Criss-Cross: Chapter One

DISCLAIMER: I do own DragonNet, and CapsuleNet so please ask me if you want to use those, as for DBZ-Akira Toriyama owns it and everything related to it.

Entering her lab she set down her cup of coffee, and turned on her computer. While enjoying her cup of coffee, she waited for the computer to boot up, and logged in to CapsuleNet.

Bulma wasn't surprised that she had a lot of emails to go through; after all she was the Vice-President of Capsule Corp. however, what did surprise her was that their was an e-mail sent to herself. Wondering what she needed to remind herself, she clicked on it and waited for it to load which took seconds, and then saw it open up on the screen.

Hi PAST ME! Yes, it's future you. I know you want to contact me so just upload the program I sent you. Get this, the program I sent you, was a fluke I honestly was trying to fix a file on my computer when I made a mistake and well this program was made out of it. So check it out, upload it, and contact me back. I have loads to tell you.

Talk to you soon.

P.S. – All you have to do is just click on this link to begin sending me e-mails. The connector will automatically make the link to our computers happen. It's all automatic you do not need to do anything. Just don't turn off the internet or computer as it does its thing.

'Talk to you soon?' Bulma thought as she immediately clicked on the link and saw a silver icon pop up on her screen that was a menu saying connection completed, then she began downloading the computer program, just as it got to ten percent downloaded another e-mail pop up. She saw it was from herself, wondering if there was a time difference she looked at the time of the e-mails. The first one was from 3AM, and this new one was from 5AM, which was the hour it was now. So glad to know she could talk to her future self right now she opened up the new e-mail, while keeping the other one minimized so it could finish downloading.

Hi Past ME, just wanted to tell you that I finished making a new machine. Check this out, it is a printer/copier/fax machine with a major improvement, I have the ability of teleporting things to you, so we can send more than just papers. Here is everything you need to know to fix yours up. I figured you may want something to do so the other program can finish downloading if it hasn't already. Plus, if the program I sent you doesn't work we still have a way of sending things over. Pretty cool, huh? Well hurry it up so we can see if these things work! – Future You

Bulma immediately opened up this file which was just a plain, simple attachment and immediately set about fixing her machine. With a rush of excitement about contacting the future and getting things here and there, she got finished in a very short time.

Hi FUTURE ME! I did everything and my machine is ready to be tested. The computer program is at forty-five percent downloaded, so it will be done here shortly. Are you ready to test out our Fax Machines? – PAST You

In the Future

Future Bulma looked down at her cup of coffee and groaned, she had only half an inch left. Getting up she immediately went to get more, upon arriving in the kitchen she saw Trunks had already done the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen. She smiled…until she noticed he had emptied out the coffee machine.

"Oh Son why did you have to throw out the coffee! " Bulma as she looked at the empty pot, not feeling like waiting a long time for the coffee to percolate, wondered what she could do. "Oh! They made a McDonald's just down the road! I bet I can go get some right now!" She then grabbed her keys and purse then quickly got in to her car, and left.

Unknown to her, Trunks had just finished taking his shower. He had come in just a few minutes ago from his training session, and just now finished getting dressed in his usual attire.

"Oh man, I'm beat…" Trunks as he fell on to his bed when he heard his cell phone go off. "Hm? Hello?"

"Trunks, this is your Art Professor calling."

"Oh hello Professor." Trunks as he wondered why his teacher would be calling.

"I am just letting you know that I never received your Art Portfolio that you said you would fax over to me yesterday. I just received the front cover, but all your drawings and your essay never came through." Art Professor, "Is there a chance that you saved the Originals, so that you can send them again?"

"Yes Professor, I do have everything, I'll go ahead and send them to you right now so that you can have them by the 11AM deadline. Thank you for calling me." Trunks as he then said goodbye to his professor who had taken the liberty to call him so early, when he was a well known teacher for being late for his classes, and hung up. "Oh man, I was afraid this might happen." Trunks said as he grabbed his book-bag and ran down to his mother's lab. He entered it and got on to the computer and logged on seeing that his mother was on Standby knew it was safe to log on, and knowing they had the multiple phone lines due to Capsule Corp being a Corporation knew it was safe for him to do his work. He opened up the Word Program and found his essay, then logged on to the CapsuleNet system so he could send his essay to his teacher. Seeing it was successfully sent, he then opened his book-bag when his eyes caught something. There were two fax machines hooked up to the computer, shrugging he decided to use the one closest to him.

