Disclaimer: I don't own any of it or don't make anything

Summary: It's the last few days of summer, and Marron is alone on Kame Island, isolated from her friends. Feeling a bit low, she gains an unexpected call from a friend and a visit from another. Soon, her life is becoming more and more involved with the others around her. Then she meets him and the whole picture changes, now she believes she may be in love with someone who is too broken to fix. Can she help him before she breaks down herself? MTxM

Marron stepped out into the brisk breeze of August. It couldn't be any earlier than nine as the sun was just now fully in the sky, peering over the top of Kame House. The few trees about the island swayed above her as she skipped across the white sand down to the beach. Deserting her towel among a small sand drift near the house, she dove into the crystal blue water.

The water seeped threw her swimsuit to her skin and cooled her to the very core. She opened her eyes, not surprised to see the occasional fish about her nor group of seaweed. Her thoughts drifted from school, to friends then to her family. Her mind wasn't really set on worrying today. It was one of the last days before school started and she wasn't about to waste it away with worrisome thoughts of school.

Her lungs burned for air yet she wasn't quite ready to release. A game she had started many years ago was training her lungs. She didn't need the training to be honest, she didn't do any sports with the exception for cheerleading. She wasn't in band or choir either. It was a simple game that took guts. She sunk to the shallow floor before kicking off the soft sand.

Flying upward she came up, gasping for air as the hot sun beat down upon her. She studied it awhile as her lungs relaxed, her face regaining some of its natural colors. Her mind was light and she fell onto her back with a flat splash. Floating weightlessly, she drifted about, knowing soon her parents would join her.

Yet in the silence, and newness of the day, Marron found solitude the best. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy her parent's company, hell it was usually her only company if her friends didn't decide to grace her with their presence. She observed the drifting, fluffy white clouds above her head as she continued to drift upon the water.

Her friends...she thought of them with a bit of resentment. She had barely spent anytime with them all summer. Bura and Pan usually dropped by to either swim or tan and Trunks, Ubuu and Goten had stopped by only three times to take her to two concerts and a carnival.

It had been nearly a month since she'd seen them and two weeks since she'd last spoken to them. They were her friends...hell, her only friends and they didn't see it fit to call her once in awhile? She had been the last to know about Bura and Ubuu getting together. She had been the last to find out about Goten and Paresu and she had figured by now that soon Trunks and Pan would hook up, even if there was a dramatic age difference...a couple years and that wouldn't matter.

She sighed heavily. She wasn't anyone's girlfriend...she was the 'little sister' to the boys and the 'big sister' to the girls. She was never a best friend because Pan and Bura were so close. Marron didn't have a clue what Paresu thought of her, considering that Marron had only met her once or twice during school and then at Bulma's Fourth of July party when the couple announced that they were officially together.

"Isn't it too cold for you?" Marron let out a squeak as she threw herself off balance, sinking beneath the water before coming back up to stare her mother in the eye. "Mom! I hate it when you do that!" laughed Marron, rubbing her eyes. Juuhachigou smirked. "I couldn't resist." Marron giggled, splashing water at her mother, who could appear to be her big sister.

Juuhachigou covered her face. "Hey, I just came out here to tell you that you have a phone call." Marron gasped. "Me?!" Juuhachigou nodded and pointed to the house. Marron frowned before she began swimming back to shore. Juuhachigou simply shook her head as her daughter ran up to the house.

Marron muttered a few words to her father as he slowly came downstairs, his hair ruffled and askew. Grumbling, he sat down on the sofa and stared blankly at the TV as his daughter raced about the house, searching for the phone. "It's on the table," grumbled Krillin, his voice croaky with sleep. Marron smiled, "Thanks Daddy."

She picked up the receiver and answered. "Hello?" There was silence for a moment and Marron's heart sank. She'd taken too long and they had hung up. She was about to hang up but there was an unsteady sigh. "Paresu?" There was another sigh before a slight squeal.

"Oh Marron! I didn't know who to call!" Marron headed to her bedroom. "What's...what's wrong?" The girl continued to sob a moment before she took a deep breath. Marron shut her door with a silent click as she waited patiently for the girl to continue. "Goten....Goten d-d-dumped me!!" Marron frowned in sympathy. "I'm so sorry Paresu...why?" The girl let out a hiccup before she began. "He said we were moving too fast...that he wasn't ready for this!! I...I never knew he'd...he'd say that Marron!"

