Author's note: This story changes POV's between Piccolo and Lee. I will make it clear when the POV is changing by putting the person's name between some ~'s. (For example: ~Piccolo~) Also, let me note that at the end of all my previous stories; I'm not writing poems. Those are song lyrics ;) So…here's my next story :) Have fun!

 ~Lee~

The smooth, cool clay felt good under my hands. I used my good foot to push the pedal that worked the turntable when I needed it to turn. My other foot was still in a cast, but now it was a walking cast. I'm glad too; crutches suck. At the moment though, my attention wasn't on anything but the clay. My sculpture was almost done. Yeah, that's right. I was making a sculpture of Piccolo's face and head. If I could see I'd have probably painted a picture. But ah, painting is too common these days.

Piccolo…I could say a lot about him. He's arrogant. He's mean. He's a really big jerk. I don't think he smiles much. But deep inside, he's lonely. So he acts all mean to keep others from noticing. Well, it didn't work on me. I know he can be nice. We haven't spoken since the day he gave me back my cane, but I have a feeling that he's around and watching me. Don't ask. It's just a feeling.

I wiped the excess clay off my hands and fingers, then slowly put the sculpture in the special oven to be baked so that it would be permanent. I set the timer for about half an hour and then settled down with my latest issue of a Braille version of Teen magazine and started to read. The short walk from the 'office' that I used to do my sculpting and my room was short(the rooms were next door to each other), but it still tired me. Dragging that stupid cast is like wearing a cement shoe!

Heavy footsteps clomped up the stairs to my room. "Hey Punkin!"

I jerked my head up. Only one person had a voice like that. "Dad!" I cried, holding out my arms to him. I was instantly hugged and lifted off the ground slightly. My mother and father are divorced. I hardly ever get to see my father anymore, so when he shows up, it's a big deal. I do love my father most of the time.

Sometimes…sometimes when he gets really angry, he hits me. And my mother. Usually when he's angry and drunk. That's why my parents are divorced.

"You're huge! How's my big girl?"

I wrinkled my nose and gave him my 'impy' face. "I'm fine. I'm not a little girl anymore though, I'm eighteen, remember?"

He socked my shoulder lightly and his baritone laugh filled my ears the way rose petals rain down at a wedding. I loved to hear his laugh. It's so funny. Amidst his laugh, I heard the timer from the oven beep and limped into the room where my finished sculpture was waiting. The little conveyor belt hummed as the oven opened and allowed my sculpture to be scooted out. I could smell the hot clay, and feel the heat of my finished work before I got too close. In a few minutes, I'd be able to touch it.

"What'd you make?" Asked my dad.

"It's just a sculpture of a friend." I answered casually, but I was blushing a little. But as far as my dad knew, I was flushed by the heat of the oven next to me.

"Imaginary friend?" My dad's voice took on that you-must-be-joking tone.

"Piccolo isn't imaginary." I replied, frowning slightly. Then I sighed as I closed the oven doors.

"Um, alright." Dad commented as he turned to the door. I could hear his shoes scrape the ground as he turned and left my room. "Behave. I’m going out."

It was really late. I don’t know what time, exactly, but it was after midnight. I heard my father coming home, his feet dragging. Oh no, he was drunk. And my mother knew it too. She was really angry.

"David! Can't you come by here one fricken time without being drunk the night you show up!?" My mother shouted at him in her piercing voice. I heard her throw down the T.V. remote, and my father's shuffling footsteps. Mother started screaming at him again, saying words I didn't even know she knew.

"You ain't my boss, Amy." Father mumbled. I heard a glass bottle shatter as the door slammed. Right away, I started to become extremely frightened. I bunched up the sheets with my fist.

"I am when you're that messed up!" Mother yelled.

I pulled my blankets over my head and covered my ears to shut out the yelling, but I couldn't. I could still hear my father cussing and my mother screaming at him. Then I heard a sound like skin on skin…the way it sounds when someone slaps someone else. Tears formed in my eyes and trickled down my nose, soaking into my pillow. My heart seemed to stop and speed up, squeezing in on itself. There were heavy footsteps coming up the stairs, and I knew that my dad would be after me next. As if to confirm my fears, I felt my blanket being yanked off of my as my dad grabbed the back of my night gown.

