Disclaimer: I do not own any of the DBZ characters. I wish I did, though. Min is my own creation, but some aspects of her past are not. I can't say right now, because it would spoil a big hunk of the plot. Also, "cleansing chalk" is courtesy of Jhonen Vasquez's Invader Zim series. And no, there is no bacon in the chalk.

Chapter 1

Awakening

Min's eyes shot open. Another nightmare. Not again...and they were coming more frequently now. Brief flashes of...god alone knew what. What was it she'd seen? The images faded as swiftly as she tried to recall them. She held her head in her hands, as though she might be able to scoop the memories out of her head...

How cliché, she thought. Hold them in my hands... She sat up. Why were they coming? What were they...what was...that thing in her mind...it was so close...almost...

She vomited.

Of course, she thought as she finished retching, it had to be summer. It couldn't be a nice winter evening, where she was tucked into the thick comforters that Bulma was always anxious to cover her with. "You're too thin, Min," she would always say. "How can you eat so much and be so small?"

Min rolled her eyes. No point in fantasizing. It was the dead of summer, and she'd been feverish with her nighttime horrors...and now she had vomit coating her legs, torso, the slimy stickiness of it revolting on her body as she stirred along the mattress cover... Uh oh. She felt nauseous again... Grabbing the loose sheet to try to keep the vile mess from trailing down to drip on the floor, she raced to the bathroom, trying to reach a toilet this time.

And yet, as typically happens to the wary nausea victim, she discovered that the sickness had abated by the time she'd reached the toilet. But no matter. She wasn't sick; she was just disgusted. If her stomach had decided to withhold the remainder of its dinner, then all the better for her. Tossing her underwear and the filthy sheet into the cleaner against the wall, she slid into the shower, letting the jets of water soothe her as they drenched her body from all directions.

Before long, she'd brought herself back to as normal a state as she could hope for after being frightened awake at three in the morning. Heading back into her room, she stripped the silicone mattress of the puke covered sheets, tossing them in the cleaner as well. It was close to three thirty now. Min sighed. There was no point in going back to bed: not only would she probably have a recurrence of the dreams, but she had to be up by five, anyway. Bulma and Mrs. Briefs were dragging the family- including Min- on an outing. Min didn't particularly mind, but then, she rarely had any objection to what her adoptive family chose to do. What could she possibly say? It was good enough that they had taken her in; she had nowhere else to go. Shrugging off the dreary thought of her lack of a real family, Min quickly dressed in her usually baggy clothes, holding up her jeans with a belt she'd borrowed from Bra until she could go out and find her own. The Briefs didn't like her shoplifting, so she tried to keep it as quiet as possible, and hadn't stolen anything for weeks. Belts were things that she preferred to borrow, as her choice of attire would make the acquisition of one too noticeable. Besides, Bra had lent her a black one this time, not one of those hideous flowery ones that she occasionally bought in a fit of...something. She'd given her one last time, and Min had almost gone to get the tight clothing that most girls wore so she wouldn't have to wear it. Almost.

Min shook her head, clearing it of her aimless musings, and tiptoed downstairs to see if there was anything she could do to help with the picnic. Maybe Bulma and Mrs. Briefs had forgotten to cook something. Though that was doubtful.

Once downstairs, she suddenly felt like drinking milk. She pulled it out of the fridge and got a glass. The milk splashed comfortingly against the sides, making no noise as she filled the cup. While she was taking a gulp, someone snuck behind her and grabbed her shoulders. "Boo!" Trunks hissed near her ear.

Min started to choke on her milk violently, and loudly too. Trunks looked alarmed, and tried to stifle her with a dishtowel so she wouldn't wake anyone up. Her fit continued for a few minutes before she finally cleared her airway of the liquid. She straightened woozily, punching the man as hard as she could manage. He barely flinched. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she whispered angrily.

"You woke me up. What were all those noises you were making?"

"What noises?" she asked, not wanting to admit that she'd been sick.

"You were moaning in your sleep."

She looked at him uneasily. "I was?"

"Yeah...are you okay?"

"Of course. I was just having a nightmare."

"Must've been one hell of a nightmare. Never heard you talk in your sleep."

"I was talking?!" she asked excitedly. "What did I say?"

"I dunno." He pushed himself off of the counter he'd been leaning against, walking over to a fruit basket to pick an apple. "You'er jus' makin' a jot uh noi'," he repeated, taking a bite.

Min eyed him, torn between disgust and amusement. "Thanks a lot, Trunks," she said sarcastically.

"Wha'?" I digint-"

"Don't talk with your mouth full man. You know I can't understand you worth shit."

He grunted, annoyed, but chewed and swallowed. "Why do you want to know so bad?"

"I don't remember what I was dreaming about. I just know it wasn't nice." She sipped her milk thoughtfully. "It's bugging me."

"I wouldn't worry too much about it," Trunks said lazily. "They're just dreams."

"They're really bad," Min said in a quiet voice. "Trunks...they're awful."

The pink-haired man looked over at his friend. She seemed disturbed, intensely so- and he wasn't used to her getting affected by anything. He sighed inwardly...it had taken him a year to get close to her, and he wasn't about to waste it by walking away, no matter how much he didn't feel like dealing with her problems. "What could they be," he asked rhetorically, "to make you so upset?"

