Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Piccolo and Alaura Saga, Episode Four: Children Of The Dawn ❯ An Unexpected Visit ( Chapter 5 )

"Let me come with you, Master!" Yamcha exclaimed as he watched Roshi packing a bag and humming softly to himself. He walked with an old, bent cane, though Yamcha had seen him fight without it so he had no idea why the old man bothered with it. He'd even gone as far as to ask the old Master about it.

"None of your business!" He'd practically screamed at the poor warrior-in-training, "I don't go asking you about that annoying flying cat that follows you around everywhere, now do I?!"

Hmph! Young people just can't understand what it takes to keep up an image! Master Roshi had thought to himself, Doesn't he know that all old masters walk with canes?! It makes up look…wise and dignified…

The fact that he'd then tripped across a sandal Launch had left out in the sand and landed in a most undignified manner did not help things. Yamcha merely shook his head and Paur, who'd begun to glower as soon as Roshi called him (A/N: Is Paur a He or She?! I can never tell…*sigh* guess it'll be a he in this story, then) annoying, laughed when he saw the old man fall on his butt in the sand.

Yamcha pulled his thoughts back to the present, though he did smile a bit at the memory of that afternoon, and asked again if he could accompany Roshi on his trip. "I really want to see Piccolo's family!" He cried, "Seems kinda strange, doesn't it?"

"Hmm?" Roshi asked, only half-listening, as he shuffled his stack of porno mags for some light reading, "What does?"

"That Piccolo, the most solitary one of us," Yamcha said, grinning like Goku, "Should have a live-in girlfriend and three kids!"

"Yes," Master Roshi said, "And it's about time I've met them all. If you really want to come along, Yamcha, find some way of losing the cat…"

Yamcha groaned but knew that he had no choice. Paur would have to stay home this time, though he hated to break it to the little guy…Oh, well, what must be done must be done. He left to go break the news to the shapechanger…

"Now, were did I stash that…" Roshi spoke to himself, hardly seeming aware that Yamcha had left him, he looked under his bed and exclaimed, "Aha! Here it is!" He pulled out one the saiyan scouters Bulma had tweaked for him a few years ago.

He fixed the band about his ear and looked through the tinted glass. Looking at his own reflection in the mirror he watched the numbers begin to rise until they stopped at a steady three digit number. His own power level.

The scouter thus tested and seemingly working fine, he took it off and stuffed it into his suitcase, he'd need it later, he was sure. After snapping the lid shut, Master Roshi walked out into the living room.

It had been three days since he'd first made his announcement at the breakfast table. Now, dressed for travel in a slightly wrinkled suit and tie, his turtle-shell back hanging on a nail in his closet for once, he looked around at the sea of faces all smiling and wishing him a safe journey.

Chi Chi and Goku were there, along with their younger son Goten, who was of middle school age now, and his little friend, Bulma and Vegeta's son; Trunks, Bulma was there alone. She had said that her husband had said he'd had more important things to do but sent his regards. Roshi knew she was lying about the regards. She was just trying to make Vegeta look better…

They saw him to the airport all waving and yelling expressions for his safe return. He chuckled as he boarded the plane, having groped Bulma's breasts for the thousandth time since he'd known her when she'd hugged him good-bye. Chi Chi was smart enough to stay back and smile a polite goodbye before he turned to walk away.

"Now, let me see…" He said after he'd sat down and buckled in, "This plane should take me to where Gohan and Videl are staying…after that I'll have to take another flight to Piccolo's…"

"Excuse me, sir?" He looked up to see the most beautiful pair of large, round breasts directly eye-level with him. The sight sent him into pervert-mode…well, honestly, did he have any other mode? "Sir?"

Practically drooling, reaching wrinkled old hands, fingers curled into claws towards the bouncing bosom of the flight attendant, he forced himself to sit still while she bounced…eer…talked. "Yes?"

"Would you like some peanuts…?"

"Peanuts?" He asked, absently, then looking right into the young woman's face, asked; "Do you have any melons?"

"M-melons?" She asked, her pretty head tilted in confusion, "I could ask the cook if we have any fruit, sir, would that suffice?"

Roshi shook his head and motioned for her to leave him alone. Pretty thing, but not too bright…hehehe…that's the way I like `em! Melons, indeed!

~*~*~

Gohan and his wife Videl were just sitting down to dinner. She had taken the time, and the extra energy, (being four months pregnant can really sap your strength!), to cook his favorite meal.

After she'd told him that she was pregnant he'd seemed so genuinely happy and surprised, almost awed, as if he couldn't believe that he'd actually contributed in some way to her pregnancy. But, she knew that was silly. After all, he'd helped Piccolo and Alaura...

Her thoughts came to a halt. Whenever she thought about the bright, vivacious young woman Gohan had helped Piccolo and Alaura create, his firstborn daughter to be exact; Neko, her mind always drifted to that night she, Android 18 and Krillin were just arriving back at their place for a drink and maybe watch a movie before she went home to call him, (because he'd been heavily on her mind all night), and had caught him in bed…well, truthfully, in 18 and Krillin's bed, together!

Oh, they had worked things out and had pretty much what used to be known as a whirlwind courtship, Gohan doing everything he could possibly do short of tar and feathering himself and walking naked down first avenune with a sign reading "I'm Sorry, Videl! I Love You! Please Don't Kill Me!" to let her know that he'd made a huge mistake and that she was the only one for him. In the end, she had followed her heart and not her mind, and they had eloped one night.

