The weeks that followed proved to be a great deal easier than that initial day. Piccolo didn't come to the window to fetch his pupil in the late afternoons, opting instead to meditate outside and cough sporadically to let Hana know he was still there and was not pleased with the situation. The time spent with Gohan was quickly becoming Hana's favorite part of the day. For being so young he was incredibly bright and grasped new concepts more easily than any kid she'd ever taught. And even aside from his brilliance, he was just fun to be around.

His mother was another story, but Chi-Chi, oddly enough, had taken quite a shine to her. Hana wished she could say the same. Still, she wasn't about to complain about being in her employer's good graces.

Chi-Chi found her so likeable in fact, or was perhaps desperate enough for company, that she invited Hana over early one morning for tea and sweet rolls before Gohan's lesson.

"No, Gohan's not home right now," said Chi-Chi when asked. "He's been doing so well during his tutoring sessions with you that I decided to let him train with Piccolo this morning as a reward. He promised me they'd be back here by noon, though, but we'll see I suppose. That Piccolo doesn't even own a watch, y'know. It's absurd."

Hana smiled around the edge of her teacup. It was beginning to amuse her just how often Chi-Chi managed to work slights against Piccolo into conversation.

Noon came and went. By the time it was quarter-to-one, Chi-Chi had lost her cool. "Unforgiveable. I can't believe they would do this. I give Piccolo an inch and he thinks he's a ruler. Just what is he playing at?" She huffed and went to the kitchen windows. "I swear, when they get back…"

"Where are they exactly?" Hana asked. "I could always drive over there and see what they're up to. Who knows, maybe something went wrong and they need help."

Chi-Chi snapped her fingers. "That has to be it! They're training in the valley just a few miles south of here. You go check that out, and I'll wait here just in case they show up while you're gone."

"Gotcha." Hana shoved another sweet roll into her mouth for the road and ran out to her car, waving goodbye as she drove off.

The drive took her down a dirt road that turned into more of a dirt path. It wound around the base of some wide mountains and then began to decline when she entered the valley. The landscape seemed like an ideal place to train. The terrain was level for the most part but littered with twisting rock formations and gatherings of trees.

She squinted through the windshield and kept an eye on the rear-view mirror. So far there was no sign of them. Maybe they went back to the Son house already. Hana put the car in park and got out to call for them and listen for signs of fighting. "HEY GOHA—"

A blast cracked through the air like lightning. It pierced the rocks nearby, fracturing the stone and exploding it outwards. Hana threw arms over her head and dove down by the bumper of her car. Glass shattered across her back. The car alarm screamed. Beneath her feet it felt as if the ground would give way. Hana wailed and covered her ears.

She wasn't sure how long it took, but finally there was silence.

"Miss Hana?" A hand on her shoulder. "Miss Hana." Arms helping her to stand.

Hana slumped against the hood of her car. Gohan was there beside her picking shards of glass from her hair. "What happened?" she asked. "What the hell was that?"

Piccolo answered from somewhere behind her. "Makankōsappō." He swept past, the soft fabric of his cape brushing her arm. "You shouldn't have come down here."

"You guys are late so I told Chi-Chi I'd find you."

"We're late?" This was news to Gohan. "Mr. Piccolo, did you know?" But Piccolo's reply was merely a frown and a growl.

Hana traced a dent in the hood, one of many. "Oh, my poor car."

Piccolo bristled and made fists at his side. "That's your own fault. You knew we were training. You can't expect us to notice—" He grimaced in disgust, turning his head away from her. "Tch. And now you're crying?"

She wiped her eyes, surprised when she saw the water on her fingertips. "Oh gosh. I-I'm fine. Really. Must just be the adrenaline wearing off." She tried to smile but wasn't terribly convincing as tears continued to roll down her face. "Super professional of me, right? Wh-where are my keys? I should go tell Chi-Chi you guys are okay."

"The car's not going to work," said Piccolo.

Hana froze with her hands in her pockets. "What? Why?"

"Even though it wasn't hit directly, it was close enough to the makankōsappō that I'm willing to bet its insides are fried."

"No, no, no." Hana hurried to pop the hood, staring then in disbelief at the coils of smoke rising from the battery and the various wires and melting hoses. "You gotta be kidding me. I just finished paying this off." She sunk to her knees in the charred grass and heaved an exhausted sigh.

"Mr. Piccolo can take you." Gohan glanced back and forth between the two adults. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind flying you to my house, and you can call a tow truck from there."

Hana lifted her head. "Flying? Me?"

"Yeah," said Gohan. "C'mon, Mr. Piccolo. It's the least you can do."

Piccolo was making a concerted effort not to look at her. "Fine. I guess we can't just leave her out here. On your feet, girl."

Slowly, hesitantly, Hana righted herself and rubbed the last of her tears from her cheeks. "All right, uh—" She walked to Piccolo's side, feeling small in his presence. It wasn't difficult considering his towering height. "How do you want to, um, carry me? I'm not picky, I guess. Whichever way works best for y—" He reached down, sweeping her off the ground in one dizzying move and holding her princess-style. He still wasn't looking at her.

A split-second later the three of them were airborne. Hana felt a sick drop in the pit of her stomach and her hair whipped around her ears. She grabbed fistfuls of Piccolo's gi, pressing her face into his chest. She didn't exactly care to see just how high up they'd risen. "Would you quit squirming?" he barked.

"I-I've never flown before," she shouted, half-muffled.

"Open your eyes and look. It'll help."

