Disclaimer; I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, and I'm broke, so please don't sue, because all I can offer you is a pair of sexy red heels and a couple of CD's

A/N; Here is the highly anticipated – I doubt that – next chapter of Mind Games! Thank you all so much for the fantastic reviews you gave me for not just the last chapter, but for all the chapters so far, you really have no idea how much it means to me. Sorry this took a little long to get finished, I was in the hospital and I've been pretty sick for a few days, but I got it done as quickly as I could, and I hope you all enjoy this!

-D.B

Mind Games

Chapter Six

One week, an entire week had passed since that night 17 had first woken up. But to Krillen, it seemed more like an eternity, an eternity of nothing but pure hell disguised behind the façade of a peaceful little island – that could easily be anyone's idea of heaven.

It was around 2 in the afternoon. A lazy day on the island. Krillen sat, legs crossed in the sand with his daughter, his mind deep in thought. Marron sat beside him, content to shovel sand into a bucket, tip it onto her father's feet and repeat the process. Blinking, Krillen smiled at Marron and wriggled his toes, freeing them of the sand. Marron giggled then sat back down and filled up her bucket.

He wasn't able to take his eyes off her as she played. Her perfect little face full of concentration over a task as simple as what she was doing. She was his pride and joy. His baby, and he would do anything for her, anything at all. It was funny. Krillen had always for the longest time wanted a family. He wanted the chance to give a child – his child, everything he never had. Then he had met Maron, he had been young, foolish. He hadn't been able to see past the fact that a pretty girl liked him, and he had almost made the wrong move. He had been so blinded by what he thought was love, but now he could see was just infatuation. He had almost proposed to Maron, asked for her hand in marriage. Her leaving him was one of the best things she ever did for him. It allowed him to meet 18, to have the family he had always wanted more than anything in the whole world.

Looking back at his daughter, he smiled gratefully. She was the most precious thing in his entire world. Krillen would gladly give away everything for his two girls. The two most amazing wonderful and important people he had ever known. He really did feel like the luckiest guy in the whole world to have the life he did. It was only a simple existence, but it meant everything to him.

Sighing, Krillen looked down at his hand. It had been a week and the stupid thing was still all swollen and bruised. It wasn't broken; he had suffered through enough broken bones to know exactly what that pain was like. This wasn't a break, but it still hurt like crazy. It made Krillen shudder to think, that if 17 could and would do that to Krillen, what he might possibly do to Marron, who was only a baby and had no way of defending herself against his rage.

He didn't know what he had 18 had done to deserve this. They were good people. Peacefully living their life and teaching their daughter to be a good person. They didn't deserve to have a psychotic man come bursting back into their lives after so long with only one mission. Devastation.

Well Krillen wasn't going to stand for it. He was not just going to sit back on the sidelines and watch 17 come in and take away what meant everything to him – more than everything, just for his own sick amusement.

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18 stood by her bedroom window, watching her husband and daughter play out in the sand. Well Marron played, Krillen was just sitting there, like a statue. She knew he was thinking, she knew what he was thinking about, she knew why he was thinking about it.

She had promised him. Promised. That 17 would only be on the island until he woke up, and it was killing her inside knowing she had broken that promise. But Krillen didn't know the full story. He had never seen the letter she found on that first horrifying night. He hadn't seen the glares 17 flashed her when they passed by each other in the halls. He didn't hear the thing he uttered to her when they were alone. The terrifying threats that made her heartbeat much too fast and her legs tremble, the threats he posed to her and her family.

She knew now, that having 17 here was a bad idea. But she had no other choice. She had to let him stay or else the two most important people in her world would be hurt. She knew 17; she knew that he wasn't kidding when he warned 18 to "sleep with one eye open"

Sitting down on the bed, 18 eyed the telephone on the bedside table. But she quickly disregarded that idea. She was not going to ask for help, not from Krillen, not from Roshi and certainly not from Bulma. As much as she considered Bulma a close friend. She was a know-it-all who didn't know how to be wrong. Getting her involved in this would just be asking for trouble. And all that aside, this was her mess, she should be the only one who needed to be involved in the clean up process. She would help 17 on the track back to sanity, she would show him how to be happy, she would be the sister she had failed to be for all this time. That was really all 17 needed, all he wanted, and she would do it. No matter what it took, she would help her brother.

