A/N: Well here you guys go. Another chapter. Sorry the end's a bit rushed. I need to fly off to work as soon as I post this. So here you go. Enjoy.

Black Sunrise

Chapter Thirty-Three:

His head was pounding viciously in his hands and his fingers clenched tighter, as if to squeeze the pressure behind his eyes outwards through his ears. Keisha had sustained minor injuries, mostly bruising to her throat and chest and was released to sit beside him and wait.

And for hours, the waited with no word from anyone. He had reached 18 on her cell-phone, and both she and Rayne were coming to the hospital. Isis had been taken to the vet and he was contacted a few hours later that the canine was sleeping comfortably, along with the other more larger male. The bullet had grazed the skin and unfortunately she had lost a lot of blood, but she was recovering quite nicely.

Now all they had to do was wait for Bulma to come through the surgery perfectly fine. I...love...you. That's the only thing he heard running through his head. Not the sound of Keisha's quiet crying, the loud footsteps of those moving around him. Just those three words and the slow replay of Bulma falling towards the floor, blue eyes full of both love and pain. He'll never be able to shake from his mind, the picture of her blood pooling in the front of her shirt, how white her face had become, her falsely red curls framing her facial features perfectly as she lay there on the ground bleeding.

He had totally forgotten about his sister, about Cara and about the unmoving body of Jade. He knew as soon as she had hit him with that frying pan, the way that his body slumped forward, he was dead. But that didn't give Vegeta any comfort. He felt as if nothing could comfort him. They were seated in the waiting area, on hard red plastic chairs that were meant to make the body as uncomfortable as the mind while reflecting and hoping that the person you had come to see, to be near, was going to make it through the grueling surgery they were undergoing at that moment.

So many thoughts raced through his head, the worry for Bulma seemed to be so unbearable, and for the first time in his life he felt helpless.

Completely helpless and he didn't like the feeling. Not one bit. If only the doctor would come out and tell him that Bulma was going to make it, that she was going to be alright and she'd be able to go home soon. But for hours he saw no one. Sure, doctors were all over the hospital, nurses trailing after them or going on their own errands but none came to talk to him.

Keisha stood up and turned to look at him. "Hey. I'm going to go grab some coffee. Do you want anything?"

"No. Thanks."

He could feel his sister looking at him and his neck went hot. Why were his eyes stinging? Why was his throat starting to close? She dropped onto her knees and knelt in front of him. Her fingers were warm against his cold ones. Why couldn't she leave him alone? Why couldn't she understand that he needed to scream? To vent this pain that was tearing at his mind and heart?

He was being selfish and he knew it.

"Vegeta...she'll be alright."

"I know." He muttered, voice soft.

"No, really Vegeta. She and the baby will be alright."

Baby. And then it all came flooding back. The meeting with his sister only to find out that it was Bulma he was really there to see. The fight on the beach. The pained comments that were thrown back and forth. The anger that was blazing in the green eyes that he knew were blue and fiery underneath the false contacts. He was going to be a father.

He scratched that thought. He was going to be a father for the second time. He wanted to marry her, to make the perfect family, to adopt Rayne as his own. His fingers started to tremble in Keisha's grasp. "Kei...I... I..."

Tears had decided to flood his eyes, blurring his vision. His cheeks were wet and his lungs forced out all the air held in them in short, violent gasps. He threw himself at Keisha arms wrapping tightly around her small form and cried for all he was worth. It seemed that the tears were trying to prove that yes, he was hurting. That he was scared, terrified even. That his heart was breaking knowing that Bulma and their unborn child were undergoing something that he couldn't help out with.

"Oh honey... oh Veggie.. It's going to be alright. I promise. It's going to be alright. You don't have to worry..." Her voice was broken and she too was crying.

An older woman sitting by herself clutching a handful of used tissue watched the pair and shook her head sadly. Why was it that the younger generations had to feel the pain that she herself had to be going through? But her eyes were dry right now and she knew that for the time being there was nothing she could do but sit and wait.

The least she could do was try to help those two young people through this trying time. And in order to do that, she'd need some coffee and snacks. No one noticed as she stood up, pushing herself away from the padded armchair, the only one that was around. She was going to talk to the first person she could get her hands on to and make one of the largest donations she would ever make in order to make the waiting room more comfortable. Walking slowly she moved to the elevator and got in.

The nurse at the station shook her head sadly. She was just getting on to her shift for that evening when a stretcher was forced through the doors and rushed passed her. So much blood. And to top it all off the poor beauty was pregnant. The chances of that child being able to survive something like that? Almost next to none. She had children of her own, both tucked away in their beds at home after having been kissed good night by her, their father standing beside her as she turned off the light in each of their rooms and then proceeded to walk out the door for work. They shouldn't have to go through this alone. Maternal instincts kicked in. She did something that was against protocol. Flipping through files she found the one for the shot woman and then quietly picked up the phone.

