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To Live Again Chapter 2 - Daughter of Royalty by Fair Drea Bulma's mouth gaped open in shock as she watched the girl slip into unconsciousness. She had spoken in a soft voice, barley audible but Bulma had not missed a word of it. The girl had called Vegeta father. Closing her mouth, she turned her aqua gaze to her husband. "Poor thing must be delirious," she murmured. Vegeta grunted, staring down at the girl. Delirious? He doubted it. She may be sick to the point of death but those crystal blue eyes had been clear and knowing when she had stared up at him. Aside from that, she looked too much like Trunks for him to easily dismiss her words. But how? Then he remembered. That small town in the middle of nowhere, the friendly blond at the bar buying him drink after drink until he had become so intoxicated that all he remembered after that was walking up next to the woman. "Shit," he muttered, running a hand over his face. "Would you boys give us a moment?" Curiosity piqued but knowing better then to go against Vegeta, especially in a situation like this one, Gohan, Goten and Trunks left the room, the door shutting with a click behind them. Once they were alone Bulma turned to him. Her eyes narrowed in speculation. "What's going on Vegeta?" It was more a demand than an actual question. "First thing first woman. I may adore that sweet ass of yours but if you so much as get close to screeching I will make sure that sitting on it will be almost impossible for well over a week, got it?" Bulma nodded, secretly pleased to hear him admit that he adored her "sweet ass." "And remember," he continued. "This happened before I even knew you." "Vegeta..what are you saying?" Moving to the side of the bed, Vegeta looked down at the girl. She slept soundly now, lavender hair fanning around her. "Look at her Bulma. Who does she look like?" Bulma studied the girl for a moment then finally saw it. Her hand flew to her mouth. Now she knew why the girl's eyes had looked so familiar! "She..looks like Trunks." She whispered. "So what she called you.it's true?" Vegeta nodded. He glanced up at his wife, glad to see that she wasn't angry with him. "I was in some no-name town having a drink in the bar and thinking up ways to destroy the earth and of course Kakarott." Bulma smiled and shook her head at that comment. "There was a woman sitting next to me buying me drinks. I slept with her. I was too drunk to remember anything but I did wake up next to her in the morning." God, he was almost terrified to look at Bulma now. He was sure she'd be furious. "What makes you so sure that she's yours?" Bulma asked, her voice curious, not angry. Vegeta jerked his head up, surprised to see Bulma watching him thoughtfully. "She's a Saiyan for one, she looks like our son, and..I just know." Bulma was silent for a moment then she smiled and reached across the bed to take his hand. "I believe you Vegeta." She looked down at the sleeping girl and frowned. 'Ah, now here comes the angry screaming.' Vegeta thought with a smirk. The blue-haired woman rolled her eyes. "You think you know me so well." She muttered, reading his thoughts. "But you're wrong. I'm not angry. I was just wondering what happened to the poor thing. She's extremely malnourished. Her heart is struggling to keep her alive. I know it's horrible for me to think that her mother..I mean, I don't even know the woman." Bulma carefully peeled back the fabric of the girl's sweater to see just how thin she was. "You don't think that her mom-" Bulma's voice drifted away as she stared down in horror at what she had revealed. Not only was the girl frighteningly thin but also her entire body was a map of fading bruises and ugly, horrible cuts and scars. "Oh God." "I think that answers your question." Vegeta growled, rage filling him. Bulma saw her husbands control snap and quickly came around the bed, grabbing his muscular arm. "Vegeta, calm down. You don't know that it was her mother who did this. It could have been anyone. The only way we're going to find out what happened is from her and that's not going to happen right now. So just cool it, okay?" Vegeta closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. When he opened them again a trace of humor flashed in their onyx depths. "When the hell did you become so gutsy?" Bulma smiled. She slid her arms around her husbands trim waist. "I've been living with you for the past seventeen years, haven't I? It was either toughen up or hold a pillow over your face while you slept," she joked. "Very funny." "Okay." Leaning up she gave Vegeta a quick kiss. "I'm going to go see if we have any more blankets around here. Stay with her?" Vegeta nodded. Once Bulma disappeared he turned back to the girl, his daughter. She was beauty and innocence in its purest form and he could not help but love the little brat. A sudden frown creased her brow and she mad a plaintive whimpering noise, twisting her head to the side. Vegeta reached over and gently took one of her small hands in his. Instantly the frown disappeared. The