A Father's Job
12:36 am at Capsule Corp and all was quiet, the huge building had been shut down for the evening, the top three levels which were occupied by the Brief family had few lights burning. For safety precautions and one still glowing bright, the one that led to the Gravity Compartment.
It had been a little over a year since the defeat of Buu and everything had been peaceful for the most part, a new baby which the Brief couple had was the excitement of the town, the three week old Bulla, was known as the richest baby in the world, thanks to the popularity of her mother and grandfather, as well as Trunks.
Bulma slept soundly in the huge luxurious room, two chime bots' standing ready on command mode sat in the other side of the corners in the room. Trunks room was down the hall from his parents a huge room as well equipped with everything a young boy could think of, on the wall was a huge plasma screen TV, with all the known game systems sitting on built in shelves and rows and rows of video games. Toys littered the floor and his desk was covers with small mach cars and a few papers for school work.
Trunks was stirring slightly in his sleep, obviously he was having what could only be known as a nightmare, the boy was slightly damp from his struggle under the covers, his handsome face contorted into that of one that would be described as confused yet upset at the same time.
Trunks and his mother were running through the out plains, and in the distance his father and Buu (the tall, nose less wonder) were fighting. Trunks in the dream had seen Krillen and Gohan die and then Mr. Piccolo went to help his dad but he couldn't see him anymore. Trunks was crying, but still trying to be brave for his mother, she pulled him close and hugged him tightly, and then all of a sudden the large rock they had been hiding behind, blew up.
In the air majin Buu hovered and he held Vegeta in his left arm, he smiled viciously at the boy and then dropped Vegeta, he fell hard to the ground.
"Dad!!" Trunks yelled up to him but their was no response Vegeta wasn't even moving.
"Vegeta No!!' Bulma cried and then pushed Trunks aside and ran to Vegeta's life-less body. Buu gave a low in-significant growl and then shot a beam right through her throat, she fell to the ground and lay motionless.
"Mom….. momm..y." Trunks was crying hard tears , he simply sat looking at his dead parents, again Buu smiled and then a huge explosion engulfed His parents bodies, "No!!!—"
Trunks jerked upright in his bed, "Mom!!...Mommy!!!" he sat sobbing and crying rather loudly, his handsome face covered with a mixture of sweat and tears, his t-shirt was damp as well.
Bulma came running into the room; the lamp was on so she noticed Trunks right away. "What….what's wrong…what's wrong baby?" she said as she went and sat on the bed, Trunks was only eight he was still quite small. Trunks pushed him up and hugged his mother tightly, almost to the point of pain, he didn't know his own strength.
"Oh…baby, it's ok." She said as she smoothed his hair down.
She sat back from him and looked at his small face; his nose was red as were his eyes and his cheeks stained with tears. He was trying to quit sniffling, Trunks was in a stage where he was trying to be tough and of course like all little boy's do act like his father, she used her thumbs to wipe away his tears and then said,
"Honey…its ok. Everything's fine, you had a nightmare?" she asked,
Trunks wiped his nose and then nodded.
"You wanna tell me about it?" she asked in the same tone.
Trunks shook his head; he was already beginning to feel embarrassed that he had cried, he didn't want to talk about why. Bulma looked at him and then sighed, she leaned down and kissed his damp cheek and then said, "Its ok to get upset son, and it's ok to get scared." She said as she sat back but her small thing fingered hands still cupped his face.
"Here let's get you into some fresh clothes," she said as she stood up and then reached down and pulled Trunks top off of him, she tossed it into the hamper and then walked over to his dresser and pulled out a small white t-shirt. She walked back over to him and helped him adorn the shirt. Bulma flipped his pillow to the cool fresh side and pulled the cover's back.
"What's going on here?" came a rough voice from the doorway.
Bulma turned and saw Vegeta standing in the doorway, a face towel in one hand and a sports drink in the other and sketched on his face was the ever so present scowl.
"There's daddy" Bulma said gently and gave her son a soft smile, Trunks looked around her and saw his father standing in his doorway and he looked upset. Trunks knew he would get mad at him if he found out he had been crying.
Bulma kissed Trunks on the cheek and smoothed back his hair again and then said, "Goodnight sweetie" and she turned to leave, she walked up to Vegeta and looked at him before saying "He had a nightmare, it frightened him. He doesn't want to talk to me about it, but I'm sure he'll talk to you. Reassure him that everything is fine, it's the only way we'll get him back to sleep, and don't degrade him." She said with a snarl.
