Disclaimer: Dragonball belongs to Funanimations&Bird Studios/Toriyama and was used without prior permission. No profit was made from this story.

Author's note: I always wondered how Piccolo felt in those three years he was invited to train with Goku&Gohan before the Androids arrived. I'm sure that family life had its effects on Piccolo. This is my take on those three years. Enjoy. :)
Constructive criticism is highly appreciated. 'Flames' are welcome, too - as long as you keep the directed at THE STORY. Okay? If you flame me as a person, I'll send Muten Roshi after you! You have been warned. evil grin
English isn't my native language and this story hasn't been betaed yet, so you'll probably stumble into all types of whacko mistakes. Thanks for your patience deciphering it nevertheless. :)

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There are No Winds That can blow It Away

Part 1:
No lights in my eyes

Laughter and a child's excited voice floated through the warm spring air and the evening sun bathed father and son into a warm, golden-crimson light as they rolled around on the lawn, tickling each other. Oblivious to the world around them, neither noticed that they were watched from inside the house that they called their home.

The tall, green skinned man sighed, his four-fingered hands involuntarily tightening the grasp on the party hat that his host had equipped him with at the start of the festivities. The amused smile that had initially played on his features turned into a thoughtful scowl the longer he observed the playful fight outside. His pointed, sensitive ears picked up the giggled whispers between father and son as well as the sounds of dishes clattering together in the kitchen behind him. The birthday party was long over, with him being the only guest that the small boy had found fit to invite. The boy, who now sprinted over the lawn in a wild flight in the vain attempt to escape from another tickling attack, noticed him and grinning broadly, screamed:

"Piccolo-san!"

But before Piccolo could react, the wild chase had lead his two friends away from the house until he could only hear them in the distance. The smile that had sneaked back to his face when the kid had addressed him faded as quickly as it had come.

"Gohan..."

It was nothing more than a whisper, filled with a tinge of loneliness when memories flooded over Piccolo with the force of a tsunami. Had it really been a month already since Son Goku had returned from space? A month in which Piccolo had tried to severe the tight bonds that wielded him to Son Gohan, forced himself to stay away so that father and son could catch up on the time they had been apart. But Gohan wouldn't have any of it, had reeled him in swiftly with every pleading look, manipulated him with an innocent smile until Piccolo was even more entangled in the web of his emotions than before.

But what was even worse than being victim of the child's sabotage was that he had become the source of an ongoing argument between ChiChi and her husband Goku. Not that Piccolo blamed ChiChi for her hostile attitude. She was a caring person and would go any length to protect her family, especially her little son, from evil. And for all ChiChi knew, Piccolo was not only one of the most evil creatures on Earth but he had also killed her husband, kidnapped her son and turned her innocent boy into a fighter who was haunted by horrible nightmares every once in a while. And he didn't even want to try to imagine how she must've felt when Gohan left for Namek, hell-bent to find the Dragonballs to revive his beloved mentor. Piccolo deeply regretted all the pain he had caused Son ChiChi, wished that he could just turn back the time and start again instead of continuing like this.

The party had been simple. The Sons weren't rich; what Goku had won at the Bodoukai tournaments provided them with enough money to live a simple life, but the family was happy with that. And Piccolo was, though unwillingly and in a rather lose way, part of the Son family now. He was there, spent most of the time with the small group of people and for the first time in his life had a place to call 'home' that wasn't in the open wilderness but had a roof and people who cared whether he was there or not. Unfortunately, Goku had neglected to check back with his wife before he had invited his former arch enemy.

Piccolo's experience with the lively woman had taught him that it was a bad strategy to just face her with facts and completely ignore her own wishes in the matter. She was strong and proud, something the green skinned fighter could also relate to. Would roles be reversed, Piccolo would've fried the unwelcome house guest with a laser beam from his eyes, just to make a point. And while she couldn't fire laser beams, ChiChi always found a time in between all her friendliness to shoot him an angry glare, shove him back to the fringes of his adopted family every time Gohan or Goku had mellowed out Piccolo's defenses enough to make him feel comfortable. It was a no-win scenario, caught in the middle of strong tidal forces that played with the Namekian's feelings and threatened to tear him apart.

