work!"

Dende chuckled, "Your father sounds like a wise man." He smiled and nodded at her, "You do good work, Rose. I can feel those lives that you have touched and those that have touched yours. Just don't forget about yourself now and then. I know how it feels, trying to tear yourself away from one thing. It just doesn't feel right, trying to take a break when so many are suffering. Just because you hesitate to take that break for yourself speaks greatly about your character. Just remember that you are not the only guardian angel on earth. Sometimes a step back from it all will help you see more clearly." He smiled at her, looking her over. This woman. One day with Goku and he had already picked up on this woman's need to not be alone. She was a remarkable human who had to take in a lot of new information. Deal with the downs of life. She had amazing spirit for it. He agreed; the job was perfect for her. "Perhaps Goten needed you as much as you needed him. Goku is the first to reach out to you like this, is he not?" He smiled a toothy smile at her, "Don't pass up opportunity when it bites you in the leg. Don't let your obligations to your job stop you from finding meaningful relationships here. Friends of Goku may seem a bit, ahem, frosty on the outside. But there are not many they trust. When you get to know them, you wouldn't want anyone else to have your back in a crisis I think its about time you have someone to talk to about the work you do. Though it is your perfect job, it is also like a poison. If you do not let it out, it will rot away at you from the inside out and then you will be cold. And you will hurt."

Rose smiled, "Goku IS the first person to offer me friendship in a very long time. Of course, I don't usually put myself into situations where it would be easy to find friends. I don't mind the solitude, usually. I have my work to keep me busy. But there are times when it would be nice to have someone to talk to." Rose paused, chewing at her lip again. She didn't want to be too forward, but she couldn't help but to beg the question. "Who do you talk to?" she asked softly. "Do you share your burdens with anyone? You must have them, guarding the entire world."

Dende's brows shot up, he certainly hadn't been expecting that question. A purple blush spread across his face, "Ah well," He looked around, "Sometime I talk with Mr. Popo. He's been the steward up here since before Kami. He tends the flowers and cooks sometimes. He can almost sense the troubles of the world himself, he's so in tune with everything. Mostly I keep to myself. Some… most of the troubles are out of my hands. Acts of mother nature such as tornados, earthquakes. The best I can do is will the earth to soothe her anger. When there is bigger trouble, when the earth is threatened, I usually turn to Goku and his friends to help save the earth. Not many people know about that. Sometimes I try to talk with the dragon, but he is rather grumpy most of the time. He doesn't like for his sleep to be disturbed. Seems like ages since anyone's collected the dragon balls though." He smiled at her and leaned over his hand to his mouth, "Don't tell Piccolo, but Alice has been quite the good listener. She doesn't have much in ways of commenting back, but when I get to watch the girls, I feel like Alice is really listening." He laughed and rubbed the back of his head again, "Sorry. You're the first company I've had in a while. I'm sorry if I ramble a bit."

"I don't think you're rambling," Rose said quickly, trying to drink in everything he'd said to her. She found him fascinating. Soothing the earth when she was angry? Did the earth itself have emotions? The thought was silly to her, but then again, she was in the middle of something extraordinary and she decided it was best to not doubt anything. What had Goku done to save the earth? He'd mentioned it in passing, but she didn't understand. She couldn't remember a time when the earth was threatened, save for the Cell Games several years ago. But that had been Mr. Satan who had saved the world, hadn't it? He certainly didn't hesitate to remind everyone that he was the world's savior every time he made a public appearance. Talking with a dragon? Were dragons real? Could they talk back? What was a dragonball? And who was Alice? Rose felt that dizzy, spinning feeling in her brain again. So many questions, so many pieces to figure out and put together like this gigantic puzzle that made up the lives of these people. She was excited and confused. Where to begin? How many questions could she ask him before he got irritated or before Goku returned? "A dragon?" she finally asked. She leaned a little closer, an excited curiosity on her face. This was too much, too intriguing. Was this the fairytale she and Goku had spoken about? Had she somehow fallen into some great novel that spanned all time and reason? "Are you saying dragons are real?"

Dende couldn't help but burst out laughing, keeping up with her mind as it went through such a rapid progression of questions. Everything certainly seemed like an adventure in that moment. "I am so sorry, Miss Rose. I didnt mean to throw all of that at you. Its easy to forget what the people of earth don't know. Yes. Dragons certainly are most real. Don't worry, dragons here on earth are kept on special reserves, far away from humans. The eternal dragon exists in a realm that is of fire. It's warm and he tends to sleep a lot. I think only guardian nameks are able to tap into that world and create dragon balls. On my planet of Namek, or New Namek I should say, we have a very special Namekian dragon that reflects my people. Here on earth, I was able to revive the Eternal dragon. He is connected to the guardian's life force. When Kami died, so did the dragon. The dragon is a revered creature. Many seek to abuse his power. When the dragon was reborn, so were the dragon balls. They are artifacts of the eternal dragon of great power and magick. Those who gather all seven and call forth the dragon are granted two wishes." He loved the sense of wonder coming from her. Such a pure heart that didn't know about the dragonballs. He could sense her wish to see the dragon. "He is gigantic, takes up nearly the entire sky when he is summoned. And he has this deep booming voice that just fills you up. Its quite the experience." He found himself excited explaining all of this to her.

Rose wondered what it would be like to see the eternal dragon, to see this massive mythical creature that took up the whole sky. It seemed the more she learned from Dende, the more questions she had. She'd been nervous to leave Goku's side, now she was hoping that his conversation with his friend would take a good, long while. She felt she could listen to Dende for days. She didn't know how all of this could be real, but even if it wasn't, she wanted to hear it. She wanted to live in this fantastic dream as long as she could. "So where are these dragonballs? Can I see them?" she asked.

Dende chuckled, "I wish I could show you one, they scatter across the earth once someone has summoned and wished upon the dragon. They take a year to reactivate, but they should be activated now. They look like softball sized orange crystals with red stars in the middle. Each one has a different number up to seven. If you would like, I can show you Shenron's statue here in the Lookout. It's a smaller model of him, but you might get an idea?" He felt giddy. He hadn't shown anyone his work on the dragon since he had come to earth and taken on his role as guardian.

"I'd love to see it," Rose smiled. She was having a hard time picturing this dragon. She grabbed her purse again, an excitement dancing in her eyes. She hadn't felt this excited about anything in a very long time. "Can you show me?"

