Chapter 10___

After Dendea had been healed, he immediately glanced around franticly, and upon seeing nothing, looked up and saw Lute standing above him.

Dendea propped himself into a sitting position, and said "What happened?!? One second, I'm running, the next I'm unconscious, and now I'm here and the battle looks like it's over! Who won?"

Lute shook slightly, and said in a soft tone of voice "Everyone's fine..." Dendea smiled, but then he saw Lute hold up his hand to silence him, and finished "Except... my dad. He died."

Lute's eyes welled up with tears, but then he saw the upset look on Dendea's face, which only made it worse. He couldn't take speaking anymore, and before Dendea could get out a single consoling word, Lute had blasted off to a distant part of the lookout.

Dendea didn't know what to say. So he decided not to follow his new friend. He just healed the others and gave them the bad news.

---

Everyone's reaction to learning the happenings of the fight was different. When Yumcha heard that Piccolo was dead, he looked like he was about to have a heart attack. Krillan was the same way. Piccolo had few close friends, but the ones he had were loyal, as he was to them.

Then the rest of those who were at ground level came up, and all the girls except Bulma went to their husbands. Bulma, knowing someone who needed and would appreciate her concern much more, went to Oboe. She knew what it felt like to loose the guy you loved, not to mention that the two ladies were best friends.

"Hey, it's getting dark out. we should go somewhere inside." Videl said quietly an hour or so later when night began to fall. Almost instantly, Puar, Ranchi, Chi-chi, Videl, #18, Bulma, and Yen all opened their mouths to say that everyone could go to their houses when Oboe silenced them.

"You just get your boys and follow my direction." The girls approved, and all piled into a capsule car, and Oboe was about to go too when she remembered something. She asked the girls to wait for her, and ran back about thirty feet.

His body. It was still there. And Oboe couldn't bear the thought of leaving it behind. Oboe felt two auras behind her, and she whirled around to see...

"You go on ahead. We'll carry him." Gohan said forlornly. Vegeta stood behind him, silent. Oboe smiled softly, and nodded. Then she ran off back to the car.

As everyone took off, a voice from behind then chorused "Just don't let Chi-chi drive!!" Goku soon regretted his wisecrack, as a rolling pin, via his wife, connected soundly with his head. He apologized, and went back to his friends, flying behind the speeding aircar.

---

A good 150 miles later, Oboe told them to leave the car behind and get a ride up. The aircar was good for paved roads, "But it can't go through the terrain we're crossing." said Oboe as Bulma returned the car to it's capsule.

Then she flew to the back of the group, and Gohan and Vegeta. "Thank you." she said softly, "You know how much this means to me. I'll take him now. You need to fly your wives up."

Vegeta smiled, and said "I don't think that we did it just for you." as they gently handed him to her. Oboe clutched the body close, a single tear running from her deep blue eyes. Then everyone flew, or was flown, as Oboe led them. To wherever. They had no clue. They merely trusted her.

"Hey! Goku! Isn't that your place?" shouted Krillan aloud above the wind as they saw a small house, nestled near a forested cliff in the canyons.

"No, don't you remember? My house is miles from here!"

Oboe laughed, the first time in a long time, and said "That's not Goku's house you silly dolt! That's my house!"

Krillan then answered back "Your house? I didn't know you had one!"

"I have since Piccolo spent a year building it!"

"A YEAR! Must be a pretty nice house if he spent a YEAR on it!"

"It is really nice. And he made everything we needed for it!"

"That must have been hard!"

"It was. You should have seen him! But it's been built well. We've lived in it for the last six years, Lute for all his life."

With that final answer to Krillan, Oboe landed in front of the house, asked everyone to wait outside for a while, and went inside.

---

As Oboe walked through her home, it brought back memories. Happy memories. But they were not happy now, as she carried the limp form of her love in her arms. Upon reaching their room, she lay him down on the bed and sat down, eyes closed in a sigh.

The first thing upon opening her eyes that she saw was a small red rose, pressed in a frame.

That brought tears to her eyes. Tears of joy and sorrow.

Then she knew she had to leave the room and let the others in. But she couldn't go. Not yet.

"We will bring you back, Piccolo. That I swear." Oboe said aloud. She kissed him one last time, and went out to bring the others in.

---

"Wow, this place is HUGE! Looked kinda plain from the outside, is on the inside too, but it's nice." Krillan said, craning his neck to look at the ceiling, and then proceeding to fall on his backside.

Tien laughed, and said "Of course it's big to you! They're a lot bigger than you are."

Krillan nodded, rubbing his sore backside.

Upon seeing an opening he couldn't resist, Goten smiled and said "If you were living alone, your house would probably only be four feet tall!" He, Trunks, and Dendea almost fell over laughing. Lute smiled, and started laughing. Oboe smiled. It looked like her boy was making friends...

Krillan stood up, and shot a sour look at Goten. That only made the four laugh harder. Then Goku started laughing. By the time Krillan got them to shut up, everyone had been laughing, or at least smiling at one point.

Gohan turned to Oboe, still smiling from earlier, and said "You said he made everything here by himself?"

"Yes. Actually, I convinced him to let me help with some things, but this is really his work." Oboe looked at everyone, and said "If anyone wants to, they can stay here for the night."

After some agreeing and arguing, the ladies won their husbands over, and got to stay. Goku, Gohan, Tien, Yumcha, Chautzu, and Krillan went outside to practice. Chi-chi, Bulma, Puar, Ranchi, Yen, Videl, and #18 went outside to watch the fights and talk.

Vegeta continued to just sit in a chair while everyone except Oboe filed out to go elsewhere. He only got up when they were alone. Then he walked up to her and asked in a very quiet voice "Where is he? Piccolo I mean."

Oboe nodded and lead him to the room she had shared with her husband for the last six years. Upon opening the door, Vegeta turned to Oboe and was about to speak when she answered "I'll leave you alone now, if you wish."

He replied with a smile, and Oboe left the room.