Chapter Nineteen
Landing just a few feet away, Piccolo, Rikola and Goku stood in shock. Seconds later Rideria and Kaizer arrived.
On the ground were Gohan and Tekoa. Standing back behind a vehicle was Rhyne. She was alive.
Sabrina continued to hold the small handgun out in front of her, pointed now at Tekoa's body. She had grabbed it from the back of the truck, hoping to scare off the green man. But, she ended up firing as she watched him discharge another ball of light, this time toward the other young man.
"GOHAN!" Goku shouted and ran forward.
Sabrina held the gun tightly in her hand. "Stay back!" She yelled. "I don't know who the hell you people are, but I'd just as soon shoot every last damn one of you!"
Piccolo's eyes had found Rhyne and had not left his young daughter. "Rhyne…" He said and began to walk forward.
"Stay back!" Sabrina yelled again. But, Piccolo ignored her as did Goku.
"Get out of my way, woman." He said angrily. "That is my daughter."
Sabrina gasped. "What?" She lowered the gun somewhat. "Your…daughter?" Obviously, all these green people were of the same race and Sabrina felt a lump in her throat. She turned and saw a peculiar look on Jade's face.
The young girl looked at the man who claimed to be her father. "I don't know you." She said softly.
Piccolo stopped in his tracks. Of course. Her memory. Now, he understood. "You will remember in time." He said softer. "Right now, you belong with me and your sisters."
"Sisters?" Jade looked at the girls, whose appearance was so similar to her own. "They are…my sisters?"
"Yes." Piccolo said. He heard Gohan softly moaning as Goku helped him to his feet. The front of his shirt was gone and he had several burns and scratches. But he was otherwise unharmed.
Kaizer and Rideria guarded the helpless Tekoa. He had been shot in the chest and was losing a great deal of blood. "Father, what should we do with him?" Rideria growled. "I believe he is dying."
Sabrina's hands were now shaking as she dropped the gun, realizing that someone was about to die because of her. "I didn't mean……to….I didn't know…what to do…" Sabrina stammered.
Jade put her arms around the woman. Letting Sabrina lean on her shoulder. "You did what you had to." Jade told her.
Piccolo wasn't about to wait for Tekoa to die. He wanted to end his life now. He walked over to the fallen Namek and snarled. "Death is too good for you, but it's all I have." He said angrily.
"No!" Gohan told Piccolo. "Don't kill him."
Piccolo turned around stunned. "WHAT?" He demanded. "Why should I spare him?"
"He didn't do this to Rhyne." Gohan said sadly, leaning slightly against Goku for support. "It was….my fault."
The words hit Piccolo hard. "What do you mean?"
Gohan felt so ashamed. "Rhyne didn't love me." He said, trying to hold back tears. "She only pretended…to please you."
"WHAT?" Piccolo said. "Impossible!"
"No, Rhyne loves you!" Rideria said assuredly. "I know she does!"
Gohan shook his head. "She couldn't bear to disappoint you." He continued, finally meeting Piccolo's onyx eyes. "So, she….jumped….from the cliff."
Piccolo stiffened. "No." He said, barely above a whisper. "Rhyne would not take her own life."
"Will you people stop it!" Jade stepped forward angrily. "You keep talking about this Rhyne person as if she's here! Well, she's not! I don't know who Rhyne is but it is not me! I am Jade."
Tekoa moaned loudly.
"Father, what shall we do?" Rideria asked again. "If we leave him, he will die. He is loosing blood too fast."
"Let me help him." Sabrina said, hoping to save his life. "I can't let him die."
Piccolo snarled. "Fine." He wasn't sure what was going on, but he would never believe his young daughter would take her own life. Not Rhyne. Not as happy as she had been. He looked at Gohan. "I want you to understand, I do not and will not believe Rhyne jumped off that cliff."
Sabrina hurried inside and brought out a first aid kit along with some bandages. She managed to stop Tekoa's bleeding. "We should bring him inside, to rest." Sabrina said. "But he'll need medical attention."
"No he won't." Rideria said. "His body will heal in a while."
Sabrina remembered Jade's injuries. "Yes, like Jade's." She said aloud.
Piccolo's interest was peaked. "What kind of injuries did she have? How did she come to be with you?"
"Sabrina saved me." Jade said. "She pulled me from the water."
Piccolo looked into the brown eyes of this human woman. "I owe you." He said.
Sabrina shook her head. "You owe me nothing. Jade…..I mean….well, your daughter is a fantastic girl. She has brought me more joy than I can explain."
Once inside, Sabrina tried to make everyone comfortable. "I haven't had this many people in my house in five whole years! Much less at one time."
"Why do you live out here?" Goku asked. "I mean, it's as far away from civilization as you can get."
Sabrina smiled. "I don't like civilization." She said honestly. "People…..well, let's just say I prefer to be alone."
Piccolo noticed how Rhyne stayed by this woman's side. It was obvious that they cared for each other. And he was jealous.
"Perhaps we should get back to the Lookout." Piccolo said. "Hopefully Kami will know what to do about Rhyne's memory."
"The Dragonballs?" Rideria asked. "But, that will take a year."
Piccolo nodded. "Maybe there is another way."
"I'm not going anywhere." Jade said. "This is my home, and I won't leave Sabrina. Especially not alone with…him." She indicated Tekoa, who was still unconscious.
"You are coming with us." Piccolo said sternly. "As for Tekoa, we will take him along until this mess is cleared up."
Jade eyed this tall and intimidating man before her. "I said, I am not going anywhere. What part of that didn't you understand?"
Piccolo glared at her. "Either you go with us willingly, or by force. It's your choice."
"I won't let you." Jade said. "If you are my father, like you claim, then surely you won't hurt me."
"I didn't say I would hurt you." Piccolo said. "But I will take you home."
"You don't understand. This is my home….Sabrina is….she is like my mother." Jade said. "Do…I have…a mother? Somewhere?"
Piccolo shook his head. "No."
"I knew it." Jade replied, smiling. "I knew Sabrina was going to be my mother, no matter what. And I was right."
Not sure what to say, Piccolo turned away. His daughter was here…in front of him. Yet, she was still lost.
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