Bra casually twirled the phone cord around her finger while working up the nerve to ask her next question

"So has he proposed yet"

"Iie Trunks-chan's got a lot of work he has to do for the new marketing campaign, but I think, maybe sometime soon." Pan's hopeful voice answered her, but Bra couldn't help being concerned for her best friend Trunks was well known for his selfish attitude in relationships. Whenever his current flame stopped paying him as much attention as he wanted he got another. There were many times when she had thought that he was finally going to settle down but it had always ended in a lot of heartache and confusion. In fact he had even seemed to have given up, but then he had noticed Pan who was always spending time with his sister. It wasn't long before they were dating and Gohan was fuming, protesting that with his record there was no way he should be anywhere near Pan. Truthfully Bra agreed she had never really seen her brother really connect meaningfully with her friend and it was beginning to worry her.

"Otousan thinks he's just treating me like his other girlfriends, but I just know that this time it's the real thing, he's the one Bra-chan…Bra-chan? Are you there?

Pan's concerned voice returned Bra's attention to her current situation. "Oh yeah I'm here. Sorry, I was thinking about something else."

"Nani, is it really that important? "

Bra rolled over on her bed as she shifted her phone to her other ear for comfort. "Well actually I've got this project for biology class, we have to get some DNA samples from our parents and show how they combine to make ours."

"That doesn't seem to bad."

"Normally no but Kassan is in Paris for the annual fashion show so she won't be back till next week, and I need the samples tomorrow."

"Didn't your mom just have her annual physical?"

"Hai, Otousan complained all day about the prospect of another person touching his mate in such an undignified manner, dooshite?" Bra giggled remembering the fit her father had thrown in the doctor's office.

"Well, don't they take a lot of blood samples and stuff, I mean couldn't you just go down and get a few drops, that's all you need right?"

"Pan-chan you're a genius, now all I have to do is convince Tousan, he still a little touchy about letting his DNA be messed with, you know, from the whole Cell thing."

"Yeah I've heard a lot about that from Ojiisan. Kuso, Tousan says I have to get off the phone cause it's getting late, see you tomorrow?"

Bra couldn't help but smile at her friend's less than sophisticated language "Your Obassan would probably have a coronary if she ever heard you talking like that."

"But Obassan's not here now is she, so I can say whatever I want."

"Your starting to sound like Niichan whenever Kassans not around. He always tries to get me to do all the extra work she leaves him. I'll see what I can do about coming over though, but only if I can actually finish my homework and the errands Kassan left me with. I suppose I'd better let you go now Koban wa Pan-chan"

"Koban wa Bra-chan"


"Hey Videl-san there's a robbery at Satan City bank. The robbers had taken hostages and the police negotiators aren't getting anywhere. They need your help right away."

"Alright lieutenant tell them I'm on my way"

Videl decided to simply run to the scene, it was only a few blocks from the police station. She smiled as she felt the wind blowing through her hair; this is why she had kept her job on the volunteer police force. Even after she had married Gohan she still felt it was her duty to use all her strength to protect the people in the city of her fathers namesake.

'There it is. I'll have to going though the back, maybe I can surprise them.'

It wasn't the first time the bank had been robed and she had made sure too know of all the entrances. 'This'll be easy, I'll be done in time for lunch.'

She carefully sunk around the back making sure to keep out of direct view of the big front windows. However she neglected to notice a window in the bank managers office where a robber was in the middle of hassling for the vault combination. He looked out the window as something brushed in front of it.

'Kuso, it's the Satan brat, if she thinks she can trick us like that she's in for a surprise.'

Videl smiled as she twisted the knob, feeling the lock pop she knew she was in. she confidently strode in. 'Probably all in the front watching the hostages but if they've hurt any…nani?' She felt like fire was racing up her back she spun around and heard a cry behind her. She saw one of the afore mentioned robbers clutching his bloody hand. He snarled and then lunged for her. Recovering quickly she gave him a solid right cross immediately knocking him out cold, and into a pile of assorted cleaning supplies. The resulting clamor alerted the rest of the gang to her presence. She immediately fell into a battle stance and tensed preparing the inevitable shower of bullets. 'Here it comes.' She focused in on her assailant's weapon. As he unloaded the magazine at her she suddenly lost focus. She did her best to catch the bullets, but to no avail. The loss of blood from the knife buried deep in her back by her first assailant had weakened her, she hardly felt herself falling. Just before she blacked out the heard the police taking advantage of the distraction she had provided.

"Where is she? Is she all right?"

"She's resting comfortably right now. We were able to remove the bullets and give her a few units of blood, she should come out of anesthesia anytime now."

"Thank Dende," Gohan's relief was almost palatable. "When can I see her?"

"As soon as she wakes up" Doctor Kuyra frowned it was always hard for him to deliver bad news "I'm afraid when she was attacked one of the robbers blood got into her wounds."

"So why should that matter?" He was already afraid he knew the answer, every one knew there was a risk of diseases being carried in blood, especially from the seedy population to the law enforcement.

"Well the fact of the matter is he had AIDS and she seems to have recently caught a rather strong case of the flu, probably from all her contact with people throughout the city. I'm afraid that even if she weren't injured she wouldn't live long. I'm sorry but if it's any consolation she probably saved the lives of all the people inside that bank."

"Hai I know, but that won't help her now will it."

"Miss Briefs this is a simple comparison of DNA what is taking so long?"

"Gomen sensei, but no matter what I do it doesn't seem to match right. Here see for yourself."