Hana let her eyes crack open as she craned her neck to see. There were clouds out in front of them. Rolling white clouds that stretched on forever. Below them everything rushed past so quickly. She recognized the dirt road she had driven earlier, though from up here it was so small it could hardly be discerned from the rest of the dirt. After a deep, calming breath she allowed herself to relax a little in his arms. His muscles flexed against her in response, keeping her secure and close. And now that she noticed it, she was so very, very close to him.

"That did help," she said. "Thank you."

He made a low vocalization of acknowledgement in his throat.

The Son house appeared after a stretch of forest. Piccolo angled his feet down and descended hard. Too hard. Hana cried out again and her ears popped just as they struck the ground. "Ouch, that was rough," she said. Suddenly the arms around her fell limp. She dropped like a sack of potatoes at Piccolo's feet, rubbing her tailbone. "What was that for?"

With a showy sweep of his cape, he turned from the house and lifted into the air.

Gohan landed next to Hana and yelled up at his mentor. "Mr. Piccolo, wait! Where're you going?" But Piccolo had already flown away again. "What's he thinking? You okay, Miss Hana?"

Hana got up and wrenched her back straight. The image of Piccolo in the sky grew smaller and smaller until it finally vanished from sight altogether. She didn't understand him. Not in the slightest. "Yeah," she said. "But I think I need to sit down."

.

.

Hana sunk into the hot water until her lips were submerged. This was easily the strangest bath she'd ever taken, floating in a tall metal drum suspended over an open fire. Outside. In the back yard of her employer's home. Still, the birds were singing and the air carried the delicate scent of peach blossoms from the trees planted close by. The warmth of the afternoon sun beat down on the top of her head. Eventually, a pleasant calm slowly began to seep into her weary bones.

"Did he say he would pay for it?" said Chi-Chi, storming out the back door. She'd been ranting about Piccolo ever since Hana and Gohan returned from the valley.

Hana raised her mouth from the water. "For what?"

"For the tow truck. The damage to the car, too. It's entirely his fault. I can't believe he would just take off like that and leave you to pick up the pieces. Selfish, selfish man." She placed a towel and some clothing on the grass beside the stepladder that leaned on the drum. "I've got Gohan studying in the living room, so you've got your privacy, don't worry. We're the only house for miles."

"Thanks, Miss Chi-Chi. Sorry about this."

"You're not the one who needs to apologize. But I doubt Piccolo ever would. Never has before." She was quiet for a moment, the quietest Hana had seen her. There must've been quite a story in that silence. "Anyway, I'll let you soak. Your clothes should be dry in a few hours, but I gave you one of my robes in the meantime." She left then, sliding the back door shut and untying the curtains.

Hana plunged herself underwater and raked fingers through her hair. The dull roar of the fire underneath the bath echoed in her ears. She kept her eyes closed, focusing on the sound, willing the rest of the world away. After everything that had happened earlier, it was nice to block it all out for a little while.

She soaked until the sticks in the fire burnt themselves out. The bath was already beginning to cool. Hana searched the area, investigating every shadow to ensure her privacy. Once she knew for sure the coast was clear she hoisted herself carefully over the rim of the drum and stepped down the short ladder.

She shook the excess water from her hair and wrung it out with the towel. Chi-Chi's robe fit comfortably enough, if not a touch snug at the waist. The intense floral pattern wasn't doing her any favors either. She tied the sash tight into a bow at her hip and picked up the towel to bring it inside.

"You," came a gruff voice from overhead. "Girl."

Hana jolted and looked up to see Piccolo there in the air. She pulled the robe tighter across her collarbone. "How long have you been there?"

He landed a few meters away. "I have no desire to see you undressed, if that's what you're implying."

She hated the heat that gathered in her cheeks. "Look, just say what you came to say so I can go inside and sit down. My back's killing me."

"I'm sorry. For dropping you."

Hana thought at first that she had misheard him. "Wh-what?"

An angry blush crept over the bridge of Piccolo's nose and once again he broke eye contact. "I'm sorry, all right? I won't say it a third time."

She rested hands on her hips. "Well, I must say, I'm kinda wondering what brought this on. Because Chi-Chi told me you never apologize for anything."

"Chi-Chi doesn't know me half as well as she likes to think."

Hana dredged up every foul word and phrase Chi-Chi had used to describe Piccolo in the last week alone. And yet, in spite of what Hana had assumed, here he was, saying sorry. "Hm. Apparently she doesn't."

Piccolo cleared his throat, changing the subject. "So how will you get home?"

"When I called for a tow truck they said the driver would be able to swing by and get me."

"Oh. That's good." Their eyes met for the briefest instant before he darted his away. "And, uh, sorry for saying it was your fault. Y'know. With your car."

"That's fine," Hana said with a laugh. "It wasn't your fault either. Just a weird accident."

"So we're on the same page, then."

"Seems that way."

Satisfied, Piccolo rose off the ground, but he hovered there for a moment longer. "I really didn't see anything. Wasn't trying to. Just want to make that clear."

"I know." And she did know.

"Good. By the way, you, uh, you look—" He chewed on the words, unsure if he wanted to finish that thought.

"What?" she asked as she tucked a wet lock of hair behind her ear. "I look what?"

Piccolo crossed his arms with a snort. "You—you look ridiculous." And he rocketed into the clouds.

Hana shook her head at the sky and threw the towel over her shoulder. "Wow, what a jerk." Still, she couldn't help but grin. She got an apology, after all.

.

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Thanks for continuing to read, y'all! I'm still in the process of writing this story, but I'm a couple chapters ahead of what I'm posting, so the next chapter will be up in a few days to give myself a decent-sized buffer.