Disclaimer; Read the last one please.
A/N; Did anyone else happen to notice that chapter 4 posted twice? I hate this new up-loading system it's so confusing.
Once again thank you so very much to everyone who reviewed, it's you guys that inspire me to write, every word comes from your inspiration. Just to let you know, this fic is going to go right through to their wedding, so there is still heaps more to come. And I already have so many ideas for my next fic, it's just deciding which one to write first. ~Deadly Beauty
A Helping Hand
Chapter 5
"I'll just take this box down to the basement, I'll be back in a minute" said Krillen. 18 pulled some more junk out from under the bed and began to sort through it. Porn, porn, rubbish, more porn. Then she picked up something that didn't fall under either of those two categories. 18 picked up the toy dog and sat down in the chair. She looked down at the stuffed animal in her hands, it was old and worn and had definitely seen better days. She turned the dog over and looked at its underside, something was written on it in shaky black letters. 18 took a closer look and after a while it became apparent that the word was Krillen. It looked like he had only just learned to write his name. Just then 18 heard footsteps and her head snapped up. Krillen was already making his way towards her.
"Ruff" he said quietly.
"Excuse me?" said 18. Krillen took the toy off 18 and sat down on the bed. "His name is Ruff," Krillen took a deep breath and continued. "My mother gave him to me, it was one of the last times I saw her".
"I'm sorry" said 18.
"My father killed her, he stabbed her to death right in front of me, I was only five but I'll never forget that night" said Krillen. 18 rested one hand on her stomach and took hold of Krillens hand, sometimes she was glad she didn't remember her past.
"Thank-you for finding Ruff for me 18, I thought Master Roshi threw him out years ago" said Krillen and he stood up and left the room. 18 wasn't sure if she had actually helped Krillen or if she had just caused painful memories to resurface.
She sighed loudly and followed Krillen out the room, she saw him going down the stairs and followed him, he went into the basement.
"Are you alright?" asked 18. Krillen jumped and spun around.
"Jeez 18, you scared the hell out of me". 18 couldn't stop the small smile that wormed its way onto her face.
"I asked you a question you know". Krillen sat down on a box and 18 sat down next to him.
"Yeah I'll be fine, it's just seeing this brings back some pretty awful memories" said Krillen
"But doesn't that mean it could also bring back good ones?" asked 18. Krillen looked up at her well and truly confused.
"What do you mean?"
"Well you said it brought back memories of that night. But couldn't you just look at Ruff and think of all the fun times you had with your mother" explained 18.
"You know, I think you might be right 18" said Krillen. 18 raised an eyebrow and stood up.
"I'm always right".
***
18 sat out on the beach letting the sand run through her fingers, it really was beautiful out here and the sunset made it even better. She heard the screen door open and close and she knew Krillen would come and sit with her, but she didn't mind at all, in-fact she was kind of happy.
"Are you coming in for dinner?" asked Krillen as he crouched down next to 18.
"Sure, why not" replied 18, she held out her hand and Krillen pulled her up. She was about 5 months now and you could tell, not that she was huge but she didn't fit into her regular clothes any more. Krillen was surprised, 18 usually stayed outside or in her room until late at night and then come down and make herself something to eat, but oh well, he wasn't complaining.
"What is it?" asked 18 as she sat down at the table "it sure smells good". Krillen smiled and put a plate down in front of 18, who quickly picked up a fork and began to eat.
"Do you want some help with the washing up?" asked 18 once the meal was over. Krillen looked up from his empty plate.
"Huh?".
"I said. Do you want some help with the washing up?" 18 repeated herself.
"Oh yeah sure, that would be great" said Krillen as he stood up, 18 pushed her chair back and stood up to.
"Do you want to wash or dry?" asked Krillen.
"I'll dry" replied 18.
After the dishes had been washed and dried 18 went into the lounge room and turned on the TV, Krillen came in a few minutes later.
