"I'll be right back; I have to use the bathroom real quick." Trunks told Skya, standing by his door.

"Ok." Skya softly replied, slowly walking to the bed.

Trunks noticed right away that something was up with Skya; she seemed down.

Trunks went to the bathroom and was back in their room within a minute.

"What's wrong?" Trunks asked, noticing Skya just sitting on the bed, staring at her orange juice.

"Why me?" Skya asked, kind of mumbling.

"What do you mean?" Trunks asked, confused, going to sit next to her. He started slowly rubbing her back.

"Why me? Why was I chosen to be this way? Why was I chosen to be a reincarnation or a host? I'm not nothing special or anything." Skya repeated, explaining her question as some tears slipped from her eyes.

"I think you're special: you are to me. I don't think that you were necessarily chosen; this is just who you were born to be. It's just how it was meant to be; it's fate. Just like how fate brought you to me—brought us together." Trunks stated, giving his opinion, holding Skya close.

"But I came here to warn your father." Skya replied, making a point.

"True… But we would've never met if you hadn't come to warn my dad; I believe it was fate. Fate works in mysterious ways, you know? And when it's time for something to be put into place; it's time." Trunks explained with a smile, wiping Skya's tears away.

Trunks knew that even though Skya was crying, she wasn't sad or upset; she was happy—and these were happy tears.

"I love you, Trunks." Skya happily told Trunks, hugging him.

"I love you too, my Skya. May I kiss you again?" Trunks asked, pushing away from her to look into her eyes.

Skya didn't say anything; she just smiled and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him to her.

"Should I take that as a yes?" Trunks asked, mere inches from Skya's lips.

Trunks knew what she wanted; he just wanted to hear her say it.

"Yes." Skya breathed, pulling a little more.

Trunks smiled before pressing his lips to hers.

Soft, gentle kisses: it was like a dream.

"What's wrong?" Trunks asked, concerned when he pulled away to see tears running down Skya's cheeks.

Knock. Knock.

"Hey, I was just wondering if you still wanted to go shopping for Earth clothes. What's wrong? What happened?" Bulma informed before opening the door. She immediately asked, concerned when she saw Skya crying.

"I don't know; I'm trying to figure that out. I only kissed her." Trunks replied, placing his hands on Skya's shoulders.

"This is real, right? It's not just a dream that I'm going to wake up from? I don't want to wake up: I don't want to wake up back there—with them." Skya cried, having a panic attack. She couldn't stop the tears or the sobs that racked through her body.

Trunks and Bulma knew Skya was afraid of Cassius. But they didn't realize it was this bad; she was beyond terrified of him.

And Goro was just as bad as Cassius—if not worse. He pretended to be her dad all these years. He just gave her to Cassius and let him do anything he pleased to her. And she trusted him.

Goro was "her" father for basically her entire life, and she trusted him to protect her. He not only gave her to Cassius, but he killed her father. Trunks and Bulma were willing to bet money that he probably had her mother killed as well. They were also willing to bet that Cassius has done more to Skya than she's saying.

And who knows what Skya's repressing?

"Skya, I promise you; this is real. This is not a dream. Just open your eyes and look at us. We're real. Me, Mom, Dad, Bulla, and all the others are real. I'll protect you. Mom, Dad, and the others will protect you. I will not let Cassius or Goro hurt you ever again." Trunks promised Skya, pulling her onto his lap and into a tight, safe hug.

"Please, Skya; just open your eyes." Bulma pleaded, sitting on the other side of the bed. She proceeded to gently rub Skya's back.

"What's going on in here?" Vegeta asked, walking in with Goku.

"Cassius has messed Skya up so much, she doesn't believe any of this is all real. She thinks it's all just a dream and that she'll wake up to that torture again." Bulma answered while rubbing Skya's back.

"Oh. Ok. I'll be right back." Vegeta replied before walking out of the room.

"Oh, and Goku; Chi-Chi wants you home. She told me to let you know when you got back—if you came here first." Bulma told Goku, looking from Skya to him.

