Disclaimer; I still don't own it

A/N; Umm.....Sorry for the slow update, the lack of reviews I'm getting for this isn't really motivating me to continue. Also, I'm going on holiday tomorrow for 2 weeks, so don't expect anything from me until after that. ~D.B

And Then You'll Know

Chapter 6

"18!". 18 looked up when she heard someone calling her name. "What?" she called back. Tarie walked into the room where 18 was and sat down next to her.

"Have you seen your brother anywhere?" she asked. 18 nodded her head, "He was here. But then that huge bald guard came and took him away. He'll be back later" replied 18. Tarie re-positioned herself so she was more comfortable and rested her head against the cold stone wall.

"I'm so sleepy" she said.

"Well go to sleep" said 18, as though it was the most obvious answer on earth. Tarie shook her head.

"Can't. The second I sleep I'll be needed or something, it's not worth it."

"Well," said 18 "you obviously need some rest. So if you get called I'll go for you ok. Chi-chi is out with that Kakkarot person today so I'm pretty much not needed today". Tarie opened one eye and looked at 18

"You'd really do that?" she asked

"Sure why not" replied 18.

"Thank-you 18. That's really nice of you" said Tarie, she shut her eyes again and not even 5 minutes later she was asleep. 18 stood up and quietly walked off to find somewhere else she could be alone. She really wasn't a people person.

***

"Do you want something to eat Chi-chi?" asked Kakkarot as he stoped at an ice-cream booth.

"Kakkarot, we only had lunch 10 minutes ago".

"Yeah," Kakkarot grinned sheepishly "But 10 minutes is a long time". Chi-chi rolled her eyes and walked over to a shop front to admire a dress in the window.

"Wow Chi, you'd look really pretty in that" exclaimed Kakkarot. Chi-chi saw Kakkarot's reflection in the window and had to giggle. He was holding an ice cream that had 4 scoops on it, and he had ice cream smeared all over his face.

"You are such a grub Kakkarot" she said an she turned around and pulled a handkerchief out her purse. Once Kakkarot's face was clean and his ice cream was finished they continued on their way down one of Vegeta-sei most prestigious shopping strips, here it wasn't out of the ordinary to see the rich and famous, so Chi-chi felt right at home. But of course with the rich and famous came the reporters, they were everywhere, with their microphones and cameras.

"Oh let's go in here" said Chi-chi as the walked past a jewellery shop. Kakkarot shrugged his shoulders and Chi-chi grabbed his hand and dragged him into the store.

"Look at this Kakkarot" exclaimed Chi-chi. Kakkarot peered over her shoulder to see what Chi-chi was looking at. It was a diamond necklace. It sparkled and shimmered in the sunlight.

"It's almost as pretty as you are" said Kakkarot. Chi-chi blushed. She went to get her credit card out of her purse but Kakkarot stopped her.

"I want to buy it for you" he said

"Thank-you Kakkarot that's really sweet of you" said Chi-chi, then she gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Maybe Bulma was right about this guy, he did seem rather nice.

They headed back outside into the sunlight and Chi-chi switched all of her bags from one hand to the other so she could look at her watch. They'd been out for nearly 4 hours and Kakkarot hadn't complained once. She looked across at him, he was looking up at the sky. Chi-chi pulled her sunglasses out her pocket, put them on and tilted her head up so she could see what had Kakkarot so interested, but she saw nothing.

"What's up there?" she asked.

"Nothing I can see," replied Kakkarot, Chi-chi noticed how his mood had completely changed. "Can you sense that?" he asked. Chi-chi closed her eyes and concentrated. It took her a few minutes, but once she felt what Kakkarot could feel, she opened her eyes and took a few deep breaths.

"I need to sit down" she said, she could feel her legs getting weak.

"What's wrong Chi?," asked Kakkarot as he helped Chi-chi over to a bench. "Why are you so pale? Do you feel sick?".

