Kera smiled to herself during the flight. She could control her powers again. She would train with Piccolo. She had made up with Vegeta. All was well.

It was already dawn when Kera arrived at Chi-Chi and Kakarrot's house. She landed and knocked on the front door. Chi-Chi opened and let out a cry of joy when she recognised Kera. Laughing, she fell around her neck. Kera returned the hug, beaming with joy. Chi-Chi pulled Kera into the house, manoeuvred her onto a chair and sat down with her a few minutes later with two cups of steaming tea.

"Where have you been for the last few months?", Chi-Chi asked Kera.

Kera sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "Sometimes here, sometimes there. Ever since I got my memory of my past life back on Namek, I've had trouble controlling my energy. Vegeta then got mad at me when he found out I could transform into a Super Saiyan and just took off into space. I was so ..." She searched for a proper word, found none, and shook her head. "I didn't know who I was anymore." Sadly, she lowered her eyes.

Lovingly, Chi-Chi patted Kera's hand. "I'm always here for you if you want to talk."

Gratefully, Kera smiled at her. "Thank you," she whispered. Maybe she should have confided in Chi-Chi sooner and things wouldn't have turned out so badly.

"Are you going to train for the arrival of the androids too?"

"Yes, definitely. I'd like to train with Piccolo, Kakarrot and Gohan here if that's okay with you."

"Of course!"

Together they prepared the meal. Kera glanced outside in between. The sun had already disappeared behind the mountains and here and there the sunset still glowed.

"Gohan should be here any minute."

"And Kakarrot?"

"Goku and Piccolo are still training until after dark. We've arranged for Gohan to be home before it gets dark."

She had just finished her sentence when the front door flew open and Gohan came into the house. "Hi, Mom," he called out, then stopped abruptly when he saw Kera. His face brightened and he ran up to her and fell around her neck. Laughing happily, she returned the boy's tumultuous embrace. Chi-Chi smiled too.

"He missed you very much," she said softly.

"I missed him too," Kera replied just as softly.

"Are you training with us?" wanted Gohan to know.

Kera nodded.

Beaming with joy, they now all set the table together and waited for Kakarrot and Piccolo.

When it was completely dark outside, Gohan suddenly looked at the window. "They're coming." It was then that Kera also sensed the approaching energies. She had a feeling that Piccolo's energy felt different, but she couldn't define it. She brushed the thought aside again as the two landed in front of the house and came through the door.

Kakarrot entered first and greeted his wife with a quick kiss. Then he hugged Kera, who looked over his shoulder at Piccolo, who had stopped in the doorway.

"Dinner is ready. Sit down." Chi-Chi placed several pans and pots on the table, which seemed to bend a little under the weight. Kera took a seat in the chair she had been sitting in before. Chi-Chi sat down opposite her, Gohan at the head end between them. Kakarrot sat down next to his wife. Kera expected Piccolo to take his leave now, but to her surprise he sat down next to her.

The smile he gave her was so brief that no one but she noticed it. Shyly she smiled back and felt a slight blush rise in her cheeks. During the meal, Kera retold her story for Kakarrot and Gohan. Gohan told about his training so far with his father and Piccolo. Kera was proud of the boy. He was strong and ambitious. A true Saiyan.

When all the pots and bowls were emptied, Kakarrot sank back with a sigh and put a hand on his stomach. Chi-Chi stood up, gave her husband a kiss on the cheek and began to clear the table. Kakarrot smiled. Kera felt the intimacy between the two was beautiful to watch. She wondered if she would experience that one day. Before she could ponder further, she also got up and helped Chi-Chi wash the dishes.

"Kera, are you training with us now?" asked Kakarrot.

"Yes. Every first weekend of the month, though, I meet up with Vegeta for a training session."

This news made everyone freeze in astonishment for a moment. Kakarrot had almost fallen off his chair.

"You and Vegeta?" His voice was shrill.

When she answered, Kera just looked at Piccolo. "Vegeta is still my prince."

He stared at her for a moment, then averted his eyes. Not a word passed his lips.

"Well, then ...", Kakarrot tried to break the silence. "I'm going to take a shower and then sleep." Gohan, who had only ever looked back and forth between the adults during the conversation, followed his father outside.