Quietly, he turned his attention away from the lawn and moved back into the living room. The remains of the huge cake that had adorned the table had been stored in the refrigerator hours ago. That the hungry Saiyan munchin force had left behind any cake to begin with was unusual, Piccolo mused. After all, it was chocolate cream and both Goku and Gohan hadn't talked about anything else in days. The innocent joy with which the two had managed to capture the brooding Namekian had brought back memories of another birthday he had been part of a lifetime ago. An unwelcome part kept on the fringe, watching through a window from the outside as another child received presents, witnessing wide eyed how the boy had been embraced in his parent's love, a love that Piccolo had been craving for with all his being. But being just a few weeks old at the time, bearing in him only the memories of a life filled with hate, anger and rejection, young Piccolo had learned very quickly that things like love and care weren't meant for him. The only emotions anyone spared for the spawn of the Demon King were fear and hatred. So Piccolo fought the tears and the craving in his heart, allowed anger and jealousy to take their place and had destroyed the stranger's birthday party. Ever since, the festivity stood for something the young Namekian knew he'd never achieve.

In retrospective, Piccolo often wondered how his life would have turned out if he had been free of his sire's legacy. How it would have been if... His gaze fell back to the crumbled party hat in his hands and he cursed himself for letting the gloomy thoughts take the better of him. Today was Son Gohan's birthday and the boy deserved to have more happy memories of the day than seeing his sensei being even more grumpy and foul mood than usual. Piccolo carefully sat down the party hat on the table and mentally prepared himself to join the wild hunt outside when ChiChi's gentle voice snapped him out of his thoughts and almost gave him a heart attack.

"Why?"

x

She had labored over the dishes and cleaned up while the male part of her family was enjoying themselves outside. For once, ChiChi didn't scold Goku for not helping. After all, it was her son's birthday and she wanted him to be happy, not witnessing another argument between his parents over daily tasks. Not that her husband refused to do his share of the household. In the first few years of their marriage, Goku had even volunteered to help on occasion. She knew, all she had to do was ask and he'd be there. But lately, ever since the green demon had made a nest in her home, things had taken a turn for the worse. Her husband had to play the host, divide the time not just between his training and his family but to their guest as well. And for Gohan, the apple of her motherly eye, the world around ceased to exist the moment Piccolo lowered himself to pay attention to her son. For that, ChiChi hated the Namekian wholeheartedly and never left a chance to make her opinion known to their house guest through meaningful glares or snide remarks, more often than not without her family even noticing it. But Piccolo was aware of her hostilities and to see him reel back from the unabashed rejection, witness how his facade of stoic calm crumbled slowly but steadily was more than enough payment for what she had to endure.

"Serves you right, Piccolo," she muttered and finished drying the dishes. She could feel his presence in the living room, a very distinctive ki full of darkness and swirling, strong emotions that she couldn't pinpoint. ChiChi stored the plates and bowls in the cupboard before gathering herself to face the enemy. However, the young woman wasn't prepared for the scene that presented itself to her when she entered the living room.

Oblivious to the world around him, deep in thoughts, Piccolo held the colorful hat, that Gohan had made for him, with a wistful expression on his face. The Demon King stared at the item, small and fragile looking in his huge hands, his eyes filled with sadness and an overwhelming loneliness. The angry glare ChiChi had reserved for Gohan's sensei dissipated when she saw emotions rapidly wash over Piccolo's face. And when he gently placed the hat on the table, his eyes filled with yearning for happiness, she had to struggle with the urge to comfort the Namekian. Her experience told her that the proud fighter wouldn't respond well to a hug, and she wasn't keen on finding out the hard way how far she could push Piccolo before he'd leash out and react violently.

