Piccolo and Kera:

A few days later, Kera woke up in the middle of the night. Pain in her abdomen had woken her up. Piccolo, who was lying next to her, was awake immediately, even without her saying anything.

"Is it starting?"

"I ... I think so." Kera breathed heavily. "Wow, I really thought I could take pain well, but this is worse than anything I've experienced before."

"We'll get through this together." Piccolo picked her up in his arms and carried her outside.

The cool night air made Kera shiver and Piccolo conjured up a blanket to lay on her. Gratefully, she gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Well then, off to the hospital." Piccolo flew off.

"Wait a minute. To the hospital? No way!"

Piccolo stopped in mid-air. "Oh well, better not shoosh the humans with that greenie."

Angrily, Kera flicked a finger against Piccolo's forehead. "First of all, you're the most wonderful creature I've ever met. If anyone is afraid of you, it's their own fault. Secondly, these children will be just as wonderful, no matter what they look like. Got it?" Piccolo smiled and gave her a kiss. "And thirdly, Dende is the doctor I trust."

Piccolo flew Kera as fast as he could to Dende's palace high above the Korin Tower. He kept very close to the ground until he reached the tower, for he had to land at intervals when Kera's body was seized by a contraction. She could only stand the pain if she stood bent forward on the earth and breathed deeply in and out. Piccolo stroked her back and murmured words of encouragement to her. He felt strangely helpless just standing next to his mate without being able to take away her pain. He had expected to feel every contraction over their bond, but she managed to shield herself even in this situation.

When they arrived at Dende's, they were already met by Popo, who led them to the room where Dende had been regularly examining Kera.

"Hello, you two." Dende was already waiting in the room and pointed to the bed. Piccolo put Kera down and made room for Dende. He took a small towel from the little table next to the bed, dabbed her forehead with it and then felt her pulse.

"How far apart are the contractions?" asked Dende.

Kera, who just felt another contraction, clenched her teeth and concentrated on breathing. Piccolo replied, "I don't know exactly. The intervals are quite short. She only had a contraction when we were at the foot of the Korin Tower."

Dende nodded at Piccolo's words, but as he did so he looked at Kera and put his hand on her arm. It began to glow under his fingers. Kera gave a grateful sigh and slumped backwards into the pillows.

"I'm afraid I can't take all the pain away, Kera. I can only ease it a little," Dende told her as he dabbed at her forehead again.

"It's alright. I'll manage. After all, countless women have done it before me." Kera tried to smile at these words, but the corners of her mouth twitched only slightly upwards.

"Between contractions, you need to rest as best you can. Sit back and try to breathe calmly and gather your strength." Dende examined her belly. Again his hand glowed. He remained silent for a moment and then nodded. "The children are in the right pose and your contractions are coming at short regular intervals. It can start at any time."

Kera was about to reply to Dende, but a contraction caused her upper body to jerk forward. She groaned. Whimpered in pain. Piccolo, standing beside her, silently asked Dende to ease her pain. Dende did so.

However, the 'anytime' announced by Dende was still a long time coming, in which Kera was surprised by a contraction every few minutes. After each contraction, she let herself sink back into the pillows, closed her eyes and tried to calm her breathing. Piccolo and Dende did everything in their power to make Kera as comfortable as possible. Dende soothed her pain, Piccolo patted her forehead and handed her water.

After about an hour, Dende, who was kneeling between Kera's upraised legs, called out excitedly, "I see the head!"

Piccolo wanted to look, but Kera, seized by another contraction, curled her fingers into his arm. Piccolo suppressed a groan. Her strength seemed limitless at that moment.

Weary, Kera put her upper body back down and let her head fall to the side. "I can't go on," she whispered.

Dende stroked her right leg. "With the next contraction, the first child will be out. Please hold on."

Kera had no strength to reply but waited for the next contraction. When it came, her upper body sprang forward again and she felt some of the pressure ease between her legs.

