The days grew hot and humid as late summer approached. Lindsey and Gohan stayed at the warehouse, Yorgi disapproving of her leaving. She didn't mind much, but the constant eyes she felt on her were starting to drive her nuts. Everywhere she went, whether it was to lunch or the garage, she felt Kirill's eyes following her, even if she couldn't see him. She knew Yorgi had instructed him to do it.

Feeling the farm house was too crowded, Jenny and Sabriena had taken up residence in their old rooms within the warehouse as well. After a couple weeks of constant coming and going by Catie and Leelee, accompanied by their boyfriends of course, Yorgi ordered for them to be given bedrooms as well.

While she enjoyed having her friends close, Lindsey was finding it increasingly difficult to sneak away to hang out with Kolya. He noticed as well and one day pressed a smooth, rounded piece of glass in her hand.

"Hide that," he told her quietly.

She glanced briefly at the black and red blown-glass pipe he'd given her, then quickly tucked it into her bra. It was easy, then, to make it part of her daily routine. She smoked in her bathroom while she got ready in the morning and she smoked before bed at night. Fortunately, Gohan was unable to recognize the smell and passed it off as incense.

Gohan was absolutely enthralled. While she still avoided others, Lindsey no longer pulled away from him and she hadn't had a nightmare in weeks. She held his hand or leaned against him while watching TV and kissed him often. She even occasionally joked with him and flirted; silly things like grabbing him and telling him she liked his butt. They made love at night, always after she'd relaxed in a long, hot bath and she seemed happy and giggly throughout. Things weren't perfect, but they were definitely better. And that was good enough for him.

They were all lounging in the garage one Thursday afternoon, enjoying the air conditioning and avoiding the heat, when the rest of the Z-fighters showed up.

"What's up, dad?" Gohan asked.

"You've got a letter, Lindsey," Goku said, handing it to her. "They asked me to sign for it, so I thought it was probably important."

She took it from him and ran her hands over the textured envelope.

"You all came just to give her a letter?" Gohan asked.

"Well, we haven't seen you guys in a while," Krillin jumped in. "Just thought we'd say hi."

"And I want to see how the wedding planning is coming along!" Chichi smiled.

"What is it, Lins?" Catie asked.

Lindsey shook her head and slit the envelope open with her nail. She unfolded the official piece of parchment, running her eyes over the letter.

"Whatcha got there?" Xander asked as he walked behind the bar, leaning down and pulling a cold bottle out. He used his white shirt to pop the cap and took a long swig.

"I have to testify," she said in a quiet voice.

"Huh?" Gohan asked, turning to face her. "What do you mean?"

"Let me guess," came Yorgi's lazy tone. "They trying to deport me again." He sauntered up to the bar with Yelena by his side.

"No," she sighed. She wished they were – that would have been easy to deal with. A good lawyer and some cash thrown around, and Yorgi would be fine. "I have to testify against the Johnsons."

Yelena took the letter and read over it carefully.

"You'll be okay," Gohan said to her as Toby came running noisily down the metal stairs.

"I got the mail!" he hollered. He stopped and handed a huge stack of envelopes to Yelena, who took them without looking and set them on the bar, still reading Lindsey's letter.

"Here's one for you, X."

Xander took it and laid it on the bar, looking at it suspiciously.

"And you, Gohan."

"Me?" Gohan asked in surprise, taking the piece of mail.

"That will be all," Yorgi said and Toby bowed his head and hurried away. He looked at Gohan, "Why they sending you mail here?"

Gohan shook his head and opened the letter as Yelena tugged at Yorgi's sleeve.

"I'm being called as a witness," Gohan said in confusion. "I don't understand this."

"Yorgi," Yelena said.

"That make no sense," Yorgi replied.

Xander ripped open his own letter and scanned it quickly.

"Yorgi," Yelena said again.

"I'm being called in, too," Xander said as he read his letter.

"YORGI!"

Yorgi jumped and turned to Yelena.

"Yorgi, she's being called to testify in open court," Yelena said.

"WHAT?" he roared, stepping slightly behind Yelena to read over her shoulder.

"What's that mean?" Goku asked.

"It means," Xander said, "that anyone who wants to show up to court, can."

Goku looked puzzled.

Xander sighed, leaning hard on his elbows on the bar, looking up from his letter. "She's going to have to recount what happened to her in front of tons of people. People who have nothing to do with it and are only there to hear the sordid details."

Goku's expression turned dark. "That doesn't seem right."

"No fucking shit, it not right!" Yorgi yelled, his accent heavier than ever. He turned to Yelena, "We do something about this. We do something about this NOW."

"I can't do this," Lindsey said, sitting on a stool and placing her face in her hands.

"It's not that big of a deal," Xander said in a quiet, low voice. "Just ignore the people there."

"Not a big deal?" she shrieked. "Not a big deal?!"

Xander stepped back, holding up his hands. "Whoa, wait! I just meant all you have to do is go up there and say how they slapped you around and kept you locked away. If you're that nervous about being in front of people, sorry!"

Lindsey turned to Yorgi, her eyes pleading. "Don't make me do this," she begged. "Yorgi, I can't."

He looked questioningly to Yelena who shook her head sadly. "We can't influence this, Yorgi. Cops and lawyers you can pay off. Judge Hayes…"

"Hates me," Yorgi finished her sentence in a low voice.

