Part of him
Trunks was standing in front of several gravestones, placed in memory of the Z-fighters and their families. He was the only fighter left, after Gohan was killed by the androids a week ago, now Trunks was the last hope this world has to one day be free of terror again.
It felt wrong to Trunks, to him Gohan was supposed to defeat the androids, he was the symbol of hope for Trunks and so many others. Sure there were other fighters like Yamcha, Krillin, Tien, Piccolo and his own father Vegeta, they perished early on at the hands of the androids. Gohan was for a long time the only hope for this world and the only one Trunks knew of the fighters.
Trunks barely knew his father, Vegeta, Gohan was the one he grew up with, even if it only were for eight years. Gohan had helped his mother, Bulma, to raise Trunks whenever she was having another one of her depressed moods.
In those moods she wouldn't leave her room, feeling broken at the situation, at all the death that surrounded them. She would almost never talk and it differed how long she would stay in a mood like this, sometimes it would be two hours, other times it would be two days. Trunks often asked himself why Gohan didn't feel depressed at times, but when he asked, these were the words he answered:
"I know this sounds weird, but I'm used to it, this isn't the first time I experience this. When Krillen, Bulma and I were on Namek, Frieza's men were slaughtering the villagers. I know Bulma was also on Namek, but she didn't see that happening and sadly you grew up in these circumstances."
'Thanks to Gohan, mom and I didn't lose hope in all those years.'
That was why he was standing more specifically in front of Gohan's stone.
Written on the gravestone:
"In loving memory of
Gohan,
a fighter,
son and friend.
We will miss you."
Gohan was much more for Trunks though, Trunks knew that it was incorrect to add "father", but Gohan was a father to him and Trunks thought no less of him. Sighing, Trunks started to walk back towards Capsule Corp, where somebody else lived who was also affected by Gohan's death, Bulma.
Capsule Corp.
"I don't even know why we try any longer, I mean what chance do we have?" Surprisingly those words came from Trunks, who at the moment was sitting at the table with his head resting on his crossed arms on the table.
"I know it may seem hopeless now, but you can't give up." Bulma replied, sitting across the table.
"Why not? Gohan was the strongest fighter we knew? Who is supposed to save the world now? Me? I'm nowhere near his level." Trunks replied.
"Do you think Gohan was always strong? Gohan started lower, just like you, in time you will be just as strong if not stronger than him. You're already stronger than he was at your age." Bulma shot back.
"If I can make it that far, three weeks ago I got in over my head and Gohan paid the price with his arm, when that happens again he can't be there. I will get killed and were all done for, like we already are." Trunks finished softly.
Being done with her son's negative train of thoughts she stood up from the table and started to walk towards her son while wielding a frying pan as she ranted: "Now look at me mister, Gohan chose to save you because he saw how strong you can become, how you are a fighter and protector for this world. How you will be a successful successor to him and don't tell me any different, you know this is true, so dry your tears and prepare to kick some android ass."
Sure, his mother would continue to talk until she was proven right, but it would still have been calm and collected. Trunks was surprised at this swing in mood, so he checked his mother's ki, to see if there's something wrong with it, Trunks was more than surprised when he felt two kis instead of one ki in his mother.
"M-mom…?" Trunks stuttered.
Upon seeing the surprised wide-eyed expression on her son's face Bulma calmed down and asked a bit worried: "What is it Trunks?"
Pointing towards Bulma's stomach he stuttered: "H-how is-s it possible th-hat there's another ki inside of you…?"
Putting her hands on her stomach, her face got a scrutinizing look. After a moment her eyes went wide of realization when she got hit with a flashback and she paled a bit.
Trunks upon seeing her reaction asked: "Are you alright mom? Do you know what's going on?"
Hearing her son's voice she broke out of her dazed state, as she got a lovingly look on her face, like a mother would have towards her son. Walking around the table she stood behind Trunks as she ruffled his hair with one hand and replied: "You're still a little young to have 'the Talk' yet, but I will tell you in a simple way what you need to know."
