Disclaimer: Oh my gosh! Thankyou, everyone, for reviewing while I was laid up in bed getting well! You don't know how much it means to me to know that people like my story! It made me happy even though I felt horrible, lol. Man, I am so pumped about this story! It has such a long way to go, but it'll be cool. Enjoy!


Yet another day and still no sign of Maron or Brandon. It was late in the afternoon, but Krillin and Eighteen were still holding up as best as they could. It was hard not to completely break down. Not only that, but they missed their daughter. How long would this last? Would they ever see their precious Maron again or would they never be reunited?

Eighteen had given up on the posters. Instead, she was going around questioning people about Maron. Just as she had guessed, the hottest thing on the streets was the murder she had commited last night. She hated thinking of it in that manner because it wasn't like she had just killed the man for absolutely no reason. Every time she had approached someone, they brought up 'oh did you hear about the murder last night? Maybe that has something to do with your daughter!'. It kind of irritated her because she knew exactly what had happened then.

Not only that, but this Brandon thing was bugging the crap out of her. After that night, she hadn't heard a word. Then again, it really could have just been her imagination playing tricks on her. It had definetely happened last night when she was heading off to bed. It had felt so real, but she was almost positive it had just been that- her imagination.

"I'm sorry, but no I haven't."

Eighteen sighed in dissapointment as yet another civilian answered her question. The person seemed to be in a rush and didn't seem to really care, which was the case with most of the people hanging around in this city. More than seventy percent were all for themselves and could care less if anyone died so long if it wasn't them.

Turning the corner, Eighteen came upon her mother's house, which to her shock had two police cars beside it and an ambulance. If it wasn't for the lack of being a parent to Eighteen as a child, she would have felt the urge to see what had happened. Although, she still was curious.

Suddenly, the door opened to reveal several men carefully carrying a gurney out the house. A person was lying on it that still appeared to be alive, but in agonizing pain, for they were grunting- her mother. Someone must have attacked her, it was obvious. Had some random stranger broke in? Or was it someone she knew?

Before her mother could see her, Eighteen turned around and went the other way. She didn't want to hear her mother's voice. In a way, her mother deserved this for all she done to her in the past and let others do. Now maybe she could know how it felt to be the one getting hurt. It may have seemed like Eighteen held a grudge; which she did in a way, but inside she didn't want anyone to go through the type of misery and pain she had went through as she had grew up.

Something suddenly tugged deep inside Eighteen. She felt the urge to turn back around and see her mother. What if this had something to do with Brandon? If it did, then it also meant it had something to do with her daughter.

Maron was what decided it- she would turn back around, but only for the sake of possibly finding out helpful information that could lead up to finding her. Begrudgingly, Eighteen rolled her eyes and turned back around, rushing towards the ambulance. Immediately, they all took notice of her presence and tried to their best to run her off.

"Excuse me, ma'am," the man said as Eighteen came to a halt "but you need to stay out of this."

Eighteen sighed in aggravation. "That's my mother, now if you will just move!"

Pushing the man to the ground, she ran towards her mother. As she approached her, another man tried to stop her, but to no avail. Eighteen simply pushed him to the ground along with three other men who came rushing at her to stop her.

Finally, she got to her mother. What Eighteen saw was definetely not what she had expected. Unlike the other day, her mother's lip was busted and a bloody spot was on her forehead as if someone had punched her. That wasn't even half of it, though. The only thing covering her mother's body was a blanket that the ambulance had placed on her. Well, she had a bra on and underwear, obviously, but nothing else. She probably had slept in them during the night and had been attacked. Eighteen was almost too afraid to look at what else had happened to her mother, but she had to see.

Grabbing the blanket, Eighteen pulled it down to reveal her mother's fairly shinged stomach. Either someone had burnt her with fire...or else they used ki. Was it Brandon? But how? If it was him, he would have just burnt her with fire because last she checked he didn't know how to use ki.

Not wanting to see any further, Eighteen covered her mother back up. She had her mother grunting when they had carried her out- she was still alive. For the time being, she was passed out probably due to the pain. Her mother didn't need just a doctor, she needed someone to heal her and she knew exactly who could do so.

Dende.