"Of course," he pushed himself to his feet and offered a green hand down to her helping her up. We have to go down into the lower levels of the Lookout. You will have to stay close, it's easy to get lost." He led her back into the building, he could hear Goku talking excitedly with Piccolo about something or another. He could hear Paige following Mr. Popo around and the calming sound of water falling out of a watering can. He passed the kitchen and went further into the back of the building, finally reaching a large, ornate door that he pulled open. He offered over his arm for her to take, "It's a little dark." He led her through some hallways that seemed to twist and go up and down until one could be thoroughly confused. Finally they turned a corner and there was a small room with the dragon statue sitting on a pedestal, a golden light coming from seemingly nowhere to light it. "There he is."

Rose's breath caught in her throat as she slowly released her hold on Dende's arm. She walked forward, pushing her glasses up on her nose, peering at the statue. It was beautiful. She got as close as she dared, resisting the urge to reach out and touch the statue. She'd die if she caused it to break. "Oh wow," she breathed, leaning over towards it. She'd never seen something so intricately carved. It was a beautiful bone white with miniscule details. She half expected to see it move.

Rose circled the small statute, drinking in every detail. There was a longing in her to see the real dragon, to hear the voice that Dende spoke about, to feel that presence. Her throat tightened. What had gotten into her? She was so used to dealing with cold, hard facts and basing all her decisions upon that. To be looking at this statue, wishing for it to come to life, was ridiculous. But she couldn't deny that she wished it would. She leaned a little closer, her nose nearly touching the nose of the small dragon statue. That's when she heard it. A slow, deep, rumbling growl that seemed to emanate from nowhere. Rose faltered and fell backwards, staring up at the statue in shock. "Did you hear that?" she gasped. "Tell me I'm not the only one who heard that!"

Dende was once again surprised. He had heard the rumble, the growl, but that was highly unusual. He stepped closer, "That's odd. He usually only speaks when he's awake." He looked at Rose again. Who was she to get the dragon to speak? He leaned down and helped her up, "You are very special. It's good luck for the dragon to speak to you like that. Imagine that voice, but multiplied by a thousand and that is what you hear when he speaks when he is summoned."

Rose was frightened. It was a statue, just a statue, and it had GROWLED at her. She grabbed her purse with both hands, holding it over her shoulder, looking at the statue with wide blue eyes as she carefully stepped away from it. "Can... Can we go find Mr. Son now? See if he's done talking?"

Dende's face fell, he hadn't meant to scare her. "My apologies, Rose. It was not my intention to frighten you." He took her hand, and turned to lead her out of the statue room. "He frightens many, but had he meant to scare you, he would have roared." He looked over his shoulder at Shenron's statue, perplexed by the meaning of it. He could feel Rose's heart beating rapidly in her chest. "Easy there now. You're alright. The eternal dragon does not harm the people of earth. He may seem frightening, but he means well."

"I'm sorry, Dende," Rose said quietly. "It just startled me is all."

They finally exited the lower levels of the Lookout, warm sunlight washing over them. Paige was waiting for them with they came out. She looked at them both before staring at Dende, "DenDen! Dragon speak! Dragon speak LOUD."

Dende looked at Rose a moment before leaning down to Paige's level, "Did you hear the dragon speak just now?"

She shook her head, little pink curls flying around her head, "Ally did."

Rose's heart warmed at the sight of little Paige when they walked out into the sun again. Rose crouched next to her. "Hi, cutie." She felt foolish now. She, a grown woman, had fallen over when she heard the voice of the dragon, yet this little girl, who couldn't have been more than three years old, seemed excited by it.

Paige looked at Rose a moment before smiling widely at her, "You hear dragon?" She threw her hands up in the air wide, "DenDen say he diiiiis big." She looked like she was going to say more but then Goku rounded the corner, greeting them again.

"Hey! There you are! Did you two have a nice chat?" He beamed at Rose, "Didn't I tell you he was a lot like you?"

Dende chuckled, he could hear Piccolo off in the nursery shushing Alice. She must have really heard him. That was interesting. He smiled over at Goku before looking at Rose, "Well, if the dragon doesn't scare you that badly, you are welcome back here any time you wish. You might have to find Goku. It is rather hard to find this place." He wanted her to stay. He wanted to talk to her more and find out why the dragon allowed her to hear what many do not.

Rose felt bad. She wanted to stay and learn more, but hearing the dragon had really shook her. Dende looked disappointed. "I really enjoyed talking with you, Dende," Rose said. "I'd love to come visit again, if that's okay. Just... no more dragon statues next time?" she asked with a slight giggle.

Dende smiled and shook her hand, chuckling, "I promise. No more dragon statues. Let me know ahead of time when you are coming out. I'll cook lunch or something." He looked between her and Goku and smiled again, "Now. Go take some time for yourself. I dare say you've earned it."

Rose chewed her lip as Goku stepped closer to her. She wanted so badly to talk with Dende more, to learn more about these people and this world she'd stumbled into that she didn't understand. Just as Goku went to place his hand on her shoulder, she blurted out, "Dende, would you like to come with us?" Her eyes went wide and she clapped a hand over her mouth at her brazenness. "I... I'm sorry," she said to Goku, "I shouldn't have done that. That was terribly rude of me to invite him to your home. I didn't mean to put you on the spot! I... I'll just... be quiet now." Rose ducked her head and stared at her toes, her face burning hot.

Dende tilted his head back and laughed, "She does that a lot, doesn't she?"

Goku nodded his head enthusiastically. "Yeah, come on Dende! A few hours will be good for you, too!"

The Namek looked at them a moment, Rose's cheeks had the most adorable blush on them. There was something about her that intrigued him in a way no other human ever had before. She didn't have many she could call friends and in truth, neither did he. He nodded, "That sounds good, actually. Let me just go tell Mr. Popo and Piccolo. Then we can head out. Swimming, right?" He felt giddy as he walked off to find them. He hadn't taken a vacation in a long while. Of course, that was hard to do. Being a guardian was a full time job

Rose watched him go, then turned to Goku. "Mr. Son, I'm sooo sorry. That was really rude of me. I know better than that. I promise, I do have better manners! I don't know what came over me. I just... I really liked talking with him. That dragon scared me. I really didn't mean to do that to you; put you on the spot like that."

Goku laughed, "Relax. And please call me Goku. Mr. Son just sounds so formal." He grinned, "It's alright. I could tell you guys have a lot to talk about. You need friends. Hopefully this is the start of many. Isn't Dende great? He's great to talk to. And you look like you have a lot on your mind you know?" He tapped his finger to his lips. "Gonna have to find an easier way for you to come and go here."

