(Author's notes: This story is set in the Dragonball Super Z universe created by Juuhachi-gou and Mirai Bulma. I do have their permission to write and post this. Never read their pics? Curious? There's a link on my website. I HIGHLY recommend their stories!)
Thank You
A Dragonball Super Z Story
By Hana Noir
My tea's gone cold
I'm wonderin' why I got out of bed at all
The mornin' rain clouds up my window
And I can't see at all.
And even if I could it would all be gray,
But your picture on my wall, it reminds me
That it's not so bad,
It's not so bad…
Juuhachi-gou scowled slightly as the fine mist drifted down from the sky. It might have been pretty under other circumstances, but now it was it a darn nuisance. She shifted her grip on the unwieldy chunk of concrete and steel and tugged, a small grunt escaping from her pursed lips. She could have easily blasted away the fallen piece of wall, but there was an intact generator behind it and she didn't want to take the chance of damaging it. It was needed too badly
In the last week, several hundred more people had drifted into New Hope City in search of shelter and employment. The city's resources were strained by the new influx and scavenging teams had to range farther and farther from the city in search of materials and equipment. She had remembered that the ruins to the south weren't in too bad a condition and had volunteered to go and see if she could find anything worth salvaging. The townspeople weren't too used to her yet and had viewed her offer with a hint of skepticism.
Ah, who am I kidding
, she thought sourly. I was lucky they didn't tell me to go to Hell. And offer to give me a personal escort.She lifted up on the concrete and managed to get her shoulder underneath it. She gave a prodigious heave and the thing moved. Quickly getting her hands under it, she heaved again, and it flipped off to the side. A steel rod that had been unnoticed caught her shirt and ripped it from stomach to shoulder
"Kuso!" she hissed, inspecting the damage. The shirt was ruined and a thin red line scored diagonally across her chest. A few drops of blood welled up sluggishly. It didn't really hurt and would be healed by the time she got back, but it was the last straw. With a scream of frustration, she blew the offending chunk of concrete into so much gray dust. The display of pique had done little to address her real problem. Since she had regained her memory, she had found it hard to deal with all that she had done. She could help the survivors with all that she could, but the fact remained the she was partly responsible for the way things were.
The people in the city didn't like her too much, either. She could tell. The looks, the whispers, the thinly veiled insults; every one burned into her soul. But she couldn't blame them. She didn't like herself too much at times either. How could they forgive her when she couldn't forgive herself?
A shadow passed by overhead, obscuring the dimly shining sun and she felt a familiar ki. She looked up to see Trunks swooping down beside the truck that she had brought with her. "Oi, Juu-chan!" he called, giving her an easy smile. She turned to face him and noticed a faint blush across his cheeks. Then she remembered the gaping shirt. She quickly pulled her arms in and turned the shirt around, putting the rip in the back. When she looked again, Trunks was looking at all the equipment in the back of the truck. She moved to inspect the generator, yanking up the bolts securing it to the concrete slab that was once a floor. When she was done, she took a step back and bumped into Trunks.
"I thought you might need a hand with that," he said easily. "It looks a bit unwieldy." She nodded and moved to one side of it, taking a firm grip. He caught hold of the other side and the two lifted it easily. The uneven and rubble strewn ground made it a bit difficult to get to the truck, but they patiently persevered. After they loaded it into the back of the truck, Trunks wiped the rainwater from his face and leaned against the bumper. "Looks like you found a lot of good stuff. That genny will be really appreciated. The hospital sure can use it."
She nodded, not having all that much to say. His small talk warmed a tiny corner of her heart. He and Bulma were the only two people that treated her like a human being and not a soulless automaton. They made her feel alive.
Trunks looked up at the sky, covering his eyes to keep the rain out of it. "It looks like the storm is getting worse." He looked back at her and frowned slightly. She was quieter than usual, almost withdrawn. "Are you ready to go?" She gave him a nod. "Want me to drive?" Another nod. They got into the truck and began their slow drive back to the city.
"I found a canning factory back to the east," Trunks said, trying to start a conversation. "The warehouse next to it was full. There was enough canned vegetables in there to feed the city for a month. There's a team there now, loading it all to take back to the city."
"That's good," she said softly. "I know there was some worry about the food supplies." She sat in the passenger seat with her elbow braced against the windowledge, head propped on her hand. The vents on the dash blew warm air, drying out her finespun blonde hair and damp clothes. The ground beneath them made the truck bounce and shimmy, but Trunks held the wheel firmly, not letting it get away from him. Juu stared out the window at the ruins in the distance, obscured by the now heavily falling rain. It made her head hurt. She closed her eyes, hoping it would go away. The warmth of the cab, the sway and dip of the truck and her headache conspired to lull her into sleep.
Trunks glanced over at her, then took a longer look. Her long sooty lashes brushed against her pale cheeks and she looked like a sleeping angel to him. He removed one hand from the steering wheel and reached over to brush a strand of silken hair from her face. A faint smile curved her lips in her sleep and he felt his heart thud. A sudden bump in the road pulled his attention back to the road and he concentrated on the job at hand.
