Disclaimer: I own none of the characters herein, nor the settings in which they are placed. Both belong to their creator, Akira Toriyama, and I apologize to him for not giving him due credit sooner. I also take full responsibility for any trauma they will have suffered come the end of this story. I'll even pay for their therapy.

Note: First, I'd like to give my utmost thanks to all reviewers for both their comments and their patience, but my highest level of gratitude goes to Random Minion for the absolute best review I've ever recieved. I was floating, complete with a large, stupid grin on my face. Thank you for the note on POV changes-originally I'd marked them with double spacing, but that doesn't seem to turn up on FFN. I'll simply have to be clearer with my transitions, then (I always thought POV breaks were rather tacky, personally). I'll also be sure to read over my work more carefully. (Still no luck with a beta, you see.) As for the names I choose to use, it's the ones I use in my head, and frankly, I like them better. Again, thank you-and I apologize to all of you for this obscenely long AN. (Also, Akasha-yes and no.) Remember, be sure to yell at me if I procrastinate or mess up.

"They are not!"

"Stop fooling yourself, those are the fakest I've ever seen-and I've seen a i lot /i .

On the couch, behind the two and as far to the left as was possible, Kuririn sat with his head in his hands, groaning. Roshi and Oolong were sitting on the floor inches from the screen, refusing to take their eyes off it even as they argued.

i You'd think I'd have gotten used to this by now... /i he thought sullenly. It had been six years since he and Juu had moved in, a year since Marron had been born.

The thought of his little girl brought a smile to his face. His little chestnut.

He sometimes thought it should surprise him that he'd had a part in making this adorable little human being, but really, it didn't. She had his high forehead, his eyes, even his lack of a nose.

Her hair, though, with the colour and softness of sunlight, that came from her mother.

Kuririn sighed, the sound muffled by his hand just as his smile had been. Normally, the thought of his wife would send his spirits soaring, would feel his heart with renewed awe at the fact that she had chosen i him /i , out of all people to be with, to love, when no other woman but one had ever given him a second thought.

But she was still mad at him for his blurted comment to Juunanagou. At first he'd wondered what the real harm was-and then she'd told him, witheringly, and he'd felt like a complete dunce.

"What if he harms i or kills /i the other students, huh? Or the staff? It's not like he has morals! As soon as he gets bored he'll probably blow the whole place up! And do you really think he'll keep his identity secret for long? He's not patient enough for that, he'll open his big mouth and destroy any kind of peace we have i forever /i , including Marron's, and it will be i all your fault /i ! My GOD, Kuririn, how can you be so fucking stupid?"

Kuririn flinched at the memory. After that she'd stormed out, slamming the door behind her-luckily it hadn't broken off, but there were a few cracks evident. She hadn't been back since.

He supposed he deserved this, but it hurt so much. Every single time they fought, he got a sinking feeling in his stomach, like the life of his dreams was going to slip away from him, and he would be the one to blame. Every time she got that look in her eyes, every time she got angry at him...it scared him more than any enemy ever had. He would rather lose his life than lose his family.

What if, when she came back, she decided to end it all? What if she was that furious? No, no, she just wanted to blow off steam, that's what she always did, and then she would come back, and they would talk about it if they had to, and everything would be okay again...

But what if this time is different, his insecurity said. What if this time...

He felt a soft tug on his pants and lowered his hands a bit, peering to his right. Then, despite himself, he couldn't help but grin.

There stood Marron, one hand cluctching his leg and the other raised to her mouth so she could suck her thumn. Her head was cocked to the side, eyes still dulled by recent sleep.

"Marron!" he said happily. "What are you doing up, I thought you were sleeping!"

"Not tired 'nymore," she said around her thumb, though her expression belied her words. An instant later she took it from her mouth and raised her chubby little arms, the universal signal for 'pick me up'. Playing dumb, Kuririn raised an eyerbow. Marron pouted,

"Hold me, daddy!" she said impatiently. Said daddy chuckled.

"Ah, so that's what you want!"

He got ready to do exactly that, but the comments that had mercifully faded while he retreated into his thoughts had come back full force.

"Now i that's /i something I would pay for!"

"Those are i definately /i not fake."

"GAH!" Kuririn said, his face going completely red before a second could pass-surely a world record. He hurriedly stood and scooped Marron up in his arms, sheilding her view with his upper body, and near ran upstairs to her room.

"Whatsa matter, Daddy?" Marron asked as he threw open her door.

