Author's Notes: Sorry guys! Real life got in the way, and then I got distracted by Homestuck, which is ridiculously long… it's almost on par with DBZ. Also this part gave me problems, so it got re-written a few times.

Chapter 11

… The more they stay the same

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He was in pain.

Dende could tell, though the older, foreboding Namekian did his best not to show it. He could see it, in the hunch of his shoulders, the way his face often wore a strained frown. In his head, when he allowed him to help.

He tried to help as much as he could, when Piccolo would let him, building the mental wall he kept up nearly permanently. Just the sheer effort was hurting him; perhaps even killing him… it would bring him to the point of quivering fatigue, so much so that when he stood he needed to press his hand to the wall to support himself. His only relief was when she slept, he'd meditate deeply - and Dende was unsure if even he'd be able to rouse him - only to start up again when she awoke.

Once he actually stumbled after a particularly long day and Dende rushed to his side, his hands glowing even though he knew that his healing powers didn't do much if the person he was healing wasn't injured. The slight energy did seem to bolster him somewhat and Piccolo steadied, and then placed his hand on Dende's shoulder, pushing him away gently. "I'm okay," he said.

Dende really didn't think that he was.

.

It got worse. One night he heard Piccolo make a rumbling groaning sound from the other room. He went to the other Namek, intent to help if he could. When he got there he saw Piccolo's brow was furrowed in deep concentration, his breathing off, like he was exerting energy physically. He reached out and placed his hand on Piccolo's cheek. What he didn't expect was for Piccolo to grab him suddenly and peer up at him, desperation and something else shining in his eyes. In his unfocused eyes… and it was then that Dende realized he wasn't all there.

He didn't expect what happened next. Piccolo let out a throaty groan that didn't sound like him at all and he leaned forwards. He opened his mouth and embedded his fangs into Dende's shoulder as he clung to the smaller Namekian. The pain was unexpected and Dende gasped, stiffening in his arms.

Piccolo reacted right away, yanking away from him, leaning back against the wall. "I'm sorry, Dende, I…" he panted, still unfocused, trying desperately to regain control of himself. He suddenly let out a low groan and jerked, and Dende reached out again, dropping his staff as he caught him with both hands. He felt a twinge from his shoulder but he ignored it, his accelerated Namekian healing was already closing the wounds.

"Piccolo," he said softly, urgently. The older Namekian shook his head, then just as soon as it had come it passed, and Piccolo slumped back against the wall… limp but still panting.

"I… didn't mean…" he muttered.

"Here, let me," Dende said and he barely got a nod from Piccolo when he had a hand against his forehead, supplying the mental stability he needed to throw the block back up. The tension left the older Namekian immediately and his eyes slid half closed in exhaustion.

"What was it?" Dende asked as he drew his hand away. "Is Gohan okay?" if Piccolo was acting like that, there was a possibility that Gohan had been attacked.

Piccolo looked up at him and for the first time in a while Dende saw slight amusement on his face. "More than okay," he said finally, and a faint purple blush covered his cheeks. He looked away.

Dende raised both eye ridges. He couldn't see Gohan's side of the link from Piccolo's head but whatever he had been doing… and, oh.

Really? He gave Piccolo a curious look but the other Namekian still wouldn't look at him. Dende sighed. "If you need any more help…"

"I'll be fine, Dende," was the dismissive reply.

.

What Dende didn't expect was for Gohan to actually come to the Lookout three days later. She landed and straightened, her eyes meeting his. Dende was actually taken aback by the hard look in those eyes. "Hello, Dende," she greeted, her words clipped. "I'm here to talk to Piccolo."

She was angry, and he didn't have to be a god to figure that one out. "He's inside," he said after a moment of hesitation. Gohan made to march into the building and Dende actually felt a dart of fear hit him, and not for himself. Piccolo was weakened right now, and cared for her deeply. If she attacked him... "Gohan…" he called out.

Gohan stopped, her back rigid, though she did turn her head slightly to show that she was listening.

"He was only trying to help," Dende said finally.

Gohan nodded once, sharply, and continued to walk away.

.

