Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Smoke and Mirrors ❯ Glimpse of the Past ( Chapter 7 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

" So, you're the one I've been hearing so much about, " Videl offered a warm smile to Jiara, who seemed instantly uncomfortable the moment that Goten left.

" Yes, I suppose that would be me. " Jiara brushed a small piece of red lint from the long black tee shirt she wore. She'd borrowed it from Trunks this morning since she'd had nothing else to wear. It reached almost to her knees.

" Um I probably have something in my room that would fit you better than that shirt. Do you want me to see what I can find? "

" No. This is fine. "

Gohan's wife watched the girl wander aimlessly around the room, pausing here and there to take note of little things. Jiara's movements were smooth and flowing; she possessed a grace that was nothing short of a dancer's delicate and skillful motion.

The teen had an inquisitive expression on her young face as she glanced out the window and saw Pan and the other girls lounging around in the yard. Her head tilted slightly and her eyes narrowed in a curious manner. " Which one is yours? "

Videl moved to stand beside Jiara, " The one with the dark hair and red bandana, " she said unable to mask the pride in her voice, " The blond girl is Krillin and Eighteen's daughter, Marron, and..."

" The other girl is Bra, " Jiara interjected thoughtfully, " Bulma and Vegeta's daughter. "

" Would you like to go out and meet them? "

" No. Not really. "

Videl's jaw dropped at the almost rude response, " Excuse me? " she snapped.

Jiara's gaze shifted from the window to Videl without so much as a flinch, " Perhaps this evening. I am not feeling so well right now. Is there somewhere that I could lay down? "

" Oh, well, yes. Of course. Just follow me. "

~*~*~*~*~*~

" I just don't know what to make of that girl, " Chi Chi frowned taking a sip of tea. " I wonder how long it will take before her memories finally come back. "

" Has anyone tried to jog her memory at all? " asked Videl as she put another pot of water on to boil.

" You can't push her. For goodness sake, someone is trying to kill her, and she has no idea who or why. That has to be difficult enough without anyone forcing her to remember it all. Maybe subconsciously she's too afraid of the truth to face it. "

" But, Bulma, letting her continue on like this isn't going to help anyone, " argued Chi Chi. " If the boys had some idea of what's going on, this would be so much easier. "

" You saw that guy Goten tried to fight last night. Do you think knowing who he is will help anything? I heard Vegeta say that the guy had no energy level that he could sense, but Goten couldn't even touch him. "

" Chi Chi, didn't you tell me that the guy never fought back when Goten attacked him? " Videl asked sitting back down at the table, " I just find that really weird. "

" It is strange, " Bulma agreed before Chi Chi had a chance to say anything, " but maybe he's only after Jiara and doesn't care about anyone else. "

Chi Chi gave an agitated sigh, " But why? That's the thing. What could a girl that young have done to make someone want to kill her? "

Bulma was just about to comment when they heard someone scream. All three women bolted from the table to find out what was wrong. Videl was the first to arrive throwing open the guest room door prepared to fight.

Jiara was curled up on the bed with the blanket clutched in both hands and a look of sheer horror on her face. Bulma was by her side in a moment. She tried to comfort Jiara with a warm embrace, but the girl pulled roughly away from her arms. " What happened? "

" I - he....my mother..."

" Your mother? " Chi Chi repeated softly sitting on the opposite side of the trembling girl, " What about her? "

" H - he killed her. He wanted my father to suffer, so he killed her, " there was an extensive pause as every hint of color drained from her face, " Now he wants me. "

" I think she's going into shock, " Bulma exclaimed jumping up from the bed, " Chi Chi grab that extra blanket over there. Videl, you better go find Goten. "

~*~*~*~*~*~

Goten held Jiara close as she sobbed against his chest. She'd been like this for almost an hour now, ever since he'd managed to rouse her from the vacant state she'd fallen into before his arrival.

" It's going to be okay, " he whispered gently placing a kiss on top of her head.

Finally, she raised her face to look at him. The crying jag had taken nothing from her appearance, but rather added a tragic edge to her natural beauty. Goten caught his breath looking at her and immediately felt guilty for the desire coursing through him. It wasn't right considering the circumstances.

Still, he couldn't keep his gaze from following the soft curve of her neck to where it disappeared beneath the black material, and it was impossible to ignore how high that shirt fell on her shapely legs. The young Saiya-jin swallowed hard and reluctantly forced his stare elsewhere.

" I am so glad that you are here, Goten. I do not know what I would do without you. "

He brushed a lock of hair from her eyes; his hand shaking. He couldn't imagine not knowing her. She was so beautiful, so vulnerable, and it was then that he realized he needed her as much as she needed him.