"Oh that upcoming project is due also…" Trunks said as he saw his class schedule another project was due on Tuesday and on Thursday of the coming week. "Hey if I get to work on those I won't have to go to class on those days, I better get to work on those after this. Good thing I already started to work on that one since it's due on Tuesday." Trunks happy that he was doing great in his classes this term, and still smiling while feeling proud of himself he began to fax over his project. "Two more days of training…" Trunks chanted as he began to fax the papers over.

Completely done in a short amount of time, he gathered his things, and went in to the living room to finish his other two projects for the coming week.

In the Past

Bulma watched as the computer program was at sixty percent when she heard a beeping noise, and looked at her fax machine in the corner. She ran over to it wondering what her future self had sent her. In excitement she jumped up and down as she waited for the fax to complete itself as she giggled like a schoolgirl, as it finished.

She was immediately shocked. There was a black and white drawing done by someone of great skill. Turning it upright she saw that it was Goku and Gohan standing side by side. Suddenly a beeping noise got her out of her surprise. She saw another picture was coming through this time it was in color.

She saw it was of everyone at Master Roshi's. She remembered what everyone was doing and saw herself in it as well! Surprised she turned the picture upright and immediately recognized it as the party they had for Cell's defeat. Everyone but her future son was in the picture.

Suddenly another beeping noise, and she waited. This drawing was done in charcoal, but looking at it you would have just seen a complete black paper with white stars, and small galaxies and planets with meteors here and there. She looked at it carefully and saw it was of Vegeta. But then she took another look at it and thought she saw Goku too. She went up to her desk and put the other drawings carefully down, and then took the picture in her hands and put it away from her and up to the light.

"Oh it's Gohan!" She said as she hit her head. "I should have known it was him, his hair just gives it away!" She then heard a beeping noise and put it down. She walked up to her machine and saw that it was a painting. It was of everyone, she remembered the group picture. It was done before everyone went to Namek.

Wondering who made these she began to look for a name but couldn't find them. She honestly thought it was Trunks, since the drawings came from the future, but then again the machine was made by her future self who could have made an error. The error could have been someone was trying to send her something and it was instead sent to her. Still she had no idea.

'Trunks could have drawn these though…but I am certainly no artist, I can only draw stick people. Vegeta well maybe but I doubt he even thinks of drawing since he is so in to his training. I wonder if maybe…future me had someone make these things from what Trunks told her what happened. That couldn't be though since she was never here and these are from the events that occurred here, except for this one before Namek. Wait a second this could be a side effect of our connection. I should inform the guys when they come to today's barbeque!' Bulma thought as she gathered the drawings and put them in an envelope. She saw that it was now eight o'clock and the guys were about to arrive to start setting up for the barbecue.

The Saiyans always made them have to begin cooking early, and since they ate so much, it was only a good idea to start as early as possible to make enough food for everyone.

So Bulma thinking her future self was absorbed in something that was happening in her time, she left to go and help the guys.

As she did, the fax machine began to beep as more drawings came out of it.

In The Future

Trunks was glad his second project was finished and faxed, and so began to get started on his third project humming happily when oddly enough his cell phone rang again.

"Hello?" Trunks as he picked it up.

"Trunks this is your Art Professor, I'm calling to ask if you had faxed your project over to me."

"Yes sir, I did about three hours ago and I just sent you my second project that's due on Tuesday just now." Trunks said as he sat down on the couch with his soda.

"Trunks, I haven't received anything. I've been grading papers right next to my fax machine and I haven't received anything. Are you sure you have my fax number?" the professor asked in a concern voice.

"Well I have…" Trunks as he told his professor his number, "That's the one that I have on my syllabus."

