A/N: Wowie, I just realized I've had 52 (!) reviews so far. That's so many smiles thank you people.

SuperSanne: Yeah, hehe. Rayo wouldn't be much fun if he were nice. But I'm very happy that you like it, you still don't know the end, but it will come soon.

Thomas Drovin: A little will be revealed in this chapter, I'm hope you'll enjoy it and I'm happy that you liked the previous chapter.

craZy18gurlHey Crazy, I'm happy that you enjoyed it. And that it reminded you of the X-filesisn't weird (the labs and cocoons where inspired by the X-files movie, so much for everyone thinking I'm original :P). Well, here's the next chapter, enjoy.

Krillin285: Thank you, I'm very happy that you liked the chapter and the descriptions. Though, the labs weren't entirely mine (see above) it was pretty hard to write.

Deadly Beauty: And to you thank you too off coarse. Always gret to see people liking what you do. Enjoy the next chapter.

And off coarse to all the readers and reviewers of sooner chapters, thank you too, I love you people.

Chapter 10

He was sitting beside her bed for two full days and nights now. He hadn't ate or slept during those times. He was too afraid she might wake up, or that something happened during the time he wasn't with her. A couple of times he could see her eyeballs moving behind her eyelids, a sign that she was dreaming. When she was dreaming, she immediately became restless, clearly she was hunted by nightmares.

Krillin sighted. He was tired, hungry and thirsty. But he did not dare to move. Marron had come a couple of times to see if her mother had waken up yet. After a couple of minutes Krillin send her away again, he wanted his daughter to rest. Marron protested but she left.

Bulma had investigated Eighteen a couple of times. She had checked her blood, her body and everything possible. She said that Eighteen had a lot of junk inside her blood. Rayo had not only drugged her with anaesthetics, but also stuff to keep her asleep, to paralyze her and to heal her after his 'searching' trough her body.

The rage inside Krillins body was immense. He swore that if he'd saw dr. Rayo now, he'd make him suffer even more than he let her suffer. Krillin took one of Eighteens hands and stroked the back. "Come on sweetie, wake up. Come back to me."

Suddenly Eighteens eyes pressed themselves together and after that they slowly opened. With her eyes half open Eighteen slowly looked around, when she saw her husband she relaxed.

"Krillin?" she whispered.

"Hey, don't worry honey I'm here, I'm here sweetheart. You're safe now" Krillin said softly.

"Where am I?" Eighteen wondered.

"At Bulma's. Don't worry you're safe here" Krillin said.

"This is a dream" Eighteen said suddenly. "I dreamt this a lot of times, I woke up and saw you, then I woke up for real and then...

Krillin knew what she meant. He had a slight idea what must've happened to her every time Eighteen had awoken.

"Honey I swear, this is real. You're free, Goku brought you here. You're safe, trust me. Rayo is away. You're free of him now" Krillin said.

"He said he'll take me back" Eighteen suddenly remembered.

"Eighteen, baby trust me. Rayo will never ever lay his hands on you ever again. If he comes near you, our family, friends or anyone, Goku or someone else will destroy him. Everyone will protect you, everyone. O promise. You are safe from now on" he took her hand "I love you."

Eighteen smiled. "Hey" she whispered as if she only just realized that she was truly here.

"Mommy!!" a voice suddenly yelled.

Marron was standing in the door opening and ran towards the bed "mommy" she said again.

Eighteen stretched her arm out towards her daughter "hey sweetheart. How are you?"

Marrons eyes started to get teary, then she burst out into tears and jumped on the bed. "Oh mommy, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. It's all my fault you got captured. All my fault. And I'm so happy you're back!!"

Eighteen hugged her child "oh baby, this wasn't your fault. How could you think something like that?"

"I let myself sniff.. get kidnapped sniff… first" Marron said half crying.

Eighteen shook her head "you did nothing wrong honey, trust me. This wasn't your fault, you couldn't help it."

"Sniff.. really??"

"Really" Eighteen said softly.

"Well, look who's back" another voice came.

Bulma was this time standing in the door opening, smiling at the little family gathering going on.

"Bulma" Krillin said.

"How are you feeling right now?" Bulma asked.

"I don't know" Eighteen said. "Glad and scared I suppose."

"You don't have to be scared again Eighteen. Everyone here will protect you, even Vegeta will fight for you" Krillin said.

Eighteen looked down, at her daughter who was still in her arms "You can't imagine what happened there Krillin" she said so soft that Marron wouldn't hear "I'll never be not scared again."

Krillin sighted "I know" he whispered back.

"Will you come out of bed now mommy?" Marron asked with her sweet voice.

"Not yet" Bulma said. "Your mother needs to have all of her strength back, and then I will let her out of bed.

"You heard the boss" Eighteen said sarcastic. "Go on and get something to eat or drink for yourself. I think Bulma wants to tell me what to do."

"Ok" Marron kissed her mother on her cheek "I'll come back quick."

