Hello, this is the re-write of Don't Wait Up. Many thanks to Lyhamia for giving up the story to me. I do hope you all enjoy my spin on it.

The DBZ timelines really confuse me so for simplicity's sake: in Trunks' future Goten exists and in this story Trunks' is traveling back to the past warn them all about the androids.

Enjoy!

"Are you packed for tomorrow sweetheart?" Trunks looked up at his mother as she spoke to him from across the dining table. They were both stood, searching through the debris Trunks had managed to scavenge, in search of anything valuable he could use for his mission. But the lavender haired fighter seemed somewhat distracted this evening.

"Wha.." He answered uncertainly, his eyes focussing on something behind Bulma, before he glanced at her. "Yeah." Trunks went back to examining the items on the table, squinting at the gadgets in the dim light of the room; recent events in their world had meant they had to resort to candlelight in the evenings. Burma frowned and, when Trunks was distracted with his task, she stole a glance behind her to see Mei, a recently orphaned medical student, the same age as her son, putting away medicines in the kitchen cabinet. She was out of earshot and busy with her work. Trunks and Mei had not spoken since an argument that morning.

Burma blew a straying strand of green hair from in front of her eyes and sighed deeply; Trunks had brought Mei back to Capsule Corp the day of the first android attack. It had been a terrifying and devastating few months since then; Trunks had lost his father, his teacher, his best friend. But he had found Mei. When they had first arrived at the house together, Bulma had smiled at her and found it odd that Trunks, who had hidden most of his model-esque, slightly ditzy girlfriends, should show up with a chocolate haired, grey eyed medical student. But her smile had faded quickly for Mei was shell-shocked from the news of the attack. Burma had never asked many questions; Trunks and Mei met at the hospital and he had rescued her, brought her home to keep her safe. At first, Bulma's motherly instinct had seen no more than friendship between them. Now, it was clear things had changed; the way Mei would smile upon hearing Trunks shout "I'm home!" after a mission into the android-ridden territory outside of their home. Or the way Trunks would become inexplicably angry when Mei would dare put herself into a dangerous situation, it was clear to Bulma that her son had finally found someone significant. And in these times, with uncertainty and death looming in every doorway, Bulma felt as though unspoken feelings and hidden affection was a waste of their youth.

"Here you are." The green haired scientist held up a vial to her son. He glanced up at her blankly. "Supplies for the journey back." She explained before her face fell; Trunks was headed to the past tomorrow, to learn more about the androids and warn them about the attacks. Would it work? She had no idea. Her son's blue eyes softened as he took the vial from her grasp but kept a hold of her hand.

"Hey," he squeezed her hand gently. "I'll be back." As a soft smile fell across Trunk's lips, his mother nodded at him.

"I know." They went back to searching through the debris found at the old Capsule Corp laboratories that morning. Burma looked up again and was going to ask Trunks to hand her something but yet again found him staring into the kitchen. "Why don't you talk to her?" Trunks jumped at the suggestion and looked over to his mother as though he had know idea what she was talking about. But he could see on her face that she was serious and sincere.

"There's nothing to talk about." He threw a useless piece of machinery back onto the table.

"Trunks," Bulma sighed, "don't make the same mistakes your father did." Trunks, who had never heard his mother speak of his father so directly, knew she had a point. He had never spoken to his father about anything other than training and now he was gone, it was painful to remember all the times Trunks could have told him he loved him but never did. He looked over to Mei, her brown hair falling onto the clipboard in her hands as she checked the medicines she was packing for Trunks' trip. They had fought that morning, argued about how he would not let her travel with him to the past. Why leave things on a bitter note? "Tell her how you feel."

Later, walking through the basement of Capsule Corp, Trunks was riddled with guilt and confusion.

Months ago, sitting in a diner in the centre of West City, Trunks was sat with his best friend, Goten, both were discussing their futures. Being the heir to a billion-zeni tech company, Trunks was finishing up a degree in mechanical engineering but took no interest in his course; he and Goten were often too busy enjoying Trunks' lavish lifestyle. They would skip class to pick up girls and take them to motorbike races that happened on the outskirts of town, or challenge each other to a duel and end up in a bar, faking injuries to see who could get the hottest girl's sympathy. Trunks had no idea about his future, he was enjoying life too much in the moment, he had never thought beyond the next morning, or the next girl. He had thought Goten was on the same page as him, but that day in the diner, something was different. Trunks would always remember the one question that Goten had asked, that would always replay in Trunks' head:

Hey, Trunks, do you like a girl?