"That's odd, that is the right one. Trunks try sending everything again, and I'll tell you if I get anything on my fax, maybe my machine is malfunctioning. These machines are pretty old…they are from twenty years ago…" Art Professor as he told Trunks he was ready.

So Trunks began to send everything again, hoping everything would go through correctly.

In the Past

"Vegeta, the microwave's door is loose. Go get me my screwdriver from my lab so I can fix it." Bulma as Vegeta nodded and went to her lab.

Walking in, he went up to his woman's desk and took out her screwdriver that she needed, when he heard an odd beeping noise.

Turning around he saw that this machine was spitting out papers as fast as it could. Knowing they were more than likely important documents, he waited until the machine was done. Grabbing all the papers delicately he figured he would bring them to the woman.

Business was important after all.

"Here Woman and" He said giving her the screwdriver, "-these also came through your fax machine." He said as he handed her the papers. They had been spit out of the machine face first so he had no idea what they were.

"Oh thank you Vegeta…" She said as she noticed the pictures from earlier. "That's strange, these just came in, hey wait a second there are more!" Bulma as she started setting down each drawing one by one.

Vegeta was completely surprised that the papers were of them and so began to look at them. "Oh great this one is of Kakkarot!" He said as he grabbed the first one and looked at it. 'Of course it would be of him!'

"What do you mean Vegeta?" Goku asked as he stopped making the ice tea and went up to him, Vegeta handed the paper to Goku. "Wow! This is great! Hey Gohan, Krillen, Piccolo! Come take a look at this!"

"What is it dad?" Gohan as he walked up with Piccolo and Krillen, he handed them the drawings as Vegeta gave them to him. Of course Vegeta would be the one to look at them first when he stopped. His eyes narrowed as he began to take a look at the completely dark picture.

Goku saw him hold it out and raised an eyebrow, then turned it to the right, then left, then completely upside down then right back up, and then began to bring the drawing up to his face then back out then left and right again.

"Vegeta are you okay? Is your eyesight going?" Goku

"OF COURSE I AM AND MY EYESIGHT IS PERFECT! IT'S THIS BLASTED DRAWING!" Vegeta as he gave it to Goku who held it out like Vegeta.

"I see Gohan…but if you turn it this way it kind of looks like Piccolo." Just as Goku said that Piccolo balked and held out his hand.

"What! Give me that! I have the best eyesight out of all of us, I'll figure it out!" Piccolo as Goku gave him the drawing but he still ended up doing the same thing as Vegeta, who smirked victoriously seeing Piccolo having his predicament.

"Hey Piccolo, may I see it?" Gohan said looking up at Piccolo with a smile.

Piccolo without saying anything, gave it to him. Krillen and Gohan then began to start making guesses.

"You know it does look like Piccolo, but if you turn it like this I see you." Krillen

"Yeah, but if you turn it like this you see my dad, and then if you make it like this you see my dad, hey wait…no…wait I even see you Krillen. Take a look at the stars!" Gohan as he turned it in a diagonal.

"Hey you're right, wait a second if you turn it like this, wow! It's all of us you guys, even Vegeta is in here-next to Goku!" Krillen as he and Gohan held it out in another diagonal.

The guys gathered around and soon saw what they meant. It was indeed of all of them but at the same time, however, if you looked at it in different directions it was each of them one at a time: Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Piccolo, and Krillen.

"This is awesome a bit freaky but awesome!" Krillen, "Who made these?"

"I don't know, but there are more over here." Bulma said as she explained the situation and then showed them the second set which had four. These were drawings from their battles with Cell.

They saw Gohan in SS2 preparing the Super Kamehameha Wave, Vegeta facing off with Imperfect Cell in his Super Saiyan state. Vegeta facing off with Android 18 in his Super Saiyan State on the deserted road with Androids 16 and 17 behind her, watching them. Then they saw a group picture with everyone, this time it was of when they all were posing out front of Master Roshi's ready to go fight in Cell's tournament.

"Trunks isn't in any of these, not even this group picture." stating the obvious.

"I thought of that but…" Bulma said explaining her thoughts about the machine and the errors. "So you see that is why I was going to ask you guys when you came."