"Dad! DAD STOP!" I screamed.

I heard my mother come running up the stairs, still screaming. Then I felt a stinging sensation on my cheek, followed by the rush of heat, as my dad hit me once. Then he hit me again. Again and again, each slap stinging worse then the one before. I kept screaming and trying to get free without hurting him.

"David STOP IT! YOU BASTARD!" My dad's grip was jerked around as my mother probably had tried to push him away from me.

I didn't understand what my dad said. He was too drunk to talk straight anymore. So I didn't understand why he started screaming. That is, until I heard the glass doors that led from my room to the small balcony outside suddenly explode inwards. My father was so frightened that he dropped me, but right after that I heard a heavy impact like a body running into another body. As if whoever just flew through the sliding glass doors had flown right into my father and knocked him down. My mother screamed, and I heard her running back downstairs.

I put on my slippers(I could fit one over my cast) and ran outside the best I could, away from the battle as the glass crunched and shifted under my feet. I crouched down on the cold, hard cement of the balcony and started to cry. My father was still yelling, but not as loud. And now he was yelling because he was scared, not angry. My father stopped yelling and started to whimper instead. There was a thump after that where I guess my father got dropped. And all I could do was cry, my hand over my left cheek where I knew there was a dark bruise forming.

And then I had the feeling I was being watched.

I have seen many violent things in my life. Normally, I don't really care because I'm used to it. But when I saw Lee's father attacking his own daughter…that really pissed me off. The home is supposed to be a safe place; I've never known what it's like to have a real home, but still. I can understand hitting a kid to discipline them, but hitting them for no reason is just wrong. Even I know that.

I had been sitting on the roof of the house across the way from where Lee lived. I could see into her window and see her clearly. I could also hear the yelling and the cursing. The way Lee was cringing told me that something wasn't right. And that's when I saw her own father go in there and start hitting her. I got up and flew across the yard, over the mermaid fountain and right through the sliding glass door to her room. Actually I didn't realize the door was shut, but a little glass is nothing. Lee's father let go of Lee the second he saw me, and I took that opportunity to tackle him, lift him up by his shirt collar and hold him away from Lee. Lee's mother let out a scream and ran out of the room, and I saw Lee go outside. Good, that meant she was out of harm's way.

Her father started screaming like a little baby and kicking his feet. The guy was so out of it that he even wet himself all over the floor and almost on my foot. Don't worry, I moved my foot out of the way. The guy stopped yelling and started to whimper instead, and since this person still seemed to mean something to Lee, I just dropped him on the floor in his own puddle of piss. Then I went to the door and looked down at Lee, who was huddled in a corner of the balcony, crying. For a long time, I just watched her, wondering why in the world anyone would want to hurt her.

I guess she knew somebody was there. Her head lifted and she seemed to be listening, and I saw a huge, dark bruise on her left cheek, just under her eye. Without making any sound, I took a few steps towards her. If she reached out, she would touch me. But she didn't move. Her head went down again, her face disappearing into her arms, which were folded over her drawn up knees.

I reached my hand out towards her, hesitated, then continued on until my palm came to rest against the back of her head. I guess she thought I was her father trying to make up for what he did, because she slapped my hand away and said, "Dad don't touch me."

"Lee, it's me." I said quietly as I put my hand against the back of her head again, and her head lifted.

"Piccolo?" She whispered, more tears streaming down her cheeks.

Lee didn't wait for me to answer her. She just got onto her knees, wrapped her arms around my waist and buried her face against my stomach. Her whole body shook as she started to sob. For a minute or two, I just stood there with my hand still on the back of her head, just combing my fingers through her hair. I sighed. This human could annoy me at times, but still, I hated seeing her hurt. After glancing around, I pried her arms off from my waist and knelt down. Lee's arms instantly wrapped back around me, only this time it was my neck and not my waist that she had ahold of.

"What did I do to make him do that to me?" I heard Lee ask herself quietly as she cried, her face buried in one of my shoulderpads. I could smell that faint vanilla scent of her hair again.

"You didn't do anything. It's his own damn fault and not yours." I answered her, keeping my anger out of my voice.

