The morning before the wishes were to be made, Val sat in the Capsule Corps medical research division with Hull, Freight, Loader, a few other Namekians, and even Vegeta. The medical researchers took blood samples from the others, even Vegeta agreed to it since he had been hovering around her all morning, but there was trouble taking a sample from her.
The newest medic, one with vibrant red hair, and even more vibrant red lipstick, sat across from her, examining her inner forearm, a slight frown on her face. "Maybe this vein," the medic started, running her fingers over Val's flesh. "Mmmm, but you'll be a hard stick. Your skin is thick," she finished. The medic frowned, muttering to herself in frustration. "Have to get at least one sample..." she groaned.
Val nodded. "Just keep trying. The doctor did say my blood in particular could hold the key to some infertility problems for some people on this planet," she advised.
The medic hummed once more to herself, picking up a needle and trying to slide it under Val's skin. With some force it worked, making Val clench her jaw as she watched the medic digging the needle around, trying to get into the vein. Medic shook her head, and slid the needle out. "I'm the best here, and I don't think I can get it," she sighed, stomping one of her feet in frustration. She looked around the room, surveying the others around them.
Val looked at her and then looked at her bracelets. "Wait," she said, longing to help the Earth one last way before she left. She slipped her bracelets off and took the medic's hand in her two hands. She thought over how to phrase the blessing before she said. She pulled for the heat, feeling her hand warm up.
She opened her mouth to speak, but Vegeta cut in, standing next her. "What do you think you're doing?"
She let the medic's hand go and looked up at him. "I've been training. It won't harm her," she told him. "Don't distract me, please. Just in case." She could feel the eyes of everyone else in the room on her. She took the medic's hand back in hers, giving her a questioning look. The medic nodded at her, glancing back down at entwined hands. "You can figure out how to get a needle into me to get a blood sample within the next few minutes," she said, feeling a pull from the heat leave her hands and into the medic's hands.
The medic seized her by the hand, running her hands roughly over the back of Val's hand. She seized up a fresh needle, sliding it more painfully into the back of Val's hand so hard she felt the needle bend, but not break. Val held her breath and grinding her jaw shut as the needle was shoved around her hand. She also felt the pull on her energy until finally the medic found a vein and broke into it. Val unclenched her jaw and sighed in relief as the crimson red blood flowed from her hand and into the vial.
"Yes," the medic cheered softly to herself, eyes trained unblinkingly on Val's hand.
"Take as much as you can," Val advised, swallowing. She licked her lips, feeling unexpected thirsty. She made a mental note to go get a glass of water, not the fortified kind the Dragon Clan had, but plain Earth water. The fortified water had an odd taste that she had yet to get used to. She wondered as she watched the medic reach for another vial if she would ever get used to the fortified water when they arrived on New Namek.
When the medic finished filling five of the vials she had on hand, she pulled the needle out and inspected the tip carefully. She covered the wound with a bandage. "Good, it is not broken," she admitted in relief. The medic gathered up the vials and stepped away.
"You shouldn't have done that, Sister," Freight commented disapprovingly.
She looked back at him shaking her head. "We agreed to leave them blood samples so they can do research. Your blood could help with healing factors. Mine with infertility," she explained.
"Your main motive was partly selfish," Freight pointed out.
She shook her head and rose up, feeling just slightly light headed. "They needed my blood. It was not selfish and the blessing will not harm the woman."
"It could have harmed you if the needle broke while inside of you," Vegeta added, taking Freight's side.
"Well, it didn't," she said, slipping her bracelets back on. "I can't be afraid to use this gift and I'll only be able to bless her once anyway. She was unharmed, and as was I." She nodded her head towards the door. "We should get going anyway." She lead the way out of the room, hearing the other Namekians and Vegeta follow her out.
They reached the lawn outside, where the others were milling around. Bulma saw her and handed her her packed bag that she planned to take with her to New Namek. She took the bag, feeling her hands tremble as she did so. She swallowed, still feeling a little thirsty, but she tried to ignore it.
Val felt herself standing there, fidgeting nervously with her new necklace beside Bulma, and right behind Moori as he made the first two wishes to bring back two of the friends of the others, Tien and Chaozu. While the first two wishes were happening, Val felt her breathing speed up, hands growing hot. She looked around at the others in the area, seeing Piccolo there near Gohan. She felt her stomach clench tight and she looked away. She felt a twinge of jealousy seeing the others around the area. They all seemed to have someone they were connected to and were close to. Val felt a strong connection between both those from the Earthling group as well as the Namekian group. Her eyes roamed over everyone in sight, lingering on Bulma, Yamcha, Gohan, Krillin, and Piccolo, again. For better or worse, she felt connected to them, a kinship. She looked over the Namekians, feeling the connection with Moori, Cargo, Dende, Freight, Hull, and Loader. She felt an slightly stronger connection with all of them.
