I'm finally back with a new chapter! There is no need to worry, I'm not dead.lol I have to say, though, I'm getting kinda bored with this fic. But I'm not going to just quit; I'll see it through. I wouldn't expect another chappie for a while though. I'm graduating in two months, and I don't really have much time anymore to write...

All that crap put aside, enjoy the new chapter!

It wasn't until spring break that it dawned on me that I should probably be working on a way to get the DBZ characters back to their own universe. The whole situation was kind of confusing. Their arrival was… I guess weird would be a good description for it, and the effect their disappearance had on their own world was unknown. I hadn't read the manga or watched the show since they first fell out of the TV. It wasn't like there would be any point to it; if I ever felt the need to see Goku and Vegeta sparring, I could always go into the forest to watch it.

The more I went into those trees, the more forbidding they seemed to be. It was like I was no longer welcome, though I'd been exploring those woods since I was six. I tried asking Goku about it, but he couldn't sense anything out of the ordinary. I can't say I was surprised. Nothing like the kind of stuff they've lived through ever happens in this world. In a way, it kind of sucks.

The new girl, Katy, soon came to be my best friend. As I predicted the first day we met, the jocks and the cheerleaders took to tormenting her. She suffered the same fate I did for my own oddities, but she didn't really consider it "suffering." Every time someone teased her, she'd just laugh in their face and bounce away. I was actually considering telling her about the Saiyans. She would be coming over to my apartment frequently, because we were working on a school project together. It would be the perfect time to show her my friends.

It was the weekend before spring break when I suggested we spend the night in the woods.

"Isn't that place supposed to be haunted?" Katy asked, looking a little apprehensive.

"That's what the rumors are, yeah," I answered, wondering why Katy would be concerned about it. She didn't seem like the kind of person who would freak over some imagined spirits.

"Cool!" She jumped up, grabbed my arm, and literally dragged me out the door. "Let's go!"

0000000000

I carefully picked my way through the familiar overgrown path, making sure to avoid the poison ivy. I was allergic to the stuff, as I discovered when I was about ten. I pointed the plant out to Katy, who was keeping up with me pretty well for a person born and raised in the city, and continued on.

I was taking her to the tree house where the Saiyans were. I knew Katy would enjoy their company, especially Vegeta's. If we were lucky, Gohan, Bulma, and Trunks would help us with our project.

"Here we are," I announced as we came to a stop in front of the tree house. I had to laugh at the look on Katy's face. Vegeta and Goku were outside sparring, and Trunks was up in a tree, reading a book I had given him. "Hi guys!" I chirped, waving up at Trunks. He smiled at me, and dropped down from the branch he was sitting on with ease.

"Hey Kim," Goku greeted, finishing up his spar with Vegeta. Vegeta grunted what I suppose could be considered a greeting. He still could barely tolerate me. I guess he still hadn't quite forgiven me for the incident with the alarm clock.

"This is my friend Katy," I said, gesturing at the dumbstruck girl. She was completely speechless; her mouth hung open and she stared almost hungrily at Vegeta. "Snap out of it!" I hissed, elbowing her. "They don't know they're fictional!" Katy shot me a confused look, but she did close her mouth. "Katy, this is Trunks, Vegeta, and Goku." I pointed to each of them individually, and then looked questioningly at Goku.

"Chi Chi, Bulma, and Gohan are in the tree," he supplied.

"'Kay!" I said, grabbing Katy's thin wrist and leading her up the ladder. The tree house no longer looked like a tree house from the inside anymore; Bulma had seen to that. It was amazing how many capsules the woman carried with her. There was a fridge stashed in the corner, stocked full with food. A working stove was somehow crammed in next to it. ON the opposite wall, stood a small desk, where little Gohan was sitting, inattentively flipping through the pages of a text book. Chi Chi and Bulma lay in the middle of the room across several sleeping bags, chatting.

"What's up, guys?" I greeted, smiling warmly. Chi Chi and Bulma looked up, smiled welcomingly, and then returned to their chat. It must have been important. Usually they took the time to at least say hi.

"Kim!" Gohan wasn't so indifferent. He was probably happy to get away from his studies. He pounced on us, engulfing Katy and me into a bone crushing hug, even though he didn't really know Katy. The kid was so friendly it was sometimes hard to believe he's half-Saiyan.

"Hi Gohan," I gasped when he finally released us. I breathed deeply; trying to fill my lungs up with air after the kid squeezed it all out of me, and then smiled. "I brought a friend with me today," I said, gesturing at the girl beside me. "This is Katy, guys."

"Come on Kim, let's go for a walk," Gohan grabbed my hand and practically dragged me out the door. I gave a little shriek when I found nothing supporting my feet. I sent a nasty look at the kid, who grinned sheepishly and gently set me back down. Katy came down in a more conventional way: the ladder.

"We're going walking," I announced to the other three Saiyans. Trunks was now sparring with Goku, while Vegeta made snide comments from the side. "Do any of you want to come?"

"Yeah, I'll come," Trunks said, powering his ki down to normal levels. He stepped away from Goku, who pouted at his retreating back. I brought my hand up to hide my smile. I didn't want Goku to think I was making fun of him. But then, his reaction might be amusing…

Trunks, Katy, Gohan and I set out further into the woods. Gohan raced ahead, leaving us teenagers to follow. It was the perfect opportunity to talk to Katy.

"So, what do you think?" I asked, grinning up at her.

"What do I think about what?" she in turn responded. She didn't know that Trunks knew about the anime, and she was trying to play along.

"You don't have to play dumb anymore, Katy," I assured. "Trunks knows. He just wanted to keep it a secret 'cause he wasn't sure how well the others would take it."

"Oh. Well in that case…" Katy squealed delightedly and pounced on the lavender-haired warrior. I had to suppress a small surge of possessiveness when they fell to the ground, the thin girl squeezing him surprisingly tightly. I've had a crush on the pretty half-Saiyan for quite some time, and it felt like Katy was moving in on my territory.

"Nice to meet you too…" Trunks mumbled, a bright pink flush spreading across his nose. Sheepishly, Katy rolled away and let him get up. I extended my hand to my friend, which she gratefully took. I had just pulled her to her feet when we heard Gohan's terrified yell.