A/N: I know, I know! You're wondering if this is ever going to end! o_O I told you it was long!

A/N 2: I am so excited that this crazy story of mine inspired artwork! I cannot draw, paint, or sketch in any fashion. _ I wish I could. However, there are two pictures that were sent to me and I adore them! Check out the bottom of my profile for the links.

Epilogue

Part III: Reunited

Gohan moved into the house by the end of the week and somehow managed to convince Piccolo to stay more often than the once a month he had become accustomed to. Three nights out of the week, sometimes more, Piccolo would stay with Gohan and they would go through the photo albums. They would stay at the waterfall or spar until dark, then come inside to pour over the pictures.

Piccolo's endurance of nostalgia was becoming downright embarrassing.

But Gohan wanted to know every story behind each photo, even if he had already heard it a dozen times before. In a strange way having Gohan so close gave Piccolo purpose again. The death he longed for was pushed to the back of his mind and, as long as he did not dwell on thoughts of Konna for too long, he was reasonably content.

That did not mean he forgot about her. He and Gohan slept very little and the boy took a great liking to meditation as well. Ella had tolerated it at best, but she was more like her mother and prefered to sleep. So during these quiet times of meditation he and Gohan would sit in a secluded space and keep to themselves. Unfortunately, those were the times Piccolo could not keep his mind off her. Her face haunted him, her voice called to him.

He eventually had to stop meditating with Gohan altogether, the mood it put him in afterward could barely be classified as alive.

But time still marched on.

Gohan grew older and reached adulthood, at least as far as Piccolo was concerned. He was twenty-two years old by human years and fully mature. He was certainly big enough, wise enough, and strong enough to be considered a man. He had even attempted to venture out into the world a few times but never seemed enthusiastic about it.

He admitted to Piccolo that Earth didn't seem ready for people like them. The humans that didn't run away or call him a freak were more curious than friendly. It was uncommon to find anyone that desired to be his friend for any length of time. That was what drew Gohan to the prospect of Neo-Namek. He became completely enthralled by the idea of living on a planet that had people like him.

Piccolo helped Gohan gather the dragonballs and make a wish to send them to Neo-Namek. Ella was skeptical but Dende thought the idea an excellent one, he even ventured to say that he wished he could go for visit as well. Unfortunately, Kami cannot leave the Earth and Ella felt too out-of-place with her strange appearance. She and Dende both knew she would be the only female on the planet and definitely the only mixed breed.

Gohan could pass for Namekian much easier than his mother. His tail was the only obvious difference, the slightly paler shade of his skin could easy be overlooked as sickness. When the time came to leave he begged Piccolo to go with him, he had never coped well with being alone. Piccolo agreed to go, believing a visit to his home world would do him good and keep his mind occupied.

Once there, Gohan immediately made friends for the first time in his life, friends near his age and without prejudice. He helped them garden the crops and build their homes, or sparred with the warriors and listened with interest as the Elders spoke of old legends. He found his niche with them and Piccolo was proud for it, but it didn't help with Piccolo's inability to fit in amongst his own people. He stayed to himself and did not mingle with the others, though there was plenty of opportunities to do so.

Only once did anything about Gohan's unique heritage come up, but it only took once.

Another boy named Broben grabbed his tail and asked about it. Luckily, Broben was too young and did not remember the Saiyans from long ago. Gohan laughed it off and said he was born with it. Unfortunately the news spread until the Elders summoned Gohan to a large building and questioned his uniquely Saiyan trait. His answer was an honest one: he was part Saiyan, part Human, and three-fourths Namek.

Guru, who was very old now, looked nearly appalled. All the Elders did. Piccolo braced himself to be shunned or asked to leave, but to his surprise Guru looked over at Piccolo and nodded to him.

"Piccolo, I remember you from the battle with Frieza. You stayed on Earth, did you not?"

Piccolo nodded silently.

"And you say this man is your grandfather, correct?" Guru asked Gohan.

"Yes sir." Gohan answered.

"Piccolo-sama, please explain to us how this boy is your grandson but has so many other bloods in him."

Piccolo felt himself become defensive, though he had no real reason to be. He didn't need their blessing, what he did in life was his own choice. But, he looked at Gohan and saw that the young man wanted so badly to fit in somewhere. He wasn't accepted on Earth, this was his last resort. It wasn't his fault he had come from such strange mixes of blood. He couldn't help it any more than Piccolo could control who his own Sire was.

"You remember Son Goku?" Piccolo asked, knowing that they all remembered and, as far as he knew, respected Goku.

"Yes. Son Goku is a good friend." Guru said.

"He had a daughter named Konna, do you remember her?" He asked again.

Guru nodded again. "I do remember her. She was dead and he asked to wish her back...and you too. I remember that the dragon would not grant that wish."

Piccolo had to give the old man credit. He remembered a lot from over a hundred years ago.

"Yes, it worked out that I was wished back with Earth's dragonballs." He said.

