The Little Orphan Girl

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z or any of its characters.

Thank you Charismatic Beauty and The Light of Fire for your reviews on the previous chapter.


Eight years later…

The girl was polishing her nails with utmost care.

Her blue hair were falling on her blue eyes and she threw her head back to push the hair out of her face but was unsuccessful again. She was annoyed now. Could her hair not fall on her face for the next five minutes? Was that too much to ask?

Bulla Briefs had to attend the birthday party of her friend that night. If her nails were not of the right colour what would her friends say?

After much hard work the job was done. Bulla rose in triumph and smirked. Her nails were perfect! She just had to get a few things ready now.

As she was about to leave the room the telephone rang. She sighed. Nobody else was around to answer the call. Her father was training, her mother was working in the lab and her brother had gone to work. Shaking her head, she walked up to the telephone and answered the call.

"Hello. This is Briefs' residence. Whom am I speaking to?" she asked.

"Hello. I am Janet Hayes from Shadow Ridge Orphanage. May I speak to Miss Bulma?" the voice on the other end replied. It was soft and polite.

"Does she know you?" Bulla asked curiously. Why would anyone from an orphanage call up her home to speak to her mother?

"No, she does not know me but this is really important. May I please speak to her?"

"Yes. Please wait for a while. I'll call her."

With that Bulla ran to her mother's lab. She was there within seconds.

"Mom," she called out. "Some Janet Hayes from Shadow Ridge Orphanage wants to speak to you. She said that she has to talk about something really important."

A woman with blue hair and blue eyes looked up at Bulla from behind her computer. Bulma looked like an older version of her daughter. She looked puzzled by what her daughter said and stood up.

"Someone from an orphanage?" she asked.

"Yes," Bulla replied.

"Let's see what she wants to talk about."

The two of them walked to the telephone and Bulma spoke, "Hello? This is Bulma."

Bulla leaned against the wall and listened to what her mother was saying.

"Hello Ms Briefs. I am Janet Hayes from Shadow Ridge Orphanage."

"How may I help you?" Bulma asked.

"Uh, Ms Briefs I was wondering whether I could talk to you in person."

Bulma thought for a second then replied, "Sure but what is this all about? I am unable to understand…"

"Don't worry Ms Briefs. I will explain everything when we meet. Can you tell me when you can come here?"

"We can meet tomorrow morning at 11:15, if that is okay," Bulma replied.

"Yes that is really good! So we will meet tomorrow at 11:15. Thank you."

"Welcome. Bye," Bulma said and put down the receiver. She frowned.

"What happened mom?" Bulla asked.

"This Janet wants to meet me tomorrow. She sounded very… desperate," Bulma replied.

Bulla raised her brows. "Can I come too?" she asked.

"Yeah okay. But this might be really serious…"

With that Bulma walked back to her lab.

Bulla stared at the telephone thoughtfully for a while. What was the matter? She shook her head and went back to try her new jewellery.


Her hazel green eyes scanned the garden in front of her. Her strawberry blond hair were cut short and she wore a grim expression on her face.

Janet Hayes watched thirteen year old Susie Tanaka from a distance so that she was sure that the girl would not see her. The woman had always seen the same expression on the girl's face ever since the child had believed that her mother would never return. When Susie was just five, her mother had left the child outside the orphanage. She had not even bothered to contact the orphanage to keep her with them. Janet had found the child outside and had taken her in. Since then for the next few months Susie was always found near the window looking at the street. Maybe she was waiting for her mother to come there, maybe she was hoping that her mother would love her again, hug her and promise that she would never leave.

But after that Susie stopped looking out of the window. She would hardly ever speak to anyone and she never smiled. That was when Janet thought that Susie really needed a family. She had found a good family for the girl. They had taken her in and Janet thought that Susie had finally found happiness and that was when she was proven wrong. Susie did not last even ten days. The foster parents said that she never spoke, was hostile to their children and did not do anything that she was told to do.

Janet tried again and again, but Susie was rejected every time. The child had become even more silent and grim and Janet could sense anger inside her. She never showed it, and that was what worried Janet the most. Susie did not show any emotion. Ever. Her eyes did not give away anything. Susie had grown up too early. Janet found it really painful that Susie never had a childhood.

After being rejected the fortieth time by her foster family Susie just sat in the garden for the most part of the day, when she was not attending her classes. Janet had not sent her to any foster home for about a year now. Even the orphanage staff found it difficult to be around the child and they said that they should send her somewhere else. But Janet would not let them do that. She was determined to take care of the child herself. She acted like a mother to the child. And she also knew that Susie cared for her as well. If Janet sat down next to the girl, she would never walk away from there. If it was anybody else, Susie did not even think once before leaving the spot.

Janet had wanted to look after Susie herself, but unfortunately, she did not have much time. She would leave the world soon, and before leaving she wanted to ensure a bright future for Susie. She knew the orphanage staff would get rid of the child as soon as Janet were no more. And so, she had contacted Bulma. She prayed to God that this family would not reject her child and that she could leave in peace…

Susie knew none of this though. She did not know she might have to leave the orphanage soon or that Janet had little time left.

Janet took a deep breath and walked up to Susie. The girl was dressed in a black shirt and denim jeans. She had started wearing this combination about two years ago, and from then whatever clothes she got, consisted of black shirts and jeans. Janet never found out why it was so.

"Hello Susie," she said.

"Hello Janet," she replied.

Janet sat down next to her.

"How are your studies going?" she asked.

"Just fine. How are you doing?" Susie said.

"I'm doing okay."

It surprised Janet how Susie talked to her so casually after all she had gone through. But she knew that the girl's heart was wounded. Despite all of Janet's efforts, the child never smiled.

"You have your classes in the evening at five," Janet told her. Susie nodded at her and then got back to gazing at the garden.

Janet got up to leave but glanced at Susie again before walking away.

Hopefully, the child would be accepted this time.