It was a glorious evening out in the valley. The sun looked huge as it set way out in the distance, turning the sky red, gold, pink and purple. Stars were coming out and nocturnal animals were starting to stir.

Piccolo was meditating behind a waterfall and minding his own business when a shadow fell over him. He opened his eyes and smiled as he saw the familiar blond-haired, green-eyed shape on the other side, the wind blowing her short hair across her face as she gripped her cane in her left hand. Lee was smiling, reaching out and putting her hand into the waterfall to get herself a drink, unaware that she wasn't alone. Piccolo watched her with a smile for a few moments, then stood up and walked around the waterfall. "Hello Lee."

"Hiya Piccolo!" Lee reached her hand around, found him and gave him a hug. "You scared me you big goof."

Piccolo hugged her back and lowered his head, brushed his lips against the crown of her head and then rested his chin there. Oh, how he loved the smell of her hair. Lee was smiling as well, feeling safe while wrapped in these strong arms that protected her from everything. However, she started to smile with mischief as Piccolo released the hug to get himself a drink of water.

Lee kept a hand on Piccolo as he reached to get a drink, so she knew exactly where he was. So as soon as he was close enough to the water, she plunged her hand into the waterfall and flicked water right at him. Piccolo let a startled gasp, and for a moment he was silent, leaving Lee thinking that she had made him angry.

"Piccolo...I'm sorry. I thought you'd- Ack!" Lee's sentence was interrupted by water splashing her from the left. Piccolo was holding his hand under the waterfall in just the right way so the water was splashing onto her. Lee got soaked from head to toe, but fortunately, she was wearing a bathing suit under her clothes because she had just come back from a day at the beach. Piccolo just chuckled and flicked more water at her as she pulled her shirt off over her head, dropped her shorts and splashed into the lake.

"Aah!" He hopped back, but not fast enough to avoid getting as soaked as Lee.

"Oh, so you wanna be like that eh?" Piccolo grinned evilly as he took off his cape and turban, letting them hit the ground heavily so Lee would hear them. Then he climbed out of his gi(remember, he only has something between his legs when he wants there to be), dove into the water and caught Lee in his arms again, pulling them both under before surfacing. They both laughed, then went about thoroughly splashing each other.

Lee had finally gotten Piccolo to do something he'd never done in his life. She got him to have fun.

I need you like water
Like breath, like rain
I need you like mercy
From heaven's gate
There's a freedom in your arms
That carries me through
I need you

The next day, Piccolo was training when he heard a strange clomping sound. A sound almost like...a horse! Wondering how the hell a horse could get loose in the valley, Piccolo turned to the sound and saw Lee approaching. She was riding a jet-black horse, the rhythm of it's hooves falling in a way that resembled a heartbeat. "What the!?"

"Whoa girl." Lee pulled back on the reins to stop the horse, turned in Piccolo's general direction and smiled as the disturbed dust settled around the horse's hooves. "Hey Piccolo! If you're still there, hop on!"

"Where did you get that horse?" Piccolo asked in disbelief as he lowered to the ground and looked the animal over suspiciously. The wind caught his cape and caused it to rustle as it danced on the wind.

"My dad owns the ranch at the very edge of the city." Lee replied, smiling as she scooted up on the saddle and patted the spot she'd just freed up, "C'mon. You'll like it." Leather creaked as she shifted her weight a little more.

Piccolo was feeling a tad annoyed that his training was interrupted. BUT...he had also been training for twelve hours straight. It was about time he took a break. With a final 'humph', Piccolo levitated up and dropped down onto the saddle behind Lee, his legs bumping hers as he put his arms around her waist. He was a full head and shoulders taller then her when they sat this way. "How do you drive this thing?"

Laughing, Lee answered, "With the reins silly!" Her fingers tightened around the hard, worn leather reins as she jerked them faintly. The horse snorted and started to trot, the rise and fall of it's muscles slightly bouncing the two riders on its back.

"How fast can this animal go?" Piccolo asked, having seen horses on the run in those dumb old western films that he saw Master Roshi watching once. He snorted to himself, not believing that he was actually doing this.

