"No, Serena. It's Bonjour, not Au Revoir."

Serena scowled and threw her book in Kakarot's lap. "This is stupid! Why do we have to learn another language anyway? Isn't Japanese enough?"

Kakarot sighed, pulled Serena back down into her chair, and continued with their homework. "Communication is important and without the words, how can you do that?"

"Speech isn't the only form of communication!"

"Don't give me that look!" Kakarot growled back, "You're the one that failed the last test!"

"I hate homework, I hate studying and I hate being inside when we should be outside enjoying the fresh air and sunshine!"

"You're grounded!"

"Thanks for reminding me."

"Serena!" She cringed, wanting to sink beneath the kitchen table. Her mother stormed into the kitchen, her spatula twirling in her hand. "You made a thirty? How dare you come home with grades like that!"

"But?"

"No buts! You're going to study every day after school until I see a significant improvement on your grades young lady."

"Mom! There's more to life than books!"

"Like what?"

"Well, like, like... shopping and video games! There's a great new arcade on the way to school and..."

"Kakarot are you teaching her bad habits?"

Kakarot knew he would somehow be dragged into this and almost wanted to go hunt down his not so friendly brothers. "No, Mrs. Tuskino. I'll help pull her grades up."

"Where have you been the past several months?"

"Track."

"Oh yeah. I heard that your school may make it to the national championships."

Kakarot smirked. "I've qualified to make it to the Olympics."

Serena shoved the table away and left, stormed up stairs to her room, and slammed her door shut. Kakarot sighed, wondering why his best friend was so angry with him all the time. "I'll see you in the morning, Mrs. Tuskino."

"Oh?"

"Serena has a hard time waking up in the morning, no? I promised the teacher she wouldn't be late again."

Placing a plate of noodles in front of him, Mrs. Tuskino watched as the young boy ate his lunch. "Have you not been adopted yet, Kakarot?"

"No, but I'm ok."

"Isn't that lonely?"

"Not really. I can't explain it, but I don't think I've ever had anyone that I've called mother or father. Thanks for lunch."

Mrs. Tuskino shook her head, feeling sorry for the lonely child. She had noticed the way her daughter had been pushing him away lately, depressed about him being in track and not coming by as much as he did when they were small. That was also when Serena stopped caring about her grades and school. 'Oh Serena.'

"Help us! They're coming!"

"Who are you?"

"Princess, set us free!"

Serena woke, a scream caught in the back of her throat. "Not again," she whispered. "How many times must I hear their screams? How many times must I see those girls die? Who are they and why me?"

Climbing out of bed, she noticed that it was 0330, long before other students would be getting ready for school. Grabbing her books, she wrote a note on the table and left. Serena didn't know where she was going to go, only that she needed to get away from the nightmares that plagued her every sleeping moment. She was exhausted and often hid the circles under her eyes by applying make-up.

Serena walked for a long time, finding a fountain in a deserted park. She hated Kakarot not being around; they use to talk about everything. Taking out her homework, she flipped through the pages of her science book. A small smile lit up her features, "I bet he doesn't even expect me to pass our test today."

The morning breeze blew her hair back and the darkness gave way to the first grey shadows of the morning. She almost missed the sound of heavy breathing and someone passing by, but as he paused and turned back, she glanced up and gasped. "You..."

"Meat ball head," he taunted, wiping the sweat from his brow. "You're out early."

"Have a problem with that?"

"No, but your friend might."

"I can take care of myself."

"Yeah right."

"You're such a jerk, Darien!"

He leaned over, hands on his knees and sneered, "Yeah, but at least I make better grades than you. I've seen your posted grades, Serena. You went from the top five percent to nearly dead last."

"So what," she scowled.

"Meat ball head, you'll never make it past the entrance exams."

"I can too!"

"I bet my entire paycheck that you can't make an A on your next test. I won't even ask you to come in first."

"You're on! Only I'll do one better. If I make the top grade, you take me shopping!"

Darien laughed as he started running again. "I'll see you after school then."

"Ohhh... I hate him!"

Checking her watch, "Oh no! I have five minutes to get to class!"

"Where is she?" Kakarot growled, pacing in front of the school building.

