A Namekian Affair, part 15

The Aftermath


Meanwhile, the people left outside were completely in shock about what they had just witnessed. Save for the few who already knew what was going on, they had all only been informed by Bulma that there was going to be a baby-shower for someone on the Lookout. To whom, she didn't tell. Also, most people did consider the place itself a little weird for such an occasion, but the blue-haired genius had only smiled and said it would all be explained in due time. Back then, had they even had the slightest idea of what was about to happen on this very day, they would have been at least somewhat prepared for the near-heart attack they all experienced; when they finally discovered that of all people the party had been arranged for the sturdy, serious, and wise Namekian warrior, whom most of them had previously thought to have been either just male, or asexual. Even more shocking for them was to actually witness this said loner-type alien not only being so heavily pregnant, which in itself was a completely out-of-this-world of an idea, but actually going into labor right before their eyes… and if they had heard correctly, Dende had referred to the baby as "theirs" so one begged the question if the young Guardian was indeed the father, and also, how was it possible?

Vegeta was the first one to snap out of it, right before Gohan, Mr. Popo and Goku stepped outside the Lookout.
"Live and learn… Never thought I'd see the day when the Namek turns out to be a woman." the Saiyan Prince chuckled, amused.
Videl was the next.
"Gohan!!" she yelled. "You knew about this? All this time!?"
"Well, I did, but…"
"Yeah, Gohan! What the hell?" Yamcha joined in the conversation. "You could have told us Piccolo was a female! Can you think how stupid we look now for thinking otherwise all these years?"

The others joined in the conversation demanding an explanation. Poor Gohan was soon feeling as if he was suffocating in the questions, but thankfully Korin saw his anguish and decided to help. He stepped up on the Lookout's porch and raised his voice:
"Hey all, listen!!"
They all stopped and looked at the old, white cat.
"There is a very reasonable explanation for all this. If you'd just let Gohan go, and give us a minute. Everything will be explained."
They obeyed, and started asking their questions from the cat, who shut them up again by waving nervously.
"Hey, it was my turn to speak, not yours! Sheesh!"

When the crowd got quiet, he went on.
"As I said, there's a logical explanation to all this."
"Yeah." Vegeta agreed. "The Namek's a woman who's into younger men. Bet she never wanted us to find out."
"Will you shut up!" Korin yelled.
"And no, you're wrong. Piccolo is not a woman."
The crowd looked at one another, and Krillin raised a hand.
"Then how come he's having a kid as we speak?"
"If you'd just let me explain!" The cat yelled, Gohan joining next to him on the porch.
"It's actually quite simple. Bulma explained it for me once she found out I knew what was going on. She had run some tests on both Piccolo and Dende, and discovered they are in fact hermaphrodites."
And as Yamcha was about to ask what it meant anyway, he decided to continue:
"…Which means they have both male and female genitalia and that enabled Piccolo to become… pregnant."
"Oh, that's right!" Krillin remembered. "That explains why we didn't see any females when we were on Namek! They don't have any to begin with!"
"Exactly." Korin continued.
"Hmph. Well, it still doesn't take away the fact that Piccolo obviously slept with the green squirt and got himself knocked up with the little Namek's kid. Really, they didn't think to use protection? Man, this is priceless!"
"Not that it was any of your business, Vegeta." Korin looked at the Saiyan Prince with a displeased look. "But I understand that neither Piccolo nor Dende knew this was possible. Considering that the last time two Nameks had successfully bred like this, was back when Guru was still young, before the cataclysm and all. Before this, both Piccolo and Dende only knew the asexual way their race is also able to reproduce, which is spitting out eggs by parthenogenesis. This thing, however… I suppose them being the only ones of their race on this planet brought them together and nature took care of the rest. And here we are.

The crowd was quiet for a while, as they digested what they had just learned. Some time went by, and finally the doors opened and Bulma stepped out, smiling.
"Bulma!!" Gohan called on her. "How is Piccolo? Is everything okay? Is the baby here yet?"
"He's dead tired as you can guess, but fine. Come on in, he wants to see you." she smiled.
"Meanwhile, you others can wait your turn." she continued, as she closed up the doors again.
She led the man through the corridors in Piccolo's room and let him in. And there he was, lying in bed, all covered up in his blanket. He lifted his head up as he saw Gohan approaching and casted a little smile.
Dende was sitting next to him on the left side of the bed.
"Hey Piccolo, Dende!" the demi-saiyan greeted.
"Hey kid." "Hey, Gohan!" were the answers he got.
"You wanted to see me?" he asked.
"Yeah, Piccolo and I thought that since you're ours, and especially Piccolo's, closest friend, that we'd let you in first." Dende smiled.
"So, the baby is here? Where is he?" Gohan asked, looking around.
Dende glanced at Piccolo, smiling, who nodded towards Gohan to come closer and with a proud little smile on his face; he slowly lifted up the blanket on his right side.

Gohan didn't believe at first what he saw.
"An egg?!"
"That's right." Piccolo said.
"It seems Namekians are born from eggs no matter which way they were conceived." Dende stated.
"It makes sense now…" Gohan agreed. "No wonder your entire gestation period seemed kind of… rushed."
"Yeah, I guess so." Piccolo said, feeling awkward.
"Any idea when he will hatch?" Gohan suddenly asked.
Both Dende and Piccolo perked up a little and looked at one another, looking baffled.
"I'd think it would take at least as long as the pregnancy itself, but I need to ask from Elder Muuri."
"Yeah, I'd guess so, too…" Gohan noted, trying to think what the biology books said about the incubation of bird and reptilian eggs.

Piccolo didn't say anything; he was just staring at the egg. It just sunk in him that now that he finally got it out of his body, he'd still be stuck carrying it with him until it hatched… Yet strangely, the idea didn't seem as unpleasant as he thought it would have. At least now he can move it around, and it won't prevent him from meditating. And he'd be able to train a little more now, too. He wouldn't admit it, but… now that the egg was there and he could feel the life-energy inside it, the idea of becoming a parent didn't seem as bad after all… And he wouldn't be alone in it, as Dende and Mr. Popo were there too. But then again, would he trust his son in the care of those two? Well, only time would tell. Piccolo ran a finger on the smooth surface of the egg, feeling the warmth. They said bye to Gohan who congratulated them on having the egg and left the room, with Mr. Popo walking in, and being completely awestruck after he saw the egg. The others came in small groups after him, but Piccolo hardly paid any attention on them; as a question Mr. Popo had asked sunk in his mind and wouldn't give him a rest as he hadn't given one thought on the issue before; what were they going to name their son after he hatched?