"We need to talk," she said. She stood by the door of the room, hands clenched into fists by her sides. The expression on her face told her what he already knew from her mind, she was angry - furious actually. The aftermath of her discussion with Vegeta had stewed for two days. He had… hoped she would have dropped it. Instead the feelings of hurt, anger and betrayal had intensified to the point where there was a howling void in his mind, pummeling his senses, leaving him under constant attack. And now that she was here…

Piccolo winched and tried his best not to show it. He nodded and got to his feet slowly, doing his best to remain steady as he did so, and stand tall. "I sent you away for a reason," he said quietly.

"I did everything I was supposed to," she replied, her voice low. "I have a place to live, and people who will help me take care of the baby. What more do you want from me?"

He was silent. Briefly he shut his eyes, then opened them again. It was becoming increasingly difficult to concentrate and block her out.

"The only thing I'm missing is my best friend," she snapped, taking a step forward.

He looked up at her then, his brow knit. He took a step back despite himself. "Gohan…" he rumbled. He paused and shook his head. "You should go," he said, turning away.

"I'm not going anywhere until I get some sort of explanation," her fury spiked and he was suddenly and very acutely aware that she could lose control of herself. She was powering up as she strode into the room towards him, anger on her face matching the emotions in his head. He hunched in on himself, preparing for an attack. "Do you have ANY idea how much it hurts that you…"

And then she stopped cold, a few feet away from him, and the power building around her left as quickly as it had come. Her eyes widened.

He was shaking. It was barely noticeable… from a distance she wouldn't have seen it. For a long moment she stared, and then she stepped towards him, grabbing his arm.

He jerked away from her, a reflective action, which caused him to stumble, actually stumble and she caught his arm again, steadying him. "You're…" her brow furrowed. Deep concern hit her. "Piccolo, what's wrong?" she said, alarmed.

He resisted silently for a moment, scowling at her. "I'm fine…"

"You are not fine," she retorted. And she could tell that he wasn't, the weariness was evident physically, even if she couldn't see into his mind. What the hell happened here? What was he hiding? "Drop the block," she said, and her voice held no room for argument.

He glared and she glared back, jaw set stubbornly. /Let me in,/ she said mentally, pushing against the wall in her mind. She could practically feel it crack, his concentration wavering. She stopped when she saw him wince and her eyes widened again. "It's hurting you?" she demanded to know.

He was silent, but the guilt in his eyes told her everything she needed to know. Her grip on his arm tightened. "Piccolo, drop the block, please."

He drew in a deep breath, then looked away.

The block dropped.

She could see everything.

"Oh my god," Gohan breathed, stunned as exhaustion that wasn't her own overwhelmed her. "Piccolo…" She came around to his front and took his arms in her hands, and then reached up, hugging him fiercely, her eyes tightly shut. He let her, too tired to do anything but really, slumping against a wall.

Her hand found his shoulder, her hand knotting into the fabric of his cape. "You were in pain," she said in a low voice as she shifted through his memories of the last three weeks. "God, Piccolo," she exclaimed. "Why would you DO that to yourself?"

"You know why," he replied, his voice sounding just as tired as he felt.

She sucked a deep breath through her teeth. She pulled away so she could look him in the eyes. "Don't EVER do that again," she said, and just a bit of the anger she had felt before welled up again. He felt alarm and she felt it to, which made her anger leave just as quickly as it came. He realized dully that they were on a feedback loop… they would remain on one until he put the block up again.

She sighed, deeply, and pulled away from him only to reposition them both so her head rested on his shoulder. "If you knew I was coming and you knew I was angry, why didn't you just drop the block before I arrived?" she asked quietly. "If I knew half of what I know now…"

He was silent. She turned her head to the side, then pulled back. She studied him for a moment, then leaned up and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I love you," she said.

He wouldn't look at her. "That might change," he replied quietly.

"No, actually, it won't," she said, set her jaw. "Piccolo, you're my best friend. I've loved you since I was four. That isn't just going to change any, no matter what my body looks like on the outside."

He shifted then turned his head to look at her. She was surprised at the deep, intense sorrow in his eyes and radiating from the link. "What…?" she began.

He reached up and threaded his claws through her short hair and she could feel the faint tremble in his hand. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice low and gruff. "For hurting you again."

