Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z or Sailor Moon. Dragonball Z and all of its characters belong to Akira Toriyama. Sailor Moon and all of its characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi.

Author's Notes: This is the chapter that I have been dying to write since I started this thing. Remember to review!

Altered Destinies

By: Kynthia

Part 8

Rei sat in the kitchen of the Capsule Corp building drinking a cup of strong coffee and listening to the chatter of the other girls around her. Trunks was training somewhere in another part of the building and Bulma was in the lab. This left the rest of them to fend for themselves in the kitchen. Makoto had found some cooking books and everyone was discovering that she had quite the knack for cooking.

"We think we may have found some old medical records on what Minako has so it shouldn't be long until we are able to come up with some medicine that should work. Right now we are just going to keep her comfortable and in antibiotics," Ami answered after being questioned of their friend's possible recovery.

Rei sighed in relief. They had gotten worried about Minako's condition while they were living on their own and this was a welcome relief. Right now Rei welcomed any sign of good news. The past week had not been a pleasant one. It had all started when she had left to look for her pendant and had run into that stranger. She still didn't know who the guy was nor did she particularly care to find out. Since that night though she had suffered from some of the worst nightmares she had ever had. Last night she hadn't slept at all. She had sat up in her room and read books found in the downstairs library until morning. The strong, black coffee in front of her and the pounding that was beginning to form in her head just behind the eyes were testament to her lack of sleep.

Turning her attention back to the conversation going on around her, Rei took a sip of her drink and listened as Usagi questioned Hotaru extensively about 'just what was going on with Trunks'. Rei felt sorry for the girl. The moment Minako was in speaking condition Hotaru would be expected to give every detail since meeting him and to pay particular attention to 'the good stuff'. She watched, amused, as Hotaru tried to convince the others that her and the purple haired warrior were nothing more then friends. They didn't believe it for a moment. Somehow during the past week the two had started hanging around each other quite a bit and it was obvious to all those around them that they were falling for each other, assuming that they hadn't fallen already.

"Bulma asked if we would help her go looking for more medical supplies later and I said we would. Do you guys mind?" asked Ami pushing aside her plate that had been emptied except for the occasional toast crumb.

"No problem," Makoto said with a wave of her hand.

"We'd be glad to help," said Hotaru.

"I'm in," Usagi chirped.

Rei merely grunted her agreement. Her head still hurt and unless she managed a nap soon or something she was going to be very 'disagreeable' on the scavenging outing.

They had learned since coming here that scavenging was still required if you wanted to eat anything that couldn't be grown. There was a garden tended by servant bots and machines to keep them in vegetables and fruit. If you wanted meat Trunks knew where some small villages were set up that still had markets. He would fly there sometimes when they needed more. The villages were to far for them to go on their own though.

Ami told them that someone was going to have to stay with Minako just in case she woke up while they were gone. Hotaru agreed to do so since Minako didn't know either Bulma or Trunks and with her healing power it seemed like a good idea.

"Now that that is taken care of Hotaru can enlighten us on her relationship with that gorgeous Trunks," Usagi perked up once the conversation had apparently ended.

As Hotaru blushed Rei couldn't help but to laugh despite her mood.

*~*~*

A few hours later found the group of girls working their way through crates, drugstores, and debris. Bulma was checking things off on a list she carried, Ami was trying to explain what some medicines were for to Usagi, and Makoto was carrying a box to the capsule car they had brought with them. Bulma had ended up pleading with Trunks that they would be fine on their own and that he should stay at Capsule Corp. Rei had the sneaking suspicion that the blue haired woman had noticed Trunks's interest in Hotaru and was hoping this would help her son get married off.

Rei looked over everything assembled by the capsule car. They still hadn't collected any bandages. She hadn't seen any in among the things that were among the rest of the junk in this store except one or two rolls that had been stained and dirtied enough to be considered unsalvageable.

"Bulma, we still don't have any bandages," Rei turned to the blue haired woman.

"Hm," Bulma said while staring at the sky for a moment in thought, "I believe we passed a sports supplies store. They might have some."

After Bulma pointed Rei in the direction she needed to go she left the drugstore.

*~*~*

Seventeen hovered over the city waiting for his sister to get done. She had once again drug him along on one of her tediously dull shopping trips. He had decided to come up here so that he could take pot shots at buildings instead of standing outside the store like he was her damn dog.

He had begun to get bored again until he noticed some activity taking place in one of the streets. It was a group of human women loading up a car. He chuckled at their stupidity to be moving around out in the open like this. With a little bit of surprise he recognized one girl with long raven black hair.

*~*~*

'Now where would those things be,' Rei thought. She pushed some more junk off of the shelves but still didn't see any bandages. She was starting to get angry enough to throw something again.

"Well at least you're not taking your anger out on a harmless can this time."