girl sighed and relaxed, a trace of a smile upon her lips. Her actions were enough to ease any remaining doubts that the girl was his daughter. Behind him the door slid open. Vegeta inclined his head in a silent greeting to the three young Saiyans when they entered, only briefly raising his gaze from his daughter. "I don't suppose any of you would know her name?" "It's Aiden." Gohan said, standing on the other side of the bed opposite Vegeta. "What did Bulma say?" "Nothing good." Vegeta pushed his hands through his short black hair in frustration. "What are you two doing here anyway? I thought you had school?" "Yeah. We just skipped one class. We're going to head back soon." Trunks said, starring worriedly at his father. "Dad..what's wrong?" he questioned in a cautious voice. Vegeta threw his son a humorless smirk and gestured tiredly to Aiden. "Trunks, meet your sister." "WHAT?!" The three voices shouted simultaneously. Vegeta's smirk was replaced by a fired glare. The three demi-Saiyans glanced at the sleeping Aiden and quickly offered sheepish apologies. Trunks moved to stand beside Gohan and looked at his father. "How?" he asked. "If I ever hear of you doing anything like this it won't be me you're dealing with, it will be your mother." Vegeta growled. Trunks' eyes went wide but he nodded. "Before I met your mother, there was another woman. She was nothing to me. Just some needy female who got me far too drunk and now I have a daughter and you have a sister." "No wonder I felt so strange when I bumped into her," Trunk murmured, slightly shocked by the fact that he had an older sister. She even looked like him! How had he managed to miss that? It's not like a lot of people had lavender colored hair. "She's so tiny. What are we going to do with her?" "She's sick." Vegeta stated in a monotone voice. "We're going to do what we can to help her. Then..if everyone agrees to it, we'll offer her a home here as a part of our family." If anyone was surprised by Vegeta's words, they didn't show it. "I highly doubt she wants to go back to where she came from anyway." "What makes you say that?" Gohan asked. "Ask yourself if you really want to know the answer to your question." The tone of his voice should have warned Gohan that some things were best left unknown but Gohan's curiosity was eating him alive. He tried to remind himself that he didn't know her but that fact just didn't matter to him. Finding out who she was and what had happened to her, that's all that mattered. "Yeah. I do." Gohan said, holding Vegeta's cold stare. The older Saiyan's eyes narrowed then he shook his head. The sound of a metallic hiss filled the room as the door slid open and Bulma walked in, toting an armload of blankets and an extensive first aid kit. "What's wrong now?" she asked, irritation edging her words. "The boy wants to know why she wouldn't want to return to where she came from." Vegeta answered. Bulma released a frustrated sigh and threw her load of blankets on an empty table. "Alright. You two," she pointed to Trunks and Goten. "School, now. And Vegeta, I want you to go over to Goku's and get Chi Chi. Lord knows I'm going to need some help feeling all of you and taking care of Aiden. Gohan-" "I'm staying here." Bulma shook her head, watching the others leave. "You should be at school, Gohan. Your mom's going to freak out when she sees you here." "I'm not going." Gohan said softly. His dark gaze remained fixed on Aiden. "Not until I know that she's going to be okay." He could feel Bulma's eyes on him. "Gohan...I really don't think you should be here for this." The blue haired genius tried once more. Gohan turned to Bulma and gave her a sad smile. "I feel like it's my fault. I was sitting right next to her and I never even realized." He looked down at Aiden again. His chances of saving her could have been better if he would have just figured it out sooner. "Gohan," Bulma laid a hand on his shoulder, sighing when she saw the determination burning in his dark eyes. "Fine. But I warned you." She turned away from Gohan and put her full concentration into getting Aiden well. She reached over and brushed the girl's long bangs away from her face. "Aiden?" she called softly. Slowly, the girls eye lids opened, revealing tired looking crystal blue eyes. She stared at Bulma for a moment then looked past her at the tall demi-Saiyan who had come to her rescue in the hallway at school. "Gohan?" "I'm right here Aiden." Gohan moved around the bed to stand next to Aiden and get out of Bulma's way. His hand unconsciously took hers. She started to smile but then her features twisted in pain. "Am...am I still dying?" she whispered. Gohan shook his head. "No. We got you here in time. Bulma's going to help you get well. You just have to trust her, okay?" Aiden glanced warily at the blue-haired woman but nodded. In return, Bulma smiled. "You're not afraid of needles are you?" she asked, thinking of Goku's needle phobia. The girl slowly shook her head. "Good. I'm going to give you something that will ease the pain and help you sleep. Is that okay?" Relief swam