Disclaimer: Is doesn’t belong to me!!! I am not making any money from this.

After the ‘revelation’ about Piccolo, nothing had really changed. They trained, they sparred, ran, jumped, fought, and yes, did I mention that they trained?

The only difference was that Usagi had a new secret weapon, one that she never used, because she respected her sensei too much to use it.

Usagi got used to the regimen. In fact, she started to thrive on it.

No one was more surprised than she was.

She was good enough that they could group spar now, with Usagi and Piccolo on one team, and Goku and Gohan on another.

Usually, in the course of this, Usagi would fight Gohan, and Piccolo, Goku. A year was left, two years since Usagi had gotten to this strange world.

“MASENKO!”

Usagi swatted the energy blast aside, and retaliated with her own. “Special Beam Cannon!”

This she followed with a low kick to his shins, and jumping over Gohan’s head to land behind him, but he caught her in the midsection with a back kick. Grunting loudly, but unhurt, Usagi glanced over to see how her teammate was doing. Piccolo was sweating hard, growling deep in his throat, as Goku seemed to fight with a seemingly endless supply of strength.

That guy is incredible, she thought, seeing the way Goku moved. Yet she admired Piccolo more. The cunning, grace and strategy that went into his style were amazing.

From her perspective, even as she kept half her attention on Gohan, she saw that Goku was going to go for the same blow that had disabled Piccolo over a year ago. Groin shots were usually guarded against in human fighters, but it was a weakness that Piccolo had yet to cover.

Goku doesn’t know! I promised no one would find out!

The way they had been fighting had been all out. No one had been pulling their blows that day, and if they hadn’t been in as good of shape they had been, they would have been comatose or dead.

Goku faked high, and was about to-

“SAILOR TELEPORT!” she yelled, and Usagi was suddenly above Goku, and landed a hard kick to his head. Somehow she spring boarded over off his shoulders, and slammed her ridge hand into his kidneys.

“Aphck-“

She had landed on her knee, and turned it into a sweep. Piccolo looked at her in disbelief, before being attacked by Gohan-

The partners had been switched, and Usagi had a whole other world of pain to deal with.

“Why did you interfere with my fight today?” Piccolo demanded of Usagi after they had finished for the evening.

Usagi was taken aback. She had done so to help him. Of course, he couldn’t have seen what she did. He thought she was impinging on his honor-

“She saw me about to hit you in the crotch.”

Turning, they both saw Goku walking over towards them.

It had gotten to be a ritual with them; they would get a bath at night, because of how hard they worked out during the day. Since the Sons had no plumbing, they would take turns getting wood and water for each other. That night it was Goku and Gohan’s turn. Then they would go to a spring to scrub off before soaking.

Usagi would get to go first, because she was a girl.

Goku dumped the wood into a pile by his house.

“She covered you, isn’t that what a partner is supposed to do?” Goku asked the angered Namek.

Piccolo listened to what Goku said, and turned to Usagi. He looked very chagrined.

She had helped him keep his secret, one that he thought was extremely embarrassing. She had promised to do so, and he had gotten mad at her for it, without giving her a chance to explain. Grimacing, he realized he would have to do something he rarely ever did.

He apologized.

“I am sorry, Usa. Arigato.”

Usagi found herself grinning, knowing he would never question her fighting with him again. She liked that.

Punching him in the shoulder, she answered him,” What are partners for?”

“I need to thank you again,” said a voice from behind her, later that night. Usagi didn’t jump this time, because she had sensed the presence of the fighter behind her.

“Why? You did already.”

He came out onto the ledge that she had been sitting on. It was late at night, and Usagi couldn’t sleep again. Despite the bone melting relaxation that came from a hard workout, sleep had eluded her. Maybe it was because her mind would not stop buzzing.

That first night when she had fallen asleep against his shoulder was over a year ago, and she wondered about how much she had changed, physically and mentally. Her muscles were sharply defined, and she had kept her hair cut as short as Haruka’s. Hands rough and calloused, faint scars on her arms and face. The only thing that would have identified her as the moon princess was her eyes. Those glowing, brilliant blue eyes now had the strength and surety that had once been known in her mother’s kingdom.