Piccolo only glanced at Kera, wished her a good night and then also left the house almost in a hurry. Kera felt him moving away and suddenly felt infinitely tired. She wanted to lie down on a bed, close her eyes and just sleep.

Chi-Chi approached her from behind and put a hand on her shoulder. "I think you two should have a proper talk sometime."

"Why?" Kera wiped her face, hoping Chi-Chi hadn't seen the glint in her eyes.

Chi-Chi gasped. It sounded like she was suppressing an exasperated sigh with it. "I can see that you feel more for him. And I'm sure he feels the same way. He just can't show it."

"Thank you," Kera murmured.

Chi-Chi pointed to a door to her left. "You're welcome to sleep there. I'm sure there'll be a chance to talk tomorrow."

Chi-Chi, unfortunately, was not right. Over the next few weeks, a daily routine quickly established itself. After breakfast, the four of them usually trained in the mountains. They only stopped for a snack and continued training until nightfall. Sometimes Piccolo wasn't there for the meal. On the evenings he was there, he said goodbye with a short greeting to the group as soon as everyone had finished eating.

During the day, Kera could concentrate quite well on the training, but as soon as Piccolo was gone, she felt a sadness overwhelm her that made it impossible for her to be in the presence of the others any longer. As soon as possible, she said goodbye to bed and did not leave her room again until breakfast.

As the first weekend of the following month dawned, Kera said goodbye after breakfast and flew to the Briefs' estate to train with Vegeta. She stayed there overnight and did not return until the following evening.

When she arrived back at Chi-Chi and Kakarrot's house, she only met Chi-Chi there. Kakarrott and Gohan had already gone to bed.

"They were totally knocked out after training."

"Okay. I'm exhausted too. I'm going to hit the sack."

Chi-Chi held Kera back by the arm before she could disappear into her room.

"Please talk to Piccolo. Goku told me that Piccolo has been obnoxious since yesterday morning. He was so aggressive that they barely fought him. I think that has something to do with you."

"He's been avoiding me." Kera responded irritably. Piccolo clearly showed her that he didn't want to be near her at all. He had barely exchanged a word with her in the last month.

"Go to him. Please. If this keeps up, you'll do more damage to each other than these androids."

Kera hesitated, then nodded. There was some truth in Chi-Chi's words. She couldn't go on like this for months until the androids arrived. She closed her eyes and searched for Piccolo's aura. He wasn't far from here.

"What do you want me to tell him?"

"Well, for example, how much you like him, that you enjoy being with him. You are, aren't you?"

"Yes, definitely. I'd love to be closer to him," she whispered, "but what if he doesn't want that?"

"I have a feeling he would like that too. But if I'm wrong, then you - both of you - will have clarity."

Kera took one deep breath and then walked back out of the house. She flew to where she sensed Piccolo's aura. He was sitting not far from the house on an elevated spot by the river. Just before she landed, she let her energy light up briefly so that he would notice her for sure.

He did not move as she landed behind him. When he didn't react even after several seconds, she sat down next to him.

"I heard you gave Kakarrot and Gohan a real hard time today."

Piccolo let out a snort. "Were they whining?"

"I didn't see them. Chi-Chi told me." Piccolo said nothing in reply. "Chi-Chi thought we should talk," Kera added.

"About what?"

"About us," Kera whispered, unsure how he would take that statement. She went back to plucking blades of grass from the ground.

"What is there to talk about? There is no 'us'."

Kera felt a twinge in her heart. So she had imagined it after all. What had been the meaning of the kiss he had given her before the Saiyan attack? And the kisses before? All just a deception? The realisation hit her like a blow. Tears welled up in her eyes. She had to get out of here.

"Okay." The word came only as a croak from her lips. Wobbling, she rose and was about to fly off, but Piccolo's voice held her back.

"I will not come between Vegeta and you."

Kera stumbled. "What?"

For the first time, Piccolo now looked at her. "Like what?"

"What do you mean you won't come between us?"

Piccolo now looked even more confused. "Well, you two are ..." He broke off.