in Aiden's eyes as once again she nodded and Bulma carefully made the injection, then dabbed at Aiden's skin with a cotton swab. The calming drug took effect almost immediately and Aiden's eyes drifted shut. Her breathing became the deep even breaths of slumber. Bulma moved away from the bed to wash her hands and put together some things she would need. She wasn't a doctor but common sense told her what she must do. Some of those cuts looked only days old and seriously needed mending. Gohan watched Bulma, his dark brows lowering with curiosity. "What's all that for?" ha asked when she returned to the bedside with a small tray of peroxide, cotton swabs and a thread and needle. Bulma only gave him a fleeting look and said, "I warned you Gohan," before she cautiously pulled Aiden's sweater off the sleeping girl. Normally, seeing a girl in this state of undress would have embarrassed Gohan but all he could do was stare in horror at the lacerations and bruises that seamed to cover the girls starved body. The damage that had been done to her was far worse than he had even imagined. "Oh shit." he swore softly, unable to tear his gaze away from the morbid sight. Bulma had already set to work, cleaning one large gash that went from underneath Aiden's breast down the length of her side. "None of us knows what happened to her so getting angry and seeking revenge is pointless," she murmured absently while she worked. Gohan remained silent. He had never seen anything like this before. Sure, he'd seen things get blown up, he'd seen his friend and family die, but he had never seen this kind of abuse. Bulma looked up from what she was doing and shook her head. Gohan had gone completely pale. Staying here would not do him any good. "Gohan, why don't you go wait for your mom and dad to get here?" Wordlessly, he nodded and got to his feet, leaving the room. Once out of the lab, sickness settled in the pit of his stomach. Who could possibly do such a thing? It couldn't have been hew own family..could it? Gohan ditched that idea. Bulma has said they knew nothing of Aiden's situation so there was no one he could place the blame on. He really wished there was though. He walked into the living room, sat down on one of the richly upholstered couches and stared straight ahead. The afternoon sun shone brightly through the large bay windows but it did nothing to improve his mood. A vision of Aiden's small, mistreated body flashed in his mind and Gohan's stomach lurched. He wrapped his arms around it and leaned forward. Taking deep, even breaths he tried to block out the horrible image. He had no idea how long he sat there with his bleak gaze on the dark beige carpet. The slam of a door followed by several hushed voices broke him from the trance he seemed to have fallen into. He sat up and turned around to see who was there. Vegeta walked in the room followed closely by Gohan's father and mother. "How's the girl?" Vegeta asked. Something flashed briefly in the Saiyan Prince's eyes. Sorrow, regret maybe? Gohan had no idea but he knew better then to say anything about it. Instead he shrugged his broad shoulders. "Bulma gave her something for the pain. She's.." he swallowed hard, trying to think of how to word his next sentence. "She's taking care of the rest now." He didn't need to elaborate. Vegeta knew what he was talking about. "Gohan! What are you doing here?! Why aren't you in school young man?!" Gohan winced and gave his irate mother an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry mom. A girl at school needed my help." Chi Chi's mouth dropped open and she stared at him in disbelief. "You skipped out of school for a GIRL!!?" "Lay off him woman," Vegeta snapped, taking everyone by surprise. The tone of his voice quelled any further arguments from Chi Chi. "The boy saved my daughter. You should be proud of him, not screeching at him." "Guys..what exactly is going on?" Goku asked. "Vegeta has a daughter. She'll be staying with us until she's fully recovered and hopefully longer than that if she chooses to." The small group looked up as Bulma entered the living room. She looked utterly exhausted. Her blue hair hung straight, lacking its usual volume. Her eyes were bloodshot and dark bruises had formed underneath them. She had obviously been crying. Vegeta went to his wife. He raised a callused hand and cradled her face in his palm. "Aiden?" "She's sleeping peacefully." Bulma murmured, leaning into his hand. "What about you?" Bulma gave her husband a weary smile and kissed his thumb as it passed over her lips. "I'm fine. I just-" Her smile disappeared and she drew an unsteady breath. "Who could bring themselves to hurt a child like that? I never thought it could be as bad as it was but I was wrong. Not an inch of her was left untouched by whatever monster did that to her." Bulma ducked her head as her eyes filled with tears. Vegeta pulled her into his arms and ran his hands in slow, soothing circles over her back. "Hush woman. She's safe now." Gohan's anxiety grew as he listened to Bulma's distraught words. He got up and walked over