"Am I to understand you and Goku's daughter created offspring?" He asked, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

"Konna was my mate for eighty-six years until she...died." He said lowly. He didn't realize it would be so difficult to mention her name - and then relate it to death.

"We had a daughter." He said as Guru motioned for him to continue. "She is one-fourth human, one fourth Saiyan, and half Namekian. She is Dende's mate and Gohan is their son, that makes him part Saiyan, part Human and three-fourths Namekian."

Guru looked between Gohan and Piccolo several times, rubbing his sagging chin with his fingers. "So, you are also Dende's son?" He asked Gohan.

"Yes sir." He answered.

"Is he still the guardian of Earth?" Guru asked, his voice becoming more eager.

"Yes, and my mother lives at the Temple with him." He said, adding the last part proudly. "They are very happy."

"I'm sure they are." Guru said, smiling and standing to walk toward them. "Well, you are certainly the most interesting blend of species I have ever seen, but you are welcome to stay. You come from very good stock brother, very good stock."

After that there was never a time that Gohan was questioned about his lineage. He stayed for several weeks until Piccolo reminded him that his parents would begin wondering about them. He could tell Gohan did not want to leave and he couldn't blame him, if it weren't for Konna he might have considered living on Neo-Namek back during the time after Frieza. But he had needed to be near her, so he had stayed.

He felt his heart throb at the thought of her. He had to steer his mind away from that, so he concentrated on getting himself back to Earth. Gohan decided to stay on Neo-Namek rather than return to Earth right away. Ella was heartbroken and Dende was more than a little distraught but Piccolo explained to them how content he was to be accepted. He was among family and friends on Neo-Namek and he could easily enough visit with the dragonballs, or they could simply speak with him telepathically.

It was that year when Piccolo was left alone again, sitting in the house that he had built all those years ago, that he made his decision to end his time on Earth. Neo-Namek had not brought him the closure he thought it might, he missed the Earth too much to stay on another planet. Gohan was a man now and was happy in the life he was making with his own kind.

Ella and Dende were still together and living out the remainder of their lives on the Lookout. He didn't even feel like a warrior anymore, there had not been a threat to Earth in so long he couldn't take his training seriously. It was more a habit now than a means of bettering himself. Even in his older age he refused to be lazy and unprepared.

One day, the day of their wedding anniversary, he went to her grave and knelt at it. He touched the name engraved on it and felt that familiar pain hit him forcefully. He had lasted without her so much longer than he ever thought possible. He didn't realize their family would keep him so grounded after she was gone. Now he had nothing keeping him here. No friends. No allies. No needy grandsons.

He couldn't go back to life alone at the cave, at the waterfall or in the desert. Worst of all if he had no one else around he knew exactly who would occupy his thoughts.

Konna.

He breathed out raged, hard breaths and leaned his head against the stone. It was still cold, still hard and unrelenting. It made him want eternal youth with her more than ever. Why had he listened to her back then? He could have made the wish and it would be done, they would be together again and nothing would ever have to change. Their lives could have gone on without hindrance.

He stood and took a few steps back, looking at the gravestone for a moment longer before taking off to the Lookout. When he reached it Ella was reading on the steps of the Temple, leaning against Dende who was meditating beside her. An immovable lump took root in his throat as they're posture reminded him so much of he and Konna. She used to do that as well, read in his lap or against his side while he meditated.

He swallowed hard and walked up toward them.

"Dad." She said, putting the book down. He looked at her with scrutinizing eyes as she approached him. He could tell she was aging, she was getting older and older. Her hair was not as black as it once was, her skin was turning paler.

She still had a while, though. Several decades at least. But Dende was as young as ever, he looked not a day older than when he had helped both Konna and himself get wished back to this world.

"Piccolo, good to have you." Dende said, standing and walking toward him as well.

"Dad, did you already visit?" She asked, and he knew her meaning. It was understood that he wanted to be alone on this day. He was sure she had no idea why he would be coming to see them the one day of the year he refused to see anyone.

"Yes. And I've come to say that I'll be leaving. But I will see you again, someday." He said, hugging her to him briskly and letting go.

"Dad, what do you mean? Where could you possibly be going?" She asked.

"I'm leaving, this time Gohan is not here to hinder my decision." He said, reaching his hand out for Dende to take it.

"I feel like we have done this once before." Dende joked, taking Piccolo's offered hand and shaking it. "Are you feeling well, Piccolo?"

Piccolo shook his head. "I'm miserable. I have been since Konna died. I am going to join her now."

Ella's eyes nearly bugged out of her head. "What? Dad you're not making any sense. She's dead. She died seventeen years ago."

Dende grabbed Ella's hand and intertwined their fingers. Piccolo watched as Dende looked down at Ella in the same way he had always watched Konna. She was irreplaceable, necessary...

But she was temporary. Her time on this Earth was dwindling just as Konna's had. Piccolo recognized the pained look on Dende, he had worn it many times himself. Dende understood, or came close to it.

