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In which Trunks asks his father for relationship advice.

3500 words.

The dinner had gone exceptionally well and had left everyone in a good mood, to Bulma's great relief. Trunks was home for Thanksgiving, as he did every year ever since he had moved out. He had left his bedroom at the Capsule Corps' house six years before to go to college and lived now in his own apartment about five hundred miles away from his parents. He came back quite often during the holidays so he could spend time with his little sister who was still in school. This time was however slightly different: he had not come alone. Trunks had already introduced several girls to his family since he started going out, and was not shy about it. Some of them had run away the second they had seen his father, but he didn't imagine his life without his family in case of conflict between them and his future spouse.

He had been dating since he was fifteen and never really had difficulties getting the girl he wanted. Back in high school, he and Goten had found out that women liked muscles and protection, and they had decided to try out for the sport team. They would do just enough on the field to attract feminine attention, without showing too much of their super abilities, and it worked liked a charm. Trunks especially was even confident he could become fat and ugly and still get laid for his famous name. Out of self-respect however, he had tried to stay away from the kind of girl who would accept that. Anyway, he didn't even know how he could become fat as it was impossible for him to eat more than he usually did in a day, and skipping training was not an option either.

At the age of twenty-four, Trunks couldn't exactly remember how many girlfriends he had had. Obviously some of them had had an influence in his life, and he could recall some sweet moments, but he never really got attached for more than a few months. Some encounters had been one night stands, others had been romantic escapes, always with a new kind of girl and a different style of relationship. He had also had a couple of bad experiences with women eventually proving themselves to be more interested by his bank account than by his inner personality. The worst being that one time during the summer holidays at the Capsule Corps' house, when he had realized that the girl he was dating was actually crazy in love with his father. The scene that resulted was engraved in everyone's memory and no one ever dared to talk about it. Since then he had been more careful with who he introduced to his family and how. After thinking about it for a while, he had decided to invite Alix, his current girlfriend, for Thanksgiving, something he had never done before. He would always invite his girlfriend to come over but never for an important family holiday. He had told them about her several times on the phone over the past months but they had never actually met. For everyone around the table, this was a first.

Alix had been really nervous before the dinner, Trunks had told her that his family was a little bit particular and that she didn't need to freak out, which made her even more scared, especially when she had heard about the fifteen turkeys they planned to share between seven persons. Luckily everything had gone fine, she had tried to be as nice and polite as she could and the first half of the afternoon had gone by quite normally, maybe even rather joyfully.

It was already five in the afternoon when they finished the dessert, and Bulma invited Alix for a tea with Bra and her mother in her private salon. Mr. Brief knew that the women would stay in there for a while before they were to be seen again, and left to take care of his pets, leaving Trunks and his father at the table. Together they had eaten more than all the other members of the family and they were quietly contemplating the empty dishes that piled up in the sink. As Vegeta wondered if something was left in the fridge, Trunks started to talk:

"So what do you think?"

"I think I could do with another turkey, this holiday is definitely my favorite."

"No I mean, about Alix…" Trunks precised, trying to avoid his father's eyes.

"She is a bit frail but not unpleasant to look at." Vegeta declared.

"She is beautiful. But what did you think about her personality, her behavior?.." He insisted.

"Her personality? Boy, are you asking me for dating advice?" Vegeta said with a concerned voice.

Trunks' face and ears became crimson and he suddenly looked even more uncomfortable.

"Not really, I... I was just wondering what your first impression was."

Vegeta was known to have a specific skill for judging people. He had a sort of instinct that told him whether someone was honest and trustworthy or not. Obviously it worked even better for his close relatives, and Trunks couldn't remember ever being able to lie in front of his father.

"Why don't you ask your mother or your sister? I'm sure they would gladly talk about it with you for days. Actually I think they will do it even if you don't ask anything."

"I don't want Mom's opinion, I want yours."Trunks stated.

"Well, now you have it. She is decent." His father said with a small shrug.

"What? That's all?" He asked, slightly panicked.

"What do you want me to tell you? I was busy eating and this girl politely handed me the salt and the salad when I asked for them, that's everything I can tell you."

Obviously that was only a small part of what Vegeta had learned about the new girl during the dinner, but he did not want to influence his son. Alix was definitely extremely good looking according to the human criteria. Her skin was pale and smooth, her natural white blond hair fell gracefully down her slender back in soft waves and she was dressed with the finest taste. Her scent was a very subtle mix of flowers and vanilla. Vegeta could smell a hint of Trunks' regular fragrance under her own perfume, and he had previously noted a light floral touch coming from his son's clothes. He deduced that they were living together, or at least shared a drawer. According to Bulma, Alix was in law school and was a couple of years younger than Trunks. While Vegeta had spent the last three hours eating whatever he could grab from his seat, he had been attentive enough to the discussions to judge that the girl was well educated and respectful, and that she could even sometimes be quite funny. However, he believed it was not up to him to decide whether she was an adequate girlfriend or not, and remained neutral.

"Don't you think she's more than that?" Trunks tried again.

"She definitely seems a bit smarter than the one you brought us during the winter holidays. More survival instinct I guess." Vegeta muttered.

