PICCOLO
The next three years of Training against the Androids were a mix of wonders and tortures.
Wonders because I started spending almost 24 hours a day with Lettie and Naíma; and tortures because… I started spending almost 24 hours a day with Lettie and Naíma.
When I accepted Lettie's offer to be the new teacher at her School, another part of my dream came true; a part that I had never imagined existed, but that was there, implied.
If in my dream I was married to her, we had a family and lived in that house, it was obvious that I also worked at her Martial Arts School. Now it made sense why my twin Daikon said he was training the Tenkochi attack to surprise his mother at a presentation at the so-called "School".
Lettie effectively did as I suggested and had another annex built. I watched her teach for a while before she gave me my own classes. She had a natural gift for teaching, but I couldn't help but notice in her some of the mannerisms and behaviors I had when I taught her during that one year of Training. We waited for our students every day at an entrance on the side of the hall. Most of them were children, who for some reason thought having a green alien as a teacher was the coolest thing in the world, and they would arrive every day with smiles on their faces (most often with a missing baby tooth) and hug me as they exclaimed, "Hello, Master Piccolo!"
It was good.
When I actually started teaching my own classes, it was terrifying to get used to being the center of attention in front of the students due to my introversion, especially since Lettie suggested that I should teach the teenage students.
"You know how it is," she said as she persuaded me. "This phase requires a little discipline à la Piccolo."
As we had anticipated, the addition of a new classroom and a new teacher meant that the number of students also increased. However, we were careful to always leave generous periods of free time so that we could train for the disaster that would arrive three years later.
At least my new job as a teacher distracted me from the fear and anxiety of that new threat to our world and those I love. However, the fact that I was now always in the presence of Lettie and Naíma from early morning until night after dinner, leaving only to sleep in the Lookout, did not soften the hissing voice of my Enemy in the least, nor did it erase the morbid images that he insisted on reminding me of at the most inconvenient times.
But I also had good moments. I witnessed my precious Naíma learning to talk and walk. Her first word was (lo and behold) "Chi-chi". Apparently, it was the easiest-sounding word for a baby (or I am just trying to fool myself because it wasn't "Piccolo").
Okay. Eventually, Naíma learned to say "Mommy", "Gohan", "Uncle Goku" and, of course, "Piccoyo" (she had trouble with the L in my name). Thank goodness, I repeat, THANK GOODNESS that she didn't address me as "Daddy", because, after all, we lived under the same roof from Monday to Monday, from 7 am to 9 pm, in a very, very family structure and bond.
I strongly suspect that Naíma did understand our private conversation on the porch the day she got her vaccines and avoided causing me any kind of embarrassment. My little girl was very smart.
I say that with confidence, because Naíma never ceased to amaze me. Each new day was like a big surprise for her, with a whole world to discover around her.
When Naíma learned to walk, it didn't take long for her to show her artistic abilities and taste for classical dance. I admit that I didn't have the courage to tell Lettie what Trunks told Goku, that in her future, Naíma gave up her dream of being a ballerina to help Bulma build the time machine.
However, I would do everything I could to make her dream come true in our timeline, and since from her early age, when we saw her inclination towards ballet, Lettie and I implemented fun and playful exercises into her routine to ensure that Naíma grew up with excellent strength, balance and flexibility for her future professional career. I even taught her how to control her Ki, after all, a ballerina also needed to be strong to handle so many complicated dance movements.
Gee, I seemed like Chi-chi! Since when did I become that?!
Anyway, speaking of her and her family, we started spending a lot of time together, now that Lettie, Goku, and Gohan and I needed to train more rigorously and diligently for the arrival of the Androids.
If it weren't for Lettie having done all the work of convincing Chi-chi about the importance of training when they became best friends, I bet we would've had a lot of problems with my former rival's wife.
To everyone's surprise, Chi-chi was receptive to the idea of the Training against the Androids, especially since she would be taking care of her dear and cute niece while the others went out to train (and she would still earn some money for it!).
But even though Lettie and I witnessed that small evolution in Chi-chi's marriage and even an improvement in the father-son relationship between Goku and Gohan, it didn't mean that we didn't see some quite embarrassing situations.