"Ok. I'd better get home before I make her mad. See ya later." Goku stated before teleporting away.

"I'm guessing Kakarot was called home." Vegeta noted, walking into the room with a cup.

"Yeah. Chi-Chi wanted him home. What's with the cup?" Bulma answered before asking.

"Hey, Girly." Vegeta spoke to Skya.

"Hmm?" Skya hummed, trying to catch her breath, eyes still tightly closed, clinging to Trunks.

"Are you going to open your eyes and look at me?" Vegeta asked in a bored tone of voice.

"Vegeta, be nice. Bulma told Vegeta, turning to narrow her eyes at him.

"I am being nice. Now, there are a few ways to know this isn't all just a dream: the best one being to open your eyes. However, there are a few other ways: a big one is pinching or slapping someone. Pain usually wakes someone up—or proves they're awake. However, I highly doubt my wife and son will let me do that, so I'll have to use the other method I know of." Vegeta calmly explained.

"What are you plann—?" Bulma started asking, only to stop mid-word in shock when Vegeta tossed a small amount of ice water over Skya's head.

Skya pushed away from Trunks, eyes snapping open in shock.

Trunks, Bulma, and Vegeta were surprised that Skya didn't scream like most girls when ice water was thrown on them. Skya just sat on her knees in shock, staring blankly into space.

"Vegeta, what the hell?!" Bulma yelled, immediately standing up.

"That was the nicest way I could think of to get her to open her eyes. It was that or pinch or slap her. And you sure as hell weren't going to let me do either of those. Her eyes are open, she stopped crying, and she seems to be breathing normally again. So what's the problem?" Vegeta explained before asking, annoyed. He would've thought they would've been more grateful that he got Skya to open her eyes.

"You're kidding, right? Dad, look at her; she's in shock!" Trunks raised his voice, but not enough that he was yelling. He was sitting next to Skya and didn't want to yell in her face or ears.

"She'll be fine." Vegeta replied, huffing a little.

"We really need to talk about your bedside manner." Bulma sighed.

"Tr-Trunks?" Skya asked, confused, blinking a few times.

"See? I told you she'd be fine." Vegeta stated.

"Yeah, I'm right here. I'm right here." Trunks repeated in a soothing tone, placing his hands on her shoulders.

All Skya could do was reach her arms out, clutch his shirt, and cry.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Skya repeatedly apologized while Trunks pulled her to him and had her lay her head on his shoulder.

"It's fine. It's ok. It's not your fault." Trunks gently told Skya, holding her while rubbing the back of her head.

'They will pay for ever laying a finger on her and hurting her so badly—for making her feel like she's nothing.' Trunks angrily thought to himself as Skya slowly started calming down.

"Your father and I will be in the kitchen if either of you need anything." Bulma calmly told Trunks.

"Ok." Trunks replied, holding Skya close.

"Have fun." Vegeta told Trunks, insinuating they were going to have sex.

"Vegeta…" Bulma growled, dragging her husband out of the room.

"What? The girl needs to get marked and laid." Vegeta firmly told his wife.

"Skya doesn't need to do anything except go at her own pace. She's already traumatized enough as is. If they have sex now, she'll only regret it afterward because she's not truly ready. She just found out that the man she thought was her father all these years, isn't. And that that same man killed her real father when she was just a baby—with her in his arms. This same man gave her to this Cassius creep to be raped and beat on; she might as well have been a sex slave. Who knows just how many times he raped her? She just went through a miscarriage, and she's only sixteen. And yes, I know she and Trunks will eventually have sex—and probably sooner than later. And as hard as it may be, Trunks knows better; he won't do anything to hurt her. Why are you staring at me like that?" Bulma went off, explaining why Skya and Trunks need to go at their own pace before asking.

"Are you done yet?" Vegeta asked in a bored tone, watching his wife.

"I suppose…" Bulma answered, narrowing her eyes at her husband.

