A few hours later, Val was stirring in her sleep. Nail heard her mumble out for her father. It had been a few hours since she started growing and fewer hours since Dende had told Nail about the Earthlings and what little he knew of their planet. He had vague thoughts about it, too soon to put into words if staying on Namek were unfeasible or undesirable for them. Too soon to tell with Frieza out there on the loose. Nail rose up, leaving the door just ajar to cook the food Dende had gathered for her and brew her a cup of hydrangea tea. He cooked more than he would have for himself, seeing from her memories she could eat more than him.
When he re-entered the room, he saw her sitting up. She jumped up when he came in and sank into a fighting stance on instinct. She was trained to fight by her father and then later by her carer. She relaxed when she saw it was just him. He wondered once more if she knew they were wed or was she still in the dark. When would she hate him for trapping her on Namek and with him? Right away or would it take a few months or years? That was if they stayed. He broke the silence between them. "You started to stir. I figured you would wake up soon and be hungry, according to your memories. Dende said you have eaten this before." He saw her gaze on him, but found he could not meet it. He sat the plate and cup down next to her and stepped back, eyes staying down.
Her stomach growled. "Yes, thank you," she said softly. She sat and ate with gusto. She must have been starving after growing so big and so tall and so... beautiful. Her... hair... such a foreign thing to see, was so thick and wavy. It shined in the dim light of the room. He entrapped her, the most beautiful person he had ever met. It was so unfair to her. He should have refused, should have told her before bringing his hands to her shoulders. "What is it?" she asked.
"Nothing," he answered, not wanting to tell her until she finished her meal at least.
"How long was I asleep for?" she asked between the big bites she took.
"Just after six hours. The other two are asleep now," he answered.
She finished the plate of food and drained the tea. She sat the cup down on the plate on the floor and leaned her back against the wall. She put her hand on her stomach, looking content. She brought one hand up to her neck where the necklace with her medicine once was. She pulled herself up straighter and off the wall. She reached a hand back under her collar, frowning a bit. Even when she frowned, she was gorgeous.
"What are you doing?" he asked her curiously.
She huffed, "checking to see if there are any scars."
Nail recalled from her memories how Frieza had whipped her when he recaptured her from Moori's village. Because she had been taken, the Earthlings had been able to rescue Dende. He looked down at her. "Like the ones on your hands and arms?" he asked.
A dark look cast over her face, but it was not for him. One day, maybe much sooner, one would be for him. He was certain of it. She stood up, pulling her cascade of hair over the front of her shoulders. "I have to know," she started. Hesitatingly, she added. "Can you check?" She stepped over to him, hands clasped on the bottom of her shirt.
She was so close to him now, eyes pleading. He nodded, agreeing to check for her, a small mercy that would make her happy before he confessed what he had done to her. She turned around and lifted her shirt up, exposing her whole back to him. He felt a wave of dizziness go through him at the sight of her back alone. He reached out to it to touch her. It was perfect, except for, "just three lined scars, from where you were whipped." He brought his hand down, feeling rude to touch her so boldly before telling her what happened.
She stepped away from him, seething. and yanking her shirt down. She put her hands over her face, hissing, "I hate him."
"From your memories, he was evil," Nail agreed gently.
She rounded on him then unexpectedly. She leaned against him stiffly and then moved even closer. He was unsure what to do or say, looking down at her. Unexpectedly, she brought her hands around his neck, raised herself up, and kissed him all of a sudden. The spark that ignited in his chest caught him off guard. The magic in it, like nothing he had ever felt before. He kissed her back thoughtlessly before realizing he should not have touched her nor let her touch him at all before she knew the truth. He pulled himself away from her, not daring to look at her. He took her dishes with them, leaving her in the room by herself while he bought himself a few more minutes before confessing.
She followed him out unexpectedly, surprising him when she apologized. He faced her, seeing the shame on her face as if she were the deceiver between the two of them. He sent her back to the room, buying himself a few more minutes before he had to tell her the truth. He went into the room and confessed it all to her, with them figuring out she did grow for him at least. The Great Elder must have stopped her from blocking that like she had a few times before when enslaved by Frieza. When he confessed that they were wed before she grew, he expected her to rage at him. Instead she looked undeniably relieved. She was trapped here, wed to him, on a planet nothing like what she was accustomed to and she looked at him like he told her all her dreams had come true. She kissed him again, her hands warmer than they had been before. He felt her tremble with desire as he made love to her, the most desireable, the most angelic person he had ever met.
When they finally stopped, he held her close as she lay her head against his shoulder. One arm was around her back and one hand on the side of her head. He felt on one hand a wave of relief that she had not hated him for deceiving her when they were wed. She should have been told outright what was happening instead of him hoping she figured it out right before it happened. On the other hand, he felt two waves of fear. One was the fear of Frieza. Still out there. He would come for them eventually, come for her eventually. Nail had trained all his life to protect the Great Elder, and now he would need to protect Val and Dende as well. He felt uncertain if he was strong enough for it. Perhaps with Val and the Earthlings help and even Vegeta, murderous though he was, it could be managed. The second wave of fear then was if they both managed to survive and stay together, what then? The Great Elder was barely alive, sleeping almost all the time. When he died, with his death imminent, so did the dragon balls. There would be no way to wish the brothers who had already died back to life.
He felt her kipped, nuzzling against him under the blanket. Her, Dende, and himself would be the last three Namekians left alive on the planet. Almost entirely as bad as when the cataclysm happened. The Earthlings, if by some miracle they all survived as well, they would go back to their planet. He looked down at Val, sleeping almost peacefully in his arms. Earth would be a better place for her. If the Earthlings resurrected their Namekian friends that grew up there... then perhaps Earth would be the best place for the three of them as well to start anew. He closed his eyes, picturing Frieza's maniacal face. That is, if they lived that long.