Chi-chi clearly resented Goku for not taking some initiative and look for a job and bring income to their house and, on several occasions, she used ME as an example of how I, even though I wasn't married to Lettie, was a worthy example of a hard-working man. Her words spoken in public for everyone to hear, of course, made me want to bury myself in the ground, so embarrassed I was. I would read that Lettie also felt the same way, turning red as a tomato when her sister-in-law made these comments.
Well, it was obvious that I was proud of being that so-called "worthy example of a hard-working man", because it only added to my fantasy that I was the unofficial husband-and-father of my girls. But, it also sadly reminded me of how much my relationship with Lettie and Naíma was still not the way I wanted it to be.
However, one day, all of Chi-chi's complaining came to a head, and in the end, I got myself into a big trouble, but I ended up fulfilling a wish expressed by Lettie on the day we vaccinated Naíma.
Chi-chi's car had broken down and, since Goku didn't know anything about these matters and simply didn't care about it at all, it was his wife who became responsible for sorting out all that bureaucracy and hassle, which made her quite stressed.
Lettie, who had also done her auto-suggestion and bought a simple car, offered to lend it to Chi-chi, but her stubborn and obstinate sister-in-law denied the offer, claiming that she would be in that bad situation until her husband came to his senses and took action to help her solve the problem with the broken car.
Lettie and I exchanged uncertain expressions when we heard her claim, because we knew that Goku would never come to his senses about these matters, since his mind only thought about Training and eating.
Result: they spent a long time with the car broken (it was a serious problem with the engine and would remain at the mechanic's for ages), and with each passing day, Chi-chi became more irritated and angry with Goku.
So, one afternoon, Lettie and I were returning from a hard training session in the mountains to Goku and Gohan's house with them (we had taken Naíma with us, because Chi-chi had to go buy groceries and didn't want to make her niece walk, since the nearest market in the area was an hour's walk away). As soon as we entered their house, we found a dirty and disheveled Chi-chi, sitting at the dining table, head down. Several torn market bags were scattered across the table.
Lettie and I immediately noticed something wrong with Chi-chi. Her face was all stained with several tears. Even Naíma noticed and murmured a sad "Aunt Chi-chi…". However, Goku didn't notice anything wrong with his wife and started to undress in front of us.
"Chi-chi, what happened?" asked Lettie.
"Oh!!! We sweated a lot today!" Goku interrupted, taking off his smelly t-shirt and throwing it in front of his wife. "Honey, is the bath ready yet? I'm starving! Make a nice dinner, okay? Gohan, will you take a bath with me?"
"Yeah!" Gohan was so happy with his father's presence that he didn't even pay attention to his mother's pitiful state.
However, I almost had a heart attack when Goku continued to undress in front of everyone without any pretense. Lettie was smart enough to quickly realize her brother's exorbitant naivety and covered her daughter's eyes and her own. I ran to the nearest bathroom, grabbed a bath towel and covered Goku before it was too late.
"Oh, thank you, Piccolo!" Goku smiled like a happy fool.
"Have some respect, you idiot!" I whispered to him through clenched teeth.
Goku was quite confused by my sudden scolding and opened his mouth to respond, however, it was Chi-chi who jumped from the chair and shouted, "I'VE HAD ENOUGH!!!"
There was silence. Everyone stared at her.
"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!" she exclaimed, panting. "GOKU, DO YOU THINK I'M YOUR MAID?! DO YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST COME HOME AND ASK FOR A BATH AND FOOD AS IF I WERE A ROBOT WITH NO FEELINGS???"
The atmosphere became pretty heavy. Lettie looked from one to the other, uncomfortable with that conflict. Gohan's eyes were already tearful as he witnessed his parents fighting once again.
"Huh?" Goku tilted his head, even more confused. "Why are you saying that, Chi-chi?"
"TODAY, I WAS LITERALLY CHASED BY A WILD BOAR ON MY WAY BACK FROM THE MARKET!!!" she replied, rising to her feet to be face to face with her husband. "AND I ALMOST FELL OFF A CLIFF!!! DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE DIE EVERY YEAR FROM WILD BOAR ATTACKS?!?!"