"Her being raped is exactly why she needs to get laid; she needs to know and understand that not all sex is bad. And that when it's with the right person, it's a great feeling." Vegeta started, only to be interrupted.

"I think she knows that already. No, she obviously doesn't know how it's supposed to feel, but she's not stupid. I'm sure she knows there's more types of sex than just rape—or whatever it's called on Venus with that Goro in charge." Bulma stated, annoyed.

"Fine. When it comes to sex, they can go at their own pace. However, he should probably mark her as his as soon as possible." Vegeta finally agreed on the sex, but he wasn't backing down on the marking.

"Why? Why is it so important that he mark her so soon? What if she doesn't want to be marked? Didn't you once tell me that it was a painful process? Don't you think she's been through enough pain already?" Bulma asked, looking at her husband.

"Marking the girl will keep her safe. If he marks her, Cassius can't touch her without Trunks's permission. Or if he does, it will send Trunks into a fit of rage and Cassius most likely won't make it to the next minute once Trunks finds him. No, it won't be like the anger he feels now; it'll be stronger anger. And no, he wouldn't hurt the girl; he will never intentionally hurt her. Yes, it's a painful process. But a few minutes of pain is better than if she's captured, raped, and tortured for hours. Don't you think?" Vegeta asked, looking at his wife, who looked back defeated; he had her there—and they both knew it.

"I'm sorry." Skya apologized, walking over. Her voice was a little hoarse from crying.

"Oh, Dear; it's ok. You're not at fault for anything; you're allowed to be upset with all you went through. Not just with what he did to you. Sorry. What I mean is that you not only got the courage to leave those people and go elsewhere; you left Venus entirely and came to Earth—a planet you've never been to before. You were brave enough to find Vegeta to try to stop a war from happening. You didn't know what to expect. You didn't know anyone here or if anyone, let alone Vegeta, would be willing to help. You don't know any of our traditions. Yet, you took the chance anyway. You never expected to find the one you were truly meant to be with—your one true love. And the best—and most likely scariest part of finding your one true love is that won't hurt you. You're entirely out of your element here. You're scared and confused. And you're afraid of the consequences of them finding you and taking you away. That's all ok; it's ok to be scared and afraid. Skya, we're here for you—to help you in any way we possibly can. As Trunks told you earlier: we'll keep you safe and we won't those fuckers get and hurt you ever again. Don't worry about any consequences; there won't be any—for you. For Cassius and Goro, however—well, they're going to have to face their own set of consequences. My point is: with all the shit that happened to you previously, and all this change and everything: you're just so horribly stressed out. And that's ok. You are allowed to break down and just cry it out. Just breathe. Calm down and relax. One way or another, everything will be just fine. Trunks will take care of you. Ok? We'll take care of you." Bulma pretty much gave Skya a heartfelt speech.

"Thank you." Skya replied, looking Bulma in the eyes—not that Bulma gave her a choice. She was holding Skya by her shoulders, making her look at her as she gave her speech.

"Good. Now, come with me; it's getting late, and we still need to go clothes shopping. We'll grab something for dinner while out. Are you two coming with? Maybe we'll bump into Bulla Goten, and Pan. Get your shoes on." Bulma immediately changed her tune and started dragging Skya to the front door.

"Oh, good: you've both decided to come along. Skya and Trunks can sit in the back, and you'll sit up front with me. Oh, Bulla and Goten; you're here. Where's Pan?" Bulma instructed and then happily greeted before asking.

"Videl and Gohan found us at the mall and took Pan home. And then Chi-Chi called and said Goten needed to come home. He brought me home instead of just leaving me at the store. I didn't get to get anything." Bulla explained and then complained, causing Goten to fall over.

Note the four bags of accessories and makeup in his arms.

"Get your bags from Goten and put them in your room. Then come back out; we're taking Skya clothes shopping." Bulma instructed.