"Why..?" she began, but her voice trailed off when the Namekian shriek out of his thoughts and he defensively folded his arms in front of his chest. The intense play of feelings ChiChi had seen only instants ago was gone, just the stern facade remained... betrayed by the lights that danced in his eyes as he seemed to stare right into her soul, searching for answers to whatever went through his mind. She mastered the sudden fear that surged in her heart and continued as gently as possible: "Why don't you go and join Gohan and Goku outside?"

"Would you want me to join them?" Piccolo asked quietly, evading her look.

"Would it matter if I said no?" ChiChi grumbled. "My husband invited you and I'm not the one to disgrace him by throwing out a guest. So do whatever you want."

Piccolo opened his mouth, for a moment it seemed like he wanted to answer, but then his shoulders sagged at what must sound like another rejection to the demon.

This was an unexpected and somewhat disturbing turn of events. There were layers to the Namekian he had hidden from her and that triggered ChiChi's female curiosity. She decided to use the newfound weaknesses their house guest had shown to turn things to her advantage. Maybe if she found out what Piccolo's secret was, she could win back her family and return to the happy, carefree life she used to know.

She had finally said it. Piccolo's heart sagged at ChiChi's words, singed and scarred by the finality of her choice. A harsh reply formed in his mind, but he swallowed it, knowing very well that it would only worsen the situation, deepen the cavity that had already become an unfathomable chasm. He knew that he had lost and that all he could do now was to keep the damage to a minimum.

"I see." Piccolo didn't know why he even bothered. He should have know better than to think that Gohan's mother would ever accept his presence, but the illusion of belonging to a family had been tempting enough for him to ignore the obvious. He had known all along that the emotions he experienced were an Achilles' heel, known that he drowned deeper and deeper in the pool of caring, needing and wishful thinking every day without much of a struggle. Piccolo swallowed hard, trying not to choke on his own fears. "Gohan... He... he wouldn't understand."

He realized that he was begging, hoped that she would comprehend that they had the same goal, that both of them wanted to protect their family.

"It's his birthday," Piccolo tried to explain, facing her with all the determination he could muster while his heart bled at the possible consequences of their talk. "He wanted me to be with him on his birthday."

ChiChi's eyes narrowed, her hands clenched to fists as she mulled over his words, but she remained silent for the moment. Her reaction made the green skinned warrior wince internally and he tried to soften the verbal lashing he expected to come any time now.

"Listen... I.. er.." Piccolo stuttered when her stare became penetrating, effectively tipping his self confidence out of balance completely. Female humans, he decided, were definitely the more dangerous part of the species. "Gohan..."

ChiChi stifled a smile when she saw the mighty warrior squirm under her glance. Gone were the aggressive growls and snarls, the bared fangs that had scared her so much in the beginning had lost their power. She realized that she was offered a glimpse at the Piccolo-san that Gohan treasured so much. Bits and pieces of what Goku had told her about the tall Namekian's past fell into place, mended with her own experiences and created a new mental image of Piccolo.

"Why is my son's birthday so important to you?" She probed gently.

x

Piccolo's eyes widened, he was clearly confused at her question and searched for an appropriate reply. His expression became forlorn when he finally explained: "No child should be unhappy on such a day."

"That's true." ChiChi's face softened. "You know... Gohan really loves you, Piccolo."
The only reaction to this revelation was the slight, purple blush that crept to the Namekian's cheeks.

"He loves you so much that I'm jealous about you sometimes."

Piccolo blinked at her, obviously even more confused than before, his eyes an open display of the ongoing war between strong emotions and a hollow emptiness. ChiChi pursed her lips, unsure for a second whether she was doing the right thing to reveal her feelings to this... monster. She could feel how his stormy ki suddenly sagged to a lower power level.

