Disclaimers: Don't own, don't ask, don't sue.
A/N: Thank you to those who have left me reviews. It's good to know that there are people out there willing to read my stories. I'm keeping my postings of the story to one a day, as I've got more than enough chapters to last for a little while. If there are any suggestions as to what you readers want to see, feel free to leave them and I'll see what I can do.
Black Sunrise
Bulma walked slowly out from the tunnel leading into the terminal of the crowed building. She didn't know how she was going to find her parents, but she knew that if she didn't find them, they'd find her first.
Doc scanned the people walking out of the tunnel, looking for his bright eyed, blue haired daughter. Bunny, his blonde haired wife, clutched his arm and started to jump up and down. "I see her!" She chirped happily, right arm stretching out and pointing to a woman walking away from them with blue hair.
"No Bunny, her hair wasn't that dark."
"Oh. Well, I don't see anyone that looks like my baby girl. Maybe she missed her flight?"
His blue eyes scanned the crowd and instantly fell onto a black haired youth. He studied her for a moment, her movements, and her posture then rubbed a hand over his face. The girl was fussing over a child in a stroller, shouldering what looked to be a heavy carry on bag, and a purse. Stretched over the handle of the stroller was a long black coat. The girl stood up and straightened her shirt then looked around.
Blue eyes met with black and instantly, Doc knew that the black-haired person was his daughter. She looked scared, really scared. He watched as she took a deep breath and started to walk towards them, slowly. He thought that the child belonged to someone else, but once he saw his little girl pushing the stroller, he knew deep down. "She's coming."
"Oh where?" Doc nodded his head to the oncoming figure. "Oh! What has my baby done to her beautiful hair?" Bunny exclaimed, hands on her cheeks as she looked.
Bulma licked her dry lips and stopped in front of her parents. Her father was dressed in the ever-present black suit with a dark gray shirt and an even darker gray tie. His black hair was combed and perfect. He looked just like she had remembered. "Hello Daddy."
"Bulma." He nodded his head curtly. "Chloe mentioned a few things about you, but I see she left out a few, minor things."
"Daddy, I know this is a pretty big shock for you, but before you get mad, please understand that I did what I did to protect you from the media. Could you just imagine the headlines across the world if this got out?" Bulma said just loud enough for her parents, mostly her father, to hear. "At this point in time, I've been acting as though I'm babysitting Cara's baby cousin. No one has bothered me, mostly because they cannot recognize me. I'm going to tell you right now, that no matter what, I'm going to keep Rayne a secret from the world."
"Rayne?" her mother asked, curious.
Bulma rubbed her nose. "Mom, Daddy, may I introduce you to your granddaughter Rayne Ava Briefs."
Bunny dropped down in front of the stroller and looked at the little girl. "She's got two eyes!"
"Bun, everyone's got two eyes." Doc sighed.
"That's not what I mean. She's got two different colored eyes. One is blue the other is green. I'm guessing that the green is Matt's?"
"Yes mom. Rayne is Matt's little girl."
"Well, I think she's just wonderful. But what are we going to tell people when they see you walking down the street with her?"
"Don't worry. I've got everything all planned out. Cara's mother made a public statement saying that I was going to be looking after her niece for the time being until proper adoption parents came along. And we all know how long that takes."
Doc lifted a brow and nodded his head. "Seems like my little girl has been thinking a lot over the passed year and a bit."
"Yes Daddy."
"You must be starving, and it looks like Rayne is starting to get a little fussy. What do you say we get your bags and head out for something to eat? I've got an appointment in a few hours, so I suggest you be fast."
Rolling her onyx eyes, she pushed the stroller in the direction of the luggage carousel. 45 minutes later, Doc made arrangements with the airport to send most of the luggage to the house, leaving them more then enough money to have it there by the end of the day. Once Rayne was buckled in her car seat, Bulma slid into the black limousine beside her daughter.
Her parents sat across from her, and for a few minutes, no one said anything. "Well, it looks like you're not dressed for The Ritz, so what do you suggest Bulma dear?" Her mother asked, smoothing down her pink knee-length skirt.