"It's okay," she replied. Her shoulders slumped with relief. For some reason hearing him apologize made her feel better. A lot better. "I'm okay." She reached up and removed the hand from her head, holding it in her own much smaller hands. It was shaking, just the smallest bit, but he was trying to keep it as still as he could, letting her hold it. She looked up at him. His eyes were half lidded. She brought her hand up to touch the side of his face as he looked back at her. When he blinked it was slow. "You're not okay, though," she said with concern.

"I'm fine," he replied in an affronted rumble.

He was lying again. She could feel his consciousness graying out along the edges of her mind. She was really worried for a half a second, but when he felt no concern himself she realized what it was. He was passing out. Not because he was injured, but because he was so exhausted he couldn't stay conscious any longer.

"Where do you sleep?" she asked. She got to her feet and brought him with her. The amount of weight he placed on her shoulder was telling.

"I don't sleep," he replied, and she knew that was true, he meditated and possibly napped, cross-legged while hovering in the air or sitting on the ground. Somehow she didn't think that'd be enough this time.

"Come on," she said, and she dragged him out of the room. She was hopeful as she made for the room where he had put her on the night he had taken her out of the Time Chamber. Sure enough, the mattress was still there, in fact it had been upgraded to a large double bed in her absence. She raised an eyebrow at it.

"Mr. Popo," Piccolo elaborated, reading her thoughts. "For guests."

She nodded. "For you tonight," she corrected, pushing him into it.

"Gohan, I really don't need…" he began and she shook her head, climbing into the bed with him.

"Try," she replied, curling up against his side. "Or close your eyes and meditate on your back. Whatever," she said.

He sighed and shut his eyes. Not unexpectedly within thirty seconds the link had grayed out the rest of the way. He was deeply asleep.

She sighed herself, with relief, and set about tucking him in… tugging off his turban and then the heavy shoulder pads. Thankfully she had her strength back, she thought, as she had to bodily move him around to remove the cape. Being as large as he was, he weighed quite a lot. She found it telling that he didn't even twitch as removed his outer layers. Once he was down to his normal gi and lying peacefully on his back she sighed and laid next to him.

Dende came to the doorway a short time later, looking awkward as he stood there, shifting uncomfortably. Gohan smiled at her old friend. "He's okay," she said, then considered and amended. "Well, he's alive at least. I think he's just sleeping. You can check him if you want."

Dende flashed a grateful smile and came over. The small god placed his hand against the older Namekian's forehead, his hand glowing briefly before he pulled it away again. He looked relieved. "His mind and body are repairing," he said, glancing up at Gohan. Gohan winced.

"I wish one of you had told me he was torturing himself," she grumbled. "I would have come a lot sooner."

Dende gave her a sad smile. "He wouldn't have let me," he said.

Gohan nodded and sighed again, frustrated. "I know, I know," she said. She lay back down, carefully placing her head on his chest.

"Gohan," Dende said, giving her a small smile. She raised her head a bit to look at him. "I'm glad you came," he said.

Gohan smiled at him and nodded. "I'll try to talk some sense into him when he wakes up again," she replied and Dende laughed.

"Good luck," the god said as he turned to leave the room.

Gohan sighed. She inspected the far wall as she listened to the slow steady beat of Piccolo's alien heart.

This was all Vegeta's fault, she thought as her eyes closed. If he hadn't yelled at her, or worse yet, threatened to go to Piccolo himself she probably would have allowed this to continue. She shuddered to think of what would have happened. If Piccolo was in this bad of shape after three weeks, how would he have been after eight months? Would he have died? The thought of not having him around at all terrified her and left her with a suffocating feeling of loss.

.

He woke up by degrees, becoming consciously aware of the fact that he was on his back, which was very odd, unless he had been attacked and knocked out. The way he felt - every part of him ached - that was a distinct possibility.

There was also a weight on his chest. He frowned and, without opening his eyes, brought his hand up. It hit hair.

His eyes flew open.

Oh.

She was lying across his chest, half on top of him, arm wrapped about her torso. She was waking up as well, he could feel her as she swam into consciousness. Automatically he threw up a mental wall.