"I have a hovercar," Rose said. "I could drive. I don't mind. Really." She paused and smiled, "I can't rely on that disappearing trick of yours to take me everywhere." The sun was growing higher in the sky, the light reflecting brightly off the tile, making Rose's eyes water. She dug in her purse and pulled out her overly rounded white sunglasses and swapped them for her regular ones. "It's so bright out here," she muttered. She was excited that Dende was coming. Had she gone from having practically no friends to making two new ones in less than a day? The thought was exciting to her. And now she had the whole day to spend with them, to pick their brains, to learn as much as she could about them and their lives and these amazing adventures they seemed to have. Her embarrassment ebbed away at Goku's warm smile, the way he insisted that she call him by his first name. "Dende is very interesting to talk to," Rose agreed. "I don't think I've ever heard anyone speak quite the way he does."

Goku chuckled, "He is something special. I met him when he was still young, a little older than Paige is now, when I had to travel to Namek. He always had a way with words. I think he has that unique way of speaking because this is his second language. You should get him to say a few things in Namekian. That'll make your head flip!"

"Really? His second language?" Rose asked with interest. "I can't even tell! I don't hear an accent..." her voice trailed off as she saw Dende walking back towards them. A small smile pulled at the corner of her mouth. "I'm glad you're coming with us," she said, "I'd like to talk to you more. I've got a million questions in my head right now. For both of you, really. If that's okay? I don't want to wear you out."

Dende laughed with Goku, "Hardly. It's been forever since someone's drilled my brain." He hooked an arm around Goku's waist. "Lets go, Goku"

Instant transmission was so strange. One second you were in one place, the next thing you knew the world was a spinning mess of color and sound, and the next second you were in a completely different location. Rose wobbled on her heels, standing in front of the cabin. "Oh, I don't know if I'll ever get used to that," she said, clutching Goku's shoulder to steady herself.

Dende took a deep breath and let go of Goku. "I keep forgetting how amazing this place is." He looked around and gave a wave to Tien in the garden. "I'll go change after I tell Tien hello. Meet you two at the river?"

Goku blinked after him, "Change?" He looked down and realized, "Oh! I guess it would be really inappropriate if I swam naked today, huh?" He shrugged off his shirt and tossed it to the side following after the Namek before turning to Rose. "You can change in the cabin if you like! Sabriena's in the garden with Tien so it's all yours."

"The river?" Rose asked, looking around. She finally saw it, the sunlight glistening off the gentle waves. "You... You don't have a pool?" She felt stupid the instant she posed the question. These people didn't even have a proper bathroom, of course they didn't have a pool. She'd been to this place twice now, she should have realized there was no pool. She shook her head. "Wow, that was a dumb question," she muttered.

Goku chuckled, "No, that's alright. I should have told you we swim in the river. It's really clean and refreshing. That's the river that's fed by the spring we rested your foot in! It's perfect for a hot day like today."

"O-Okay," Rose said uncertainly. "I've got my swimming suit on under my clothes. You can go ahead and change." She hesitated for a moment. She wasn't sure about swimming in a river. Fish and turtles and snakes and who knows what else could be lurking under the water. "Can I go look at the river while you change? You'll meet me down there, right?"

Goku nodded, "Yeah! You look worried. Don't worry! Nothing will bite you! The fish might nibble on your toes though!"

If Goku thought that was supposed to be encouraging, he was sadly mistaken. Rose headed down the narrow dirt path that led to the river. She set her purse on a bigger rock and cautiously walked to the water, the toes of her shoes an inch from the waterline. The waterfall was just to her right, the sound a comforting rushing of water. The water was surprisingly clear. Only the deep parts on the far side seemed slightly dark. Both banks were lined with huge trees, their leaves occasionally falling on the breeze like slow-motion rain. The air smelled sweet and clean.

"You might wanna take that skirt off before you get in."

Rose spun around to see Sabriena standing there with a hand on her hip, a towel clutched in one hand. She was wearing a shocking pink bikini that showed off her exaggerated curves. "Oh, yeah, I guess I should," Rose said, slipping off the denim skirt and her red top.

Sabriena eyed the vintage-looking one-piece that Rose wore. "Jesus, you look like one of those old-time movie stars," she stated and laid her towel out on the shore.

"Oh, thank you," Rose said quietly. "I wish I had your curves to fill it out, though."

Sabriena smirked. "I bet you catch lots of guys' attention as you are," she said and lowered herself to the ground, laying on her stomach and resting her chin on her crossed arms, letting the sun warm her back. "Speaking of guys, here they come. Finally."

Rose followed Sabriena's gaze and blushed. Good lord, those men looked like they were chiseled out of marble. She pulled off her sunglasses and tossed them in her purse, realizing she could see how well defined their bodies were even without her glasses. She was tempted to shove them on her face to look at them properly, but thought better of it and stood up to greet the men who had reached the riverbank.

Dende felt a little exposed wearing just swim trunks. He was so used to wearing his full guardian outfit. He followed Tien down to the riverside. The sun was warm, the air slightly cool. He sighed happily, glad he had been invited along. He almost stopped short when he saw the women. Sabriena in a skimpy bikini and Rose wearing her namesake color in a modest swimsuit. She looked lovely. He'd never really considered how attractive a human female was before, but there was something about Rose that caught his attention in a way he'd never experienced before. He waved to them and moved to walk into the water, sighing as the crisp cool liquid flowed across his feet.

Sabriena reached over and grabbed Tien's ankle. "Lay down with me," she purred.

"Are you kidding? It's way too hot out here for that. You need to get in the water," he grinned. He leaned over and picked her up by the waist, hauling her over his shoulder as she screamed and laughed in protest.

"No! Tien!" She kicked her legs and tried to wriggle out of his grasp as he walked into the water, his step undeterred by the gentle current. Sabriena held her hands out, "Goku! Save me!" She was reaching, grasping at nothing. She managed to grab Dende's shoulder briefly, but her hand slipped as Tien carried her further out. "Dende! Help me!" she laughed. "Tien! Put me down!"

He smirked, "As you wish." With a mighty heave, he flipped her from his shoulder out into the deep part of the river.

Goku doubled over in laughter as Rose stared in surprise. "Oh my," she breathed. She hoped Sabriena wasn't hurt.

Sabriena surfaced, screaming that Tien was a dead man and flew out of the water to tackle him as he laughed at her. They both tumbled under the water, arms and legs splashing wildly as they play-sparred in the river.

