Goku blinked and tried to focus on the clock on the wall. No matter how hard he tried, it didn't work. For that matter, nothing else was quite in focus either. And it had started with the arrival of the other Z Senshi.

An indeterminate amount of time ago

"Hey, you guys! Come on in!" Goku's welcoming smile was warm and open. He held the door at a wide angle, bestowing his invitation on the varied group outside.

Piccolo almost smiled. Almost. "Goku." He nodded.

"Hey, Goku!" Yamcha grinned back affably.

"Is there a point to this, Kakkarot? You called me away from my training." Vegeta's glare could have taken the paint off the walls.

"You haven't changed a bit, Vegeta." The smile never left Goku's face. "I just thought it'd be nice for us to all get together. All the Z warriors."

"Tien's missing," Yamcha pointed out ingenuously. "And Gohan and Trunks and Goten."

"Well, Chi-chi took Gohan and Goten to Satan City. Something about a museum." Goku shrugged. "They won't be back until tomorrow."

"They drove!" Krillin shook his head. "If they would have flown, it would have taken a lot less time." He pushed the door shut behind Vegeta.

Yamcha held up a case. "I brought drinks for everyone."

That had been - two hours, maybe? - ago. Before Krillin had discovered - and kept secret - the high proof of Yamcha's contribution. The short, formerly bald man had refused to explain to Goku exactly what this business of "proof" was. He'd just handed the confused Saiyan another glass and suggested they all play poker. He dealt.

Yamcha grinned unsteadily at his hand and dropped two more chips on the pile. "I see your, um... I raise you..." He frowned and squinted. "To that." He waved a hand in the general direction of the center of the table.

Piccolo stared silently at his hand before placing it very carefully face down on the table. "Fold." Except he missed the table entirely, and the cards went fluttering to the floor. This brought on a quickly choked-off laugh from Krillin as the Namek started trying to pick them up. "Ah, Goku? It's your turn."

Goku left off trying to make sense of the clock and took up the task of deciphering his cards. It wasn't any easier of an endeavor. "I, uh..." He squinted. The cards were moving. No, the entire room was moving. And glowing. There were strange shapes floating around, weaving in and out of the doors and walls. However, none of had any definable ki, so Goku felt fairly justified in assuming that they were not really there.

"Kakkarot." Vegeta sounded slightly unsteady. "There is a pink rabbit in your hair."

Goku shook his head. "No, there isn't."

Piccolo, having retrieved most of the cards, stood up, moving with the exaggerated care of someone who is completely intoxicated, know it, and does not want anyone else to know it. Unfortunately, the shoulder of his weighted cape knocked the table and the other poker players over.

"Now look what you've done, Namek!" Vegeta's glare was almost a repeat of his earlier expression. It would have been more threatening if he had been able to keep his gaze focussed. Instead, it kept wandering to some point over Piccolo's left shoulder. "You've ruined the game!"

Piccolo blinked once. "Sorry." That said, he sank gracefully to the floor in a cross-legged position and folded his arms across his chest.

"Piccolo?" Goku crawled out from underneath the overturned table. "'R you okay?" Something was definitely wrong with his friend's ki. The sparkle of the air made it very difficult to sense the energy, though.

The Namek, as it turned out, was sound asleep.

"Well, so much for that," Vegeta sneered. "Kakkarot, are you going to get that damned pink rabbit out of your hair or not?"

"Hey!" Yamcha jumped in front of Vegeta. "Why don't you just leave him alone, huh? You interfere with everything! And you stole my girlfriend!"

Vegeta swung at Yamcha, but the Earthling's reflexes were just slightly less impaired than the Saiyan's, and the punch went wild. Yamcha launched his own attack, having no effect whatsoever. Vegeta tried again, connecting mainly by accident. The ex-Z Senshi went flying into Krillin.

"Vegeta! Cut it out!" Goku tried to stand up and missed the floor.

"I -" Vegeta's eyes widened. Then he did something completely unexpected. He smiled. "of course, Kakkarot." He reached down to pull Goku to his feet, and somehow ended up on the floor instead. "I would do anything for you. You're the other Saiyan left, you know."

"Awww, Vegeta..." The Saiyan-turned-Earthling grinned.

"'S true. The only one who really understands."

Goku looked over at Vegeta, but his companion was breathing the deep even breaths of sleep. Something told him that he should clean up the mess before Chi-chi came home and found it, but he'd do it in a minute. In just a minute.

Krillin grinned to himself. As quickly and quietly as possible, he righted the fallen table and removed all the signs of the evenings events - except for the Z Senshi themselves - before flying home.

The next morning, Chi-chi walked in the door and stopped dead of shock. There were four bodies on the floor. Yamcha was under the table, Piccolo was seated in the middle of the room, and Vegeta was curled up around Goku against the far wall. Chi-chi's distress turned to rage when she noticed they were all breathing. She turned around, went outside, and smiled brightly at her sons.

"Gohan, I want you to take your little brother fishing. Right now."

"But Mom, Piccolo-san's in there. I can feel his ki!"

"Now, Gohan."

Gohan sweatdropped. "Uh, sure. Come on, Goten, let's see if you can catch a fish bigger than you are."

Satisfied, Chi-chi went back in the house and screamed.

"GOKU!