"Sick? I suppose that's one way to describe it. I think I need to go home"

"OK" said Kakkarot, and deciding that the quickest way to get Chi-chi back to the palace was to fly, he scooped her up in his arms and took off.

***

"Dad, can you pass me that beaker?" asked Bulma. Mr.Briefs picked up the beaker full of think blue liquid and passed it to his daughter "be careful with that" he said. "Thanks" said Bulma. She pulled her safety goggles over her eyes and did up the buttons on her lab coat. Then she poured some of the blue stuff in a beaker that already contained a runny queen liquid.

The resulting explosion caused Bulma to stumble back and fall on the floor. Mr.Briefs quickly grabbed the fire extinguisher and put out the small blaze, then he helped his daughter up off the ground.

"I told you to be careful" he said, trying not to laugh. Bulma stuck her tongue out and pulled her glasses off, her skin was a different colour where the glasses had been and Mr.Briefs had to laugh. "I think we'd better call it a day huh?"

"OK" said Bulma, she liked being in the lab, but now, she looked, felt, and smelt dirty.

Bulma took her now black lab coat off, and walked off down the hall. When she was about halfway to back to her house, she saw the cute boy Chi-chi had gone out with this morning, and in his arms, was her best friend.

"Hey, Kakkarot" she called out. He changed his direction and walked over to Bulma.

"Do you know where her bedroom is?" he asked.

"My room's closer, follow me" said Bulma and she walked off.

When they got to Bulma's house, she opened the door and walked in.

"Mum, are you here?" she called out. No reply. 'She must be in the garden' though Bulma.

"Ok," said Bulma, Put her down in there" said Bulma as she pushed open her bedroom door. Kakkarot did as he was told and put Chi-chi down on the bed.

"Now, I'm going to have a shower, you can either go away, or stay in my room and wait for Chi-chi to wake up. It's up to you. Said Bulma

"I'll stay" said Kakkarot without even a moments hesitation. Bulma smiled and nodded her head, then she went into the bathroom.

***

17 pushed open the big doors and stepped into the big cold room. Straight away he could see his sister, she was standing at the edge of the room looking out the little window. 17 went and stood next to her.

"Hi" he said. 18 sighed and looked at her brother.

"Hello 17. How are you?"

"I'm fine. You?"

18 shrugged her shoulders "no worse than usual" she said.

"Hey where's Nison?" asked 17, looing around the room.

"I haven't seen him all day," replied 18.

"Hmmm. Maybe Tarie knows" 17 thought out loud

"Tarie's sleeping" said 18.

"Oh. Ok then, I'll just go look for him then" said 17 and he walked into the next room.

A few minutes later 18 followed her brother and went into the next room to look for Astrid. She found her in the very back room talking to one of her friends.

"Astrid" said 18, she was shocked by the sound of her own voice, she sounded like her, when she was 11. Astrid looked up and smiled warmly. "What can I do for you 18?" she asked. 18 shook her head.

"Don't worry, it's not important"

"18. Come, talk to me" said Astrid, her friend got up and walked away then, and 18 did as Astrid had said.

"You were good friends with my mother, right?". Astrid nodded her head "Yes, I was"

"Tell me about her. What do you remember about her?"

"Your mother. She was very beautiful and nice to everyone she came across. A lovely woman, it was a privilege to know her" said Astrid, she smiled at the memory of her late-friend. 18 remember lots about her mother, she just wanted to hear someone else talking about her. Ever since Krillen had taken her to the palace graveyard, 18 had not been able to stop thinking about her own mother, she hadn't gotten a proper burial, the twins father had only bothered to buried her to hide the evidence.

18 heard footsteps and she looked up, it was Nison, he was walking past the door.

"Hey Nison" 18 called. Nison came back and walked over to 18.

"Yeah"

"My brother's looking for you" she said. Nison winked at 18 and walked off in search of her brother. 18 rolled her eyes and looked back at Astrid.

"He's a nice boy that Nison, you'd be happy with him" she said. 18's jaw dropped, "are you insane?" she asked.