Marron shook her head, she didn't know Goten would say that either. She then felt a rush of anger...Trunks. "Paresu, I'm sure something made him do this. Goten isn't like this. I'll...I'll talk to him for you, okay?" Marron screamed at herself mentally. 'There you go again! Playing Cupid for people who ignore you all summer!!'

Paresu sniffled a bit then replied quietly. "You'd do that for me?" Marron nodded, forgetting that the girl couldn't see her. "Yeah, sure. I mean, why not?" Paresu giggled. "Oh Marron, I knew I could depend on you! You're the best, like...like a...what's the word??" Marron sighed, "A big sister?" Paresu laughed. "No! Like a best friend! That's why I called you! You're like a best friend to me! Thanks a million, Mar!"

Marron beamed with hope. "Sure thing." She whispered good bye and hung up. No one had called her Mar since she was eight and that was with Trunks. Then he'd become interested in girls and Marron was left in the dust.

Marron suddenly realized she was still in her swimsuit and headed to the shower. Goten could wait just a bit. She silently stripped of her wet outfit and flipped on the radio as she stepped into the on spray of the hot water. "Ack!" she squeaked before turning it down. The heat rushed against her tired body. Her last swim hadn't been much, but lately she hadn't been sleeping well. Insomnia was plaguing her every night and with school approaching it was a horrible problem.

Twenty minutes later, Marron stepped out of the bathroom, fully dressed. She smoothed out her yellow tank top as she grabbed the phone again and dialed the Son house. As it dialed, she realized that she hadn't called Goten in months. He hadn't called her either. It wasn't that they were talking it was just that they had no reason to call one another. If they ever did anything together, Trunks called her.

"Hello?" came Chi Chi's voice. Marron smiled, "Is Goten there?" Chi Chi laughed. "Well hi Marron! I haven't heard from you in awhile!" Marron giggled, great. Now she'd have to gossip with Chi Chi for about thirty minutes and eventually forget why she called in the first place, it happened every year since she was twelve.

"So how's your parents?"

"Fine," replied Marron brightly. Chi Chi continued with the usual questions about the weather and how the water was. "Well Goku and I were getting a little tired of the woods and were thinking of stopping by." Marron gasped. Were the Sons actually leaving their home to visit their friends?? And of all people, the Chestnuts?

"Marron? Are you there?" Marron swallowed. "Umm, yeah. That would be great! Do you, would you like to talk to my mom?" Chi Chi laughed, "Sure." Marron ran downstairs. She'd just talk to Goten when he came over. Juuhachigou frowned as her daughter thrust the cordless in her face. "What?" Marron rolled her sapphire eyes.

"Chi Chi, she said that she wants to stop by. Her AND Goku." Krillin's head shot up. "Goku??" Marron nodded, biting her bottom lip nervously. Juuhachigou smiled fondly and took the phone. "Yes? Oh hi Chi Chi. No. Yes, tomorrow's fine. Sure. Bulma? If she wants. No we have plenty of room. Master Roshi? Oh he's on vacation with Oolong and Yajirobe in Las Vegas. Uh huh, of course. Alright. Okay. Bye." She quietly hung up the phone and smiled to her husband.

"The Son family is staying a week starting tomorrow evening." Krillin smiled broadly. "I don't think I've talked to Goku in two years." Marron nodded. "Well it wouldn't hurt you guys to see some people too, ya know." Marron teased. Juuhachigou sipped her black coffee. "To be honest I like privacy." Krillin just studied his wife with affection. Such a beauty.

Marron smiled to her loving parents. She silently slipped back upstairs to her bedroom to tidy it up. Company would be nice instead of the usual silence throughout the household. When Master Roshi was home it was a bit livelier with all the rude comments he'd make about Juuhachigou, then she'd smart back and shut him up.

To Marron's relief, the old man hadn't made any comments about her. She looked at her figure in the mirror. She was pretty, her figure was coming along nicely for a fifteen year old who was almost sixteen. Her chest wasn't a large as she hoped it to be, but judging by her mother's size it would be a little below average anyway.

She was lean and her long, blonde hair accented her angelic face. She sighed steadily. She was suddenly rather tired and decided sleep was the best, even if it were only ten.

A/N: Did you like the first chapter? It's going to be pretty slow to get going, but it will be good, I promise. Just bear with me, okay? R/R please! No flames :P