"It's a boy!" Excitedly, Dende fumbled between Kera's legs, then held up the small wet creature, which began to cry out. Dende gently placed the boy on Kera's belly.

Tears came to Kera's eyes as she looked at the boy. Smeared with blood and a whitish substance, he lay very still on top of her. Warmth spread over her skin and she carefully lifted a hand to caress him. She took his small hand in hers. It was so tiny.

"Ten fingers, ten toes, all there." Dende seemed equally pleased.

Kera looked to Piccolo, who leaned down to breathe a kiss on her forehead.

"He's perfect," he whispered in her ear, looking at the boy, his son. He looked human, but his skin colour was light green. Small antennae sat above his forehead, like Piccolo's, and he recognised the beginnings of a Saiyan tail. A fuzz of black hair was spread across his scalp.

"Kera! You have to keep going!" Dende snapped her out of the moment.

Kera had her eyes closed and seemed almost asleep.

"I don't want to anymore," she said softly.

"You have to! The other baby will be in trouble if you don't." Dende radiated an authority at these words that was not at all expected of the little Namekian.

Kera took a few deep breaths in and out and waited for the next contraction. After only a few minutes, Dende gave another cry of triumph. "It's here!"

Eagerly, Piccolo waited for Dende to place the second baby on Kera's belly as well, but he stared transfixed at the tiny creature in his arms.

"Dende, is everything all right?" asked Piccolo worriedly.

"What?" Irritated, Dende looked up at him. He looked as if he had forgotten that Piccolo and Kera were there. "It's a girl!" he said, also placing the second baby on Kera's belly.

'What does she look like?', Kera asked Piccolo in her mind, as talking was too exhausting and she could barely keep her eyes open.

'Beautiful. Like you,' Piccolo answered her without taking his eyes off his children.

The second-born child showed no other outward distinguishing features from the boy. Only her skin seemed to be a slightly lighter shade of green.

Slowly, Piccolo raised his hand and stroked one of the girl's hands with a finger. It was indeed a wonder how two small beings were suddenly new to this world.

"Piccolo, Kera is very exhausted. You can take the children with Popo for now so Kera can rest a little," Dende said. Piccolo just nodded as he continued to look at the children.

Popo stepped to his side and handed Piccolo a towel. He himself went to the other side of the bed, placed the towel carefully around the boy and lifted him. He waited until Piccolo had done the same with the girl and walked out of the room. Piccolo pressed another kiss to Kera's forehead, which she didn't seem to feel, and followed Popo.

Outside the door, he asked Popo to give him the boy as well. He placed him in the crook of his right arm while the girl lay in the crook of his left. Slowly he walked down the corridor with the children.

The weight of the two children was hardly noticeable. He kept stopping and looking at their small faces, the dark eyebrows, the small mouths. The boy had his eyes closed, the girl seemed to look at him with interest.

When he came outside, he began to speak to the children in a low voice. He knew that no one here would hear him. He told them where they were, how proud he was of them already and what great warriors they would become one day.

At Piccolo's words, the boy had also opened his eyes and looked at him. Piccolo noticed that there was another difference between them. The girl's eyes were purple, the boy's were green, the same green he always saw in Kera when she became a Super Saiyan.

Piccolo thought about it. He wondered if it meant that the boy could already reach the level of a Super Saiyan, when his train of thought was interrupted by Dende running towards him.

"Quick! We need Vegeta!" Gasping, the little Namekian stopped in front of Piccolo.

"Why?" Piccolo clearly sensed Dende's fear.

"Kera ... lost too much blood ... Vegeta!" brought Dende out in a voice that strained. Piccolo didn't know what Dende wanted and was about to ask him again, when he felt Kami's presence inside him take control.

"Tell Popo to get Vegeta!"

"I'm on my way." Popo, who always seemed to be on top of everything at every point in the palace, suddenly stood beside them, unrolled his magic carpet, jumped up and was gone.

"To Kera, go!" shouted Piccolo to Dende and ran back into the palace.