"Bulma I hear something beeping." Krillen as he turned to look around.

"It's coming from the lab." Piccolo as he saw Bulma, Gohan, and Krillen go into the lab. The guys waited outside the lab since they all wouldn't fit in her personal lab.

"There are more!" Bulma as she saw a third set coming in.

In the Future a few minutes ago

"There all done!" Trunks as he smiled, watching the last oil painting going through, when his cell phone rang again, he recognized the number immediately. Feeling positive that everything went through he opened it happily. "Hi Professor, I take it you got everything?"

"I'm sorry Trunks but it's just the opposite. I haven't received anything."

"WHAT?" Trunks completely in disbelief, "How can you not be receiving anything that I've sent you? Your machine must be malfunctioning!"

"No Trunks, I'm sorry but I have tested my machine while waiting for your papers and it has been running perfectly. Is your machine giving you any problems?"

"No, of course not!" Trunks knowing that he would have seen something if that was the case. "Hold on, Professor stay on the phone with me. I am done with everything. So I will try one more time to send you everything that I have. If you don't receive them then I will personally deliver everything to you." Trunks as he began to fax everything for a third time.

"Okay I'm ready." The Professor as he waited by his fax machine.

"Alright I'm sending them right now." Trunks as he looked at the machine carefully as he began to fax the papers.

Back to Regular time, in the Past

"These are…oil paintings…" Bulma as she looked at the first painting and then handed it to Gohan, who was holding the second set as Krillen held onto the first.

Bulma held on to each one very carefully.

"Bulma wait a second these are the drawings right, I mean no copies?" Krillen said as he looked at them and felt the paint on the oil paintings on a small part of the corner.

"Yeah, so these have to be originals!" Bulma said in surprise as she felt them in the same spot.

"Actually I think these are copies." Gohan said and then noticed he had to explain, "What I mean is if the artist wanted to send his original works he would obviously deliver them personally. However these were being faxed so these must be his extras, in case there was a problem he must have drawn or painted everything more than once."

"It makes sense since there are so many." Krillen seeing the dark charcoal drawing for a third time as he organized everything on Bulma's desk.

"Yeah." She said as she saw the three oil pantings. The first one was of someone who looked an awful lot like Goku except with short hair and a scar on his face. The second one was of Bulma and the guy in the other drawing standing side by side, except the Bulma in the drawing was a little older with her hair down to her mid-back in a ponytail. She wore a white sweater, blue jeans, and white tennis shoes and was handing a cup of either hot cocoa or coffee to the man in a kitchen atmosphere. The third was everyone standing in a group photo outside, but what was weird was even though Goku and Vegeta were in the lineup, Goku, the man from earlier, and Vegeta's faces were in the sky.

Then they all heard a beeping sound and saw a paper coming out. Gohan took it out and handed it to Bulma who in the meantime had finished downloading the program and saw that she just had to plug in her phone numbers she wanted to use and her fax machine information. This just took her a few minutes to do. Once she was finished, Gohan had received the paper and gave her the paper which looked like a Portfolio Cover. The picture on this was Shenlong in perfect form rising up towards the clouds.

"Trunks Vegeta Briefs, 2044…" Goku

"So it was Trunks!" Bulma, Gohan and Krillen said at the same time.

In the Future

"Trunks I still haven't received anything."

"Professor, can I please put you on hold for just a minute? Thanks." Trunks as he put him on hold, he then took a deep breath, "AAAAAAAAAAARGHHHHHHHH! Okay, calm down." Trunks then took the phone off hold and began to put everything in his bag leaving the Originals on the coffee table as he counted to twenty-four times, he then picked up the phone, "Okay I'm going to be there in ten minutes."

"Alright Trunks, I will be waiting for you." Art Professor as he looked at his clock which read 10:45 AM.

So Trunks, without needing to power up due to all of his pent up anger from the morning, left flying like a rocket out the back door as his mother got out of her car.

