Ages:(now)
Trunks - 26
Bra - 14
Pan - 24
Goten - 25
- they will not be appearing for some time
They were like nine years younger in the first two chapters. Sorry for not clearing that up, as I was a tad confused myself.
Enjoy.
The years passed by idly, not any event of significance occuring for the troubled group. Yamcha went on an extraordinarily long vacation soon after Pan has disappeared. The Sons were in their own little shadowed, concealed world of emotional agony and misery. The Briefs also lived their own, seperate lives as Trunks had matured into a businessman and Bra had made her silent way into puberty, her parents taking only a slight notice in her variated daily behavior as she made herself a shadow in the house.
The next day was Trunks' twenty-fourth birthday, a major occasion for the whole of West City, which had acknowledged him as the new leader of Capsule Corp, and the future of the world's technology, so he was a very important individual. There was to be a banquet for him that afternoon in the city, where the mayor would also congratulate him.
A yawn escaped the scientist as thought about the next day's plans. He was beginning to wonder if he would ever get used to all the fame and hype that he had achieved doing things that he had naturally been interested in and raised around. It sure was distracting from everything else that had gone wrong in his life. Not to mention it took up alot of training time, but he didn't see that as a big deal since there hadn't been an enemy for years. As far as dating went, there were tons of fans for his looks, but he just wasn't interested.
Getting to his feet from his beloved computer chair, he headed for the kitchen to refill his coffee, his mind racing with ideas and adjustments for his latest invention before his eyes caught a glimpse of Bra, who was sitting on the couch and gazing blankly at the television. His eyes squinted behind his rimless lenses, confusion etching his features as he slowly approached the side of the couch.
"Uh, Bra...What are you doing?"
She remained motionless, not answering. He continued, since he was used to that response.
"You're staring at snowy nothing, Bra...Again."
Without a word, she bolted from the couch and went to her room, the door hardly making a sound as it shut and invited only silence to fill the house once more. His eyes returned to the screen, white and black nothings flying about within it. Shaking his head, he got the remote and turned off the television, wondering how much therapy would cost.
He walked into the kitchen, getting out the water and pouring it into the filter before getting the mix out. He stood there as it heated up, watching the red button flash on and off, on and off. Taking in a breath, his eyes caught a bright pink colour on the sink. It was a package, and with his name engraved beautifully in a curvacious cursive.
With curiousity, he reached out to pick it up, a strange feeling of familiarity filling him. But before he could do anything with the pink box, he heard a voice snap from behind him.
"Trunks, put that down this instant," His mother commanded as she joined him, taking the box and setting it down.
"But it's mine-"
"For tomorrow," She ended for him as he rolled his eyes. A smirk graced her lips as she leaned on the sink,"How are those blueprints going?"
"Good. My digital version turned out better than the printed one though."
"Well, that's because you can edit it more clearly. You don't make eraser marks when you get rid of an error."
He sighed,"Yeah, I guess. Still going good though."
"Well, I'm going to check on your sister. She probably has homework."
Trunks nodded, not even bothering to tell Bulma about the television incident. She wouldn't be surprised, since Bra had started that kind of behavior some years ago. No counselor was ever consulted and no notice was much taken. He had always wondered why, but never said anything aloud. Her eyes were constantly empty, just as they had been since that day in the bathtub years ago.
Sipping his coffee, he went out to the living room to watch television, only he would watch an actual show.
The tranquil chords of the piano echoed in the pearl bathroom, which was scattered with coral candles and shadowed in an orange glaze that only the fire could illuminate. However bright it seemed, it was dim within the grey corners of Videl's mind, which still could not come to terms with the present to this day.
Taking in a breath, she closed her eyes again, wondering if the water was cold yet. She also wondered when Gohan was going to be home. His return to their house was always a mystery to her because it was unpredictable. Sometimes he would return early and then sleep, or he would return very late at night. Infidelity wasn't a concern of her, because she had many others. She had to keep this house clean, and she had to take care of her father. She couldn't meddle within Gohan's extracurricular activites that he endeavored after work. She couldn't handle much more for it.
A soft knock came to the door suddenly, breaking her wandering thoughts.
"Videl, it's been almost two hours. That water must be like an iceberg," Came the soft voice of concern that she had come to memorize and love through the years.
She just didn't know how to reply to it anymore, was all.
"Gosh, Videl when will you talk to me? When will you return to being Videl? When will you realize that she is GONE?"
No, he didn't say that, but she imagined him saying that, and she agreed with him. But she was too tired to do anything about it.