She tightened her hold on him. "No block," she muttered sleepily and nestled closer, burrowing into his chest.

He froze at the sound of her voice. For a panicked moment he didn't know what to do, before common sense kicked in and he realized he'd better do as she said. Everything was for naught anyway. She had come back and changed everything in very short order.

He sighed and dropped the block completely, closing his eyes against the swell of emotions from her. /Gohan,/ he greeted her in her head.

A flood of contented happiness hit him in response. It made him feel guilty, which he forced back. He still believed he had done this to her, though she very much believed she was acting completely independently of any influence…

Her eyes opened. "I think you're dwelling too much on it," she said. She raised her head and solemn black eyes met his. "I appreciate that you're trying to look out for me," she said. "But I can think for myself now. Stop torturing yourself because you think it'll be best for me."

His brow knit.

"I know," she cut him off before he could speak. "It's hard for you," she added.

"I never meant…"

"I know," she repeated. She scooted up until she was lying beside him, her face beside his. She reached out, stroking the side of his face with her hand before leaning forwards and pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek. She then rested her chin against his shoulder. Contentment continued to thrum through the bond - contentment and a little bit of worry.

"I want my friend back," she said after a while, her voice very quiet.

His face didn't show anything but mentally he flinched. She half hugged him then, putting her arms around him, her mind giving him wordless reassurances.

He brought a hand up and covered her hand with his own.

"Can you keep the block up occasionally without it hurting you?" she asked after some time had passed.

He grunted in the affirmative.

"I won't be offended if you want to be alone," she said. "Just please don't freeze me out completely again."

He looked and felt relieved and she chuckled softly. /Just talk to me,/ she sent. /Every now and then./

/I will,/ he replied and she smiled, brilliantly.

They were both quiet for a long while. He was still thinking, turning everything over in his mind. "I won't live here," she said after a moment, addressing one of the concerns. "My life is anything but normal already, but I can fly here in a half an hour. Who says I can't live on Earth, and go to school and visit you as much as I'd like?" she paused, then continued dryly. "And I'm about to become a parent, so it's not like I'm going to miss out on that part of human existence."

He sighed and nodded. At the same time she could hear his thoughts. He was still worried.

She sat up suddenly, turning somber eyes to him. "I know you sent me back to Earth and cut me off because you thought it would be helpful. I get that. I was broken then, but I'm not any more. You know that as much as I do. I know what I'm getting into, Piccolo."

His eyes narrowed slightly and the discontent feeling grew.

"Is it so hard to believe I want to be with you?" she asked earnestly.

He was silent for a moment. "Gohan I'm not… I can't…" he paused and gathered his thoughts, frowning. "I'm not Saiyan," he said finally. "Or human," he continued.

"I know, the green skin and pointy ears kind of give it away," she said teasingly after a moment, unable to let that one pass.

She felt a flash of exasperation from him. "Gohan…" /It's not just that,/ he thought at her and then he sighed and came out with it. "I can't give you what Vegeta can give you," she was about to protest when his thoughts told her very clearly what Vegeta had already mentioned back a couple weeks before.

Oh.

Ohhhh…

"It's okay," she said soberly. "There are other ways to do things," she said, and thought about the Time Chamber.

He was silent for a moment before he spoke again in a low voice. "… Is it enough?" he asked, and her heart leapt. He wasn't actually turning her down for once. He looked up at her again, giving her a very serious look. "Gohan, if we're going to do this, that's all I can give you."

She peered at him a small smile on her face, and then leaned forwards, reaching up to cup the edge of his jaw in her palm before slowly leaning in to press her lips to his. He stiffened momentarily, then relaxed into it, letting her kiss him. She brushed the side of her thumb against his cheek affectionately before pulling away again. "Does that answer your question?" she asked.

He raised an eyebrow ridge. "No," he replied, sardonically.

Oh, it answered his question fine, she knew, he just thought she was deliberately ignoring the fact that he was ill equipped to be any sort of partner for her, and the faint, underlying fear that he might have messed up her mind somehow, even after cutting her off completely for weeks. She had a feeling that wasn't going to fade any time soon, but she was intent on ignoring it.