Yet, they belonged completely to Usagi.

“You protected my secret. At risk to yourself.”

Fluidly he sat beside her, and joined her in stargazing.

“You know,” she started suddenly. “I was a real wimp before I came here. I was a puppet, both for the good guys and the bad. A pawn to be fought over. I don’t doubt that my friends cared about me, but they never allowed me to grow, to change. Yet, when my future daughter showed up, who was everything they wanted me to be, they liked her more. Even the man that they always said I was soul mated to, he liked her better. I just don’t understand it…”

Piccolo just listened. He figured this was something she needed to get off her chest.

“I never wanted to be a fighter, but here I am, training with you Z warriors to be one. Yet, I don’t hate it the way I did being a Sailor Senshi, and the Moon Princess. Why?”

Piccolo guessed that the question was rhetorical, but decided to answer anyway.

“I understand that. I was thought to be evil all my life, and my only purpose was to defeat Goku. It wasn’t until the Saiya-jins came that I thought to change, that I didn’t have to stay the same person my whole life. I think the reason you came here, was because we did need you, and it was of your own will. You didn’t have someone telling you to do it.”

Usagi nodded, slowly, to herself. It sounded right, almost.

“I don’t give a damn if you were the moon princess, or an over stuffed rabbit, so long as you can fight.”

Usagi turned to him in disbelief. The expression on his face was totally serious, though, and she burst out laughing.

“I don’t care if you are an enormous green alien, or Prince Endymion, so long as you are my friend and keep my back covered in a fight.”

Piccolo couldn’t help but smile around her. “You are who you are now. That’s all that matters.”

Snuggling into his side again, she went to sleep. Piccolo gently gathered her up into his arms. It was a cold night, and she needed to go to bed.

“Usa-chan?” he heard himself say as he tried to lay her down into the bed. She had a firm grip on the front of his top, and wouldn’t let go. To loosen that grip he would have to wake her up, he realized, or take his shirt off. Since he was wearing his cape over his shirt, and he couldn’t get his arms to work, for some reason, he gave a put upon sigh, and sat on the futon in the living room they had given her. Laying her on the pad beside him, he still had his arms around her, and Usagi seemed to cuddle closer to him…

“Uh,” whispered a voice in his ear. “Piccolo, would you mind letting me go now?” a familiar voice asked him.

For some reason Piccolo had been having a strange dream involving pink bunnies going to school, and fighting over carrots, this voice didn’t register immediately.

He grunted something about not liking orange, and rolled over.

Of course, the precious thing that he had been holding had to go with him. He couldn’t leave it over there.

He now lay on his back, with that nice warm precious thing on top of him.

“PICCOLO!”

He sat up, and Usagi was knocked off his lap.

“Uuuu-hmph?”

“Usa-chan?” he said, still groggy. He wouldn’t admit to being tired, but he was working harder than she had been, and was really worn out.

“Uh, Piccolo, why are you holding on to me?”

Piccolo blinked stupidly for a moment.

“You didn’t let go of me when I tried to put you on your futon last night, so I decided to sleep in here,” he answered her. Usagi nodded, about to laugh.

“Okay, you don’t tell anyone, and neither will I.”

They both vowed silence on the matter.

“YOU TWO ARE GOING TO GO GET YOUR LICENCES!” bellowed Chi-Chi, looking at Goku and Piccolo.

Usagi had just finished her scrub, and it looked like Goku and Gohan were about to start theirs, but Chi-Chi had started a tirade about a car. Goku was his usual bewildered self, nodding helplessly, and Piccolo just looked dumbfounded that she had included him.

“Why do I have to-“

“You have been living with us for so long now that you need to take some responsibility!” she yelled, and even Piccolo knew when a fight was hopeless.

Usagi did her best to keep a straight face. She didn’t want to have Chi-Chi’s wrath turned towards her.

“Tomorrow morning, you two are going to learn how to drive!”