"Ella...I think what Piccolo means is that he is ready for his time of Earth to be finished." Dende said, stroking her palm with his thumb.

"What? No, that's ridiculous. Dad, you have plenty of reasons to stay here. Why would want to kill yourself?" She looked between Piccolo and Dende several times. "Look at yourself dad, you don't look much older than Dende. You're still so young. You still have so much time."

Piccolo growled from aggravation. "Time is the one thing I do not want more of. I'm done, Ella. I've lived long enough, I'm finished now."

Ella was slowly shaking her head 'no', trying to make Dende let go of her hand so she could go to her father.

"You're just depressed." She argued. "Give it a few days, let your anniversary pass and I'm sure you'll feel differently about all this."

"Goodbye Ella." Piccolo said, reaching out and touching her face with as much tenderness as he ever allowed himself. His daughter and his wife were the only two on the planet he allowed himself to show such affection for.

He turned and took less than a step before she caught his arm and tried turning him around. The strength behind the action was impressive.

"Dad!" She yelled. "Stop this! You're seriously scaring me. Please, talk to me." He heard the emotion in her voice and how it cracked as she reached a higher pitch.

He turned and looked between her and Dende, nodding toward the latter. "He understands. He will go through the same when you are dead."

She whipped her head around to stare up at Dende, who was eying the marble floor severely. He looked over at her and met her eyes after a few moments.

"So what, when I die your just going to give up too?" She asked him sternly.

"No...but, Ella...I – it would be so hard, to know I will live another three or four centuries alone without you..." He reached out and touched her short hair. "Could you do it? If I died and you had hundreds of years left, how would you handle it?"

She shook her head and opened her mouth to speak, no words ever came. She glared daggers at a tree nearby until she eventually huffed in frustration.

"I don't know." She finally said, crossing her arms. "It would be hard...very hard."

There were a few seconds in which the two stared at each other. At first Piccolo wanted to jerk them up by their clothes to snap them out of the trance. But he recognized the consuming looks they were giving each other, he knew they were using their link to share thoughts, feelings or memories. Rather than interrupt he took a step back, closing his eyes tightly against the onslaught of remorse he had.

He had not felt whole since Konna's death broke their link, nothing could ever be made right again while they were apart.

"It's settled then. You understand my decision." Piccolo turned and tried again to leave, but Ella reached him quickly and held fast to his arm, clenching it with all her might.

"No! Wait! This is insane, dad. You can't just decide to die. It doesn't work that way."

Piccolo firmly removed her hand from his arm, putting it at her side and looking down at her like she was a child again. Somehow he managed to cause her to drop her gaze to the floor, just like when she was a mischievous kid trying to stay out of trouble.

"You want to explain to me how death works, then, since you have so much more experince than with it?" He asked sarcastically, growling slightly at her insinuation.

Ella shook her head and closed her eyes. "No, no but...it's suicide. It's wrong. It's not natural."

"I'm not going to commit suicide, Ella." He said, crossing his arms. "I'm going to make a wish on the dragonballs to be sent to Outerworld."

"But that is dying, dad. It's the same thing! It's you leaving forever...just like mom did." Ella broke at the mention of her mother and a few tears leaked down her cheeks. Piccolo did not think he had ever seen her cry before, not since she was an infant.

"Don't be sad, this is what I want." He said to her, her tears working the same magic Konna's always had. Somehow seeing his women cry made him feel the need to sooth them. His voice lost it's gruffness and took on a much more complacent tone.

"But I'll miss you." She said, wiping away more tears. She reached out and wrapped her arms around his chest. "I've never been without you. Now you'll never come back."

He put a single arm around her and squeezed her to him, the closest to a hug she had ever received since childhood.

"Hai, and I will miss you. But I'm tired, Ella. I'm ready to finish this." He patted her back once more before unwrapping her arms from around him. "If I stay here I will outlive you too. I will have to watch you grow old and die, then do the same with Gohan. I refuse to let that happen."

Dende came from behind and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him.

"Do what you feel you must, Piccolo." He said, stroking Ella's hair comfortingly.

Piccolo nodded and turned, powering up before another round of Ella's crying made him feel too much. Before he could take off to begin finding the dragonballs Ella was practically yelling behind him.

"I love you dad!" She yelled, so he turned around to see her again. She was messy, her face wet and eyes swollen. Her bottom lip was quivering, which made her seem so much younger than she was. It tugged on Piccolo's heart strings, the ones that were inevitably connected to her. She was his daughter, he cared for her in a way that both similar and completely unlike the love he had for Konna.

He could never explain it, not even to himself. But he knew what she wanted to hear from him. He could count on one had how many times he had sad the words to anyone, even Konna.

Even after all these years it was the most difficult phrase to say.

But he said it anyway.

"I love you too." He whispered hoarsely, so lowly he wondered if Ella was able to hear it at all.