"What should we watch?" asked 18
"You've got the remote, you choose" said Krillen. 18 began to flick through the channels, but just as she found something she liked the power went off.
"Hey, the powers out!" exclaimed 18.
"That's odd" said Krillen as he went into the kitchen and got some candles, he lit them and went back into the lounge room
"Why?" asked 18
"Well it's not even raining, the power had no reason to go out" replied Krillen.
"You're right, that is strange" said 18.
"I think I'll go outside and check it out" said Krillen.
"Be careful" said 18 as he went out the front door.
The first place Krillen checked was the metre box, some one had flicked the switch so Krillen flicked it again and sure enough the power came on. He turned to go back inside when he heard 18 scream.
"17, what the hell are you doing in here?" asked 18, she could feel her heart beat slowing to a normal rate again. Krillen came racing in the front door and came to a halt when he saw who was inside the house.
"I was wondering how long it would take you" said 17 with out ever taking his eyes off his sister
"17 I'll ask you again, why are you here?" 18 repeated herself.
"I though maybe if I gave you a few months you'd realise just how stupid what you're doing is. But obviously I was wrong". 17 poked a finger at 18's stomach and she leapt back.
"Don't touch me," she said "17 I'm perfectly happy here. Why can't you just accept that?" she asked.
"Because this isn't the way it's supposed to be" replied 17.
"Then how is it supposed to be 17? Tell me"
"Well for one you're not supposed to be living with short bald men. 18 we're supposed to be a team, me and you, reeking havoc on anything and everything we see. You know, live life to our full potential, just like Dr.Gero wanted us to" said 17. 18 shook her head sadly.
"Why are you still letting him control you 17, you're free of him now. I think maybe a bit of 16 rubbed off on me, I don't want to hurt anymore. I just want the world to forget about me and treat me like everyone else and here I can have that. And above all I like it here." 18 looked at Krillen and smiled. "I like being around Krillen and I like the sun and the ocean and I like the fact that I'm going to have a baby". 17 growled and turned to face Krillen.
"You know, this is all your fault, if it wasn't for you I would still have my sister. You better watch your back midget man, cause when you least expect it, I'll be back" he said then he stormed out the house and flew away.
18 let out a sigh of relief and sat back down on the couch.
"Are you ok?' asked Krillen as he sat down next to her. 18 nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm fine. How about you?"
"I'm good too" said Krillen "I wonder why he turned the power off?"
"It was probably just one of his stupid jokes" said 18. A few minutes later the whine of a jet car could be heard outside. Krillen got up to see who it was.
"It's Bulma, she brought Master Roshi and Oolong back" he said.
"Hello guys" said Bulma as she walked through the front door.
"Hi Bulma" said 18, she began to get up but Bulma stopped her.
"No no, don't get up, you just sit down and rest" she said.
"Uh ok" said 18 and she sat back down
"Would you like some coffee Bulma?" asked Krillen.
"No I can't stay, I left Trunks alone with my mum and Vegeta and since they're both about as dumb as each other I don't want to think what they'll do to the poor boy" replied Bulma. Krillen laughed.
"You should stop by sometime," said Bulma then she turned to look at 18 "if you want I could give you an ultrasound".
"Ultra what?".
"It's just a scan, nothing much, but you'll get to see your baby" said Bulma.
"We can go tomorrow if you want" said Krillen. 18 looked up at him.
"Maybe, we'll see how I'm feeling then" she said.
"Alright then, just call before you come ok" said Bulma "Bye". Krillen watched her go then sat back down in his chair.
"So what did you get up to today Master Roshi?" he asked. Roshi looked up from the magazine he had already began to read. "Nothing much" he replied. 18 looked at the clock and stood up, it was almost 8 o'clock.
"I'll be upstairs" she said and she walked off. Krillen went into the kitchen and made himself a cup of coffee then he to went upstairs.
