The constant ringing of the phone had Candy's head hurting. She'd almost been asleep on the couch when the ringing started. She tried to ignore it but whoever it ws just kept on phoning. She turned off the TV and answered it.

"Hello?" she said groggily. A shriek came from the other end.

"Kara's missing!" It was her sister. Candy groaned and threw herself on the couch again.

"What now?"

"Kara ran away!" Cess screeched. "She's not at her friends' houses and I don't know where else to look!" She was near tears. "She ran away." Candy snorted.

"I wonder why," she responded sarcastically. Cess gasped.

"Have you not heard a word I said?" she shouted. Candy stifled a chuckle.

"Kara's fine," she told her. "She showed up here about seven thirty. She's sleeping right now."

"What!" Cess yelled. "Send her home! No, I'll come get her!" Candy sat up in a hurry.

"You will do no such thing," she snapped. "That girl is heartbroken and cried herself to sleep. What did she ever do to you?"

"What on earth are you talking about?" Cess asked. Candy groaned.

"You work her night and day, then you expect her to be the responsible one. You treat her like crap; you're lucky she hasn't offed herself!" she shouted.

"How I raise my daughter is none of your business!" Cess replied. Candy gasped.

"When you treat her like that, it sure as hell is!" she snapped back. Cess fell silent, Candy knew she was fuming. Being told the truth never settled well with her sister.

"I'm coming to get her," Cess demanded. Candy scoffed.

"Stay home tonight, let her sleep. The poor thing is exhausted!" Candy told her. Cess grunted.

"Fine, but I'm gonna be there first thing in the morning to get her. Then me and you are going to have a long chat," she snapped. "You should have phoned me on my cell when she got there." Candy took in a deep breath and gritted her teeth.

"Good night, Cess," she said before slamming down the phone.

When the line went dead, Cess got furious. How could her sister say such things. None of that was true, Kara was making things up to get attention. Just like she had always done. Stalking her way to the bedroom, Cess ripped off her clothes and threw on a black night gown. Then she jumped into bed next to Vegeta.

"She's accusing me of neglecting Kara!" she shouted, tears forming in her eyes. "I would never neglect my baby!" She caught Vegeta's onyx gaze through his reading glasses. Since they'd been married, he'd tamed down a lot. He still trained and did it with the boys, but he was a different man. More sensitive, she thought. Still tough though, but more sensitive.

"Why does she say that?" he asked as he put his book of crosswords on the nightstand. He removed his reading glasses and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She swallowed.

"Kara went over there telling her all these lies. She told her how we make her do everything and spoil the others. She said that we never take her anywhere," she cried as she rested her head on her husband's shoulder. Vegeta remained quiet and a thoughtful look crossed his face. It was moments before he spoke up.

"Maybe she's right," he said softly. Cess shot up and pushed him away.

"You're with her! You think I'm a bad mother! I was young when she was born I – We-" Vegeta cut her off.

"Maybe we are too hard on Kara," he said gently. She glared at him, but soon realized he was probably right. She frowned and wiped her tears away.

"I'm going over there tomorrow to set things straight."

Rummaging through her wardrobe, Candy was frustrated that she couldn't find anything to wear. It was nearing laundry day, but she had no change for the machines. Finally, a purple halter top caught her attention. She held it up to her slim figure and smiled. It would fit just fine. She paired it with her dark denim capris. Then she grabbed a pair of shorts and a t-shirt for Kara. Her niece was much smaller than she was, but a belt never harmed anyone. When she came out of the room, she found Kara sulking on the couch.

"Want me to take you to the mall?" Candy asked kindly. Kara looked up to her and smiled. Candy knew her niece wasn't looking forward to seeing her mother. She also knew that Cess's idea of bright and early was noon. Besides, her sister had plans with their mother to go to the city. Candy never went to that mall anyway.

"Sure," Kara replied as she grabbed the clothes from Candy and ran into the bathroom. While she waited, Candy sat at the kitchen table and brushed her long, curly hair. She combed it nicely over her shoulder and smiled. The mirror behind the table told her she looked lovely today.

When Kara returned, she was dressed and her hair was tied back in a ponytail. She stared at her aunt.

"Wow auntie Candy, you look pretty," she commented. Candy laughed and grabbed her purse off the table, unaware that her front door key was hanging on the hook by the door. As she locked her door, Goten exited his suite. She felt his eyes in her and suddenly got smug.

"Wow," he whistled. She looked up from the door with a smirk. Then he grinned. "Where you going? The corner?" Her jaw dropped.

"You son of a bitch," she snapped. "What do you know?" He crosses his arms.

"Well, I assume the only reason you dress like that is go pick up guys," he snapped. She snarled and placd her hand on Kara's back.

"Hi Goten," Kara said from the silence. His face turned red then he smiled.

"Taking the kid with you? Have you no shame?" Candy took in a deep breath and resisted the urge to hit him. Then he looked from her to Kara. "Haven't seen you for a while." She shrugged.

"My mom and dad are keeping me in."

"Why? What did you do?" he asked as he knelt in front of her. She scowled.