From the flimsy smile she managed to wear despite her emotional upheaval he knew she had definitely heard him.

He was gone the next moment, off to locate the dragonballs to make one final wish.

XxXx-

Piccolo eyed the check-in station with a smirk on his face. He began walking down the yellow path and wondered absently why he still had his body. He knew where he was suppose to go, there was no dispute about his soul now. He should be wherever Konna was, that was his only request. He doubted he held any kind of clout here of all places, he had certainly been a big enough headache in the past.

Still, it couldn't hurt to ask – or demand, whichever worked.

He flew the remaining distance and landed at the large building, getting stares from Oni's that were busying themselves by running in all directions. It wasn't very often they saw anyone come through with a body, all the other souls around were clouds.

Then he opened the doors that led to King Yemma's desk.

The large red man looked up from beneath black glasses and his eyes widened at Piccolo's casual entrance.

"Well, well. Long time no see, Piccolo." Yemma said, putting down the small black book he was looking at.

"Indeed." Piccolo agreed.

Yemma hummed as in deep thought. "I knew you would be in here shortly, it took longer than I thought but here you are. Restless and as troublesome as ever."

Part of Piccolo wanted to scoff at him, to raise cane and give the Oni verbal whiplash as he would have done decades earlier...but he didn't. He just nodded and crossed his arms casually over his chest.

"Just send me where Konna is." He said simply.

King Yemma snickered slightly, which was unbecoming of the monstrous giant. "Don't get ahead of yourself Piccolo. You haven't heard the good news yet."

Piccolo quirked an eye ridge at him. "What good news?" He asked suspiciously.

"Goku-san is a favorite up here. He's managed to get most of Earth's warriors sent to the Kai's planets to train with him." King Yemma's booming laughter nearly shook the room. "So there you have it, Supreme Kai gave permission for you to train for the rest of eternity."

Piccolo had to replay what he had just heard, he didn't trust his own ears at first. It was insane, impossible, unbelievable...there was no way in HFIL he was going be allowed to train with the Kais.

Was there?
"Training for the rest of eternity." Piccolo repeated, making absolutely sure he had not fabricated the entire conversation.

"Yes." Yemma answer impatiently. "So, go out through those doors and an Oni will lead you the rest of the way."

Piccolo looked to the massive doors opposite the ones he had come in through. He had never been that way before, he was anxious to be gone.

But a single thought stopped him mid-step. It made him halt all movement and stop breathing for a few seconds, though he didn't actually need to breathe anymore. He was already dead.

He couldn't train for all eternity without Konna. The entire point of coming to Outerword was to escape the life he was leading on Earth in her absence. He couldn't live for forever without her, that was a worse fate than the one he had left behind on Earth.

"Well, go on." Yemma shouted, obviously losing his morbidly cheerful attitude from moments ago.

Piccolo stood still and rigid, looking up at the desk. A large part of him yearned for the chance to train. He had no real interest in going to heaven, to be in paradise where he had no body or recollection of the past. The larger part of him, however, could not face an eternity of being alone. By alone he meant without her, because she was half of him. He would remain incomplete.

So he waited and did not walk towards the doors.

"Is Konna training on the Kai's planets?" He asked.

Yemma growled and looked up in irritation. "What does that matter?"

Piccolo bit the insides of his cheeks to keep from snarling up at him. Did the man not see what he was trying to ask, or did he have to spell it out for him?

"Son Konna. Was she sent to the Kais' planets or not?" He asked again, this time his tone very clipped and unhappy.

Yemma smirked at Piccolo, which only made the Namekian's blood begin to boil.

"You mean Daimao Son Konna, your wife?" Yemma's obvious attempt to be coy nearly caused Piccolo to snap. That was stepping over the line.

"Yes." He hissed out.

"What does it matter?" He shrugged.

Piccolo growled under his breath and let out a prolonged breath of air. "I want to be sent wherever Konna is."

"What if she is not training?" Yemma asked.

"Then don't sent me to train." Piccolo answered hotly.

"And if she is in hell, what then?" Yemma asked, and something about his tone made Piccolo feel like he was merely toying with him.

"There is no possible way she was sent to hell." Piccolo answered, feeling angry at the mere insinuation that she could be sent there. "So I'll say it again, just send me wherever she is."

"Hm." Yemma said, rubbing his chin in deep thought. "How strange. I've never had someone turn down training with the Kais. If Konna is in heaven is that where you want to be sent?"

Piccolo nodded, eager to be on his way to join her. It had been seventeen very long years since he last saw her and over twenty since the last time she was completely aware of anything around her.

"Huh. Your an odd bird Piccolo. I just can't figure you out." Yemma stamped a piece of paper roughly and shooed him away with the flick of a hand. "Go on out the doors. Konna is training with her father."

