The best way to a man's heart is through his stomach - and that doesn't apply only to Saiyajins. Lunch should know; after all that was how she got her man, long before any of them knew what a Saiyajin was.
And that was why today she had all his favourite food prepared for the special occasion. She was not much of a cook, but she had her own ways of getting things done. And as her husband and children sat around the table enjoying the food and the festive atmosphere, the motherly side of her felt warm and happy. Chiaozu was here too - Tenshinhan's best friend was like a part of the family.
Tenshinhan said his prayer of thanks to Kami-sama. He's come a long way from the time when all he wanted to be was a killer. Now here he was, like any ordinary man, with a steady job, a wife and kids. The kids - all six of them, turned out well, and there's another one on the way.
It seemed like such a long time ago when he first met Son Goku and old Kamesennin, and when he made the decision to change his ways. From then on there was no turning back. At first it was hard to discard his loyalty to Tsuru-sennin, but he saw through the hatred and jealousy in his old teacher's heart. He left, together with Chiaozu, and then they had to battle the Demon King Piccolo with Goku and the others. They triumphed after a difficult battle, and then there was peace, before the Saiyajins came. During that time, he found himself thinking often of the blonde woman who was living with Kamesennin. She was fierce and reckless with her guns, yet there was another side to her - the shy black-haired Lunch. She was fascinating. He hadn't fully realised his own feelings when she had said she liked him, but being dead put a perspective on things. He couldn't deny anymore his attraction for her, but how was he going to tell her how he felt? And then there was the fact that he was supposed to be a monk. As it turns out, it was she who sought him out, and after a simple dinner they somehow found themselves together in bed.
But things didn't always run smoothly. He was an ex-killer who had betrayed his teacher. Tsurusennin sent his other students after him. He fought and trained and hid in order to defeat them, and somehow during that time he also lost contact with Lunch.
And then one day he happened to be in one of the big cities. A big-screen TV was showing a real life robbery at a local bank. He was shocked to see that the robber was none other than Lunch - a very pregnant Lunch.
Tneshinhan lost no time tracking her down and finding her. She had managed somehow to evade the police, but her lover's return had caught her in surprise. "Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded. "You are a warrior, and always will be," she had told him. "I don't want to tie you down." And only then, while on the run from the police did he tell her he loved her and asked her to marry him. But disappointingly, she refused. She didn't want him to marry her just because she was carrying his children. "Children?" Tenshinhan remembered his reaction upon learning that Lunch was pregnant with twins. As it was, the twins turned out fine, and they were not the only ones the couple had. But before all that were to happen, Tenshinhan had to face the most difficult task he had ever faced - to convince the stubborn and willful woman that he wanted, no, needed to spend the rest of his life with her. Lunch of course, had her doubts. Tenshinhan was a man of honour, and she had been afraid that he only asked her because it was the only honourable thing to do. Besides, didnn't he want to be a monk? But Tenshinhan persisted and finally, she agreed, and they were married just a week before Lunch gave birth.
Their life after that was quite difficult. They did not have a lot of money, just barely enough of Lunch's stashed loot from her robberies to support them for a while. Tenshinhan had to find a job to support his new family. He had no skills, except fighting, and killing. Since the latter was no longer an option, the only job he managed to find was as a bodyguard. He was hired by the famous and beautiful actress with a strange name, #18, and he did a good job of protecting her, even saving her life a few times. She paid him handsomely and treated him with respect, and he has stayed at the job until today. It has been more than ten years now and they are not merely employer and employee - they're friends.
Tenshinhan looked up from the dinner table to see the sweet smiling face of his wife - she had black hair today. Then one of the kids deliberately sprinkled pepper before her, and she sneezed. All hell broke loose.
Then amid the chaos, there was a knock on the door. Chiaozu opend the door and let their visitor in. The visitor laughed seeing the state the family was in - they were in the middle of a foodfight, even the stoic and serious Tenshinhan. He looked up at her, astonished and slightly embarrassed. "#18?" The actress nodded. "May I join in?" she asked.
And so this year's festival was celebrated by the Tenshinhan family together with #18. Every one was happy, and for the moment, loneliness was banished.