Dende chuckled as he raised his arms to avoid being splashed and walked further into the water to dip his head under the refreshing river and coming back up, wiping the drops out of his face, a few clinging to his antennae. He laughed as he watched Goku cannonball the water-sparring couple dousing them both with a tidal wave. The smile disappeared when the wave washed over him leaving him sputtering and laughing. It felt good to let go for a moment and enjoy life. It made him appreciate what he did.

Rose couldn't help but smile as she watched the three of them. For a moment, she was worried about Sabriena, she was so tiny compared to the men, but it was obvious that she wasn't afraid of them and actually seemed to be giving them a run for their money. While they outmatched her in size and strength, she made up for it in speed.

Rose wandered closer, watching with interest. The match had turned more serious, just like the other day when Goku had hit Goten. Rose held her breath as she watched. Tien spun in the waist-high water, driving his elbow into Goku's stomach, doubling him over... the next second Sabriena landed a left-hook to Tien's jaw... Goku slammed a knee to the middle of Sabriena's back... Rose pressed her fingertips to her mouth, her blue eyes wide. She'd be in the hospital for weeks if anyone hit her like that. And yet, they were all SMILING. Goku slipped under the water as Sabriena and Tien squared off at one another. They stared each other down, both in the same defensive pose, smirking at one another. They seemed frozen in time, neither moving, both staring hard into the other's eyes. Rose edged just a bit closer, her toes almost to the water again. Without warning, Sabriena and Tien shouted with surprise as their feet were yanked from under them and Goku stood there grinning, Sabriena's leg in his right hand and Tien's in his left.

Sabriena splashed and flailed in the water, trying to right herself as Goku held her by the ankle. She finally pulled herself up to claw at Goku's hand. He finally released her and she fell into the water again, laughing as she surfaced. "You're lucky I love you," she teased.

Goku pulled her close and kissed her soundly before picking her up and tossing her in the water a few feet away, "I love you, too!" He missed Tiens movement as the man finally knocked him over the the water by grabbing his leg and pulling, "Love you too dear husband!"

Dende treaded water over to Rose on the shore and waved her over. "Don't worry. They wouldn't dare be that rough with us. They might splash us to death, but I'll come to your rescue!" He hadn't missed the look of horror on her face when it turned brutal, "Don't worry. This is a regular thing. Saiyans and all that energy. They have to exert it somehow."

Rose cautiously stepped into the cool water, the stones smooth and slippery beneath her feet. "Oh, this is different," she giggled. She waded out to Dende, the sun warm on her shoulders. She didn't feel any fish biting at her like Goku had teased. "Silly," she scolded him as she and Dende approached him and slapped water playfully at him. "There's no fish biting me!"

Goku chuckled, his hair dripping wet and he grinned at her, lightly splashing water back at her. "We're being too noisy! Tien scared them all away!" He laughed as she splashed him and and he splashed them both in return, Dende gasped as he was hit in the face and retaliated by tackling Goku, barely making him sway.

Rose screamed and held her hands out trying to block the water as Goku easily flipped Dende over into the river. Goku grinned at her, his eyes mischievous. "No! No, no, no! Goku!" Rose cried, trying to turn and run through the waist-high water. It was useless. Goku grabbed her around the middle and dunked her. She came up, gasping and sputtering, slicking her hair out of her face. She felt happy and giddy, playing in the water. And she couldn't ignore the swooping feeling in her stomach when Goku's strong arm had wrapped around her middle. She brushed it off, it was just because he was a guy and she hadn't really spent much time with men. It meant nothing...

He grinned at her and she shook her head, laughing, and drew a deep breath to sink under the water again. She stayed under as long as she could, enjoying the silent world around her, the current gently pushing at her. She opened her eyes to look at the multicolored rocks beneath her. God, it was beautiful out here. And so peaceful. There it was again. That warm, secure feeling that this place held. She finally surfaced again, gulping in fresh air. "Thank you so much for inviting me," she said to Goku.

Goku gave her a bright smile and draped his arm around her shoulders. "Thanks for coming out! How late can you stay? Want to have a campfire?" He laughed, "I twisted Sabriena's arm when we went to the store and she bought me marshmallows to roast!"

"You mean like camping?" Rose asked, her eyes bright. "Yeah! I can stay for that!" His arm was heavy around the back of her neck. He smelled good - like the river and Sabriena's cooking and fresh earth. She wondered if he'd been working in the garden that morning. "You'll have to show me how," she laughed. "My parents never took us camping. Dende, you'll stay too, right?" Rose cringed. She'd done it AGAIN.

Dende threw his head back and laughed, "Goku! She's just like you!" He smiled, he hadn't been camping since Gohan had convinced him to come along on one trip some years ago. He chuckled and looked over at Tien who nodded his okay before Sabriena tackled him. "Yes. Of course I'll stay."

Rose shoved Goku away. "You are wearing off on me," she hissed. "I have better manners than this. Honest!" Her face felt hot again and she turned away from them to look at the waterfall. It was breathtaking. "Mr. Shinhan?" she asked, waving him over. "Do you all ever jump from there?" she asked nervously, pointing up at the waterfall.

He waded over closer to her and nodded. "Yeah, Sabriena does it all the time. You have to stay to the right side, though, where it's deeper." He eyed her for a minute. "You want to try it?"

"Oh no, no, no, no," she giggled. "I was just curious. I've seen people make jumps like that, in movies and stuff. I just wondered if people could actually make a jump that big."

He snickered, "You'd be amazed what a person can survive. That's nothing there. Even you'd be safe."

Sabriena grabbed Goku's hand. "C'mon, let's show her!"

Goku grinned excitedly, "Okay!" He let himself be pulled out of the water and they flew up to the top of the waterfall, moving to the right side, looking down at the deeper water before Goku gave a cheer as he jumped and cannonballed into the water with a loud splash. He surfaced a moment later laughing and looking up at Sabriena, "Well, come on beautiful!"

Rose covered her eyes as Goku had neared the edge of the falls, but peeked through her fingers as he jumped. "I didn't think he'd actually do it!" she cried.

Tien laughed.

Sabriena leaned over the edge of the falls, grinning down at Goku. "Sloppy form! I give you a three out of ten!" She stepped back and took a running leap, doing a single flip in the air before hitting the water feet-first. She came back up, grinning and swam to where Goku was treading water. "Seriously bad form," she giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck before she pressed her lips to his, kissing him passionately. She slid one leg around his waist, her heel brushing against the scar on his back, teasing him.l

Goku shivered and growled against her mouth, unable to stop his hips from rocking forward into her. He nibbled on her lips and mutter against her ear after a moment, "You are a very naughty girl." A low groan issued from his throat as he pressed his hips between her thighs, her warm center on his length a sharp contrast to the cold water that surrounded them.