Piccolo scowled at Yemma's infantile game. But before he could get himself into any real trouble with the being deciding his fate he turned and fazed next to the door, exiting without a single word of 'goodbye'. He had to ride a plane to reach the planet the Kais held training on and when it touched down King Kai of the North, the same blue man that had irritated Piccolo to no end after his first death, was waiting for him. No one else, just King Kai.

"Well, well. Fancy meeting you here." He said. "Hope your flight was comfy."

Piccolo had very little patience left. He was so close, she was somewhere on the massive planet and he needed to find her.

"Where's Konna?" He asked first, shoving his way past a few alien-looking creatures to look out toward the large stadium that took miles of the planet.

"Oh, she's around here somewhere. She's probably at the training grounds with Goku..."

"Let's go." Piccolo interrupted, eying the Kai from several feet up.

"What just a minute, hold your horses. You can't just take off in Outerworld, you'll get lost." King Kai started walking slowly, agonizingly slowly toward a large field that was sectioned off for various training exercises.

Piccolo should have been exhilarated to be next to the Outerworld arena. This was a fate only rare souls were privileged to, by all rights Yemma should have sent him to the HFIL. Instead he was allowed to train and fight with the greatest warriors the entire universe had ever known. Forver.

But his thoughts did not dwell on those facts. He had one mission, to find Konna. Anything and everything else he had to look forward to was secondary. When he heard a peel of high-pitched laughter from several hundred yards away, far to his right, he stopped breathing momentarily. It was drowned out by the laughter of other, deeper voices but he still recognized it. It was Konna. She sounded merry, like she was immensely enjoying herself.

He pivoted and took off running, leaving King Kai wailing behind him: "Hey, get back here! Don't get lost!"

He wouldn't be lost, once he found Konna he would be in exactly the right place. He weaved through other beings who were talking or training, he wished he could sense her ki but it was impossible. No one here had any life energy because everyone here was dead...except the Kais. He could feel them and there were several, they weren't nearly as powerful as he had anticipated.

He stopped and listened again, she had to be close. Did she know he was here? She should be coming to meet him if she did, shouldn't she?

He growled and shook his head, frustrated.

"Piccolo, what in the universe are you doing?" King Kai wheezed from behind him. He obviously was not in the best shape from his lack of oxygen and inability to keep up.

Piccolo disregarded him and snapped his head in all directions listening so carefully he doubted he could miss her hiccup, much less speak.

"Dad, you look ridiculous!" He heard, but it was still distant and to his left this time.

He took off again, leaving King Kai utterly putout with him and straggling behind. What he wouldn't give for just a spark of ki! He knew he looked like a madman, but he didn't care. Suddenly he heard Goku's booming, goofball laugh rise up above the others and he could tell he wasn't far away now. Looking over to the hill ahead he could see them, most of them. Goku, of course, and Konna. But what surprised him was he also seeing Krillin, Yamucha, Chiaotzu, Tien and even Vegeta out on the grounds. All with bright, yellow halo's above their heads. He didn't bother reaching up to check, he knew his was there too.

He vaguely remembered that Android Eighteen was still on Earth somewhere taking care of a few grandchildren, for some reason seeing Krillin for the first time in decades made him think of it. Vegeta's children were still alive out there running the family business. He only knew this because Konna had said so years ago and he doubted Dende would not have told him if they died. As for the others they never had families, or none that he knew of.

But those were fleeting thoughts because the moment his eyes locked on Konna he nearly forgot about all the other beings anywhere near him. She was so beautiful, so much better than his flimsy memory of her. She was young again, perhaps in her twenties but age was too hard to tell. She was fit, strong, and healthy. She was smiling with her bright brown eyes looking away from Piccolo and at her father. He was trying some new technique that looked absolutely moronic...everyone was laughing and telling him so. All except Vegeta, who remained to the back of the group, still and silent.

Piccolo slowed as he came closer, for a reason he could not explain he felt his nerves begin working overtime. His stomach twisted into a knot, which was wholly out of place for him since he knew it was completely empty. He monitored his breathing and went from a fast sprint down to a casual stroll, then to barely meandering closer to the group at a pace a snail could surpass.

He had a good view of her side profile from his angle, her eyes away from him still looking at Goku. The lummox stopped whatever stunt he was trying to pull and stood very still. Piccolo glanced at Goku and locked eyes with him, Goku began to grin.

"Konna, hun, I have a surprise." Goku said, quickly looking back to his daughter.

She smiled even larger, if it were possible, and laughed out: "I hope it's not another fusion dance."

Everyone erupted with laughter, even Piccolo had to fight off a smirk at her wit.

Kais, he had missed her so much. It was getting painful to watch her, listen to her and not be able to touch her yet.

He didn't even know what hindered him. Probably the presence of the others, he had never been public with his affection for her. He never even hugged her once while in the company of anyone other than her parents or Ella. Their marriage announcement, which had been solely Konna's task, had sent most of the Senshi into convulsions. But after the initial shock wore off most of them had warmed to the idea with much more acceptance than Piccolo would have thought possible. Apparently, it had been deemed 'adoreably sweet' by Bulma.

