This chapter was hard for me to write. It involved really taking a look at the characters and imagining exactly what they would say in the situation. But I think I did a pretty good job. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I'm working on chapter 30 of this story. It's getting hard to set the story up to where I want it to go. But I have to work on it. It won't be long until I get up to that spot. So thanks for the reviews, they really keep me going, and enjoy this one.

The next Monday at work, I was making a cappuccino when Mia poked me in the arm excitedly. "Oooh, Marron! The hottest guy just walked in here with an even hotter friend! And they were both looking at you!" she whispered excitedly.

I turned around, the steaming hot cappuccino still in my hands, mind you, and dropped it all over myself. Goten and Trunks were sitting at a table in the corner, talking in hushed voices, and shooting glances my way.

"Mar, what's wrong? Too hot for you?" Mia asked, bending down to wipe my spill.

"Mia!" I hissed. "Do you know who that is? The one with the black hair is my husband, Goten, and the other one is my best friend, the guy I cheated on Goten with, and my current boyfriend! Why the hell would the come here?"

Mia smiled mischievously at me as the handed me a towel. "There's only one way to find out. Go take their order. And if you need, I'll give you a break. Maybe they're talking about what's going on with you. I'm right here for moral support."

I glared at her. "You just want to find out what they're talking about," I said dryly, trying to get the rest of the brown stains off of my shirt. "Okay, I'm going. Wish me luck." She shot me the thumbs up sign as I took a deep breath and made my way over to the back table. Goten saw me first, and smiled softly. I took that as a good sign.

"There's my Mazzie," Trunks said brightly, smiling at me. "Look at you, working and everything." He stood up to kiss me, but I shook my head and he sat back down.

"Too bad I can't say the same about you, Mr. Briefs. Hey Goten, how's it going?" I asked, trying to sound breezy and casual, but I ended up sounding like a deformed frog. Damn him for making me so nervous. "What brings you two here?"

Goten cleared his throat. "Actually, Trunks was just showing me some pictures from your birthday. I read that you went out to dinner in a tabloid. You looked really great that night," he commented, looking me straight in the eyes. And I felt that look go right down to my toes. Not exactly a good thing, if your boyfriend is standing right next to you. "Oh, by the way, I have this for you. Sort of a late birthday card."

I smiled. "Thanks, 'Ten, that's really sweet." I went to open the envelope, but he put his hand over mine.

"Wait until later, okay?"

I nodded and set it on the table.

"Look Marron," 'Ten started, completely ignoring Trunks for the time being, "I know that I have been really bad in the last year or so. And I want to change. I want to spend time with Kira. I want to know that she knows she has me, and that I love her a lot. I didn't exactly know how to tell you this, so I called Trunks. I'm asking you; I'm begging you to give me another chance at being her father."

I looked at him blankly for a moment, shaking my head softly to myself. "You're just realizing now that you want her? What am I supposed to tell her when she gets older, Goten? And what if-- what if you get remarried and have another kid? What are you going to say, 'Oh, well, I made a mistake with the first one, but I'll do better this time'?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, Kira was a mistake, after all---"

"Don't you ever, ever, ever call my daughter a mistake, Son Goten," I interrupted through clenched teeth. "Do it again, and I will not be responsible for what happens to you."

Goten stood up defensively, and Trunks glared at him like it was going out of style. "Damn it, Marron, she's my daughter too!"

"Like hell she is. Just because you popped out some sperm one night does not mean that you are her father. As far as I'm concerned, Kira has no father. She just happens to look like you, that's all," I whispered fiercely. "You have no idea how hard it's been on me, raising her by myself, with no help from you. Not a phone call, not a Christmas present, not even a birthday card. How can you do it? How can you know that there is this wonderful little girl out there, just waiting for you, and not even care?"

"I do care, Marron! And don't think that this year hasn't been just as hard on me as it has you. I've had to deal with your little "secret", the birth of my first child, plus you deciding to end our marriage! This has been the hardest year of my life! And I'm sitting at my parents' house all day every day, thinking about how I could try and, well, win you back, and how to get my life back together. And Bulma told me how wonderful you've been doing, and I couldn't call you. It would… it would make me seem pathetic," he mumbled.

My jaw hit the floor. Customers were starting to look in our direction, but I didn't care. I was oblivious to Trunks and the world around me. I was getting out everything that had been building up inside of me for the past year. "Let me tell you something. There were nights I didn't sleep. Times where my parents told me I had to sit down and relax or I'd lose the baby. I stayed at my parents' house for a week, and even after that, I had to have Bra stay with me for the first night. I spent our entire anniversary in bed crying. Finally, I finally was able to start rebuilding what I had left. But every day, when I got home from work, and I'd open the door, part of me would always wish that you'd be there, sitting at the kitchen table. But after a year, Goten, I had to stop myself. I cried all the tears I had left over you. I'm sick of it. Don't try to win me back now. I'm happy now, with Trunks. Kira and I are doing fine; we don't need you. You're too late," I told him sadly.

In all of my life, I had never told someone how I had been feeling for that year. And admitting it to the one person who had caused it was one of the scariest things I had ever done in my life.

Trunks had kind of sunk into the background, along with the rest of the coffeehouse, who were completely frozen; as if moving would interrupt our yelling at each other.

"Why are you here, Goten?" I asked. "I want the truth."

"Because I love you. And I want the three of us to be a real family. Like it was when you were pregnant. I want to take back the last year and start fresh. I don't care what it'll take, Marron. I want to be married to you again," he whispered.

I started crying, and with tears streaming down my cheeks, I said, "You can't just show up and say that. Things are different now. I'm with Trunks. He's been here; you haven't. I'm sorry." I turned to Trunks and smiled weakly. "Can we go home now, please?"

"Y-Yeah," he stuttered. He gave Goten an apologetic shrug and wrapped an arm around my shoulders as he led me toward the door.

"Mia," I said as I walked by, "I'm going to need some---"

She nodded. "Take as much time as you need, hun. I'll call Tom to work your shift."

I nodded my thanks and let Trunks lead me to the car.