"Oh, yay! I still get to look at clothes! And I get to help Skya accessorize. Thank you for coming with me today, Goten; I'll see you next time." Bulla happily thanked Goten, hugging him before heading in.

"Thanks for bringing her home instead of leaving her at the store." Bulma thanked Goten.

"It's no problem. I couldn't in good conscious just leave her there, by herself—no matter what she said. But I'd better get home before Mom sends out the brigade. See ya later." Goten replied before taking off.

"See you later!" Bulma happily waved.

"Ok, I'm ready!" Bulla happily announced, walking out.

"Ok… I'm going to apologize to you in advance." Trunks told Skya, confusing her.

"What do you mean?" Skya asked, watching Trunks.

"I love them dearly, but my family's crazy. And when it comes to shopping—with Mom and Bulla—well, I'm sorry." Trunks explained before apologizing again.

"Everyone get in." Bulma ordered, getting in the front with Vegeta while Trunks, Skya, and Bulla got in back.

"What shade of makeup do you wear?" Bulla asked right away, looking at Skya.

"I don't wear makeup; it makes my face itch." Skya answered, looking at Bulla.

"You're telling me that, that's all natural? You're not wearing any makeup?" Bulla asked, looking at Skya, shocked.

"Yes. No?" Skya answered, unsure.

"I wonder if makeup here is the same as the makeup on Venus. Do you know what makeup is made off on Venus?" Bulla asked, looking at Skya, making her nervous.

"Umm… Rocks and are grounded into fine powders and then colors are added using some kind of dye." Skya had to think about it for a minute, but she was able to answer Bulla, who just stared at her with a blank stare while Bulma stopped at a red light.

"That's way different than here. I guess we'll just have to see what shades go best with your skin tone, eyes, and hair. This is going to be so much fun!" Bulla happily exclaimed, not noticing Skya's discomfort with makeup.

"I think she's fine just the way she is." Trunks spoke up.

"Oh, what do you know? You're a guy." Bulla retorted.

"I know she's fine the way she is." Trunks repeated.

"Do you have your ears pierced?" Bulla asked Skya, deciding to ignore Trunks.

"No." Skya answered, suddenly scared, holding her ears.

"We should have that done too. Don't worry; they just shoot a small needle through your earlobe and then put an earring in. See? It only hurts for a second or two." Bulla explained, pulling her hair back to show Skya her ears. It didn't put Skya's mind at ease one little bit.

"Bulla, that's enough. If Skya doesn't want her ears pierced; she doesn't have to get them pierced." Bulma sternly stated before Trunks could say anything.

"But—all the pretty earrings." Bulla started.

"No buts, young lady. She doesn't want her ears pierced; you're making her uncomfortable. I don't think people on Venus get their ears pierced. Think about this way: you go to an unknown place, and say they have a tradition or fashion trend where they take a knife and cut into their arms or somewhere. Then once that part's done, they put some kind of jewelry of their kind in there. How would you feel about that? Would you want to do that if someone offered and explained it to you?" Bulma once again stopped Bulla. She gave her a scenario similar to the one that she's putting Skya in.

"No." Bulla mumbled.

"There you go. Stop pestering Skya about ear piercing. And apologize to her." Bulma warned and instructed.

"Sorry." Bulla apologized to Skya.

"It's ok." Skya responded, still rubbing her earlobes.

"Ever had a manicure?" Bulla asked, looking at Skya, who just looked confused.

"By that look, I'm guessing no." Bulla remarked, watching Skya.

"What she's asking is do you have a place that takes care of your nails: paint, clipped, and whatever else." Trunks explained, looking ahead.

"Oh. You mean a finger designer; we have that on Venus. They use something called nail paint to paint the nails different colors after they clip and file them down—and make them shiny." Skya explained once she understood what Bulla was talking about.

"Oh, so you've had that done before?" Bulla asked, looking at Skya.

"Yes…" Skya grumbled, shivering a little.

"You didn't like it?" Bulla asked, shocked and confused.