"Anywhere. Rayne and I don't care. Nothing fancy though. What about drive through?"
Bunny made a face and Doc shook his head. Bulma rolled her eyes and sighed. "What? I'm tired, and Rayne's in dire need for a nap. I want to get everything sorted out before my luggage gets here. I don't care where you guys eat, I just want something fast."
"Driver, go to the nearest McDonalds. My daughter is hungry."
"Yes'sir."
"Thank you Daddy. After this, I would like to go home and get Rayne down for her nap, and then have a shower and unpack."
Both of her parents nodded their heads and soon enough, Bulma held a Big Mac in her hand, fries all ready eaten and a Coke was resting between her knees. Leaning back against the leather seats, she idly chewed a mouthful of the greasy hamburger while she looked out the window. Houses flew by quickly, and within a couple of moments, they came up to a large iron barred gate. The car stopped for a quick minute and soon the gates opened wide enough to let the long black car through.
People rushed out of the house to greet the family. Women were lined up on one side, white aprons over black dresses, hands clasped in front of them, while the men were on the other side. Both genders were dressed in black and white, and looked ecstatic to see the man and woman of the house home so early.
Bunny got out of the car first and smiled brightly to the helpers. "Well! I see everyone is looking bright and happy!"
Bulma unbuckled the drowsy Rayne from her car seat and pulled her close. Stepping out of the car with the help of the driver, she stood up and looked around. The place was huge! Large ivory steps flowed up to the front of the red brick house. There were more windows then Bulma herself could have counted.
"Holy shoes!" she giggled, instantly excited.
People looked at her wide-eyed. "This is my daughter. The one that we've been waiting for to make our little house complete. I don't know how long she's going to be staying with us, but if you, Lydia, would help her in any way she needs to be helped, I would really appreciate it."
Bulma walked to the trunk of the large car and lifted it. She grabbed Rayne's diaper bag and turned to her mother. "Mom, this place is just, huge. Bigger then the one at home."
She smiled and nodded her head. It was quite breathtaking with the rolling hills in the background, the large trees and the intricate flowers in the front of the yard. "Lydia will show you to your room. I'm sure that everything is unpacked all ready. You've got a smaller room attached to yours. Rayne can sleep in there."
"Thank you mom, Daddy." Bulma said as she blew her parents a kiss and walked up the stairs. The large cherry wood doors opened for her before she stepped up to it and she walked inside, Lydia in tow.
"This way Miss."
Bulma had a hard time following the woman as she took twists and turns through the long hallways, but soon stopped in front of a pair of gold-painted doors. "Your room Miss." She threw open the doors and stepped aside while Bulma walked into the large space. Everything was unpacked and organized. She looked around the room and decided that it needed to be changed. She no longer cared for the blue and yellow that she had been madly obsessed with.
A knock came from the door and she opened it. Lydia was standing there, hands twisting her apron around as she licked her lips. "Ah, Miss, sorry to disturb you, but you're luggage has arrived from the airport."
"Thank you. I need a few people to set up the crib and unpack the baby clothes into the closet. After that, you all can take a break."
"Thank you Miss." Lydia bobbed a curtsy and took off in a run down the hall. Bulma smiled and set Rayne down on the large blue and yellow blanket that was spread across her canopy bed. The little girl gurgled, arms and legs thrashing the air as she let out a loud cry.
"Oh honey, I know you're hungry. Let's see what mommy has for you in your bag..." Bulma began to rummage around and soon pulled out a small glass jar of strawberry custard. "Look! Mommy's got dessert!"
The sounds of people moving and assembling everything in the room next to hers filled her ears as she busied herself with feeding her daughter. Once that was done, Bulma changed Rayne out of the outfit Chloe put her in, and then put on a fresh diaper. Slipping chubby arms and legs into nothing more but a light sleeper, she picked up the blonde haired child and walked into the next room.
The crib was set up, and a light blanket was spread out. As soon as Bulma set Rayne down, the little girl fell asleep. Quietly shutting the door, Bulma unpacked a fresh outfit and walked into her bathroom. She had a nice lingering shower, and when she was finished, she pulled on a long pair of black silk pajamas, and then her matching robe. Walking out of the bathroom toweling her hair, she slipped her feet into a pair of black fuzzy slippers and went to check on her daughter.
