Screams of terror could be heard all over the city. People raced through the streets, some getting trampled over. The smell of death ran ramped in the small city. Bodies being crushed and millions dying by the minute. No hero to save them. No miracle to help them. They all would have the same fate; death.

Chichi woke with a start. There was no way she could let her new born baby suffer the same like so many others. As soon as Bulma had the time machine fixed she would say good bye to her little girl forever. "Well...at least she'll have a normal life. It's what she deserves." Tears began to form and fall. She got out of bed and walked over to the cradle by the window. A beautiful little baby girl with golden eyes laid there wide awake....but she wasn't crying. "That’s strange" Chichi thought.

"Are you hungry little one?" She asked. The baby smiled up to her mommy. Chichi carefully lifted the baby out of her crib and carried her into the small kitchen.

It was starting to thunder outside and the baby started to cry. "Poor thing. The slightest thing scares you." Chichi thought with a smile. "I'm going to miss you. I know I shouldn't give you a name now...you've been nameless for a month already and giving you a name would just make me more attached to you. I guess its best for you to be just 'baby' for me." She liked to muse that the baby could understand what she was saying. But she knew better than that. With a sigh she tested the warm milk on her exposed wrist. It was perfect, she would know since she already had a child long before this one and had been through all this before. She sat down in her rocking chair and fed the little bundle in her arms.

The child was still clearly shaken by the loud booms of thunder but drank without worry. She felt safe in her mothers arms...she knew nothing would happen as long as she was there; on some level anyway. But that would not be a well known feeling for her in the future.

***************************The Next Day**********************************

"I don't want you traveling across the city... what if the androids see you? Mom, are you even listening to me?" An upset Gohan asked. His father had died right after his little sister was conceived and it was up to him, and him alone, to protect them.

"Don't worry so much. Anyways, you’re coming too. Don't you want to say good-bye to your little sister?" Chichi said while getting the baby ready for the dangerous walk across the city. They had once lived in the country but when the androids had come along it was all destroyed and they had to live in a shack at the edge of town. "Why do we have to send her away??? Don't you want to keep her?" "Because she deserves a chance to live. I never wanted her to be born into this." Chichi explained with a tear in her eye. "She could help us fight! Sure she’s young now, but she will grow up to be strong and powerful with the right amount of training. You can't do this....she’s flesh and blood!" Gohan had just crossed the line. Chichi began to cry.

"I don't want to lose someone else to those horrible creations! *sob* I don't want her to fight. Gohan, don't you see that she deserves a normal life? *sob* She’s just a baby! Don't you see how much I already love her? It’s too late for the rest of us...I just thought if i-" She cut herself off. There was no way she could describe what it was like for her.

He sighed and looked at her tired, drawn face. He knew that it was hurting her as much as it did him. "I'm sorry.... It......it's just that.... she's my sister for god's sake! And we're giving her away like a puppy that isn't wanted?" He closed his eyes for a brief moment. "I'm sorry... I know that it's for the best. Let's......let's just get her there, okay?"

Chichi's shoulders slumped and she began to cry silently. Gohan put his arms around her and began to hum a very familiar tune. Lyrics of something sweet......
Slowly her sobs subsided and she smiled up at him. "I used to sing that to you when you were little...." He gives her a brief smile and checks the clock above the mantle. After a few minutes, her sobs faded and Gohan let go. "Come on. We better get going before it gets dark." Gohan said. Chichi nodded and picked up the baby to leave.

They were half way across town when they heard a loud boom sound that woke the sleeping baby up. She started to cry and Chichi went into a panic. "What if it’s the androids? What happens if they hear her crying?" She thought.

"Over here! Now I'll go check it out. Leave after a few minutes if I'm not back and I'll meet you at Bulma's." Gohan said as he ushered them to a abandoned building.

Chichi nodded and followed his directions. They waited longer than just a few minutes. It was more like a hour and he still hadn't returned. Finally, Chichi gave up and went on her way to Bulma's house, expecting to see him again.

"Just a few more blocks....I'll feed you when we get there, don't worry. Ohhhhh please stop crying." Chichi said to her daughter who was whimpering. Rain started to fall as she made her way up the steps to a crumbling Capsule Corps.

Bulma was waiting for her on the front porch. "Hi! I was starting to worry about you two- where's Gohan?" "I don't know. He was with us until we heard this loud boom, and then he made me hide and told me to meet him here later. Where's Trunks?" "He's asleep. Do you want to lay her down for a nap?" Bulma asked. "Yeah....I want to feed her first and I want to wait for Gohan. I want him to get to say good-bye."

"Okay. Where are my manners? Come on in!" Bulma said with a smile. Chichi followed Bulma to the kitchen and took a seat at the table. "So...how old is Trunks now?" Chichi asked trying to make conversation.
"He’s 14 months now. And she’s about a month, right?"
"Yeah.... so, are you going to let Trunks train once he gets old enough?" Chichi asked.
"Probably. But I'm formulating a plan to send him to the past once he's old enough. I'll have him warn everyone about the androids and everything else that has happened."
"I hope that works out. Are you going to use one like the one we're putting her in?"
"Well...no what I'm putting her in isn't a time machine. It's a dimension changer...that's what I call it anyway. I have it set to send her to dimension 188887. If the coordinations are right she will land at a shrine where someone is sure to take her in." "How do you know for sure this thing will work? What if it crashes?" "Chichi, there is no guarantee this will even work but it’s worth a shot, if you want her to live a normal life." " *sigh* You’re right. I changed my mind.... I can't wait for Gohan...I have to send her off now before I change my mind." Chichi said with a sad look on her face.
"If that's what you want than that's what we will do."
About a hour after that they had the baby strapped into the machine safely. Bulma was checking the engine one last time before sending her off.

"Good-bye little one. I'll miss you..Iii love you." Chichi began to cry. This was the last time she would ever see her baby again. She would never see her smile again. She would never feed her again. She would never give her the feeling of safety again. There would be no memories of her first word or her first step. There would only be memories of her first month of life for Chichi.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Bulma asked.
"I have to. Go ahead."
Bulma punched in the coordinations and the dimension number. Chichi and Bulma watched as the machine disappeared with a loud cracking noise.

Brandy Loraine
http://www.geocities.com/ozzygirl50
mafia_princess50@yahoo.com
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