Astrid shrugged her shoulders "perhaps"

"I would never ever even consider being anymore than friends with any male whether I would be happy with him or not" said 18, she sounded mad

"Why not?"

"Do you forget, I have spent the past 7 years serving men, doing things to them that shouldn't ever be mentioned again. I've been nothing more than a sex slave to the male species of this planet for to long. I don't think I'll ever fully trust another man ever again" said 18.

"I'm sorry 18. Sometimes I forget what you've been through, I'm not as young as I used to be you know, my memory's not as sharp as it could be".

"As long as you remember what's important to you, that all that really matters"

***

Bulma wrapped the towel around her wet body and put another around her dripping wet hair. Then she pulled open the door and headed down to her bedroom.

Kakkarot was sitting on the edge of Bulma's bed, Chi-chi was lying in the middle of the bed and Kakkarot wasn't sure if she was unconscious or just sleeping. But either way he was sitting there gently stroking her head, all the while wondering what had spooked her so much out on the street. Sure there had been an unusually high ki signature, but it was way out in space, too far away to be of any real concern, or so he thought.

"Rest peacefully Chi". Kakkarot was torn away from his musings by the sound of the door creaking open. He looked up to see Bulma walking into the room covered only by a skimpy white towel. He quickly covered his eyes and turned away.

"I'm sorry," he said "I saw nothing" Bulma giggled and opened her closet, stepping in and shutting the door she said "Hey think nothing of it like you said, you didn't see anything". Some noises came from the other side of the closet door and a few minutes later Bulma stepped out. She was now dressed in a pair of grey sweat pants and blue tank top. Her fluffy blue tail was swaying to and fro behind her and she had her hair pinned up in a bun.

"Well what do you say we wake up sleeping beauty over there?" suggested Bulma

"Are you sure we should?" asked Kakkarot.

"Of course I'm sure" replied Bulma sternly. She walked over to the bed and climbed on.

"Hey Chi-chi," she said lightly slapping her best friend "get up you lazy bitch". A few more slaps and a few more insults later, Chi-chi opened her eyes and sleepily looked around the room. The very first things she saw was Bulma's un-impressed face, and Kakkarot's concerned one. Chi-chi blinked a few times and pushed herself up onto her elbows.

"It's about time you woke up" said Bulma.

"Shopping, that power" Chi-chi muttered to herself. Suddenly she was wide-awake "I have to talk to daddy". The next thing Bulma and Kakkarot knew Chi-chi was out the door and down the hall.

***

Krillen was in the throne room with the king, as was Vegeta. Both of the king's sons were keeping their distance from each other, but they both knew what was going on. Right at that moment Chi-chi came running into the room, she looked very distressed. "Daddy! Daddy!" she shirked and she ran straight into the king's arms.

"Chi-chi calm down, we already know. He'll be here in a few hours"

"Can't you just tell him to go away?" asked Chi-chi

"I'm afraid not sweetheart," replied the king "I'm afraid not". Krillen looked around the room and sighed, it wasn't busy. The king and his guards were trying to stay as calm as possible, but Krillen had no desire to be in the room, he was not needed here and he had other things on this mind. She was blonde, had blue eyes and was drop dead gorgeous. He turned to leave the room but a big strong voice stopped him.

"Krillen. Stop right there" said the king. He did as he was told and turned to face the king.

"Yes father?" he asked

"Make sure you are back here in full uniform in and hour and a half ok". Krillen nodded and silently left the room

***

Tarie opened her eyes and stood up, she felt much better after her afternoon nap. "Now, where is 18?" she asked herself and she set about looking for her, she found her twin instead.

"Hey, 17" called Tarie as she jumped onto his back and covered his eyes "guess who?"

"I wonder" replied 17

"Hey have you seen your sister?" asked Tarie as she climbed off 17

"Yeah, she had to go help with some cleaning or something," said 17 "a whole bunch of people had to go".

"Ok then, I'm going to go and look for her" with that Tarie walked off.