Satisfied that she was sleeping, she turned on the baby monitor and placed it on the small dresser. Slipping the other one into the pocket of her robe, Bulma walked out of her room and down the first of a few hallways. She was going to need to do something about that. Following her nose, Bulma soon found the large kitchen and a few men working quickly. She coughed and leaned against the doorframe. One looked up and flashed her a bright smile.
"Is there anything I can help you with Miss?"
"I'm actually hungry. McDonalds doesn't stay in ones' system for very long."
"Understandable. Is there anything specific I could make for you?"
Bulma kicked her foot against the floor and felt her cheeks starting to burn. "Just a sandwich and a cup of tea is fine, thank you."
"And where will you be Miss? The gardens?"
"If I can find them, yes. But I'm sure it won't be that hard. Just follow your nose and you'll get to your destination. That's how I found the kitchen!" Bulma giggled, and instantly turned around. What was wrong with her? Why was she acting like some bubbly schoolgirl? He was a stranger, and her heart still belonged to Matt. She had just arrived, and all ready was starting to lighten up with the helpers that kept the house running smoothly.
This wasn't going to be the best thing for her. First, before she started anything with anyone, not that she thought that she would, she needed to figure some things out about herself. Walking around until she found a back door Bulma opened it, and stepped outside. The view was breathtaking. Large rolling hills stretched out across the property, followed by a thick, lush forest.
She didn't know how long she had been standing there, arms wrapped around her middle when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Whipping her head around, Bulma was about to let out a startled scream when she saw one of the chefs from the kitchen holding a mug of tea and a plate with one hand. "Your snack Miss."
"Thank you. Put it on the table and return to what you were doing." Bulma noted the puzzled look on his face, and turned her head back around to look out across the span of the yard.
A pain floated through her body as she pulled a hand through her hair. Everything started to come crashing down on her as the truth started to settle in down on her. The life she knew was over, and now she needed to be ready for the large game she was about to play.
A/N: Thank you to those who have left me reviews. It's good to know that there are people out there willing to read my stories. I'm keeping my postings of the story to one a day, as I've got more than enough chapters to last for a little while. If there are any suggestions as to what you readers want to see, feel free to leave them and I'll see what I can do.
Black Sunrise
Bulma walked slowly out from the tunnel leading into the terminal of the crowed building. She didn't know how she was going to find her parents, but she knew that if she didn't find them, they'd find her first.
Doc scanned the people walking out of the tunnel, looking for his bright eyed, blue haired daughter. Bunny, his blonde haired wife, clutched his arm and started to jump up and down. "I see her!" She chirped happily, right arm stretching out and pointing to a woman walking away from them with blue hair.
"No Bunny, her hair wasn't that dark."
"Oh. Well, I don't see anyone that looks like my baby girl. Maybe she missed her flight?"
His blue eyes scanned the crowd and instantly fell onto a black haired youth. He studied her for a moment, her movements, and her posture then rubbed a hand over his face. The girl was fussing over a child in a stroller, shouldering what looked to be a heavy carry on bag, and a purse. Stretched over the handle of the stroller was a long black coat. The girl stood up and straightened her shirt then looked around.
Blue eyes met with black and instantly, Doc knew that the black-haired person was his daughter. She looked scared, really scared. He watched as she took a deep breath and started to walk towards them, slowly. He thought that the child belonged to someone else, but once he saw his little girl pushing the stroller, he knew deep down. "She's coming."
"Oh where?" Doc nodded his head to the oncoming figure. "Oh! What has my baby done to her beautiful hair?" Bunny exclaimed, hands on her cheeks as she looked.
Bulma licked her dry lips and stopped in front of her parents. Her father was dressed in the ever-present black suit with a dark gray shirt and an even darker gray tie. His black hair was combed and perfect. He looked just like she had remembered. "Hello Daddy."
"Bulma." He nodded his head curtly. "Chloe mentioned a few things about you, but I see she left out a few, minor things."
