Goku stood knee-deep in the snow, his eyes focused on the young woman standing before him. She leaned forward, leering at him, those blasted fire whips spinning dangerously in the space between them. She had become deadly accurate with them and he was getting rather tired of blisters. As if in slow motion, he saw her shoulder lurch towards him, her arm extending, the whip lashing towards the left side of his face. With a yell, he released a wave of energy that shielded him from her attack.

He threw a ball of energy at her; she deflected it with the second whip, sending it blasting into a tree, which splintered.

"Quit holding back on me!" she spat.

Goku sneered. "You can't handle it."

Narrowing her eyes, she flew at him, spinning through the air and catching his arm with a sharp crack of the whip.

He stared up at her and taunted "Don't you have any other attacks?"

The whips faded from her hands as she hovered a good six feet from the ground. Her flying skills were improving well as she learned more and more about controlling her energy. "Try this, then," she answered. She held her hands to her right hip, energy beginning to glow between her palms.

Goku folded his arms across his chest and closed his eyes for a moment. "You're going to use my own attack on me?" His eyes snapped open. "This I gotta see."

"Kaaaaa….. meeeeeee….. haaaa….." she began, sweat rolling down the side of her face. It took a lot of her energy to summon that attack.

"KAMEHAMEHAAAA!" Goku yelled quickly, blasting the attack at her.

The energy wave caught her full in the chest, sending her flying backwards where she landed flat on her back in the snow. Goku rushed her as she pushed herself to her feet, locking his arms under hers, pinning her back against his chest.

"AAAGGGGHHHH!" she screamed in anger, pulling her arms forward with all her strength, trying to break his hold.

"What do you do now?" he asked in a low voice, his mouth next to her ear. "I've got you."

She could feel the panic rising up in her chest. Fighting she could handle. Being restrained… it was still taking some work to overcome. Her chest rose and fell as she drew deep breaths, her mind working furiously.

"You're trapped," he continued in that haunting voice.

With a scream, she powered up, flames engulfing both of them in a flash. Goku released her with a cry and threw himself into the snow, rolling a couple times to extinguish his lit clothing.

She placed a hand on her hip and stared down at him with a smirk.

Pushing himself up on one elbow, he looked up at her. "Don't do that. You look like Vegeta."

"You asked me what to do," she answered. "Was that sufficient?"

"That'll do it." He couldn't help but laugh.

Lindsey powered down, heaving a sigh as she did so. "Come on, old man," she said, grabbing Goku's elbow and tugging him to his feet.

"Old man?" Goku cried. "Now that hurts worse than any attack you could throw at me."

She threw her head back and laughed.

"You really are getting good, you know that?" he said.

"You're a good teacher," she answered.

"What's he teaching you?" came a voice.

Lindsey and Goku jumped, turning towards the sound. Standing near a tree was a tall man with a long face, pale green eyes and short brown hair. His hands were tucked into the pockets of his black leather coat, an enormous English Mastiff by his side.

"Memphis!" Lindsey breathed.

"Hey kiddo," he smiled.

"No one's supposed to be here," Goku warned the man he didn't recognize.

Memphis nodded. "I know. I just need to speak to her for a moment."

Goku tilted his chin down, fixing Memphis with a stern glare.

"Goku, he's okay," Lindsey said softly. "May I please speak to him for a minute?"

Goku stood silently for a minute. "Make it quick."

Lindsey rushed to Memphis who grabbed her elbow and pulled her a little ways into the tree line, the huge dog trotting along in their wake. Goku repositioned himself to keep an eye on them.

"What are you doing here?" Lindsey asked, absentmindedly scratching the dog's ears.

"I heard what happened to you," he answered. "I had to see if you were okay."

"I'm better," she answered.

Memphis was staring intently at her. "You shouldn't have come back."

"I always intended to come home," she answered.

"You shouldn't have," he repeated. "When you found Gohan, you should have stayed in Japan."

Lindsey was hurt. "You didn't want to see me anymore?"

"Not if it meant you getting hurt," he answered in his soft voice. "Lindsey, you have to think. This isn't a good place for you. You've nearly died twice in the past 8 months."

"Would you like to be the pot or the kettle?" she asked.

Memphis snorted. "Yeah, I know. I'm no one to talk."

They stood there for a few moments, both waiting to see what the other would say. The dog made a whining sound and Memphis scolded, "Hush, Otto." Finally Memphis broke. "I'm getting you out of here."

She blinked at him. "What?"

"You need to go back to Japan," he said simply. "You need to get out of this life while you're still young. Don't be like me. Don't spend your life on the run. You've got a good thing going with this guy. Don't fuck it up."