Lee didn't answer him. She just grinned, dug her heels into the horse's sides and said, "Hyah! Giddy-up!" The horse took off like bat out of hell, and Piccolo's eyes widened momentarily in surprise as the wind smashed into his face. He could hear the hooves pounding into the ground and the horse grunting as it ran full out through the valley. It felt...almost like flying. Lee grinned, "How's the ride?"

Piccolo looked at her and smiled a little. She was more fun then the ride was. "It's great."

"Cool." She said, then added, "Here, gimme your hands." As she spoke, Lee took hold of Piccolo's wrists, marvelling again at the warmth of his skin, and put the reins into his hands. "Now you're in control."

"You do realize that I haven't the faintest clue how to drive this thing?" Piccolo held onto the reins like the steering wheel of the car he tried to drive while in driving school. Lee just rolled her deep green eyes, giggled and put her soft hands over his, guiding him through the motions that told the horse what to do, enjoying the feeling of having him right behind her as if watching over her.

It didn't take Piccolo long to figure out what Lee was teaching him, and within a few short minutes, he was driving the horse like a pro. And for a long time, they rode along through the valley with a cloud of dust in their wake.

Night was falling and the stars were almost all out, the sky looking like a black rose-petal that was covered in dewdrops. The sleeping horse was tied to a rock so it couldn't get away, it's ebony fur illuminated by a crackling campfire.

"No, you weight is supposed to be on your back leg. If someone sweeps the front leg, you'll fall on your face. Here." Lee heard Piccolo say as he grasped her thigh with one hand, put his other hand on her shoulder and shifted her weight back slightly. "There. Now, see?" She felt him tap his foot on her bent leg and was amazed when she didn't fall.

Piccolo was finding this a bit tougher then normal. He couldn't just show Lee a stance. He had to manipulate her into the stance to show her how to do it. Everything had to be done by touch and sound. But Piccolo didn't mind. He was enjoying it actually, and smiled as he held onto Lee's wrist and guided her as to how a punch is properly thrown. He let go, he put his hand up and watched Lee bite her lip in determination as she attempted to throw the punch that he had taught her. Her fist flew and impacted his palm with a loud slapping sound.

"Ouch!" Lee started to laugh, pulling her hand back and shaking it to get rid of the sting. "I can see why fighting you must be a pain."

Piccolo snorted in response. "Don't flatter yourself. Now you see why handling you is such a chore." He was answered with Lee walking around behind him, jumping up onto his back with her arms wrapping around his neck and her legs wrapping around his waist.

"Is that so?" She laughed, her lips brushing the warm skin of his ear, "I think I handle myself pretty well in the proper situations."

"Oh, I see." Piccolo teased, smirking as she hopped down again and came around in front of him with a grin plastered across her cute face. She turned around, leaned her back against him and put his arms around her waist, her hands still resting against his. "I'll show you proper..." He tightened his grip to make sure she wouldn't slip, bent one leg and lifted off, carrying Lee with him into the night sky.

Lee squealed and laughed as the wind blew into her face. She could also hear it making Piccolo's cape rustle. Her heart was pounding, and she new she should have been frightened, but once again she wasn't because Piccolo was the one holding her. Piccolo couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he watched Lee open her arms as if she were flying herself, and surprised her by pulling a loop.

"Whoa!" She shrieked in exhilaration, then laughed at the roller-coaster like feeling she was getting. "Piccolo, I can NOT believe you did that!"

"Well, then believe this!" He pulled a barrel roll, but not too fast because he knew that going too fast would hurt her. Lee was laughing still as the wind blew the side of her face, the feeling of flying being like the ultimate freedom for her. She could leave the world behind for a time and only be with the one person she loved.

Together, the two figures continued to fly together, Lee eventually managing to turn herself around so that they were facing each other. She hung on tight and let out another scream as Piccolo took her into a dive and rose again, spinning around just to really confuse her. Lee just laughed, and Piccolo turned his head to find his face an inch away from hers, his emotions for her starting to rush up in his heart the way the wind was rushing around him.