"Daddy, I know this is a pretty big shock for you, but before you get mad, please understand that I did what I did to protect you from the media. Could you just imagine the headlines across the world if this got out?" Bulma said just loud enough for her parents, mostly her father, to hear. "At this point in time, I've been acting as though I'm babysitting Cara's baby cousin. No one has bothered me, mostly because they cannot recognize me. I'm going to tell you right now, that no matter what, I'm going to keep Rayne a secret from the world."
"Rayne?" her mother asked, curious.
Bulma rubbed her nose. "Mom, Daddy, may I introduce you to your granddaughter Rayne Ava Briefs."
Bunny dropped down in front of the stroller and looked at the little girl. "She's got two eyes!"
"Bun, everyone's got two eyes." Doc sighed.
"That's not what I mean. She's got two different colored eyes. One is blue the other is green. I'm guessing that the green is Matt's?"
"Yes mom. Rayne is Matt's little girl."
"Well, I think she's just wonderful. But what are we going to tell people when they see you walking down the street with her?"
"Don't worry. I've got everything all planned out. Cara's mother made a public statement saying that I was going to be looking after her niece for the time being until proper adoption parents came along. And we all know how long that takes."
Doc lifted a brow and nodded his head. "Seems like my little girl has been thinking a lot over the passed year and a bit."
"Yes Daddy."
"You must be starving, and it looks like Rayne is starting to get a little fussy. What do you say we get your bags and head out for something to eat? I've got an appointment in a few hours, so I suggest you be fast."
Rolling her onyx eyes, she pushed the stroller in the direction of the luggage carousel. 45 minutes later, Doc made arrangements with the airport to send most of the luggage to the house, leaving them more then enough money to have it there by the end of the day. Once Rayne was buckled in her car seat, Bulma slid into the black limousine beside her daughter.
Her parents sat across from her, and for a few minutes, no one said anything. "Well, it looks like you're not dressed for The Ritz, so what do you suggest Bulma dear?" Her mother asked, smoothing down her pink knee-length skirt.
"Anywhere. Rayne and I don't care. Nothing fancy though. What about drive through?"
Bunny made a face and Doc shook his head. Bulma rolled her eyes and sighed. "What? I'm tired, and Rayne's in dire need for a nap. I want to get everything sorted out before my luggage gets here. I don't care where you guys eat, I just want something fast."
"Driver, go to the nearest McDonalds. My daughter is hungry."
"Yes'sir."
"Thank you Daddy. After this, I would like to go home and get Rayne down for her nap, and then have a shower and unpack."
Both of her parents nodded their heads and soon enough, Bulma held a Big Mac in her hand, fries all ready eaten and a Coke was resting between her knees. Leaning back against the leather seats, she idly chewed a mouthful of the greasy hamburger while she looked out the window. Houses flew by quickly, and within a couple of moments, they came up to a large iron barred gate. The car stopped for a quick minute and soon the gates opened wide enough to let the long black car through.
People rushed out of the house to greet the family. Women were lined up on one side, white aprons over black dresses, hands clasped in front of them, while the men were on the other side. Both genders were dressed in black and white, and looked ecstatic to see the man and woman of the house home so early.
Bunny got out of the car first and smiled brightly to the helpers. "Well! I see everyone is looking bright and happy!"
Bulma unbuckled the drowsy Rayne from her car seat and pulled her close. Stepping out of the car with the help of the driver, she stood up and looked around. The place was huge! Large ivory steps flowed up to the front of the red brick house. There were more windows then Bulma herself could have counted.
"Holy shoes!" she giggled, instantly excited.
People looked at her wide-eyed. "This is my daughter. The one that we've been waiting for to make our little house complete. I don't know how long she's going to be staying with us, but if you, Lydia, would help her in any way she needs to be helped, I would really appreciate it."
Bulma walked to the trunk of the large car and lifted it. She grabbed Rayne's diaper bag and turned to her mother. "Mom, this place is just, huge. Bigger then the one at home."
She smiled and nodded her head. It was quite breathtaking with the rolling hills in the background, the large trees and the intricate flowers in the front of the yard. "Lydia will show you to your room. I'm sure that everything is unpacked all ready. You've got a smaller room attached to yours. Rayne can sleep in there."
