Kera:

Kera stepped outside the door of her house and took a deep breath. The sun tickled her nose. The wind made the leaves rustle softly, the waterfall rippled away and kept throwing glittering fragments onto the green grass.

She turned around and looked at her home. A smile came to her lips. 'Hut' no longer fitted as a description. Over the last six months, she and Piccolo had gradually expanded their dwelling. Piccolo had also worked his magic in a few places and now each of the children had their own room. Gine also had a room for the weeks she spent with Kera and Piccolo. The rest of the time she was with Vegeta and Bulma.

Piccolo, with Gine in his arms, now also came outside and stood beside her.

"Shall we go?"

Gine hopped from Piccolo's arm into Kera's and snuggled up to her. She was not yet a year old, but she would certainly be estimated by humans as a two-year-old. Kera was not surprised by this. Gine was a Saiyan, with strong warrior genes from both parts at that.

"Yes, we can. Reyak already flew ahead because he was already going to see Trunks and Goten, and Menka is coming with Dende from the palace to see Bulma."

She took off and flew off. Piccolo flew close beside her.

"Menka sure spends a lot of time with Dende, doesn't she?"

Kera grinned and she looked to her companion. "And what exactly bothers you about that?"

Piccolo turned slightly red in the face and avoided her gaze. "Nothing. It was just something I noticed."

"She's just learning at Dende what interests her. She's not a fighter. Just like Dende. She can heal and who knows what else she's capable of.

"I know. It's just ..." He broke off.

"You'd like to have her with you more often. I know." Kera flew so close to Piccolo now that their shoulders touched. "It doesn't mean she doesn't want to spend time with us. She wants to learn, and she just learns more with Dende than with us." Gently, she stroked his cheek with one finger.

"Daddy Two don't be sad," Gine said and held out her small hands to Piccolo.

Smiling, he took her in his arms and sped up his flight, making Gine whoop with joy.

Kera followed the two and a short time later they landed at the Briefs' estate.

Beaming with joy, she greeted Bulma and took Gine from Piccolo, who immediately disappeared into the garden, from which soft music could be heard.

"You're acting like we haven't seen each other in months. Yet I was only here last week," Kera said with a laugh as she broke free from Bulma's embrace.

"I know. I'm just so happy to see everyone here today. And you've grown since last week too, right?" Bulma tickled Gine under the chin, eliciting a bell-like laugh from her.

Together they went into the garden.

"Did Kakarrot find all the Dragon Balls so we can summon the Dragon?"

Bulma nodded. "Yes, he did. He put them over there." She pointed to the back of the garden where the buffet was. "And then he grabbed a plate and said he was hungry. I haven't seen him since."

Kera shrugged. "I might as well eat something now."

Bulma shook her head in annoyance. "You Saiyans ... help yourself." With an inviting gesture, she pointed to the many dishes and walked with Gine to her mother.

On the way to the buffet, Kera greeted all her friends. Yamcha and Tien Shinhan were present, as were the Turtle Hermit, Lunch and Yajirobe. Dende and Menka sat at a table with Trunks, Goten and Reyak, waving happily to her. Kera also saw Hercule and Videl, who was standing a little apart with Gohan.

She filled her plate and looked for Vegeta. She finally found him sitting on a blanket under a tree. There were already several empty plates next to him.

"Hey, big brother." She lowered herself onto the blanket beside him.

He squeezed her arm briefly in greeting.

"Gine was already here a moment ago and called me Daddy One," Vegeta said.

Kera had to grin. "Is that all right with you?"

Vegeta was silent as if he was thinking. "I think so."

"I didn't know how we were going to get around this problem. I guess for her it will always be that she has two mothers and two fathers. I wonder if we'll be able to explain that to her one day."

Vegeta shrugged. "I don't know. I try to block it out."

"Me too."

"I think it's a shame I don't always have her here. I can't wait to train with her."

"You never cease to amaze me, Vegeta. You're still developing into a real family Saiyan."