He couldn't even bring himself to feel angry about it now. It was all so many years ago and it felt good to be among the familiar again.

Goku laughed his own zealous round of unwarrior-like chuckles at Konna, only to point over toward Piccolo. Konna turned her head, obviously not at all prepared to see her now-dead husband strolling up the trainings grounds. She sucked in a sharp breath and rose to her feet in the same instant. Her smile was gone and replaced by a slack jaw, her eyes wider than saucers.

It took her brain about five seconds to process what she was seeing.

"Piccolo." She said, and the sound of her saying his name sent a wave of sensation up his spine.

He smirked at her and stopped walking because she had already fazed in next to him, there was no meeting in the middle. Obviously, she forgot about the others behind her. She jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck, which felt so good he didn't bother pushing her away. He couldn't have done it if he tried, even though he still knew the Senshi were standing there probably watching.

That nagging voice of discretion, the one that constantly reminded him of the image he liked to maintain in public, was slapped into submission the minute her lips met his. It had been seventeen terribly long years without so much as a touch, he couldn't say 'no' to their first kiss now. He had his arms around her back keeping her from just dangling off his neck. It felt so good to feel her against him. She was just as warm now as when she had been alive, she smellled just as wonderful as ever.

He made sure the kiss was short, but not without depth. He didn't want to embarrass the both of them in front of friends, they would undoubtedly be ridiculed for this thirty seconds after it ended. He would endure the crude jokes and worry about his image later, for now he was looking intently at her face as she pulled back from him.

She was crying, but that wasn't terribly unusual. She was an emotional woman, this was an emotional reunion. Had he less will and more hormones perhaps he would have done the same.

"What are you doing here?" She sobbed, but didn't give him a chance to answer. "You shouldn't be dead yet! What happened?"

"I died." He said, slowly putting her down on the ground again.

"I can see that." She said, her face and voice not at all amused. "You know what I mean. I've only been dead a few years, you still have – had plenty of time. So what happened?"

Piccolo quirked an eye ridge at her, he knew he didn't want to tell her the truth yet. She would get too upset and he did not want their first few hours to be spent settling a fight.

"My time was up." He said, pulling on her arm to take her back toward the others. He doubted any of them could hear their conversation from that distance.

"You're avoiding the questions." She said, clinging to his arm like a lifeline.

"Yes I am." He admitted, not concerned with detaching her from his elbow.

"I will find out later, you do know that. Right?" She said, but she in no way made it a question.

He nodded, chuckling to himself at how much he had missed her. He had the urge to sweep her up again and pin her against the nearest solid object, but didn't. He would have to save that for later, after she became used to him being dead.

"Ella? Dende? How are they?" She asked him, concern lacing her voice. "Are they still alive?"

Piccolo nodded. "They are doing fine. Gohan is also well, do you remember him?"

She scruntched her face and shook her head. "I know the name...maybe I do."

"It doesn't matter. Everyone is fine." He dismissed. "It's good to be here." He added, knowing she would understand his meaning.

She nodded. "Hai. I missed you too. Terribly." She moaned out the last word to emphasize it.

"Oi, Piccolo, so you get to train too, huh?" Krillin asked as they came close enough to talk to.

He grunted out a "Yes" and waited for the onslaught of catcalls, painful whistles, and suggestive jokes all at his expense. To his surprise it never happened, no one said a word of his out-of-character reunion with Konna. Maybe they all expected it or were too worried about getting themselves into a nasty spar to mention anything out of the way. Whatever the reason Piccolo began to relax after an hour of easy banter.

They all had their own accounts of life in Outerworld. He tried to listen and pay attention, it was information he would need later. But with Konna sitting next to him and running her hands up and down his arm, like she was still in awe of him, made it hard to concentrate. He looked at her and then around the training grounds.

"Show me around." He told her.

She smiled at him. "Sure."

They got up and to his pleasure the others didn't follow them. There wasn't a remark made that he could hear about their leaving together. Maybe death had mellowed them out. Before marriage he had not understood, or given much notice, to their rantings of women, sex, women and more sex. It had not interested him. He thought back now of some things he had heard from them over the years and he was inclined to forever avoid anything that would bring that subject around.

As they walked he watched her beside him, now holding his hand, and smirked at her every time she stole a glance up at him.

"What?" She finally asked, laughing at his expression.

"I haven't seen you in years." He explained, and she didn't need more than that.

"Yes, I know. Kami, it's been terrible. I like it here but I can't tell you how much I've missed you." She sighed and leaned her head against his forearm.

"You look good." He whispered.

"So do you." She said, looking up and playfully wagging her eyebrows at him.

It made him huff and look away with gritted teeth, he couldn't handle her being suggestive right now or remotely flirtatious. She'd find herself behind a building getting a bigger smile planted on her face and a colorful blush if she wasn't careful.