"I did nothing wrong, they just hate me, that's all." He frowned and glanced to Candy, then looked back to Kara.

"They don't hate you," he assured as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "They're your parents, they love you." She shook her head.

"No, they hate me," she muttered.

"Why do you say that?" he asked gently. She sighed,

"Daddy took Tyra and Nynevene to the mall, mommy dropped Brian off at Grandma's then took Drake and Raiden to the movies," she explained. His eyes went wide.

"Really?" she nodded and folded her arms and pouted.

"Yah, all while I had to stay home and clean the room I share with my sisters!"

"That's not very nice. I'm sure they didn't mean to," he said softly. She continued to frown and looked up to Candy.

"Yah, and to make it worse, Auntie Candy is the only friend I have," she whined. He grinned and glanced to Candy as he rose to his feet.

"I'll agree, that is pretty bad."

"Shut up, freak," she snapped.

"And…" Kara continued. "I can only run to her because Trunks and Bra hate me." Goten stared at her and shook his head.

"They do not hate you," he told her. Tears began to well up in her eyes. "They miss you dearly. And wish you'd visit. Especially Trunks, he hasn't seen you in ages." Kara looked up to him.

"Really?" she asked through sobs. He nodded and smirked at Candy.

"You bet ya." Kara looked up to her Aunt.

"Can we visit him?" she asked. Candy hesitated. She really didn't want to see Trunks right now, because she was aware of the consequences if she did. They had quite the history. Goten shrugged and walked by the girls again.

"Well, I should go now," he said as he passed Candy. "I have a date waiting." She shoved him into the wall with all the force she could.

"Ow…" he whined as he rubbed his shoulder. "That hurt."

"Good," she muttered. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Kara smiling. "Come on Kara, we'll talk in the car." Kara nodded and followed her aunt.

"Bye Goten." He nodded and smiled then ambled down the stairs behind them.

Cess and her mother were at the mall downtown Satan City. They spent every Saturday afternoon there. She was busy telling her mother of last night's events. The panic she had her kind of shaky.

"She just ran off on you?" Donna repeated as she picked a pink cotton sweater off the rack. Cess nodded. Her mother was the only one she knew how to talk to right now.

"She's at Candy's right now, but it scared me when she wasn't home." Donna agreed. Cess knew she'd been through the same dilemma with Candy when they were teenagers. She didn't know how her mother handled it. She, herself, lost her mind at the thought it.

"Well, teenagers do run away. You just have to hope you raised them well enough so they'll come home," her mother said. "Your sister did it all the time. Remember? I always found her at Capsule corp," she laughed. Cess frowned. "Besides, be thankful Kara's taking a liking to Candy."

"Well, she is her aunt. But mom, she's accusing me of neglecting my child! My first born, none the less!" she shouted. Her mother shook her head.

"You might be," she shrugged. "Sometimes we do those things subconsciously."

"What?" Cess cried. "You're not serious! I would never do that! I love Kara with all my heart. After everything I went through to have her. I couldn't love her more." Donna sighed.

"Remember how I gave you more attention then I gave your sister?" she asked. Cess shrugged.

"I was a troubled child," she pointed out. Her mother shook her head.

"Either way, I neglected your sister because of the things I needed to do for you. She ran around with all those guys to get attention. I never realized it until long after she left home," she stated. Cess frowned.

"Why are you accusing me of it too?" she asked. "What have I done wrong?" Donna sighed.

"Don't worry about it. Just pick her up and talk to her tonight."

"I can't," she started, "I promised Drake we'd have some quality time, just the two of us." Her mother groaned.

"Celeste, that's your problem," she stated as she turned to her. "You always do everything with Drake and Raiden, I've never once heard you say you had plans with Kara." Cess was stunned.

"That's not true!" she shouted. Her mother glared at her. "I'm booked full with Raiden and Drake. I mean, Drake has Karate every Tuesday and Thursday, then Raiden has soccer Mondays and Wednesdays. And Friday is either time for me and Vegeta, or time for me and the boys. Saturday s I spend with you, and Sundays the kids spend with their friends. See mom."

"What about Vegeta? Why doesn't he go to Karate and Soccer every now and then?" her mother asked.

"Tyra and Nynevene keep him busy," Cess informed her. "They love him and he takes them to their appointments."

"So… In that period of seven days, you don't have a time slot for Kara?" her mother asked. Cess sighed in frustration.

"No, because she has chores and homework."

"Celeste, she probably doesn't even do her homework, and judging by last night, I doubt she's been doing her chores, either." Cess thought for a moment. It made sense, but it couldn't be true. Kara was a good kid, last night she was just upset and her parents weren't there to help her feel better. Then again, maybe not. She was acting strangely lately.

"Come to think of it, I've been doing an awful lot of housework these days." Her mother groaned and stomped her foot.

"You don't get it, do you?" she asked. "She's crying for attention and you're worrying about who's doing more house work!" Cess frowned and shook her head.

"Never mind. I'll pick her up later and we'll discuss things. Come one, let's shop."