Sabriena giggled and grabbed the hair at the back of his head, "You have no idea," she whispered to him before she kissed him once more. She ground herself against him and gasped when she felt his length twitch against her. She couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to have him and Tien in that deep water, all three of them weightless.

Dende turned purple in the water and coughed as he turned away, hiding his blush as he heard their words and their rather vulgar thoughts.

Rose turned to Dende with concern on her face. "Are you okay?" she asked. He looked embarrassed. She had to admit, Goku and Sabriena were definitely affectionate towards each other. She wondered what that was like. She walked over to Dende and placed a hand on his shoulder blade as he coughed. "Do you need a drink or something?"

Dende shook his head, smiling at her, "Oh no. Thank you for asking. Sometimes ears this big are a burden." He coughed again, his throat tightening at the feel of her cold hand on his back. Why did that make pleasant shivers shoot up his spine? He managed to smile at her and laughed at her expression. "It's nothing. Though I think I could float in this river forever. It's very peaceful here. There is something about this place, a sort of magick that soothes the soul, does it not?"

Rose smiled. "There's something here, that's for sure," she answered. "I felt it the first time I came out. I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels it." She searched his face, looking for a sign that he was about to start choking again, but she found none. "What was that about your ears being a burden? They're... they're different, but I think they suit you."

Dende chuckled, she really was like Goku, down to the childlike innocence at times. They were kindred spirits it seemed. How like fate to bring them together in such an unusual way. Kindred spirits were not to be confused with soul mates, no. That was what Goku had with Tien and Sabriena. Anyone could see that. But this girl was something special, "I like my ears too." They twitched at her and he grinned, "I think you'll do just fine once you get used to the new experiences around here. It must be quite the adventure for you."

She laughed lightly. "It's something," she answered. She glanced over her shoulder at Goku and Sabriena, floating side-by-side in the deep water, Goku pointing up at the clouds as Tien swam out to them. "It's like their own little world out here. Where none of the rules make sense to anyone but them." Rose wrapped her arms around her thin frame. "This water's kind of chilly, isn't it?"

Dende nodded, "Come on, lets go sunbathe for a little bit." He looked over at the three and felt a warmth in his chest. He had never seen three people so at peace with each other. It was like their souls were three pieces to a puzzle. It was a perfect fit for them. He could barely put words to it. "You said you had more questions for me?" he asked, turning his attention back to the young woman beside him.

Rose pulled a towel from her large purse and laid it out on the shore next to Sabriena's and sat down. Her mind was working like crazy, trying to figure out where to begin. "Do you miss your home planet? What was it like?"

Dende leaned back against the earth, looking up at the sky, thinking about Namek and New Namek. "My home planet? Yes. Who wouldn't miss the planet where they were raised? I had to live through its destruction. But we were able to use the namekian dragon balls to wish a new planet for planet for us. Namek is like nothing you've ever seen before. The sky is green. The trees are blue. It smells like... green… the best plants… flowers. We have villages that reside on tall plateaus, almost as if we are trying to reach for the stars." He felt a little homesick even though it seemed like he had just gotten back from the planet. "It's a very simplistic style of living. You might like it. No violence. Quiet. Peaceful."

Rose thought about it for a minute. It sounded like heaven. A place with no violence. Oh, what would that be like? She tried to imagine green skies and blue trees. That part seemed very backwards. "I wish this world was like that," Rose sighed. She looked over at Dende, at the slightly sad expression on his face. "I'm sorry, Dende. I didn't mean to bring up a sore subject." She wanted to ask about the original planet being destroyed, but thought that was a topic better suited for another time, if at all. "So how did you get to be guardian?"

Dende glanced over at her a moment, smiling, "I'm the son of a guru on my planet. He was very powerful. Very wise. When my planet was under attack, Goku and his friends came to save it. His son Gohan and his friend Krillin saved my life. I took them to meet Guru and he helped them get stronger. Goku never forgot. When he faced Cell, during the Cell games, he came to Namek in search of a new guardian for the earth. And here I am. It's rewarding. I dont regret it, but it does wear on the mind. Watching the earth and her troubles. Not being able to do much to help those who need it. Helping the world's people as a whole."

"Doesn't sound much different than working with them one on one," Rose said softly. "I know that for every child I save, there's ten more that I don't. It's never enough." She ran a hand through her wet hair and looked over at Goku who was still floating in the river. He'd been at the Cell Games? She didn't remember seeing him on the television, but then again, she hadn't really watched that much of the broadcast. She'd watched the part where Mr. Satan showed up with his students and then she'd run to her room to work on a puzzle instead when the fighting began.

"I shouldn't be out here. I should be working," she muttered. She laid back on the towel and turned her head to look at Dende. "You mentioned Gohan. Goku's oldest son? Is he a good person? Would Goten be safe there?"

Dende chuckled, "There's hardly a place safer on this earth, save for here, the Lookout and Capsule Corp. Gohan saved my life, remember? I couldn't trust him more. He and I are almost like brothers." He looked over at her, sensing her next question, "You want to know if what Chichi said was true about Gohan's wife?"

Rose nodded. She couldn't knowingly send Goten to live in a home with a drug addict. She didn't trust Chichi at all, she knew that woman was like a poison. But it was Rose's job to investigate every aspect of this case. And since the allegation had been made, she had to know. Her eyes narrowed, searching Dende's dark ones. "I know I just met you. But I trust you, even though I probably shouldn't. I have to know the truth, Dende. Don't let your friendship to them cloud your judgment. I have to know what's best for Goten. Please tell me the truth."

Dende nodded and leaned back on his elbow, "If you must know, Lindsey did used to be an addict." He looked away, frowning slightly. "But that was only after the incident. She was in a bad place in the worst way. She didn't have the right people around her and she suffered a horrendous attack. This was about two years ago. Over in America. The family was over there for Gohan and Lindsey's wedding. She nearly died and Goku and Vegeta stepped in, helped her detox. Goku personally took her away from the bad environment. It took months, but he helped her get clean and she has been ever since."

"No one's worried about her relapsing?" Rose asked. She'd seen that one too many times to be fooled again. Parents would go to rehab, get clean, have the judge give them their children back, and a month later, Rose was taking the same children back out of the house.

Dende looked serious and looked at Rose, into her eyes, "Everyone wonders. Gohan keeps her in check. The only thing she is addicted to now is cigarettes. Every day she chooses not to be that person because she has a husband who loves her and a son that depends on her. Goku is constantly checking up on her. She has a lot of reasons every day to choose to not be that person she once was." He could see the doubt in her eyes and he smiled, "Have you met her? Gohan? Perhaps you should plan a visit."