"I'm scared. What if he comes after me again?"

"Not on my watch, kid." I said, forcing myself to put my arms around her. I glanced inside the room and noticed that Lee's father had managed to get himself out of there, but his little piss puddle still darkened the fuzzy gray carpet.

By then, Lee had stopped crying, but her face remained buried against my shoulder. I picked her up carefully and carried her back inside, briefly kicking some of the glass out of the way, but I could still hear and feel some crunching under my shoes. Once inside, I put Lee down gently on her bed and had her lay down. I don't really know why I did this, but I carefully pulled her blankets back up over her. Then I turned to leave, throwing my cape over my shoulder.

"Piccolo?" Lee whispered, her face turning towards me.

Now I was getting a little annoyed. But I stopped myself from telling her to shut up and turned back to her. "Yeah?"

"Stay…just till I fall asleep. I'm afraid my dad will come back." Her voice cracked on the last word, almost like she couldn't stand to say it.

Well, I didn't really have anything else to do. "Sure."

"Thank you." Murmered Lee as she closed her eyes.

I sat down on the edge of her bed and sighed. She was afraid to even sleep in her own bed. That was enough to piss me off even more about her father. There were a zillion things I could do to that S.O.B. that would make him scream like a little girl. But since he was part of Lee's family, and she still loved him(a little anyway), I let the bastard live. My thoughts were interrupted by a hand grasping mine. I felt Lee's fingers exploring my hand, and couldn't help but look down at her and smile a little.

"You have a long lifeline." Lee said quietly as her finger passed over the fold in my palm that curved around where my thumb was.

"Yeah, I guess." I answered her. I hate to admit it, but I kind of liked it when she would touch me.

Her tone grew serious again and she asked, "Did your parents ever hit you?"

I hesitated. See, I never knew my father. I grew up by myself, all alone. All my life, all I ever knew was violence and hate, pain and rage. The only person that I've ever even remotely cared for was Gohan. Lee was a lot like Gohan when I first met and trained him. But unlike Gohan, there was no way that Lee could really change the way she was. She didn't have any powers to train. Anyway, I also began to wonder how I was going to tell her that Nameks don't exactly have mothers.

Taking a deep breath, I said in a flat tone, "I never knew my dad. Grew up on my own."

"What about your mother?"

"I don't have a mother. I don't reproduce like you do. I reproduce asexually. Even then, only a few of us can actually produce offspring." I sighed again. This was a little embarassing. But I knew Lee would understand. "Somebody killed my father, and just before he died he spit up the egg with me in it."

Lee rested the palm of her hand against the palm of mine, as if to compare size. I found myself smiling yet again. Her hand was so delicate compared to mine. And a totally different color. Pale peach against dark emerald green. I could feel her pulse through her fingertips. She turned her face up towards me, her eyes still closed. "You don't have women?"

"No women. No men either. Nameks don't really have a sex. I guess people just call me a 'he' because I look like a guy." I shrugged and gave an amused snort.

"You 'look' OK to me. And yeah, you sound like a guy too." She said, "I see how life can get lonely. No companionship…" Her fingers curled between my fingers so that her hand was interlocked with mine. "…no love." She was almost asleep. "Tell me that you can love…" I heard her swallow hard as a few more tears came from her eyes and soaked into the pillow. I closed my eyes with a sigh.

I held Lee's hand silently while she slowly cried herself to sleep. I wasn't really thinking much. Just watching her. I also became aware that I had been rubbing my thumb over the back of her hand the entire time. All had gone quiet in the house now, and I just hoped that Lee's mother wouldn't come in suddenly and see me sitting on Lee's bed. Heh, these days, people get the wrong idea over the dumbest things. Anyway, when Lee's hand finally relaxed, I slowly slid my hand away from hers and combed my fingers through her hair once.

"Yes, Lee. I can…" I whispered in response to her earlier question, keeping my hand lightly against her head. "I can…" Then I slowly got up, making as little noise as possible.Well, I usually don't make any sound, but right then, I could hear my own heart. I began to wonder if she could too. It seemed so loud.