Kera now looked confused as well. "I have no idea what you're getting at." She sat back down opposite him. Then realisation seeped in and she slapped her hands over her mouth. "I'm so stupid!" she exclaimed. Piccolo just raised an eyebrow and waited for an explanation. "I'm so sorry, Piccolo! We've had this conversation before and I didn't give you an answer because I sensed Vegeta's aura and wanted to get to him, but then Frieza and that guy from the future came and I didn't think about it anymore."

"Am I going to get an answer now?" Piccolo looked slightly sour. Probably because he had been waiting so long for the answer.

Kera took a deep breath in and out. "Vegeta and I are close. But not in the way you think. We grew up together and went through a lot together. That's what bonded us together. Vegeta is my cousin."

"He told me that you have an obligation to him."

"I am also his bodyguard. I took my oath at the age of four. I haven't left his side since. Or at least I didn't intend to."

"What happened?"

"Someone ... Frieza, as we learned from the thing on Namek, destroyed our planet. Vegeta, Raditz, Nappa and I survived. Vegeta and I were still young. Children. Frieza treated us like his subordinates. Saiyans don't like to be commanded, but we didn't stand a chance. Vegeta hated him and wanted to get back at him, but he didn't know how. He wanted to wait and see. Eventually, the right time would come. Frieza ..." She faltered. "Frieza used me as a trophy. It was bad. I couldn't fight back." Kera looked down at the ground and clenched her fists. Thinking back on those events almost choked her breath. She took a few deep breaths in and out before continuing. "Vegeta was able to help me escape at one point. He wanted me out of Frieza's presence. At the same time, I was supposed to search for Kakarrot on Earth to ask him to help us fight Frieza. But then I lost my memory. You know the rest."

"You seemed so familiar on Namek. And you were devastated when Frieza killed him."

"We are very close. For years, we had only each other. I could only trust him and he could only trust me. On Namek, I had seen him for the first time in years. Of course, I was devastated when he died shortly after. He's not as bad as you always think. Although he would never show it in front of you. Saiyans see showing emotion as weakness."

Kera saw it working in Piccolo and he took in all this information. Then his lips spread into a smile. She smiled back.

But then Piccolo's smile disappeared from one second to the next. "What's wrong?" asked Kera, surprised by the sudden change of mood.

"I'm sorry," said Piccolo, looking at the floor.

"I'm not mad at you for thinking that about me and Vegeta."

"It's not that." Piccolo hesitated. "When I rescued you from this spirit-plane last month, we entered into a Namekian warrior bond."

Kera cocked her head to the side questioningly. She had no idea what he meant, but an inner unease crept up from her belly.

Piccolo sighed and explained. "When I took your arms and knelt in front of you, I just wanted to remind you how strong you are and you need to have faith in your strength again. I thought of the moments when I saw your strength more than clear and saw the images in my mind's eye. There were more and more images, not only those we had experienced together, but also those that were only of you or only of me."

"Yes, I remember. But those were just pictures we saw of each other, weren't they?" She hoped that Piccolo would just say yes and that would have settled the issue.

"No. Through the arm position I unknowingly took and the deep meditation we sank into, we made a warrior bond."

Kera was getting impatient. "And what does that mean now?"

"That we become stronger through each battle, whether we each fight it alone or together. It's as if we act as one body in this area."

"And what disadvantages are there?" asked Kera suspiciously. There had to be a catch to this.

"We can feel each other's injuries."

Kera had held her breath for a moment and now exhaled audibly. "But then I should be able to sense your pain when we train."

Piccolo nodded. "That will grow stronger with time. Warriors who form that bond train for years and can learn over time to shield the bond at the right moment so that the other is not too badly hurt. In this way, not only the body is trained, but also the mind."

"And that's all?"

Again he nodded, puzzled at her seemingly mild response.

"Oh, Piccolo. We've been through this before. What's the difference now?"

"That I more or less forced the bond on you."

"But you say yourself that you didn't know what you were doing." After a pause, she asked, " How do you even know it's a warrior bond?"

"Nehl explained everything to me."

"And he is sure it is a warrior bond? That others besides Namekians can enter it?"

Piccolo nodded.

