Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ.

Author's note: I just finished this and either I'm so sleepy that it's impeding my judgement or this chapter is really done.

I hope you people like this one. I'm actually fairly pleased with it.

So please read and review.

Lets hope I don't read this in the morning and say what was I thinking!

Well I just reread it and I guess it wasn't to bad considering that I wrote it running off caffeine.

Enjoy.

Chapter ten

Justine rolled out of bed and groaned (the extra soft mattress had given her a backache.)

Dende had previously knocked on her bedroom door to wake her for breakfast. And he said that there were clothes for her in the dresser.

Yawning, she walked over to the dresser and opened a drawer. She found that it was filled with jeans ranging from size 6 to size 14. After picking her size 12 she opened another and found a wide assortment of t-shirts. In the top drawers she found packages of new underwear and socks.

She then scooped up the pile of clothes and decided to take a quick shower.

After she had showered and dressed she felt revived and ready for some breakfast.

Padding down the hallway in her socks she fallowed the scent of food to the kitchen.

Dende was eating with Gohan, Bulma, and Trunks at the table. And Justine smiled when she seen there cheerful faces.

It wasn't until after she had taken her set that she noticed the strange man from last night leaning casually against the wall across from her.

"Vegeta, come set down and eat." Bulma called to the man.

"He's Bulma's husband." Justine realized.

She watched as Vegeta pushed away from the wall and pull up a chair directly across from her.

She could sense his eye's on her and she couldn't shake the feeling that he knew something..

Slowly her tension built until she felt like she would snap in two. Determined not to be intimidated Justine looked up and met Vegetas hard black stare.

Not oblivious to what was happening, everyone at the table ceased eating and looked up from their meals.

Vegeta spoke first. "What are you doing here Marah?"

"I told you why I'm here." Justine said, carefully keeping her voice even.

"But you didn't answer my question." Vegeta stated levelly.

"I don't know what you want me to say." She declared, feeling exasperated. "You must have me confused with someone else, because I don't know who Marah is."

"I didn't say Marah is who, Marah is a what. He ground out. And I would like to know why a you are on this damned planet" Vegeta all but shouted at her.

It took a moment for Justine to absorb what he was saying.

"You think I'm some kind of alien?"

"You really don't know, do you?" He asked sounding somewhat subdued.

"I have no clue what you're talking about." She answered.

"Haven't you ever been curious about the differences of your body?" He asked.

Bulma suddenly broke in "Vegeta, surely you can't think she's a alien just because she looks a little different then most."

"Her looks wouldn't be the only difference." He added.

"What do you mean?" Bulma asked.

"Tell me Justine, have you ever mated with a human?" Vegeta asked. But when Justine didn't answer he continued. "And you know why you haven't, don't you? It's because you can't. Your body is incompatible with a human male."

The silence in the room was absolute, even baby Trunks held his tongue. Everyone waited for Justine to deny Vegeta's claim.

"How could you know that about me?" She asked finally.

"So I was right then." Vegeta sighed. "I had hoped... Never mind I'll just tell you, it's the least I can do."

He paused for a moment as if collecting his thoughts then he began to explain.

"About sixteen years ago someone named Frieza ordered all the Marah exterminated. Every man, woman, and child on the entire Marah home world was... Obliterated... All because they would not submit to Frieza's reign."

"I don't know why you're here, but you could be the last of your kind. And you have the right to know that." He concluded.

Justine said nothing, she couldn't quite wrap her mind around what Vegeta had said. How could it be true? This place, this planet, how could she not belong to it?

But deep down some part of her knew, had always known. She would never belong here, it was just like Dr. Gryphon had said, She would never have a life, never have a place in this world.

She turned to Dende, he looked so sad, so sorry. He was saying something and reaching for her but she couldn't hear him over the roaring in her ears. Suddenly she felt it, that same tide of emotion that she had felt before she killed Gryphon. "Get away!" Was her only thought as she shoved passed Dende and headed for the back door.

She all but ripped the door off it hinges in her fight to put space between herself and the others.

Running blindly though the maze of buildings in the Capsule Corp grounds, Justine could feel her grip on reality slipping. She was suddenly reliving that moment when she had killed Gryphon.

He had caught her trying to escape, and he decided that her punishment would be electrocution.

He had three men hold her down while he tied her up strapped electrodes to her most sensitive areas.

For hours he had ranted at her while continuously torturing her.

He had said that she had no home outside of his control. And that there was no life for her away from him.

Then he had put his hands around her neck and slowly squeezed off her air. All the while commanding her to submit, and repeat his words. "You are nothing without me!... SAY IT!" He screamed wildly.

But she wouldn't, she was prepared to die for her last once of honor. Then she had felt it, the anger, it was so strong that it nearly blocked out everything. Yet it hadn't blocked out the sight of her crushing Dr. Gryphon's skull.

At first she thought that she was dreaming because she never touched him, he just seemed to break into pieces. And then slowly things began to crumble around her. She couldn't stop it, and she didn't want too.

Then there had been complete silence. She had thought herself dead because she couldn't see or hear. And so she had let go for the first time in years. She thought it was all over.

But then she heard a voice so rich and sweet, calling her to, asking for her to hold on.

She could hear him now, saying her name. And she felt his arms wrap around her, holding her tight.

His big strong hands touching her face, wiping away her tears.

She sobbed his name as she hugged his thick neck.

"It's ok Kid I've got you." He said as he lifted her.

"Piccolo." She choked out, hardly believing that he was there. "Piccolo, I..I.. Don't belong here." She cried.

"Feh, You and me both Kid."

"I'll take you to the Lookout. Everything's going to be fine." He assured her.

"No, I want to go home, I want to go to the cave with you." She whimpered.

"Alright then, let's go home."