to her, ignoring the curious looks he was receiving from his parents. "Bulma?" he questioned softly. The blue haired woman turned her head to him and smiled. "Hey Gohan. What's up?" "Would it be alright..can I go see her?" Bulma regarded him curiously bit nodded her consent. "Yeah. Sure." The young Saiyan thanked her and started down the hallway. He knew everyone was watching him. He could feel their questioning gazes boring into his back. They were probably all thinking the same thing. What about Videl? He should have been thinking the same thing..but he wasn't. He should have felt guilty, but he didn't. Why didn't he? Gohan's thoughts ran wildly as he approached the door to Bulma's personal lab. He pushed a button beside the door and it slid open, then the thoughts stopped and all he saw was her. He walked slowly to where she lay, her small body covered with blankets. She looked peaceful in her sleep. It made Gohan wonder when the last time she had experienced true peace was. "Hey Aiden," he murmured, taking a seat in the chair beside her bed. He stared down at her pale face, wondering what it was that drew him to her. Granted she was beautiful, but it was something else, something that went far beyond simple attraction, and something Gohan couldn't even begin to name. His gaze wandered down to the one hand that peeked out from underneath the blankets. The IV was still there, giving Aiden the nutrients that she needed to recover. His eyes returned to her face, surprised to see that her eyes were open. "You're awake." When she didn't respond he leaned closer to her noticing that he eyes were glassy and unfocused. "Aiden?" he called, cautiously brushing a hand over her brow. The lavender-haired girl wrenched away from his touch. Her lips parted to form a word he could not hear then her crystal blue eyes glazed over with complete terror. "No.." she muttered, shaking her head back and forth. "Please don't. Please don't hurt me." "No one's hurting you." Gohan insisted, confused by what was happening. "Aiden, what's wrong?" It was like she didn't hear him. Didn't..or couldn't. Gohan quickly realized that she was still sleeping and, from the looks of it, having some kind of nightmare. The girl's body gave another violent jerk. Pulling her hands out from under the covers, she held them up as if she were trying to ward of some unseen attacker. "NO!" She cried, struggling in the confining folds of the blankets. Gohan began to panic as he watched Aiden become more and more frantic. "Don't touch me! Get off...GET OFF!!" Tears poured down her cheeks. "Someone help me..please help me," she sobbed. Gohan jumped out of the chair he was sitting in. "Aiden, snap out of it!" He started to reach for her but immediately stopped, remembering what had happened last time. Her pleas became desperate, ripping at Gohan's heart. He needed help. Running to the doorway he leaned out into the hallway. "Bulma! Come here, quick!!" He yelled, then turned and ran back to Aiden's side. "Gohan, what's going on?" Bulma asked, running into the room. Vegeta, Goku and Chi Chi were right behind her. Bulma rushed to the bed and stared down at the thrashing girl, horrified by the cries pouring out of the girl's mouth. She gently grabbed Aiden's wrists and the girl screamed, pushing herself away from Bulma. She was crying in earnest now, huge sobs racking her frail body. "Please don't let him hurt me mama..please!!" Bulma's lips thinned in anger but she would not allow herself to be ruled by the emotion. In clipped, detached tones she gave out orders. "Chi Chi, be a dear and pick the boys up from school." Considerably pale, Chi Chi nodded and left the room. "Gohan, hold onto Aiden. Vegeta, help him." Gohan glanced warily at Bulma. "Are you sure about-" "I said hold her down!" The two men moved to either side of the bed and grabbed a hold of Aiden's arms and shoulders. The girl went hysterical. She fought against them, trying to twist free from their strong grip, all the while begging her imaginary enemy to stop. Bulma turned away from the scene, forcing back the angry tears that clogged her throat. "Goku, please grab her legs before she kicks someone," she said as she walked across the room to a large stainless steel desk that ran the length of the wall. Goku went to do her bidding and Bulma opened the door of the cooler that had been installed underneath the desk. Cool air and the smell of medical concoctions assailed her. She quickly grabbed the container that she needed and a syringe, then closed the door and returned to her "patient." "Now hold her still," Bulma ordered, filling the syringe. She gave it a quick flick with her finger and pushed out a small amount of liquid to rid the cylindrical tube of bubbles, then injected the drug into Aiden's system. "What did you give her?" Gohan asked as the lavender haired girl started to relax. Bulma tossed the empty syringe into a nearby wastebasket and sighed, dragging her hands through her lifeless hair. "A strong sedative. Hopefully it will calm her down for a few hours." All three men slowly released Aiden, afraid