Just as I turned to the window, I noticed something through the open door on my left. There was something on a brown, round table with a sheet over it. I know it wasn't any of my business…but…I was a little curious. So I crept into the room and towards that dirty gray sheet, reached my hand out and slowly lifted it. The sheet fell away and I saw…myself. Well, my head and neck anyway. It was sculpted in clay that was an ivory white color. And it was perfect. I mean, nothing was out of proportion. No goofy renditions. It was just me. I turned my head and glanced through the door at Lee while she slept as I replaced the sheet.

I tip-toed out of the side room and to the broken sliding glass door. Then I glanced back once more, smiled and left.

My mom got me up early the next morning. Of course, Piccolo was gone. But I was thankful to him for being there for me. I kind of feel sorry for him now, the way he's asexual. He can't have a companion and he can't…make love. I guess I can't blame him for being a grump now, can I?

"Lee, how's your face?" My mom asked, and I felt her finger brush against the bruise. I winced as it sent a pinprick of pain through me.

"It's fine, mom. Just use some makeup and cover it." I said. "What time is it?"

"It's eight-thirty."

"OK." I got up and went into the bathroom, did my duty and came out again, then rumaged in my closet and threw on some clothes and brushed my hair. By the time I had gone all through my morning routine of eating breakfast, harassing my cat and having my mom put some makeup over my bruise, it was almost ten in the morning. And I still had to do my Valentine's day shopping. But first, I had to go to the doctor's to get the cast off my ankle and foot. When I got back home from that, I grabbed myself some cash, then my cane and headed out. "Bye mom! I'm gonna go shopping and I'll be back later!"

"Don't get lost this time!" My mom shouted, her voice muffled by the door as I closed it. She had a good reason to be upset. After all, I hadn't been home again for five minutes and already I was out the door again. AND because of what happened the last time I got on the wrong bus. Looking back on that event…I find myself feeling glad it happened. I'm glad I met Piccolo.

"Right." I muttered. "Don't worry about me mom, I have someone to watch out for me." My cane tapped on the sidewalk, the only sound on my small street. Then I turned the corner and headed past the donut shop, getting a good whiff of the baking bread and various chocolate and jelly fillings. I could also smell coffee and cigarette smoke as well as car exhaust and the oil at the gas station. The street was buzzing with pedestrians, cars and bicycles. Bike chains clinked by me as occasional cars swept my hair up around my face.

I finally heard the love songs playing and knew I was right outside the Love Shoppe, a place to get little gifts for people. I went inside, the little bell chiming sweetly as I opened the door. Already, I could smell the various candies, as well as feel the cool air from the ventilation system. It always seems to be cold in shops.

"Can I help you?" Asked the manager from off to the left, his voice kind of raspy sounding. I heard him cough a few times and guessed he was either old or a smoker.

"No, not now, thank you. Just browsing." I replied politely as my cane tapped the turntable shelf for the jewelry. Raising my hand, I located the necklaces, examining them all with my fingertips. Some were rough, some were smooth. Some were thick and some were thin. There were others that were fat and flat. Others were thin and round. Then I found one, just one, that I liked. My fingertips slid along the chain until they found and made out the shape of two wings as I found the little charm. "Mister, how much is this?" I asked, holding up the necklace. A moment later I felt another chain bump my hand. I realized it was a two-pack. Twin necklaces.

"Oh that? Ten dollars." Replied the manager.

"Thank you." I said quietly as I paid for the necklace. The manager shoved the change into my right hand and the bag into my left hand. Geez, he had fingers that were big like sausages! I pocketed my change and then took hold of my cane again. On my way out, I reached up and touched my face to make sure the makeup was still there. Yup, I could still feel the powdery texture that wasn't at all my own skin. I just hoped it was enough to cover my bruise.

I made my way back to my house, snuck in and tossed the bag. I used a stamper that has my name on it to stamp my name onto the card a friend had bought for me to give to my mom. Then I stamped the envelope, sealed the card in and crept back downstairs. Once there, I left the envelope next to the coffee pot where I knew my mother would find it.

Then I snuck back out of the house again and went to the bus stop. Of course, the bus was fifteen freaking minutes late as always, but finally, I heard it hiss to a stop at the curb. The engine clanked as the door hissed open. I poked my head in and asked, "Is this bus leaving the city?"