Lee and Piccolo finally landed at the same spot they took off from, both of them smiling. Piccolo watched how Lee picked her way to a spot and sat down. His curiosity was really starting to get the better of him as he threw his cape over his shoulder and went over to sit down next to her. He really wanted to know why she hadn't been frightened of him when they first met.

"Hey Lee...I kinda have something I need to ask you." Piccolo began as he opened his canteen and took a drink, then offered some to Lee.

"Sure." Lee answered, sipping the water and then holding the canteen out so Piccolo could take it. She felt his fingers brush hers as he took the canteen and set it aside.

Piccolo nodded silently and sighed, "I know this question might sound pretty stupid to you, but how do you manage to get around everyday when you can't see a thing? I mean...your cane can tell you if there's a tree in your path, but it won't tell you if there's a low branch in front of you."

Lee giggled at his question, not minding that he was asking about the way she was, and answered, "It's easy. I just remember the branch was there and duck the next time." She joked. "Usually I just reach up and feel it to see how big it is so I can go around it. But I'm pretty short so I don't have to worry. The biggest worry is unfamiliar places. I have to explore the whole place and get a map in my head before I can just mosey along." She smiled, her green eyes catching the firelight. Aside from looking a little unfocused, a person couldn't tell she was blind until they watched the way she behaved.

"Hands for eyes, I suppose." Piccolo said to himself. He saw Lee nod in agreement, then felt her hands grasp his wrists.

"Close your eyes."

"Why?"

Lee smiled, "So you can see me the way I see you."

Piccolo closed his eyes and smiled slightly as he felt Lee guide his hands to her face and place them against her soft cheeks. Her skin felt warm and soft to his fingertips as he lightly brushed his thumbs over her eyebrows. His fingertips explored her soft, small lips and the curve of her chin. He felt the gentle rise of her tipped-up nose and the softness of her hair. Piccolo found himself thinking she was beautiful, even when he couldn't see her. And he finally understood what she felt when she had studied his face for the first time.

Lee couldn't see what a person looked like. She could only feel. She had felt whatever inner beauty Piccolo had. Just like he had felt hers a moment ago. Piccolo smiled at the thought as he tilted his head to the left slightly, leaned forwards and covered Lee's lips with his.

And the fire flickered like a guardian, scaring away the chill of the evening as the two figures settled down onto the ground to do more then just an innocent little kiss.

The mental link that Piccolo had established with Lee slowly ebbed and he gently pulled his lips away from hers as he lied there with his arms around her, his bare skin gleaming a blazing emerald green compared to the almost copper tone Lee's was taking on from the dancing firelight of the fading campfire. The firelight was also making her hair seem to shine an almost golden color. Lee smiled as he pulled away, feeling him leave her mind again and closed her eyes as she rested her head against his chest. The emotions and sensations were just as powerful as they had been the first time.

"This must be Heaven." Lee whispered, turning her face up towards his. "It's the only place where people can be this happy."

"Maybe we're closer to Heaven then we think, Lee." Piccolo replied, combing his fingers through her hair. "They just dropped off an Angel and she just happened to be you." He smiled as he forgot to be macho for a moment, letting Lee's fingers touch his lips, then reach up and honk his nose as she chuckled back at him. Then she brought her face up and kissed him gently.

"I thought you were the one they dropped off." She chided with a grin. Piccolo snorted in response and rubbed his hand over her back. Lee loved feeling his hands on her. It always amazed her that a person that once used those same hands to kill people could be so gentle, and she smiled as a long silence came between them for a time. Finally, she closed her eyes, brushed her fingertips over his lips again and whispered, "Promise you'll stay with me, Piccolo. Promise you'll never leave."

Piccolo turned his head to look at her, his antennae brushing her forehead gently and ruffling her bangs. He brought his hand around, cupped her face gently in his palm and kissed her fingertips since they were still on his lips. "I promise." Lee smiled and curled her arms around his neck to kiss him again.

The campfire was going out and its warmth was fading, but they didn't mind. The fire in their hearts was an out of control blaze that would keep them warm until beyond the end of time.