Gokou, Krillin, and Gohan squatted around a map of the area they had drawn. "Frieza's ship was right here," said Krillin, scratching a circle in the dirt. "And here is Guru's house."
"Ally defeated those two men here," said Gokou, pointing. "And you saw Ginyu fly off in this direction, Krillin?"
"Yeah. It's a good guess to say he was headed to Frieza."
"We're right here so that means . . . " He trailed off, a puzzled look on his face.
"It means Frieza is right behind us." Piccolo joined them.
They crouched in silence, heavy anticipation pushing down on them. Vegeta emerged from the cave, staring at the serious group. Then he took off in a running leap, a blue glow left behind him.
Krillin looked up. "Where is he going?"
"He is going to find that girl," said Piccolo bluntly.
"I thought you said Ally decided to leave us?"
"She did." Piccolo tucked himself up into his mediation stance. "Vegeta just won't let her."
No one asked him what he meant.
* * *
I couldn't believe it. Abandoned by Piccolo! It was crazy, insane, that he had been influenced by Vegeta. I cursed that headstrong, idiotic, pompous Saiya-jin . . . My rage burst out in a howl. This was all his fault! I hated him then, hated him for hating me. He wouldn't stop till I was dead, I knew it.
But at least kill me instead of leaving me to starve to death!
What was I supposed to do now? Gokou and the others might come looking for me but it was likely Piccolo had come up with some story to avoid their questions when he returned without me.
I did the only thing I could do: start walking. But when I took the first step on my injured ankle, it gave way and I ended up sprawled on the ground. Damn him up and down! Probably wouldn't be the last time I would condemn him either. This was hopeless! Gohan's words came to me almost as if I was hearing him speak them for the first time more than a year ago before me, before Namek, even before Vegeta's arrival on Earth.
"I can't give up. No way. Not now. Never . . . "
He was right. I couldn't give up. I couldn't let Vegeta have the last laugh this time just as I couldn't let Piccolo continue to think that I wasn't trustworthy.
I stood again, biting back painful tears, holding my head up high. I came from the riaru world. I could walk without using my bad leg. And so I did. Step with the right foot, drag the left . . . step with the right foot, drag the left . . . It was a weary, but much more painless, way of inching in the direction Piccolo had flown. This went on for near three hours until I had finally said "forget it" and stopped. Night had fallen and I could barely see myself. There was no moon on Namek. My ankle was swollen to say the least; I didn't want to think about it. I probably had some kind of infection. I was tired, ached all over.
It was all impossible. Impossible. The others could be hundreds of miles from here and I had only traveled three or four. I was crying softly now, despair leaving me frightened. Soon sobs racked my body and I huddled in a ball, shivering from the cold and loneliness.
A sudden wind ruffled my hair and I jerked my head up, eyes wide.
"Who- who's there?"
Please let it be Piccolo. Please let it be Piccolo.
Instead the last person I wanted to see snickered above me. "So the Namekian left you alive after all," Vegeta said and landed in front of me casually as if I should have been expecting him all along.
I knew I couldn't handle his verbal attacks silently so I went ahead and practically spat, "Come to finish the job?"
That brought a smile to his face. "Maybe I have. Or maybe I don't like the idea of not knowing where you are. They say to keep your friends close and your enemies closer."
"And I suppose I'm your enemy, right?"
"A friend of Frieza's is an enemy of mine."
I'd had enough. "Why can't you get it through that thick head of yours that I don't work for Frieza? I'm not a spy, never was. Now please, just leave me alone."
Vegeta stared at me with those unreadable eyes. "Well, I guess you don't want to rejoin your friends after all." He turned away.
"Wait!" I cried. He raised an inquiring eyebrow. "I- would . . . could you . . . " It was nuts to ask him this and yet I had no choice. "Would you . . . ah . . . take me back to the others?"
The corners of his mouth turned up a little. He put his back to me again. "Well, hurry up and climb on," he said impatiently.
I hesitated. What if this was some kind of trick and he ended up dropping me from thousands of feet above the ground? And why the sudden change of attitude? There had to be something in it for him.
"Are you coming?"
"Yes, yes," I said hastily. I was just going to have to take the chance that he would try to do me harm.
I stepped up behind him. This close, he actually was a bit taller than me and those shoulders were certainly broader.
My breath ruffled the fine hairs on the back of his neck. I felt him waiting and he threw a glance over at me. A blush rose on my cheeks. Why was I blushing? This was Vegeta, the man who wanted me dead.