"Yeah, well, I'm young." She continued, laughing. "We have eternal youth, you've gotten your wish."

"I didn't want eternal youth." He said, earning him a frown from Konna.

"My memory was pretty bad at the end but I do remember you saying that. Don't insult me." She flipped her hair at him and smiled. She had always teased him like this, normally he enjoyed it.

Now he didn't. She had misunderstood.

"I did say that but I was never interested in eternal youth." He looked over at her and made her stop walking. "I knew you were going to die. I wanted to live forever so you would never leave, not to just live forever period."

"And having youth?" She asked, her tone letting him know that she was testing his reasoning.

"So that you could remember me." His voice was flat, monotone.

She sighed and let a tiny smile start. "I see." She tugged on his hand. "Come with me, I want to show you something."

He followed her through a maze of buildings, cement training platforms, then more buildings. The planet was massive and had everything any living creature could ever want. But he did not see houses or anything that resembled places where people lived. He knew he woudn't need one but he wondered if no one else did.

"Where do you stay?" He asked.

She looked up at him. "Stay? We stay all around. We can go anywhere on the planet we want. We are all training for the Tournament that's held once every...I think five hundred years."

"No. To sleep, to eat, like on Earth." He corrected.

"Oh." She made a strange face and shook her head. "I had to get used to that. There aren't houses because we don't sleep. These bodies are just replicas of our old ones. We don't need rest or nourishment anymore...that doesn't stop dad or Vegeta. I think they just like food too much to stop eating."

"So we're never alone." He said, feeling himself get frustrated. He had never liked crowds. He needed quiet meditation time to himself. He also wanted time alone with Konna, just the two of them. Even if her body didn't feel urges anymore his did. He wondered briefly if this was because he was Namekian or if it was just a fluke.

That would explain the Senshi being so docile about his kiss with Konna. Perhaps none of them had degenerate thoughts anymore.

"That's the surprise." She said, winking at him. "Keep up with me, I want to show you my special place."

She took off flying the next moment and he tried his best to keep up with her. She flew for about ten minutes and he was hard on her heels, looking up at her the entire time. He admired her from behind and admitted she was just as pleasing to look at as ever. He could tell their link was again dissolved but, given time, they both knew it would return. It had happened before and it would happen again.

She started to decend. She landed on the edge of a pond next to a small forest, several miles away from the stadium.

"There isn't a waterfall anywhere on the planet." She sighed. "I've checked. But this place is nice too. I come here to be alone and I've never been bothered."

Piccolo took a few steps out toward the water. It was not the specticle his waterfall on Earth was but it would do. There wasn't a lot of open space, just trees, a pond and more trees.

"No one else comes here?" He asked.

She shrugged. "I haven't seen anyone for seventeen years, unless dad comes out to find me. I think most everyone stays in the city or trains. And there are lots of little places like this around, but none of them have ponds."

She took his hand and pulled him back toward the forest. "It's very peaceful. You can meditate and I can sit in your lap, like old times."

He smirked. "Old times, eh. You would have fallen sleep, that won't happen now."

She grinned and pointed toward the base of the tree. "Let's give it a try. I might have to take up meditating myself since I don't snooze eight hours a day anymore."

He sat himself down and leaned his back on the tree, she sat in his lap a few moments later and sighed as she curled up against his chest. His arms went around her out of habit and he tried in earnest to slip into meditation, but having her so close was too distracting. His thoughts were far from pure. So he slipped his hand into her hair and contented himself with just touching her.

It would have to do. She wasn't inclined to lean around to kiss him, which she had never hestated to do while alive. This confirmed his belief that all her physical urges had left: exhaustion, hunger, and now the sex drive. He didn't care. Had they been in paradice it would be no different. In fact it would have been worse, he could not have touched her like this or held her. This was a much better alternative than that.

"You can't hear me again." She said, leaning her head back to look up at him.

"Our link is broken." He admitted.

"You know, it came back quickly the last time. Only a few days went by before I was hearing you again." She reached her hand up and touched his face, making him open his eyes and stare down at her.

"Yes." He agreed.

She ran her pointer finger over his lips. He decided she was being a terrible tease and grunted at her. "Don't start something you can't finish."

She had the nerve to look shocked, then gave him a smirk. "Is that a challenge or an invitation?"

He felt his mouth hang just slightly. Perhaps he had been wrong...

"You said you're body doesn't need anything now."

She actually looked confused for a minute. "Hm. Well, I'm never hungry and I'm definitely not tired. But for seventeen years I've thought about you and missed you more than anything. So, I'm not happy with just sitting in your lap for the rest of eternity."

She leaned up and pulled him down for a kiss, just one, but it was a much harder kiss than the one she had greeted him with. That was the trigger, he pulled her around to completely face him and pushed her body fully up against his. He kept holding and touching her in all the ways he remembered she liked, but then she finally moaned out his name. He lost his cool countenance, foreplay was forgotten.