Trunks, being the 21 year old billionaire playboy, had actually laughed off the question as though Goten had lost his mind. But the black haired boy had been completely serious; he had waited for Trunks' laughter to subside before he told him about Mei.

Mei was the girl-next-door. She had grown up around Goten and had never met Trunks for Trunks stayed in the city, she lived out in the country. After years, Goten was finally building up the courage to ask her out and needed Trunks' advice. The lavender haired boy had shrugged, not knowing how to talk to a girl you genuinely cared about. Trunks' relationships lasted two or three months at the most; he was in no position to give advice. But Goten had told Trunks he could envisage a future with this girl.

It was heartbreaking, utterly destroying, that only hours after that conversation, Goten and Trunks were ambushed by a blonde haired girl with strength the likes of which they had never seen. She had called in a boy with long black hair and evil eyes, a boy to which Goten had met his end. Trunks could not save his best friend. After escaping the android attack, Trunks had ended up at the university hospital in the city and there he had met her. A girl called Mei. At first, he refused to believe it was the same girl. But slowly, the evidence piled up and Trunks had to tell her of Goten's death. She had cried on his shoulder and begged him to let her help in the fight against the androids.

Within hours, the city was under attack. The two of them escaped together and Trunks brought her to Capsule Corp. Now, living with her every day, was torture. Seeing the way her eyes would light up when he entered the room, how she would smile whenever she caught him staring at her. It was awful. It was awful because he now had an answer to Goten's question:

Hey, Trunks, do you like a girl?

Yes. Yes, he did. He was madly in love with his best friend's first love. The best friend he could not save.

Every time he saw her, he was filled with unbearable guilt. Guilty for having failed to save Goten, guilty for having fallen in love with Mei. That's why she couldn't come to the past. Trunks couldn't bear to be alone with her. He avoided her at all cost. Going to the past, only having one another to confide in, he couldn't do it.

Then why, now, was he walking to her room? Why was he bothering to come and say goodbye? Why did he have to feel so guilty?

Turning to her door, Trunks lifted his hand and rapped his knuckles against the cold white plastic of the door. A few beeps issued from the keypad on the wall, before the door slid open. The room was dim; lit with golden candlelight. At the foot of her bed, Mei sat, her knees brought up to her chest, sat in her white shorts and cotton camisole. Her back was to him.

"Mei?" Trunks spoke her name from the doorway before taking a step inside the room, letting the door slide shut behind him.

"Yes?" It pained him that she did not turn around as she spoke.

"I'm leaving at 8 AM."

"I know." He sighed as she spoke and leant against the wall.

"What is it?" As he asked, she turned to him, her grey eyes sparkling silver int he candlelight.

"Take me with you." She asked softly. Trunks shook his head.

"No. You have to stay here, look after my mother."

"She's safe here!" Mei raised her voice. "It's you I should be looking after."

"I'm pretty tough," Trunks smirked, much to her annoyance. "I'll only end up with a few scratches." Mei rolled her eyes; his nonchalant attitude drove her mad sometimes.

"Oh, please-"

"No." Trunks said firmly, walking over to her bed so he was stood in front of her. "It's too dangerous."

"No more dangerous than it is here!"

"No." He spoke so matter-of-factly that Mei could not retaliate. She simply looked up at him in anger.

"You have a real good habit of making me hate you, Trunks." She spat at him.

"Is that right?" In an act of affection, he pushed her shoulder slightly.

"Stop it." Mei stood and batted his hand away, she walked away from him and folded her arms. She turned to him, pouting.

"Mei-"

"I'm in love with you." With this single sentence, Trunks' train of thought was thrown off the rails.

"What?"

"I'm so fed up of being so fucking confused all the time." The girl closed her eyes in frustration. "I don't want to do this anymore." She walked up to him, unfolded her arms and looked at him with innocent, round eyes.

"Mei." Why could Trunks only find the strength to say her name? He felt numb in his fingertips, as though he were no longer in his own body. As they stared at one another, to Trunks' surprise, Mei gently removed her camisole, and let it fall to the floor. Her lips held that familiar pout as Trunks' eyes took in the sight of her body, still disbelieving that this was happening.

"I want to be with you." As Mei said this, she took Trunks' hand and placed it on her waist. After a moment's hesitation, Trunks leant in to her.

I'm crazy about you." He whispered.

Reviews appreciated!