Vegeta snorted, but Kera saw a smile flit across his lips. "I'd like another child," he said softly.

"Have you talked to Bulma yet?"

"Not yet. We're planning a trip next week. Maybe I can talk to her then."

"A trip? You?"

"Remember I promised Trunks some time ago that I'd take him to the amusement park if he managed to hit me up? He had managed it."

"That's right. I remember." Kera patted him on the shoulder encouragingly. "I'm proud of you. Keeping promises to your children is very important."

"I'll survive somehow."

They were silent for a while, watching the others.

"You know who I've been thinking about for the last few weeks?" asked Kera quietly without looking at her brother.

"I'm sure you'll tell me in a minute."

"Tarble."

Kera watched Vegeta's reaction to that name closely. Vegeta stiffened, his gaze drifted inward and he sucked in a sharp breath. For a moment he seemed to stop breathing, until he expelled the air again forcefully.

"By the gods. I had forgotten him. I ... I just hadn't thought about him anymore. I had always assumed he was dead, but what if he wasn't?" He looked at her with wide eyes.

Quickly she grabbed his hand. "I know. That was exactly my train of thought. I'm so ashamed I didn't think of him before."

Concerned, she lowered her eyes.

"If Tarble is still alive ..."

"Who is Tarble?" Kakarrot suddenly stood in front of them and looked at her questioningly.

"That's none of your business," Vegeta snapped at him, instantly resuming his aloof stance.

"Vegeta!", Kera admonished him sternly. "Sit down, Kakarrot."

She patted the blanket beside her and Kakarrot sat down beside her.

"Tarble is Vegeta's ..."

"... our brother!" he interrupted Kera.

"Yes, of course, our brother." She shook her head. Sometimes the fact that Vegeta and she were twins was still so new to her that she sometimes forgot. Old habits she had cultivated for years needed to be broken.

"We have another brother?" Questioningly, Kakarrot looked from Kera to Vegeta and back again.

"Tarble is younger than Vegeta and I, and yes, he was referred to as his brother. According to our father, the King, Tarble was too weak and so he was stationed on another planet to train intensively."

"But Gine - our mother - told us that the Queen could not have children. So who is Tarble's mother then? Gine didn't even mention him."

Kera pondered. "Maybe she did have a child then. Then Gine wouldn't necessarily know. Or maybe the king took another woman."

"Anything's possible. So probably Tarble is only our half-brother then, and not related to Kakarrot," Vegeta stated.

"Quite possible, but we'll probably never find out. We can't ask anyone."

"And what if we set off into space again? Look for traces of Saiyan?"

"Brilliant idea." Euphoric, Kakarrot jumped to his feet. "That's an ideal training opportunity." He paused. "Oh no, I'm not allowed to train." He plopped back down on the blanket.

"Why not?" Kera tilted her head.

"Chi-Chi wants me to do something decent and make money doing it so we can send the kids to good schools." He sighed.

Vegeta grinned. "Hercule offered me money, which he received in thanks for saving the world. He said he couldn't accept it, so he wanted to give it to me. I refused it. We have enough money."

"So, if he asks you ..." began Kera.

"... I will accept the money. Brilliant! When do we want to leave?"

"I'll ask Bulma right now how long it'll take her to get the spaceship ready."

"Phew, can I stand it with you two bullies?" Grinning, Kera looked from Vegeta to Kakarrot and back again.

Playfully, Vegeta nudged her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Kera grabbed the back of both their necks and pulled them towards her. She pressed a kiss to both of their cheeks and hugged them. "Just that I'm looking forward to training with you. I'm excited to see what other boundaries we'll cross." After a pause, she added, "I'd like to skip the Super Saiyan 3, though."

Vegeta began to laugh. Kakarrot joined in.

Piccolo:

Piccolo was chatting with Gohan, who was reporting from school, when a sentence from Chi-Chi, who was standing nearby, caught his attention.

"What are our men up to with her sister again?"

