I'll be there for you
Authors note: Written at 2 in the morning while watching Looney tunes. Yeah, Looney Tunes. Because I had nothing better to do. Enjoy.
Bura rolled her sleeves up to her shoulders and stared off into the horizon. It was going on to five in the afternoon and she still couldn't believe she had to leave so soon.
She heard her car door slam. Turning she saw her brother loading the last of her luggage into the trunk of the car. The trip to Boston was going to be a long one, and she'd packed just about every item of clothing she owned.
Sighing, she thought about her summer. Her adventures in space, the fun she and the other girls had had while they flew among the stars. But that was all over now. She was grown up, finally flying the coop. But after all this time, all the planning, the excitement, the suspense surrounding this moment, she was scared. The enormity of what she was doing had finally hit her. College was a big thing. She'd be completely cut off from any physical contact from her parents, a whole year without her mother's advice and caring and her father's love and amusing comments about the world around them. Not to mention the fact she was going to college in Boston, a whole continent away. She figured she'd meet a lot of people at Bentley, but it wouldn't make up for the loneliness. She didn't think she'd be able to stand it.
Her feet swayed beneath her. She felt like she was going to fall. But she wasn't. Her mother had called to her and she was walking toward her.
Bulma enveloped her daughter in a hug. Their relationship over the years had never been very strong. They'd assumed more of a best friend type thing rather than a mother-daughter thing. But that wouldn't stop her from loving her of course, and Bulma made sure to put as much feeling into the hug as possible.
Bura turned expectantly, figuring her dad would be right next to her mother, or at least in the immediate vicinity. But he wasn't there at all. She looked around and called for him, but he refused to appear.
"Your father said he had some errands to run B…he didn't mention when he'd be back."
"Oh… alright." Bura said. She was upset, but she didn't dare cry. No, she would be strong for her tousan. Even though he had neglected to show up for one of the most important days of her life, she still believed in him.
Another car pulled up and out hopped her brother and his wife Marron, their three-year-old daughter Kiwi in tow.
"Aunty B!" Kiwi squealed as she all but dragged her father toward Bura. Grinning, Bura scooped the little girl into her arms and tapped her nose.
"Well well, hello there niece! And how's that cute little button nosed girl o' mine?"
"I fine Aunty B! But why you leave me? Dun go! Stay me! Stay me!"
Bura rubbed her cheek against the little girls. "Yes, Ki-chan, I know, I know. I don't wanna go either. But don't you want me to be smart and get a job so I can buy you nice things when you get older?"
"Hai!" Kiwi practically shrieked and was promptly pulled from Bura's arms by Marron.
"Sorry about that B-chan. She tends to get kind of noisy sometimes."
"Forget about it." Bura muttered as she rubbed her ears.
"So sis, finally going to be a college woman?" Trunks asked ruffling his sisters black and red hair. She'd dyed her hair over the summer, among other things.
"Yeah, I guess." She said smirking. She threw her arms around her brother and squeezed him tight. "I love you big bro."
"Ditto sis." He said grinning.
"Is anyone else coming?" She asked.
Trunks shook his head. "Goku and Goten couldn't make it. They send their love though."
Bura sighed again and headed to her car. It was getting late, and she had to make it to the airport in time.
"Bye you guys! I love you!" She called as she pulled out of the driveway and down the street. It took her about and hour to get to the airport. She still had some time before the plane got there, so she decided to grab some food to take with her.
She went to Starbucks and got a couple of cinnamon buns and a cappuccino. Sitting down at a table she sipped her drink and stared into the dark pool of liquid sadly.
"Mind if I sit here?" A voice said.
She looked up from the drink and stared. Her eyes lit up and she grinned.
"Tousan!" She squealed and felt like leaping up and hugging him. But she knew better than that, so she just watched him sit, a cup of fresh coffee and a plastic bag in his hand. He sipped it and stared down at it in much the same way she hand been a few seconds earlier, before he finally broke the silence.
"So, you're leaving today eh? Is this what you've been going on about all summer?"
"Yes, and you neglected to show up when I was leaving." Bura said frowning. She hadn't forgotten about the earlier incident.
"But I'm here now aren't I? And I got you these." He reached into the bag and produced several beautiful white roses.
"Oh tousan…they're gorgeous!" She sniffed the flowers and sighed. Her tousan was a big romantic, and roses had always been her favorite flowers.
Vegeta smiled and reaching across the table held her hand. She looked up at him and could feel tears sting the back of her eyes.
"Dang. This is gonna be one of those big sappy moments isn't it?" Vegeta said smirking.
Bura raised her eyebrows and promptly burst into tears. She threw her arms around his neck and sobbed into his shoulder, while everyone around them stared. But she didn't care. He just patted her back reassuringly and waited until she had calmed down a bit.
"Bura…don't worry about college. It won't be so bad. Your brother went after all didn't he? And look how he turned out."
Bura stopped crying for a moment to blink at him. Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Ok, bad example. But you still shouldn't make such a big fuss. Everything will turn out all right in the end."
"But I'm scared." Bura whimpered. For a moment she had regressed back into her childish stage, when the world was big and frightening and her only protection was behind her tousan's legs. Above them the airport speaker blared on and a scratchy voice said, "Last call for flight 268 to Boston, Massachusetts. 15 minutes till the doors close."
Bura glanced up at the speakers. She wasn't sure what to do. She could forget about the announcement and just stay right where she was and be happy living with her family. After all, her brother had become a bit of a slacker after college. Wouldn't it be easier to just skip college all together? She was one of the smartest people in the world; there were plenty of places for her to get a job, especially in a hi-tech country like Japan. It wouldn't be too hard. She could pull it off.
And then Vegeta leaned over and whispered into her ear.
"I'll be there for you."
They looked at each other for a moment. The loudspeaker came on again announcing the last call for the flight. Bura picked up her bag and smiling headed to the terminal.