Separated

Don't Leave Me

"Hey? Jin-Jer? Wake up. Are you okay?" Jin-Jer slowly opened her eyes to find Goten and Trunks hovering over her.

"She's alive!" Goten cheered, "What happened to you?"

Jin-Jer moved her messy hair out of her face and held her head trying to recall what had happened. "I-I don't remember. I was with your fathers and Piccolo... Then-Then..." she stuttered, her mind was hazy like the dust surrounding her. "Wait a minute! Dabura! He turned me and Piccolo into stone!"

Trunks face went blue. So... That statue I knocked over was P... P... Piccolo? Trunks flew to the top of the mountain and saw Piccolo in a punch of pieces beyond repair.

"Trunks, what's wrong?" Jin-Jer asked with scrunched eyebrows.

"We have to keep this a secret. You can't tell anybody."

"Huh?"

"Keep what a secret?" a familiar voice called from behind. Standing there was Piccolo. The reunion didn't last long though. There was a drastic evil energy in the air that could hit you like a bus. "What is that awful energy?" the group looked down from the mountain and couldn't believe their eyes. "Is that Majin Buu?"

Out of no where there was a large explosion. Piccolo shielded Goten while Jin-Jer covered Trunks. The dust settled and out appeared Vegeta. "Dad!" Trunks cheered.

"Vegeta!" Jin-Jer couldn't help her excitement. Piccolo was the only one who's expression changed instantaneous when he found out that Gohan was killed.

The smiles on the groups faces wore off in a matter of time once they were forced to watch the death match going on down below. They all held onto a strand of hope that somehow Vegeta would destroy the creature from hell. Someway that they would all walk out of here alive. But that was just being irrational.

Trunks shook in rage as he watched his father get beaten bloody. He wanted so badly to help and he was not going to stand there and watch this happen to his father.

"Trunks, calm down. There's nothing you can do. You'll only hurt your father more by getting involved." Jin-Jer told him. Trunks gritted his teeth, growling like an animal about to charge.

Trunks didn't listen. He powered up into a SSJ and went to his fathers aid. Or at least tried to until Jin-Jer grabbed ahold of his ankle. "Let go of me, Jin-Jer!"

"We can't risk losing you too, Trunks!" although Jin-Jer wanted to help too, she knew that she'd only be a distraction and get in Vegeta's way. "I won't let you get hurt!"

Jin-Jer's feet dragged against the dirt when Trunks tried his best to escape her grasp by flying away. But she was showing no sign of letting go. "He's my dad! I won't let him die! You all maybe able to watch someone you love die, but not me!" Jin-Jer gasped and released him. Goten followed him to Vegeta's aid.

She balled her hands into fists and breathed heavily. "Stay here." Piccolo instructed. "There's nothing we can do."

They both observed from a distance as the boys sent Majin Buu flying with a swift kick and helped Vegeta to his feet. Jin-Jer couldn't hear what was going on but she could definitely feel the sudden mood change.

Vegeta put his wounded arm around Trunks. "What's he saying?" she asked Piccolo, "I know those giant ears aren't just for decoration."

"He said that Trunks has made him proud."

Jin-Jer placed her hand over her mouth. Then had a flash back to when she told Vegeta that he should tell Trunks that he's proud to have him as a son. And he responded with, "When the time comes..." she repeated under her breath.

Trunks looked up at his father then got met with a chop to the side of the neck. Jin-Jer gasped. "Why would he do that?" Goten started pounding his little fists at Vegeta for what he did to his best friend. The prince then kneeled down and punched him in the stomach, knocking him out cold too.

"We both know why he did it." Piccolo answered.

Jin-Jer looked up at him in shock. "No...." the sting in her eyes was unbearable. She was not going to let Vegeta go through with this. Jin-Jer met him on the battlefield field and could already feel her tears about to break free.

"You need to leave." he instructed. "Take the boys far from here."

Jin-Jer shook her head viciously. "Piccolo can take them somewhere safe. I'm going to stay and help you fight him." Vegeta sighed, looking down. "I know I'm not as strong as you but I could help. I can make a difference just please don't make me leave you here."

"You know as well as I do that you'd only get in the way. Or even worse, get yourself killed." Vegeta wasn't going to sugar coat anything. Jin-Jer had to understand that this was something he needed to do. "I won't let you die."

"And what, I'm supposed to just watch you do this to yourself? I risked my life to save you once before and I swear to the gods that I will do it again! I'm not going to stand for this Vegeta! I won't let you do this!" Tears streamed down Jin-Jer's face. Her jaw tensed up and fists shook. Vegeta placed his hand on her trembling shoulder showing that everythings going to be alright. "I already lost two people that I loved and I won't lose a third." she reached up and held his comforting hand that was resting on her shoulder. "I love you, Vegeta."

He rested his forehead on hers. The Prince then told her in a soft voice. "I'm doing this to keep the ones I love safe. And that includes you too." Jin-Jer rapped her arms around his neck, acting as if she would be his human shield. "I need you to help Bulma with Trunks. If you don't want to do it for her sake then do it for me. He needs to have a strong, proud Saiyan in his life to look up to. And I know you can keep my family safe." This was her second chance. To feel like a protector again. "I need you to get the boys out of here now."

Jin-Jer wiped her tears away and nodded. Piccolo joined the two and watched her carry the boys underneath her arms. She couldn't stare at the man who she loved any longer. It hurt her heart too much knowing what was about to happen next.

Piccolo stood by his side, "This is a brave thing you're doing Vegeta."

"Just make sure she doesn't turn back around."

"Of course." the Namekian agreed.

"Piccolo." he turned around to hear what the Prince's last words to him were going to be. "Thank you."