Trunks nodded an "Okay", he didn't need details, he just wanted to know how somebody could have two kis instead of one.
"When a man and a woman are very close with each other, they can take a step further, which can result in having a child. That is the second ki you're feeling, there's a small baby growing inside me, like you once were. You are part Vegeta and part me, normally a woman has only babies with one man in her life, but this one…" Bulma stopped as she put her hand on her stomach again before continuing: "is part me and part Gohan."
*Flashback, five weeks ago:*
Bulma was in one of her moods again, so Gohan was staying over at Capsule Corp to help. After putting Trunks to bed Gohan decided to try to cheer Bulma up, grabbing some things from the kitchen. Arriving by her door he knocked a few times before entering, knowing Bulma wouldn't reply. Upon entering Gohan had refrain from blushing, Bulma had probably just taken a shower and was now with nothing but a towel around her chest sitting on the couch. Bulma was having a look on her face that said: "Why should I care, the world is doomed."
Puttig the glasses loudly on the table Gohan began: "Cheer up Bulma, let's have a drink, it should help ease your mind."
"How would you know?" Bulma asked agitated.
"My mother." Gohan said rather bluntly.
"Chi-Chi drinks?" Bulma said incredulously.
"Always when I get home late she is drinking, to try to keep depressive thoughts, like: Gohan isn't still home, so the androids killed him, out of her head." Gohan answered, serving the first glass.
"And why the second glass?" Bulma asked.
"Shared sorrow is half a sorrow." Gohan replied, serving the second glass and sitting down next to her.
"And you try this today because…?" Bulma asked skeptically.
"Even in the world where we live in now my mother is still very strict. So, phone when you're staying over at someone else, no alcohol before age eighteen, you know." Gohan replied, while making the "et cetera" movements with his free hand.
Bulma smiled at that, it appeared that people can still act they used to before everything went downhill, so why not her? Deciding to try and act like before she picked up a glass, clinked it with Gohan's and downed it in one gulp.
"Wow Bulma, take it easy, you're supposed to take sips from it." Gohan said.
Grinning she replied: "Says you, I've done this before you were battling Frieza, don't tell me you are scared of a little drink."
"At least I battled him unlike you." Gohan jokingly replied, before remembering he was a few times scared of him and gulped his own glass in one go.
After an hour of joking, remembering memories and drinking, the two were in an alcohol introduced state that is also called: shamelessly telling blunt truths.
"So when I caught Yamcha with some other girl in a bar and confronted him, he said that he was merely testing if the two of us should do this." Breaking out in laughter Bulma continued: "But he forgot that the girl was still there, so she gets angry, slaps him in the face and storms off."
"Hahahaha! Oh man, that's priceless, poor Yamcha." Gohan laughed.
"Makes you wonder if he ever would have found somebody." Bulma said, falling silent, she looked at her companion.
Seeing the mischievous look on Bulma's face Gohan started to get a bit nervous: "Uh, Bulma? Why are you looking like that?"
The alcohol began to affect more than the tongues of its drinkers. Crawling on her knees and hands, Bulma crossed the couch until she was less than a foot away with her face from his and asked with a dare I say seductive grin: "What, I was just thinking about you, surely you found yourself a girl already, it shouldn't be too difficult for a handsome lad as yourself."
Gohan found it difficult to keep himself from blushing, apparently he was failing at it, proven by what came next out of Bulma's mouth: "Is that redness on your cheeks? Don't tell me you've never looked at a girl aside from checking for injuries after you rescued another group of people?" Bulma stopped, before jokingly continuing: "Or are you looking for a guy? If that's the case than I hope you don't look at Trunks that way." Bulma finished with a laugh.
Judging on the look on Gohan's face he didn't think it was that funny, he looked angry and that was clear in the tone in which he answered: "How could you even think of that? I see Trunks as my own son." Gohan stopped, calming down, before the alcohol kicked in and continued: "And for your information I have been looking at a female, I've imagined her naked, stripping her down with my own hands and fucking her brains out."