"And what do I have to do with it?" asked Goku.
Oh no.
"WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO WITH IT?!?!" Chi-chi turned purple. "WELL, MAYBE, IF YOU PAID MORE ATTENTION TO THE COUPLE ON THE NEXT MOUNTAIN, YOU WOULD SEE THAT THERE IS SOMETHING VERY WRONG WITH YOU!" She gestured to me. "YOU DON'T EVEN NEED TO LOOK AT OUR NEIGHBORS, LOOK AT PICCOLO! HE AND LETTIE ARE NOT EVEN MARRIED AND HE SHOWS MORE AFFECTION AND CONSIDERATION FOR HER THAN YOU HAVE SHOWN FOR ME SINCE WE GOT MARRIED!!! I'M JUST ASKING YOU TO GO TO THAT DAMN MECHANIC AND TAKE ME TO BUY GROCERIES, IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK?!?!"
"Oh, honey," replied Goku, "but as far as I know, Piccolo doesn't take my sister to buy groceries either. He also doesn't know how to drive."
Chi-chi turned to Lettie, livid. "Is that true?"
As I watched them two, I froze, and a sudden chill ran through my spine. Why was I nervous about that question??
"Yes, Chi-chi…" Lettie answered, embarrassed. "Piccolo always goes with me to the market, but… he doesn't have a driver's license."
For just a millisecond, my gaze met Lettie's. Whoa! Wait a minute! Was it just me, or did she seem… upset that I REALLY didn't have a driver's license?! Was I crazy, or was driving ability an attribute that women actually appreciated in men?!?!
I didn't need to rack my brains to try to guess, because her feelings revealed to me what I feared.
"WHAT?!" Chi-chi was alarmed by her sister-in-law's statement. "What do you mean, Piccolo doesn't have a driver's license?? Oh, but it won't stay that way!" She put her hands on her hips. "Well, then! I've been way too nice lately, but now I need to set some rules, otherwise things won't move forward in this house. Goku, you are FORBIDDEN from continuing your Training until you get a driver's license and solve our car problem."
"WH-WHAT?!" he screeched.
"Yes, sir!" she replied, as firm as a War General. "Tomorrow, you and Piccolo will go to the Driving School in the city to take the course and get your driver's license, AND I WILL NOT TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER!"
Dumbfounded, I stared at Lettie as I suddenly found myself forced to do something that had not even been a strict order from her. While Chi-chi and Goku were still discussing the matter, and Gohan and Naíma were laughing at the situation (which had become comical), I found myself gazing at Lettie for longer than I should have, and I saw a flash of amusement on her face and a satisfaction in seeing that I was no longer going to escape fulfilling her wish of finally getting that freaking driver's license.
I smiled to myself.
Alright, then. If Lettie wanted me to do it, then so be it. I was wrong to neglect her wish for so long, after all, wasn't that my role as an unofficial husband-and-father? To make sure my girls felt safe and secure, even with something as mundane as learning to drive?
So, as ordered by Chi-chi, in the next few days, Goku and I went to the Driving School to take the course to get our driver's licenses during my time off from the Martial Arts School.
It was a terrifying experience for both of us.
First because Lettie made fun of the outfit I wore to go to the Driving School. It was a very stylish outfit that I saw in a random magazine in her bathroom and copied, so I thought she would like it, but no! When she saw me dressed in jeans, a purple long t-shirt underneath a yellow t-shit on top, Lettie laughed out loud and said that I looked like a dude named "Will Smith", a character from a comedy TV show called "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (who the heck was that guy???). Naíma, on the other hand, really liked it and applauded me, but for a father, it's hard to trust your little daughter's taste, because children at that age tend to love everything you do.
The second reason was that I got a completely crazy instructor. Mad. Insane!!! On the outside, she was all sweet and delicate, but when she started the car to teach me how to drive, she turned into a wild and untamable beast. Goku, on the other hand, had the misfortune of getting a two-hundred-year-old man to be his instructor.