Lindsey looked away from him, pressing her lips together. "Yorgi will never allow it."

"You let me deal with Yorgi," Memphis stated. "You don't have to answer to him, you know."

"Yes I do," she answered. "He's done a lot for me."

"Yeah, and he's also fucked you over a lot, too," Memphis said.

"How do you figure that?" she asked.

"Think about it, Lindsey," Memphis said. "If he hadn't flipped out on Toby, do you know what a difference that would have made at the trial? Toby practically worshipped the ground we all walk on. He never would have betrayed us like that if Yorgi hadn't tried to have him killed."

A cold settled into Lindsey's core at the realization of Memphis' words. She didn't want to think about it like that, but he was right. If Toby hasn't testified about her drug abuse, the jury probably would have taken her side. Toby wasn't mad at her, he was mad at Yorgi. But she was the one who had suffered for it.

"If Yorgi had known…" she started.

"He doesn't know everything," Memphis cut across her. "This isn't what it was supposed to be like. It was supposed to be fun. It was about the cars, the parties, the freedom. It wasn't about money and power. Yorgi's let it all go to his head."

Lindsey blinked harshly. She hated to hear Memphis speaking that way about the man she revered so. Yes, Yorgi's history was questionable at best. Yes, he was guilty of many crimes he'd never answered for. He was an asshole to boot and his power to intimidate anyone was astounding. He'd even managed to exert that power over Goku and Vegeta, however subtle it had been. But there was a softer side underneath all that – one that few people ever saw. Yorgi had been good to her, despite the fact that he used her.

"He takes care of me," she said.

"What? You're not capable of taking care of yourself?" Memphis scoffed.

"I… yes, I am," she answered.

"Then do it. You're clean now," he said, looking her over as if searching for a sign of weakness. "You don't have to stay here anymore. You need to take Gohan and go back to Japan. And stay there."

"But, I won't ever see you again," she said, her voice quivering.

"You'll be safe," he responded softly.

"Yelena's already planning the wedding," Lindsey argued.

"I know," Memphis said. "Go ahead and have the wedding here if you want. But do it soon and get the hell out."

"What about everyone here, though?" Lindsey asked. "X and Kolya and Sabriena… my brothers…"

Memphis was staring through her again, that same kind, concerned expression on his face. "You can't keep them forever, Lindsey. They're going to move on with their lives at some point. Do you want to be left here with nothing when they do?"

She didn't answer.

"Live your life now, while you still can," he pleaded, taking her by her upper arms and squeezing them. "Please don't make the same mistakes I have."

She met his eyes. They were pleading for her to agree with him. God, it had been so long since she'd seen him. He looked older… wiser… but stressed and worried. Fine lines creased his forehead. There was a tiredness about him that she'd never felt before. It shocked her. Memphis, the energetic, intelligent, enthusiastic car thief who lived for the moment was tired. She didn't understand.

She shook her head. "I just don't think Yorgi will let me go."

"I can handle him," Memphis assured her. "Now, I want you to get your stuff and let's go home. Tomorrow's Thanksgiving and you should spend it with the people who care about you. And don't you worry about Yorgi."

"Okay, Memphis," she whispered.

He smiled at her and pulled her to his chest, squeezing her tightly. She felt that warm, bubbling sensation again. Memphis made her feel safe.

Goku cleared his throat as he approached them.

"She's moving back into the house," Memphis stated. "By the way, I'm Memphis. I'm an old friend of Yorgi's." He extended a hand.

Goku took it and shook his hand, but kept the same, stern gaze. "I don't know if she's ready for that."

"She is," Memphis said, looking at Lindsey. "You'll never be able to tell if you don't trust her enough to give her a chance."

Goku blinked. "I don't suppose I can argue with you there." He turned to her. "Do you think you can handle it?"

Lindsey licked her lips. She wanted so badly to go home (if nothing else, to sleep in a warm bed and have a hot shower.) But she was scared. The drugs she had come to depend on were nothing but a couple doors away when she returned home.

"Do you think you can resist the temptation to use drugs again?" Goku pressed.

"By the way," Memphis drawled, "who sold you the drugs in the first place?"

Lindsey's stomach lurched. Despite everything else, this was the one question that hadn't been asked yet. "It doesn't matter," she mumbled.

"Yes, it does," Memphis insisted. "Cause I'm gonna kill whoever brought that shit into that house. Alcohol, cigarettes, hell even weed is acceptable. Hard drugs? No. EVERYONE knows that."

Lindsey turned her back to both of them. She couldn't tell Memphis who had sold her the cocaine. It would break his heart.

