"Tenshinhan? Earth to Tenshinhan? Do you read me?" Her voice filled my head as I remained asleep. She was trying to get me to wake up obviously. I wasn't moving again at all. She shook my arm in an attempt to wake me up with haste. I did wake up, but I played coy with her. I felt a microscopic smile form. I was hoping she didn't notice.

"Tenshinhan? You're scaring me." Her concern was touching. I hoped I didn't get smacked for this.

Her guard was let down for only a moment. And that was all I needed. I snapped awake and sneaked in a kiss. Her gasp was confirmation enough to know I surprised her.

I smiled at her as I now sat up in the bed. She turned red and covered her face. I heard stifling from behind those feminine fingers and I was no longer smiling. I felt like an idiot. I apologized immediately for what I did.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I was just playing around." I tried to pull her hands away from her face in an attempt to get her to look at me. She resisted some and I let her go.

"Sha-"

Her lips met mine in a counter surprise kiss and I smiled against her. The cunning devil.

"That should teach you to not scare me like that." She said triumphantly.

"All right. You got me." I laughed. My heart was filled to the top with happiness. If everyday was like this, I would die a happy man.

"You had another visitor earlier. He told you to meet him at some Kami house?"

"Who was it?"

"Krillin? I think that was his name. He didn't stay too long."

"I wonder what he wanted. Did he sound in distress? Why meet at the Kame house?"

"He said you'd know. Or you should know."

I was left in the dark. I didn't know what Krillin was so secretive about. And he said I would know? I asked her if I could see her phone.

"It's on charge right now."

I decided to find out what Krillin wanted and threw on a pair of dark blue pants and a plain white V neck t-shirt. She had her laundry drying outside. It still wasn't dry just yet so I lend her a set of my clothes again. What's mine was hers.

I held her close to my chest and took off as fast as lightning to see what Krillin was talking about. I flew close to the ocean water, causing Sharon to laugh. I smiled back at her merriment. I took this like it wasn't such a big deal, but for her, this was the time of her life. I began to see the island with several air cars parked on the beach.

"I feel I should warn you." I called to her over the wind that no doubt made it hard for her to hear. "Master Roshi... he's..." I can't find the right words.

"I am aware. I'll keep that old letch off of me. Thanks to your training." Her confidence was infectious.

"Let me know if he gets to be too much. We can leave."

"Don't you worry about me. Your friends obviously need you for something."

I knocked on the door and it opened to reveal my friends all having some sort of party. They all stopped chatting and greeted me warmly.

"It's Tenshinhan!" They all said in almost unison.

"What's going on? Where's Krillin?" I took this seriously. He seemed like it was important that I got there fast.

He parted his way through the crowd and handed me a beer. Which I never drank. "I'm here, man! We are all here for you! It's your birthday! We all wanted to surprise you!"

Dende, how time did fly. I had no intention of even acknowledging my birthday let alone celebrating it. It was just another day to me. We all had birthdays, and to celebrate them seemed silly to me. But this time, what the heck? I had a reason to be happy.

"Happy birthday, Tien!" Everyone shouted. Only Puar's voice being the distinctive one from the crowd.

"Thank you. You didn't have to do this for me." I was flattered.

"It was your girl who actually arranged this." Master Roshi said from behind Krillin. "She told Chiaotzu to start planning a party for you."

Speaking of which, where was the little guy?

I was absorbed into the party and Sharon followed. I introduced her to everyone she didn't meet. And of course, dirty old Roshi attempted to grope her multiple times. One time he got way too close for comfort. She slapped him nearly through the wall and Roshi had no idea what he was doing wrong. She was definitely a tough one.

Later on, once the sun was resting on the horizon, I made my way outside. The party was getting full swing and I needed some peace and quiet. The ocean spray refreshed me as I felt it speckle my face. The sand was still warm as I sat on it to reflect on what was going on. I was almost in a meditative state and I felt a KI approaching me.

"It's so peaceful here." I heard that familiar voice behind me.

"Yeah." I breathed. "I wanted to watch the sunset tonight. Supposed to be a good one."

Krillin sat next to me and leaned back on his arms. He took a deep breath as well.

"Your girl seems like a good girl. You really found someone." He was still in disbelief.

I smiled at the sunset which now was about a quarter under the blanket of the Earth.

"She's the love of my life, Krillin. I am so happy with her."

"You definitely are. We can see it, man. You're a lot more happier. We can all see it."

