Chapter Five

"17... It's six o'clock in the morning! It had better be good!" 18 was in a robe glaring at him with her hands on her hips.

"Come on, 18, don't get your wires crossed. You were up already anyway," 17 came as close as he did to pleading.

The twins took in the sight of each other almost hungrily. It had been one thing not to see each other everyday but now... they couldn't even feel each other. It was a relief to see that the other was okay.

18 glared at him then rolled her eyes. "Up because of your niece. What happened to you anyway, 17, you look like you were mauled." 18 took in his disheveled appearance.

He was beyond filthy with new rips and dried blood all over his clothing. He had a red line of blood on his cheek that didn't appear to come from any wounds.

"18, I don't know what to do!" 17 implored to his twin. "I beat her up! I thought she was Trunks so I challenged her and then everything went wrong, my God, 18! I could have killed her!" 17 was now pacing in a small circle. "She will never like me now! I--"

"Wait!" 18 interrupted his ranting. "She did this to you?" She looked him over again noticing small boot prints stamped on his clothes here and there.

"Yes," 17 answered absently when his gaze narrowed unexpectedly. "Leave her alone, 18, I will not allow you to hurt her." He started ominously.

18 blinked her blues eyes at him. "Calm down, 17, I was just curious." An amused light entered her eyes as she crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. "She's really got you wound up, hasn't she?"

17 ground his teeth and said nothing.

"My brother, the ladies man. I didn't know you liked to beat them into submission."

"Knock it off, 18, this isn't funny." 17 frowned as she chuckled softly.

"If you feel that bad then just go apologize," she smiled. "And leave me alone. I can't handle all your problems."

17 snorted. "Oh really, is that a fact."

"Mmmm," 18's lips quirked. "Have you found out who Trunks is yet?"

"No, but never fear, 18, I shall take Ava away from him even if it means I have to kill him to do it!" 17's hand tightened into a fist.

"Is that so?" She straightened. "Have you found out who she is yet?"

"Does it really matter, 18? She will be mine." He tilted his head to her.

"You forgot didn't you." She rolled her eyes. "Spare me your antics and leave me."

"Fine, however, I will return when I win the girl," 17 announced confidently and was off.

"Men," 18 rolled her eyes again.

**

Ava was foraging with her knapsack. There was nothing else better to do. Well there was but she didn't feel like hunting, well, for animals.

She overcompensated when she grabbed for a piece of fruit, it exploded in her hand. She looked at her juice covered hand, the juice was red, and it almost looked like blood. She closed her eyes and licked her palm, imagining that it belonged to him, it was his blood.

The tang flavor of the fruit dispelled the illusion. She tightened her fist letting her nails dig into her skin. The action caused a reaction along her nerve impulses telling her brain that she was hurting her hand. Pain. Funny, she didn't feel alive.

Ava stiffened as she felt HIM behind her. She carefully put her knapsack of vegetation down as she turned to face her rejecter.

17 stood before her, his arms full of every flower imaginable, though his appearance was every bit as bloody as the night before.

"Ava..." 17 trailed off nervously. "I just wanted to say I'm..." deep breath, "sorry..." His head tilted down.

Ava frowned in confusion. "Sorry? You mean you have regrets?"

17 looked up at her in surprise. "Yes, I have regrets. Ava... if I had known it was you... I would have never... Forgive me..." He implored looking into her eyes to find bewilderment. "Here I brought you flowers." He awkwardly offered them to her.

"You would have never what?" She narrowed her eyes at him as she totally dismissed the flowers.

17 eyes flashed. "I would never have beat you up, is that clear enough for you? Now take your flowers and be happy." He nearly growled as he thrust the flowers at her.

Ava shoved them out of the way as she stepped toe to toe with him, nose to nose, though she had to tilt her head back a little.

"Let me get this straight, Android," She almost smiled when his eyes narrowed. "Are you saying that you regret challenging me?"

His eyes narrowed a bit more. "That is exactly what I am saying. I never meant to challenge you and I am sorry for my error."

17 eyes widened as she stepped away from him, her face pale. "What's wrong?" He reached out for her.

She took another step back. "You never meant to challenge me?" She asked him carefully.

"No, I never meant to challenge you, in fact, I didn't even realize it was you," 17 frowned as she suddenly stopped yanking her hair. "What's your major malfunction?" He placed his hands on his lips.

Ava took a deep breathe and let go of her hair as she took a step toward him. "My major malfunction?" She let her lips curve as she stepped into him taking advantage of his surprise by wrapping herself around him.

Her arms around his neck, her tail around his waist, one leg hooked both of his, with her lips next to his ear. "Is you." She whispered as she felt his arms came up to hold her in place.

She rubbed against him ever so slightly, tightening her tail making his hips bump hers. He shivered in response, tightening his arms, making her smirk as she raked her teeth down his neck loving the small groan the emitted from his throat. His eyes darkened.

"Now listen to me closely, hunter," she bit him lightly in the crook of his neck. "I challenge you to a lunafair."

