And Time Continues

Tuesday, March 22nd. 12:30 AM

Marron gazed out the window and let out a depressed sigh. She looked upward, at the twinkling little lights above, as the twinkled merrily, with no cares for the Earth at all, let alone her own problems. Were the stars there for just decoration? she wondered. Or do they really help people's dreams come true? Marron laughed. She knew if her husband were there beside her at the moment, he would give a more scientific answer. "Neither," he would say, "a star is nothing more than a ball of burning gas."

Marron sighed again. Turning her head ever so slightly, she gazed at the clock on the nightstand. 12:30 AM, it read. Averting her attention back to the stars, she wondered what Trunks was doing so late. She knew he was still working, but what could he be doing? He did know that she was still waiting for him, didn't he? Waiting for him like always.

"Mommy?" a little voice whispered behind her. Marron turned around to see Polo, Trunks and her only son, tightly clutching his favorite stuffed dog.

"Polo? What are you doing up? You know you have school tomorrow."

"I'm sorry, Mommy," the little boy said in an almost whiny voice. "I had a bad dream. I couldn't go back to sleep."

Marron looked at the little boy for a moment, his dark blue eyes welling with tears. Then she shook her head, smiling, for she couldn't say no to the child, just like she couldn't say no to his father. She sat on the bed, then motioned for Polo to come join her. He smiled, climbing unto the king-sized bed with his mother.

Tucking her son under the covers, she asked him, "What was this bad dream about?"

Polo held his toy dog closer to his body. "I was being chased by this monster," he said softly. "And it was trying to eat me."

"I see," Marron said. "What did you do?"

"I ran. It chased me around the house. I looked for you and Daddy, but you were both gone. Then I woke up. I tried going back to sleep, I really did, but I was too scared."

"Well, I'm here now," Marron said affectionately, "and I'll always be right here. So you don't have to worry about icky monsters anymore." She kissed Polo's forehead. "Now go to sleep." Polo snuggled under the sheets and laid his head down. Closing his eyes, he asked his mother, "When will Daddy be home, Mommy?"

"I don't know. If you could go to sleep, you'll see him in the morning." Polo turned on his side to face his mother. He breathed in an slow, even tempo, and Marron smiled. He's just like his father, Marron thought. Both such fast sleepers. She began to tuck Polo's short, blond hair behind his ear. The little 6-year-old had many of both his parents' traits. Like his father, he was very curious to a certain point. When he knew something was dangerous, he was very cautious, like his mother. He had dark blue eyes, Trunks' eyes, but light, blond hair, like Marron. He was sweet and considerate, yet can smooth talk his way out of trouble.

Marron was surprised at how fast six years went by. Her memories traveled back to the day Trunks had proposed to her, to unite together forever, physically and mentally. Trunks was the catch of every girl's eye: handsome, intelligent, compassionate, caring, and wealthy. Marron –along with everyone else – was surprised when Trunks asked her to go out with him, one evening, for dinner, because Trunks always teased Marron when they were kids. The both of them enjoyed the other's company so much, however, that once every week became once every day. Finally, after 2 years of going steady, Trunks had popped the question, and the rest is history.

Lately, however, Marron felt that Trunks was more distant from him now. He was always busy working for Capsule Corporation, making decisions, going to meetings. He left so early in the morning and came home so late at night. He went on a lot of business trips, and Marron just began to see less and less of him. Marron closed her eyes as she decided that she would tell Trunks how she felt, hoping that they would be able to work something out.

Tuesday, March 22nd. 7:45 AM

The bright sun shone through the blinds and into Marron's sleepy eyes. She rubbed them, urging them to open, and sat up. As she stretched her arms, she looked down and realized Polo was no longer there. Looking at the clock, which read 7:30, she realized why. He must be getting ready for school, she though. Marron grabbed her robe and slipped it on as she headed down stairs.

The smell of bacon was the first thing she realized as she advanced in to the kitchen. The second, as she opened the door, were the people at the table. The first one was Polo, making airplane noises as he ate his cereal. The second was Trunks, laughing as he watched his son. Marron watched as Trunks picked up his cup of coffee. His hair, with the same color and softness of a petal of a lavender blossom, his eyes as blue as the bluest river. Everything seemed perfect about him: his movements, his posture, his manners, and, Marron's favorite, his smile.

Trunks turned his head towards Marron, and his smile deepened. "Hey," he said, in his warm voice, "good morning."

"Good morning," she answered back. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"Well, you looked so peaceful while you were sleeping, and Polo and I didn't want to wake you. Right Polo?" Trunks asked with a wink at his son. Polo nodded cheerfully as he stuffed another spoonful of cereal in his mouth. "All done!" Polo exclaimed happily.

"Great," Trunks said, "now go get ready for school or you'll miss the bus."

Polo pouted. "Why do I hafta keep taking the bus?"

"I'm not letting you jump the roofs of buildings again," Marron said harshly, "and you can't fly yet."

Polo nodded, then walked innocently up to his father as Trunks stood up to put the dishes in the sink. "Daddy," he said, "when will you teach me to fly?"

Trunks patted Polo's messy blond hair. "Have you asked your grandfather?"

"Grandpa Vegeta said that you should teach me."

"I'll teach you soon, I promise."

Polo crossed his arms over his chest in a grumpy fashion. Trunks almost laughed. Just like that, Polo looked similar to his father. "It's not fair!" Polo whined. "I bet you learned to fly before you were 6!"

"I did," Trunks stated in a smart-aleck tone, "but Gozen can't fly yet either. I bet his dad is waiting until much later, like when he learned how to fly."

Gozen was Polo's best friend in the whole world, just like their fathers were best friends. Goten married Paris shortly after his father, Son Goku, had left with the Eternal Dragon, Shenlong. A year after their marriage, just like with Marron and Trunks, Paris became pregnant. She gave birth to a son, whom Goten called Gozen, because "it was really early in the morning, and I was tired," Goten had said.

"Really?" Polo asked. "When did Uncle Goten learn to fly?"

"He was seven."

"But Dad! I'm turning seven next year!"

"I'll teach you to fly before then."

"Promise?"

"Promise," Trunks said with a smile. "Now hurry on upstairs." Polo nodded and walked up the stairs, counting each step as he went. "1, 2, 3, 4…" he went on, and Trunks was able to hear him as he went along even though Marron couldn't.

"Trunks?" Marron said.

"What's up?"

"Do you feel, like…where not as close as we were when we got married?"