Kera disengaged herself from her cross-legged seat and knelt in front of Piccolo. She came closer, placed a hand on his chest and closed her eyes. He remained still and closed his eyes as well.

Kera felt the warmth of his body against her hand. She concentrated on his aura, blocking out the softly whispering wind and the rustling of the leaves. After a few minutes, she lowered her hand and sank back onto her lower legs. Piccolo, too, opened his eyes again.

The corners of her mouth twitched upwards briefly. "When I concentrate strongly, I can detect a hint of my energy on you. I'd been wondering for weeks if I'd imagined the change in your aura."

"Do you accept the warrior bond?", Piccolo now wanted to know.

"Yes." A short simple word. Kera saw a gleam in Piccolo's eyes and knew that he had secretly wished that she would agree.

Kera tried unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn.

"You should sleep," Piccolo remarked. Kera nodded with a yawn and rose. She bent down to him once more and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Good night, my green one," she whispered against his ear and flew back to Kakarrot's house.

The next morning, Chi-Chi winked knowingly at Kera. Kera blushed and wondered if she knew that the conversation with Piccolo that night had been positive. "You're so radiant," Chi-Chi whispered to Kera as they cleared the table together. Goku and Gohan didn't seem to notice.

They now had 34 months left of the three years. Every minute of training was important. They continued the routine that had been established over the last month. There was one small change, however. The mood was much more relaxed. Piccolo stayed until the end of every dinner and only left when Kera had disappeared into her room. Every evening she lay awake in her bed for some time, mentally going over every movement of the training. Her last thought before falling asleep was of Piccolo. She felt his energy close by and fell asleep with a smile every time.

Every first weekend of the month, Kera flew to Vegeta and trained with him. The evening she came back from him, Piccolo was already waiting for her and they talked about the two days they hadn't seen each other. Kera fell asleep on his shoulder each time because she was completely exhausted. Piccolo carried her to her room, laid her on her bed and covered her up. He gently stroked her cheek before leaving the house.

The morning after, Kera greeted him each time with a particularly broad smile and he caught himself thinking what it would be like if they didn't spend all their time training.

In all weathers and seasons, Goku, Gohan, Piccolo and Kera trained near Goku's house. Chi-Chi provided them with wonderful food. Kera and Piccolo now spent together not only the evenings when Kera returned from training with Vegeta, but every Sunday. During this time they meditated together and strengthened the bond between them, as they had done a few years ago. Sometimes they just talked or were silent together.

Chi-Chi saw from small gestures that the two were very fond of each other. A secret smile, a gentle brief touch between the two. Although Goku spent little time with her, she was happy. She was sure Kera had made him aware of how important small gestures could be between partners. He would occasionally bring her a flower, gently stroke her hair out of her forehead or give her a kiss on the cheek as he walked by. Gohan also enjoyed the presence of Piccolo and Kera. Chi-Chi felt that her family had grown.

Twenty-one months rippled by like the river near Goku's house. This time, when Kera returned from her monthly training weekend with Vegeta, she was irritable. Piccolo, who had been waiting for her as usual, sensed her tension. They did not speak for a long time. Piccolo knew he had to give her time until she opened up.

She paced restlessly, kicked stones around, clenched her hands into fists again and again. He sat on the ground and waited. At some point she dropped to the ground beside him and snorted.

"It sucks," she brought out in a growl.

"What exactly?"

"I just can't seem to get myself to turn back into a Super Saiyan. It's been almost three years since Namek and I've been training like a maniac ever since. Why isn't it working?" Her every word made her frustration clear.

"Have you talked to Goku yet?" It was possible for him to transform into a Super Saiyan at will, ever.

"Of course. He says he doesn't know what it is. When he had transformed on Namek, he had been insanely angry when Frieza had killed Krillin. All he has to do is remember that feeling and he transforms."

"Why did you transform then?"

Kera's head jerked towards him. She hadn't asked herself that question yet, and she had to think about it first. "Frieza killed Vegeta, insulted me and threatened to kill me and everyone else."

"There you have it."

"What?"

"Apparently there's a connection between turning into a Super Saiyan, being angry, and the urge to protect someone. Someone you're very close to," Piccolo summed up his suspicions.

