"Toby, that little weasel," Jenny growled as they stood in the lobby of the courthouse.
"Where's Lindsey?" Gohan asked, looking around. He hadn't seen her since she'd left the courtroom.
"I'll go find her," Catie offered, heading for the ladies' room. She entered and crouched down, scanning the floor of the stalls. She saw Lindsey's legs curled up beside one of the middle toilets and walked to her. "You okay?"
"No," Lindsey said, looking miserable. Her shoulders lurched and she vomited into the toilet once more, her throat burning. Wiping her face, she turned to Catie, who had crouched down and held Lindsey's dreadlocks back. Her eyes were the most intense green Catie had ever seen them, but she decided it was because Lindsey's eyes were so bloodshot, it offset the color. Her whole face was bright red and she was breathing heavily. "They made me look like a whore, didn't they?"
"They tried to," Catie answered honestly. "But I'm sure the jury can see right through that. We've got 'em. They'll be on a prison bus to Bonne Terre before you know it." She lowered her voice and whispered, "I hear Big Bubba's planning their welcome party."
Lindsey let out a small laugh and rubbed her eyes.
"Now they'll see what they did to you," Catie said, her eyes staring intently into her friend's. "They'll get what's coming to them. They'll see what it's like."
"You think so?"
Catie nodded.
Lindsey nodded slowly too, blowing a long breath from her pursed lips, trying to calm her stomach.
"Now, let's get you up," Catie said, standing and pulling Lindsey up with her. "Gohan's looking for you." Taking Lindsey by the arm, she led her over to the mirror where she wet a paper towel and wiped her friend's face.
"Oh god, that feels good," Lindsey said, closing her eyes as the cold wetness swept across her forehead.
Catie planted the folded wet paper against Lindsey's forehead with a smack. Cold water trickled down the bridge of her nose and over her eyelids as Lindsey took another long breath.
"Better?" Catie asked.
"Much."
Catie peeled away the paper towel and Lindsey dried her face with a fresh one.
"Let's go," Catie said, linking arms with her slightly shorter friend and they made their way back to where Gohan stood.
"There you are," he smiled. "You feeling okay?"
"I'm better," she answered. "Just had to get it out of my system."
"You throw up?"
She nodded. "I'm okay now, though. There's nothing left to throw up."
Gohan kissed her warm forehead. "I think you might be coming down with something. You feel really warm."
Lindsey shrugged.
"Oh, oh, oh," Jenny said as she slowly sat on a wooden bench shoved up against the brick wall, one hand on her stomach and the other stretched out behind her to catch herself if her knees gave out.
Bulma hurried to sit by Jenny. She'd been increasingly concerned about her. "Do you need anything to drink? You feel okay?"
"I'm okay, MOM," Jenny answered in a teasing way.
"Well I'm as good as," Bulma replied. "But I am far too young to be a grandma."
"Baby can call you Nana," Jenny smiled.
"I'll have no such thing," Bulma answered. "Baby can call me Auntie and that's it."
Jenny smiled wider as Catie sat on her other side.
"And you, missy," Bulma continued, "I'm having a hard enough time worrying over her. Don't you go making me an actual grandma yet."
"I don't plan on it," Catie answered.
"Promise?"
Catie held up two fingers. "Scout's honor."
"Well that's a relief," Bulma sighed, digging in her purse and pulling out a small mirror.
"So when are you gonna find out what you're having?" Catie asked.
"I'm having a baby," Jenny replied sarcastically.
"Smart ass," Catie said. "I oughta smack you."
"Can't," Jenny grinned. "I'm pregnant."
"Your face ain't pregnant."
Jenny laughed a little too loud and clapped her hands over her mouth.
"Seriously, though, when do you find out?"
"I could find out now, but we want it to be a surprise," Jenny said.
"We need to throw you a baby shower," Bulma said. "You're due in about eight weeks."
Catie let out a loud, long gasp. "BEEBEE SHOWER!" she squealed
"Shh, Cat!" Jenny hushed.
"Sowwy," Catie whispered.
Lindsey knelt on the floor in front of Jenny, facing her. She held her hands up and asked "Can I?"
Jenny grabbed Lindsey's hands and placed them on her round tummy. The baby inside squirmed and kicked against Lindsey's palms and she smiled. "I can't wait to see him. Or her."
"Me too," Jenny sighed. She poked at her tummy, "I wish you would come out already."
"Yeah, then you'll wish they'd go back in," Bulma muttered.
"Mom!" Trunks scolded, his face flushing.
Bulma was still studying herself in the mirror. "Sorry, dear."
Trunks looked at the ceiling and shook his head.
"You need a haircut," Bulma said, staring at him out of the corner of her eye.
"Don't you dare," Lindsey and Catie said in unison.
"Why do you care?" Catie asked Lindsey.
"He looks nice with long hair and I want him to look good at my wedding," she answered.
"Fair enough," Catie shrugged. "The long hair is sexaaay."
Trunks covered his eyes with his hand and rubbed his forehead.
"Lindsey, we have to go," Gohan said, offering her his hand. "The jury's reached a verdict."