Trunks looked at her, surprised. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well," Marron started, trying to find the words to explain, "I just feel, you know, with all your work and stuff, I feel that we don't spend as much time together."

"I see. So what should we do about it?"

"I'm not sure."

After a moment's pause, Trunks said, "Well, how about you and I go out for dinner tonight?"

"That's a good idea," Marron agreed, "but who will watch after Polo. Your dad won't, and you mom is going out of town tonight."

"Oh yeah." Trunks ran his finger through his hair. "And Bra is going shopping with Pan tonight."

"What about Goten?"

"He and Paris might be doing something tonight, as always. Gozen is possibly stuck with Chi Chi again. She won't be up to looking after two kids, especially since she gets tired a lot."

"What about Gohan –"

"Nuh-huh. He and Videl are going on a business dinner. And your parents?"

"You know Dad can't handle Polo. Polo drives my parents crazy. So now what?" Marron asked.

Trunks shrugged, then his sensitive Saiyan hearing picked up the sound of an engine starting up, then the sound of wheels pulling away. He walked into the living room and glanced out the window, and was in time to see a yellow school bus turn the corner and disappear.

He sighed as Marron walked in. "What?"

"The bus just left," Trunks replied.

"And Polo's going to be late…again!"

"He can hop the roofs again."

"And then he could fall and break another bone? I don't think so, Trunks." Often, Polo was late in catching the bus to school, so he would jump roof to roof from every building to get to school, since he couldn't fly yet. Once, however, he missed his mark and overshot one of the roofs. Going at the speed and velocity he was going at, he wasn't able to stop himself and hit the ground very hard, breaking his leg.

"But Marron," Trunks protested, "he's a Saiyan. His body is built for taking worse hits than that. Whatever doesn't kill him makes him stronger."

"Saiyan or not," Marron said, "I don't want Polo jumping roof to roof."

There was a knock at the door. Marron walked over to the door and opened it. Gozen ran inside immediately.

"Gozen! Hold up!" a familiar voice was heard saying. Goten walked up to the front door, smiling. "Mornin' all," he said cheerfully.

"Hi Goten," Marron said. "What brings you here?"

"I saw the bus pull up to your house. After a while, it left…without Polo. I figured he was late, so I came by to see if you want me to take him to school."

"Would you?" Marron asked cheerfully. "That would be so sweet of you."

"Actually, it was Gozen's idea." Gozen smiled the ever-so familiar Son smile, big and goofy.

"Hey Goten," Trunks piped up, "are you and Parisu doing anything tonight?"

"No. Not me, anyway. Parisu is going into Satan City and getting her hair done."

"Could you watch Polo tonight then?" Marron looked at Trunks, who just smiled.

"Sure. Want me to pick him after school? Then I'll take him home, and you can pick him up later."

"Yeah, that's fine." Trunks turned to the staircase. "Polo! Hurry up! You'll be late for school if you don't move it! Your Uncle Goten is here to take you to school."

Polo came running down the steps. "What happened to the bus?" he asked.

Marron walked over to him and bent down to fix his collar. "You missed it," she replied. "But Uncle Goten will take you." She stood up as Polo ran over to Gozen and the two of them ran outside.

"Did you take the car?" Trunks asked.

"Well," Goten replied lazily, "Gozen and I flew from the mountains until we reached the edge of the city, then I pulled out the capsule car. You know how Mom wants us to look 'normal.'"

"Yeah," Marron replied sarcastically, "that's really gonna happen with you guys." Goten and Trunks laughed sheepishly. Then Goten waved goodbye and headed out the door. Trunks and Marron heard the sound of a car door slam, and the start of an engine. Trunks heard the sound of it until it was really far off.

"I better be getting to work," Trunks said, grabbing his glasses of the coffee table. As he slipped them on, he added, "Mom's gonna kill me if I'm late."

"Trunks? Do you think you can pick something up for me later?"

"That depends, Marron. Where and when?"

"At the jewelry store –"

"The jewelry store? Jeez, Marron! Don't you have enough jewelry already?"

"This is special Trunks. Now listen. The man at the jewelry store said it would be done around 11."

Trunks combed his fingers through his hair. "Wish I could Marron," he replied, "but I have a luncheon today. Mom wants me to meet with some clients, and it's a major deal."

"Can't you do it before the luncheon?"

"I'll try, but I'm really busy until I get out of work."

Marron sighed, then said, "Never mind, Trunks. I'll just get it myself. But that means I'll have to get a taxi."

"So?" Trunks asked

"You know I don't trust those taxi drivers. I'm afraid they'll crash or something."

"Marron, they have licenses –"

"But that doesn't mean they can't slip up or something."

Trunks laughed. "Marron, you worry too much." Trunks kissed her lips softly, and headed out the door.

Tuesday, March 22nd. 11:30 AM

Trunks pulled out a pen from the drawer from his desk, and then turned on the radio. Looking at the clock, he noted that he had half an hour until the luncheon. He gazed up at the calendar hanging on the wall across from him, memorizing for the hundredth time what the date was. Tuesday, March 22nd. Trunks then noticed a folder under his arm, and, opening it, began reading through all the papers. As he did so, a female reporter's voice began to broadcast the national news.

"…a taxi swerved off the road and crashed into the lamppost in front of the bank…"

A car crashed, huh? thought Trunks.

"…and with such force that lamppost toppled on top of the taxi…"

Trunks stopped reading for a second, looking at the radio. Then, his attention went back to the document in his hand.

"…witnesses report that the passenger in the taxi is a young woman with long, blond hair…"

There was a slight nagging feeling in the back of Trunks' mind, but was too small for his consciousness to pick it up.

"…and a crane has been called to hoist the lamppost off the taxi." After what seemed like half an hour to Trunks, the reporter's voice stated, "This just in. Sources confirm that the young woman in the back is indeed Mrs. Marron Briefs…"

Trunks dropped the pen he was holding in his hand. Had he heard right? Marron? Marron was one of the victims of that car crash? His wife, Marron? His mind tried to deny it, saying it was possibly someone else. But his heart knew… there was no other Marron Briefs in the world. Trunks could feel it. He knew that it was her.

"…it appears that the taxi driver is holding the base of a broken liquor bottle," the reporter said. "Police suspect that the driver was drunk when –"

Trunks clicked the radio off. His mind worked frantically, think what to do. But his heart already had the decision he wanted. He would go there, now.

He went over to the window and opened it, just as his secretary opened his office door and stepped inside.

"Sir?" she asked. Trunks looked at her, looking as though he had been caught leaving work early again.