Bra moved aside giving here teacher an uninterrupted view of her computer screen. "This is Kaasan's and here's Tousan's, but when I run them though the formula it's nothing like mine."

"Alright let's see here," Mrs. Taccura's fingers danced lightly over the keyboard. "Well now it looks like your mothers DNA isn't the problem. After a checking and rechecking her findings Mrs. Taccura felt her stomach beginning to knot. 'There are only two reasons her fathers DNA wouldn't match please don't let it be what I think it is.' Miss Briefs are you sure this sample wasn't somehow contaminated?"

"There's no way it could be, I had my families personal doctor retrieve it right in front of me, he did everything exactly like you're supposed to. Tousan was pretty upset about it, but he didn't even move when the sample was taken. It's a perfect sample."

"Well then I'm afraid that the problem lies with your mother."

"Kassan? I don't understand."

If this is really a perfect sample of your fathers DNA, which I believe it is, then the only reason there would be any problems with matching it to yours would be if he were not your father."

"NANI!? Are you insane!? Of course he's my father, I mean I know my parents fight a lot but there's no way Kassan would ever be with anyone else for any reason no matter what."

"Well I would advise that you ask your mother about this as soon as you can, because until you can give me a sample of your real fathers DNA I'm going to consider your work on this assignment incomplete."

"Nani!? This is ridiculous my real father, Tousan is the only father I've ever had I don't have another one." 'Do I?'

Bra walked slowly through the crowded park. She always liked to come here when she needed to think. She sat on nearby park bench watching the children in the playground, it was always a good way for her to clear her mind and concentrate on her problems. Today more than ever she needed to clear her mind of the plethora of thoughts and doubts which seemed to tear at her very soul.

'This isn't possible, Kassan would never do something like this, would she? No! Absolutely not, it's just a misunderstanding all I have to do is ask mom she'll tell me how silly it is then I can go back to class and tell Taccura-sensei where she can put her real father theory. But... what if it is true who could my father really be? Mom's always had a special friendship with Yamcha-san, they did used to date... could it be?'

She watched a young father pushing his daughter on the swings. Her long red hair floated in the breeze as her laughter echoed in Bra's ears.

'No, I can't think like this because it's not true. I've got to talk Kassan's soon as she gets back'

A sharp knock on the hospital room door caught Videl by surprise. Her heart rate excelarated with her surprise and her heart monitors began blaring for a few seconds.

"Videl-chan you alright?" Gohan entered a concerned expression matching his voice

"As good as you can be in a hospital." She smiled weakly "Pan-chan your here too, what a nice surprise."

"I just wanted to make sure you were doing alright, and see when they were going to release you." Pan smiled gently at her mother.

Videl cast a worried glance at her husband, so he hadn't told her. Perhaps it was for the best that she didn't know until it near the end. No need to cause her to worry over something that couldn't be changed.

"I don't know, I was pretty bad when I came in here and you know how these doctors are, the longer they can keep you in the more money they can make."

"But you're going to be a just fine, ne?"

"Of course sweetie everything's going to be fine," she lied. 'Forgive me Pan-chan, it's for your own good'

"Pan, where have you been?"

Gomen nasi Trunks-chan, I was visiting my Kassan in the hospital."

"Yes I heard she was shot, is she alright?" Trunks had known Videl since he was young and she had always been especially kind to him. Even now she was the only one who seemed to approve of His relationship with Pan.

"I'm not sure, I think there's something wrong, but Tousan and the doctors won't tell me anything."

"Well that's too bad, but if there's nothing you can do for her at least try to be on time for our date, ne Pan-chan?"

After all she had had all day to visit her mother and mysterious complications were no excuse for being twenty minutes late.

"Hai Trunks-chan."

"Kassan will be back from Paris Sunday morning, so you and your family are invited to come to the dinner party that evening." Trunk's scowl deepened at his girlfriend's lack of response. "Pan-chan what is so important that you continue to ignore me?"

"Nani, oh gomen nasi Trunks cha but I just can't stop thinking about Kassan I'm really worried about her."

"Worrying won't do her any good, so you'd best keep your attention on important matters, such as me."

"Is that all you ever think about, the world doesn't revolve around you Trunks. My mother may be dying and all you care about is yourself!" Pan practically screamed back at him.

"I was simply pointing out the fact that you can't help your mother, so you might as well enjoy yourself. I had to make these reservations four months in advance and I don't want them to go to waste."

"I guess you're right, alright Trunks-chan lets get going."

'She's been so distant lately, doesn't she see how much important I am. She'd better straighten out soon, cause there are plenty of other fish in the sea.' Thought Trunks as they headed into the restaurant.

Bulma sat in her hotel room casually sorting her paper work. It had been a pretty good show this year, and she had hand picked a few new outfits. Now all she had to do was finish the negotiations with designers to extend the Capsule clothing line.

~ This just in from Satan City...~

She glances up from the largest stack of legal forms towards the small hotel television.

~Videl Satan, daughter of the world famous Mr. Satan, has died of injuries sustained while foiling a bank robbery at Satan City Bank, we'll give you updates as information comes in come in.~

'Poor Gohan this is terrible. At least I'm going home tomorrow. Maybe we can talk at the party. I just hope I can help him as much as he's helped me over the years.'

She couldn't help thinking back to the biggest favor he did for her.

'Kami Bra's almost twenty-three, my how time flies. I always thought I'd tell her about her father when she was eighteen, but I guess she and Vegeta just seemed so happy together I couldn't risk breaking that special bond they have. Maybe I should just keep it a secret, after all how could she ever find out?'