"Lindsey," Memphis said, "you gotta tell me."

She turned to face him again. "I don't remember."

He sighed. "You're a terrible liar."

"I know," she whispered.

"Look, whoever it was, obviously needs help, too. They're just better at hiding it than you were."

"The person I bought it from isn't a daily user like I was," she answered. "I don't think he's nearly as hooked as I was."

Goku fixed his eyes on hers. "Who was it?"

She licked her lips again, shifting her weight from foot to foot. "I can't say. Don't make me say it."

"I need to know," Memphis said.

Lindsey took a long breath, hating herself for doing this to him. "It was Kip."

Memphis blinked his pale green eyes repeatedly, tilting his head to the side and leaning towards her. "Wh… what did you say?"

"It was…." She repeated.

"No, I heard you," he cut across her, holding his hands up, speaking through gritted teeth. "You mean to tell me that Kip… my kid brother Kip… is shooting up cocaine and selling it?!"

Lindsey winced.

Memphis ran a hand down his long, slender face. "Who else?"

"Memphis, I-"

"Tell me now." There was no anger in his voice towards her, but the look in his eyes was murderous.

She swallowed hard. "Tumbler."

"Whaaaaaat?" he asked in disbelief.

"I never bought from Tumbler," she explained quietly, casting a nervous glance at Goku, whose expression was unreadable. "But he was there the… the first time I used it."

Memphis shook his head slowly. "I can't believe this. Those two…"

"They made me swear to never tell," she pleaded. "Memphis, please."

"No," he answered. "I have to save my brother. You did the right thing."

"They're going to hate me," she whined.

"Their lives are more important than some stupid promise they made you give them." Memphis ran a hand through his hair, turning away from her, still shaking his head.

"I think he's right, Lindsey," Goku said. "I think we need to get this wedding done as quickly as possible and get back home to Japan."

Lindsey blinked up at Goku. "You mean, we're done training?"

Goku nodded. "Yeah, for now. Don't worry," he laughed. "I'm not done with you yet. I can't wait to watch you and Gohan spar."

Her eyes went wide. She'd never tried to fight with Gohan before, not even playing around. She wasn't sure she wanted to.

"So what's the plan?" Goku asked lightly.

Memphis turned back around. "Tomorrow's Thanksgiving," he answered. "We'll not do anything until at least the day after. No sense in ruining the holiday." He stepped closer. "Let's get your stuff and go up to the house. I'll talk to Yorgi for you."

Lindsey looked at him for a long moment before she hugged him again. "I missed you," she whispered.

"Me too, kiddo."

The warehouse was blissfully warm as the three of them tromped inside, stomping their boots on the cement floor of the garage, knocking the snow from their feet. The garage was empty. Memphis led the way through the house to Yorgi's room and entered without knocking.

"Son of a-" Yorgi growled, then stopped himself. "Memphis! My old friend!" Yorgi stepped forward and threw his arms around Memphis's shoulders, clapping him on the back.

"Good to see you, Yorgi," Memphis smiled.

Yorgi blinked at Lindsey as he released Memphis. "Little Dove, what are you doing here?"

"She's ready to come home," Memphis answered.

Yorgi eyed him uncertainly. "How do you know?"

"I just do, alright?"

Yorgi looked to Goku, who nodded. "I think she is."

"You would trust her alone with your son?" Yorgi asked.

Goku tipped his head to the side for a moment, considering. "Yeah," he answered, crossing his arms over his chest. "Yeah, I think I do."

"You would trust her alone with my brother?" Yorgi asked, cocking an eyebrow. It had been no secret that Kolya had given her the marijuana.

Goku nodded again. "Yeah. I do. She knows what she has to lose."

"Do you trust yourself?" he asked her in a low voice.

She took a deep breath. "I think I can handle it."

He walked to her and grabbed her chin, tipping her face up towards his. "Little Dove, if you slip, you know the consequences. Are you sure you're ready to try this?"

"Yes," she breathed.

He stared at her for a long time. "Okay, I allow you to come home."

A tiny smile pulled at her lips. "Thanks, Yorgi."

He turned to Goku. "I trust your judgment on this one."

"Can I go back to my room now?" Lindsey asked, hiking her bag up on her shoulder.

"Just one more thing first," Goku answered.

Her shoulders slumped. "What?"

"You have to explain everything to Gohan."

Lindsey pressed her lips together in a thin line, her eyes looked apologetic, and she nodded.

"Okay, then, go."