"This isn't what it looks like," Trunks said in a deep, hushed voice.

"It looks like you're sneaking out again, sir," she said with a hint of impatience in her voice. "The limo's here to take you to the restaurant."

"Call my clients, cancel the luncheon."

"Sir…?"

"There was an accident," Trunks said flatly. "I'd give you the details if I could, but I don't know them myself. Call my clients and ask them to reschedule. If my mom wants to know where I am, tell her I went out. If she gets really impatient, tell her to call me on my cell phone. Could you do that for me?" His secretary nodded, and Trunks flew off, towards the bank, hoping it wasn't too late.

Tuesday, March 22nd. 11:40 AM

It was a complete mess when Trunks got there. He landed behind the crowd, who stood behind the "Do Not Cross" lines that were hanging there. There were police cars and reporters, as well as an ambulance and a fire engine. What Trunks noticed that wasn't there was the crane. The chief officer was yelling at one of the other policemen.

"Where is that crane?" he asked angrily.

"I don't know, chief," the other said.

Trunks watched as everything went haywire. He knew somehow that if they waited for the crane, it wouldn't make it in time. Trunks was pushed from behind, until he somehow got to the front of the crowd. Looking around, Trunks jumped over the "Do Not Cross" line and headed over to the taxi.

Trunks heard many exclaims about him crossing the line, and the police tried to stop him. But Trunks made his way past them and over to the taxi. As he examined the lamppost on the taxi, the chief officer grabbed Trunks' shoulders.

"Son, what do you think you're doing?" he asked Trunks gruffly.

"You do realize that my wife is under there, don't you?" Trunks shot back at him. Many reporters broadcasted the information to the world that Trunks Briefs was at the crash site.

"I understand that, Mr. Briefs, but the crane –"

"Won't be here in time," Trunks finished. "Do you plan on stopping me?"

"But what can you do about it, Mr. Briefs?"

Trunks didn't answer. Instead, he walked over to the end of the lamppost, at the front end of the taxi. Then he grabbed the lamppost and lifted it off the taxi. People gasped, and reporters announced the incredible feat into the cameras. Trunks then tossed the end of the lamppost to the side of the taxi, and it landed on the ground with a terrific rumble through the city. Firefighters came with axes to tear open the damaged car, but Trunks had them wait for a moment. Noticing the window was broken, Trunks got on top of the car and, grabbing the place where the roof of the car and the glass of the window met, and he ripped the roof of the car open.

Trunks looked inside, completely shocked. There was the driver; an old, overweight man, leaning against the steering wheel, holding a broken liquor bottle. Then there was Marron, here once golden hair stained with dark blood, her snow-white skin covered with large cuts, her dress torn. Trunks reached down and gently grabbed her arms, pulling her out if the car as the firemen were pulling out the driver.

"Marron?" Trunks whispered. "Marron?" He gently shook her, but she responded to neither. Placing two fingers on her neck, he found a very faint pulse. Hopping down from the taxi, he reluctantly gave Marron to one of the men, who put Marron on a stretcher. Then, as they placed her and the old man in the ambulance, he motioned for Trunks to ride with them. Trunks went inside, and ignoring the loud wailing of the siren, he stood away from the other men as they checked Marron and the driver. He only watched, silently, his mind was very far away from the present, only dreading what the future would bring…

Tuesday, March 22nd. 3:27 PM

Trunks paced around in small circles, nervously, impatiently. His tan jacket was resting on a chair, his green tie was undone. His glasses were hanging from the pocket of his white shirt, which was stained with dried blood. His hair was messed up, as was his mind. It looked as though Trunks were expecting a baby. However, the situation was completely different. Checking his watch, he noticed he had been there for almost three hours. How long could this take? he wondered.

He nearly jumped out of his shoes when his cell phone rang. He grabbed his jacket, and fumbling through his jacket pockets, he finally found his small, blue phone. "Hello?" he asked

"Trunks!" a familiar female voiced boomed angrily.

Trunks cringed. "Hi Mom."

"What in the world do you think you're doing? Canceling the luncheon?"

"Mom, I can explain, I –"

"You better explain, mister. Where are you? I would feel so good to go down there and kick your –"

"I'm in the hospital, Mom," Trunks broke in. "Marron had an accident."

There was silence on the other line only for a moment. Then, Bulma said quietly, "What happened?"

"She was in a taxi," Trunks explained. "The driver was drunk, and he crashed into a lamppost. It collapsed on the taxi. I canceled the luncheon and headed over to the crash site and got the lamppost off, and I went along to the hospital."

"How's she doing?" Bulma asked.

"I don't know yet. No one's come out, and they haven't told me anything yet."

"Well, call me when something comes up, okay?"

"Right. Bye Mom." Trunks hung up and placed his cell phone back in his jacket pocket, dropping it on the back of the chair. He sat down, rubbing his temples with his index fingers. He sighed, checking his watch one more time. He placed his face into his hands and rubbed his eyes gently and combed his hair with his fingers. "I don't know how much longer I can wait," he muttered.

"Daddy?" Trunks quickly looked up to see Polo coming from down the hallway.

"Polo?" he said.

"Polo?" Gozen called, running around the corner. Goten was right behind him, then Pan, and finally Bra.

Trunks stood up as they came his way. "What are you guys doing here?" he asked.

"I was picking up the boys," Goten said. "Then I saw Bra and Pan and offered to give them a ride to the mall."

"We ran into traffic on the way," Pan took over, "and Bra wanted to know why the area was blocked."

"The police officer said there was an accident, and that you and Marron were there," Bra finished, "and that you both went to the hospital. Are you all right, Trunks?"

"Yeah," Trunks replied, "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Goten asked, looking at the dried blood on Trunks' shirt.

Trunks looked down to where Goten's eyes were. "Oh, that. That was…I mean…um…" Trunks scratched the back of his head. "This isn't my blood," he said with a nervous smile.

They all looked at Trunks with a questioning look. "Wait," Pan finally said, "then that means that –"

"Yes," Trunks quickly cut off. "That's what happened." Clearing his throat, he knelt down to the kids and said, "I bet you guys are hungry, aren't you?" Both boys nodded eagerly. Trunks pulled out his wallet and gave them some money. "Go find some food," he said, scooting them off.

As they left, Goten turned to Trunks. "Why'd you do that?" he asked Trunks.

"I'd rather not talk about the accident in front of them," was Trunks' only reply.