I held my breath and reached out my hands. They were trembling. Come on . . . I placed my hands on his shoulders and fought the urge to draw back. His skin was fiery hot and very much alive beneath my fingertips. Oh, what was I doing? Why was my body reacting this way?
"Better hold on," he said. "Wouldn't want to lose you on the way there." Sarcastic, of course.
My arms wouldn't go all the way around his neck so I could hold on in the position I was in. I was trying to touch him as little as possible. But there was no other way. I took another step toward him and suddenly found myself pressed up against his back, my feet dangling. Vegeta had pulled on my arms so my face was alongside his and my hands could clasp together across his chest. A very muscular chest. Stop it, I ordered myself. Your wild imagination isn't helping any. But neither was the fact that my stomach was up against his lower back and my legs meshed with his. Not to mention that all he had to do was turn his head and things would get really weird.
Without warning, he took off, a blue haze enveloping the both of us. I yelped and held on tighter, squeezing my eyes shut. He growled low in his throat; I could feel the vibration.
"You are pathetic."
Despite my predicament, I glared at him. "No more than you."
He snorted at that.
"No, really, Vegeta. I still don't understand why you're helping me."
"I am not," he retorted.
I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. I may be a little scared of short, loud, obnoxious, stubborn Saiya-jin like you who hate my guts, but don't think I can't figure you out."
"What is that supposed to mean?" he demanded.
"Nothing. Forget it."
He gritted his teeth, eyebrows knitted together. "I am not short."
I laughed then stopped, seeing his scowl deepen. I fell silent and, feeling bad, relaxed my arms around his neck to keep from choking him any more though I doubted I could do much harm even if I tried. Just as my grip loosened, the wind our fast pace created shoved me off Vegeta and into a free fall.
I was too shocked to scream, to cry out for help. There was no one to help me anyway. That thought was cut in two when my falling stopped. I opened one eye cautiously, caught the glimpse of blue cloth stretched over sinewy muscled arms warm from his ki. Moaning, I gave in, closing my eyes, and leaning into Vegeta to keep from having a repeat of what just occurred. I heard him mutter something about me being a pain in his behind and we continued toward what I hoped would be the others.
* * *
"Almost there," Vegeta informed me.
I jumped, realized that I had been dozing. A small fire flickered in the distance. The others! I choked back a cry of relief. I had survived yet another encounter with Vegeta. We hovered in the air above the makeshift campsite. I could make out the shapes of my friends.
"Ok, Vegeta," I said eagerly. "You can put me down now."
He smiled that hateful, no care smile, shrugged, and dropped me.
It happened so quick that it totally shocked me. I tumbled to the ground numbly and landed straight into the arms of Piccolo.
I smiled sweetly up at him and he glared. Then suddenly I found myself hitting the ground roughly. I groaned, rubbing my backside.<[> Krillin ran over to me. "Ally! You're back!" He helped me to my feet. "Piccolo said you had decided to leave us."
"I changed my mind." I looked straight at Piccolo who was definitely not happy. "Thank you, Piccolo. For giving them my message."
He growled and marched away.
Gokou saw me and waved, making his way to us. "Glad you're back," he smiled. "We found out that Frieza is on his way here and will arrive at sunup."
I blinked. "That's not far away."
He nodded. "Gohan's inside the cave sleeping if you'd like to join him before dawn."
"Sure. Sleep would be great." I limped to the entrance of the cave. Piccolo sat just outside it, meditating as usual. I paused in front of him, searching my pocket.
"You dropped this." I held out the medallion, gleaming on its chain. He opened an eye, clasped it, and ignored me again.
I took a few steps inside the cave, then turned back. "I'm not a spy, you know." Piccolo didn't stir and I closed my eyes painfully. "I wish you would believe me."
* * *
"Thanks for bring her back, Vegeta." Gokou floated up the Saiya-jin Prince who still hovered in the sky.
Vegeta shoved away the hand Gokou had lay on his shoulder. "Go away, Kakarrot."
Instead, Gokou just stuck his thumbs in the sash around his waist. "Why did you go after her, since you think she is a spy?"
"I don't have to explain my actions to you," the proud Saiya-jin growled.
"Hey, that's fine." Gokou turned to go, then nudged Vegeta with his elbow and grinned. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you liked her." He easily ducked Vegeta's angry punch and flew back down to the ground, laughing.
Vegeta stared after him, furious that even Kakarrot would dare suggest such a thing. His hands suddenly jerked to his face and he started, realizing a slight blush had crept up on him.