Trunks went even redder if possible. Three years ago he had invited a girl that he had only been dating for a couple of weeks, as she heavily insisted to meet his family. She had spent the day looking at his father's hair and had eventually asked him how he blow-dried it to get such an impressive volume. While Bulma had found the scene hilarious, Trunks had had to grab his girlfriend and take her out of the house before Vegeta could hit her and kill her on the spot "so that she would never reproduce with his son". He had never ended a relationship so quickly and so suddenly.

Trunks swallowed uncomfortably and talked again:

"Dad please… This is a serious question."

"You have never asked for my opinion before, what's the matter today?"

"I do care about what you all think about who I date, that's why I invite them here you know."

Vegeta didn't say anything. He knew Bulma liked to know who Trunks was seeing and he admitted himself he wouldn't like to be left aside completely.

"The thing is…"

Vegeta leaned against the back of his chair, waiting for his son to say whatever he had to say and that seemed so complicated to get out.

"Dad I…", Trunks began as he gave a short glance toward the door to Bulma's salon. "Alix… I think she might be the one."

Vegeta wasn't expecting this kind of conversation and looked genuinely surprised.

"How long have you been thinking about this, boy?"

"For a few months now… I think I always knew she was the one, ever since I met her two years ago, I just never realized it."

"She is pregnant, isn't she?" His father asked, looking at his son with serious eyes.

"What? No! We've not..." Trunks defended himself vigorously.

Vegeta raised an eyebrow:

"You've not…?"

"I mean we have! But... Wait what the..? No! This-is-none-of-your-business! No, she is not pregnant!" He eventually managed to let out, praying for the conversation to move on.

"Trunks, this is definitely serious, are you sure about what you're saying?"

"I know! I think I am, but this is so complicated… How am I supposed to know I'm making the right choice?"

Vegeta remained silent for a few seconds and asked:

"Does she know?"

Trunks understood what he meant by the tone he used. Ever since he had started dating, he had always at one point had to face the question of whether to tell his girlfriend about his alien side or not.

"Yes, she does. I wanted to talk to you before telling her but last month I heard her trip in the stairs with the laundry basket and I somehow flew through the kitchen wall to catch her. Also she started getting suspicious and accusing me of being unprofessional as I leave the apartment at 7:58am to be at work at 8. It's only five miles away so you know…"

"So subtle."

"Well that was easy for you, if I am not mistaken Mom couldn't exactly get worst than the guy she saw the first time she met you right?"

"That's another story." Vegeta dryly answered. "How did she react?"

"Quite well actually. She wasn't sure I was being serious at first but I showed her some things and she eventually agreed to believe me."

"You transformed?" His father asked, interested.

"Oh no, I don't think she is ready for that." Trunks said, shaking his head. "I took her for a flight and when the night fell I showed her that I could make my hands glow and create little balls of light."

"What a romantic use of the deadly power of the Saiyans."Vegeta said in a mocking voice.

"Dad…"

"Boy, what exactly are you asking me?" His father seriously answered. "You seem to really like her, and she didn't freak out when you told her about your alien origin, what is it that you are so unsecure about?"

"I don't know… What if it's just a phase and I'm actually making a mistake?"

"Trunks you're twenty-four, and I believe you've had enough girlfriends to tell me whether this one is different or not, right?"

"She is different!"

"So?"

"When I told her about my Saiyan part she asked if I wouldn't be bothered that she is "only a human"… Did you think about that when you married Mom?"

Vegeta felt the discussion slide toward his own experience and was definitely not comfortable with it. His relationship with Bulma had had a fairly rough start and he couldn't really explain how it had eventually worked out.

"First of all your Mother is the most incredible human I have ever seen, she is not to be taken as an example, and then unless you want to marry Goten, in which case you would need to inform me right now, you don't really have any other choice than mating a human."

"I know… But what if I ever hurt her? Or if she gets hurt because of me? I could get her in a lot of troubles." Trunks asked, worried.

Vegeta knew the answer. He had asked himself the exact same question more than twenty years ago, and the passing years had brought him to a mysterious yet undeniable conclusion.

"Once you decide to protect this girl" he declared, "nothing bad will ever happen to her, and certainly not from you."

"But she looks so delicate…"

"Have you ever hurt her?"

"We've only been living together for five months… but no. Or she didn't tell me…"

"Then trust me, you are absolutely unable to hurt her."

"Is this some kind of Saiyan thing?" Trunks asked, uncertain.

Vegeta chuckled silently and shook his head.

"No boy, this is a man thing. I guess it just shows a little bit more when you know you are technically capable of breaking her in half."

"So you don't think I could be dangerous for her?"

"Didn't you prevent her from falling down the stairs last month? You might even help her live a little longer."

"Alright." Trunks admitted. "But…"

"If you say "but" one more time I swear she will see what a Super Saiyan looks like." Vegeta cut threateningly.

"No! I just wanted to know if there was anything… particular… that I should know about Saiyans and relationship or mating as you call it."

"Does the relationship I have with your Mother seem any different than the other human relationships?"

"Actually…"Trunks began, embarrassed.