"Er, um, well... You see, Marron, um..." Kuririn remained just as artciulate as he crossed the room to her crib.

"No' tired..." she said petulantly, but as soon as her head hit the pillow her eyes began to close. Her arms automatically wrapped around the teddy bear at her side.

His heart slowly stopped pounding as he realised that Marron was safe from the influence of the porn conneusiers downstairs, and that he wouldn't have to provide an explanation for his minimarathon run.

He stood there for a moment looking down at her, at the peaceful expression on her chubby face, the bright hair partly sheilding her closed eyes, and he knew that everything would be okay.

Actually seeing his wif, however, probably wouldn't have comforted him much. Juuhachi was leaning against a tree miles away from her island home, arms crossed above her head, staring up at nothing.

She was surrounded by the same, the only sound being the wind, occasional, sounds of wildlife, and her own muttered "Why did I marry and idiot?", the same thought that had been going through her head for hours as she flew around aimlessly, furiously.

The answer, which had come just as frequently, was immediate: because he was sweet, and brave, and adorable, and he loved her, despite everything. Because he adored their daughter and would give everything for her just as she would. Because he didn't i care /i that she wasn't human anymore.

He just didn't think before he spoke sometimes, and normally, it just added to what she loved about him, that excuberance that usually left people before they reached adulthood.

But this time it had caused far to much trouble.

Sighing and briefly closing her eyes, Juuhachi stood up straight, letting her arms fall to her sides as she did so. This wasn't why she'd left-well, it i was /i partially to keep from strangling the man she loved, but she'd already vented her anger by destroying half a forrest, and was now left with only annoyance and worry.

It was in her twin's nature to cause trouble. He loved any sort of havoc, especially if he was the source-it was what had caused them to be shut down so many times before he'd finally decided to kill Gero. Well, it was also in part her own fault-she rarely did anything to stop him, as his antics once amused her greatly.

Even when it cost the life of an innocent man, or woman, or child. She hadn't cared. She hadn't started caring until she met Kuririn. He gave her back true humanity, the kind you could have even if your body was made of steel.

Now, she would protect people as surely as if they were her family, even if she couldn't tell anyone that she actually gave a damn, because Kuririn was the only person she allowed to see that part of her. No one else deserved that intimacy.

"And here I am, staying put." Her words were full of contempt for herself, staying here thinking about nothing while precious time went by.

The other, far more important reason she'd left was to warn people. Chichi was the one who should be told, as her own son would be sharing a building with her brother, but the two had never gotten along-perhaps because of the assasination attempt on her mate. And that pear necklace she stole.

Juuhachigou could stand her own against the woman, but if she wouldn't listen to her the visit would be pointless. No, she would go to Buruma, a few more sensible person. She could tell Chichi of Junnana's plan, and perhaps find a way to abort it.

A moth flew by her hand and she instinctively caught it, with a movement so fast that few eyes would have been able to follow it. She felt the tiny thing beat its wings futiley against her hand-no, the movement censors imbedded in her artificial skin recorded it and sent it back to her brain.

She remembered revelling in this feeling. Having something trapped in her clutches, its life in her hands-seeing the fear in its eyes-his eyes, her eyes-before she snuffed out that life, laughing.

She also remembered her little girl chasing butterflies, finally catching one, and staring in awe as it stayed in her cupped hands, rejoicing in the life she held before she let it free to live out that life.

She opened her hand, watched it flutter away into the glare of sunlight, and went on her way.

It was several minutes before she arrived at Capsule Corporation. The door was open, and she stayed there and watched four people argue, two of which caused her to feel a shock that her face allowed none to discern.

i What the hell is he doing here? /i Her question was soon answered by the argument between the two who belonged here-apparently, the Torankusu of the future wanted as normal a life as possible.

Rather like she did.

"It's worth it."

She'd heard enough by now to disagree with the young man-to young, it seemed, but Saiyajin seemed to age more slowly than humans, anyway.

Of course, that was more than she could say for herself.

"So, living in deceit ever single second is worth it, huh?"

Torankusu's reaction didn't surprise her nor catch her off guard. She held her ground as he spun, chi alighting around his form.

"Jinzouningen." It had been a long time since she'd heard so much hate in one word.

She didn't flinch. Just stood there, unmoving, staring straight into the face of the glowering warrior.

"Trunks, no!" Buruma, the younger one. She was still beside Bejita, but seemed very close to walking up to her son and pulling him back.

He didn't turn-he was to smart for that-but he did answer.