Kera jumped up and gathered energy. She really wanted to try it out. She remembered the moment Vegeta had died in her arms. How condescending Frieza had treated her. How he had threatened her and the others. Anger rose in her throat and a scream released. White energy surrounded her body and her hair swayed in an invisible wind. But nothing further happened. Kera sank to the earth and pounded it with her fists.

"Why is it just not working?"

"Maybe the anger that came with it wasn't strong enough. We didn't die, like Krillin." Kera listened up. That had to be it. She started another attempt. This time she thought of the moment Piccolo had died at Nappa's hands. She thought of how it had felt when he died and how she had found his lifeless body. But this time it was not anger that spread, but deep sadness. Kera's head sank to her chest and she felt hot tears running down her cheek.

Piccolo hugged her. "Maybe we can try something else."

Kera quickly wiped her eyes before looking at him.

"Besides the warrior bond, there is another kind of bond. Normally, you form this bond with another person and not with the same person with whom a bond has already been formed. It is the bond of friendship."

Kera let his words sink in for a moment. Then she angrily pushed him away. "Do you think I won't be able to transform without your help?"

Piccolo raised his hands defensively. "It was just a suggestion ..."

That was as far as he got. "You can take your suggestions and shove them." She flew off. Piccolo sighed. This time he was not aware of any guilt. Her proud Saiyan side had taken over again in this case.

Instinctively, Kera flew to the Briefs' mansion. Let Piccolo stay where the pepper grows. She would be fine on her own. Vegeta and she were strong.

When Kera landed in the garden of the mansion, she was not surprised to see Vegeta still training there. He was even more surprised to see Kera again.

She told him about Piccolo's suspicion and his proposal. Vegeta spat out.

"But that Namekian also thinks he can get away with anything."

"Can I continue training with you? I need some space."

"Sure. I'm going to eat now, though, and then sleep. We'll get going again in the morning."

Kera went with him into the house and went to the guest room that was available to her during the weekends. She slept very fitfully.

Vegeta and Kera used most of the coming days for training. In all that time, she only saw Bulma or her parents from a distance. They were still asleep when Vegeta and her already got up for training and were already in bed when they finished training. They ate their meals separately. Vegeta obviously didn't care much for company.

With the setting sun, Kera and Vegeta finished their training. She enjoyed the hot shower, which loosened her tense muscles. She thought of Piccolo. She missed him. She had resisted impressions that came over their connection. She knew he was fine, but he missed her too, she was sure.

She stepped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around her hair, dried off and put on loose clothes. Bulma had lent her what she called normal clothes. Kera had had to get used to not wearing a training suit, but by now she had taken a liking to the loose cloth trousers and T-shirt.

With a water bottle in her hand, she stepped out onto the balcony to enjoy the last rays of the sun. The sky was blood red and the passing clouds were tinged with pink.

Vegeta stood on the balcony looking up at the sky. He was wearing only a pair of shorts. Apparently he had also come out of the shower and let the wind dry him, because single drops of water glistened on his upper body. Kera had not seen him here once all last week. Something had been bothering him today, too. His mind had not been on the training. They had also finished unusually early.

She stood next to Vegeta and held her bottle out to him. Nodding gratefully, he took it and drank a big gulp. With the back of his hand he wiped his mouth.

"What's on your mind?"

Vegeta did not look at her. His jaws were grinding and he had a tight grip on the railing. "I still can't transform into a Super Saiyan," he said then.

Kera followed his gaze to the sky, then looked at him again. "We'll find a way." She was firm in her belief.

She felt him relax a little and finally nodded.

"You know what I often think about?"

"Huh?"

"I wonder what would have happened if I had fought Nappa and you with Piccolo and the others when you came to Earth. Would there have even been a fight then?"

Vegeta shrugged. "Probably not. I would have just been happy to see you again." He put his hand on hers and smiled briefly. "And I would have flown away with you first."

Now Kera had to smile too and intertwined her fingers with his. "Don't you like the earth?"

"I don't really know. I can train anywhere. But here ..." He broke off in mid-sentence.

"There's someone special here," she finished his sentence. Vegeta snorted. Kera grinned. "I saw the looks you gave her. You'd like to be closer to her, wouldn't you?"