"I mean not looking into details!"

"Well…"

"Fine! Your marriage will be different because you are not like everyone else, and I guess if you choose her she is special as well. But no, there is nothing more I can tell you about Saiyans that might affect your relationship more than your everyday life. If you had a traditional Saiyan union ceremony you would spend less time signing papers and more eating little sandwiches, but that's pretty much all."

"I didn't talk about wedding so far…"Trunks precised hastily.

"No, but the second you will tell your Mother what you just told me you will wear the ring."

Trunks suddenly got a little bit paler.

"Please don't tell her. Or Bra. I love them but this is between Alix and me, I don't want her to feel bad because they get too excited. I want us to be able to take the decision together and only between the two of us."

"Like I would go around and tell people about love stories."Vegeta said, rolling his eyes.

"So you don't think I'm a fool?"

"Do you love her?"

Trunks didn't recall his father using the word "love" in a sentence that didn't directly imply eating or fighting. He knew it was a genuine question, and answered sincerely:

"I do."

"Then yes, you are a fool, but no, you're not making a mistake."

Trunks smiled slightly and took a deep breath. He stood up and before leaving the room he added:

"Thanks dad."

The women joined them in the living room for the evening, and after a light supper that could have fed thirty persons, they enjoyed the warmth of the fire place, comfortably seated in the large couches. Bra was always keen on relating stories and she had chosen a few of her favorites that didn't include her brother slicing up a big lizard, or her father trying to kill Goten's dad. Trunks and his girlfriend were to stay for the night, and after the epic narration of his first day of middle school, he kissed his mother and sister goodnight and led Alix to his old bedroom. Once alone behind the door, she nested herself into his arms and let out a sigh of relief. Trunks chuckled lightly and whispered in her ear:

"They were really that difficult to bear?"

"Oh no! They are actually lovely!"

"You found my dad lovely?"He said, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, not really, but he wasn't as weird as you described him you know."

"He has changed a lot since I was a child."Trunks admitted.

"I just... You all get along so well together I don't know if I really belong here. I tried to be as nice as possible but what if they don't like me?"

"You spent three whole hours talking with my grandma and my sister without getting crazy, that is more than any human girl has ever managed to do, I think they already like you."

"Yeah talking about that, your sister, is she… like you?"

"She is part Saiyan as well, yes."Trunks answered with a slight smile.

"She ate an impressive amount of cupcakes."

"It has always been her guilty pleasure."

"She had like thirty of them." She said with wide concerned eyes.

"I guess she wasn't really hungry then." Trunks answered with a shrug. "Listen Alix," he added softly as he held her closer and put his forehead against hers. "There are a lot of things you don't know yet and that will ask you a little time to get used to, but I promise you that I will take care of you and you will soon feel at home here."

She looked into his bright blue eyes and eventually kissed him on the cheek: "Then I trust you.".

They went to bed after Alix was done looking at all the pictures of Trunks as a child that covered a wall of his bedroom. He struggled a bit when she examined a very old photo and wondered out loud who was the baby he was holding and where he had found the sword he was carrying, but to his vast relief she agreed to talk about it another day. When Trunks eventually turned off the lights and pulled the blanket over them she put her head on his shoulder and, running a slender finger on his bare chest she innocently asked:

"Trunks? Will you show me what a Super Saiyan looks like one day?"

"…Bra told you."He concluded, clenching his jaw in the dark.

"She was just explaining something that has happened to her and she said she was so upset she almost turned Super Saiyan…"

"We will get to it, but right now is not really the best moment to show you that." He smiled for himself.

"Why?"She inquired curiously.

"It would catch my dad's attention, and there are only very few reasons why someone would transform at night in the bedroom."

"Such as?"

"Well, either we are in great danger, or we are having a lot of fun."

"A lot of… Oh!" And she giggled as she understood what he meant.

Later that night Trunks fell asleep, the heart lighter than it had been over the past four months.

xXx

The next morning the whole family gathered around the most gigantic breakfast Alix had ever seen. As she tried to remember all the things she had eaten since the day before, Bulma gently brushed her arm and reassured her:

"Don't worry sweetheart, you won't get fat, most of this will disappear in Vegeta's stomach before you can even get your hand on it."

Vegeta growled from behind the morning paper, grabbed a whole loaf of white bread and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Well, I think I already got the concept of eating what I can before Trunks seats at the table." Alix answered with a smile for her boyfriend.

"Great then, you will survive in our family." Bulma said jokingly.

The younger couple packed their belongings a couple of hours later and by 11am they were ready to leave. They thanked Bunny for the amazing meals and Trunks promised to come back as soon as possible. He hugged his mother and gave a short nod to his Father, both knowing they didn't need more to express their affection or their gratitude.

As they watched the car turn at the end of the driveway, Bulma squeezed Vegeta's arm lightly.

"She really is a sweet girl. I hope Trunks won't get bored of her too quickly, I feel like she still has a lot to give. I wish he would realize how lucky he is to have her… Do you think they will come back together for Christmas?"

"They certainly will." Vegeta declared. "By the way Bulma… How good are you at making little sandwiches?"