"You'll have to tell Polo eventually," Pan said. "We are talking about his mother here."

"I know, I know. But I'd rather not explain it to him now."

"You should call Kuririn and Juuhachigou," Bra said. "They do have a right to know."

"Are you crazy?" Trunks asked, almost yelling. "They'd slaughter me."

"Why?" Goten asked. "It's not your fault that Marron was in the accident."

"Yes it is," Trunks said sadly. "She wouldn't have been in the taxi to begin with if it weren't for me."

"I don't follow you, Trunks." Pan and Bra nodded to show that, they too, were confused.

"This morning, Marron had asked me to pick up something at the jewelry store, around 11. I said I couldn't, because I was really busy at the office, and I had a luncheon. So Marron said she would take a taxi and go pick it up herself."

"So?"

"If I had just said 'yes' and gone to pick it up, Marron never would have had to get a taxi."

"But like you said," Bra said, trying to calm her brother, "you were busy in the office."

"Since when did I care about what happens in the office?" Trunks asked her angrily. "Since when did I care about how much work I have? Never stopped me before. I could have just gone out the window and go pick up whatever Marron wanted me to pick up, and go strait back. No one would have known I was gone. But I decided do work, and Marron got a taxi with a drunk driver." Trunks shook his head. "Yeah, that was one of the best choices I've ever made," he said bitterly.

For a while, no one said anything. Finally, Goten said, "I agree with Bra though. You should tell Kuririn and Juuhachigou. They do have the right to know that their daughter's in the hospital."

Trunks nodded. "I suppose. Just wish there was an easy way to tell them." Grabbing his jacket, Trunks pulled out his phone and dialed the number for Master Roshi's island. It rang a few times, and then someone picked up.

"Hello?" a male voice said on the other end.

"Hi," Trunks said, trying to keep his voice from cracking, "is Kuririn there?"

"Speaking," the other voice said in a cheerful manner. "Who's this?"

"Trunks."

"Hey, Trunks. What's up?"

"Um…you didn't happen to here the news earlier, did you?"

"No," Kuririn said. "Juuhachigou and I were doing a bit of training. Why?"

"It's about Marron –"

Kuririn's voice changed. "Marron?" he asked. "What happened?"

"There was a car accident in West Capitol City. Marron was in a taxi that was driven by a drunk driver. The taxi crashed into a lamppost and fell on the taxi. Marron's now in the hospital."

Kuririn's voice had no sense of emotion that Trunks could hear. "I see. Any word from the doctors?"

"Not yet. But Kuririn, I'm really sorry about –"

"Why are you sorry? It's not your fault."

"Yes it is, you see, I –"

"I must go now Trunks. Thank you for telling me. Call me if any more news turns up."

"Wait, Kuririn, I –" Trunks was cut off by a click and then a dial tone. Kuririn had hung up.

Trunks turned off his cell phone as he combed his fingers through his hair. He felt really horrible. For himself, for Kuririn, Juuhachigou, and especially Marron.

"How'd it go?" Goten asked.

"Could have been worse," Trunks replied flatly. But he didn't like how Kuririn sounded when he told him about the accident. He didn't sound like himself. It could have been possible that Kuririn was hiding his emotions, Trunks decided, so that he wouldn't become more upset than he possibly was already. Trunks did that himself from time to time, especially when he and Goten were kids. Trunks would lead Goten to someplace dangerous, and Goten would get scared. What Goten never knew was that Trunks was also scared, he just never showed it. He thought that if he didn't show that he was afraid, he wouldn't be afraid.

But that wasn't how Kuririn acted. Trunks knew that his father acted that way, but Kuririn never did. He always showed how he felt. Why was he hiding it now?

Polo and Gozen came around the corner, holding containers filled with food. They were talking about training, but stopped when they reached Bra, who was standing in their way.

"Polo," Bra said, "your daddy has something to tell you." Trunks looked at her, daggers shooting from his eyes, as Polo came towards him.

"What is it, Dad?" Polo asked, excitement etched in his face. He looked so happy to Trunks, and Trunks didn't want to tell him the bad news. But, looking at his friends, they urged him on. Sighing, Trunks picked up Polo and sat him down on his lap.

"You know when Uncle Goten picked you and Gozen up from school? And the girls too?" Polo nodded. "There was traffic, and the police man said there was an accident, and your mother and I were there? Well, I was there."

"But you said that you were okay," Polo argued.

"I am okay, but that's because I wasn't in the accident. I was there…trying to help your mother."

"Mom?" Polo asked. "What happened to Mom?"

"Well, she was in a taxi with a drunk driver –"

"What's 'drunk' mean, Dad?"

Trunks combed his fingers through his hair in frustration. But he tried his best to keep his voice calm enough to explain to Polo. "Being drunks is like…being dizzy. When your dizzy, you can't see straight, your head hurts a lot, and you can't really think straight either, right?" Polo nodded. "Being drunk is kind of like that," Trunks continued. "The driver was drunk, so he couldn't really see or think straight enough to drive."

"But then why did Mommy get in that taxi?"

"Your mother didn't know that the driver was drunk until he started to drive, but it was too late by then. He didn't know what he was doing, and then he crashed into a lamppost. He hit the lamppost so hard, it fell on top of the taxi."

"Oh no," Polo said, fear glittering in his eyes. "Then that means that Mommy –"

"Unfortunately, yes," Trunks said with a slight nod. "Your mother is in the emergency room right now, and the doctors are doing all they can to help her."

"Daddy?" Polo asked, on the verge of tears. "Is there a good chance that Mommy's gonna… will she –"

"Shh. Let's not think about that for now, okay?" Polo nodded, his head leaning against his father. Trunks knew that he had to be strong for Polo, for Polo was only a child. But now, he was just doing the same as he did when he and Goten were kids. He was just not showing how scared he actually was. The bad thing about it was, this time, Trunks wasn't sure if it would work.

Tuesday, March 22nd. 10:30 PM

Trunks paced around again, waiting for the doctors to finally finish. Goten sat as he watched his best friend walk back and forth, like a ping-pong ball. The two had been at the hospital for hours. Bra and Pan had taken Polo and Gozen home since they had school the next day. Trunks had decided to stay at the hospital, and Goten offered to stay with him. Trunks told Goten that he didn't have to, but the truth was that he was glad Goten was there with him. Just in case he couldn't take it.

"Why don't you relax Trunks?" Goten asked.

Trunks glared at him for a quick second, then looked strait ahead into nothing. "Easy for you to say," he shot, "your wife isn't in the emergency room."