To say she was surprised was an understatement, Bulma would never have thought of that from Gohan. With piqued interest she asked: "And who is the lucky lady?"
Gohan got a grin on his face as he answered: "So you see yourself as lucky?"
Silence…
"What!" Bulma exclaimed, this was unexpected to say the least, but to be honest, in her mind she had sometimes a mature only fantasy about her and Gohan. Sure, in the begin she didn't, but as he reached fifteen, it started, sure, as a kid he always was cute, but when he grew up into a teen he became hot. But now as an adult he looked absolutely gorgeous and it really started to get difficult to ignore those fantasies and for the last week she was almost thinking about it every day.
"Hahahaha!" Gohan laughed before replying: "Come on Bulma, don't tell me you try to not affect the male population. You walked around in nothing but your underwear in front of me and Krillin while on the way to Namek. That image stayed in my mind when I was growing up, you on the other hand still look as young as you were then."
'Sure I dress to look good, but the trip to Namek… Sure I didn't dress myself as much as I normally would, but that was because it was so hot aboard that ship that I would have melted if I wore any more. Plus Krillin was just a friend who wouldn't get any crazy ideas and Gohan… He was just a kid who shouldn't be affected this way.' Bulma thought.
'Guess even geniuses can make mistakes.'
'Is it really a mistake though?'
With the alcohol running wild she just decided to go for it as she closed the distance and their lips met, it wasn't a long kiss, but long enough. Pulling back, Bulma looked at Gohan to see his reaction: a bit of surprise, enjoyment and… was that disappointment?
With the alcohol still in their systems they leaned in and kissed again, which was eventually deepened and they started to caress each other's body.
Bulma stood up, standing in front of Gohan and let her towel fall of her body as she while smiling asked: "Well than, shall we make our imaginations real?"
After bit more than an hour, there were a few more empty bottles on the floor and they both were laying naked on the couch with Bulma on top of Gohan.
(Sorry, I don't do lemon or M-rated, but it obviously happened here.)
"I prubably should *hic* get to my bed tu *hic* get sume sleep." Gohan said, seeing that Bulma was already asleep, Gohan gently pried her off of him and laid her gently back on the couch. Laying a blanket over Bulma, Gohan picked up his clothes and went to open the door.
Opening the door the in falling light caused the dozed off Bulma to say something, a bit muffled by a pillow:
"Mmm-I love you-mmm."
Standing still in the door opening, Gohan Looked back over his shoulder before replying.
"Luve you too." Before going through the hallway towards his own room.
Next day neither could remember what exactly happened the night before, they only knew that Gohan tried to cheer Bulma up by having some drinks together. And guess what, it worked!
*End flashback, back to where we were:*
Trunks was silent, letting the information sink in.
Bulma spoke up again: "You're going to be a big brother, this baby and you both have half of me. It may be strange to both have a different half, but I'm sure you'll be the best big brother your half-brother or sister can have." Bulma stopped for a moment, before continuing: "Which starts with stopping being so negative, we don't want him or her to have a grumpy big brother, now do we?" She finished with a smile.
After letting it sink in Trunks was happy, a part of his mentor still lived on in his mother, sure it may not be orthodox, but he didn't made a problem of it.
'Gohan...'
Gohan, a part of him wasn't killed by the androids, that part of him would see the sun and while the androids were still out there, the world's hope just got a boost. Because now somebody is going to count on him to be best big brother he or she can have and Trunks would not let negative thoughts influence that. With his mind clear of doubts, Trunks would follow in the shoes of Earth's protector.
'Beware androids, for your end will come.'
Months later at the graveyard;
Kneeling down Trunks concentrated his ki into a thin beam and started to carve. Being done with his handiwork, even if it wasn't as straight as the rest, Trunks stood up as a smile appeared on his face. Turning around he started to walk back to Capsule Corp, towards his mother and his newly born half-sister Bra. He got a job to do, it was time to continue training, to make sure that one day children can grow up in peace again.
"In loving memory of
Gohan,
a fighter,
son and friend. and a father
We will miss you."