When Marron was out Bulma walked over to Eighteen. "Thank you, I needed to talk to you indeed without a child around. Especially your child."

"I'm not very healthy am I?" Eighteen asked.

Bulma shook her head "You're lucky that your up Eighteen. There was enough junk in your DNA to cause a natural disaster. If that stuff would get into a forest, everything would be dead. Trust me, your very lucky."

"Do you mind if I don't feel that way?" Eighteen said a little harsh "I've wished for death a lot of times."

"I can understand" Bulma said very kind. "Eighteen look, none of us can imagine what you've been trough, and we don't expect we ever will. But your back, and your reunited with your family. And although you will never be the same physical and psychologically seen, your back. And that's what is counting."

"I know" Eighteen said.

"I'll take some of your blood. I want to see if your safe to come out."

Eighteen nodded. Bulma took a injection from her pocked and took the plastic from the needle. She took one of Eighteens arms and cleaned it.

Eighteens eyes grew bigger, figures started to appear in front of her. Needles, but also jars with various liquids that where shot into her. Then knives, and men. When she felt the needle being pushed into her she tensed up, and as the needle left her body, Eighteen quickly pulled her arm back.

"I'm sorry" Bulma whispered softly. "But I needed the blood, rest, I'll check this."

Eighteen said nothing. Krillin simply nodded to Bulma sending her away. When Bulma had left the room Krillin looked in his wife's eyes. The fear and horror was still in them. About the same look she had in her eyes when Cell was after her.

"Eighteen?" Krillin asked softly.

"I'm ok" she whispered back.

"It's ok to be afraid" Krillin said "you deserve that, and it's normal to be afraid."

"I know, but I cannot be. It's not pride that keeps me from being afraid. It's the fear itself. I can't be scared Krillin. Because I fear fear. Some people say that there's nothing to fear but fear itself. Trust me that's true. I can't stand going trough this another time. I remember the feelings from when I was in Gero's lab, then when Cell was after me, and now with Rayo again. It's killing me Krillin. I don't want to be afraid and be hunted with nightmares, yet I know that I will be."

Krillin kissed her. "Babe, sweetie. Please listen to me, back with Cell and Gero, you had no one, now you have me, and Marron."

"I have to be strong for her, a scared mother is dangerous to a kid" Eighteen said.

"But you are strong, you are strong trust me. But even the most powerful person is scared. And that doesn't matter. Goku's terrified of needles, and although his fear is unrealistic unlike yours, we still respect it. Fear isn't bad."

"I want to get out of bed" Eighteen suddenly said. "I want to see the sun, I haven't seen daylight for so long. I feel like a pickle that was in a jar."

Krillin chuckled at that remark. "if Bulma says you can come out, we'll go out."

"And you can" Bulma said. "I checked your blood and it's mostly free of chemicals, go and take a shower, get dressed and go out."

Eighteen pulled herself from her bed, happy that she could still move. She stepped out of bed and walked towards the bathroom. "I think I'm going to shower for three hours."

"I bet he sun will be down then" Krillin joked.

Eighteen silenced him with a glare.

"I'll get some clothes for you" Krillin said.

"Thanks" Eighteen said. She turned on the hot water and quickly stepped under, welcoming the cleansing water on her skin. Everything on her felt sticky, her skin, her hair, she even had a gross taste in her mouth. All thanks to the junk in the cocoon. Just thinking about the labs made Eighteen horrified. From the moment she got there, she'd experienced nothing but fear, loneliness and pain.

Rayo had done a lot of tests on her. He took pieces of DNA from her and injected different stuff in her, seeing how she would react. In only a few days she got enough medicines and other mess into her to kill a normal person twice. But Rayo was careful not to loose her, sometimes he put something into her blood that would destroy the drugs. Or he would place her into the cocoon. The liquid in it made sure every wound coming from his knives was carefully healed, leaving only a little scar.

Eighteen ran a hand over her body, she always had scars from Gero, now there where more then ever. They where hardly visible, but when you knew where to were or if you went over them, you could feel them very well. Eighteen growled, she was angry, beyond angry.

After nearly half an hour of showering, washing herself clean entirely, Eighteen decided that she was ready. When she stepped out of the shower, she found a towel and some clothes waiting for her. Clearly Krillin got in and out without being noticed. Eighteen smiled. She loved him.

Slowly Eighteen stepped outside. She was clean, fully dressed and she had run a brush trough her hairs. First Eighteen blinked to the brightness of the sun, but then she welcomed it's hot glow and light on her body. It seemed ages since she saw the sun and she felt happier then ever that he was there.

In the distance, she saw her friends talking. They where all sitting or standing in a little group, still not noticing her.

Then Marron suddenly ran up to her "Mom's here."

Eighteen kneeled and let the girl jump into her arms. It felt so good to have her back, to have everything back.

A/N: So that's it? Is Rayo gone and forgotten, get real. What do you think for yourselves??

Please review and I'll see you next time..