"Yes ma'am." Said the bus driver. He had a deep, bass voice, and might even have been cute.

"Good." I made my way up the steps and deposited my change, then sat down and folded my cane in my lap. I could feel tons of people staring at me while the rest chattered away. One guy in the back seat had an annoying boombox going. I just sighed and lived with it until the bus came to the last stop. Then I got off and found myself in the silence that surrounded me the first time I ever entered the valley.

I could also hear Piccolo yelling. And…as strange as it seems…I heard another voice exactly like his. Two Piccolos? It was very hard to pinpoint his location because one second I'd hear his voice on the right, and then I'd hear him above me…it was really weird.

"Hey Piccolo! Where are you?" I finally called.

"Lee? AACK!" Piccolo paused and then I heard him let out a snarl as I guess he got hit. "Stop!" He said to someone else.

"Humph. You got distracted." Said the 'other Piccolo'. Then I heard an odd, disgusting squishing sound, and once again, I could only hear one voice now. I could also hear Piccolo's heavy breathing not too far away, so I followed the sound.

"Sorry if I interrupted anything." I said sheepishly.

Snarling, Piccolo seemed to be taller then before as he spoke, "Next time, wait for the training to pause before yelling at me!"

"OK." I nervously nodded, and I heard a rustle of cloth, which meant Piccolo had just put his cape and turban back on(I discovered that the 'hat' was a turban). There was a moment of awkward silence going on as Piccolo's breathing returned to normal. The wind picked up for a moment and I felt it blowing my hair around, some strands whipping me in the face. I could also hear Piccolo's cape rustling, and smell the dust in the dry air. It was warmer out today, that is, compared to the night I got lost.

"So why did you come all the way out here?" Asked Piccolo, his voice lowering from a snarl to a growl.

"Don't you know what day it is?" I asked, one of my eyebows raising a tiny bit.

"February 14. So what?"

"So…" I reached into my pocket and my fingers closed around the necklaces. I took one out, keeping it balled up in my fist so that Piccolo couldn't see it. "Give me your hand, please." A moment later, I heard Piccolo step closer and then he grasped my wrist, his grip firm and gentle as usual. His hands were always warm. I turned his hand so that the palm was up and pressed the necklace into his palm. "Here's my Valentine to you." I felt his hand slowly pull away from mine.

I was training in split form when I heard Lee shout at me. The second I took my eyes of my clone, my clone decided to kick me hard in the jaw. The bastard sent me flying, and then rubbed it in by making a snide comment about me not paying attention. That damn human! Oh well, since I had been training all night since I left Lee, I decided it was time for a break; My clone melted back into me and I threw on my turban and cape. I went off on her about how she needed to wait before the training paused before talking to me. She looked a little nervous for a moment. So I calmed myself down a little.

"So why did you come all the way out here?" I asked, feeling rather annoyed.

"Don't you know what day it is?" Lee asked, tilting her head back slightly so that her face was more or less pointed towards mine. I knew the date, but not what it meant.

"February 14. So what?" I asked, rolling my eyes.

"So…" Lee reached into her pocket for something, and her fist emerged with something hidden within her closed fingers. "Give me your hand, please." She asked. Since she asked nice, and I was cooling off now, I reached out and took her wrist carefully. She smiled slightly and turned my hand so that my palm was facing upwards. "Here's my Valentine to you." I felt her release something into my hand, and I pulled my hand away to look at what she just gave me.

I opened my fingers and saw a long gold chain. A necklace. But at the very end of it was a pair of gold wings. They glistened in the sunlight, contrasting with the green of my own hand. On the back of the little pair wings was an engraving that said: You and the one you love will never be apart as long as you keep these angel's wings close to your heart. It was sentimental. It was mushy…and yet I liked it. Nobody had ever given me a gift before. I found myself smiling as I closed my fingers around the necklace and saw that Lee had just put one on too. The little gold wings were glistening at her throat. A pair of wings exactly like the ones in my hand.

"Thank you, Lee." I said, my voice really quiet this time. Deep down, I was somewhat touched that she cared so much. Then again, I cared about her too. A lot. No, more then cared. Much more then I've ever cared for anyone else.