"Yeah," Goten agreed, "but if Parisu was in the emergency room, and I was acting the way you are right now, you would say the exact same thing."

Trunks looked at Goten with a cold stare, but Goten copied the look. Unwillingly, Trunks cracked a slight smile. No matter how hard he tried against it, Goten could always cheer Trunks up in any tense moment.

"You're right, Goten. I need to calm down. Worrying isn't going to make Marron any better."

"Exactly."

"But, it's just that…I dunno, I guess I can't help it. I mean, we've been here for hours, and we haven' heard anything. How long is this gonna take?"

Goten shrugged. "I'm not sure. I'm getting really impatient, though."

Trunks scoffed. "You're impatient? What about me? My wife is in the –"

The door suddenly opened as a doctor came out. "Mr. Briefs?" the doctor asked. Trunks looked up. "We've finished the operation, and –"

"Is Marron going to be okay?" Trunks asked.

"It's hard to tell right now, sir. There's a fifty-fifty percent chance that she won't make it, even tonight. She's awake now, however, and she has requested to see you."

Trunks nodded, then walked slowly to where the doctor came out. A nurse escorted him to what room Marron was in, and then left. He walked in quietly, nervous of what he might find. There was a bandage wrapped around Marron's forehead. Her hair was no longer in their neat pigtails. There was an IV tube in her right arm, blood flowing from the small bag and through the tube into Marron's body. Her left leg was held in a cast, elevated. Even lying there, covered with bandages and cuts, she was still as beautiful as ever.

Sitting down in a chair next to Marron's bed, Trunks gently placed his hand on Marron's arm. "Marron? Can you hear me? It's me…Trunks."

Marron's eyes fluttered open, as she slowly turned her head towards Trunks. Upon seeing her husband, she smiled. "Hi," she said softly.

"Hi," Trunks responded, trying to hide his happiness that she was all right. "How do you feel?"

"All right, for the most part, I suppose."

"The doctor said you wanted to see me?"

"Yes, Trunks. I need you to do something for me."

"Yeah, sure Marron. What is it?"

"In my purse, there's a receipt from the jeweler. I want you to get the receipt and take it to him to get the necklace that I ordered."

"A necklace?"

"It's a special one," Marron said smiling. "I was actually going to give it to you."

"Give it to me?" Trunks asked.

"In around three weeks. But I can't do that now, so I want you to pick it up as soon as you can."

"What do you mean, 'I can't do it now?'"

"You know what I mean, Trunks."

"No…Marron –"

"Take care of Polo, and tell my parents that I love them so much."

"Marron," Trunks pleaded, "don't say that. It'll be okay. You'll heal in a few weeks, and everything will be –" Trunks was cut off as Marron placed her finger on his lips. "No, Trunks," she said, "nothing will be the same anymore. We both know it." Sitting up as best she could, she leaned towards Trunks and placed her lips on his, as gentle as their kiss earlier that morning, but longer. Doing nothing at first, Trunks finally returned the kiss. As their lips finally parted, Marron fell back on the bed in pain.

"Marron?"

"I'm okay. Trunks, I'm so sorry. I wish that this wasn't happening either, but we can't undo anything that's been done. I'm sorry." Marron wiped away a tear that was escaping from her eyes. Trunks looked into Marron's sapphire eyes and knew that this would be the last time he would be able to see them.

"Trunks, I love you so much. I always have. You were the only one I ever thought about, and I was so happy when you asked me to marry you. You've made me so happy, Trunks." Trunks didn't look at her, afraid of showing any tears. He remained silent, unsure of what to say.

But Trunks did watch as a dark cloud passed over Marron's eyes, and, as she drew her last breath, placed her hand on Trunks'. Then she was still, quiet, peaceful.

Placing both of her hands on her chest, Trunks stoked her hair, even though she could feel nothing. His shoulders shook violently, but only one tear fell down his cheek, disappearing into the bed, and gone forever, just like Marron's life. He had lost her for good, and he knew that there was nothing anyone could do about it. The dragon balls were gone, and now death was permanent. But even if they were still around, Marron couldn't have been brought back to life. She hadn't died in the actual car crash, but died afterwards, a natural death, and the Eternal Dragon couldn't bring back someone who died naturally.

He hadn't said anything, he realized, when Marron told him how much she loved him. He hadn't said anything. Now it was too late. Marron wouldn't be able to hear those words now, or anymore. But somehow, they escaped from his lips. "I love you, Marron."

There was a creak of the door, and soon Trunks felt a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Trunks," Goten said. "We'll all miss her. But I can't believe she died now. If only she coulda lived for three more weeks."

"Why?" Trunks asked. "What's so important in three weeks?"

Goten looked at him, shocked. "How could you forget? You of all people, Trunks. Three weeks from this Saturday is your wedding anniversary, April 16th. If Marron could have lived until then, the both of you would have been married for seven years."

Thursday, March 24th. 9:42 AM

Goten watched as Trunks stood there, focusing all his energy, drawing it all out, a little at a time. Vegeta, who was nearby in the gravity room, watched as the two boys trained. Trunks' energy spread all around him, surrounding him in a swirl of light. Suddenly, his blue energy flashed gold as Trunks' hair turned upward and became gold. His eyes changed from blue to green. His energy continued to increase until it has reached its maximum point.

He charged at Goten swiftly, and Goten only had time to block as Trunks aimed a punch to his face. Kicking Goten's legs, Trunks caused him to lose balance. Goten fell forward, and Trunks kicked him hard in the stomach, hurling him up into the air.

He flew several hundred feet in the air before he used his energy to stop himself. Then Goten's black, upright hair turned gold and his black eyes turned green. His energy glowed around him, like an aura of light. He sped downwards, towards Trunks, and aimed his fist towards Trunks. Trunks grabbed it, and prepared to knee Goten in the stomach. Goten blocked, and both boys flew back into opposite directions. They flew high into the air, and then sped at each other. They punched, their fist hitting the other. Goten aimed both his fists at Trunks, but he just caught them. Lightning swirled around their fists, as the boys tried to overpower each other.

They flew back once more, as they became two balls of energy. They charged at each other, and there was a blinding flash in the sky. It was too bright for a normal human to see what happened, but Vegeta knew exactly what was going on. Suddenly a ball of light went full speed towards the ground, the impact causing a rumble in the Earth. Goten, lying on the ground, panting, turned normal, his hair tilting to the side, his eyes black again. Trunks landed next to him, his hair falling back to place, lavender, and his eyes turned blue.

