Cess and her boys were exiting the movie theater into the pouring rain. They'd just finished watching Pirates of the Carribean : Dead Man's Chest. It was she, and her two sons, Raiden and Drake. This was their night to send together. Two of her daughter's were with her husband, Vegeta. The baby was with her mother and her oldest daughter was at home.

"Well, that was a good movie, what did you boys think?" she asked as she whipped out her umbrella. Raiden, the oldest, stuck out his tongue.

"It was a girly movie," he said with a wrinkled nose. Cess laughed and looked to Drake, who was six.

"It was a little scary, but I liked it!" he exclaimed. Cess smiled and pulled out the keys to her 2007 Mercedes Benz. Raiden was now picking on his little brother. They were getting into a play wrestling match as they entered the car.

"Can I sit in the front?" Raiden whined. Cess shook her head.

"No," she replied as she ran around to the driver's side and jumped in. "You're not tall enough." She pulled out of the parking lot in a hurry and raced down the highway.

"Come on guys, let's go pick up Brian," she said. The boys groaned. She knew they weren't fond of their baby sister, but she didn't care.

"Why can't we just leave Brian with Grandma? And it can be just the three of us?" Drake asked. Cess sighed. He was always wanted it to the three of them. That's why they had these outings on Friday nights.

"Why can't we leave Tyra and Nynevyne with dad? Grandma can keep Brian," Drake whined. Cess laughed.

"What about Kara?" she asked. Kara was her twelve year old daughter. The preteen always had so many chores and homework to do, that she never came on family outings. Cess figured it was only fair if she finished those before having fun.

Kara sighed with pleasure as she sank into the couch and at the chocolate ice cream out of the bucket. She was never allowed to do things like this at home, her parents forbid it until she was all caught up on everything. Between homework and chores she never had any time. That's why she ran away. Her parents had put her in private school and were punishing her for the over abundance of work she received.

"I like you better than my mom," Kara she said as she looked up to her aunt and took a bite of her ice cream. Candy looked to her brunette niece.

"Really? Why?" she asked. Kara frowned. She and her aunt had their hair tied back and wore mud masks.

"Because I can't do any of this at home. I have too much work to do," she murmured. Candy studied her niece.

"Why?" she repeated as she stole a scoop of ice cream.

"Mom and dad are really hard on me. The others get to do whatever they want and I'm stuck doing chores. Everyone else gets to do whatever they want. But mom and dad tell me since I'm the oldest I'm stuck with all the responsibility," she explained. Candy's eyes shot wide. She looked in shock.

"Cess and Vegeta aren't really like that, are they?" she asked. Kara nodded.

"Everyone else is spoiled except me," she frowned. "I never get to do anything." Candy groaned.

"Well, you can stay here tonight and tomorrow I'll talk to my sister, how's that?" she offered. Kara agreed and put down the ice cream bucket.

"Let's go wash our faces now," Candy said as she pulled her niece up.

As she followed Kara to the bathroom, Candy couldn't believe the news she'd just gotten. How could her sister treat her first born child that way? Vegeta was just an ass, but Cess? There was something fishy going on.

"What else goes on in your house?" she asked before running the warm water. Kara sighed.

"Well, if daddy's home, I can't do anything fun. He makes me study and study until my brain hurts. Mommy doesn't let Tyra and Nynnevyne lift a finger. Today they were supposed to clean the room we share but mom made me do it because they had plans with daddy. It's horrible and I just want to die," Kara cried as she grabbed a face cloth wiped the mud off her face. Candy sighed and copied her niece. That was awful.

"What about your brothers?" she asked. She already knew the answer to theis question. The boys would be Vegeta's pride and joy, he would take them everywhere and let them train with him. Kara wiped the tears from her eyes.

"They always have some kind of sporting event to go to. Mom and dad chauffer them everywhere. It isn't fair!" she yelled before storming out of the bathroom and into Candy's bedroom. She began to cry loudly when there was a banging on the wall. Fury flooded Candy's veins. She knew it was Goten, how could he be so ignorant? She ran up to the wall and kicked it.

"Go to bed Goten!" she shouted before tending to Kara. "It's ok sweetie, I'll talk to your parents tomorrow. We'll work something out; but now, just crawl under the covers and go to sleep." She kissed her niece on the forehead and went to clean up the living room. While she was throwing the empty glasses in the sink, there was a knock on her door.

"Who could it be at this hour?" she groaned when she glanced to the microwave clock. It was twelve thirty. She opened the door to find Goten on the other side.

"What's going on over here?" he asked grumpily. Annoyed, she glanced over him, he was dressed in white boxers and a white t-shirt.

"Why, did I wake you?" she asked sarcastically.

"That horrendous crying did," he snapped. She pushed him into the hallway and stepped out after him, closing the door.