"She's just an onna," Turles said. "Why do you hang out with her so much?"

"Why shouldn't I?"

"She's an onna."

"Some of us prefer friends, Turles."

"That's why we're still in the orphanage, right?"

Kakarot turned his back, but was surprised to feel Turles's hand fall on his shoulder. "She's different, Turles."

"Kakarot, you envy not having parents like she does. That's why you continue to go to her home. We're not wanted Kakarot and never will be."

"I don't believe you!" Kakarot whirled on his brother, "Why are you so angry all the time?"

Turles lifted his head towards the sky, "I don't remember. But I have no reason to like these people either."

"But... we're the same."

Turles laughed and grabbed his brother's tail; "Are we? Then why, little brother, do we have these? No human has a tail."

"Then what are we?"

"I told you; I can't remember!" Turles snarled back. "I promise, once she knows our secret, Serena will call us a freak like everyone else!"

"Serena isn't like that!"

"We'll see, little brother."

Turles left the school yard, leaving Kakarot to his thoughts. He was about to give up on Serena when he saw her round the corner and crash into him. "Kakarot, am I late?"

"Where were you this morning?"

"In the park. Why?"

"I came to the house and you weren't there."

"Why didn't you say something last night?"

"How can I when you don't talk to me anymore? Serena, is something wrong? I know you're not sleeping. Your mother told me that you wake up screaming every night."

Serena paled. "Come on, Kakarot. We have a test to take."

"But..."

"I have a promise to keep." Serena smiled, the first that Kakarot had seen in several weeks.

'Why won't she talk to me?' Kakarot screamed to himself, wondering if Turles was right about her. 'Is she like everyone else?'

"Class; you have one hour to complete the test." The sound of pencils scratching on paper and students chewing on the erasers was the only thing everyone heard for the next hour. The first person to finish was a young girl with blue hair, followed closely by Vegeta and Turles.

The girl's name was Amy, but she had yet to talk with anyone. She had arrived to the Juuban district about a week ago, but it was well known that she could have chosen a private school for girls. She was the brightest student in Japan and all the teachers expected great accomplisments in her future. As a result of her good grades and lack of friends, the students called Amy a snob, but Serena saw a lonely student that knew nothing but her books. What did everyone expect from a person with an IQ over 300. "Bet she'd give Vegeta a run for his money." The thought was amusing, to Serena.

"Damn!" Serena growled. "I was suppose to get first!"

"Why? At least you won't be grounded when you get home."

"True. I'm going to the arcade."

"But..."

"See you later, Kakarot."

"You didn't tell her," Raditz commented, coming up beside his brother.

"She's busy," Kakarot whispered, heading for the school bus. "Why would she want to see me run anyway?" Vegeta, unseen by the others, left.

Half way to the arcade, Serena stopped to sit on a bench. Her legs felt heavy and everything spun out of control. "I'm so dizzy..."

"Why didn't you go to the track meet?" Startled, she turned to see Vegeta standing behind her, his expression angry. "You claim to be his friend," he accused, "yet all I've seen is you constantly hurting him!"

"He is my..."

"Then why do you ignore him?"

"I..." Serena tried to think, 'Why is it so hot?' "When is the race?"

"At 1800."

"Can we get there in time?"

"If we run."

Serena groaned, but decided to fight the wave of dizziness and follow Vegeta. 'Kakarot, I'm sorry. Why didn't you tell me? I've got to make it, but I need to rest for a minute.'

She never saw the crack in the side-walk, not until she went flying towards the pavement face first. Serena tried to get back up, but found the pavement cool against her skin. 'Just a small nap.'

Vegeta heard a cry and turned. He started to say something, but stopped as he watched how difficult it was for her to move. Kneeling down, he touched her face and hissed. Her skin was like a furnace, her breath coming fast and hard. "She needs a doctor," a voice said, coming up behind him.

"Why?"

"She'll die if you don't. I think she has pneumonia and the flu."

"Why didn't she stay home then?" Vegeta easily lifted Serena and followed the girl. "Where are we going? Only rich people come to this area."

"My mother's a doctor and we don't have time to get her to another hospital."

