Tina walked into the house as soon as Goten and the others drove away. It was about 7:30 at night. She walked up to her bedroom as quietly as possible. When she made it to her room, she heard somebody come in behind her. It was Harry, her father. He walked in behind her and slammed the door.

"Why the hell are you so late?" asked Harry.

"I'm not late. It's only 7:30," argued Tina.

"If you value your life, you will keep your mouth shut."

Tina backed away a little.

"What were you doing all this time?" asked Harry.

Tina said nothing back.

"Answer me!" Harry demanded.

"I was at the park, where I said I'd be," answered Tina.

"I don't think so. It doesn't take that long to get on some damn rides. Tell me the truth."

"I am telling you the truth."

"No, I think you were doing something else. You was fuckin' that boy, wasn't you? You been fuckin' that Goten kid, haven't you?"

"No, Dad! Goten isn't like that! He wouldn't take advantage of me."

"Take off your clothes."

"What? Why?"

"Just take off your damn clothes. We'll see if you're lying."

Tina reluctantly took off her clothes until she was down to her bikini. Her father looked like he was furious. He pushed Tina on the bed and grabbed her legs.

"You thought you could lie to me?! Look at that bruise! You have been fuckin' that kid!" yelled Harry.

"That bruise came from you! You put it there!" said Tina. Harry slapped her hard in the face.

"You keep your damn mouth shut, you hear me?" yelled Harry. Tina tried to push him off of her and he slapped her again.

******

Goten had just flown out of his house and was on the way to Tina's house. He still had a horrible feeling, and he didn't want to think about how that bruise got on Tina's body. He flew as fast as he could and made his way to the house. He was thinking about what he may have to do when he got there. He was still a Super Saiyan, so he could have killed someone if he attacked them. But if someone was hurting Tina, he wouldn't care.

A few minutes later, me made it to Tina's house. He floated in front of the house and looked in the window. His jaw dropped, and his energy flared.

******

Harry was still on top of Tina, trying to pull her bikini off. Tina was still pushing him.

"Get off of me!" demanded Tina. Harry slapped her a third time.

"You better lay still and shut up! I'm your father, damn it!" said Harry.

"You're no father of mine! You just got my mother pregnant!" said Tina.

Harry raised his hand to slap Tina again. But he didn't do it, because something stopped him. Goten flew through the window, grabbed Harry, pulled him off of Tina, drove him through the wall, and slammed him into the opposite wall of his own bedroom. Harry coughed and started to vomit blood. Goten grabbed him by the throat and raised his fist into the air. His fist was trembling, and his ki rose from his body in a yellow flame.

"How dare you? That's your daughter in there," said Goten in a low, angry voice.

"Who...who the fuck are you?" Harry choked.

"Shut up! You don't deserve any answers. You deserve to burn in hell," said Goten. He channeled his ki into his trembling fist and prepared to strike him. Tina ran through the hole in the wall and grabbed Goten's arm. She couldn't have physically stopped him, but she was going to try.

"Goten, stop!" Tina demanded.

"No. He's going to die," said Goten.

"Don't kill him! He's still my dad!"

Goten stopped for a second and thought. Slowly he released Harry's throat and backed up. Harry slumped to the floor and passed out. Goten hung his head low and turned to Tina.

"We're out of here," said Goten.

Tina nodded and ran to her sister's room to get her. She and Bianca came back into Tina's room, where Goten was waiting by the window. Bianca was confused and trying to figure out what was going on. Tina just kept telling her that she would be okay and that they were going to be safe. Goten held Tina in his right arm and Bianca in his left arm. Tina looked out of the window and didn't know what to expect.

"Hold on," said Goten. Tina nodded and held on tight.

Goten floated out of the window with Tina and Bianca.. Tina closed her eyes and got a tighter grip on Goten. He flew toward his house at a speed that was alright for Tina, although she was pretty much overwhelmed. She still couldn't grasp the concept that she was flying. She opened her eyes and looked at Goten. His face was cold, calm, and obviously angry. But she also noticed some relief in his eyes. She didn't realize that Goten was relieved to be able to get her out of such a situation. She looked down at the ground below her. It was hard to recognize anything on the ground when they were flying. They were still flying pretty fast, just not fast enough to make her sick. Tina decided not to ask Goten anything about it just yet. She was just happy that he was there. It was just like what she pictured: Goten swooping in through the window and saving her. That's just what he did.

Goten landed in front of the house. Tina felt kind of odd since she had just flown and was now on solid ground again, and Bianca thought it was fun and wanted to do it again. Goten opened the door and held it open for Tina and Bianca.. They walked into the house, and Goten walked in behind them. Goten looked around for his parents, but they weren't down there. He assumed they were upstairs. As soon as he started walking upstairs, Tina grabbed his arm. He turned around, and Tina hugged him tight. He hugged her back and kissed her on the cheek. Tina buried her head into his chest.

"Thank you," said Tina.

"You're welcome," said Goten.

Goten led the girls to his room, then he walked to his parents' room while Tina and Bianca got settled in his room. He knocked on the door lightly and heard someone say "Come in" from inside. Chi Chi was sleeping, and Goku was doing situps on the floor. He saw Goten, stopped, and sat down. Goten walked in and sat next to Goku.

"Goten, what's wrong?" asked Goku.

"Tina's here," said Goten.

"She is? When did she get here?"

"Just now. I brought her here along with her sister."

"Why?"

"I was just at her house."

"Oh, Goten..."