Lindsey's heart was pounding in her chest as she neared her bedroom door. Her hand trembled as she reached for the doorknob. She turned it and creaked the door open slowly, peering into the room. It was empty. She sighed, relief and disappointment flooding through her. She wanted to see Gohan terribly, but she was nervous about it at the same time. She kicked the door open the rest of the way and tromped into the room, throwing herself into her computer chair and dropping her bags on the floor. She pulled her boots and her socks off and flexed her toes. She was grateful Gohan wasn't there yet. She would at least like a proper shower before he saw her.

It had been nearly two months since she'd laid eyes on her fiancé. Nearly two months since she'd even heard his voice. She was surprised as the realization of it hit her. They had never gone this long without contact. It had been September when she'd overdosed and now it was the day before Thanksgiving. She wondered how he'd dealt with being here alone without her. Did he still love her? Two months seemed like a very long time. Would he still want to marry her? She bit her lip in worry. She'd been so wrapped up in herself, so selfishly concerned with her own problems, she hadn't even given consideration to how this whole thing had affected Gohan. She felt like a terrible person. But she was going to make it up to him.

Pushing herself up from the chair, she tore away the dirty clothes and tossed them into the hamper. She stuck the bags in her closet and headed for the bathroom. She hadn't looked in the mirror in a long time. She was nervous to see the person that would look back at her. She creaked open the door that had yet to be repaired from Goku kicking it open. She stared at the cracked doorframe, rubbing the bridge of her nose in shame. 'It really was that bad,' she thought to herself. She closed the door behind her and turned to the vanity, staring into the black sink. Her fingers gripped the carved marble top, steeling herself. With a deep breath, she looked up.

There in the glass stood a completely foreign person to her. She gasped and touched her face, staring into the mirror. Dirty as it was, her hair was long again – longer than it had been before. Her shoulders were rounded and her arms had long, lean muscles. You could still see her collar bones, but they didn't jut out painfully like a starving person anymore. Although she was still pale, her skin had a kind of healthy glow to it. The freckles across her nose and cheeks stood out vibrantly against her pale tone. But it was her eyes that surprised her the most. No longer flat and hallow, her eyes had a sparkle once more. There was a fire there, a kind of calm confidence that she was amazed to see in herself.

She continued to stare at her reflection for several more minutes before she was able to tear herself away and turn on the shower. The hot water felt incredible. A month of living in the woods made her appreciate little things all the more. She scrubbed at her scalp with the flowery shampoo, the dirt and sweat rinsing away.

An hour later she forced herself to turn off the shower and dress. She walked across her bedroom, stopping every couple of steps and rubbing her shins together. It was so nice to finally shave her legs. She felt human again. She pulled on a pair of jeans and a black tank top, wondering where Gohan was and whether she should wait for him to return to her room or if she should go looking for him. She longed to see him again, but the nervousness about how he would feel towards her held her back.

She dried her hair and started to pull it back like she's grown accustomed to while in the woods, but thought better of it and decided she was proud to have her hair back and left it to hang down in big curls. She had just finished putting on some mascara when she heard the door to her bedroom open.

"Let me get my coat and I'll meet you guys out at the hill!" Gohan called loudly.

Catie's voice answered, "We'll get the sleds and see you there!"

Lindsey tiptoed quickly out of the bathroom to the foot of her bed, clinging to the bedpost and staring at Gohan who was looking over his shoulder. He wore a tight black turtleneck and jeans with heavy black boots. She thought he'd never looked so good in his life. Her breath caught in her chest. Every defined muscle stood out from under his shirt. His black eyes gleamed as he smiled at his friends in the hallway. His spiked black hair, his perfect posture, his bright smile, everything about him was perfect to her. Her knees trembled and she clutched the bedpost tightly for support.

"We're gonna have to have a race," Trunks' voice called.

Gohan laughed. "Sure. Whatever you say!" He stepped further into the room and shut the door. He turned around and nearly fell over when he saw his fiancée standing there. "L-Lindsey?"

"Hi," she answered in a voice so quiet he could barely hear her.

They stood frozen, staring at each other, neither sure what to say. She bit her lower lip uncertainly. Gohan's chest was rising harshly as he struggled to catch his breath. She was here. Two months of not seeing her, not hearing her voice, smelling her perfume, and now here she was, staring at him and he couldn't move a muscle.

"Hi," he breathed. 'Great answer,' he scolded himself.

"Gohan, I…"

"Shut up," he said and quickly crossed the room to her, hauling her into his arms and smothering her mouth with his own.

She melted into his kiss. His strong arms around her waist held her several inches off the floor and she drew her feet up, wrapping her arms around his neck. His kiss was warm and tasted of cinnamon. She didn't know how long they stayed like that. It didn't matter. Everything else faded away and nothing existed but him.