Back in the room, Dende rushed to Kera's bedside. Upon entering the room, Piccolo immediately perceived what Dende had been trying to tell him all along. He smelled blood. A lot of blood. This could not be true. Did he now have two children but no mate? Panic rose in his throat.

Dende had put his hands on Kera's stomach. Kera was surrounded by a soft glow. She was not moving.

"What happened?" Slowly, Piccolo approached the bed.

Dende took his hands down. The glow died away. "During the afterbirth, Kera lost far too much blood. I was able to close the wound, but I can't replace the lost blood. I always have to give her a bit of life energy." Dende's voice had grown quieter as he spoke.

"She needs a blood donation," Piccolo concluded. "Can't I give her any?"

Dende shook his head. "That wouldn't work. Vegeta is a Saiyan and even related to her. We'll have to wait for him."

The minutes stretched almost endlessly. Dende kept going to the door, glancing outside, then going back to the bed, laying hands on Kera and repeating the process. Piccolo found himself unable to move. He still had both children in his arms and stared transfixed at Kera, whose skin colour was by now almost as white as the sheets on which she lay. Piccolo did not know if he had ever felt so helpless. He thought back and forth, but every spark of idea that came to him and that he passed on to Dende, the latter shot down. Dragon Balls? Would take too long to find them. The blood of the children? Would endanger the children too much. Gohan's blood? Probably wouldn't work.

Piccolo closed his eyes and tried to make mental contact with Kera. But it was as if his mind was running into the void, as if she wasn't there. There had to be something he could do!

When he turned to the door, he felt Vegeta's aura and a few seconds later he entered the room. He looked briefly at Piccolo, then at Dende, who was just standing by Kera again.

"What happened?" His tone was not condescending as usual. Piccolo thought he could hear genuine concern coming out. Kera was probably one of the few living beings in the entire universe that meant something to Vegeta.

Dende explained the situation to him in brief. Then he asked Piccolo to leave the room with the children. "I need to concentrate."

Reluctantly, he left the room, but he had to realise that there was nothing he could do but wait. Again time stretched and when Dende finally opened the door, he stumbled more into the room than walked. Questioningly, he looked at Dende, who replied wearily, "It will be all right."

The little Namekian dragged himself out of the room, obviously just as worn down by the excitement of the last few hours as everyone else. Popo came to meet him and supported him.

Piccolo approached the bed and stood next to Vegeta, who sat on a chair next to the headboard.

"She'll be fine," Vegeta said with a slight croak in his voice. It had not been an easy process for him either, it seemed.

"I thank you," Piccolo said softly. The words did not come easily to him, as he had labelled Vegeta an arrogant heartless warrior. But he had proved that family was important to him. He had saved Kera. That alone counted.

Vegeta nodded. "I'd like to sit for a moment, if that's okay with you."

Piccolo was a little taken off guard by the request. He hadn't seen Vegeta this polite before. "Of course." After a brief pause, Piccolo asked, "Would you like something to drink?"

"Please. My throat is quite dry," Vegeta replied.

"Then hold him, please." Piccolo handed Vegeta the little boy he was still holding in his right arm. Vegeta looked at him in shock, then got over himself and carefully took the baby from Piccolo. Piccolo conjured up a cup of water with his now free hand, which he handed to Vegeta. Vegeta accepted the cup and drank slowly without taking his eyes off the baby.

"He has green eyes like a Super Saiyan," Vegeta remarked. "And his aura already feels insanely powerful."

"I can't wait to teach him how to fight." Piccolo was filled with pride. Maybe one day his son or daughter would be the most powerful fighters in the universe.

Kera stirred. She muttered something. Fluttering, she opened her eyes. She stared at the ceiling, then turned her head and looked first at Vegeta, then at Piccolo.

A faint smile spread across her lips. "My two favourite men." Her voice still sounded very weakened, but Piccolo felt relief that she had woken up and recognised him.

