Make It Work: A Dragon Ball Z Story

Chapter 10: A New Home

Shalay looked around the room and fiddled with the hospital gown that hand loosely on her small frame. The room was such a bright white that it stung to look at the walls around her. Goten had just left to go tell the rest that Shalay was, indeed, alive and well again. She ran her tongue across her teeth slowly, almost checking to see if he teeth were back to normal. She glanced over her hands and sneered at them. These things, these claws hurt Goten and Trunks. Not only that, but they weren't even strong enough to help her defeat Crane. All she could think about was the fact that she blacked out. Shalay couldn't really tell if she killed him or not, at the moment. she just knew Crane was dead, and that, for now was good enough for her.

Shalay steadily made her way back to the bed she woke up on and hopped on top of it. At that time the double doors swung open and people of all sorts poured in the large room. Her eyes bugged out at their varieties. The last time she came across so many people like this was when she was in her prison. But here, there was a different feel. These guys are friends. They're here by choice.

'Whoa, who are these guys?' Shalay thought in surprise. While examining the Z-fighters, she immediately concluded that some were not of the human race. There's a really tall green fellow; a man with a cat and a scar; a triclops with a talking doll; a pig; an old man with a turtle shell on his back; a midget and an old doctor-looking man with a cat on his back.

"Um, hi everyone," Shalay spoke the only intelligent words that came to her. "I'm Shalay and I was going to say all of you are weird, but I'm an alien as well, so I guess I belong here too." Although little taken aback by her forwardness, they did not seem insulted. They all boiled over with questions about her family and her race. She gave short and to the point answers. Never going into detail about what happened the day she was taken. Nobody pushed her to speak anymore on the topic.

"Hey, Shalay. Where are you going to be living from now on?" Trunks asked, hoping she would take his hint. He wanted her to stay here with him. Sure when they first met he didn't take to her as well as Goten, but that didn't mean they couldn't hit it off now as friends! Just friends...

She didn't catch what he was implying."Um, well, there's that one - nah I'll get lost. Oh, oh, I could - nope too many lightning bugs. I don't know, Trunks," Shalay said, still deep in thought.

"Well, if you want, you could stay here," Trunks suggested rather bashfully, all eyes now on him, catching the blush on his nine year old cheeks. He tried to shrug and make it seem casual. You know, this was no big deal.

"Oh, no, I just can't. I hate your dad, silly." Everyone sweat dropped. A growl rumbled from a nearby corner, indicating that Vegeta was in said corner.

"That's alright. We got plenty of room for you at our place. Right, Chi-Chi?" Goku offered and asked in one sentence.

'Please, I really want to train with her, Chi!' The warrior pleaded to his wife using his eyes. Chi-Chi bit her lip and thought about it for a second.'It would be nice to have another girl around.'

"Yeah, plenty of room," The loving house wife conceded while hugging Goku.

"You mean she can live with us?" A cheerful child's voice erupted through the room. "Awesome. I've never had a friend live with me before!" Goten shouted happily, running over to his new house guest and pulling her off the bed to do a happy dance with her. He was oblivious to the slight shade of pink on Shalay's cheeks. After their dance of victory, the newfound duo slid their way over to Trunks. The lavender haired boy was pouting in the corner for some odd reason.

"Hey there, Trunks," Shalay greeted, "What's wrong with you, mister?"

"Nothing," Was his simple answer, but no matter how simple the word was, it was filled with venom.

"Okay. Want to play?" Goten said instead of pressing for the real problem.

"I'd rather not."

"Trunks, we're friends, right?"

Taken aback by the sudden question of their friendship, he replied, "Yeah, Shalay, we're friends."

"Then why won't you tell us what's wrong?" Tilting her head to one side, she continued, "Isn't that what friends do?"

With a sigh of defeat, Trunks prepared himself to do something even his father rarely did - he prepared himself to tell his true feeling to his best friend and a cat girl. "I'm just-," He stopped again, only to notice Goten and Shalay leaning in for the info, "I'm just lonely, okay?"

'Lonely? Why is he lonely?' Goten thought. Trunks had so many toys and animals to play with. "Why are YOU lonely, Trunks?" Goten asked, voicing his thoughts.

"Well, you have a brother and I don't." The spoiled boy was used to getting what he wanted and this shouldn't be accepted. "Now you get to have her too!" Trunks pointed to Shalay as if she was an object.

"OH," Both eight-year-olds breathed.

"That's okay, Trunks, we can all hang out every day."

"Promise," He insisted while holding out his pinkie finger. It was something he often made Goten do to prove he was serious. Goten smiled brightly and wrapped his finger around Trunks' finger.

"Yup, we promise!"

XXxxXx

When all the introductions and goodbyes were done, the Son family and their new plus one left to go home to start preparing said guest's living quarters. The whole flight home was filled with plans of all the exciting adventures for the kids to have. They didn't instant transmission home because 'that'd take away all the fun', in the words of the duo.

"Shalay, you can have the room down the hall," Chi-Chi announced as everyone entered the house. "It was to be a study for the boys, but only Gohan uses it," Chi-Chi said with a sigh, wishing her youngest son was a bit more book-smart.

"Thank you, Mrs. Son," The girl accepted with courtesy. With a wave of a hand, the house wife dismissed the 'thank you'. "Please, call me Chi-Chi. Mrs. Son makes me feel old."

"Excuse me, Mrs. - Chi-Chi. I'm really thankful. You guys are really kind people. Just like my family - always giving until there is no more. All people are selfish. They take; TAKE, until you're all gone!" Everyone stopped and stared wide eyed at Shalay at her sudden change in mood. Noticing everyone's eyes on her, she instantly became self-conscious. "Oh, heh-heh, sorry about that. Did I mention I get minor mood swings?"

The Sons shook their heads 'no'.

"Anyway, can my room be purple? I like purple." That was all the boys heard as Chi-Chi was pulled along to the back of the house by the feline-like girl.

Goten watched as their shadows faded and thought, 'I pick the best best-friends ever!'