"That's enough Trunks," Goten said breathlessly, "I can't train anymore. Let's take a break."

"You can go ahead," Trunks said coldly. "I'm not going to."

Goten sat up. "But you trained all day yesterday. You didn't rest then either. Bulma told me so."

Trunks looked away. "What's your point, Goten?"

"My point is that I've never seen you this way before, even when we were kids and we actually liked to fight. We always took a break when we trained before. Even your dad takes a break once in a while. Come on, Trunks. Just to get something to eat or something, then we can get back to training."

Trunks shook his head stubbornly, but his voice wasn't as cold as it was before. "You go ahead," he said, holding out his hand to help Goten up. "I feel like training some more."

Goten grabbed Trunks' hand, pulling himself up. Dusting himself off, he said, "Trunks, why are you training so hard?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're getting so worked up, and I've never seen you like this before. You trained after we got back from the hospital; you trained yesterday and today nonstop. Training isn't going to bring Marron back."

"Don't you think I know that?" Trunks yelled. "Nothing can bring her back. I'm not training because of that. I have my own reasons Goten."

Goten looked at his best friend, then nodded. Changing the subject, he asked, "When's the funeral?"

"Three weeks from Saturday, on our wedding anniversary. Marron's body will be kept in cold storage until then to keep the body fresh."

"Did you finish arranging everything?"

"Almost."

"What about work?" Goten asked. "Won't your mom yell at as usual for not going to work?"

Trunks chuckled, shaking his head. "Mom let me take a temporary leave from work. She wants me to clear my mind before returning to work."

"That could take a while," Goten said with a mischievous smirk. Trunks punched him lightly in the shoulder. "But you don't get off entirely, do you?"

"No. Mom gives me stuff from work to look over when she comes home. But it's a whole lot better than actually being there."

Goten put his hands into his pockets. "Wanna get something to eat?" he asked.

Trunks smiled, but shook his head. "No, I'm okay. You go ahead. I'll come in later." Goten shrugged, and headed inside the house. Trunks sighed, and then increased his energy, as he punched and kicked an invisible enemy. Why am I training so hard? he

asked himself. What am I trying to do?

You're trying to keep from feeling so helpless, an eerie voice whispered in his mind. You know that you couldn't protect Marron, so you're training, thinking you want to protect your friends and family. It's just an excuse. And besides, what could you do to protect them? You're too weak. You don't have the strength to help anyone.

That's not true, Trunks argued.

Of course it is. You don't have the strength or the energy to do anything. You haven't slept, you haven't eaten. Not since Marron died. The only thing that is keeping you going is your failure to protect Marron.

Trunks tried to block out the voice, but he couldn't block his own thoughts. He tripped, falling hard onto the ground. On his hands and knees, he stayed there, arguing with his own thoughts.

Vegeta stayed at the window of the gravity room for a while, watching his son. Then he moved away, leaving the room, the doors closing behind him.

Thursday, March 24th. 6:00 PM

Trunks sighed impatiently as he sifted through the stack of papers. His desk was a mess, full of documents and the funeral papers, he couldn't find anything he needed. Growling softly, he lifted a bunch of papers, and was startled by a sudden thump noise.

He looked under the desk, and saw a picture frame lying face down. He picked up and looked at the picture that the frame held. It was Marron, smiling as she held the little hands of little Polo, who was learning to walk in the picture. Marron was wearing jeans and a tank top. Her hair was done in two pigtail buns on the side of her head. Trunks smiled sadly, then opened a drawer and placed the picture inside.

There was a knock on the office door. "Come in," Trunks said, resuming to look through the mess of papers.

The door opened as Bulma's head appeared. "Trunks?" she said sweetly.

"Hi Mom," Trunks said dully.

"Trunks, have you eaten dinner yet? Or can I put the food away?"

"You can go ahead. I'm not hungry."

"So are you saying you haven't eaten?"

"Yeah," Trunks said, not looking at his mother, "I guess so."

Bulma sighed as she entered the room. "Trunks, I'm beginning to worry about you," she said, placing her hand on his back. "You haven't been sleeping or eating, and your making it worse by training. Without any energy, you're just tiring yourself out. That's not good Trunks."

"I'm sorry Mom, I…just have a lot of things on my mind that's all."

"Well, eat something, okay? What are you doing, anyway?"

"I'm supposed to be signing some funeral papers and reading the documents, but I can't find my pen anywhere."

Bulma pulled the pen from behind Trunks' ear. "This pen?" she asked.

Trunks' cheeks turned pinkish as he laughed embarrassingly. "Yeah," Trunks said, taking the pen from his mother, "That pen."

"When you finish, I want you to eat something. I'll put some food in the microwave, okay?" Trunks nodded. Bulma kissed his forehead and began to leave. But before she left, she said, "Make sure you sleep, all right? You look so tired."

"Right Mom," Trunks responded as she left. He sighed, then grabbed one of the funeral papers. Taking off the top, he began to write, but no ink came out. He disassembled the pen and saw that no ink was left. He threw away the empty plastic tube and opened his desk drawer to get another one. As he was looking for one, he came across a capsule. Pulling it out, he read the number on the capsule: 104. He searched his mind, trying to think of what the capsule held.

He shook his head as he suddenly remembered. His sword! The sword he had received from Tapion before he left in the time machine. Trunks had been looking for this sword for a long time. How was it that he found it now? Unless…

Was the finding of his sword telling him something? No, that was silly. However…

Why not? the eerie voice said. What's the point of staying here?

I'm needed here. Trunks thought angrily.

But what's the point of being here if Marron isn't with you? You married her to be with her for the rest of your lives. Her life has ended, why don't you end yours? You wanted to be together forever, so why don't you?

Why am I thinking this way? Trunks panicky wondered.

You know you want to. You'll do anything to see Marron again. If you sneak away at night, no one will know until it's too late. You and Marron married on the 16th, and you two will be buried on the same day. Together forever, just like you wanted.

What about Polo?

He can live here with his grandparents. It's not unheard of. Besides, your father will end up outliving your grandchild's mate. But that's because Bulma will go out naturally. Death of old age, unlike Marron. You want to be with her, so do it. Do it tonight.

Trunks shook his head to clear out the thoughts. He opened the drawer and pulled out the picture, looking at Marron. He sighed. "I suppose I could," he whispered. "If I could be with Marron again…"

Vegeta, standing by the door, walked away as quietly as he could, so Trunks wouldn't know that he was listening.