She would have to grab up Krillin and have him come as well. Hopefully, once her mother was healed, she could get some questions answered. It had just dawned on Eighteen that maybe this happened because of a drug deal. Ever since Eighteen had turned fourteen, her mother had struck rock bottom when she had met Brandon. He had introduced her to pills and every type of drug on the market. She could have owed money to someone and never paid up. There was no doubt in Eighteen's mind that her mother had not quit drugs. What she had been addicted to in the past was too strong and addictive for someone to stop.

Before any of the people could get up and try to stop her again, she picked up her mother and threw her over her shoulder. Jumping up in the air, she flew off as fast as she could over to the tower. It took no time for Eighteen to make it back over to Kame house.

Opening the door, she rushed inside and placed her mother on the couch. Krillin, who was in the kitchen, along with Master Roshi, looked up curiously from their food to see who it was.

"Back so soon?" Krillin asked.

"Can you please come with me to the lookout?" Eighteen ignored what he had said. "It's an emergency."

"Uhm sure," Krillin answered "but what's the emergency?"

"This." Eighteen pointed at the couch.

Krillin and Roshi appeared confused. "Huh?" They both asked in unision.

"Get off your lumps and maybe you'll know what I am talking about!" Eighteen almost snarled.

The two got up and walked over to her mother. They were at a loss as to who this was and why this person was such an emergency. It was not like Eighteen to pick randomly injured people off the streets.

"What happened to her?" Roshi asked.

"I don't know," Eighteen crossed her arms "but once Dende heals her, hopefully we will found out."

"Do you even know who she is?" It was Krillin's turn now.

"Yes, she is my mother." Eighteen replied.

There was a moment of silence. Krillin had never met her mother before and niether had Roshi. As far as they had been concerned, her mother had been long gone from this world with the way Eighteen never spoke of her.

Eighteen broke the silence. "Please come with me, Krillin," she continued "I think that she might be able to help us find Maron."

"How?" Krillin was confused.

"It's too long to stay here and explain," Eighteen didn't want to go into the story "but come with me."

Without another word, Eighteen grabbed up her mother and carried her out the door with Krillin right behind her. They both jumped up in the air and took off. Allowing Krillin to pass her so he could lead the way, Eighteen just hoped and prayed that her mother had the answers that she was looking for.

After a few minutes of flying, they finally got there. Landing on the tile swiftly, it took them no time to spot Dende and . The two had been staring off into the distance until they came landing on the lookout. They both appeared shocked to find the two of them coming up here without anyone else. Rushing over to them, Dende spoke first.

"Hey Krillin, what's up?" He smiled friendly at Krillin.

"A whole bunch of mess, bro," Krillin smiled right back "we have an emergency."

Krillin pointed at Eighteen's mother, whom Eighteen still happened to be holding onto. Dende appeared confused. He hadn't ever seen this person up here on the lookout before with the Z-gang. Maybe it was just a random civilian?

"You want me to heal her?" Dende guessed.

"You think you could?" Krillin asked politely.

"Sure, set her down and I'll get to it." Dende agreed, wanting to be as helpful to one of his friends as possible.

Eighteen sat down her mother on the tile floor. Dende walked over to her and raised his hands over her midsection. Usually, a light would come from his hands, but for some odd reason, not a thing happened. When a few more awkward seconds passed, a sweatdrop rolled off Dende's cheek.

"What's the matter?" Eighteen asked.

"Uhm, well...you see," Dende rubbed the back of his head "I can only heal those with a good heart...and this lady doesn't meet the criteria. Her heart is full of trash."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Eighteen exclaimed. "So you're telling me you won't heal her?!"

"It's not that I won't...I would if I could, but..." Dende seemed afraid of the wrath of Eighteen.

"Do you think Korin would have any senzu beans left?" Krillin asked.

"Probably- maybe you should go ask him for some." Dende replied.

"I'll be right back babe!" Krillin ran off the tower and dove downward towards Korin's place.

So there wouldn't be any awkward silence like there usually was, Dende attempted to make conversation with Eighteen.

"So, who is this, anyway?' He asked.

"My mother," Eighteen answered "it's obvious someone attacked her last night."

Dende didn't really know what else to say but "oh..."

They never said anything else until Krillin came back up a few minutes later with his hand balled in a fist. Obviously, he was holding a senzu bean in it. He ran back over to them and came to a halt in front of her mother.