The building was white and clean, doctors glancing up as they passed through the long corridors. "I hate hospitals," Vegeta growled.

The girl giggled, "A lot of people do. I think it's because of the shots."

"What's your name?"

"Amy Mizuno. You must be Vegeta."

"How?"

"You never smile and you're the second smartest person in the school."

"The last time I checked, we're tied for first place."

Amy smiled and opened a large white door, leading to an office that had a couch and a desk. "Put her down while I try to find my mother. She shouldn't get to cold." Finding a blanket, she laid it across Serena and quietly closed the door as she left.

Raditz quickly gained on his brother. "You're getting slower, little brother."

Kakarot laughed. He never felt as free as when he ran on the old country roads, leaving the other students behind. The only challenge was his older brother Raditz, and until now, he had never been able to beat him. "Then why are you breathing so hard?"

His brother tried to speed up, but Kakarot gave a final surge and left everything in his dust. Hollering in triumph, he came to the finish line and waited for his brother. He spotted Turles waiting on the side of a building, but Vegeta was no where to be seen. 'Odd, he's always here.'

Grabbing a towel, he wiped the sweat off his face and drank a gallon of water before he was able to breath normally again. Raditz tackled him to the ground and snatched his water. "Heh!" Kakarot shouted.

Raditz flipped into the bleachers, enjoying the startled exclamations of the crowd. "Thirsty, little brother?"

"No."

Raditz smirked, took another drink and tossed the jug back to his brother. "Why didn't you tell Serena about the race today, Kakarot?"

"She's busy."

"Kakarot, you two did everything together. What happened?"

"Turles, I thought you didn't like her?"

"I don't."

"Then why...?"

"Because we're brothers."

Kakarot didn't know what to say. Turles had a difficult time showing how he felt and he wondered if it had to do with anything before the bus accident. There was so much they didn't know or remember, but he found his brothers and Vegeta starting to relax as time passed. "I don't know what happened."

"Let's go," Turles ordered.

"To where?" Kakarot asked, surprised by his brothers sudden interest in Serena and himself.

"To see that onna friend of yours." Turles tilted his head back and smirked, "That doesn't mean I like her though."

Mrs. Tuskino answered the door and gave a sigh of relief. "Kakarot, thank god you're here. I don't know who else to call."

"Is something wrong?" Kakarot asked.

"I don't know. Serena never came home and Andrew said she never came to the arcade this afternoon. I didn't mean to get angry with her yesterday, but I wanted her to try in school."

Mrs. Tuskino broke down in sobs and Kakarot gently led her to a chair in the living room. "I'll find her, don't worry."

"She's been so unhappy lately, but I thought she would snap out of it. Kakarot, you're her best friend. Please find my baby girl!"

"Mom!" A boy of about ten came running into the house, "she wasn't at school or the ice cream shop!"

"Sammy, is your dad home yet?"

"Right behind him." Ken glanced at the boys in his house, but chose not to say anything under the circumstances. "I'll call the police."

Kakarot started to leave when Turles and Raditz forced him to sit back down on the couch. "Stay with her mother, Kakarot. We'll search for her."

"But..."

"She may come back and it's best that she saw you instead of us."

Kakarot nodded and watched as his brothers ran from the house and took different directions. At that moment, he felt a small connection between his brothers and wondered if they truly cared about him? Vegeta seemed to be the center point of their group; quiet and proud. On his back, he carried several scars, from where they didn't know.

'I'm so cold.' Serena shivered violently and opened her eyes, confused about her surroundings. She was in a white room with a single window, a couple of blankets wrapped around her body. "Where am I?" she croaked, unable to recognize her own voice.

"It's about time you wake up, Onna."

"I have a name, and it's not Onna."

"Hhmph. Why didn't you stay home?"

"I had a test," she answered, avoiding the real answer.

"A test that you could have re-taken."

"Not if I wanted to prove a point," she snapped back.

Vegeta smirked and pulled up a chair, "I see now why Kakarot spends all his time with you."

"Kakarot," she gasped. "The race! We have to..."

Vegeta shoved her back down, Serena staring at him with wide eyes. "The race is already over. You've been unconscious for two days."

Serena was so tired, "I need to call home."