Pressing her lips together and widening her eyes, she tipped her head in a "no shit" sort of way.

"Well, why wouldn't you want everyone to hear what those boys did to you?" Bulma suddenly piped up. "Everyone should hear how horrible they are."

"I don't want to tell anyone about it, much less the whole town!" Lindsey wailed.

"Then don't tell town," Kolya said, stepping towards them. No one had realized he'd entered the garage.

"And how do I avoid doing that?" Lindsey asked.

"We fill court room," Kolya said, looking to his brother. "Anarchy 99. We keep everyone else out. Make no room for them."

A light touched Yorgi's eyes and he nodded once in approval.

"You do have your redeeming moments," Yelena said to him.

Kolya grinned proudly.

"It is settled, then," Yorgi said. "We will all be there to keep anyone else out." He looked to Goku. "You come too."

Goku nodded at once.

"NO!" Lindsey protested, getting to her feet. "Absolutely not!"

"Lindsey, why not?" Jenny asked. "We're your friends. We want to support you and protect you."

Lindsey was shaking her head violently, her dreadlocks whipping her face as she did so. "Yorgi…"

"There is nothing else we can do," he said.

"Why are you being called as a witness?" Yelena asked Xander.

He was still staring at his letter, his arm beginning to shake. "I'm a witness for the defense."

"The defense?" Leelee asked, scrunching her nose. "Why?"

"They're trying to discredit you," Yelena said quietly to Lindsey.

"This is bullshit!" Lindsey spat. She turned to Gohan. "I can't do this."

He looked miserable. "I don't know what else we can do."

"I will not make you all listen to that!" she shouted. "It's bad enough I have to live with the memories, but for my friends and family to have to sit and listen to me recount the whole damn thing? No. Just… NO!"

"Humiliating as it is that you didn't manage to defend yourself against an opponent, you still need to follow through," Vegeta spoke up. "Admitting defeat for a warrior is never easy, but you cannot allow them to get away with this."

"Humiliating?" she spat at him. "You don't have the slightest clue."

Yorgi narrowed his eyes at Vegeta, "You know not of what you speak."

Jenny watched nervously as the two most dangerous men she'd ever known stared each other down. Gohan wondered at Yorgi's words.

"Of course they send these out today," Yelena said. "They know we not have enough time to do anything about it before Monday."

Yorgi huffed, his expression unreadable.

"This trial has been going on for months," Yelena continued. "They're just now getting to the point where they're ready for witnesses."

"But X and I weren't there," Gohan said. "Why would they ask us to testify?"

"That Miles Flynn is a weasel," Yelena said, speaking of the defense attorney. "He's working an angle of some kind."

"You all will not be there," Lindsey said with finality. "I forbid it."

"I will not allow you to speak about this to a room of strangers," Yorgi said. "We will be there."

"Yorgi…"

"Don't argue."

She stared at him for a moment, then ran from the garage with Gohan chasing after her.

"GAH!" Xander roared, throwing his half-drank bottle of beer at the wall where it smashed, sudsy liquid and glass shards running down the wall.

Gohan managed to stop Lindsey half-way to her room. "Lindsey," he said, grabbing her arm.

She tried to push him away. "Gohan, leave me alone."

"Don't do this again," he said and pulled her towards him.

"I don't want to do this," she whined.

"Does Yorgi know?" Gohan asked, leaning closer to her, thinking of what he'd said to Vegeta.

She nodded.

"He knows everything?"

"He figured it out," Lindsey answered.

"Oh, gods, I'm sorry baby."

She shrugged. Looking up at him, she began frantically, "Gohan, I can't get up there and tell everyone what they did. It's bad enough that you and Yorgi know. But, to go through every detail… your family's going to hear that! My friends are going to hear that! I don't want them to live the rest of their lives with all that in their heads! I don't want YOU to have it in your head."

Gohan couldn't argue. He didn't want to hear it, either.

Lindsey was breathing hard and shaking all over. "I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do."

"Well first of all, you need to calm down."

"How can I calm down?"

"Why don't you go soak in a bath?" he suggested. "You always feel better after that. I'll keep everyone away for a bit."

She nodded and together, they tromped up the stairs to her room.

The hot water and sweet smoke calmed her nerves and relaxed her body, but her mind was still on fire. She sunk miserably into the water, barely keeping her nose above the waterline, her hair draped over the back of the polished black tub. She didn't want them there. At least if she were giving testimony to a room of strangers, she may never have to see them again. But her friends, her future in-laws, her fiancé, her family – she would see all of them every day for the rest of her life. She didn't know if she could handle that, could handle them knowing the truth. Would they pity her? Would they treat her different? Would they avoid her? She still felt dirty and she wondered if they would see her that way, too. She began to wonder how each would react and their faces flashed before her. Gohan. Catie. Jenny. Yorgi. Xander. Trunks. Leelee. Sabriena. Piccolo. Goku and Chichi. Would they still want her as a daughter-in-law? Kolya. Seventeen. Her brothers…

Hot tears rolled from her eyes into the steaming bathwater. This was worse than reliving it in her nightmares. Now everyone would hear every disgusting detail and they would all know. And there was nothing she could do to prevent it.