"I'm sorry," Piccolo's voice was hoarse, the sparkling light of life in his eyes being extinguished as she watched, every motion speaking of the hurt he tried to cover. Monster? No. Piccolo certainly was many things, but a monster he was not, ChiChi admitted reluctantly to herself.

Monster... so the woman was jealous of a monster that had stolen her son's heart. Why did it hurt so much? Why was that stray thought he had picked up causing his heart to cramp and ache like hit by a ki blast? How could she be so cruel and destroy his dream just like that?

"I better leave now. It's late already." He straightened and wrapped his heavy, white cape tighter around his body, trying protect himself from the sudden cold in the room that made his soul chill.

"Wait," she said softly and he froze on spot. "Gohan needs you."

"Gohan needs his family," Piccolo stated bravely, knowing that it was the truth. And while he was at admitting truths to himself... he had no right to continue to invade the Son's lives out of his own selfish needs, invitation or not.

"You are family to him, too." ChiChi objected.

"Kami, why don't you stop this, ChiChi?" he snarled, resorting to the only defense he knew. "I said I'll leave! I got the hint."

Her dark eyes widened in shock at the sudden outburst and she made a few steps back until her back hit the wall. Piccolo smirked, feeling a headache brew. When ChiChi continued to stare at him with an unreadable expression, he finally exclaimed exasperated: "What else do you want from me?"

She opened her mouth to reply. But before she could form a word, Son Goku and Gohan burst into the room, flushed and laughing happily, covered with grass smears, leaves and other dirt.

"ChiChi?" Goku's expression changed; he had at once noticed that something was amiss, but covered his worry before Gohan became aware of it. "What is it for dinner? We're starving!"

"Is there a time when you Saiyans aren't hungry?" ChiChi grimaced. "Go and get cleaned up, you two... "

"Will you stay for dinner, Mr. Piccolo?" Gohan cheerfully asked, still too distracted by the excitement of the day to pay much attention to what was going on.

"I'd like to, Gohan. But I have something important to do that I forgot about." Piccolo watched the smile on the kid's face fall and felt even worse. The pulsing ache inside his head increased tenfold while his tense muscles were on the verge of trembling.

"But you promised!"

Why had he ever allowed the little worm to weasle his way into his cold, uncaring heart? The child pleaded with huge eyes, knowing exactly what strings to pull to make the Namekian cave in. Piccolo couldn't help but feel guilty as he kneeled down next to his little friend with a serious expression. "I'm sorry, Gohan. Now, be a good boy and do as your mother said."

"Aww, you're no fun, Mr. Piccolo," Gohan pouted, then smiled and stole a hug from the surprised Namekian. "Will you be back for training tomorrow?"

Piccolo steeled himself to again disappoint the trusting child that snuggled tightly to him. "Well..."

"I'm sure Piccolo will come back soon, Gohan," ChiChi placed a hand on her son's shoulder. "Now, go and take a shower."

"Okay, mom. See ya tomorrow, Mr. Piccolo!"

"Good bye, Gohan." Piccolo's attempt to sound enthusiastic ended in a low growl as he watched the boy dashing for the shower. When he was sure the kid was out of ear shot, he added quietly. "Goku... I didn't want to tell Gohan, but I won't be able to train with you for a while. Some... things came up that require my attention."

Son Goku gave him a query look, then nodded. "Stay out of trouble, friend. And come back soon."

ChiChi, standing next to her husband, tilted her head, appeared upset. "Piccolo..."

But he didn't want to listen any longer to what she had to say, didn't want to hear the words that would only cause an argument between Gohan's parents. The child needed his family intact, Piccolo repeated over and over like a mantra as he fled the Son's home, his eyes the lightless mirror of his soul.

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To be continued...

What now? Will Piccolo revert to his old ways? How will Gohan react? Will ChiChi and Goku fight once again over our green skinned hero? And will the piece of cream cake see the next day?to be continued...