Gohan and Usagi hunkered down, out of the way, while Chi-Chi got Piccolo and Goku dressed to go to the Capsule Corp driving school.

“I do not want her to notice us,” she and Gohan agreed, behind the couch.

“Yeah,” Gohan answered, and took a quick peak over the top.

“Good, they’re gone.”

“Whew,” they said together.

“Hey, Usagi, are you old enough to drive?”

“I don’t know, I think I lost track of the past two years… I guess I’m about sixteen now…”

They tried to creep out of the house, so that they could train some but apparently Chi-Chi had very good ears.

Without warning they were grabbed by the back of the neck and dragged back inside.

“Mom!”

“Chi-Chi-san!”

Chi-Chi gazed at them impassively. “You, young man, are going to study. Usagi, you are going to take me to see Bulma today. I haven’t spoken to her in a long time, and I need to see how she is doing. Is that clear?”

Both nodded, gulping hard.

“We’ll leave for Bulma’s in about an hour,” said Chi-Chi, with a mother’s total authority over her house.

“I guess I’ll see you later, huh?” Gohan told his friend.

The two had gotten along famously, probably because of their mutual admiration for Piccolo. In fact, Gohan had taught her his song, ‘Piccolo-san Dai Suki.’ (I love Mr. Piccolo.) On days were they felt like bothering the adults, they would follow Piccolo around, singing together. For some reason, Piccolo was not amused.

“Yeah,” Usagi answered him, and gave him a hug. He was so sweet. There were several times that she wished she could trade Chibi-Usa in for him. He hugged her back, and went into his room with a sigh.

“Come on, Usa, time to go!”

Usagi sighed, and walked out of the house, with Chi-Chi. Scooping her up, she asked her where they were going.

“You’ve been here this whole time, and never been to Capsule Corp?”

Usagi shook her head, and added,” You’ve told me that’s where Bulma and Vegeta are, right?”

“Yes.”

Pointing, they took to the air, and it was only a few minutes before they got there.

“Wow,” Usagi whispered, seeing the enormous building. It was yellow, and round.

“Man, I think I should have gotten out more and seen what your world looks like!”

Chi-Chi pointed at where they should land. Usagi saw that it was close to a large round thing, a different one than the building that looked like a circular house. A huge power source radiated from inside.

“Bulma should be inside.”

Usagi followed Chi-Chi, never taking her eyes off of the bubble looking thing.

“Chi-CHI!” said a voice from inside the house. Looking up, both women saw a blue haired woman and a blond one, the blue haired one heavily pregnant.

“BULMA?” Chi-Chi exclaimed, surprised by what she saw.

So, Chi-Chi didn’t know that she was expecting? Thought Usagi.

“Oh, man, Chi-Chi, I wanted the baby to be a surprise!” said the blue haired lady and she stared at Usagi.

“Who’s she?”

“Her? This is Usagi. She came to help Goku and the others fight the androids. She’s been training with them now for about two years,” said Chi-CHI, by way of introduction.

“Pleased to meet you,” she told Bulma, who took her hand.

“I was going shopping for baby stuff today, you want to come?” Bulma asked, and Usagi grinned. It had been two years since she had been shopping, and she wondered what it would be like, now that she had changed so much.

“You bet!” she whooped, bouncing on her toes.

“Now, we need to have you change clothes, dear,” said the blond, who was introduced as Bulma’s mother.

“What’s wrong with my…” Usagi asked, and then looked down at what she was wearing. Black training clothes, with a white undershirt, wristbands, and boots. All of it was battered, had old sweat stains, and had multiple rips. Comfortable, but not exactly fashionable.

“I think you should fit some of my old things,” Bulma told her. Usagi sighed. This was going to be more trouble than she thought.

Later, with both Bulma and Chi-Chi grinning because they had gotten to dress Usa like a giant doll, brought her out.

She was wearing a wrap around mini skirt, red, with a blue tube top. They had put dangling earrings in, lightly curled her short hair, and she was wearing sandals. It was completely inappropriate to fight in. Then, Bulma’s mother had come in to put on her make up!

