There are a couple of quick notes at the end of the chapter. Thanks!

Earth

Not long after the Saiyan council came to a decision, the Earth team were alerted to it. King Furry had called Bulma as soon as he was contacted, asking for assistance. She assured him that she had everything planned out and under control, and she'd be at his palace when the time came. Now that everything was properly set in motion, they had a week to put everything together.

They had a few testimonies, already. Krillin and Yamcha would talk about the fight with Tao and the attack on Metro East, while Goku and Raditz would talk about their experiences being Saiyans living on Earth. All of them would provide vital information. They only needed a few more to really drive their points home.

Bulma sat in the lab, a phone lodged between her shoulder and ear. While she waited for the other end to pick up, she was busy typing at her computer, working on a new draft of her opening spiel. Being the ambassador, she would be the Earth's defense, essentially. She would present all of their witnesses to the council and give context when needed. And, unfortunately, she would have to argue with the more stubborn councilmen and counter their inevitable objections. They needed a clear majority to get the alliance back and that meant attempting to change seven Saiyans' minds on a subject that had been fully settled. At least she'd have Vegeta and Nappa to back her up.

She nearly dropped the phone, when she heard a click on the other end. She grabbed it and held it against her ear. "Hello," said the other end, "you've reached the town hall of Jingle Village. This is Chief Niba speaking!"

Bulma still couldn't believe she managed to find that phone number. "Hi there! I was wondering if there was a way to remotely get in touch with a Jingle Village resident. Would that be possible?"

"Well, I can redirect you to them, but there'd be no guarantee they'd pick up. We folks tend to keep to yourselves, you understand. Who is it you want to talk to?"

"Dr. Flappe, please?"

"Ah, the old doctor. Fine fellow. Hang on, I'll get you over to him." There was a beep on the other line, followed by some easy-listening jazz.

She leaned back in her chair, as she waited for a response. Her mind began to wander, as she zoned out. It was going to be so nice to finally be with Vegeta, again. She didn't know how she managed those past six months without him: now, he was all she could think about. There was still so much they needed to catch up on. If only their reunion hadn't been cut short.

As she thought more, she frowned. What would the rest of the court react to it? A lot of them already didn't like her because she was an Earthling. They probably won't be enthused that the heir to the throne will be half-Earthling. Would they really challenge his claim to the throne, like Vegeta said they might? So many scenarios ran through her head and all of them seemed plausible. And it was yet another reminder that she'd become queen one day. That was even scarier than the androids.

The beep on the other end snapped her back to the present. "Who is this? What do you want," said Dr. Flappe in an irate tone.

She quickly sat back up. "Dr. Flappe?"

"Oh, it's you. Sorry, I thought you were another reporter. How's your little research project going? Did you find whatever it was that you needed?"

"Kind of, I guess. Anyways, I wanted to ask you for a favor. It's a really important matter and I think you can help out a lot."

"That depends. What is it?"

"Well, how do I put this, I did some digging and… I think Gero's still working on androids."

Something shattered loudly on the other end. "He is?! That can't be right! How do you know?!"

"Did you hear about what happened to Metro East? He was the one who did it. And one of his androids is out on Planet Vegeta killing Saiyans, too. It's why the alliance got paused - they think the whole Earth is culpable because of him."

"Good lord," he said in an exasperated voice. "This is a lot to drop on a man at once, Bulma."

"I know, but I think we have a real chance of stopping him for good. We have a chance to get our alliance back if we can prove Gero's a threat to us. I know this is a lot to ask, but would you be able to talk about your experiences working under him?"

"If it'll finally put a stop to his crimes, then you can count on me."

"Thanks, Doctor." She pulled out a pen and started writing on a sticky note. "When it's time for you to talk, I'll send someone out to get you. Then, they'll bring you to King Furry's place. I'll introduce you and then you'll say your piece. Would that be okay?"

"What do you need me to say?"

"Just talk about Gero and what it was like working under him. And be prepared to get some questions in return."

"Fine by me. Just give me a time and place. Oh, and say 'hi' to your old man, for me, will ya?"

She smiled, as she finished scribbling her notes. "Will do, Doctor."

Raditz lifted up a hollow log - it was empty. He groaned. "Any luck on your end, " he shouted behind him.