She stopped herself from rolling her eyes and instead watched him quietly. He shifted, uncomfortable under her stare, and looked away, then looked back again. She grinned slowly, and leaned forward to capture his mouth with her own again, much more aggressively this time. For a moment he balked again, then gave in completely.

He kissed her back just as hard, mirroring her actions. She held onto him as his hand came up to clasp the back of her head, his tongue twinning against her own. The feeling was back, the fluttering in the pit of her stomach and the feeling below that so far only he and Vegeta had managed to inspire. He felt it too, and she felt his mild surprise. He wrenched away suddenly, leaned back to stare at her as he panted.

"Link," she said, though she didn't need to, he knew where it was from. The connection meant everything she felt he felt too. This… could be more than a little fun. She leaned forwards and nipped at his neck gently before pulling away again and tilted her chin up slightly. His eyes narrowed briefly as he looked at her, then he grasped her arms and leaned forwards to do the exact same thing to her, elongated canines scraping slightly over her bared throat. She shivered and his hands tightened on her arms briefly. He did it again, bit down harder this time and she let out a gasp and jerked against his hold. He let out an answering throaty growl. He moved his head to the side and bit down into the junction where her shoulder met her neck, this time hard enough to draw blood. The pleasure she felt echoing through the link was not her own, but it amplified the sensation, and she clung to him, panting. When he pulled away he licked his lips and gave her a reproachful look. She could see there was blood on them.

"You enjoyed that far more than I would expect," she said as she struggled to catch her breath. She brought her hand up to press to the small wounds. "I suppose the canines have a purpose after all?" It struck her as funny that somehow this was what Namekians found enjoyable. So… what? They were alien vampires?

He looked more confused than anything and raised a hand touch one of his canines with the pad of a finger. "I have no idea," he confessed. He reached out for her neck, concern growing as the pleasure faded. "I can get Dende to heal that…"

"Are you kidding?" Gohan replied, eyes wide. "No way, that was fun. We should definitely do that more often… I heal fast. Half-Saiyan, remember?"

He frowned slightly but didn't push it. She watched as he licked his lips again, then eyed her neck.

"Go ahead," she offered. He hesitated, then leaned forwards, lapping at the blood that still leaked from the wounds. She sighed softly, her head tilted back. He definitely had a thing for that, the low hum of contentment from him was telling. Her mind wandered as he licked and kissed away. Why on earth would Namekians - or even just Piccolo - find biting a turn on? She remembered his own memory when he had bit Dende unintentionally when she had accidently overwhelmed his senses, neither Namekian had thought anything of it at the time. What if it had something to do with reproduction? The neck – oh, his throat, what if…

Piccolo pulled away quickly, hand coming up to grasp his own neck in alarm. "I hope not," he said, his eyes wide.

Gohan laughed at the expression on his face. "If it is you can be the new Guru," she said. "Restart the Namekian race."

The sour look he gave her WAS funny.

"Oh, just give it to Dende to raise," she said. "And it would be cool to have more of you guys running around."

He shook his head quickly. "Absolutely not," he glanced at her stomach. "We already have one child to worry about," he said.

She grinned at him. "But my child won't be Namekian," she pointed out.

He growled at her softly and learned forwards to kiss her savagely. "And now you're changing the subject," she said with a breathless laugh when he pulled away again.

He grasped her shoulders and pushed her down on the bed and kissed her again.

When he pulled away again it was to lie back on the bed. He took her with him, rolling so that she was lying on top of him.

This time he did wrap his arms around her, holding her.

She smiled at that and relaxed by degrees. A hand came up and hesitantly began to pet her hair again and she made a contented sound in the back of her throat and nestled closer. She missed this.

So much.

For now, she thought, this was the place she wanted to be more than anything. Safe and secure in the arms of someone who loved her more than anything else in the known universe. Even if he was really bad at showing it.

.

She gave Vegeta a spontaneous kiss on the cheek once she got back.

"What are you do –" he exploded, then stopped as quickly as he had begun. "… you spoke with the Namekian, didn't you?" he said.

She grinned. "Yup!" she replied cheerfully.

He rolled his eyes. "About damn time," he grumbled.

.