She took his hand and stood, walking slowly beside him as he whispered in her ear, "This is it. The nightmares stop tonight."
She closed her eyes, wishing beyond wishing that his words would hold true.
Once everyone was settled, Judge Hayes asked, "Has the jury reached a verdict?"
An elderly man in the jury section stood and responded, "We have, your honor."
"Will the defendants please rise?"
Mr. Flynn, Jonah, and Cody all stood and faced the jury.
"In the case of Jonah Johnson, with the charge of rape in the first degree, how do you find?"
"We find the defendant not guilty."
Lindsey shook her head. What? What did he say?
"In the case of Cody Johnson, with the charge of rape in the first degree, how do you find?"
"We find the defendant not guilty."
There was a tension building across the back of Lindsey's neck and shoulders. It seemed that people were starting to buzz angrily around her, yet everything seemed very far away. There were several loud bangs and a hush settled over the room again.
"Defendants are cleared of all charges," Judge Hayes proclaimed. "Court is adjourned."
Lindsey stared blankly at a spot on the floor several feet in front of the table she sat at.
"You're free to go, Miss Blackwell," Mr. Fusselman said in an apologetic tone.
Lindsey shook her head slowly. "Can't. I have to wake up, first."
He looked at her confused.
"Bad dream," she said in a faint voice. "Funny, this all seems so real."
Gohan rushed to Lindsey's side.
"She's delirious," the prosecutor warned.
"Gee, I wonder why," Gohan spat. "Way to do your damn job, Mr. Prosecutor. No wonder this county is such a joke."
Looking hurt, the short, dark-haired man turned and left without another word.
Gohan sat in the chair next to Lindsey, spinning it sideways to face her. "We have to leave now," he said in a soft voice.
She looked at him, her expression bewildered. "What just happened?"
"I don't know," he answered as they stood and joined their friends and family once more.
Outside the courthouse was like a circus. There were more reporters there than ever before, each of them screaming questions at the various members who'd been involved in the case.
"Lindsey! What prompted you to make such hideously false allegations against the Johnson brothers?"
"Gohan! Gohan! How do you feel, knowing your fiancée betrayed you the way she did? Will the wedding be called off?"
"Nikolai, what sort of drugs did you provide her with?"
Kolya froze on the spot, staring at the idiot with the large TV camera on his shoulder. He turned to his brother and asked in Russian, "Just one. Give me just this one."
Infuriated beyond all belief, Yorgi gave a nod and Kolya's fist connected with the large camera lens, simultaneously shattering the lens and blacking the man's eye.
"Alexander, can you explain the love triangle between yourself, Gohan and Lindsey?"
Xander stepped closer to Lindsey, taking her by her right arm and helped Gohan steer her through the crowd, the two of them elbowing reporters and camera crews out of the way, never making eye contact with any of them, his mouth firmly closed.
Piccolo had had just about enough as it was when a particularly obnoxious reporter confronted Jenny. "You're friends with Lindsey Blackwell, aren't you? Can you tell me just how bad is her drug addiction?"
Jenny stared at the blonde lady in disbelief. Piccolo's eyes narrowed and flashed as reporters began to scream as their cameras sparked and crackled, emitting puffs of smoke.
"Nice one," Goku said.
Jenny stood rooted to the spot, watching the near-riotous crowd. She watched Gohan and Xander helping Lindsey into the black SUV. She saw Kolya straddle his motorcycle and slide his black sunglasses over his face, the midday sun glinting off them. His heavy boot slammed down on the bike, looking over his shoulder as Yelena and Yorgi climbed into the SUV. He gave a nod, then laid into the acceleration, holding the front wheel off the pavement half-way across the parking lot, then slamming it to the ground as he approached the first turn and disappeared down the highway, followed closely by the black Escalade.
"I don't understand," Jenny said softly.
"Nor do I," Piccolo agreed, his deep voice somewhat hushed.
Jenny glanced at the Johnsons who were standing on the steps, talking loudly to reporters. They smiled and laughed openly, shaking hands with their lawyer.
"I could kill them now," Trunks offered in a deadly tone as a flash of gold briefly washed over his hair.
"Only if I get to help," Catie answered.
The tears were welling up in Jenny's eyes. "We'll never get her back now."
"You shouldn't be so quick to give up on her," Vegeta said suddenly, standing next to Jenny on the courthouse steps.
"But how could they ignore everything that happened to her?" Goku asked, his voice angry. "This isn't right!"
"This is what you get when you rely on humans to take care of their own world," Vegeta answered. "Useless. Ignorant. It's disgusting what they do to their own kind."
"For once, I agree with you, Vegeta," Piccolo said.
"You mean things like this don't happen where you're from?" Jenny asked, blinking at Vegeta.
"Such a thing was unheard of. Saiyans are a noble race. We may fight each other and even take over other planets, but forcing a female to do something like that against her will is the most disgusting thing I've ever heard of." Vegeta turned to Goku then and said, "I don't envy you on this, Kakarot. Your family has a long road ahead of you."
"I know," Goku replied quietly. "And it starts today."