that she might start freaking out again. Bulma pulled the blankets back up around her and used a damp cloth to sponge away the perspiration and tears streaking Aiden's face. Once everything was seemingly back in order, Bulma glanced over at Gohan. The demi-Saiyan's stance was rigid; his hands were clenched in tight fists at his side. Bulma placed a hand on his arm. "Gohan. Are you okay?" Gohan shook his head. He wasn't okay. What he had just seen was extremely disturbing and painful. Rage filled him. He was furious with whoever had done this to her, whoever broke her spirit and caused her so much pain. And he was angry with himself for not being able to help. Without a word, her turned on his heel and left the room. He walked out into the hallway and acted without thinking, slamming his fist into the wall. The plaster broke and crumbled, his bright blood smeared some of the broken pieces but it wasn't enough. A hand grabbed his shoulder and he spun around. "What do you want Vegeta?" The older Saiyan stared at him and Gohan could see his own anger reflected in the dark Prince's eyes. "Follow me. We're going to get this out of our systems." *~*~*~*~*~* Three hours later, after the sun had sunk into the horizon, Vegeta called quits to their brutal sparring session. He landed on the ground, bruised and battered but feeling a hell of a lot better then he had earlier. Gohan landed beside him, breathing heavily. The golden aura's of the Super Saiyan transformation that surrounded them slowly faded, turning their bright gold hair and icy blue eyes back to their original color. Gohan swiped at the blood trailing down his face from the gash on his forehead. "Hey, ummm..thanks Vegeta," he said. Vegeta gave a curt nod of his head. "I needed it just as badly as you did kid." "Do you think she'll ever tell us who did it?" Vegeta shrugged, turning and walking back to the house. "She might not even want to remember it. We'll just have to see what happens." They approached the house in silence. The front door swung open, throwing a beam of harsh yellow light over the yard and Bulma stepped out, waving at the two Saiyans. "Gohan, Aiden's awake. She wants to see you." She called out. Gohan's heartbeat picked up a little and a feeling of nervousness sifted through him. He glanced at Vegeta, worried that he may be angry that Aiden had asked for him and not her father. "You heard the woman. Get inside," Vegeta stated calmly, giving him a knowing smirk. Gohan nodded and jogged ahead into the house. He smiled at Bulma as he passed her. "Feel better?" she asked, only a minor amount of worry creeping into her voice. "Much better," he answered. "I'm sorry Bulma. I guess I just didn't handle it as well as I thought I could." Bulma nodded tiredly. "I know the feeling. Hey, stop in the kitchen with me. I'll throw together a light meal for Aidan and you can bring it to her." "Sure." Gohan said, following Bulma into he kitchen. He waited patiently while she threw together a quick meal consisting of a bowl of soup and a sandwich. She handed it to him with a glass of milk and shooed him out of the kitchen. "See if you can get anything out of her, but be careful about it." "I'll try." Gohan said. He wasn't promising anything though. Aiden had been through so much. The last thing she needed was an interrogation. Bulma smiled at him. Understanding shone in her aqua eyes. "Go on hun. I'll keep your parents out of your way," she said with a wink. "Thanks Bulma." Gohan turned and went down the hallway, aware that with every step he took the anxious feeling increased. By the time he reached the door his palms were sweating and his stomach felt like one big knot. He shook his head. Not even Videl had made him that nervous. What the hell was wrong with him? When he reached the lab he paused in the doorway and studied Aiden. She was sitting, propped up by a small mountain of pillows. Her face was less pale than it had been before. She sat with her hands folded in her lap, staring vacantly at them. Her long lavender hair had been taken down and brushed to a fine sheen. She looked like some kind of ethereal imp that had been dropped into this world and was confused about how she'd come to be there. Gohan knocked softly on the doorframe and her head snapped up. A smile transformed her features making her more stunning then she already was. Gohan's heart slammed against his rib cage. He suddenly found it very difficult to breath. "Hi," he said lamely once he had found his voice. "Hi," she replied, a gorgeous pink staining her high cheekbones. Her husky voice had a calming effect and Gohan's edginess quickly disappeared. He crossed the room and sat down in the chair next to her bed, handing her the plate of food he had brought for her. "I come bearing gifts," he said, setting the glass of milk on the bedside table. Aiden quickly accepted the plate, eyeing the food ravenously. "Eat slowly," Gohan warned. "If you eat too fast you might get sick." She nodded, picking up the sandwich and taking a generous bite. "This is good." She said after swallowing. "So does