“Sweet Serenity,” Usagi mumbled, looking at herself in the mirror. She looked like…

Well, she did look good. Unlike the pale wraith she had been, she was sleek and muscular now, with a good tan.

She didn’t recognize herself.

“Uh, let’s get going, shall we?” she asked, and the other women nodded. Taking a hover car, they headed for the nearest mall.

I couldn’t have flown here faster, Usagi thought.

They got out, and started wandering around in the mall.

They ooo’ed and ahh’ed over cute baby things, and finally Chi-Chi had to ask, “Is Yamcha happy to be a father?”

Then Bulma stopped, dead still.

Heaving a deep sigh, she answered. “It’s not Yamcha’s baby.”

Chi-Chi’s eyes nearly bugged out.

“We broke up a long time ago. I don’t really know how, or why, but I fell in love with Vegeta. This is his child.”

Chi-Chi fainted.

Usagi, who didn’t really know these people, just shrugged.

“I hope you are happy,” she said to Bulma. Bulma smiled.

“Most of the Z warriors don’t like Vegeta much, but he does have his points…”

Chi-Chi started coming around after Usagi had picked her up, and they headed for the food court so they could sit and talk.

The romance between Vegeta and Bulma was a rather strange story to listen to.

Usagi found herself giggling most of the time while she heard it, and Chi-Chi kept putting her hand over her mouth in shock.

“Then, well, he has trouble admitting how he feels,” Bulma said pensively. “I wish-“

She sighed, deeply. Then her eyes widened hugely, and she gasped, putting her hand on her belly.

“Bulma? What is it?” asked Chi-Chi, worried.

“I think-“ she started to look panicked. “My water just broke!”

Chi-Chi nodded, and Usagi stared. Chi-Chi, knowing what Bulma was going through, rushed them outside, telling Usagi to carry Bulma, which she did. She popped open the capsule car.

“I’ll take Bulma to the hospital, you go get Vegeta!” Chi-Chi ordered.

“Me?”

“Yes, you. You can fly, remember? Bulma will want the father there. If you can, ask Mrs. Briefs to call Yamcha. He was still her friend.”

Usagi sprinted over to the side of the mall, and jumped to the roof, easily. From there, with a sonic boom, she raced to Capsule Corp.

Okay, okay, how do I find this Vegeta person?

Well, she guessed that huge power must be him. They said he was an alien, right?

Right, so, go into that weird round thingy, and get him to go to his wife!

There it was-

Landing beside it, she tried opening the door. It was locked.

Looking around for a way to open it, she found an intercom.

“Hey, Vegeta-san, Bulma needs you!” she shouted, trying to get the man’s attention. She waited several minutes, and no one answered.

“Hey, I told you, that Bulma needs you right now-“

“Leave me alone, woman, I’m training!”

“What?” Usagi exclaimed. This was the guy that Bulma said she loved? He wasn’t interested in hearing what she had to say?

“You better come out of there,” she threatened, her voice dripping menace. “Bulma is in no shape to do this for herself, and I flew all this way-“

“I am training, and if you know what’s good for you-“

“Oh, come on, one day! This is more important than a dozen androids!” she barked back, but no one answered this time.

“Kuso!” Usagi hissed, when she realized that he had cut off the intercom. “Bastard.”

Her temper rising, not knowing that the crescent moon had appeared on her forehead, Usagi punched the door in.

“Yo, Vegeta!”

Walking inside the room, Usagi didn’t notice the gravity, or the heat. Her temper was hotter, anyhow.

“Buddy, I am trying to get your attention, and by the moon, you will listen!”

A short man, he was shorter than her now, with a shock of black, spiky hair, wrapped with bandages in various places, turned to her.

“Who do you think you are? I am the Prince of the Saiya-jins! I will not be told what to do!”

“I,” Usagi declared,” am the Princess of the Moon Kingdom, and by Kami, you will come with me!”

“You and what army, little girl?” Vegeta sneered.

Usagi powered up, and got into a ready stance.

“I don’t need one.”