"Shut up, asshole," she sneered. "It's Kara, and she's having some personal problems at home. It wouldn't kill you to be a little more sensitive," she snapped. "You can hate me all you want, but don't even start with my family, got it?" She stepped back in the apartment and slammed the door in his face. She couldn't stand him anymore. They grew up best friends with Trunks, but that ended years ago. Deciding to take her mind off of it, she continued cleaning her house and collapsed on the couch to watch some TV.

The rain made it hard to see the highway, but Cess managed to find her mothers small, two bedroom house in the dark. Her son Raiden was sleeping in the back seat, but Drake was wide awake. They were here to pick up Brian. If she knew her daughter, she'd still be awake at this hour. She motioned Drake out of the car and ran up the driveway. They entered without knocking and found her mother lying on the floor playing with Brian. When the two year old saw her mother she jumped up and ran over.

"Mommy!" she cried as she threw her arms around Cess's legs.

"Good evening sweet cake," she smiled as she picked up her two-year-old daughter. She looked up at her mom, "Thanks for looking after her." Her mother was a short brunette with long straight hair, much like Cess's. Donna was her name and she and Cess were really close.

"Anytime darling. You know how much I love her."

The young girl reached out to her grandmother. "Bye grandma."

"Grandma!" Drake exclaimed as he barreled in the house.

"Hey Drake," she yawned.

"Come on kids," Cess sighed.

"Where's Raiden?" her mother asked as she saw them to the door.

"He's in the car, sleeping," Drake informed her. Donna laughed.

"Then let's go home and get him to bed. You too young man," Cess said sternly. Drake pouted then hugged his grandmother and darted out of the house.

"Go home sweetie," her mother informed her. "You look as tired as I feel."

"Then I'll see you tomorrow," she nodded. She and her mother always took Saturdays to themselves and went shopping. Most of the time, she would leave Kara to baby-sit. And Vegeta would take his oldest daughter Bra, out. But lately, there'd been something different about Kara, she would refuse to baby-sit, she would end up doing it, but would refuse to begin with. She turned back to her mother.

"Mom?"

"Yah sweetheart?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what?"

"Well, lately, there's been something different about Kara."

"Like what?"

"Well," Cess started as she shifted Brian from her left to her right, "She's refusing to do chores, and refusing to baby-sit. She stormed off on me last night when I told her it was her night to do the dishes."

"She's becoming a teenager, that's what teenagers do," she informed her as she closed the cupboard. Cess sighed.

"Not me."

"Well, I know you didn't, but your sister was a little bitch at that age. She was until she hit nineteen."

"So, she'll out grow it?"

"Don't worry honey. It's just a phase."

"Yah," Cess started, "A phase I never went through."

"The only terrible thing you did as a teenager was sleep with Vegeta. Boy was I angry when I discovered that," her mother grumbled as she glared at her daughter. To this day, Cess knew her mother didn't approve of the marriage, but Cess loved Vegeta and that was that.

"Yah, but look at me now. I not only have Kara, but I have him as my husband, and more of his wonderful children," she smiled faintly. Her mother groaned but smiled.

"I'm happy for you sweetheart," she said.

"Well," Cess yawned. "I should be going, my sons are in the car waiting," she said as she opened the door.

"OK, see you tomorrow honey." Cess nodded and disappeared out the front door.

Vegeta stifled a yawn as he carried his two sleeping daughters up the steps to the front door. The house was dark and the drapes were shut. It looked as if no one was home. Kara should be there though. She hadn't finished her homework or her chores so she wasn't allowed to come with him and the girls to the mall. It was a little late to be getting home with two young children, but he'd treated them afterward. It took almost an hour to get to their house from the city. Now it was twelve thirty, he'd taken them for ice cream when the mall closed at nine thirty. When the door finally clicked unlocked, he kicked it open and flicked on the hall light. Kara's shoes weren't at the door, but that meant nothing. For some reason, though, he was worried.

Dragging himself and the girls up the stairs, he brought them into their messy, empty room. Kara wasn't there. He put the girls into bed and began to panic. Maybe she was in his and Cess's bed. She sometimes slept there when it was lonely. He

He ran down the hall to the room and found it empty.

"Kara!" he called, hoping for an answer. There was none. He raced to the living room. She wasn't on the sofa. "Shit," he breathed. "Where could she be?" Just then, he saw the headlights of Cess's car pull into the driveway. Maybe she was with them. They'd left after he did. He heard her call his name.

"Vegeta!" she called. The front door was wide open. He ran out there to see if Kara was with them. No luck. All he found was Cess, and two sleeping boys. She gave him a funny look when she saw the panicked expression on his face.

"What's wrong, honey?" she asked as she carried Drake up the stairs and motioned him to get Raiden.

"Kara's gone," he said as calmly as he could.

"What!" she shrieked. Drake flinched in her arms and she pawned him off on Vegeta. She then ran into the house calling for her daughter. Vegeta gently carried Drake to his room and returned to get Raiden. When the boys were tucked into their beds he closed the door and led his wife to the couch.

"Where is she?" she shouted. Vegeta shook his head.

"I just got home and she wasn't here," he confessed. Cess began to cry and breathe heavily.

"Now what do I do?"