"Nope," Yamcha yelled back. He was pushing back tree branches, but the Dragon Ball wasn't hiding in them, either.

He looked back down at the two-star ball. It was glowing. That meant another Dragon Ball was nearby. The tip was helpful, but it wasn't very precise. They flew around for days trying to pick up on the signal. If only they had some kind of radar or something.

Yamcha jumped back down. He looked up at the sky - the sun was beginning to set. "It's getting kinda late. Wanna call it in for the night?"

Raditz shrugged. "Sure."

Yamcha pulled a capsule out of his pocket. He hit the button and threw it towards the ground. The capsule exploded into a puff of smoke and a small house appeared. "And the other guys on my team said this was a useless purchase," he said as he put his hands on his hips. "Come on - if you're anything like Goku, I bet you're really hungry right now."

They quickly settled inside for the night, enjoying dinner after a long day of Dragon Ball hunting. Yamcha managed to whip up a decent-sized meal, with a variety of dishes to choose from. Raditz practically inhaled the noodle dishes and dumplings, shoveling them into his mouth one right after the other. Everything tasted delicious. In the back of his mind, he couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to eat his food every day.

Raditz hadn't tried anything in weeks. He was taking things slow like Bulma told him to. They were on friendlier terms now, and Yamcha seemed to like him more. But he found himself growing impatient. How much longer was it going to take? If they were both Saiyan, they would have been together many times by this point. He thought Earth women were strange - Earth men might be even stranger.

"Hey," Yamcha said, as he finished his meal, "do you remember when Krillin and Tien told us about those two guys they met when they were looking for Gero?"

His brows furrowed at the non-sequitor. "What about it?"

"Well, I was thinking about it, and… I think I knew them. When I met Goku, he was being chased by an emperor and his lackeys to get the Dragon Balls. They almost got us back then. Luckily, Goku changed into a giant monkey back then and got us out."

"Was it during a full moon?"

"Yeah, I think it was."

Raditz nodded. "He was the Oozaru. When Saiyans look at a full moon, they can transform into a great ape and their strength increases tenfold. If he still had his tail, he would still be able to do so."

"Really? That explains a lot. But I was thinking about that and there's something that doesn't add up. Krillin said there were two guys - a short, impy guy and a dog. But I remember there being a third one. She was a regular-looking girl. If those guys are the same ones that we met all those years ago, what happened to her?"

"Who knows? Nothing we need to worry about."

Yamcha shrugged. "You're probably right." He took the last bites of his meal, before he stood up and dumped his dishes into the sink. "When you're done, put everything in there - I'll get them washed in the morning." He yawned and stretched his back. "Oh man, I'm pooped. I'm gonna head to bed. I'll see you in the morning."

As Raditz watched him walk towards the back of the house, he smirked. He played nice - now was finally his chance to make a movie. He stood up and quietly followed him, careful not to draw any attention to himself.

Yamcha rolled down the top of his gi, before doing away with the weighted armor he had on underneath it. He was fit, but not big and buff. He was leaner, his muscles defined but not overly so. If he went in a fight against other Saiyans, they'd probably underestimate him, judging him by size alone. But he knew from their battles together that he was a formidable warrior in his own right. He might even go as far as to say they were evenly matched. And that only made him more attractive.

He tossed the weighted shirt on the ground. Right as he was kicking off his shoes, he turned around. He jumped back and his eyes widened, his face turning red as a beet. "Raditz! D-do you need something, man?"

Raditz leaned up against the door frame. "Not really. Just admiring the view." Yamcha quickly pulled the top of his gi back over his shoulders and crossed his arms. It was comical how easily flustered he got. He had forgotten how fun it was to mess with him.

Yamcha cleared his throat. "S-so, if that's all, I-I'm gonna turn in for the night." He quickly grabbed the doorknob and closed it.

He stopped the door, pushing it back open. "Why the rush? Don't want to stay up late? I know a few things that can keep us occupied, if you're up for it." He leaned down, lifting Yamcha's chin up so they were at eye-level.

Yamcha laughed the same way he always did when he was flustered. "N-no thanks! I'm fine!"

Raditz tilted his head to one side, wanting to push this a little further than he normally did. "You sure?"