"In a minute." Vegeta closed the door and made sure no one was listening before he sat on her bed. Keeping his voice low, "How long have you been having nightmares?"

Serena paled, "How...?"

"You've been talking the entire time. What do you see?"

"A beautiful white castle with gardens of lilies and the stars so close that you can actually reach out and touch them."

"What's so bad about that?"

Serena released a terrified sigh, "It suddenly changes, replaced by a thick, white fog and the air is filled with dying screams. I can smell their burning flesh."

Vegeta's eyes flashed, but he said nothing as she continued to repeat everything she had seen and heard. "I wander around in the darkness for hours, calling and wading through the sea of blood. Then I see them."

"Who?"

"Four girls, each wearing a different colored skirt. I can't see their faces, but I know they're in pain. If I don't find them, they're going to die!"

"Perhaps."

"Vegeta?"

"What?" he growled, growing tired of all the questions and conversation.

"Thank you."

It was the first time anyone had ever thanked him, making Vegeta feel uncertain. "I did it for Kakarot."

"He means a lot to you, doesn't he?"

"He's the only thing, other than his brothers, that I remember. I don't know why, but we're all very protective of him."

"Is someone trying to hurt him?" Serena asked.

"Perhaps."

"You're not use to talking with anyone, are you?"

"No."

The door opened and both turned to see the blue haired girl from class enter. She smiled shyly at them, followed by an older woman that looked similar. "Hello, Serena."

The doctor took her temperature, checked her vital signs and wrote a few things down on a clip board. "You're still very sick, Serena, but at least your fever has come down. I think you should stay a few days longer."

"I need to call home."

"We don't have a phone, but perhaps your friend can do it."

Vegeta snorted, but said nothing until after Amy's mother left. "You don't have to," Serena whispered, already slipping back into oblivion.

"Onna," he growled, pulling the blankets up to her chin.

"I'll stay with her," Amy volunteered.

Vegeta hesitated, but nodded. "Expect company," he warned.

For two days, Kakarot slept on the couch, hoping for a phone call or the door to open any minute. The police had found no sign of Serena, Raditz and Turles still searching the country. It was like she had vanished.

Mrs. Tuskino never left her chair by the window, her eyes puffy from tears and guilt. "My baby," she whimpered. Often, when Sammy walked back in the door, she would clutch him close and rock back and forth. Kakarot often thought that an orphan was always second best in a house hold, according to the rumors he had heard in the orphanage. Yet, as he watched Serena's adoptive family, he realized how much they all loved her. 'Serena, where are you?'

Kakarot felt helpless and wanted to be out searching for his best friend. He heard the sound of footsteps at the door and quickly ran outside to see Vegeta about to knock. "Is something...?"

"She's at the hospital," Vegeta said, already moving down the street. "I need some sleep."

Kakarot grabbed Vegeta's arm, "Why didn't you say something sooner?"

Vegeta's eyes narrowed, sending a cold shiver down Kakarot's spine. "Let go of me, Kakarot!" he snarled. "No one touches me!" Kakarot stepped back in surprise and wondered if he had seen the flash of fear in Vegeta's eyes.

Kakarot let Vegeta leave and went to shake Mrs. Tuskino awake. "Serena," she cried. Hope quickly died to disappointment and she started to drift back to sleep.

"I know where she is," he told her.

She was suddenly on her feet, her hands around his shirt collar. "Where? Is she hurt? When did you find out? Who hurt her?"

"She's in a hospital."

"My poor baby." Mrs. Tuskino quickly ran upstairs to get her husband. A few minutes later, they were ready to leave when Mr. Tuskino turned towards Kakarot. "Are you coming?"

"You mean... I thought..."

"Serena needs her friends, Kakarot. As far as I know, you're the only one."

Kakarot smiled and happily climbed into the back seat beside Sammy. Sammy gave him a hopeful look, "Do you think she's ok?" he asked fearfully.

"Yeah."

'Not again,' she cried in her sleep, trying to out run another dream. The same girls were there, with a young man dressed in a tuxedo who stood protectively behind a woman with long, blond hair and a red bow in her hair. 'I can't see this again!' But she did, the black shadow overwhelming the fighters, leaving nothing behind except a whisper; *Set us free*.