"I already was," he said quietly, not looking at her.

Kera nudged him with her hip. "Go on, tell me. What was it like?" She had to restrain herself from jumping around joyfully.

She could hardly believe it. Vegeta blushed. "It was ... great. Intense. She's a unique woman," he said so quietly she could barely hear him. "But don't you tell her that," he then followed up louder.

"You're only making it difficult for yourself, my prince." Kera put her right arm around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. "You can be happy here too, you know that, don't you?"

"Maybe. Once these androids are dealt with." He put his left arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him.

Kera closed her eyes and enjoyed his closeness. They were silent for a while, then Vegeta cleared his throat. "Do you want to stay on earth then?"

"Yes. I've met so many here that I can't imagine my life without them. I like being with Kakarrot and his family. Training with Piccolo and Kakarrot's son the year before you came to Earth felt like family life."

"I don't know if I can do that."

"What?"

"Have a family life."

"If you want to, you can."

"I just don't know. With Bulma ... I just think about her like that sometimes. It distracts me from training. It bothers me. But the nights with her ..."

"... Stop! There have been several times?" She tried to look at him, but from this angle all she saw was a tight grin. With her free hand she pinched his side. He laughed. "You heartbreaker."

He pulled her into a hug and squeezed her tightly. "Good thing I have you," he said softly.

Another week passed with intense training. After a particularly long day, Kera had fallen into bed as if dead, but had woken up again after a few hours' sleep. She had been so tired that she had not eaten anything and this was now taking its revenge. She swung a bathrobe around her shoulders and went quietly into the kitchen. To her surprise, someone was already there. Bulma was sitting at the kitchen table, shovelling a mountain of noodles into herself.

"What are you doing here?" the two women asked simultaneously.

"I'm hungry," Kera replied. "Which is not surprising after 18 hours of training. What's your excuse?"

"I, uh ..." Bulma started to stutter.

Kera focused on the other woman. Then the sheer scales fell from her eyes. "Are you pregnant?"

"What, how do you know?" Bulma's hand went to her stomach.

"I sense a second energy in you. If you know what to look for, you'll find it."

Bulma looked down at the ground in dismay and lowered her fork. Kera took a step closer to her friend. "Is Vegeta the father?"

"Would you please stop that?" Bulma sounded offended.

"With what?"

"Guessing everything right. How can you even know that?"

Kera grinned. "That was indeed just a guess. Vegeta had hinted that something had been going on. Several times."

Bulma's hands balled into fists. "Oh, that bastard!"

Kera put her hands to Bulma's shoulders placatingly, forcing her to face her. "He wasn't bragging about it. He really doesn't like to talk about his feelings, but the fact that he mentioned it at all shows me that he cares a lot about you. You impress him, Bulma. He'd probably never admit it openly, but trust me."

Bulma's lips formed silent words. Tears came to her eyes.

"Have you told him yet?" Bulma shook her head.

"I was going to tell him. Last week. That's when I saw you on the balcony. You were hugging each other. You were so close. I thought ..."

"You thought we had a thing?" Bulma nodded. Kera took a step back. "Why does everyone think that, anyway?"

"Because you're so close. You're the only one he even touches, the only one he really looks at when he talks."

"Bulma, I'm his cousin. And his bodyguard. We grew up together and we've been through a lot together. He trusts me and I trust him. That's all there is to it."

Kera felt Bulma breathe a sigh of relief.

"Please, tell him," Kera begged the blue-haired girl. "I'm sure he won't show any joy, but inside he'll be bursting with pride."

"Okay."

Kera managed to get Bulma and Vegeta to talk the next morning. She didn't hear what they were discussing. Vegeta didn't seem to contribute much to the conversation either, but before he left, he gave Bulma a kiss on the cheek. Kera had to grin.

The next few days of training were just as hard as before, but Kera was sure she sensed a new strength in Vegeta. The unbelievable happened. Vegeta transformed into a Super Saiyan.

"I think I need to go back to Piccolo and the others," Kera said to Vegeta that night. "I think I know what's wrong with me."

She explained nothing more, bowed curtly to Vegeta, and flew to Piccolo. It was time for a talk.