Rose looked back up at the sky. "I am. One of our secretaries scheduled an appointment with them. I'm just trying to prepare myself for what I'm going to walk into next. I certainly wasn't prepared for any of this. I know now to expect pretty much anything from anyone who knows Goku." She paused for a moment. "Gohan does have running water and electricity, right?"

Dende couldn't hide his chuckle, "Yes, yes, all of that. I do feel like I should warn you. All in the name of preparedness, of course. You should know that the baby has a tail."

Rose jumped and turned to her side, her eyes wide. "A TAIL?!" she shrieked as Goku, Tien and Sabriena made their way up to the bank. "What... Why?! How on earth did that happen?!" Rose tried to picture a baby with a tail. It was too bizarre. Once again, her brain felt dizzy. These people were trying to make her have a meltdown. It had been strange enough to meet the little girl with green skin and pink hair. Now there were babies with tails?

Goku blinked at Dende, "You told her about my tail?" It clicked in his head Dende must have mentioned Phoenix. "OH! Yeah, of course. All Saiyans are born with a tail. I did tell you we were space monkeys." He snickered as Tien thumped him on the back of the head. Goku pouted, "I wanted to keep my tail, but nooo." He stuck his tongue out at them and flopped down onto the ground next to Rose, water from his shorts slopping everywhere. "Man! I'm starving. That was a good swim!" He reached up and pulled Tien down next to him.

Rose sat up, staring at him. "You... you used to have a tail? Like, a REAL tail?" She started looking him over as if she expected to see it.

Goku laughed. "Uh-huh! You'll have to meet Vegeta and Tora sometime. They still have their tails!" He leaned forward, reaching back and pulling his pants down just enough to show her his scar, "See?"

"Oh, weird," Rose whispered, leaning forward and forgetting her manners again. She reached out and touched it, dragging her fingertips slowly across it. Goku's back arched and he hissed; a second later Sabriena had Rose's wrist in a vice-like grip, her eyes fierce.

"Don't. Touch. Him. There," she snarled.

Rose's eyes went wide, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to. Does it hurt?"

Sabriena threw Rose's arm away from her, giving her a dirty look, and promptly went to sit in Tien's lap. Tears burned Rose's eyes. She didn't understand what she'd done, but she realized she shouldn't have touched him. "I'm so sorry," she said softly. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

Goku shivered and clutched at Tien's wrist hard. Ohhhhh. She had touched his scar too well. His length had hardened almost instantly and he had to do everything he could to suppress the moan that wanted to work its way out of his throat. He was vaguely aware that Rose had said something… Hurt? Sorry she hurt him? If he hadn't been so aroused at the moment, he would have laughed, but his mating mark was burning deliciously and his spine tingled. He shook his head, not looking at her. "No. That," he gasped out, "That didn't hurt."

"I don't understand," Rose said quietly. "If it didn't hurt then..." Goku's face was flush, he was struggling to calm his breath.

Dende's eyes widened, his blush returning full force. He should have just left well enough alone. He jumped up and tugged on Rose's hand, "Come on. Let's go, ah, for a walk around the front of the cabin. I think I saw a hayfield. I've never seen one before, it should be interesting. Let's go." He grabbed up her towel off the ground and wrapped it around her as he drug her away from the three on the bank. When they were far enough away, the river was out of sight and they walked towards the field and the finished barn. Dende slowed their pace a little bit, "Sorry. That was my fault. I shouldn't have brought up the tail. Tails are extremely sensitive things for Saiyans. And for someone other than the mates to touch it, well, it's kind of a big offense."

Rose blinked at him, trying to understand. Sensitive? Only a mate was supposed to touch it. Goku had gasped, his face red... Rose's eyes went wide as she sucked in a harsh gasp, her hands flying to her face and the towel slipping from her shoulders. "That was..." she looked at Dende with horror in her eyes, "I touched him... sexually?" Her stomach twisted up in uncomfortable knots and tears burned the corners of her eyes. "Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no," she whispered over and over. "I... I have to go." She looked around wildly and suddenly realized she was in nothing but her swimming suit in the middle of nowhere. "Dende, can you go get my clothes? Please? I have to go home!"

Dende placed a hand on her arm. His voice quiet and soothing, "Relax, Rose. It's not so much sexual as it is sensitive for them. If he had his tail and you grabbed it, it would paralyze him. It can also be a comfort for them to have their tails touched. It's not necessarily intimate in the way you're thinking. Cut off, their tails are still as sensitive. Or, rather, the scars are. It's alright. Now that you know, just know not to do it again, right? Come on. I don't want you to go home yet. This is the first time I've been off the Lookout in about a year. Its nice to have a new friend to share this with."

"But... his reaction..." Rose shook her head. She felt horrible. "You said it was a big offense. The first person to try to be my friend since high school, and I not only insult him, but his wife and his husband, too!" She covered her face with her hands. "I'll never be able to look him in the eye again."

Dende shook his head, "I misspoke, You have to know Goku. He will forget about it and go on like nothing happened. Which nothing did happen. You didn't know about the tail. You should know they don't hold it against you. They are just protective of him. Now if you knew and still did that, then that would be a different story."

Rose chewed her lip, staring at the ground. She felt she could crawl in a hole and die of embarrassment. She felt Dende was trying to sugar coat it for her. Mrs. Shinhan's reaction had been too harsh and she didn't blame her. Whatever the case was, Rose had made a mistake and she felt very sorry for it. "This is why I don't make friends," she said dully. "If I'm not in my suit and thinking about work, I just..." she gave a mirthless laugh and shrugged her shoulders, "I guess I just don't know how to interact with adults on a personal level anymore."

Dende laughed, "Now one second. Let's look at that comment. Did you really connect with Goku when you were in the suit or when you were at home in shorts and a tank top? Embarrassing yourself outside of work is a normal part of friendships. It's a part of life. Imperfections, growing, learning from your mistakes. What have you been missing in that suit of yours?"

"Feeling like a jerk?" she offered. "Making a fool of myself." She shoved her hair off her shoulder and looked up at him; his face just slightly blurry from her lack of glasses. "I'm out of my element. I don't know what to do." She glanced in the direction of the river, even though she couldn't see it. "I should apologize."

Dende considered her for a moment. "Give them a few… they are," he coughed again, a blush growing across his cheeks, "occupied."