"Not really. I don't mind nail paint: the smell makes me a little dizzy, but it's not horrible. It's everything else they do, I don't like. Da—Goro would make me get it done for galas or royal balls or whatever that I was forced to go to because that's one of the duties, I, as the princess of Venus had to do. And it wasn't just my nails: I had to wear a ridiculously stupid poofy hoop dress with no sleeves. I also had to wear these stupid peg-heel shoes that I can't walk in without twisting my ankle. Finally, I had to wear a stupid corset that the maid ties too tight and I can't breathe." Skya explained, using "stupid" to describe some things.

"What do you need a corset for?" Bulma asked, confused, stopping at another red light.

"They came with the dresses—as did the peg-heels." Skya dully answered.

"Peg-heels?" Bulla asked, confused.

"Their fancy shoes with tall pegs on the back of the heel." Skya answered.

"Oh. High heels. Why do you call them peg-heels?" Bulla asked, confused.

"Venus has different terms from some things. Leave it at that." Trunks replied.

"So—this is your first time in a car, huh? How is it?" Bulla asked, changing the subject.

"Honestly, it's not horrible—but I feel a little nauseous. Umm… That means…" "That one we know; we use that term here as well." Skya started only to be interrupted by Trunks. He rolled his window down just enough to allow some air in.

"Mom, can we pull over for a minute or two so Skya and I can change places?" Trunks asked after noticing Skya. She was holding her head and lost some color to her face.

"Just hold on; we'll be at the store in a minute or two." Bulma replied, turning a corner.

"But the mall is still ten minutes away." Bulla stated, confused.

"We're not going to the mall; we're just going to Wally-World." Bulma replied.

"Wally-World?! I thought we were going to the mall! You said we were going clothes shopping! All the best clothes stores are in the mall!" Bulla whined, having a conniption.

"Bulla that's enough. It's clear Skya's not going to make it to the mall. And yes, while she and Trunks could switch spots; that doesn't always mean anything. She's never been in a vehicle before; she'll need to get used to it before we go any further than Wally-World. Also, not that she knows any here; I don't think Skya really cares about name brands. I'm sure she's happy with some comfy, sensible, modest clothes. Believe it or not, not everyone is into fashion like you or me." Bulma explained, stopping Bulla's tantrum.

"You don't even care about fashion so much." Vegeta mumbled.

"Finally, Skya's never been around as many people as they have in a mall. Yes, she had things she had to attend to that probably had a lot of people, but I doubt it's as many as a mall. Wally-World might even be difficult for her, but it's smaller than a mall." Bulma finished what she was saying before Vegeta interrupted her.

"I'm sorry." Skya weakly apologized.

"Don't worry about it, Skya; we understand. This isn't on you. Hold on." Bulma replied and then instructed when they stopped at another red light.

Bulma dug through a compartment between the driver's and passenger's seats and found a water bottle.

"Here, drink this. It's just water; it should help with your car or motion sickness." Bulma explained, having Vegeta hand Trunks the water bottle as she started driving again.

"Thank you." Skya thanked, slowly drinking the water.

"Not a problem." Bulma replied.

Three Minutes Later:

"Ha. Just our luck: they're not overly busy." Bulma happily announced, pulling into Wally-World's parking lot.

As soon as Skya was able to get out, she was on the ground, throwing up.

"Well, at least she made it to the store." Bulma stated, watching as Trunks held Skya's hair back.

"Don't apologize. It's fine." Vegeta told Skya as soon as he saw the face she was making.

"How are you feeling?" Bulma asked, watching Skya.

"Better, thank you." Skya replied once she stood up.

"Are you sure?" Bulma asked, concerned.

"Yes." Skya replied with a soft smile.

"Ok. Let's head in." Bulma instructed, leading the way.

Bulma grabbed a cart, and they went into the store of wonders.

"Are you ok?" Trunks asked, watching as Skya looked around—either amazed or petrified; he couldn't quite tell.