Bulma was always over protective of the brat, Vegeta thought to himself as his scowl darkened while watching her pass. Vegeta looked into the room and saw his small son sitting on the bed, Vegeta scoffed they boy had been crying, Vegeta hated it when he cried, his son wasn't weak but he appeared so when he resorted to that action. But Vegeta hated it more for just its weakening appearance, he hated it because his years of fatherhood had made him more sentimental, he felt a pang of sadness for his children when they were upset, he truly hated the feeling, he thought he was becoming weak in his old age.
Vegeta walked over to the bed and looked down at his son who sat silently looking at his sheet, trying to avoid his father's stare so that he could not see he had been upset.
Vegeta had a completely different approach then Bulma, "We'll what's the problem?" his rough voice sounded.
Trunks released a long breath and then said, "I had a bad dream."
"So what?" Vegeta said, again his voice was so rough but it was always that way. In a way the rough tone of his father's voice comforted him.
Trunks wiped at his eye and then said, "I got scared."
"So what was this dream?" Vegeta tried Bulma's tactic, all of a sudden Trunks was up off the bed and had thrown his arms around Vegeta's waist. He squeezed him tightly.
Vegeta could feel Trunks small body shake slightly with sobs, "You …you were fight…fighting Buu, and he killed mom…and…you." Trunks said shortly.
Vegeta looked down at the top of his son's head; he took a small breath and then tossed his drink and towel into the arm chair that was off to the side. He reached down and took Trunks by his upper arms and then lifted him up to where he was eye level, even though he was still crying Vegeta's scowl darkened and he said, "Enough".
Trunks took a deep breath and held it and though his eyes still strained trying not to leak tears and his body jolted ever so slightly trying to contain his sobs, he was completely silent.
Vegeta pulled the boy to his chest and held him there for a moment; Trunks wrapped his arms around Vegeta's neck and hid his face in the crook of Vegeta's neck.
"Your tears will do nothing, dry them now. You've seen your mother and I'm standing right here." Trunks started to have after sobs, so his body jerked ever so slowly.
Vegeta gave Trunks a few moment's to settle down and then took the few steps to the bed and then set him down in the middle of it, Vegeta bent and got the covers and tossed them over his son's lap.
"Buu was defeated long ago. Your mother is fine" 'and in any case if I were a betting man, I'd place money on your mother should she have confronted Buu' Vegeta thought with a smirk and then drew his attention back to his son.
"I'm here and nothing's going to harm you, or your mother." He said gruffly, he felt a little strange talking to his son like this it was awkward for him.
"And Bra too?" Trunks asked.
"Of, course." Vegeta said gruffly as he stepped back and over to the chair where he had tossed his beverage and towel, he gathered them up and then turned and looked at Trunks who was sitting up.
"Lye down" Vegeta said harshly.
Trunks scooted himself down and then laid back. He pulled the covers up to his chest and looked at his dad.
Vegeta reached down and pushed Trunk's bangs out of his face, how it annoyed him when he couldn't see his son's face, Vegeta wanted to hack them off. "Go to sleep." Vegeta said and then he turned and made his way to the door,
"I love you dad." Came Trunk's small voice, Vegeta turned and looked back at him, he 'hmphed' and gave his son a slight nod, Trunks knew that was his father telling him he loved him back, Bulma had explained to him many times that his dad just wasn't 'a man of word' as she put it, but Trunks had a bond with his father that he wouldn't trade for anything in the world.
"Good night dad" Trunks said as his father turned and finished his way out of the room and all that came back to him was a "Go to Sleep " before his door was shut and his father was gone.
Trunks smiled to himself and then pulled the covers higher up on himself and slowly drifted back to sleep.
Vegeta rounded the corner and stopped short when he saw Bulma leaning against the wall one arm wrapped around her waist and the other resting on her forearm as she chewed on the pad of her thumb. She gave him a pretty smile.
"What?" he said gruffly
She pushed herself up from the wall and walked up to him, the smile still on her face. She moved very close to him and said, "Your just, so good with children, Vegeta."
Vegeta scoffed at her and cocked his head, "Women, tend to the young" he said dryly.
"Hmm, well, then, what do you say we try for three?" and with that said she kissed him quickly and then pulled away she gave him a teasing smile and then turned and walked back down the hall into their bedroom.
Vegeta smirked and then swiftly followed her into the room, this was a wonderful way to start the day, Vegeta thought to himself as he shut the door behind him.
The End