Then her eyes landed on Vegeta, out there with them this time, but standing away from all the others. She felt her stomach drop. She looked quickly over the others around them, trying to think of who was connected with him, truly connected with him, besides herself. She considered Bulma briefly, but realized that Bulma was connected with everyone. She had no idea what it was like to basically be a slave under Frieza for years on end, what it was like to be one of the last of a race. Val looked back over at him, shifting her feet uncomfortably. If he noticed, he did not look her way.
She looked away from him and down at her feet, hand clenched tightly around her new necklace, worried if she gripped it too hard it would crack. The two wishes were finished, with Val hearing the others cheering and greeting the two revived fighters she did not know. She heard Moori talking, thinking all she had to do was keep her mouth shut and she could go.
"Wait!" she blurted out, setting her bag down abruptly.
Moori stopped talking abruptly, and turned around to look up at her. The massive dragon prompted him to finish the third and final wish, but Moori ignored it, looking up at her. Her face felt hot and flushed, embarrassed and uncomfortable even with her own outburst.
"Val?" he said so softly. She screwed up her face and shook her head. She felt someone take her by the hand. She blinked quickly to clear her blurred vision, seeing it was Moori. "The dragon can wait. Let's talk privately," he ruled, leading her away from the others.
He dropped the hold on her hand once she was following him, feeling the pressing weight of all the eyes watching them, even as they went behind the closest building. Once they were out of sight of the others, Val leaned her back against the building. She slid down to sit on the ground, hands up at her face as she started crying freely.
"You want to stay?" he asked, kneeling down next to her.
She shook her head no.
"You don't want to go?" he asked.
She shook her head again.
He hummed next to her. "Speak freely, Sister. What do you want?" he asked.
She opened her eyes, wiping at them. She trained her gaze to the ground, noticing how dark the green grass was in front of her. She wrapped her arms around herself. "I can't leave him..." she confessed. "He has no one else..."
Moori hummed tiredly beside her, nodding. "You've decided to stay then? For him?"
She nodded, bringing her hand to her forehead.
Moori sighed in relief. "If you think you should stay, you should stay," he told. "For whatever reason."
"He said he would help me get to New Namek if you guys were ever in trouble," she shared, looking up at him.
"You swear it?" he asked, sounding suddenly serious.
She looked at him, nodding. "Yes," she swore, feeling her throat constrict.
He gave her a stern look, adding, "do you swear to protect this planet and its inhabitants so long as you live here?"
"Yes," she swore, voice cracking.
He took a steeling breath. "You swear to take care of yourself, and him as well?"
"Yes," she choked out. She felt herself shake and heave a sob. She managed to quell it. "Yes," she said, more resolutely. She stood up, taking the necklace in hand, gently this time. "You should go, make the wish."
"The brothers will want a chance to say to say their own good bye," he informed her as he stood up next to her.
She swallowed thickly at the idea, but nodded. She walked after him back over to the others, eyes trained low to avoid the oppressive gaze of everyone in the area. She could tell out of the corner of her eye they had stopped by where the rest of the Namekians stood.
"Val has decided to remain on Earth with the rest of the Demon Clan," Moori announced. "Come and say your good byes."
She closed her eyes at the announcement and the cacophony of talking and questions and outbursts in reaction to her decision. She felt herself starting to tear up again. It seemed like everyone came around her in a rush, especially Freight, Hull, and Loader. She felt like she could not talk, but she could hug them. She remember kneeling down to hug Dende and Cargo, with the later crying as well. Others came around, too, including the elder who had tried to protect in the village once when she was hiding there.
She stepped up over to Moori to say good bye, seeing him standing over by Piccolo, speaking quietly. "Take care of her," Moori requested. He turned, looking over at her. "Val," he said, nodding up at her. She hugged, feeling worn out by her emotions. "Remember what you promised me," he said when they pulled apart.
"Yes, Great Elder," she responded.
She stayed standing next to Piccolo, watching as Moori went back over to the dragon, and made the third and final wish. Val could not understand the words, but felt like part of her heart was ripped out when she saw all the Namekians but her and Piccolo disappear. She felt her eyes well up once more, much to annoyance. She felt a sob wretch through her, almost wishing she had gone with them after all.
She heard a soft female voice come next to her. "Hey, come here, come on," the voice said, pulling her closer to her. "It's alright, you can let it out," the voice soothed. She leaned against her, feeling a flame of emotion go through her.
"Hey, Yamcha, who is that? The woman with Bulma," an unfamiliar male voice asked, sounding almost uncomfortable.
Val felt herself shrink back at the sound of the voice. "That's Val, Tien," she heard Yamcha answered. "She was adopted by the Namekians and was going to go with them, but I guess she's staying...?"
Val pulled herself away from Bulma, standing upright in her own right. She wiped at her eyes and straightened her back. "Yes, I'm staying," she said as loudly and clearly as she could manage, looking over at the two men who had been talking.