I drank too much last night, got bills to pay
My head just feels anyway
I missed the bus and there'll be hell today,
I'm late for work again
And even if I'm there, they'll all imply that I might not last the day
And then you call me and it's not so bad
It's not so bad…
Juuhachi-gou was awake by the time they reached the large warehouse that was the main equipment distribution point. People were coming and going like ants from a mound, bringing and fetching equipment and supplies. Trunks backed the truck up through the wide doors then left in search of the shift supervisor. Juu went to the back and opened the doors, leaning against the bumper to wait for Trunks to return. She was acutely aware of the furtive staring and quickly whispered comments. With her mechanically enhanced hearing, the faintest whisper was as loud as a cannon roar. She wanted to scream at them all to shut up, but held her tongue. She closed her eyes so that she wouldn't have to see them at all.
Something bumped against her foot and she jumped, looking down to see what it was. A brightly colored plastic ball had bumped to a rest against her shoe so she bent down to retrieve it, examining it curiously. She glanced around, wondering how a child's toy had come to be in the warehouse.
A small scuffling sound from behind the rear driver's side tire caught her attention and she peered around curiously to see a small boy, no more than four years old, with long dark green hair and wide brown eyes hiding behind the huge tire. "Is this yours?" Juuhachi-gou asked softly, holding out the ball. He nodded, not moving, eyes locked on her. She tossed the ball at him gently and he caught it automatically.
"Thank you," he said softly, a hint of a lisp evident. He scuffed idly at the floor with one of his well worn blue tennis shoes, never taking his eyes off of the jinzoningen before him. "Are you really a demon?" he suddenly blurted out, clutching the ball to his chest. Juuhachi-gou was totally thrown by the innocent question. She didn't know how to respond. "You don't look mean," he continued, inching forward. "but my mommy said you were a demon."
"No," she said finally, "but I did some really bad things. I hurt a lot of people."
"Did you say I'm sorry?" he asked, complete serious. "My mommy says when you mess up you should always apopo… apop… apologize." He looked pleased to get out the big word, giving her a bright smile.
Juu tried to swallow past the huge lump in her throat. "I don't think all the I'm sorry's in the world would help." She shook her head, turning away from the innocent gaze he had fixed up her.
Her heart jumped when the little boy pulled at the hem of her shirt. "I didn't mean to make you sad," he said, his eyes beginning to fill. "I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry, too," she said softly, running a hand over his baby fine hair.
He latched onto her leg, smiling again. "I don't think you're a demon," he said. "You're too pretty."
Juuhachi-gou smiled down at him, his complement lifting her spirits. "Thank you."
"Hiro-chan! Where are you?" A pretty young woman with features echoed in the child came around the front of the truck. "I told you to stay away from the tr—" She broke off when she saw her child and who he was with. Her hand flew to her mouth and a look of naked fear crossed her face.
"I'm sorry, Kaa-san," he said, oblivious to his mother's reaction. "I wanted to see the big truck." He started to scuff his shoe on the floor again. Juu knelt down, keeping one eye on the woman, and put her hands on the child's shoulders.
"I think your mother wants you to go to her," she said softly.
"Oh, okay," he said with a sigh. He took a step toward his mother, then stopped and threw his arms around Juu's neck, giving her a smacking kiss. Suddenly bashful, he grinned, backing away. "I think you're an angel," he declared. His mother snatched him to her side as soon as he was close enough and led him out of the building quickly.
Juu smiled slightly, feeling her mood lift. She saw Trunks coming back with the shift supervisor and took one last look back at the rapidly disappearing child. Hn, I'll bet he'll be a heartbreaker when he grows up, she thought wryly before moving to climb up into the truck to help unload.
"Oy, Juu-chan," Trunks said, giving her a warm grin as he climbed up in with her. "The hospital's screaming for this genny. Good thing you found it, huh?" She endured the not so friendly glares from some of the other workers, bolstered by her encounter with the little boy and by Trunks' presence.
I push the door, I'm home at last and I'm soaking through and through
And then you handed me a towel and all I see is you
And even if my house falls down now, I would not have a clue
Because you're near me.
Trunks rolled his head back and forth as they walked in the door at Capsule Corp. All that repetitive lifting and straining had done him in for the day. All he wanted was a large meal and a hot shower. Then he noticed the way Juuhachi-gou's shoulders slumped as she walked down the hallway to her room. He took a deep breath and caught up to her, placing his hands on her shoulders and beginning to knead them gently. She stiffened at the contact, then began to slowly relax, enjoying the massage.
"It's hard for you sometimes, isn't it?" he asked softly. She tensed again and he kept up his effort. "All those people, staring at you, talking behind your back. I've noticed. And I've admired you for not giving up." Juu closed her eyes, her entire world narrowing down to the touch of his large hands and the sound of his gentle voice. He stepped closer, sliding his hands down her arms to grasp her hands and wrap her in his arms. She leaned back against his chest, listening to the sound of his heart beating against her ear.
"Trunks, thank you," she whispered, a lone silvery tear coursing down her face to land against the back of his hand.
And I want to thank you for giving me the best day of my life
And all, just to be with you is having the best day of my life.
And I want to thank you for giving me the best day of my life
And all, just to be with you is having the best day of my life.
Dido – "Thank You"