The voice was faintly mocking, familiar, and coming from directly behind her. She caught herself before she could jump or shriek in surprise. 'Point for me,' she thought dazedly. She expected to see a figure cloaked in shadows again. She was very surprised at what she got.

She saw a boy around her age wearing a black t-shirt over a long sleeved white shirt, ripped jeans, and a red bandanna. He had hair that came to just above his shoulders and was so dark she could make out blue highlights cast by the light filtering through the broken windows. He was leaning against a counter with his arms crossed in front of his chest. A cocky smirk played across his lips. His entire posture exuded confidence. Something about him tugged at her memory but she ignored it. Pale blue eyes were giving her the same scrutiny she was giving him.

Rei straightened herself to her full height and squared her shoulders glaring at him all the while. She did not like it that a cocky bastard like him seemed to think he could sneak up on her any time he damn well pleased.

"May I ask what you find so fascinating as to sneak up on me continually?" Rei asked hotly. Her own arms were crossed defiantly across her chest.

He raised an eyebrow apparently amused at her attitude, "I hardly call twice continually."

Rei's eyes narrowed. She was not amused in the least. "Why do I get the feeling you have no intention of telling me why you've been following me?"

The stranger actually looked indignant for a moment, "Why would I waste my time on following you? This has been nothing more then a coincidence. An unpleasant one at that." Before she could yell at him for that comment he spoke again, "What are you up to in here anyway?" He was eyeing the piles of junk that lay at her feet where she had tossed them in her search.

She considered snapping at him about how it was none of his business what she was doing in there but thought better of it. He hadn't made a move to hurt her yet so it was probably best not to push it just yet. Even if he was infuriatingly annoying.

"Bandages," she bit out between clenched teeth. She was having a harder time keeping her temper then she would have liked. It was that jerk's fault.

The mystery guy merely reached behind the counter and threw something white at her. She caught it automatically and looked down. I was a roll of bandages.

"All you had to do was look you know," he was smirking again. 'Great,' Rei thought, 'like he needs anymore of a confidence boost.'

She stood glaring at him again. She opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by a voice from outside.

"Rei! Hurry up! We need to get going!" called Usagi.

Rei muttered something unpleasant about the intelligence of blonds everywhere. She could have sworn that she heard the guy that was with her grunt in agreement. She turned to leave without another word but was stopped by an arm around her waist. She jerked around to give him a verbal lashing for what he had done when she was stopped by his lips on hers. It was only for perhaps a second but it was enough to shock Rei speechless. When he suddenly pulled back he looked just as confused as she felt. She blinked and he was suddenly gone.

She looked around the store but found no sign of him. After gathering more bandages from behind the counter she went outside to meet up with Usagi in a numb shock and took no notice to the blonde's questioning gaze.

When she had tossed the bandages with the rest of the supplies that were being readied to be capsulated she climbed into the back of the car. Thoughts were buzzing around her head like a beehive. She had just been kissed. She had gotten her first kiss. 'And I didn't even know the guy's name!' Rei let her head land against the glass of the window with a thud.

*~*~*

"What do you look so smug about?"

"Nothing in particular."

"Yeah, sure, there is no reason whatsoever behind you wearing that damn smirk since I went shopping. I'll find out what you're up to Seventeen."

"What makes you say that? I'm not up to anything dear sister."

"You're always up to something."

*~*~*

She could hear the cries of the child that she had dreamt of before. She didn't question how she knew who it was. She was running through a darkened street. People were screaming from the way she had come. They were attacking again. The androids.

She continued to run. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears and her heart felt like it was up in her throat. She continued to run.

The city was burning around her and there was nothing she could do. Smoke filled her vision. It clogged her nose and forced her to slow her flight. She held a hand to her mouth to stop the coughs that racked her body. It wasn't long before she was forced to her knees by the effort it was just to breathe.

Her eyes watered as the smoke stung them and she tried to find a way out. The smoke was too thick. She couldn't see anything but the dim shadows of the buildings she had seen set a flame, moments before. She wrapped her arms around her now aching ribs. She watched as a shadow seemed to appear in the smoke. She watched as it took shape. It was a person. She watched them near. She watched as the smoke seemed to recede from them. She recognized them. Everything became frighteningly clear as she looked into cold ice blue eyes.

Rei sat up with a start as she panted for breath. She reached up a hand to push sweat soaked bangs off of her forehead. It couldn't be true could it? It was him. He couldn't be one. It didn't happen. Her thoughts just jumbled and bounced around her panic stricken mind.

'He's an android. I got my first kiss from an android,' was the only thought that was clear.

Rei screamed.

************************************************************************

Author's Notes: I feel a little bad for how I ended that. Oh well. It'll pass. We finally see a chance at a relationship between Rei and 17 and I have to go and mess with it don't I. *insert evil grin*

Let me know what you think!