every girl that shares a book with you get this kind of special treatment?" "Nope. Just you." Gohan answered with a grin. Aiden laughed softly and continued eating. Amused, Gohan watched her as she devoured her meal with gusto, taking each bite as if it was her last. It was obvious that she hadn't intentionally starved herself. Someone else had. Anger flared briefly inside him but he tamped it down, reminding himself that there was nothing he could do about it right now. He allowed Aiden to finish her meal, only slightly surprised that she had finished everything. She was a Saiyan after all. When she was finished she handed him her plate and leaned back against the stack of pillows. "How are you feeling?" Gohan asked as he set the plate aside. Aiden's eyes became suspiciously bright. "Like I'm not dying anymore," she whispered. "I..I don't know how to thank you. I don't even know you and you saved my life." Gohan moved to sit beside her on the bed and took the hand free of the IV in both of his. "You don't have to thank me. You needed help so I helped you." A tear slipped down her cheek and he reached up to brush it away. "Why are you crying?" Aiden drew a shuddering breath and looked up at him, pain and sorrow swimming in her vivid blue eyes. "I didn't know how bad it was. I had no idea how close-" Her voice broke off and she took another steadying breath. "I didn't think I was dying. How..how did you know?" Gohan smiled sadly at her. "See your tail?" She nodded. "I used to have one. It means that you're part of a very powerful race called the Saiyans. When shown how, we can read peoples ki's, their life's energy. I had been sensing yours all day. So did Goten and Trunks. Trunks is actually the one who knew it was you." Aiden gave him a funny look. "Trunks?" "The one who had hair the same color as yours. Can you remember?" She rested her forehead in her hand. Her head was starting to pound painfully. "Kind of. Everything's a little blurry." She looked up at him again and frowned. "What happened to you? Did that blond guy.." "No!" Gohan exclaimed, fighting the urge to laugh. Like Sharpner could ever hurt him. He touched the cut on his forehead, feeling the dried blood there and smiled ruefully. "No, that's from Vegeta. We were both pretty angry so he decided we should get it out of our systems by fighting." Aiden's face went white and her eyes widened in shock. "Did you say...Vegeta?" she asked, her voice wavering slightly. "Yes." Gohan said answered. Maybe he had gone too far too fast. Aiden looked down at the blankets, her eyes darting back and forth. "He's..my father," she whispered, speaking more to herself than Gohan. There was so much to explain. Would he even believe her? Would anyone believe her? "I know." Gohan said, disrupting her thoughts. Aiden slowly lifted her gaze to meet his. "You know?" He nodded. "You called him that when you saw him." She felt like her already dreadful world had just been turned upside- down. Her breathing became ragged and she clutched at the blankets with one hand. "I called him that? He's here?! Oh god.." "Aiden, calm down." Gohan said, alarmed by her sudden reaction. She shook her head. "I didn't..I didn't come here to see him. I didn't want to be a burden to him! I don't want his money..I don't expect anything!" she cried, desperate to make Gohan understand that seeing her father was a mistake. How could this happen? How could everything go so wrong in such a short amount of time? Her father probably didn't even want her, just like her mother hadn't. Suddenly strong arms were around her, holding her gently. The action was so unexpected and felt so incredibly good that Aiden gave in to her overwhelming emotions and began to cry soft, heart-wrenching sobs. "I don't expect anything," she repeated in an anguished whisper. Gohan ran his hands through her long hair. "I know you don't Aiden," he murmured. He waited for the sobs to stop, offering her as much comfort as he could. Gradually her body ceased trembling and the cries turned into tiny sniffles. He pulled away from her and used his fingers to gently brush strands of hair away from her tear-streaked face. "Listen, I don't know what you heard about Vegeta, but he's a really nice guy." He stopped and rethought his words. "He's done his share of being a complete ass but he's changed. I'm sure he'll understand. You just have to be honest with him." Aiden sniffled and her eyes filled with hope. "What if he doesn't even believe me though?" "He's already accepted you as his daughter. He knows Aiden." Something in her mind refused to believe that it was going to be that simple. Life was never that easy. It was hard, and unforgiving and it could kill you. "But you really think he'll understand?" she asked, still not willing to believe him. Gohan cradled her face in his large hands, giving her a reassuring smile. "I'm positive he will. Give the guy a chance Aiden. Meet him for yourself. I'll even go get him if you want." Her eyes flickered to something behind him and she went still. "He's already here." [ Previous | Next Chapter ] |