"Thank you mom, Daddy." Bulma said as she blew her parents a kiss and walked up the stairs. The large cherry wood doors opened for her before she stepped up to it and she walked inside, Lydia in tow.
"This way Miss."
Bulma had a hard time following the woman as she took twists and turns through the long hallways, but soon stopped in front of a pair of gold-painted doors. "Your room Miss." She threw open the doors and stepped aside while Bulma walked into the large space. Everything was unpacked and organized. She looked around the room and decided that it needed to be changed. She no longer cared for the blue and yellow that she had been madly obsessed with.
A knock came from the door and she opened it. Lydia was standing there, hands twisting her apron around as she licked her lips. "Ah, Miss, sorry to disturb you, but you're luggage has arrived from the airport."
"Thank you. I need a few people to set up the crib and unpack the baby clothes into the closet. After that, you all can take a break."
"Thank you Miss." Lydia bobbed a curtsy and took off in a run down the hall. Bulma smiled and set Rayne down on the large blue and yellow blanket that was spread across her canopy bed. The little girl gurgled, arms and legs thrashing the air as she let out a loud cry.
"Oh honey, I know you're hungry. Let's see what mommy has for you in your bag..." Bulma began to rummage around and soon pulled out a small glass jar of strawberry custard. "Look! Mommy's got dessert!"
The sounds of people moving and assembling everything in the room next to hers filled her ears as she busied herself with feeding her daughter. Once that was done, Bulma changed Rayne out of the outfit Chloe put her in, and then put on a fresh diaper. Slipping chubby arms and legs into nothing more but a light sleeper, she picked up the blonde haired child and walked into the next room.
The crib was set up, and a light blanket was spread out. As soon as Bulma set Rayne down, the little girl fell asleep. Quietly shutting the door, Bulma unpacked a fresh outfit and walked into her bathroom. She had a nice lingering shower, and when she was finished, she pulled on a long pair of black silk pajamas, and then her matching robe. Walking out of the bathroom toweling her hair, she slipped her feet into a pair of black fuzzy slippers and went to check on her daughter.
Satisfied that she was sleeping, she turned on the baby monitor and placed it on the small dresser. Slipping the other one into the pocket of her robe, Bulma walked out of her room and down the first of a few hallways. She was going to need to do something about that. Following her nose, Bulma soon found the large kitchen and a few men working quickly. She coughed and leaned against the doorframe. One looked up and flashed her a bright smile.
"Is there anything I can help you with Miss?"
"I'm actually hungry. McDonalds doesn't stay in ones' system for very long."
"Understandable. Is there anything specific I could make for you?"
Bulma kicked her foot against the floor and felt her cheeks starting to burn. "Just a sandwich and a cup of tea is fine, thank you."
"And where will you be Miss? The gardens?"
"If I can find them, yes. But I'm sure it won't be that hard. Just follow your nose and you'll get to your destination. That's how I found the kitchen!" Bulma giggled, and instantly turned around. What was wrong with her? Why was she acting like some bubbly schoolgirl? He was a stranger, and her heart still belonged to Matt. She had just arrived, and all ready was starting to lighten up with the helpers that kept the house running smoothly.
This wasn't going to be the best thing for her. First, before she started anything with anyone, not that she thought that she would, she needed to figure some things out about herself. Walking around until she found a back door Bulma opened it, and stepped outside. The view was breathtaking. Large rolling hills stretched out across the property, followed by a thick, lush forest.
She didn't know how long she had been standing there, arms wrapped around her middle when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Whipping her head around, Bulma was about to let out a startled scream when she saw one of the chefs from the kitchen holding a mug of tea and a plate with one hand. "Your snack Miss."
"Thank you. Put it on the table and return to what you were doing." Bulma noted the puzzled look on his face, and turned her head back around to look out across the span of the yard.
A pain floated through her body as she pulled a hand through her hair. Everything started to come crashing down on her as the truth started to settle in down on her. The life she knew was over, and now she needed to be ready for the large game she was about to play.