My vision filled with Sharon blowing me air kisses as the spray from the ocean came in again.

"I'm going in for another beer. Want one?" He dusted himself off from the sand.

"I'm good, Krillin. Thank you."

"See you inside. Don't stay out here too long. Roshi's been getting his skull pounded in by your girl."

"I'll be in soon." I said with great relaxation covering me.

I heard the whirring of another air car from far out from the ocean. Someone was late to the party. It was going at an incredible speed. I was half lost in the sea to even get a reading on the approaching KI.

I still sat there as the air car powered down. It had to be her. Of all people.

Launch.

"Tien? You dare not invite me to your birthday party?!" She had a whole bunch of ammo this time. And I couldn't move. I was locked up with shock.

"I didn't expect to see you here."

"Of course you didn't! Everyone forgets me!'

Almost everybody poured out of the house and they all gasped with fear. Nobody expected Launch to come.

She revealed she was at Kame house earlier today. Master Roshi must have told her other form that there was going to be a party for me. She did decline the invitation, saying she had things to do. But she must have sneezed. And now here blonde Launch was. Furious than ever.

In our defense, it was her other form that declined the offer, so she couldn't be mad at us. Obviously Master Roshi didn't expect blonde Launch to be able to come either.

"Now calm down, Launch. We didn't think you'd be able to come today." Master Roshi explained.

"When it's anything to do with Tien, I'll be there." She aimed at the old timer and he still got alarmed. Even given his training, she still was scary.

We walked on thin ice with this situation. We tried to offer her something to eat. Anything to get her to put that gun down. But we all knew how trigger happy she was. Shooting at just about anything that moved.

"Launch. Let's go get a drink. You and me." I offered to her. Maybe giving her something she wanted would calm her down. I knew this could end badly if Sharon was within earshot of what I suggested.

"You mean it? Just you and me?" Her eyes uncharacteristically turned sweetly to me. I don't know what it was about me that made her turn to mush. She really did have it bad for me. And I sympathized. If she spent as much time chasing me around the Earth in looking for another guy, she'd forget about me easily.

"Yeah. You and me."

Careful Tenshinhan.

Launch shoulder shoved people out of her way and got more than a few beer bottles for us. She placed what looked like five or six different brands of beers in the sand and cracked the other two open. She practically shoved the beer in my hand and plopped in the sand. I sat next to her and she laid her head on my shoulder. I was being extremely careful now. She was already done with one beer after we toasted to each other and the now dying sunset.

"I missed you, Tien. You don't know how much I care for you."

"That was blatantly obvious how you chase me down." I drank to my other girl who was still inside. Hopefully the others were distracting her for a while.

She kissed my shoulder and moved away from her. That didn't stop her as she moved next to me again.

The stars started to come out after some time had passed. The breeze still whirled around the small island. I wasn't sure how there haven't been hurricanes here. I knew Yamcha, Chiaotzu, and Master Roshi had to battle the massive wave that swarmed over the small hut during the fight with Cell. But that was aftershock from a huge power up.

The party was going on without its main reason. I'm sure by now most of them were drunk and some were passed out. The door opened to a few bodies still able to walk and joined me on the sand. This is not where I wanted to be, but if I moved, I was sure Launch would stop me. I devised a somewhat clever plan.

"I gotta go to the restroom, Launch." I tried to excuse myself but she followed close behind me. Her alcohol tolerance was much better than mine. She didn't even stumble to keep up with me.

I locked eyes with Sharon, who'd surrounded herself by Yamcha, Vegeta, Goku, and Bulma. She stood up immediately and her fists were clenched.

"What's she doing here?!"

The music and the party stopped. I didn't want to make up an excuse to her so I told her like it was. She was upset that I spent my time with Launch rather than her. I pleaded with her, telling her it wasn't like what she thought.

She headed outside and I ran to her. She had nowhere to go. Unfortunately, Launch followed closely behind.

"Will you hold on? It's not how you think. We were just sharing a drink."

"For three hours?!" She spun around and threw her words at me.

"She wasn't here that long. I was outside and she came here just a few minutes ago. I wanted to watch the sunset."

She crunched her face in anger and hurt. I was in trouble. And like Bulma, she was overreacting. I dared not say that to either of them.

"You didn't bother to come get me?" She crossed her arms now.

I had no answer to that one. The sunset was certainly romantic, but there'd be plenty more.