Lee smiled up towards me. "All angels need their wings, Piccolo. And you're my Guardian Angel."

Me? Me, an angel…a Guardian Angel?! I was really, seriously, surprised to hear her call me that. Lee walked over to me and put her arms around my waist and hugged me. This time, it wasn't as hard for me to hug her back, and I even bent my head down and took a whiff of her hair, which smelled like vanilla as always.

"Here, I'll help you put it on." She said, smiling as she slid the necklace out of my hand. She had to reach around my neck to get the clasp together, and it really amazed me that she could do it without sight. The necklace was just the perfect length; the little wings rested right over my heart. Then I noticed that Lee's face was just inches away from mine. So close that I could feel her breath on my lips. It felt warm and moist.

"Lee…" I started, then stopped. This was going to be really hard for me to say, "Lee…I love this…gift." I paused. Her eyes blinked and she smiled slightly. I caught myself looking at her eyes again, searching them. "Why did you go do this?" I asked her.

Lee brought one hand around to my face, and I felt her fingertips passing over my lips, slowly. It was a caress, not just a touch. Every part of my mind was telling me to get away from this, to avoid it. But my heart…my heart was telling me to stay. I never listened to my heart until then. In that moment, for the first time in my life, my heart won over my mind.

For a long few moments, Lee didn't speak to answer my question. The silence was almost deafening, but then I saw her smile. She then said, "I did it because I love you. I don't care if you can or can't love me back. I just wanted to let you know what you mean to me."

I reached my fingers towards her face, gently passing them over her lips the way she had done to me. Lee's lips were soft, softer then I had thought they could be. For a moment or two, I just couldn't speak or even make a sound. I just kept my fingers gently against her lips. I brought my other hand up and moved the hand that was already on her face aside so that I was holding her face in my hands. All this time, I was wondering how this girl…this angel…had changed me the way she had. Maybe it was the way she needed my help. Maybe it was because she could 'see' into me the way nobody else could. Maybe I was just going soft. I don't know. I don't care. All I knew right then was that I loved her. I loved her. I may not have shown it enough, but deep down, that is how I felt. Sighing, I closed my eyes and started to speak and answer the question that she had just asked.

"I can…love. I…do love." The words were sticking to my tongue like flies to flypaper. It was frustrating, and I kicked myself mentally. Spit it out! I thought to myself. "Lee, I can love. And I…love…you." I paused and made sure the word 'love' stood out in my statement. I wanted Lee to know that I meant it. "I don't know what you did to my heart…or how…but I'm glad you did it." Slowly, I moved one hand up slightly and combed my fingers through her yellow blond hair.

Lee closed her eyes and smiled, and I found myself smiling too. I knew she knew I was smiling; her fingers were still on my lips. And by then, I was pretty much ignoring my mind's screams to get away. Besides, my heart was hammering in my ears, much easier to hear then my own thoughts. My heart was telling me something else now. And I listened.

I pulled her face closer, tipping her head back slightly. Then I tilted my head slightly to the left and inched my face closer to hers, the distance seeming so short and so long at the same time. My lips were probably a millimeter away from hers when I paused for a split second, knowing that my life would change forever. There was still time to walk away. I could just walk away and…go back to being alone. Back to the rage, the violence and the hatred. Back to wondering where I belonged and if I really had a purpose. Back to the endless wandering and searching.

But now, most of those questions had answers. Where did I belong? With Lee. What is my purpose? To protect her. Was I alone when she was with me? No. Knowing some of those answers brought me peace. A kind of peace that I never felt before. There was no way, no way at all, that I would throw it all away.

I closed small distance between my lips and Lee's. I kissed her gently, and I felt her give a faint gasp of surprise as she kissed me back. We lingered with our lips gently touching as the rest of the world seemed to slow to a stop around us for those long few moments. We were a video tape on pause. We were a sculpture on a mountain. We were in love.

Lee's arms encircled my neck as our lips moved together in a sort of harmony. I gladly returned her embrace, pulling her closer, holding her as close to my heart as I could. And in my heart is where she would always be. My Lee, the one who brought me the gift of love on an angel's wings.

***