At some times, Lettie, Naíma, Gohan and Chi-chi would show up at the Driving School to shout words of encouragement as we drove along the lanes lined with orange cones. I confess that I would stand up straight when I spotted Lettie holding Naíma in her arms, the two of them smiling and waving enthusiastically at me as I passed them. Man, the feeling of being loved was wonderful…
"Enjoy it while they're alive," would say my Enemy, and melancholy would take over me.
Apart from these inconveniences, a few accidents and explosions on the way, and a dozen traumas for our instructors, Goku and I completed the course and got our driver's licenses. In celebration, Chi-chi made a nice dinner, which made Goku so happy that he promised that the next day he would go to the mechanic to tell him a few good words and DEMAND his car to be fixed at once. His declaration drew a passionate sigh from his wife.
Later, after dropping my girls off at home and putting Naíma to bed, I said goodbye to Lettie to go back to the Lookout, since we had class first thing the next day. However, before I could fly off from the yard, Lettie called me, ran down the porch stairs, stopped me, placed her hands on my chest and, pretty shy and blushing, said, "I-I want you to know that… I'm very proud of you, and also grateful that you… did this for me."
Her hands trembled against my chest, and I could read how her love feelings were high. Lettie was so beautiful, so perfect under the light of the moon and the stars, that I had to hold back everything I could to keep from taking her in my arms and kissing her until someone said enough.
But I repressed my desires and feelings.
I gently pushed her hands away and smiled, "It was nothing. Now, whenever you need me for an emergency with the car, just raise your Ki, and I'll come flying here."
Lettie seemed upset that I pushed her away, but she smiled back and thanked me again, saying goodbye and going into the house. The joy I had felt at my achievement gave way to the deepest sadness for once again pushing away the feelings of the woman I love, and I arrived at my room in the Lookout with a terrible headache. Fortunately, my father—I mean, Kami-sama had left a jar of Sacred Water for me on the bedside table.
However, over the next few months, my driver's license really came in handy. There were many times when Lettie raised her Ki to call me so we could take Naíma to the hospital due to some flu she had caught from her students. After all, we had a lot of children at School and that kind of problem was common.
For Lettie, a woman with a small child and a busy life, having someone like me to help her with simple tasks like doing groceries, taking care of small errands in the city, or taking them from one place to another (because it was cold and we wouldn't be crazy enough to put Naíma's health at risk by flying hundreds of meters above the ground), made our relationship, which, despite still having its problems, improve a lot.
I understood that, sometimes, all a woman wants and needs is to feel safe and supported by the man she lives with. And sometimes, simply getting a driver's license would help with that.
With each passing second, hour, day and month, I was surprised at how well Lettie, Naíma and I got along. Despite the rush of classes at School, our coexistence was so peaceful and warm... Like a refreshing balm after a tiring day.
Our routine was so natural that we seemed to have the ability to read each other's thoughts, and things simply... flowed. I believe I owe a good part of that to the experience I had in our "family life" with Lettie and Gohan during our Training against the Saiyans.
Naíma was the most adorable little girl in the world, bringing joy and light wherever she went with her life and smile. Nothing made me happier than hearing her call me "Piccoyo" in her high-pitched voice, although I still preferred it to be "Daddy", but unfortunately, I didn't have that luxury.
She and Gohan got wonderfully along, and her presence was essential so that her cousin would not lose his childish side in the midst of so much rigorous and heavy Training that we did every day. As Gohan had suggested in the tent that rainy day, years ago, he fulfilled his dream of finally having a little cousin to play explorer with in the forests around his house in his free time. It's a shame that the part of his dream that involved my marriage to Lettie didn't come true.
Even Goku would occasionally take time to play with his niece. But, despite the love I felt for my daughter, nothing surpassed what I felt for my sweet and dear Lettie during the three years we spent together.