"Uh-huh…" Skya answered, wandering around.

"This way." Bulma instructed, looking back at Skya, Trunks, and Bulla.

"Don't you have stores on Venus?" Bulla asked as they followed Bulma and Vegeta.

"Ummm… I know we have…" "Stop saying "we have" so and so on Venus. You say "Venus has" so and so. You live here, on Earth now—not Venus. And don't ask what she has on Venus. Ask what Venus has." Skya started, only to be interrupted by Vegeta snapping at her. He was trying not to yell, but he had enough of Skya making it sound like she was still living on Venus.

"I'm sorry." Skya apologized, looking down.

"Vegeta! Don't apologize, Skya; it's Vegeta who should apologize to you. This is a big adjustment for her; give her time." Bulma snapped at Vegeta.

"I'm sorry, but I can't stand that she makes it seem like she's still living on Venus—or is planning on going back." Vegeta replied, annoyed.

"Skya, are you planning on going back to Venus—at all?" Bulma asked, looking at Skya.

"I thought I was staying with Trunks. I don't want to go back to Cassius—or Goro." Skya shakily replied, confused, about ready to cry.

"Don't cry, Skya." "Jeez… I'm sorry, ok? When you keep say "we have," it bothers me because you don't live on Venus; you live on Earth. You should be saying "Venus has." I understand what you're going through; I had to get used to Earth's customs when I came here years ago. We're not sending you back; you're staying with Trunks." Bulma started only to be interrupted by Vegeta apologizing to the best of his ability.

"Ok." Skya softly replied before they continued walking.

"So—what does Venus have for stores?" Bulla asked after a minute or two.

"Umm… I know we—Venus has a few supermarkets that sell food and stuff to cook or bake in or on. There are people in street markets who sell specially cropped and specially made foods. There are a few tailor stores that sell clothes, but a lot of people make their own clothes. Then there are one or two stores that sell books. There's only one place that sells makeup: that's in the same place as the finger designer—and hair stylist. And then, I think there's a store that sells toys for little children. Nothing like this—as far as I know." Skya answered, looking around.

"You've never been in them, have you?" Bulla asked, looking at Skya.

"That I remember, I've only been in the one place with the finger designer and makeup person. I've seen a few supermarkets and tailor stores on the way there. I've only ever seen pictures of the inside of stores—I think. Mom might've taken me into the toy store once or twice when I younger than five." Skya answered, trying to think.

"Oh." Bulla replied, unsure of what to say or ask next.

"This is the quietest I've ever seen Bulla. How'd you do that?" Trunks asked, Skya, teasing Bulla.

"Shut up!" Bulla cried, embarrassed.

"That's enough. Skya, did you have a favorite food back on Venus? I know it may not be the same, but I can try to recreate it for you." Bulma asked, looking back at Skya.

"Ummm… I liked the street market food and stuff. But Goro didn't, so he never picked any up. He always had the cook make stuff with Shiar (shy-air), Klinker Woot, and canned vegetables. Canned vegetables weren't bad, but they weren't the greatest." "We have canned vegetables here, but what the hell are Shiar and Klinker Woot?" Skya started but was interrupted by Bulla.

"Cheap, nasty-ass meat. They have it on Venus, Uranus, and even Planet Vegeta had it." Vegeta explained, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Vegeta, don't be rude." Bulma scolded.

"No, he's right; Shiar and Klinker Woot are disgusting. I mean, from what I've heard, the people of Uranus loved it. And several of Venus's people liked it. I can't say much about Saiyans, but I know I don't like it." Skya answered.

"So, you have no favorite dish?" Bulma asked, looking at Skya.

"Just the street market crops and other things the street market sold. But when Mom was alive, she used to come to Earth or other planets sometimes and bring back some foods. I didn't really like any of the food from most planets. But she brought food from Earth and made stuff like tacos and hamburger gravy over mashed potatoes. Or potatoes with a sauce that taste like sausage. And there was something called spaghetti with chunks of something called ground beef; she said she didn't care for tomato sauce. For the most part, she made something called alfredo sauce. It was white and had something called chicken it. She made other things as well, but I can't really remember anymore." Skya answered, thinking about everything.