Before he could respond, his tail wrapped around Yamcha's waist, pulling up right up to his chest. Yamcha put his hands on his chest in shock, his eyes wide and his jaw practically on the floor. Raditz leaned in closer, running his fingers through his long hair. It was coarse and tangled, but he didn't care - the feeling of being this close to him filled him with so much satisfaction.

"I promise I'll take things slow," he said in a low voice. "Wouldn't want to be too rough with you just yet." He winked at him.

Yamcha shut his eyes and, with all of his might, pushed him away. "Get off of me," he shouted. Then, he slammed the door in his face.

Raditz stared at the door with wide eyes. He wasn't expecting that. He was just trying to get a rise out of him - he wasn't being serious. Saiyans did it all the time when they were interested in someone. If they weren't interested in return, they gave a simple no and that was the end of it. Usually with no hard feelings on either side.

He frowned. Yamcha looked genuinely panicked right before he pushed him away. He didn't like seeing him that way. Doubly so knowing that he caused it. He just needed to explain everything - surely he'd understand. But when he grabbed the doorknob, it was locked in place.

Raditz huffed. He really didn't think he'd react so harshly. Was this more of that Earth etiquette he didn't understand? Maybe he had a lot more to learn about that than he thought. He ran his fingers through his hair as he walked to his room. His gut was starting to sink, as he realized how grave of a mistake he made.

"So… that's everything we're dealing with."

Hasky whistled, as she put her bottle of whiskey down. She looked back up at the computer monitor. "Sounds like you got yourself in a lot of trouble, Bulma."

"You can say that again," she said. "When you worked for the Red Ribbon Army, did you ever meet Gero?"

"Can't say I have. I can tell you about Tao, though." She rolled her eyes. "Had to work with him too many times. Word of advice - whatever you did the first time to get him off your back, keep doing it. It's a miracle that anything slowed him down."

Bulma nodded. "Noted. Anyways, if we needed you to, could you talk about him in some kind of hearing? It may be the only way we can get the alliance restored with the Saiyans."

Hasky shrugged. "Sure. Just tell me a time and place and I'll make it there."

She sighed. "Thanks, Hasky. You're a lifesaver."

"Not a problem, darling. Keep in touch." She waved at her once, before the call cut off.

Bulma kicked her rolling chair back, before sucking in a breath and holding her stomach. She was too pregnant to be doing that right now. Sometimes, she didn't know what she looked forward to more - defeating Gero or Trunks finally getting out of her.

She carefully stood up, leaning against the wall as she walked up the stairs. She'd talked to both Hasky and Dr. Flappe. There was only one person left.

Bulma found her father in the living room, playing with Tama. He had a dirty sock on a string and flinged it around so he could catch it. He looked up and smiled. "Hey there, Bulma! Finally made it out of the lab, huh?"

She shook her head and laughed. "Sure, dad." She sat down next to him. "I need to ask you for something."

He put the toy down and Tama jumped in his lap. "I'd be happy to help. What is it?"

"We managed to get things worked out with the Saiyans. We'll be able to tell them about everything that's been going on. Hopefully, they'll be convinced to revive the alliance."

"Good, good! I'm glad things are going well."

"Yeah, but I don't think we have enough proof. Dad, I know this is a lot to ask, but could you tell them about Gero, yourself?"

The smile fell from his face. He glanced down before looking back up. "Are you sure that would help?"

"Of course. I don't think they realize how hated Gero is. You worked with him. You exposed him. You know how bad he is better than anyone. Also, they kind of already know."

His eyes widened. "How?!"

"I don't know. Which is why we need you to tell your side of the story. If you don't, they'll still think you're his accomplice."

He breathed out through his nose. After a pause, he looked back at her. "I'll do it. If it'll put a stop to him once and for all, I'll be there."

Bulma smiled. She knew her father would agree to it, even if it was hard for him. "Thanks, dad."

"Bulma? Can you hear me?"

She looked up "Kami?"

"Come to the Lookout at once - we have all of the Dragon Balls."

Yes, that scene with Pilaf in Chaper 43 was actually important. Soooo remember it.

Also, since we're meeting Trunks in the next chapter, now would be a good time to start reading Diamond in the Rough, if you haven't already. Thanks!