Soon after, she found out she was pregnant. She hoped this child would make their little family whole and fill the gap that seemed to be building between her and Gohan lately. One of the reasons she'd taken the time and effort to cook his favorite meal was to get him back to his happy, carefree, yet responsible self. His frowns had started to replace his smiles and he touched her less and less these days. She missed that.

The phone rang suddenly in the other room and she started to get up from her chair to answer it. He was quicker. He always had been, but her current condition tended to hinder her movements and make her feel lethargic. She heard the click of the phone as he lifted it from the receiver and ended it's ringing.

"Hello?" She heard his voice from the hallway where the phone was located on a little fancy pedestal she'd found in a thrift store one day and had taken the time to paint it a nice mauve color to match the rest of thier mauve and gray-blue decorated little house.

She listened without really meaning to, as she picked at the food on her plate with her chopsticks, the one-sided conversation.

"Master Roshi?!" Gohan cried, shock in his voice, raising the pitch a bit higher than normal, Videl's food slipped from her chopsticks, "What? You're here?! How can you be here…the airport? Oh, umm…just eating dinner, no biggie…"

Videl's throat tightened at his words and she suddenly lost her appetite, she'd worked so hard on this meal! But, Master Roshi?! In town? Wasn't there a tournament coming up soon? Could he really afford to travel so close to the deadline…?

"What? Yamcha's with you?!" He cried, eyebrows rising into his hairline, "You left Paur at home?!" He laughed, "Poor thing…I bet he doesn't know what to do without Yamcha there! Sure, no problem…be right there!"

He hung up the phone and returned to Videl, who sat with an expectant expression on her pretty face. He didn't waste time. After a few more hurried bites he said though the food in his mouth before he washed it all down with the glass of water she'd provided; "Master Roshi and Yamcha are here. At the airport, I mean. They asked me to come pick them up. They said they have to speak with me…with us, I mean."

"Oh." She said, wondering what was going on, he leaned over and kissed her cheek, "Drive safe…"

"Don't worry, Videl," He said in the doorway as he pulled on his jacket, "It's me your talking to, remember, not my Dad! I'll be back soon….Oh!" He paused before he walked out the opened door, smiling at her much like his father, oddly enough, "The food was great, honey, absolutely wonderful. Love ya!"

She smiled, her cheeks across the bridge of her nose flushing slightly with pleasure. She stood up and began to clear the dishes.

~*~*~

Slipping behind the wheel of the flashy little sports car Krillin and 18 had given him a few years ago, before he'd met Videl, when he'd just began college and had taken up his secret identity to use his saiyan strength and powers to help others without being recognized and bothered in his off-duty hours.

Krillin had thought that his friend could use a girlfriend at the time and he'd said the little red car was a chick magnet, he thought about Videl and how she was the best chick to ever ride shotgun beside him! But now, he thought, with the baby coming, he knew he should trade it in for something a bit more safe and reliable, Not that Videl hadn't been bugging him off and on all through their relationship to get rid of what she called a death-trap on wheels.

He wondered, as he drove, what had brought the Turtle Hermit and his old friend, Yamcha, to town to see them. It couldn't be trouble for the Z gang, he knew, he would have felt something first. Besides, Roshi's voice hadn't sounded exactly troubled…

It hadn't sounded content either, though, he thought as he drove towards the airport. It had started to rain and he reached down to switch on the windshield wipers. It took about forty-five minutes or so to reach the airport. He saw Master Roshi and Yamcha standing in the terminal waving and yelling towards him like mad.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Gohan broke out; "But, why are you here? What's going on?"

They ran the car, none of them minded a little water, but at the same time, if they could avoid it, they preferred not to get rained on. Roshi answered him after his luggage was safely secured in the trunk along with Yamcha's. "I need to speak with you and Videl. Well, mostly with you, Gohan."

"Why? What's up?"

"It concerns…Piccolo and Alaura's twins," Master Roshi said, Gohan and Yamcha both noticed his slight pause before he'd said the namek and his human female companion's name. "But, first, let's get back to your place. I need a shower and a change of clothes and good nap!"

"I need a drink!" Yamcha yawned, "Then a nap…a long one!"

Gohan didn't reply. He couldn't. After hearing Alaura's name and the mention of the children he knew were rightfully his, from his very own seed, yet he could never claim them as his own, a fact that tore at his heart, he'd failed to hear anything else they'd said afterwards. He hadn't gone to see either Alaura or his children.

Though he missed his old mentor, Piccolo, very much, missed the quiet talks they used to have, the useful, simple advice the namek was always so good at giving whenever he had a problem he needed a little help with. He had been afraid to go visit them lest Piccolo's anger had not yet subsided….he had no desire to be offed by one of Piccolo's Special Beam Cannon ki blast attacks!

But, if his kids were in some kind of trouble…regardless of who they call `Dad', they were still his blood, he'd do anything he could keep them safe! Even if that meant risking a run-in with his old teacher!

But, first things first, he thought as he drove in the rain, Roshi dozing in the seat beside him and Yamcha watching the scenery go by, These two looked bushed! I hope Videl saved some of that food…They must be starving after that airplane food…yeck!