"I know what all of those are. Well, I've never heard of hamburger grave over mashed potatoes, but it sounds pretty simple. I can figure it out." Bulma determinedly announced.

"Wait. If Goro never bought street market stuff, how have you had it before?" Bulla asked, confused.

"Hojo and Hiei, and their family. They knew Mom. Their father and uncle fought to protect my mom when they were my age. Their mom and aunt were friends with Mom; they promised her they'd keep an eye on me. Goro would never actually let them in directly, but they knew other ways in thanks to Mom. Hojo and Hiei—especially Hiei were the fastest in their family; they could get in and out without anyone seeing. I'd give them money and a list, and they'd take it to one of their parents—usually their mother, I think. Then they'd bring the food to my window, and I'd keep it hidden in my backpack. They were really good friends and would keep me company sometimes—until they had to go." Skya explained.

"Boyfriends?" Bulla asked with a mischievous grin.

"Yes, they were boys. That's why they had to sneak in and out; Goro wouldn't have been very happy if he knew we were talking and "hanging out." Even if they never came inside." Skya explained, causing Bulla to start snickering.

"Did I say something wrong?" Skya asked, confused.

"No. Bulla's just being immature." Trunks replied, annoyed. He could tell that Skya had no interest in these boys.

"Was he afraid you were going to have sex with them?" Bulla asked, causing Skya's face to light up.

"That's probably the reason, yes." Skya replied.

"But you didn't?" Bulla asked, looking at Skya.

"No. How could I have? Why would I have?" Skya asked, confused.

"I can think of plenty of ways. They were two boys; they'd figure out way." Bulla replied.

"Oh, no! That would never happen between us." Skya frantically started, flinging her arms all over the place.

"Why not?" Bulla asked, staring directly at a very nervous Skya.

"Neither of them were my true mates. And by then, I knew Goro had chosen Cassius. And now, I know that's wrong. But I wasn't their true mate either!" Skya frantically answered.

"So? Trunks had plenty of sex with other girls before you." Bulla replied in disbelief. She couldn't believe Skya's never had consensual sex. Well, before hearing about Hiei and Hojo, she could. But now that Skya's mentioned them—not so much.

"Bulla!" Trunks, Bulma, and Vegeta exclaimed, annoyed and shocked.

"What? It's the truth!" Bulla shot back.

"Maybe, but that's his business and his business alone. You don't tell nobody anybody else's personal business—especially not in public. You owe your brother an apology." Bulma scolded Bulla in the middle of the aisle they were in.

"Skya, I'm sorry…" Trunks started but was shocked by Skya taking his hand.

"Why? It's normal here, right? Mom explained to me that other cultures and races will have sex with others before finding their right person. She said she visited one planet where that's how they find their person; they have sex with people until they find the right one. The girls you were with before were before me, right? Mom said, on Earth, most people only have one special person. Some people have more, but she said they're called Mormons or cheaters. I understand. Just because that's not how me and my people do it, doesn't mean other places don't." Skya explained, shocking not only Trunks, Bulma, and Bulla, but also Vegeta and random customers walking by.

"That's so sweet and insightful." Bulma happy told Skya, tightly hugging her.

Vegeta couldn't say anything; he was in too much shock. He likes Skya, but honestly, he thought she was an airhead.

"Oh, there is one area on Venus where people who aren't with their special person yet: they have casual sex with others. Hojo was telling me about one day. He said if I ever got out, he'd take me there some time; he said the scenery was very pretty. He said there were a lot of mountains—and that it was the only place anywhere on Venus with the greenest pastures." Skya explained with a soft smile, causing Vegeta to fall over.

"Not much grass on Venus?" Bulma asked, watching Skya, ignoring her husband.