17 jerked away from her in surprise. "What? You want to fight me?" His voice was slightly hoarse.

17 almost gulped s Ava gave him a sultry look. What's happening to me? He thought to himself confused at the reaction of his body. His heart was pounding, his heart never pounded, only once had his heart pounded, and that had been when cell had sucked him up. It was like his body had gone into overdrive.

"Yes, I want to fight you," she nearly purred at him as she sashayed up to him, "I forget we are not the same species. In my culture we fight for everything for food, for life, for territory, for honor, and most especially for the right to mate."

17 started to back away slowly as she continued to pursue. "Are you saying that last night's battle was a lunafair?"

Ava lifted an eyebrow. "Yes, it was, however, I now challenge you. I will not let you go, Android, I have decided that only you are worthy."

17 frowned and stopped his retreat. "What about Trunks?"

Ava stopped and blinked in confusion. "Trunks?"

17 narrowed his eyes at her. "Yes, Trunks! Don't think that I don't know about him, Ava!"

He thrust his hand into his coat dragging out the black square and nearly threw it at her.

"Deny you have a relationship with him!" 17 almost snarled.

Ava looked at him speechless as she turned her keepsake over in her hands. How did he get this? Why does it matter that I have a nephew?

"Answer me," 17 demanded softly.

Ava blinked at him. "Of course I have a relationship with him, it's only natural."

"Natural?" His eyes were an icy blue. "You will not play me for a fool, Ava, take me to Trunks and we will see who is the better man."

"I don't understand," Ava shook her head slightly, "Do you want to fight Trunks?"

17 looked her dead in the eye. "I want to fight Trunks."

"Why?" She glared at him. "He is only--"

"The only one who can stand in my way," 17 interrupted. "Now take me to him and the fun can start."

"His father will not approve." She set her jaw stubbornly.

"Ava," 17 raised her chin. "I will not kill him. When this is all over, you will belong to me, and me alone."

Ava looked up at him with wide eyes. You don't understand. I already belong to you.

**

"What are we doing at Capsule Corp.?" 17 crossed his arms.

Ava rolled her eyes at him. "You wanted to fight Trunks, Trunks lives here, and so I brought you here."

17 frowned as Ava ran around to the back of the yellow dome.

"He's over here!" She called out to him.

17 nodded to himself grimly. He would offer Trunks a deal: If Trunks agreed never to see Ava again, then 17 would let him live. 17 turned the last round corner and found Ava sitting in a sandbox with a little boy, around five, and with lavender hair. 17 raised an eyebrow, was she trying to stall?

"So where is he? This Trunks?" He inquired as if bored with everything.

He watched as the little head popped up and turned to look at him with baby blue eyes. He cocked his head to the side and studied 17 curiously. "Me, I'm Trunks."

17 blinked.

Ava bit her lip nervously.

Trunks giggled. "Me, I'm Trunks. Here!" The boy stood up and waved at the confused

android. When 17 didn't respond Trunks looked at his aunt. "He silly. You play with Trunks!" He got into a fighting position.

17 looked at Ava incredulously as she started blocking the boy's punches. "He can't be Trunks!"

Ava frowned completely annoyed as she made Trunks block a punch. "He is."

"How in the world can you have an intimate relationship with him?" 17 asked completely bewildered.

"Intimate?" Ava blinked and motioned for Trunks to stop as she turned to 17. "You're not serious..." Ava let herself collapse on her back in the sand. "By the Gods, you are..."

"Auntie?" Trunks poked her prone figure on the sand.

Auntie? 17 blinked.

"Go away," she groaned covering her face with her arm, "I'm dead."

"Dead?" Trunks looked up at 17 in alarm as his big blue eyes filled with tears.

"DADDY!" Trunks disappeared into the yellow building.

17 looked at Ava, he was at a complete loss at what to do. He looked up at the sound of a door slamming open.

Vegeta stomped toward him with Trunks trailing.

He stopped a scant foot away. "Where is Ava?" he growled at the android.

"Daddy!" Trunks yelled bringing Vegeta's attention to the sandbox.

Vegeta sent 17 a glare over his shoulder before marching toward the box of sand. "Ava?" Vegeta frowned as he nudged her with his foot.

"Go away. I'm dead." She hissed at him.

Vegeta shook his head and turned to Trunks. "She's only playing." Trunks squealed and copied his aunt, though he covered his eyes with his hands.

"I'm dead, too!" He announced.

Vegeta felt his lips curve before he turned to look at the mechanical intruder. "Though why she is playing this particular game is beyond me. Care to enlighten me, Android?"

17 eyes widened as it finally dawned on him who Ava resembled. The question had been forgotten but now the answer hit him in the face like a ton of bricks. How could I have missed it?!

"She's your sister," 17 whispered to himself.

Vegeta overheard him and smirked. "Twin sister, Android, why do you say that as if you didn't know?"

Vegeta cocked his head to the side, almost identically to the way Ava did, as 17 could do and say nothing without losing his dignity.

Vegeta smirked. "You didn't know, did you?"

With that Vegeta started to laugh.