"I don't know!" She slammed the glass of milk on the counter, spilling it all over her arm. She paid it no mind. "What the fuck is wrong with me?"

"Min? You okay?"

"Not really, man. I don't like them."

"Well, I can see that. You gonna clean up your arm?"

"What?" She looked down, surprised that she was dripping with milk. "Aww...I was drinking that." She reached for some cleansing chalk to wash her arm quickly.

"Why are you down here?" Trunks asked. "You don't really need to be up yet, do you?"

"Why are you here, man?"

"I wanted to check on you."

"Damn...that's pretty sweet, coming from you. You're usually such a selfish bastard."

"Hey! This is what I get for being nice to you?"

"Naw, man...thanks, I think. I don't really feel any better, but..."

"Fuck you, Min." He started to walk away, but stopped as he reached the doorway. Min finished cleaning her arm and looked up, expecting him to keep walking.

"Aren't you going?"

He turned back to her, suddenly smiling, and winked at her. "You don't want me to leave, do you?"

Min raised her eyebrows. "I do if you're gonna be like that. You're so odd."

"What do you know about odd? You don't even remember anything from before you met me...except your name, it would seem."

"Yeah, well, I know a freak when I see him." She ducked as he threw his apple core across the room at her. "Hey! That's gross!"

"Oh, you'll get over it." He laughed at her, and Min allowed herself a small smile. Trunks was pleased with himself. He was one of the few who could make her smile...although he'd never seen her laugh. Well, maybe next time, he told himself as he went to raid the refrigerator. "Wow, look at all this food!" he exclaimed, seeing what Mrs Briefs and Bulma had made for the day.

"Don't you eat that. That's for the...whatever they have planned. A picnic, I think."

"Well, what's the difference between eating it then and now?" he asked, pulling out a large plate. Min smacked him and took it.

"The difference is that I'm the one who's going to have to cook more if you turn into a pig!"

"You don't have to cook by yourself..."

"I can't let your mom and grandmother go through all this trouble again! Besides, I didn't get a chance to help them the last time."

"I could help."

She snorted. "I choose life, thank you. You'd blow up the whole goddamned house."

"Such confidence. You trust me with Capsules."

"You know it." Min stretched, her taut body releasing itself. There was no need to be tense talking to Trunks. He just wasn't worth the effort. "But the lab is not a kitchen."

"What, you think only women can cook?"

"If everyone else except you is a woman, then yes."

"Hey!" He punched her.

Min had to struggle not to buckle in pain. The boy could punch; she'd give him that... "Hitting on girls is the same as hitting them now?"

"Gee, Min, are you flirting with me?"

"Fucking ass." She tried to hit him, but he caught her fist and pushed her back gently. Min rolled her eyes, turning away as he burst into laughter. "What?" she asked, annoyed.

"You're just...so...tiny!!!" Min glared at him, but his cackling only grew louder.

"Shush, before you wake up the whole damned house." He stuffed his fist in his mouth and she grimaced. "Don't you touch me with that later. What so funny about my size?" She stood a firm five feet. Although, since she was so skinny, she weighed under a hundred pounds. "What is your problem?"

Trunks finally mastered himself, but then stood for a few moments just looking at her, his pupils shaking as he tried not to laugh. Min growled in exasperation and left. "No, wait!" she heard the man call. Ignoring him, she stormed out of the house, setting off at a jog until she reached the park a couple miles away.

Deep within the garden, Min deftly scaled her favorite tree. She'd never bothered to find out what it was called, but it usually had at least one delicate golden blossom that tickled her face and made her giggle. That night, the blossoms seemed almost effervescent as the moonlight glimmered opaquely through their translucent petals, giving the old tree an almost otherworldly quality. The young woman smiled softly, her expression far more gentle than any of the Briefs had seen. Here, she was safe from the nightmares, and Trunks' obnoxious laughter. She rolled her eyes at the thought of him...laughing at her size...like it was her fault?! What an ass, she thought angrily, what a mother fucking...

The wind blew softly through the park, rustling the blossoms and cooling Min's heated face. She sighed, seeing she needed to calm down. She gazed softly at the round, full, luminous orb in the sky, shooting forth its final beams of brilliance upon the dozing earth as it sank slowly towards the horizon. Just as it shone its boldest beacon, the sun peaked over the city line, dowsing Min's back in its warm and gentle bath of morning light. Min reveled in the feeling for a few moments, knowing it would be a while before she had another chance to experience this muted fiery heat. She looked into the sky, loving the balance of the warm red and gold of the sunrise as it coincided with the pearly moon. For just an instant, the sky around the night's pale star would flash a brilliant leafy green...there. She shivered pleasantly at the sight, which she managed to view so rarely. And not a cloud in the sky, she noted to herself. Today was perfect. Bulma and Mrs. Briefs would be so pleased...and she realized that she needed to head back. If she was too long, they'd send Trunks to get her, and she didn't want him to intrude on this beautiful place. She hopped down from her sentinel and set a brisk pace on the way back.

Thanks for reading this! Any comments welcome! I realize the plot might seem a little slow, but this is a pretty long story, so get ready. I'm actually going to post the second chapter in just a minute, because it has a little bit more plot development. By the time you're reading this, it should be finished, so reload the page and enjoy!

-Abenobashi