Brother and sister clung to each other until there were no more tears left in either one. Vegeta was the first one to pull away, feeling ashamed yet almost glad that his sister was there with him. He had no idea if he could have gone through this on his own.

Elevator doors opened and two figures stepped out of it. One carrying a toddler the other holding a tray filled with coffee cups and sandwiches. Keisha was the first to notice 18 and then the older woman holding Rayne. She smiled a weak smile and stood up. Vegeta turned his head to see what had caught his sister's attention and then he too stood up.

"Vegeta..." She looked around and set the tray she was carrying down and wrapped her friend in her arms. She felt him clutch at her like a life line and even though she found to almost hard to breathe she let him hold her as tightly as he needed.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine... it's just..."

"Is Rayne alright?" He almost threw her away and turned to the woman holding his sleeping daughter. Sure enough there was a clump of blonde missing from the front of her head but other then that she seemed perfectly fine.

"Rayne's fine as well. You can see that. I just.. I just don't know how she got in there..."

The woman offered him his daughter and he took the small body into his arms and held her close. "Dada..." Rayne sighed in her sleep, fingers clutching at his shirt.

"I know you don't know me, but I overhead your sister talking about coffee. No one would have asked me if I wanted one, but I took it upon myself to bring some up, and some sandwiches. My name's Doris McDonald. My husband's undergoing heart surgery right now. I'm very sorry about your lady friend."

"Thank you. I'm sorry about your husband. My name's Vegeta, this is my daughter Rayne, my sister Keisha and my best friend Juu."

"She had asked me for directions. Asked if I had seen you. Told me she needed to find you to make sure that you didn't put your fist through a wall. No young man, you can't let your temper get the best of you. Let's put the little girl down over on the chair I was sitting in so she can sleep and we'll get something into your system."

Vegeta was rooted to the spot. How was it that this woman, alone, had taken it upon herself to try and better the hours he had left to stay here? How was it that with all the ugliness in the world there were still kind people willing to help strangers?

He did as he was requested to go, Rayne tucked into the chair, a pillow stolen from somewhere blocking her in so that she wouldn't fall off. A cup of coffee was shoved into one hand, a plate holding a sandwich into the other. Gentle hands were on his shoulders directing him into a chair close to Rayne and pushing down softly.

He sat down. Drank his coffee and inhaled the sandwich. He didn't realize how hungry he was until that first bite and then the small meal was gone in the matter of moments. 18 sat beside him, and for the first time he saw the bulky bag that was slung over her shoulder. A bag for Rayne. He hadn't thought of that.

She did.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah. I'm alright. Just startled that's all. Rayne was sleeping, Luna was outside because she was scratching at the door, then I made some coffee, heard something, a thud from Rayne's room and then I went upstairs to check... then...and then..."

She stopped to collect her thoughts.

"And then I saw that woman standing over Rayne holding a pair of scissors. Before I could do anything, she jumped out the window and took off. Rayne wasn't harmed. I didn't think to call the police because she was alright. I just..."

"It's alright. I understand. There's something fishy going on, and before the night is over I want to know what's going on and why. I want to know the real reason why Jade was after Bulma and why Cara was helping Jade."

"It might take a lot longer than the night."

"I know."

"I'll help you with anything I can Vegeta, I hope you know that."

"I do. Thanks."

They were quite for a while, Keisha dozing off, Doris going off to check on her husband leaving Vegeta and 18 alone. Rayne was still quietly sleeping in her make-shift bed. It was as if the whole hospital went quiet. They sat in the comfortable silence for a while. Doris came back and in tow was a doctor. The older lady was beaming brightly and stepped out of the doctors way. "I'm Dr. Madison. Are you family to Miss. Briefs?"

"Yes." Vegeta said before he could think.

"I want to let you know that she's going to be alright. She's lost a bit of blood but she's going to be fine. The bullet was lodged into the bone of her shoulders. It took us a while to remove it, but after a few weeks of physiotherapy, her shoulder should be fully functional."

Vegeta felt his body instantly relax and he had to fight the urge to sit on the floor.

"And the babies are alright. We were a little fearful throughout the procedure, but they're going to be fine."

He blinked and licked his lips. "Ba...babies? Not just one?"

Dr. Madison laughed and shook his head. "She's having twins."

"Twins? Good god! She's going to be alright? The babies are alright?"

"Yes."

"You're sure?"

The doctor smiled and nodded. His trimmed black hair was shot through with silver and his face was kind, even if it was showing signs of age. "She'll be fine."

"And you're sure about this?"

This time the doctor laughed and clasped Vegeta on the shoulder. "She'll be fine. I promise. And the twins are going to be perfectly fine as well."

"Thank you. Oh man. Thank you so much." Vegeta's face split into a wide smile and he was frantically shaking Doctor Madison's hand.

"You're very welcome. You just make sure that she rests a lot. She's sleeping right now and I don't want her disturbed by come back in the morning and you'll be allowed to see her."

"Great. Thanks. I mean, wow... alright. She's going.. And twins.. And... wow."