It was so wonderful to wake up early in my room at the Lookout and know that in a few minutes I would see her and spend another whole day by her side. It was so wonderful to hear her voice in the classroom next to mine, instructing her students and having fun with them. It was so wonderful to watch her cook something different and see an nervous gleam in her eyes as she waited for my opinion. It was so wonderful to take a break from classes in the middle of the afternoon to train together in a secluded place and catch up on the fight rounds we used to have. It was so wonderful to have dinner together, clean the kitchen, put Naíma to bed and watch some TV at the end of the day just to relax before I left for the Lookout again…
It was so wonderful…
But it was also so hard…
It was so hard to remember how I had despised her when we had first met on Master Roshi's Island. It was so hard to know how much I had made her suffer at the beginning of our Training against the Saiyans. It was so hard when my Enemy relived the image of her body torn apart in the Hot Springs, covered in bruises caused by my hands. It was so hard to see the potential of our relationship, of our love, and not be able to move forward. It was so hard to have nightmares about Lettie and our children dying in my arms and my Enemy laughing in disdain at his triumph. It was so hard to see the threat of the Androids approaching and me training like crazy and consuming myself with anxiety over not knowing if I would be able to protect my family…
In the last few days before Trunks's deadline, Lettie and I became closer than ever. I can't say why or how it happened, but it seemed like a powerful force was drawing us closer and closer, making us want to be in each other's company at all times. Maybe it was due to the fear of losing her at any moment, but my feelings for Lettie were much stronger and more overwhelming.
To the point of exploding at any moment.
And they did.
The sum of all these factors culminated in the day when everything changed and fell apart: the day Lettie and I kissed for the first time, and Naíma called me "Daddy."
It was sunset of May 11th, the day before the Androids would arrive. Lettie and I had already planned a break for our students during that period, and we were chatting at the dinner table, waiting for a pie that she had baked to come out of the oven. Naíma, now about four years old, was playing by herself in her bedroom with some ballerina dolls I had bought for her last birthday.
A tense and worried atmosphere surrounded Lettie and me. Although we tried to disguise it with the simplicity of our daily routine, like a mere afternoon snack at the table, we knew that the mortal and imminent danger of the Androids had arrived.
It didn't matter how much we had trained during the last three years.
That terrified us.
After all, who wouldn't be terrified? Another global threat was knocking at our doors, and there we were again, preparing to face it without knowing if we would come out alive.
"What's wrong, Lettie?" I asked, drumming my fingers on the tabletop after seeing her even quieter than she had been in the last few days.
Silence.
"It's nothing..." She avoided my gaze in the chair next to me.
My heart burned with the desire to hug her and comfort her from whatever she was thinking or fearing. With sadness, I suppressed that desire, but I leaned towards her and asked, softly, "Lettie, talk to me."
She looked up with concern and, finally, confessed, shyly, "It's just... I couldn't turn into a Super Saiyan during the last three years of Training..."
"And neither could Gohan." I crossed my arms.
"He's a child, Piccolo. He still has a lot to learn. But as for me…" She sighed, "I'm a grown woman with so many responsibilities... I should have already done it, don't you think?"
"Is it because of that ridiculous comment from Vegeta?" I twisted my lips into a grimace. "Do you still think about that?"
"No! I swear it's not even because of that. But it's just…" She ran her hands through her short hair. "I tried so hard in this Training and still couldn't transform. It's frustrating when we dedicate ourselves to something and don't get any results, you know?"
I looked at her with compassion and replied, "Yes, I understand. However, think about it from another perspective. Remember when Goku said that the trigger to turn into a Super Saiyan is anger?"
"Yes, I do."
"Tell me: have you been angry with anyone in the last three years?"
"Well…" Lettie gave a half smile. "Except for that student who gave us a hard time and we almost had to expel him, no."
"Well, then!" I smiled back. "There's your answer. How do you expect to achieve something that depends on a feeling you rarely have?"
Lettie narrowed her eyes, seeming to ponder the matter.
"Listen," I continued in a gentle tone, "besides Gohan, you're the calmest and most centered person I know. There's no point in forcing yourself to become a Super Saiyan if the time hasn't come yet."
"And do you think that time will come?"
"Dunno." I shrugged. "Have you ever stopped to think that anger is a painful feeling and that you'll probably have to go through a bad experience to become a Super Saiyan?"
Lettie frowned, blinking several times. "Wow, that's right… I-I hadn't thought about that… From what you told me, my brother had to see Krillin die mercilessly by Freeza to be able to transform, right?"