They didn't even bother to remove all their clothes. He barely had the presence of mind to remove the fabrics that needed removing. It was already happening fast but she still told him to hurry, so he helped her move to meet him and pushed his back against the tree. He absently hoped it didn't break but coundn't keep his concentration on anything but Konna.

It was almost like their first time, but better because there was no pain for her or guilt for him. It was also much quicker than he had planned, but apparently they both had wanted this for quite a while. It was easy, familiar and just as crazily addictive as he remembered. When they were finished she collasped against his chest, leaned her head on his left shoulder and breathed out a long breath of air directly on his neck.

He had his arms still around her like before, keeping her from rolling off into the dirt. She lazily pushed herself up after a few minutes and used his chest as leverage to move.

"Wow." She said, her cheeks a sensual shade of pink. He knew from years of experience it was not due to embarrassment or even being hot, which made him smirk.

"We need more practice." He said, amused with how husky his voice now sounded.

She outright laughed at him and leaned around him to get her clothes, then she stood and dressed herself again. He did the same but did not bother standing up, he pulled her arm down until she was sitting in his lap again. She was chuckling at him and leaned herself to kiss the spot where his gi top ended. He had worn his gi on purpose when making the wish on the dragon, he wanted to look as familiar to her as possible when they met again.

"So what now?" She asked.

He hummed once and shrugged one shoulder. "What do we have to do?"

She shook her head and smiled. "Aboslutely nothing."

He couldn't help but grin at that.

"We can go where we want, whenever we want. Except that eventually dad and the others will send a search party for us."

Piccolo was amused by that thought. He was sure they all had a good enough idea of exactly why he and Konna had wondered off alone.

He doubted they'd be coming to look for them anytime soon.

"Piccolo, will you tell me how you died?" She asked him.

It took a few minutes but he finally nodded. "I made a wish on the dragonballs."

She groaned out his name like she was in pain. "Piccolo, why would you do that?"

He shook his head. "I waited as long as I intended to wait. It was pointless to keep going."

She hit his chest mockingly, though it was not hard enough to hurt. "You idiot. You just killed yourself, then? I don't understand."

"I don't expect you to." He said, leaning himself down and kissing her forehead. "I'm not going to fight with you about this. It's done. I'm here now, that's what I wanted all along."

She crossed her arms. "And if you had been sent to heaven, what then?"

"I assumed that was where I was going. King Yemma let me know otherwise once I arrived."

She snuck a peak up at him with slanted eyes. "So you thought I was in heaven and you were okay with killing yourself to go back? That doesn't make any sense Piccolo, you didn't even like it the first time."

He nodded at her. "But I thought you were there."

She thought about that for a little while and finally let herself smile at him.

"That's sweet...in a morbid way. You wanted to be with me wherever I was?"

Piccolo finally growled at her. "Impossible woman. Haven't you figured it out yet?"

She shook her head and bent her head back, puckering her lips to have him kiss her. So he did, quickly. "Call me a slow learner. You drive me insane, do you know that? Dying just to be with me. That makes me feel..."

She stopped. She shook her head. "Good. I hate that it makes me feel good. You shouldn't be dead but I guess I'm selfish enough to still enjoy you being here."

Piccolo smirked and leaned down again, this time he kissed her longer and deeper. "It's settle then."

"Hmph." She grunted, crossing her arms. "Not even close. I'm still ticked at you, you weren't suppose to die for another two hundreds years...or more."

He slipped a hand up her gi top and pushed her into him, using his free hand to lift her so he could kiss her neck.

She sucked in a loud breath.

"I didn't hear you complaining." He said against the back of her hair. He felt her shiver and it was definitely not from the cold.

"That's not fair. You're not going to seduce me into not being angry." She said, but he could already tell in her tone that was exactly what she wanted him to do.

"Yes I am." He said, slowly coaxing her shirt off over her head. "Lucky for us both I've got all eternity to do it."

She jumped up and backed away from him, making sure to tuck her shirt back into her gi pants. He should have laughed at the mischievous smile she had on her face but he didn't, it just proved how well he knew her. He started to stand slowly, wondering what she had in mind. He was ready and willing to follow her lead in whatver they were going to do from now until the end of time – whenever that happened to be.

"What's next?" He asked, standing and ready to follow.

"Anything we want." She said, backing up slowly away from him. He could tell by the smirk she had a lot of scenarios in her head already. "We've got forever to figure it out."

Then she took off, just like she had done a thousand times on Earth. Surely she knew she was the one in control. He couldn't understand why she tried to pretend otherwise. He was always ready to follow. Then he fazed in and out of the trees just behind her, thinking about what she had said.

They had forever to figure it out.

"Perfect." He mumbled, smirking in anticipation of the moment he would catch her again.

And he would, he always did.

She was his.

Fin

Review one last time please! Thanks so much for reading!

Sayonara, Adios, Au Revoir, Tschüss, Zai Jian, Aloha, and Goodbye!