"It's probably about training," Bulma replied.

Piccolo looked in Kera's direction. She was crouching under a tree on the other side of the garden, with one arm around each of Vegeta and Goku. They were laughing together. Piccolo couldn't remember ever hearing Vegeta laugh. He had really changed a lot since he had first come to Earth.

He continued to chat with one or the other until evening, when they finally all came together at dusk and summoned the Dragon together.

Goku expressed the wish that Buu and his deeds should be removed from the memories of the people. The Dragon granted the wish and disappeared.

Overjoyed, Hercule said goodbye to everyone, to, as he said, share the good news with his little Buu. Videl went with him, not without saying goodbye to Gohan with a long hug.

Kera and he also departed. The children were going to spend the night with Trunks. Gine also stayed with Bulma and Vegeta.

"What have you guys cooked up again?" Piccolo looked questioningly at his companion from the side as the landscape rushed by below them.

"Vegeta, Kakarrot and I are planning to leave for space to search for our brother."

Piccolo stopped in mid-air. "You have another brother? You never told me about that."

Kera hovered at eye level with Piccolo. "I'd honestly forgotten about him. Repressed. And to us, he was always 'Vegeta's little brother'. He was sent to another planet at an early age because he was considered weak. We never saw him again and I always thought he was dead until I remembered there was no proof of that because he wasn't on the planet then when Frieza destroyed it."

"And that's why you want to leave for space?"

Kera nodded.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Piccolo flew on, not waiting any longer for Kera. He felt anger building behind him. She quickly caught up with him again.

"And why wouldn't that be a good idea?"

"Last time you were in space together, it didn't go very well either, did it?"

Piccolo knew immediately that this sentence had been wrong.

Kera growled. "You know very well that we had no control over that."

For a moment Piccolo saw tears flash in Kera's, then she was past him and racing towards the forest. He swallowed.

He hadn't meant to make her angry. It was just that he was still so disturbed about this himself, even though many months had passed. What would happen if this story were to repeat itself? Or something else were to happen in space? Kera would be so far away from him that he could do nothing. The fight against Buu had only been six months ago and it had been so close. He had almost lost her in the process.

At her house, he finally caught up with her. Her shoulders tense, she stood with her back to him and seemed to be waiting for something.

"Kera, I'm sorry," he whispered.

Immediately she turned to face him, her shoulders slumped.

"I know you didn't mean it. I just want to ..." She broke off, pulling her shoulders up helplessly.

Piccolo took a step towards her. "You want to bring your people together, if there are any left."

"Yes, that's my job, isn't it?"

A little owl called from the forest as they looked at each other. Piccolo felt inside himself and sensed the presence of Kami, who could well relate to Kera's feelings. As God of the Earth, he had been concerned about all people. It had been his job to keep everyone safe and if he could not, he had suffered with the people.

Slowly Piccolo lowered himself to the ground and crossed his legs. He patted the slightly damp grass beside him. Hesitantly, Kera sat down beside him and drew her legs close. She looked vulnerable and he knew she didn't like to act that way.

"What are you thinking about?"

"That I'm not a very good princess if I don't even think about my brother."

"You've been through a lot. First you lost your memory, then the fight against Frieza, Cell, now Buu. You've been busy saving the Universe. Saiyans are strong, and I'm sure the ones that have survived have done well."

The corners of Kera's mouth twitched upwards briefly. "Maybe you're right."

"Please don't worry so much. You can't change the past. Maybe you'll get lucky and still find Saiyans in the Universe. Or at least some clues."

Kera nodded hesitantly. "We have to try."

'Just come back to me, please.' He brushed her thoughts with those whispered words.

Her gaze drifted to his face. 'Always. You are my true home.'

Gently, he brushed away a tear that slowly rolled down her cheek. She closed the distance between them and locked his lips with hers. He closed his eyes and gave himself completely to the feeling. His heartbeat quickened and he pulled her tighter into his arms. He was sure she would return to him as soon as she could.