"No. There are small patches here and there, but nothing like what Hojo described—or drew." Skya replied, making Bulma realize those boys were just talking about the scenery—she hoped.

"So, Hojo did want to have sex with you!" Bulla loudly exclaimed, getting customers' attention.

"No. Even if he—or Hiei and I wanted to, I don't think their proper mates would appreciate that." Skya answered, causing Bulla to blankly stare at her.

"Why didn't you say they had proper mates or whatever in the first place?" Bulla asked, frustrated.

"You never asked that; you just asked about Hojo and Hiei. Hojo actually met his mate at that place. Some of his not so good friends told him about it and took him there; Hiei says he refuses to go. But he met his proper mate when they were—I think he said six or seven." Skya answered, thinking about it all.

"Not so good friends?" Trunks, Bulla, and Bulma asked, curious.

"Well that's what he and Hiei said. Hiei didn't seem to like them at all. Hojo said he used to be part of a bad group; he said they're not good for me when I asked about them—and that's where he was going to leave it. Hiei told me before they left, that the group Hojo was in was the type of people Cassius would hang out with." Skya sadly explained.

"Left?" Trunks asked, confused.

"Yeah. Hojo's mate's parents left her when she was four; she had been alone until she met him and his family—so she moved in. Hiei's mate's family were killed by one of Goro's enemies about two years ago; she moved in with them as well. They said they not only needed a bigger place, but they wanted to get off Venus; they couldn't live under Goro anymore." Skya explained with a sad smile, trying not to cry, but some tears slipped down her cheeks.

"When did they leave?" Bulla asked, curious.

"Bulla, that's enough." Bulma scolded.

"No, it's ok. I'm sorry; I don't mean to cry—especially since I told them to go." Skya replied.

"Why would you send your only friends away?" Bulla asked, freaking out. Unless their families absolutely had to leave, Bulla couldn't fathom telling her friends to just leave.

"Because I understood. They felt trapped and they found a way out. Mom always told me that if you're in a bad situation and can find a way out to take it. From what I understand, a lot of people left, but a lot of people stayed as well. They couldn't stay there, under Goro's thumb much longer. Hiei said he and Mika would've stayed. I told them no—to go with their family—that I'd be fine. I knew it was a lie—but… I'd rather them leave Venus and be gone that way than for Goro to find out they were visiting and have them killed. And Goro did find out—after they left. It wasn't a good day. Umm… But they left six months ago." Skya answered, choking back tears.

"Ok. Now, that's enough." Trunks insisted, pulling Skya into a hug.

"I do have one more question." Bulma spoke up, getting a look from Trunks.

"Yes?" Skya softly asked.

"If there were any way for someone to take you back to Venus, do you think you'd want to?" Bulma asked, confusing everyone there.

"Why would you want to take her back there?!" Vegeta demanded.

"Not to stay. A group of you could take her, and she could go to the street markets and pick some things up. She hasn't had any in six months." Bulma answered Vegeta, explaining her reasoning.

"Oh, no; it's fine." Skya spoke up.

"But…" "It's fine. Hiei and Hojo went and bought about two or three years' worth of stuff for me. It's all in my backpack." Bulma started only for Skya to explain why it was fine.

"Is it all jarred or something?" Bulma asked, confused.

"Some of it. Some of it's in bottles, containers, or bags. None of it goes bad—so long as whatever it is stays in their bottles, jars, containers, or bags. Hojo and Hiei always said their mom buys in bulk and then stores in their food closet. They have stuff from twenty years ago. Mom told them and me that the only planets this food would go bad on, no matter where it was stored, were Mars and Jupiter." Skya answered.

"You're going to have to let me see what you have." Bulma stated, severely interested, watching Skya.

"Of course." Skya softly replied.

"You're just too cute!" Bulma exclaimed, pulling Skya into a hug.

"Can we get this done and over with?" Vegeta asked, annoyed.

"Right. Come on." Bulma enthusiastically declared, leading the way...