"Oh I guess he had a place to go. I wonder if Past Me has gotten her machine up and running…" Bulma as she saw him take off and entered her home through the front door as the phone began to ring, she immediately ran, careful not to spill her coffee, and pressed the auto button for the automatic answer with speaker phone so she could add her cream and sugar. "Hello?" She said as she wondered who would be calling so early.

"Hi Future Me, the fax machine has been working great! Thank you for sending Trunks paintings and drawings to us. They are absolutely breathtaking!" Bulma as she continued to tell her future self that everyone really enjoyed looking at them.

"Bulma, I didn't send you those…" Future Bulma said when she suddenly remembered how fast Trunks flew off. "Trunks…"

"Oh if he did, please tell him what I said." Past Bulma not knowing her future self hadn't meant that, when Gohan told her to put her on speaker so they all could talk to her. They were in her living room and were having the barbecue while showing each other the drawings and paintings. Past Bulma informed everyone she was turning it on speaker so they could all talk to each other.

"Hi future Bulma!" Everyone when suddenly they heard a loud bang from over the phone.

"MOM! STAND ASIDE I'M GOING TO BLAST THAT DAMN MACHINE TO HELL!"

"Trunks!" Future Bulma

"THAT STUPID THING GAVE ME PROBLEMS ALL MORNING LONG! YOU'VE HAD IT FOREVER AND IT IS OBVIOUS YOU CAN'T FIX IT!" Trunks

"Trunks! You tried sending something over this machine?" Future Bulma

"YES AND IT DIDN'T WORK! I WASTED MY ENTIRE MORNING TRYING TO FAX MY DAMN HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS OVER TO MY TEACHER AND IT DIDN'T WORK!"

"Trunks don't swear, and let me guess it didn't work?" Bulma amused.

"THAT'S WHAT I JUST SAID!" Trunks still obviously angry, "I TOLD YOU IT DIDN'T WORK! IT DIDN'T SEND IT TO MY TEACHER AT ALL, NOT ONE DAMN THING!"

They heard Bulma laughing hysterically.

"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU LAUGHING? I ALMOST LOST EIGHTY PERCENT OF MY GRADE TODAY BECAUSE OF YOUR MACHINE!" Trunks

"Son this machine sent all of your assignments to the Past." Bulma as she looked at her son.

Brief moment of silence.

"Every…single…paper?" Trunks

"Hm…hmm." Bulma amused

"Mom…did you happen to connect that machine to your computer in the past?" Trunks asked in a slow manner.

"Who else would I send things too?" Bulma still amused.

"…I hope she doesn't show them to dad…." Trunks as he was about to leave the lab.

"Why not?" Past Vegeta not helping himself, why wouldn't his son not want to show them to him?

"YOU HAVE THEM ON SPEAKER PHONE? WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME! MOM! GET BACK HERE! MOM! STOP LAUGHING! YOU OWE ME AN EXPLANATION!" Trunks as he followed his mom who told them she would call them later and was still laughing as she hung up the phone.

"Well that went well." Bulma as everyone was laughing about the whole thing so no one noticed Vegeta had left.

He had gone up to his and Bulma's bedroom and took out a small capsule.

POOF! There showed a huge cardboard box that had many trapper keepers.

Vegeta took out the top one and placed in the pocket one of every drawing and painting that was sent to them, albeit accidentally by his son.

He then took out his other trapper keepers and began to take a look. "I can't believe this was done three years ago." He muttered as he looked at a drawing of Bulma, Goku, Gohan, and Krillen that he had done in charcoal.

"Hey I wore that outfit on Namek!"

Vegeta still sitting down on the carpet jumped in surprise.

"So you do draw. He got it from you." Bulma as she looked down at the trapper keeper Vegeta had been looking at in his lap.

"Yeah." Vegeta as he looked at his mate who was looking over his shoulder.

"...along with your temper." Bulma as she saw him blush some more. She giggled and then left.

Vegeta smiled and then noticed his lap was empty, "DON'T YOU DARE WOMAN! WOMAN GET BACK HERE! BUULMA!"

"HEY GUYS TAKE A LOOK AT THESE!" Bulma's voice as Vegeta ran after her.

THE END