***
18 walked into her room and shut the door, she put her pyjamas on even though it was only 8. Then she walked over to the stereo and turned it on. 'Take my breath away' by Emma Bunton was playing. 18 sat down at her desk and began to brush her hair. The song ended and a new one started but 18 didn't really notice, she was to lost in her own thoughts. She carefully put her brush down and looked at her reflection in the mirror.
Tonight had been strange, she had actually planned on ringing 17 when Krillen was out running errands, but obviously that plan wasn't going to go ahead. But she missed having her brother around and she hated fighting with him, but she just wanted him to be happy for her, but that presented a problem, she wasn't even sure if she was happy for her anymore. The more time 18 had to think about it the more she realised she didn't know how to raise a child, she couldn't look after a baby, she was an android designed to kill life, not created it. And then she thought about the long talk her and Krillen had had a few weeks ago, about all the good things that were going to happen and all the fun they were going to have. Krillen always seemed to be able to say the right things, 18 guessed it was a special gift he didn't even realise he had.
18 tried to ignore the voice in her head telling her babies were bad and tried to concentrate on the music instead. She moved from the chair she was sitting on and went to lie on her bed instead and before long her eyelids were getting heavy and she fell asleep.
***
All the way down the other end of the hall Krillen was busy putting his big pile of washing away in the appropriate places, once that was done he move onto making the bed. That was a thing not to many people knew about Krillen, he was a clean freak. Everything had a place and he wasn't happy unless everything was where it was supposed to be. He rested his hands on his hips and looked around the now clean room, all of a sudden he felt hot so he walked over to the doors that lead to the balcony and opened them. The cool breeze hit Krillens face and he inhaled deeply, now he remembered why he lived all the way out here in the middle of nowhere. Krillen sat on the floor, he wasn't really sure why, but he like to sit on the floor, it was strange, but then again he was a strange person.
Yumcha had said it when had first learned of Krillens feeling for 18. And now that Krillen thought about it was strange; he'd fallen head over hells for the woman who had been designed to kill his best friend and now he was dead anyway and Krillen couldn't help but feel responsible for it all.
"No!" Krillen shouted to himself. "I am not going to start that again, it was an accident that Goku died, it wasn't my fault, nothing was my fault. If I'm going to blame anyone it was that bastard Gero, he was the one who created cell in the first place".
Krillen cringed at the thought of that madman and all the pain he had cause so many people, especially 18. Poor 18, she'd been through so much, it made Krillens traumatic childhood seem like nothing. But at least she didn't remember what had happened to her, Krillens memories were so vivid that they still scared the hell out of him. Krillen got up off the floor and put some boxer's shorts on then he climbed into bed and went to sleep.
***
"What the hell was that?" said 18 as she sat bolt upright in her bed and flicked on the lamp, then she felt it again, it was like a poking feeling coming from the inside of her stomach. 18 got out her bed and went down the hall into Krillens room. She turned on he bedroom light and called out his name.
"Krillen," she arrived at the edge of his bed, his arm was hanging off the side of the bed and she poked it with her foot. "Wake up now".
Krillen groaned and sat up. "18, what's wrong?" he asked.
"I'm not sure," said 18, as she sat on the edge of the bed. "Give me your hand".
"Uh ok". Krillen held out his hand and 18 placed it on her stomach.
"Just wait and you'll feel it and then.." 18 was cut off mid speech as she felt that strange feeling again. Krillen took his hand away and smiled. "Is that what you were talking about?" he asked. 18 nodded her head. "Do you think something is wrong?"
"No, that's the baby moving around, it just means her or she is awake and feels like moving, it's perfectly natural" explained Krillen.
"Well tell the baby to go to sleep now and wake up once I've had enough sleep, say around 1pm" said 18. Krillen laughed "You can't just tell the baby to go to sleep, you'll just have to put up with it" he said. 18 groaned and stood up. "Ok then, night Krillen"
"Good night 18"
A/N; Well there you go. I'm sorry that it wasn't very long. But I will try to make the next one longer. I'll try to get the next chap out as soon as possible ok. ~Deadly Beauty.