Thursday, March 24th. 11:50 PM

A crash downstairs woke Bulma up that evening. Sitting up in bed, she looked next to her to see that Vegeta was still next to her. She got up, grabbed her robe, and headed downstairs. As she walked through the hallways, she looked into the each bedroom. Bra was in her room, and Polo was in his. Trunks however, was not.

She went downstairs into the kitchen, and, even though it was dark, she saw Trunks putting a chair upright.

"Trunks?" she said softly.

"Mom!" Trunks said surprised. "What are you doing up?"

"I might ask you the same question, Trunks. And don't say you came for a midnight snack, because I know you're not."

"I'm not doing anything."

"You're dressed up for going out. Are you doing a little midnight training?"

"Um…yeah, you could…say that I guess."

"I thought I told you to rest, Trunks."

"Um…it'll be…just for a while, Mom."

Bulma was about to tell him that he could train for a while, but she saw something that he was holding. It looked like a capsule. "What's that?" she asked.

Trunks put it into his pocket. "Nothing."

Bulma moved closer to her son, close enough to grab the capsule he had put into his pocket. Even in the dark, she could make out the number on the capsule: 104.

"Trunks, what's this?"

"Nothing, Mom. It's nothing." He tried to get it back from her, but Bulma pressed the top button and there was a loud pop. When the smoke cleared, Bulma found herself holding a heavy sword.

She gasped. "Trunks, what are you –"

Trunks grabbed the sword and headed for the back door. As he opened it, he turned to look at her and said, "Bye, Mom. If I do what we think I'm going to do, then I'm sorry." And he was gone.

Bulma went to the door and watched as Trunks flew away. There was a strong gust of wind as he took off, and he shot into the air. She knew she couldn't go after him, the fastest jet could never catch a Saiyan, especially if he can transform into a Super Saiyan. She could only hope that her son wouldn't make the decision that she thought he would. She could only hope.

There was a strong breeze that passed her, and it only lasted a moment. The funny thing about it was that she felt as though the breeze came from inside the house. She shrugged, thinking it was her imagination. She headed back upstairs, wondering how she would be able to go back to sleep. As Bulma climbed into bed, she felt that something was missing. She looked at her side, only to discover that Vegeta was gone.

Friday, March 25th. 4:30 AM

Trunks fell to the ground, panting. Looking up, he noticed that his vision was out of focus. He shook his head, only making his head pound. Slowly, he got up, and transformed into a Super Saiyan. He threw a punch into the air, and felt a sharp pain. He held his arm, still panting. Focusing all his energy, he let it surround him. Focus! hethought. Focus! You won't be able to protect anyone if you don't.

Who says you can protect anyone? the eerie voice sneered once again. That's just something you're not capable of doing.

Trunks gritted his teeth as he fought his invisible foe. He fought hard, but his energy was very low. He hadn't eaten, and he was tired. But he pushed himself to his limits, and even beyond. His level of energy increased to a level he hadn't reached before. His body screamed for him to stop, screamed that he needed to rest, but he pushed himself on. Unaware, his hair became a little longer every minute.

You think you have what it takes? the eerie voice mocked. No one needs the protection from the likes of you. You're nothing.

Trunks growled, pushing himself far beyond what his body was normally capable of. His body felt as though it tear right down the middle, but he kept going.

You're nothing, the eerie voice repeated. You're nothing. You're nothing…

Trunks screamed as his energy shot everywhere, lighting up the darkness. His golden hair became longer, lightning bolts shot all around him. He had finally ascended to the second level of a Super Saiyan.

He stayed that way for a while, but suddenly fell forward, changing back to his normal state. He hit the ground hard, but pushed himself back up. Letting out a cry of frustration, Trunks pounded the ground with his fists.

"What good is my power if I'm so weak!" Trunks yelled into the emptiness. "What is wrong with me!" Trunks' fist became tighter, his nails digging into his skin.

Didn't I tell you? You should have listened to me. Just end it now.

Trunks looked up, then got to his feet and grabbed his sword, leaning against a rock. He pulled it out of its sheath, dropping it on the ground. He held the sword in front of him, looking at his own eyes in the sword. His reflection glared at him, as he held the sword so the tip of the blade was a few inches away from his chest. He held it there, frozen, for what seemed to him like an eternity.

What are you waiting for? Do it now!

Trunks' hand quivered, but his mind kept it steady. As quick as lightning, he twisted the sword around, and pierced the blade of the sword deep, deep, deep into the ground, letting out a cry of anguish into the stillness of the night.

"How pathetic," Trunks muttered. "I don't have the strength to do anything."

"On the contrary," a horse voice said, surprising Trunks. "What you just did proves how strong you really are." Vegeta walked out from behind the tree he was hiding from.

"Dad?" Trunks asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought I would have to stop you from a making a huge mistake. But now I see that you have more strength than I gave you credit for."

"What are you talking about, Dad? The only reason the sword isn't in my chest right now is because I got scared."

"It's more than that, boy. If under the situation you're in right now, a human would also consider the choice you were about to make. Only someone with real strength would find what it takes to continue on with their life."

Trunks sighed. "How would you know?" he snapped. "You have no idea what I'm going through."

Vegeta looked at him. "Sit down Trunks. There's a story I've been planning to tell you for some time, somewhat similar to your current situation."

Trunks huffed, but sat on a rock on the riverbed. Vegeta sat next to him, looking at the river.

"Before I met your mother," Vegeta said, "when I was around Polo's age on the planet Vegeta, I was taken away from my father by Freeza. He threatened to kill my father if I didn't do as he told me. So I obeyed every one of his commands. He turned me into what I am today."

"What happened?" Trunks asked. "To your father."

"He was killed. He fought against Freeza and died trying. Then Freeza blew up the entire planet, the entire Saiyan race."

"Dad? What does that have to –"

"I had been lied to. If I hadn't listened to Freeza, and stayed there to help my father fight Freeza, I might have made a difference."

"But, Dad, there was nothing you could have done. You only listened to Freeza to make sure that your dad would be okay. You didn't know that Freeza was going to double-cross you like that."

Vegeta smirked. "Funny how similar our situations are, isn't it?"

"Huh?"

"You just told me that I didn't know that Freeza would double-cross me. Just as you didn't know that Marron would get a cab with a drunk driver. It's not your fault that your mate died, and no one says otherwise."

"But, Dad –"

"There was nothing you could have done to prevent it. You didn't know, and you can't change that. But you can't spend forever thinking that you are to blame. Your mate wouldn't want you constantly attacking yourself like that, would she?" Vegeta stood up suddenly and quickly flew off.