She quietly walked out into the hall, where she bumped into Krillen, who was holding Marron in his arms.

"What were you up to in there all by yourself?" he asked, stopping and smiling brightly at his wife.

"Not much" she replied, also smiling.

"I'm going to give Marron a bath, wanna come get all wet with me?" he raised an eyebrow then laughed

"No, thanks. I'm gonna go talk to 17"

"Oh," Krillens face fell, "It's alright. We get it don't we sweetie," he bounced Marron on his hip, "You're brother's more important then we are"

"Krillen," 18 scowled deeply, "You know that not true. You and Ma-" she was cut off by Krillen, "No, really, it's ok. Go, we'll be fine" he said, then continued past her down the hall.

18 didn't look back, if he was going to be childish, then fine. Let him. She walked down the stairs, cursing the one annoying one that creaked and headed outside. The sun was warm on her exposed sink and she smiled, though her mood wasn't all that bright, the island just had it's own special kind of magic that you couldn't escape.

She knew where her brother was, and as she approached the side of the island, she found her thoughts were justified. There was 17, casually swinging back and fourth in the hammock.

"What do you want?" he asked nonchalantly, not even turning his head to look at her.

"You know what I want" she replied, "the same thing I wanted yesterday, and they day before that and that day before that"

"Yeah," now 17 turned to face his sister, "well you're not going to get it"

18 sighed a sigh of exasperation, "17 this isn't helping anybody. You need to open up"

"It's actually quite the contrary. It's helping me immensely"

"No 17," 18 pleaded with him as she had for the last week, "it's not helping. You need real help, I can give you that. I want to make things right between us"

That made 17 mad, and in a movement to quick for the normal eye to register, to quick for 18 to even avoid. 17 had her pinned up against the side of the Kame House by her throat, her feet dangling just out of reach of the ground.

"If you wanted to make things right between us," he hissed, "then you should have let me die. I didn't ask for this 18. I hate everything about you 18, I hate everything you have become and everything you are going to continue to be"

18 wanted to reply, wanted to scream out Krillens name, but her lungs were void of air. Her chest burnt with the heat of a thousand flames and her heart thudded in her chest. Then, just as she was sure she was about to lose consciousness, 17 let her go, and she fell to the ground in a pathetic, gasping heap.

"You're pathetic 18," 17 crossed his arms and looked down at her, "And the sooner I can make you see that, the better"

"Why, 17? Why?" 18 looked up at him and asked through gasps of air.

"Because you need to be taught a lesson" 17 replied and walked away, laughing to himself as he did.

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"What's mummy gonna do, huh?" 18 asked her small child as she changed her into her yellow pyjamas and bushed her soft blonde hair. Of course, Marron didn't reply. She had no idea what her mother was talking about. She only yawned and rubbed her eyes. It was 9pm, far past the small girls bedtime.

18 had firmly promised herself that she was not going to tell Krillen what had gone on between the twins around the side of the house earlier that day. The tension between herself and her husband was already thick enough. This past week they had found themselves arguing and bickering more than they ever had before. 18 hated what 17's presence was doing to her small family, but she saw no other way to solve this mess. Well, either way, she was not going to tell Krillen that she had almost had the life choked out of her earlier. He would loose his cool, go down stairs, abuse 17 and end up getting the snot beaten out of him. Which would only lead to Krillen and 18 getting into yet another heated argument regarding 17 and his current living conditions, and 18 did not want to fight with her husband any more

"Come on then" 18 picked up her daughter and walked across the small room, placing her down in the crib and handing her her favourite stuffed elephant toy. "Good night Marron" 18 smiled softly at her daughter, then lent into the crib and kissed her on the forehead. "I love you" she whispered into Marrons ear, "Don't you ever forget that"

"I don't think you have to worry about that" came a voice form behind 18, startling her. Standing up and spinning around, she looked at Krillen. Unsure whether she was happy to see him or not. She was still upset about his remark earlier that afternoon and Krillen knew it.

"Listen, sweetheart," Krillen took 18's hand and looked deep into her eyes. "I know you hate me right about now, and I can't say I blame you. I was harsh on you before, to hash. It was uncalled for, and I'm sorry. Please don't me mad at me, I'd rather be dead than have you mad at me for one second more"

"Krillen" 18 squeezed her husbands hand and smiled softly at him, "I know you didn't mean it, but it was a horrible thing for you to say. You have to know that you and Marron mean so much to me."