***

18 grumbled to herself as she lugged a big role of red carpet along. "Ok roll it out here" shouted out someone who 18 didn't know.

"You ready?" 18 asked Nison, who was dragging the other end of the roll.

"Yep" replied Nison. They put the roll on the ground and pushed it out. It unwound into a long run of dark red carpet.

"Who the hell's coming to dinner?" Nison asked 18 as he linked his arm through hers and walked off to do another job, dragging 18 along after him.

18 go out of Nison's grip and walked over to the other side of the room, which was huge. It was what looked like a big docking bay, there was a platform for ships to land on and few other things. 18 was guessing someone was coming to pay a visit, and if there was a red carpet involved it must have been important.

She wiped her brow with the back of her hand and pushed her hair back off her face. After that, she yawned loudly, she was sleepy, it was late afternoon and the sun was shining down on them, making everyone feel sleepy. The door to the docking bay opened then and Nappa walked in, taking big strides and looking around distaste, he walked over to the raised platform where ships landed and climbed up onto it.

"Ok you lot, stop everything and listen to me" he boomed. The 50 or so people in the room stoped dead and all turned their attention to Nappa. "You have all probably guessed by now that someone is arriving

here. Well this person is an extremely important person and their impression of our palace, our planet and our people could play a very important role in our future". Several eyes widened, 18 were among them.

"We are asking that you work as quickly as possible, anyone working to slow or doing to bad a job will be dealt with swiftly and harshly by the king himself, and he is in an exceptionally bad mood at the moment". With that said Nappa jumped off the platform and strode out the room. He passed Krillen on the way out, who was just making his way in.

18 spotted him and quickly looked away, she didn't wan to seem like she was happier then she should have been to see him. As she had expected, he walked straight over to her.

"Hi 18" he said.

"Prince Krillen," she greeted him, with a small nod of the head. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Just walking, I happened to stop here" he replied

"Ok, whatever," said 18, just as Nison approached the pair "This is my friend Nison. Nison I'm sure you know Prince Krillen". Krillen held out his hand and Nison briefly shook it.

"Nice to meet you" said Krillen

"You to" said Nison suspiciously.

"Don't seem so shocked. I'm not as bad as the rest of my family, trust me, I don't like them a whole lot more than you do".

Nison looked across at 18, she looked just as baffled as he did.

"Look," said 18 "What do you want?"

"Nothing" said Krillen

"Well then do you know who's coming here?" asked 18. Krillen nodded sombrely.

"Who?" asked 18 after Krillen failed to reply.

"Frieza" Krillen mumbled.

***

It wasn't long before nightfall came around. By now pretty much everyone in the palace knew, and there wasn't one soul in there who wasn't at least a little bit afraid of what was going to happen next.

17,18, Nison and Tarie all sat in a quiet circle on the floor, like they had so many times before, each thinking that this could well be the last night they spent together. 18 had noticed that Tarie and her brother had been closer than usual tonight, although she had known they had liked each other from the moment she arrived here.

Far away down the hall, Bulma and her family were trying to share a normal meal, it wasn't working well though and halfway through, Bulma stood up and stormed off, not wanting her parents to see her cry. A few minutes later, she was out the door, she need some fresh air.

In the docking station, they King, his 3 children and almost all of the Sayian elites were standing around waiting for the first sign of Frieza and his men. All was quiet and the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

All in all, everyone was scared, all had their own reasons, but all knew that this was going to be a long night and that the days and weeks to follow could only be worse.

Krillen looked up at the starry night sky and saw...nothing. it was horrible, every movement made him jump and every noise made him a little more nervous. For another 5 or 6 minutes everything was quite. Hen he heard his sister mumble something.

"Daddy, look up there. He's here". Krillen dared to look up, and sure enough, there was a small shiny speck in the sky, soon it became apparent that this was no ordinary speck. It was the ship of lord Frieza.

He was here.

A/N; well there you have it, Chapter 6 is done, the next one will be out when I get back from my holiday. ~D.B