Trunks watched as his father flew off, until the darkness completely covered him. Bending down at the river, Trunks cupped his hands and dipped them into the cold water, splashing it on his face. Then, pulling his sword out of the ground, he placed it back in his sheath, as a ribbon of reddish-orange light showed across the horizon.

A white dove landed in front of him, pecking at the ground. Moving slowly towards it, Trunks picked the bird up and held it close to his chest. It didn't struggle as Trunks gently stroked its feathers. He then threw it up in the air, watching as it flew away, just like all his sorrow.

Saturday, March 26th. 10:00 AM

Trunks heard the bell sound as he walked into the small, yet familiar jewelry shop. It was the same place that Trunks bought his engagement ring for Marron, both wedding rings, and various gifts for Marron.

"Hello Mr. Briefs," the caretaker of the shop said. "it's been a while." The caretaker was a friendly, elderly man, with bright, green eyes and a warm smile. He had a head full of white hair, and wedding ring of his own on his skinny finger.

"Hello sir," Trunks said politely. "I'm here to pick up something that my wife asked you to make a couple weeks before she died."

"Ah, yes, your wife. I heard about the accident. How unfortunate. She was a lovely young woman."

"Yes, she was one of a kind." Trunks handed the caretaker the receipt. Pulling out his reading glasses, the caretaker slipped them on and looked at it. He smiled. "Wait just a moment," he said before going into the back room. He came out a minute later, holding a small, velvet box.

"Here it is," he said, presenting it to Trunks. Taking it, Trunks opened to find a heart-shaped locket. On the front, it read My Dearest Trunks. He opened the locket and saw a picture of himself and Marron, who was holding a small baby in her arms. It had a tuft of blond hair and a small, brown tail. Closing the locket, he flipped it over to find more words written on it. Your Love 4ever, Marron.

Trunks closed the box, smiling. "How long does it take to make a locket like this?" he asked as he placed the money on the counter.

"Placing the picture isn't a lot, but carving the words takes a lot of time," the caretaker said. "It takes close to three weeks."

"In that case, I was wondering, if it's not too much trouble, if you could make another one…"

Saturday, April 16th. 10:30 AM

Everyone listened as the priest spoke loudly of how the end was also the beginning. Everyone except Trunks. He didn't pay much attention. He was looking at how beautiful Marron looked under the sun. Her hair shone, and her cheeks rosy. Even though it was just the makeup, she still looked very beautiful.

People began to place flowers on the casket. Trunks waited until everyone was done before he went up. He asked the priest a private question, which he agreed to. Trunks then pulled out a small box from his pocket. Opening it, he took out the locket he had picked up earlier that morning. He opened it, reading the words that were carved into it out loud. "Sweet Marron, who I will love 4ever. Trunks." He lifted Marron's head gently to put the necklace on her. He placed the locket on her chest before stepping down the alter.

Everyone watched as the casket was placed into the ground, then buried. Placing flowers on the mound of dirt, everyone left to go the reception at the Briefs mansion, except Trunks, who lingered around for a while, Reading the tombstone: Marron Briefs. A Wife. A Mother. A Daughter. A Friend. One Day, We Will See You Again.

Monday, May 16th. 11:30 AM

Trunks scribbled his signature on a document. Then he sifted through a folder looking for something else to sign. Not finding anything, he pulled out the locket he was wearing and opened. He smiled as he looked at Marron's picture. I can't believe it's been a whole month, he thought. I can't believe how fast time flies.

As heput the locket back inside his shirt, the phone rang. He picked it up. "Hello?" he said.

"Mr. Briefs?" a woman said. "This is Miss Appleton, a teacher at the Western Capitol City elementary school."

"Yes, how may I help you?"

"It's about your son, Polo."

"He's not in trouble, is he?"

"Oh, no. But we were discussing how the role of women have changed over the years, and the children talked about what their mothers do."

"I see. And when it was Polo's turn…"

"He wasn't sure what to say, and began crying. If you would like, it's all right to pick him up right now. He's a little too upset to do any schoolwork."

Trunks thought a minute, finally saying, "May I talk to him?"

"Of course. Hold on just a second please." There was some silence before Trunks heard a sniffle.

"Hi Polo," Trunks said, trying to sound comforting. "What's up?"

"Hi…Dad," Polo sobbed.

"Come on, Polo. Don't cry. It's okay."

"I miss Mom…"

"I know, I do too. But, unfortunately, crying isn't going to bring her back."

"Can…can you…come and p-pick me up?" Polo choked out.

"Of course. I'll be right there."

Monday, May 16th. 1:40 PM

Trunks stole a quick glance at Polo in the mirror before looking back at the road. Lunch had calmed Polo down, but now Polo didn't say anything. Trunks shook his head, wishing he could say something to cheer his son up.

"Dad," Polo said suddenly, "where are we going?"

"The cemetery," was all that Trunks said.

"Do we have to go there?" Polo whined.

"Don't you want to visit your mother?"

"I guess."

"Don't worry. We'll stay a few minutes, and then we'll go home." Trunks turned a corner and parked the car, near the place Marron was buried. They walked until they reached Marron's tombstone, and stood there quietly for a while.

"Dad?" Polo said quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Mommy said that she would always be around. That she would always be near me."

"Well, she's not lying."

"But she's gone, Dad."

"Her body is gone Polo," Trunks said, kneeling down to his son's level, "but her soul is always around. Right here," he said, placing his finger on Polo's chest, "in your heart. As long as you don't forget all the good times we had with her, then she's not entirely gone. She never will be." Trunks kissed Polo's forehead, and stood up straight.

A smile formed on Polo's lips, as they looked at Marron's grave for a little longer. Then Trunks picked up Polo and placed the little boy on his shoulders. As they walked away, a white dove landed on the tombstone, warbling a beautiful melody, as sweet as the day. A warm, gentle breeze fluttered by, blowing over everything, and bringing along a single rose petal, placing it on Marron's grave, and disappearing as quickly as it came. In that short instance, Trunks was sure that he felt Marron's presence, as though she was standing next to him, but leaving just as suddenly.

"Daddy?" Polo asked as they walked down the path to their car.

"What is it, Polo?"

"Do you really think we'll see Mommy again?"

"I don't doubt it, Polo. I believe we will…someday."

Don't forget me
You know I love you
I'm all around you
And we will see each other eventually
As time continues

The End