"Yes," I nodded firmly. "I bet it wasn't pleasant for Goku, even if it gave him the bonus of the transformation."
"Yeah…" Lettie sighed, tired. "Thinking about it, it's a more complex matter than I imagined. I don't think I want to go through such a terrible feeling just to get stronger. Especially if the target of that suffering is Naíma, Gohan, Goku, Chi-chi or… you."
My heart raced in my chest when our eyes met and our feelings grew exponentially. Lettie quickly lowered her head to pick at her nails, but then she started sniffing softly.
She was crying.
I couldn't take it anymore.
"Hey, hey!" I knelt in front of her and took her hands. "What is it?"
Lettie raised her red and swollen eyes and then, touching my face affectionately, in a whisper, she said, "I don't want to lose you again."
I stared at her, astonished. It was as if a movie was playing in my head and I saw her there, in front of me, going through the aggressive pain of grief after my death in the fight against the Saiyans.
All by herself.
No… I couldn't let her go through that again. The burden of grief was mine alone to bear. Even with Naima, Gohan, Goku, and Chi-Chi by her side now, I couldn't let her suffer the pain of loss one more time.
"You will fail," my Enemy said. "This fight is already lost, and there will be no survivors."
I gritted my teeth at that evil voice and made a pained expression, wanting to get away from Lettie so she wouldn't notice.
But she did.
"Piccolo…" That was all she said, taking my face again and not allowing me to move away.
And that was enough.
We gazed at each other face to face. Her soft fingers ran around my jaw and, before I knew it, I had brushed her bangs away from her eyes and was holding her face, stroking her cheek with my thumb. Her pulse was racing against my hand.
No!
We involuntarily leaned in closer. Our breaths were shaky. I felt her sweet, warm breath, inviting me to come closer and closer.
Stop!!!
We closed our eyes and touched the tips of our noses. We stayed like that for a while, switching sides, feeling the touch of each other's skin, panting with an anguish for not to move away.
I remembered so many moments when I watched Lettie there, in that kitchen, preparing something incredible at the sink or stove. How many times did I want to come up behind her, hug her affectionately, slowly kissing her neck and moving up to her cheek, chin and finally, her mouth?
STOP IT, PICCOLO!!!
But I didn't stop, and neither did she. Suddenly, we shivered as our lips brushed against each other, and then we sealed them in a long, deep, soft kiss. I couldn't stay still any longer. I ran my hands up her back until I was holding her nape. Lettie hugged my neck tightly, and we opened our mouths to taste one another more; each touch and movement conveying a desperate fear that that would be the first and only time in our lives that we would be able to do that.
It was intense, ardent, and, above all, expected.
Another movie played in my head of all the moments I had lived with Lettie since I met her. How long had I wanted that? Since the day I returned to Earth? Since our last day of Training against the Saiyans? Or long before that, since I taught her to fly? I didn't even know anymore. I just knew that I wanted her. I wanted her forever. More than anything in this world.
And Lettie's feelings were mutual. Her heart exuded a love so deep, so pure and so graceful. She cried, softly, feeling completely fulfilled.
We wanted to stay there for all eternity.
"Congratulations," said my Enemy. "You've just signed her death sentence."
A panic seized me, and I realized what we were doing.
I pulled away from Lettie so quickly that I nearly fell backward. She stared at me, wide-eyed and frightened, tears still streaming down her face in a mixture of astonishment, confusion, and now disappointment. I could still feel the warmth and comforting softness of her lips on my mouth.
Oh no... I made a terrible mistake...
That kiss wasn't supposed to happen!
NO!!! WHAT DID I DO???
I jumped up, my chest rising and falling, still staring at Lettie and trying to understand what had just happened between us, when a soft, childish voice called out next to me, "Daddy?"
My heart almost stopped. Slowly, I turned my head and saw Naíma next to us. She was holding a ballerina doll in her hands and gazing at me with a bright gleam in her eyes, very similar to her mother's.
She then gave me a big smile full of emotion and, out of nowhere, declared, "Oh! I'm so happy that you and Mommy kissed! That means we'll finally be a family and you'll be my daddy forever, right?!?!"