Serena woke up screaming, grabbed by a pair of arms. 'It was so real.'

"Serena," a voice called. It was Amy, her eyes filled with concern and fear. "You're burning up again. But you were getting better."

It was strange, but as Amy washed her forehead with a cool cloth, the dreams seemed to lose it's strength. She looked so much like one of the girls, but it was impossible. The senshi in her dreams were fighters; Amy was too busy studying to be fighting evil monsters. "I'm sorry," Serena said. "I didn't want to take away from your studies."

Amy laughed and pointed to the books on a nearby table. "Don't worry about it. I'm already ten chapters ahead."

"Wow. You must love to read."

"I want to be a doctor when I finish school. Sometimes I wonder if I'm doing enough. One mistake and I could lose my chance at medical school."

Serena relaxed as Amy ran her fingers through her long hair. It felt so familiar, "We should go shopping," she promised through her fever.

Smiling, Amy held the trembling girl. "I would love to."

Several people came into the room, one woman in tears the second she saw her daughter. "Serena, thank god. You're alive."

"She hasn't been awake long," Amy told them. "Serena, I'll be in the next room if you should..."

Serena quickly grabbed her hand, afraid of the dreams coming back. "Please, don't go." Amy saw the desperate need in the girl's expression and felt compelled to sit back down and hold her hand.

"What's wrong with her?" a little boy asked, scared that his sister might be dying.

"My mother's still running tests."

"Serena?"

Serena smiled, but was too weak to lift her head. "Did you win, Kakarot?"

"Huh?"

"The race."

"Yep."

Amy introduced her mother as she came back in, "Serena doesn't have cancer, but her brain waves are showing unusual activity. Has she been under a lot of stress lately?"

"No," Serena lied, afraid to tell anyone about her dreams.

"She needs her rest. Everyone can see her in the morning."

"Can I stay a few minutes longer, please?" Dr. Mizuno frowned, but finally relented and nodded.

After everyone, except for Amy and Kakarot, had left Serena gave a sigh of relief. "Serena, you were lying."

"How do you know that?" Amy asked.

Serena giggled. "He's always known when I wasn't telling the truth."

Kakarot studied her closer, spotting the dark circles under her eyes. "How long have you not been sleeping?"

"A month." Serena slowly told him what she had Vegeta, wondering what he would think. To her surprise, neither Amy nor Kakarot denied her nightmares. "You believe me?"

"Yes, but what does it mean?" Kakarot asked. "I don't think you need to be left alone, either."

"I'm a big girl, Kakarot. Who's going to hurt me, a gang of bullies?"

"Isn't that not how I found you?" he teased.

Kakarot sat on the steps of the hospital. A week had passed, but Serena showed no signs of getting better. He almost missed the black shadow near a trash can, shivering from the icy winds. Curious, he walked over and found a small black cat, a bandaid on her forehead. "You're in the wrong place, cat."

Picking her up, he carefully removed the bandaid, mezmerized by the blue eyes that stared back at him. He thought about putting her back down, but something told him that he should keep her. For several hours they sat in the sun before going back inside, knowing that Serena would be allowed visitors.

As he entered her room, the cat suddenly jumped from his arm and jumped on the bed and into her lap. Startled, Serena sat up and rubbed a hand over the soft, black fur. She started to speak, but froze. 'You...' she wanted to scream. 'I know you...'

The blue eyes blinked, 'I finally found you,' she replied. Serena felt a warmth wash over her and for the first time in over a month, all her dreams vanished. She smiled and pulled the cat closer.

'Yes you did,' she breathed, never wanting to let her go. 'I still don't understand.'

'In time, little bunny. In time.' The cat was purring loudly and before Kakarot could count to five, Serena was fast asleep, her fever gone.

'What just happened? It's like the two of them were communicating, but they never said anything.' He remembered a conversation they had had during a study session, 'Communication didn't always need words.'

He hoped that he had made the right decision, but he chose to leave the cat with Serena, grateful that she was finally getting well. The doctors would be baffled, but he couldn't miss the small smile on Serena's face before he walked out of the room and headed back to the orphanage.