"So I count three men here." Kera's expression looked confused at Piccolo's words. Then her gaze flitted back to Vegeta and she recognised the small bundle in his arms.

"My baby," she whispered, holding out her arms. Vegeta placed the boy in her arms. Kera pulled him close, smiling, and stroked his cheek.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Kera looked back to Vegeta.

"That'll be explained to you by the greenling. I'll leave you alone now." Vegeta slowly stood up. He bent over Kera, put his right hand on the back of her neck and touched his forehead to hers. "You have two wonderful children," he whispered before rising again. Then he looked at Piccolo. "Congratulations," he murmured.

"Vegeta?" He stopped when he heard his name come out of Kera's mouth and looked at her again. "Do you welcome our children?"

The corners of his mouth twitched upwards briefly into a smile. He approached the bed again and carefully lifted the boy up, taking a few steps back with him. He held out his arm as he turned to Piccolo. Uncertain, Piccolo looked to Kera, who nodded. He handed the girl to Vegeta, who took two steps back with both children.

Kera struggled to straighten up in bed. She stopped Piccolo, who was trying to help her, with a wave of her hand.

"Which child was born first?"

"The boy," Kera answered.

"What name shall he have?"

"The boy will take the name Reyak."

Another smile on Vegeta's lips before he rested his forehead against Reyak's. "Welcome to this world, Reyak. May the gods stand by you and guide you to the right path."

Piccolo squinted at Kera, who was staring at Vegeta, completely spellbound. He sensed that this little ritual meant a lot to her.

"What name do you want the girl to have?"

Prompting, Kera looked up at Piccolo. "The girl will take the name Menka."

Piccolo and Kera had often talked about the children's names. Not knowing if it would be a boy or a girl, they had picked out names for all the possibilities.

Vegeta repeated his words to Menka as well, then he handed her back into Piccolo's arms and placed Reyak next to Kera and turned towards the door.

"Have you actually noticed that his aura ..." he pointed to the boy in Kera's arms "... resembles the aura of a Saiyan, while her aura ..." he pointed to the girl in Piccolo's arms, "... resembles the aura of a Namekian?" With these words he left the room, closed the door and left Kera and Piccolo alone.

Piccolo felt for his children's auras and had to admit that Vegeta was right. A glance at Kera told him that she was also checking Vegeta's statement. But when she looked at him, he forgot about the matter. He walked around the bed, carefully placed the girl next to Kera and then lay down on the bed as well.

Somewhat awkwardly, as she still felt somewhat restricted in her movement, Kera turned around and also placed the boy between her and Piccolo. Both children had their eyes closed and seemed to be asleep.

They looked at each other dreamily before Kera asked, "What happened?"

"When both children were born, you were almost asleep. Dende asked me to go out with both children to give you rest. After a short while he came running in panic and told me that there were complications with the afterbirth. You had lost a lot of blood. Dende could heal the wound but could not make new blood. He needed Vegeta to donate blood."

"That bad?" Panic could be read in Kera's gaze. Piccolo nodded.

"Popo brought Vegeta in, Dende fixed it. You woke up." Then he added quietly, "I was pretty scared."

"It's all right now." Kera smiled and stroked Piccolo's cheek with one finger.

Vegeta:

He stood leaning against the wall in the hallway for a moment. The blood transfusion had taken a lot out of him. Yet he felt strangely happy. He had almost forgotten that elation. Helping Kera, saving her life, had probably been the best thing he had done in years.

Vegeta felt a struggle inside him. Part of him wanted to stay here and be with his family. He wanted to train Trunks, to see Bulma smile, to have a normal family life. The other part of him wanted to train, to get stronger, to achieve more. Which was more important?

He took a few deep breaths in and out. Then there was a third thought. He wished that Piccolo had not been in the room. That he could have laid down next to Kera. Energetically, Vegeta shook off that thought. That was absurd.

He pushed himself off the wall and left the palace. It was time he left for space. Perhaps distance would not be the worst thing now.