"Occupied..." Rose gasped and slapped at Dende's arm. "You tried to lie to me!" She glanced in the direction of the river again, blushing furiously, but laughing for some reason. "Hmm. Well, maybe he'll thank me," she laughed. She was so uncomfortable that there was nothing left to do but laugh.

"They just might thank you. You and me will have to play stupid later. It will be alright." He smiled at her. Her laughter, that person that showed herself when she gasped and blushed, it was beautiful. "I hope you would not let one single embarrassing moment to hinder you from what could be some of the most rewarding times you could have." He smiled at her again, "If you do find yourself feeling overwhelmed. you can come to the Lookout. I certainly have the ears to listen. Mr. Popo listens well, too. You are not alone. Don't force yourself to be just because you are more at home in your comfort zone."

Rose gave him a soft smile. "Thank you, Dende. I'd like to come see you again. Although, the other Namek that lives with you? And his wife? I don't think I made a great first impression with them. Are they as understanding as you? I wouldn't want to, you know, make it awkward for you or anything. They were here when I took Goten away the other day." Although Jenny hadn't seemed too upset with her earlier when they came face-to-face on the Lookout. But then again, Jenny had been rather irritated with her situation, so Rose wasn't sure what to think.

Dende chuckled, "That's what Goku was talking to Piccolo about today when he left you with me. He was explaining why what happened, happened." He looked up at the sky, "Jenny will understand. Piccolo will tell her when she calms down about her other concerns. And even so, the Lookout has enough room that we can stay separate if they really had a problem."

"You could come see me sometime," she said quickly. "I... I mean, if you want to. My apartment's not much, and I can't cook. But I can order out! You could see the pictures of my kids. Well, they're not MY kids, obviously, but the ones I've helped." She was rambling and pressed her lips together again. What had gotten into her today? She couldn't seem to shut up.

Dende laughed out loud, warm and mirthful, "Relax, Rose. You are trying too hard. It sounds like a lovely time. Do you… do you have board games? Gohan played with me some time ago and I sometimes play with the girls at the Lookout, but I mean, three year olds and everything. Not much of a challenge. The games are addictive. I like to have something challenging to help me keep a focus on my current surroundings. Otherwise I lose myself."

"I have an old chess set from when I was a kid," Rose said. "I haven't played in forever." She gave him a suspicious look, "Doesn't matter anyway. You could probably predict my every move, with the way you read people."

Dende laughed, "I love chess. What if I promise not to cheat? Hmm? And I ah… don't eat very much, but I can cook." He grinned at her, "Vegetables stir-fry is my specialty."

"That sounds good," Rose said, smiling. She hesitated for a minute, the silence growing between them. Why did she have to be so awkward? Although, she reminded herself, she was standing in the middle of a hayfield, in a bathing suit, talking to a tall green alien, who himself was wearing nothing but a pair of swimming shorts. "Soooooo... Do you like movies? I have a bunch of movies. Goku watched one with me the other night. Well, most of one. I fell asleep on the couch. He must've put me in bed, because that's where I woke up." She paused to smile. "He's awfully sweet, really, once you get to know him. Anyway, horror's my favorite. I'm... I'm rambling again..." her voice trailed off.

Dende chuckled, "As long as its not Dora the Explorer, I think I will be happy watching a movie. Might help me distract me from your thoughts about which move you would be plotting to take next."

"All right, it's a date," Rose said with a nod. She paled, "W-well, not a DATE date... I mean... you know... you know what I mean..." She clapped both hands to her face and turned away. "Shut up, Rose, shut up," she hissed to herself.

Dende laughed and patted her on the back, "Alright you. Let's go back before you die of embarrassment. They're heading back up to the cabin. Let's see if we can pester them for some food and a campfire to help us dry off."

Rose nodded and nervously fell into step beside Dende. She really didn't want to face them yet. Dende greeted them cheerily as they reached the cabin, but Rose just stood there, digging her bare toes into the dirt for a minute, her face growing incredibly hot. She tried to swallow the knot in her throat that seemed as if it was going to choke her. "G..." she cleared her throat and tried again. "Goku? May I speak to you?" she asked softly, not looking up enough to reach his eyes.

Goku looked over at her, looking more relaxed than he had before. He smiled at her, no trace of bitterness, no ill feelings. "Oh? You alright? Sorry about that! I should have warned you! Hahahaha." He walked over to her, Tien and Sabriena looking more relaxed as well behind him. Goku stepped over to Rose and blinked at her innocently, noting she was looking at the ground. "Hey now," He took his hand and lifted her chin to look into her eyes. "Look, I'm alright. See? No harm done!"

"I'm so embarrassed," she breathed, looking up at him as he held her chin. "If I'd known, I would have NEVER touched you like that. That was horribly inappropriate of me. Goku, you're the first person to offer to be my friend in a very long time and I feel like I offended you and your husband and wife. I am so, so sorry. I swear, I'll never do it again. Please forgive me."

Goku chuckled at her, "You're forgiven. I think we were both to blame. Sabriena scolded me for exposing myself." He looked over his shoulder and winked at his wife before turning back and hugging Rose close, "You're okay! Come on. Cheer up. I promise I'll fight Sabriena off if she tries anything. He winked at her, laughing as he turned them around, "Sabriena, need me to gather anything for dinner?"

Rose gave a shuddering sigh as Goku hugged her. His tight embrace was warm and comforting. She often got hugs from the kids she worked with, but this...

She could've held onto him forever. She didn't know what it was about him. He exuded such compassion and understanding and open forgiveness without a second thought. She squeezed him tight, but he broke away from her all too soon. He was saying something about dinner. Rose stepped a bit away from him as his wife answered.

"Could you grab me some onions from the garden, please, love? Big ones."

---

Tien sat by the fire after their dinner, scraping away at a stick with his hunting knife. Sabriena sat down beside him with the bags of marshmallows and kissed his cheek as he worked. He smiled without looking up.

Rose watched with interest. No one had said anything else about her moment of impaired judgement and she was grateful for it.

Tien still seemed a bit cold, but perhaps he was just a quiet person. Rose could respect that and so chose to give him his space, whatever the reason.

Goku had flopped out on the ground by the fire, his arms tucked under his head, staring up at the first stars of the evening. He looked peaceful and happy. Perhaps their way of living wasn't so bad after all.

Rose wanted so bad to close this case and bring Goten home to his father. She could just imagine the pure joy from both father and son as they were reunited, knowing that Goten would never again have to live with that horrible woman. But reality sank in and she knew that it would be very, VERY hard to convince a judge of that. It would be nearly impossible, truth be told. A sadness pulled at her heart for them. It was so obvious to her now that this was where Goten should be. She sighed quietly and stared at the fire. She could feel Dende's eyes on her, but she didn't look up. He read her too easily. Movement in the shadows caught Rose's attention, making her tense, but a moment later, the big Great Dane came into the firelight and flopped himself down on Goku's chest.

