Chapter 3

Just as they watched Zara disappear with Eli and Lauren and another blur appeared, this time Jake and Alex being the new arrivals

"Did you find them yet?" Jake asked.

"We found Lauren but James is missing still." Emily sighed, making Alex growl.

"I'm gonna kill them, they're making us miss dinner. I mean come on! It's dinner!" She half yelled. Mirai Trunks couldn't help but smile.

"Come on Al, it's not like your missing something really important, it's just food. But I think technically your brothers safety is more important right now." He replied.

Meanwhile over at her family's apartment, Zara had arrived back with Eli and Lauren.

"Right, Eli, go to your room. Lauren, Just sit on the couch and don't even think about

switching the TV on. I've gotta work out what's going on here." Zara sighed.

"I told you, Cell took James!" Lauren snapped folding her arms.

"And we've already told you, Gohan destroyed Cell many years ago so it's impossible for James to be kidnapped by him." Zara replied hotly.

"Well why don't you read my mind and see for yourself that I'm not lying then?" Lauren demanded, Zara looked at the young girl thoughtfully whilst Eli who had started going out the room, turned around and looked between his mother and cousin curiously.

"You know, that might actually work. Come here then." Zara replied. Lauren walked over to Zara who bent down and placed her fingers on her forehead and began to concentrate.

Meanwhile, outside the cave, there was still no sign of James and Emily was getting really worried.

"It's not like him to still be missing when he knows he's been busted. But I really can't see how Lauren could be telling the truth. I mean Cell's dead, isn't he?" Emily asked frantically. Mirai Trunks sighed as he pulled his wife into a hug.

"He is Em, I killed him years ago, and there is no possible way he'd be back." Gohan replied. Suddenly rustling could be heard in the bushes causing Mirai Trunks and Emily to break apart.

"James?" Mirai Trunks asked cautiously, the bush rustled even more then Emily sunk into a fighting stance.

"I don't know who it is, but it's not James." She replied darkly. Before she had a chance to check "it" out, a blur could be seen and suddenly Zara was back with Eli and Lauren.

"Zara? What are you doing here?" Trunks asked.

"Lauren's right. Cell took James. I don't know how but it was definitely him." Zara replied. Emily frowned at the younger woman.

"Zar, Cell is dead. How can he kidnap James?" She asked.

"I read Lauren's memory, it's definitely Cell. I wouldn't lie. He took James into that cave." Zara replied. Suddenly something leapt out the bushes to grab at Lauren but Emily got there first and jumped forward, bringing her leg up to the strangers groin and sending him crashing to the ground.

"What the hell was that?" Goten yelled as Mirai Trunks ran over and scooped Lauren up. Emily just walked over to the figure lying on the floor gasping for breath, and then gasped herself at the familiar long knee length black spiky hair and the traditional blue saiyan armour.

"Father." She muttered, instantly recognising her biological father, Radditz. Radditz jumped up and glared at her until he realised who she was.

"Emily? Wow, you look great, how have you been?" He greeted, smiling, something she'd never seen him do before. Emily looked at him puzzled.

"Uh I'm fine, how are you alive?" She asked.

"No time to explain, I just really need-" he broke off as he heard something behind him. He put a finger to the side of his head as though he were hearing a message and then backed up.

"I'm sorry but I have to go. I can't let them find the gateway…" he muttered.

"Oh no you don't! You're not going anywhere until you tell me how you came back from the dead!" Emily yelled but Radditz was too fast for her.

"I'm sorry." Radditz uttered before jumping back into the cave. Suddenly a bright light appeared and everyone realised that the sun was rising.

"No James! I won't let you keep him!" Lauren yelled, squirming to get down from her fathers grasp only to have him tighten his grip on her.

"We'll find a way to get him. Come on let's go home." Mirai Trunks sighed.

"And leave him here, are you insane?" Emily cried.

"Em, I'm sure James will be fine. Are you not more concerned that you just saw your father right now? I know none of us wished him back, no way!" Gohan sighed.

"I…Guess. I'm going into that cave and getting my son back." Emily announced, walking back towards the cave entrance. Looking in she saw it was dark. Wandering in, she noticed that it was just a hollow cave.

"Where did he go? He must know teleportation then, there's nothing in there." She sighed, walking back out.

"No. There's a city in there! We saw it." Lauren cried out.

"Lauren, there is nothing in it. The cave's not even big enough for a house never mind a city. Let's go home since your still grounded young lady." Emily snapped. Everyone sighed and looked around helplessly.

"Now what?" Gohan asked.

"You guy's go home, I'll stay here in case my father or Cell comes back. I won't let them get away." Emily replied firmly.

"Are you nuts? I'm not letting you up against them alone." Gohan yelled.

"Gohan, they have my son. They're after my daughter, if I'm the bait in the middle then so be it. But I'm not leaving here until I know James is safe." Emily snapped, losing it with her brother.

"Em, no one's around and if they're after Lauren too then they're not going to be coming here are they? They're going to go to the house." Mirai Trunks sighed.

"I dunno, after reading Lauren's mind, I'm pretty sure all of this has something to do with this cave. The twins definitely saw something in there. Maybe it'll pay off to have someone stay by it. Besides, Emily has a mobile on her and Alex can just translocate over here if we need to get in contact with her, not to mention telepathy. It should be alright." Zara reasoned, stepping beside Emily, who smiled at the golden-eyed halfling.

"Thanks Zar," she said before turning to her family, "I'm staying. You know how to reach me if anything happens. We'll check in with each other in a few hours, okay?" Gohan went to argue further but came up short. Mirai sighed and nodded.

"Fine, we'll bring you a camp-capsule or something, just so you can get a little comfortable. I'll swap with you in a few hours just so you can get some rest." Mirai agreed. Gohan looked over at the others.

"Should we tell dad what's going on? He is still out with Uub after all." He mentioned. Emily shook her head.

"No, we can handle Cell and Radditz. You guys go home and rest, I'll be alright." Emily replied, and everyone else slowly filtered away, some flying and some teleporting away so that all that was left was a worried and confused Emily.