Bending down, Krillin opened her mother's mouth and poked the senzu bean in. Like the usual when someone eats a senzu bean, her mother's eyes slowly blinked open. Her eyes scanned the area and in alarm, her mother jerked up into a sitting position.

"W-where am I?!" She demanded.

Her mother's head jerked from side to side as she looked across the area to check her surroundings. She didn't recognize any of this! Her sights first fell upon Dende. A shriek came from her.

"Oh my God!!! An alien!" She scooted back from Dende.

Dende tried to calm her down. "Nobody is going to hurt you," he pointed to Eighteen "she brought you here."

Turning her sights to her daughter, she seemed to calm down. The look of anxiety and shock on her face dissapeared and instead was replaced with a scowl. She probably didn't want to see Eighteen anymore after their last encounter.

"I thought I made it pretty clear I didn't want to see you again," it seemed to slip her mother's mind that Eighteen had obviously rescued her "so why am I here? With you? What is this place, even?!"

Eighteen rolled her eyes. "Instead of getting so angry, I think you should be on your knees thanking me."

"Why should I thank you?" Her mother demanded "I would have much rathered been taken to the hospital!"

"And been in there for how long? Weeks?" Eighteen asked.

"Yes!" Her mother snarled.

"Well, too bad," Eighteen snarled right back "I need you to answer some questions for me and then I will take you right back to that dump of yours that you call home."

"I am not answering anything," her mother shot back stubbornly "so take me home, you're just wasting your time."

"Please, ma'am!" Krillin piped in "This has to do with our daughter!"

Her mother turned her head towards Krillin. She looked taken aback. "This is your husband? He's patheticly short!"

"Hey!" Krillin sounded insulted.

"You'll just have stay with my husband and I if you persist on being such a mule." Eighteen said.

"You can't make me do anything!" Her mother snapped back.

"If you really want to believe that, then go ahead."

"Oh don't worry, it's a fact you can't force me to do something I don't want to do." No wonder where Eighteen got her pride from.

Eighteen sighed. Her mother should have already known by now that she could hurt her from the other day; their little reunion. Although, she refused to resort to physically beating the information out of her mother. She would just inforce that her mother stay at Kame house until she open up.

Looking at Dende, she actually graced him with words. "Thanks for your help."

Not even informing Krillin that they were leaving, Eighteen grabbed her mother up and rushed over to the edge of the tower and jumped down into the sky. Not being used to being so high in the sky, her mother shrieked in fear. Instead of beating on Eighteen to let her down, she clung onto her for dear life. Krillin reluctantly followed suit of them as he waved goodbye to Dende.

"Hey, wait up guys!" Krillin exclaimed, jumping down from the tower and blasting off after Eighteen and her mother.

Slowing down a little so Krillin could catch up, she laughed at her mother. There was no reason to be afraid. It wasn't like she would drop her. In fact, her mother was so frightened that she couldn't utter a word.

"I am taking her to Kame house," Eighteen informed Krillin "until she decides that she can answer my questions, this is her new home."

"You really think she can be of that much help?" Krillin sounded confused. "Anyone could have done that to her."

"Yeah, but my instincts tell me she knows something of use to us," Eighteen replied "so let's go now."

Krillin nodded as he followed Eighteen toward Kame house. Once they got there and landed, her mother jumped off her. She was very shaky, probably because she had been so terrified from being so high in the sky.

Still not saying anything to them, her mother looked around the island, her eyes widening in realization. There was no way she could get off this place! She was trapped! It would be impossible to swim across the ocean and find her way back home.

"You live here?" Her mother's voice was just as shaky as her hands.

Eighteen nodded. "Yes," she continued "and as you can see, you won't be leaving any time soon. So unless you agree to answering a couple of these questions I have for you, you're going to get real aquainted with the family."

"Fine then," her mother finally loosened up "I'll answer exactly what you asked for- a couple."

"Does getting to know your family scare you badly?" Eighteen asked.

"No," her mother replied "I just want to go to home!"

"Alright then, let's this get started." Eighteen declared.


Disclaimer: Hey guys, sorry for the wait. I am finally all well now...so yeah. This was short, maybe too rushed. I finished this part at school and it was awkward doing so because I type pretty fast. Thankyou so much for the reviews- it has made me really happy! The next chapter might reveal something about Maron...finally!

Love,

Jennifer