"What do you mean, no? How could you have allowed this thing to live? After what she tried to do, after what you i know /i she did to us?" He was near shouting. His hair flickered from lavender to golden, his face drawn in an ugly snarl, his stance as tight as his clenched fists.

"I didn't do anything to you," Juuhachi said, her own tone far calmer, if annoyed. As if she didn't have enough to deal with, now she had to deal with Bejita's son throwing a temper tantrum. She frowned, the first expression she'd had since she had arrived.

"Now shut up and let me talk to your mother."

"You're not going near her," Torankusu growled, sounding far to similar to his father when angered. It might have frightened her, as she knew how powerful he was seven years ago, let alone now, but only one thing scared her anymore-and no matter how he looked right now, she knew he wouldn't harm her family.

"Trunks, it's all right!" Buruma yelled, finally stepping toward him. Her future self looked at her incredulously. She was standing behind her son but slightly to the side, and Juuhachi could see her.

"How can you say that? She's a monster!"

"She's different now, okay? She-"

"She killed everyone we had left!"

Juuhachi could also see the silent tears falling from her eyes as she shouted the words, the way her body shook, how her face seemed to grow older before her eyes. She took a small step back; the emotion made her uncomfortable.

The other one, the younger Buruma, took her hands and looked her directly in the eyes, speaking with a softness that was in stark contrast to her usual nature, but with an underlying sterness that also shaped her expression.

"No, she didn't. This Juuhachigou didn't kill anyone we love, all right? Bejita's still here, even if he's not being any help at all-" she sent an angry glance at her lover, but his eyes were focused on his son and he didn't seem to notice. "-and so are Yamucha, and Ten Shin Han, and Gohan, and Kuririn."

Juuhachigou smiled slightly at the mention of her husband, and then remembered why she was here in the first place.

"Buruma," she said, ignoring the man in front of her, despite his murderous glare and the power she could...not feel, but detect, "I need to talk to you. It's urgent."

"I said-" Torankusu's words stopped abruptly when his father put a hand like stone on his shoulder. Juuhachi raised an eyebrow at him but he paid no heed to her.

"Torankusu. Power down." Bejita spoke now, as his mate attempted to calm her aged double. Juuhachi couldn't see him, but she didn't hear him take any steps closer. She imagined his unrelenting glare, his arms crossed sternly across his chest.

What a drama queen.

i It must take a lot of will power not to turn around and glare at him /i , Juuhachi mused, for Torankusu still didn't move.

"No. She-"

It was then that Bejita himself became Super Saiyajin, and in his voice was the authority that was his birthright.

"Now, boy, before I make you."

Juuhachi herself would have turned and slapped him, but Bejita had a power over his son that caused him, albeit reluctantly in this instance, to obey him. His low ponytail regained its former colour and fell back to his shoulders, and his eyes returned to their normal state, but he didn't relax for a second.

"You'll get gray hairs that way," she drawled, crossing her own arms much more casually as she shifted weight to her left foot. "Anxious about nothing." He didn't say a word. Just kept glaring.

It was getting on her damn nerves.

So, like with most things that irritated her, she resumed ignoring him. She looked past Torankusu at the younger version of his mother. She didn't speak until Buruma had taken her eyes off her counterpart-eye contact was important. She'd known that before she ever pondered her humanity.

"It's about my brother. He wants to-"

"Experience the joys of education?" Buruma smiled wryly.

"Yeah, he coerced me into helping." Juuhachi let her eyes widen, as it generally helpd people to get a visual of what others were feeling.

"What? Why the i hell /i would you do that?"

"Watch it," Torankusu growled. Buruma touched his shoulder.

"It's all right, Trunks. Juuhachi's my friend, and I'd probably be yelling at me right now, too." Before he could protest, her attention was focused on the cyborg standing in front of them. It occured to her that their positions probably weren't helping the tense situation any.

"How about you come sit down in the parlor and we'll talk about it?" Buruma had already turned and started walking before she'd finished the sentance. She could almost feel Bejita rolling his eyes.

A certain cyborg was doing the very same thing in his own, far more modest home as he watched downright nauseating home videos. The fact that the two smiling, cooing parents on the screen would later die in a horrible fire did little to comfort him, but he clutched the news article by his side anyway. Sitting cross-legged on the floor amid a sea of paperwork had its advantages.

Amelia and Jared Anderson, dead of smoke inhalation.

House in ruins, belongings burnt beyond recognition.

Children Daryn and Crystal Anderson missing, presumed dead.