"I know baby" Krillen felt tears welling up in his eyes, he hated the fact that he had upset 18, and he hated himself for doing it. "Believe me I know. This past week has just been really hard for me. The more time you spend with him, the more I feel like I'm loosing you, and it terrifies me"

"I'm not going anywhere Krillen, I promise" 18 said as she wiped the tears from Krillens cheek with her thumb.

Taking his hand from 18's Krillen peered into Marrons cot, she was already sleeping soundly and her peaceful slumber brought a proud smile to the face of her father. "Do you ever wonder how we managed to create something as perfect as her?" Krillen asked 18 without ever taking his eyes off Marron.

"No" 18 quickly replied.

"No?" Killen asked, turning to look at her

"No. It's easy to see why she is so perfect when you look at her father"

Krillen blushed a shade of bright pink and smiled. "You're too much sometimes you know"

18 only shook her head and walked out the room, Krillen following quickly behind her.

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17 sat on the couch staring blankly ahead at the television. It was on, but he wasn't watching it. He was intently listening to the conversation in the next room. Well, what could only be described by him as a conversation.

His sister and that filth she called her husband were standing in the kitchen washing dishes, 17 saw no point to the task, they would just get dirty again – it was nothing more than a petty human chore to him. But that was not what was on his mind.

His sister was laughing, he could hear her. Laughing, shrieking, having fun. How dare she. 17 had been working all week to bring her down. For a while it had appeared to be working, Krillen and 18 had been quite hostile with each other, but it seemed to have totally cleared up now. It looked like 17 was going to have to step his mental tournament of 18 up to the next level. He had let her dangle on the line for long enough.

Suddenly, the laughing stopped, 17 shuddered, hating to think what had taken its place. Then the kitchen door swung open and 18 walked out. She was soaking wet and soapy bubbles clung to her hair and clothes. Her cheeks were flustered and her eyes shone with a cheeky glow, it quickly disappeared though when she spotted her brother.

"17," she greeted him with a nod of her head as she wiped bubbles from her arms.

"You're disgusting" he breathed, his voice only just loud enough for 18 to make out the words.

"I'm not disgusting 17. I'm happy, and I'm not going to let anyone take that away from me. Especially not you" she replied.

"You coming babe?" Krillen asked as he walked out of the kitchen, he too, covered in bubbles. He stoped for only a second to look at 17 before he turned back to his wife.

"Yeah, I'll be up in a minute. You go run the water," she said with a smile.

"Great" Krillens eyes shone with glee as he kissed 18 on the cheek then hurried off up the stairs like an excited child.

Once Krillen was out of sight, 18 sighed and sat down on the couch next to her brother. "You've gotta get over this 17. It's not healthy. Let me be happy"

"18, as long as there is life in my body, I swear you will not be happy. Not until you feel every last morsel of pain I have felt. Not until you know what it is like to be me"

"17 I know what it is like to be you," 18 narrowed her eyes at her brother, not leaving him any room to argue. "I know what it's like to be hurt, scared, confused. I know what it feels like to wake up each morning having nothing except the clothes on your back, not even a roof over your head. You know what I think your problem is 17?" 18 asked.

"What dear sister?" 17 replied, "is my problem?"

"You're problem is that you are jealous of me. You are jealous of everything that I have worked so hard to get and you're not going to be happy until you have everything your own way and I am miserable because you are a brat. Well guess what 17? That's not going to happen. I'm not going to give up everything I have here, everything I love so much just because you have issues. So forget about whatever little power trip you think you're on and just accept my help – which you clearly need, so we can put this behind us and get on with our lives."

"18 the day I accept help from you, is the day that all hell freezes over"

"Fine" 18 stood up and shook her head, "be that way. Be stubborn. I don't care. Now if it's all the same to you, I'm going to go spend some quality time with my husband"

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A/N; Well there you have it, the next chapter is done. I hope you all enjoyed it, and I'd love to know what you thought in a review! I'll try and get the next chapter done really soon ok! It depends on how much school work I have…stupid school…

-D.B