"No, Dad. You don't understand. Look, that feeling I told you about...it was true. Tina's dad...he beats her, rapes her...he doesn't treat her like his daughter. I couldn't just leave her there. Please, can they just stay here? At least long enough to settle all of this."

"Sure, son. I'll let your mother know in the morning."

"Thanks, Dad." Goten got up and started to walk away. Then he heard his father speak.

"Goten, wait." Goku stood up and put his hand on Goten's shoulder. "Are you alright?" asked Goku.

"I guess so," said Goten.

"I'm proud of you, Goten."

"Thanks. That means a lot to me."

Goten walked back to his room. Tina was sitting on his bed and looking out of the window. Bianca was asleep on his bed, which was surprising considering the adrenaline rush she just had. Goten sat on the floor on the opposite side of the room and stared at the wall. Tina turned to him.

"Goten? Can I ask you something?" asked Tina.

"Sure, Tina," said Goten.

"Why did you do it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why did you come for me? You didn't have to."

"Yes, I did. I couldn't let your dad keep doing what he was doing. I had to put a stop to it."

"Is that the only reason?"

"No. There's another reason. I love you."

"Goten," said Tina, "can you take me flying again?"

"Yeah...no problem," said Goten with a smile. He stood up and held Tina in his arms. "You sure you can take it?"

"Yeah, I can take it," said Tina.

Goten floated out of the window with Tina in his arms again. By now, the sun was on its way down. The sky was reddish-orange, the perfect backdrop for flight. Goten flew slowly at first, so as not to make Tina sick. Tina could see everything under her perfectly now. She looked around at everything below her. They were only about ten feet above the houses. They eventually moved into a city area, and the buildings became much higher. Goten flew a little higher, and now they were just above a few skyscrapers.

"Tina, you ever see that Superman movie?" asked Goten.

"Yeah," said Tina.

"You remember how Superman and Lois Lane were flying?"

"They were flying hand in hand."

"Yeah. Kinda like this." Goten slowly loosened his grip on Tina, then he got a grip on her forearm. Tina held his forearm, and then their hands loosened a little bit more and they held each other's hands. Now they were flying hand in hand. Goten slowed down a little so that it would be easier for them to hold each other's hands. Tina laughed and screamed at once as Goten flew even higher, and now they were in the clouds. Goten came back down a little more, and they were just exiting the city. Now they were near a valley. Goten pulled Tina back to him and held her with both arms. As they flew, Goten looked down in the valley and saw a familiar figure. He waved at the person standing on the ground.

"Hey, Piccolo!" said Goten.

Piccolo looked up from his meditation and saw Goten. He nodded and closed his eyes again.

"Was that guy green?" asked Tina.

"Yeah, he's a good friend of mine," said Goten.

The two of them kept flying. Tina looked down at the mountains and trees that were below her. It was unbelievable for her. They crossed another valley, and then Goten saw somebody else that he recognized. He waved down at this person too. The person was tuning up a car in the valley.

"Hey, Yamcha!" said Goten.

Yamcha looked up, saw Goten, and waved. Tina turned to Goten.

"Another friend?" asked Tina.

"Yup. I have a lot of friends out here," said Goten. Goten and Tina kept flying and stopped at a huge hill that bordered another city. Goten set Tina down on the ground. She sat down and tried to regain her bearings. Goten sat next to her and looked up. It was night now, and the sky was full of stars. Tina was smiling and looking at the stars.

"It's funny. Ever since I was a little kid, I would always sit outside and look at the stars. It would just make me feel relaxed," said Tina.

"Stars are like that. I do that too," said Goten.

"I don't think they can calm me down, now. I was just flying. How can I explain that to people? How do you do it?"

"I'm just used to it. Ever since Gohan taught me how to do it, it's just been easy."

"Do you fly often?"

"Yeah. It's part of my life, I guess."

"You know, I always had this feeling. I guess it was just kid stuff, but I always had this feeling that someone would fly through my window and take me away. It was torture living in that house. I thought it would never end."

Goten didn't say anything back. He really couldn't think of anything to say.

"But then you made the fantasy real. You made it reality, Goten. I don't think I could ever show you how much that means to me."

Goten continued to be silent.

"It's like my God picked me to be a tortured soul, you know? It's like He wanted to torture me because of something I did. Maybe it's my fault. Maybe..."

"No, Tina, this isn't your fault. You can't blame yourself."

"Then why, Goten? Why?"

"...I wish I had an answer for you, Tina."

Goten held Tina close to him. He spoke very softly into her ear, and while she was still listening to him, she continued to look at the stars.

"I know it's hard, Tina. And I know there's not a lot of people who are going to understand what you're going through. But I want you to understand that there is at least one person in this world who will help you. And you know that nothing will ever stop me from helping you, supporting you, or loving you. I'll always be here, Tina."

"Goten, you mean so much to me. I feel like you're all I've got. Thank you for everything."

"Always, Tina. I'm always here. Remember that," said Goten.

"I'm so tired..." said Tina.

"Well, we'll get some rest tonight, and tomorrow we'll handle all of this, okay?"

"Okay. I'm just glad you came when you did."

Tina and Goten sat for another hour and stared at the stars. Then, when it was getting late, Tina finally fell asleep in Goten's arms. Goten picked Tina up and flew back home. He was upset, but at the same time he was happy. He protected the one that he loved, and he would continue to protect her, for as long as it took. And nothing in the world could stop him.

END OF CHAPTER 7