Goku oofed as the dog planted himself on Goku's chest and he laughed before scratching behind the dog's ears, "Hey Dog. Did you get enough to eat? You want a marshmallow, don't you?" He laughed and reached behind his head to get an uncooked one and held it out for Dog, the large pink tongue greedily lapping it up.

Dende was having some trouble focusing. The weight of the world was calling to him, but so was this woman's conscience. A few things were going to need to happen for her to obtain her goal. Goten was going to have to speak up about his mother and Goten would have to have his own room here at the cabin. But he could feel that might not be an option. The bed was nice for visiting, but on a lifelong basis? Not so much. He turned his thoughts to the matter. Goten was going to have to come to that strength on his own. Dende could not influence him. However, Goten was strong. With Sabriena and Tien and his father, his brother, all of his loved ones, he would come to that realization. He was so close already; it was only a matter of time, "Miss Rose, if you don't mind my asking, when is the hearing on Goten's case?"

Rose looked over at Dende. She shouldn't have been surprised that he seemed to read her thoughts again. He'd been doing that all day. She cast a nervous glance at Goku, who had looked at her with interest. "It hasn't been set yet," she answered. "I have to finish my investigation. I still have a lot of work to do." She had to get evidence against Mrs. Son and she didn't know how long that would take. And what worried her more was she didn't know how long her supervisor would let her drag this out. If the paperwork was shown as it was now, custody would surely go to Goten's mother. Rose's mouth went dry. "These things can take months," she answered quietly.

Dende sensed her displeasure at having read her thoughts. She relied a lot on her spirit. It spoke volumes to him without even trying. He'd never encountered a human like that before. Goku, sure, but he wasnt exactly human and his spirit was a bit more simplistic than the complex thoughts running through Rose's mind. He paled at the thought of Goten going back to Chichi. Saiyan or not, that woman would destroy that child and his innocence if she was allowed custody over him. He clamped his mouth shut. Perhaps when they had their game night, he would talk to her more about this. But in the mean time he should talk to Piccolo and Gohan about convincing the boy to speak up.

Sabriena happily impaled a marshmallow on the stick she swiped from Tien and held it over the fire. "Grab one, Rose," she said, nodding to the sharpened sticks and bag of marshmallows laying next to Tien. "Hurry before Dog manipulates Goku into feeding him all of the marshmallows."

Rose nervously grabbed a stick and a piece of the candy, watching as the Great Dane chomped noisily and drooled all over the place. She mimicked Sabriena and held her stick above the fire.

"I am sooooo gonna pay for this," Sabriena said and pulled the marshmallow off the stick with her teeth.

Tien shook his head. "You're going to regret that."

"Sut up," she lisped. "ou eat on too."

He cocked an eyebrow at her. "I can't understand you." She wrinkled her nose at him and he wrinkled his nose back at her. "You sound like you did the first time you spoke to me."

"When wah zat?" she asked, still trying to speak around the frothy candy in her mouth.

"The night we fought the dragons," he answered. "You bit your tongue and the first words you ever said to me were to shut up."

Her eyes went wide and she giggled as the memory suddenly hit her. "Yeah? 'ey, Tien, 'ou know wah?"

He snickered at her and asked, "What?"

"Sut up."

Rose giggled, watching them bicker playfully. She was about to ask Dende about the dragons they were talking about when she looked at her stick and gasped. "Oh no! It's on fire!" she cried, frozen to the spot, watching the marshmallow burn.

Goku laughed and watched it burn.

Dende chuckled at gasp, urging her, "Pull it out, pull it out!" He blew on the flaming marshmallow that was quickly turning black and laughed at the little charred outside of the marshmallow. He chuckled some more and offered Rose his toasted brown marshmallow, "Want to trade? I like mine to be little bricks of charcoal."

Rose sheepishly swapped sticks with Dende. "Told you all I couldn't cook," she muttered and pulled the marshmallow from the stick with her fingers. "Ah! Hot! Hot!" she cried and popped it in her mouth, where she breathed heavily over it, her mouth hanging open, shaking her wrist to cool her fingers. "Dammit," she growled, then clapped her hand to her mouth as if trying to cover the curse word that had slipped out. She groaned as the sticky marshmallow on her fingers stuck to her face. She chewed the marshmallow and swallowed, then lowered her hand, a string of marshmallow clinging from her hand to her face. She pouted. "I am so out of my element."

Sabriena and Tien were rolling with laughter and Rose gave a little giggle as she frowned at the stickiness all over her hand.

Dende ate her marshmallow, charred on the outside, cool on the inside; it was delicious. He laughed when she had some trouble eating his, black spots of the marshmallow sticking in his otherwise perfectly white teeth.

The group just laughed harder.

The night wore on, the stars growing brighter, they all were sharing some silly stories about this and that. It wasn't until Dend yawned that he decided to speak what he didn't want to, "I hate to call it a night, but I think its about time I headed home. The world won't wait forever. A day or two now and then, but then she gets cranky and wants attention."

"Just like a woman," Tien teased and laughed when Sabriena jabbed her elbow into his ribs.

Rose had just about nodded off beside the fire. "I have to," she yawned, "Oh, excuse me. I have to be to work in a few hours. I gotta go home, too." She got to her feet and slipped her sandals back on. "Thanks for everything. I really had a lot of fun." She paused and blushed, "Sorry about earlier. I really didn't mean to do that."

Sabriena stared up at her, "You ever touch my husband like that again, I'll chop your hands off."

Rose jumped and blinked at her in terror. "I... I'm so..."

Sabriena threw her head back and laughed. "Jesus, Rose, you're too easy to get to. We know you didn't mean it. You're good."

Rose heaved a sigh of relief and rubbed at her face. "Yeah, okay, time to go home."

Goku groaned and shoved at the Great Dane that had fallen asleep on his lap, "Ugh… Dog! You're heavy, boy! I have to take our guests home!" He laughed as the dog huffed annoyedly before he moved off of the Saiyan. Goku jumped to his feet and stretched. "Glad you guys could play hooky for a day with us! We'll have to do it again sometime!" He wrapped an arm around Rose and Dende slipped an arm around his waist. Goku looked over at Tien and Sabriena and smiled widely, pressing his fingers to his forehead, "Be right back you guys!"