" Jiara, I... "

" Excuse me, " Gohan said from the doorway. " Videl wanted me to tell you two that dinner is ready. "

Goten practically hit the ceiling when he heard his older brother's voice. Thank Kami that his mother hadn't come to get them. He slipped out from under Jiara and hopped off the bed, " Be right there! " he half shouted.

Gohan chuckled as he started back to the kitchen. Poor Goten. He'd never seen his brother's face turn quite that shade of red before now. The kid was definitely taken by the strange girl, and Gohan really didn't blame him. It worried him though that they still had no real clues to her past.

" Gohan dear, can you get the door? " Videl called as she hauled a large bowl of food to the table. It was pure chaos in the kitchen as Chi Chi, Bulma and Videl tried to get dinner on the table around the sizable crowd that was gathered there.

There is hardly enough room to breath, Gohan thought, " Sure, no problem. "

Jiara took a shaky breath as she eyed the overflowing kitchen. There were so many people in there, and she was just about to ask Goten to take her back to the room when Gohan returned.

" Dad! " Gohan shouted over the din.

Goku stood from his seat and saw his son standing just outside the room, " Hey! " he exclaimed, " That's the magazine girl! "

Almost everyone stopped dead to see who she was. The girl at Gohan's side was wearing the same black duster as before, but now it covered a dark blue bodysuit. Emblazoned on the top left side was a strange silver symbol, and she wore silver ankle boots. Her dark eyes were solemn as she assessed the crowd.

The moment she saw Jiara, she tensed. The corners of her lips fell into an uneasy frown. The tension in the room could have been cut with a knife. No one moved or spoke until a single voice echoed through the silence, " You! "

Everyone looked as Jiara cowered behind Goten, " Get her out of here! Goten, please, she is dangerous... "

" Jiara, " the woman said darkly. One hand moved slowly towards the pocket of her jacket. She pulled a small mechanical device from the pocket and pressed a button. It clicked twice then started buzzing loudly.

" Just what the hell is this all about? " Vegeta demanded rising slowly from his own seat.

" She's working for him! She helped him find my mother when we tried to get away! "

Gohan grabbed the stranger's arm and glared at her, " Is this true? "

" Of course not, " she retorted, " I don't even know what she's talking about. If you'll just let me explain... "

A ki blast shot through the kitchen and took out a chunk of the wall beside the woman who jumped back yanking her arm away from Gohan. " Stop this! "

" Goten! " shrieked Videl. " Chi Chi, tell your son not to do that in my house! He's going to blow us all up! "

Goten was oblivious to his sister-in-law's furious ranting as he fired a second time barely missing Yamcha's shoulder.

Goku grabbed his younger son just in time to keep him from attacking yet again, " Goten, get a hold of yourself. You're going to hurt someone! "

" You're going to be sorry, " the stranger warned then vanished without a trace.

An explosion sounded nearby shaking the house from it's very foundation. Pan tried to run to the door to see what was happening, but her father caught her on the way, " I don't think so, young lady. "

The lights flickered for a moment as a second rumble occurred. A thin laser shattered the window and singed the wall over Eighteen's head. She shouted to Marron and Bra to get down.

They could all hear shouts amidst the escalating noise outside. " I have to know what's going on out there, " Trunks ran for the door followed by Vegeta and Goku.

" Krillin! " Gohan shouted, " Keep the girls in here! " He ran after the others.

" I have to go help them, " Goten said the girl who was clinging tightly to his arm.

" No! " She sounded desperate, and her grip on him tightened.

" Jiara, I have to... " He gently pulled away and rushed for the door.

" Where do you think you're going? " Eighteen demanded blocking Jiara's way as the girl tried to follow after Goten.

" He can not go out there alone! "

" He's not alone, " Krillin said with a confident smile, " Goku and Vegeta can handle anything that's going on out there. "

Jiara sighed heavily with a nervous glance in the direction they'd disappeared, " Of course they can. "

*~*~*~*~*~*

Goten pulled up short when he skidded to a halt outside. There were three figures high in the air, two males and the strange girl. Goten immediately recognized the man he had fought the previous night. The early evening light illuminated the deep blue shade of his hair which the darkness had unconsciously disguised at their last meeting.

The girl was yelling to the blue haired man as they dodged fire from the second male figure. She pushed her companion out of the range of one blast while firing a laser rifle that was clutched in her left hand.

Instead of retaliating, the man took off causing the couple to follow in pursuit. In seconds, they were all out of sight.

" This just keeps getting stranger and stranger, " Goku muttered shaking his head.

" Well, if I had to venture a guess, that one guy is the one from Jiara's dream, and he was with the magazine girl. Jiara obviously recognized her, too, " Trunks mused trying to keep it all straight in his head.