"I'm sorry. I should have asked you. I just wanted some fresh air and you were having fun inside. You have to believe me. I did not want to make you upset." Women certainly made it look like we were always wrong. Somehow.

Launch grabbed onto my arm and tried to use it to keep her balance. What happened was her falling to her knees in the sand. She seemed to be showing the effects of the alcohol now.

"Tien! Don't you forget! I was interested in you first!" She said as she walked on her knees in front of me. She grasped onto me and I had to fight her off me. This clicked over the composure switch and she ran towards me and Launch. Grabbing onto her hair, she pulled Launch off me. I took the opportunity to grab the gun she brought to the island and throw it into the sea. These two were at each other with the intent to hurt one another. I decided I had to be the one to get in between them before they really did hurt themselves. It was dangerous for sure, but I wasn't going to allow this to happen.

"Will you two stop it?!" I growled at both of them. I held Sharon around her waist and I threw Launch over my shoulder once I was successful in getting them to let go.

"This is ridiculous! I won't let her move in on you!" She spat fire at Launch.

"He was mine, you slut!" Launch called over my shoulder.

"Let me go, Tenshinhan!" She grabbed onto my arm and tried to rip herself from my grip.

"No! You two need to settle this like adults!"

They both continued to yell one another again. I had no choice to set Launch down and flew off with a still struggling Sharon. Her verbal assault continued as we both flew off to another island. It looked familiar to me. This one still had the scarring from my Shin-Kikoho against Cell.

"Set me down!" She pounded my back as I landed.

I did set her down on her feet. She was on me as she attacked me physically and verbally. The fight still like lava in her blood. I just stood there, letting her get out her frustration. She'd been at it for a few minutes and she forced herself to stop, allowing herself to breathe.

"Are you done?" I asked as she hunched over. I still could feel her anger. It had subsided for the time being. I had to be careful on my word choice to not set her off again.

"I ask you the same thing!"

I looked at her with my eyebrows lowered in anger. I had been at peace for a long time now but this was not the emotion I was having now. I did not deserve her blame.

"What the fuck do you mean?" I snarled back sat her.

"You can not tell me you don't still have feelings for her! You were out with her making out with that bitch!"

I felt my KI raising in anger. The white aura around me scared her. She stepped back a few feet.

"You have no idea what you are talking about."

She stood her ground. Her fear of my aura melted away.

My ki must have been detected by the others. Krillin had first arrived. He was quickly caught up on what was going on back on the island because he started to defend me.

"Take it easy. Tien is telling the truth. I was out there with him for a while."

Next to arrive was Vegeta, who thought there was a fight. He didn't say anything. The overpowered warrior left as soon as he saw three simple humans trying to untangle a story.

She turned away from both of us and sat on a nearby rock.

"Good luck buddy. I did all I could."

I nodded my thanks and I approached her like I was heading into a battle. I heard him take off as I walked near her. She spun around so fast that she caught me off guard, but I didn't show it.

"You have a lot of talking to do!"

I crossed my arms. Not knowing what else to say. I took another deep breath to try to get the anger between us to diminish.

"All right. What do you want me to say? I am a dirt bag? I don't think of your feelings? I don't treat you right?" I could not take that all back.

She did open her mouth. But closed it with nothing to say back, feeling small as she stood before me. Her lips quivered a little.

"I don't want you to leave me. That woman wants you still and I fear you'll go to her."

"I would not do that. You know that. I told you and only you that I love you. And nobody says that to just anybody if they didn't care for that person." She and I remained silent. A few creatures making their night calls surrounded us. "Besides, it took me half my life to finally realize that I could love someone. Do you even think I would give that up?"

"So, she means nothing to you?"

"She's only a friend. I can't help how she feels about me. That may never go away, but I'm not chasing her."

She looked at the sand being unable to look at me. Shame came over her. She let her jealousy get the best of her and I was sure alcohol wasn't helping. That's why I never drank. I wasn't sure how much she had, or Launch, but that made things way worse. It distorted reality.

"Come on, let's go home. I don't want to go back to the party."

"But there was a cake for you." She mumbled.

I was able to understand her though. I smiled and pulled her into my embrace. "I don't want that. I want you."

Her tears almost poured out onto my shirt. I didn't want her to cry, but a few minutes later, she did. Her sorrow being an apology to me. All I did was take us back home and from there, I helped her into the shower where we both cleaned up. Still not saying anything, we both crawled into the bed and just let the day fade away.