"Videl, sweetheart, come out and eat something with me please,"Was the compassionate suggestion that came from the other side of the door. She took a deep breath and slowly opened her empty, violet eyes as they adjusted to the bright haze of candlelight. She reached for the remote and turned off the stereo that hung on the coral pink, painted wall.
She opened the door after wrapping the towel around herself and walked past Gohan, who looked after her in mild disappointment. She stopped then, remembering what he had asked of her. Her eyes gazed back at his, bold yet somewhat exhausted.
"Yes, I will Gohan."
And with that, she walked into the bedroom and got changed in her pajamas and robe. When she walked into the kitchen, her eyebrows twitched downward in confusion when she heard music playing from a stereo. She suddenly realized that she was wrongly dressed for the occasion when she caught sight of the tall, red candles and table cloth, sparkling glasses of wine sitting on top of it.
He smiled at her warmly, an expectant twinkle in his eyes that asked for a response.
Instead, she turned and ran to the bedroom, closing the door to change again. She just couldn't wear the wrong thing. No, no more mistakes for Videl Satan.
When she returned, hours later, Gohan had fallen asleep on the kitchen table, causing her to lose the grin of hope that had graced her lips for the first time in years. She replaced his absence with the two glasses of wine, and the rest of it in the bottle. Feeling whole again, she drifted off into a dreamless slumber, only to wake up again to the cruel place that had once been a place she called home.
"Are you SERIOUS? ...Well, of course not, I mean it makes no sense that she scores so high on these tests and then her grades come up so low...Oh, come off it, my husband and I provide a very stable environment for her...Yes, I will look into it but I will not promise that it will affect the situation much. Alright, I'll contact you later then."
A sigh escaped the scientist's lips before her head rested in her hands. She reached out to touch the surface of a frame that held in a picture of a very happy, content family of four. Memories and voices filled her head as reminescence took over. Then she brought her head up, pushing away the flashbacks as she opened her eyes to the bright office. Suddenly, her eyes caught a blur of blue waiting by the door.
"Bra...?"
Her daughter's solemn gaze was turned to the floor, almost shameful,"Mom, um...I just wanted to say that...Well, the boys, you see..."
Bulma suppressed the smile of surprise that nearly crept to her lips at the sound of her daughter's seldom heard voice,"It's okay, dear. You can talk to me."
Bra's eyes gazed up to hers as she found the right words,"I got in trouble today, Mom."
"Well, what ever for?"
Her eyes drifted off to the side, her lips tremblingas if stumbling over the right words to say,"The boys, they dared each other to...do stuff. And then we got caught and I was blamed for it too even though it wasn't my idea..."
Bulma nodded in understanding, feeling awkward about the situation and the images in her mind,"And what was the punishment, Bra?"
"Expulsion."
"Ah. That's okay, Bra. Thank you for coming up and telling me even though I would have been informed anyway...But I will talk to you about this later, alright?"
Her daughter nodded and left before Bulma snatched the phone reciever once again.
"Well, screw looking into it. Consider it official."
"Trunks! Dinner!"
"Coming mother, just one sec..." Came the murmur of response from underneath the breath of Capsule Corp.'s owner and chief inventor. A gleam of pride sparkled his amethyst eyes as he looked over the blueprint of his latest project. There would be so many that it would benefit, so many lives and hearts that would be recovered using it. Yes, it would be immensely useful to the world, and himself included.
Letting out a content sigh, he shut down the computer and strode up the stairs and into the elevator that took him to the housequarters. He found his mother, father, and sister at the table before he was seated himself.
"So, Trunks...how is the most recent project of glory going?" Bulma asked from across the table.
"Great. It's almost half way done, but the potential is just sky rocketing for it. Plus, it will boost Capsule Corp.'s reputation back up because of how effecient it will be to the world."
"Oooh, something useful for Capsule Corp. About time something like that came up."
Vegeta grunted at Bulma's comment, earning a glare.
Trunks chuckled slightly,"Can't say I disagree with you Mom."
"May I be excused?" Came Bra's hushed voice.
"Oh no no no, Bra. We still have to tell your father and brother about your new school."
Her eyes widened in surprise and oblivion, flickering around the table at the also unaware expressions,"What...School?"
"I guess we better inform you too then Bra. Furthermore, Bra will be attending the Ichigo Academy for Girls come next week. Not too far from here and very sophistcated," Bulma announced with a grin.
Bra stared at her dumbfounded, not knowing how to respond.
"Hey, isn't that where..."
"Where what, Trunks?" Bulma asked with a raised eyebrow, not liking her idea being challenged.
He looked down for a second in deep thought, but looked up at her and gave up,"Ah, nothing. I just thought I remembered someone who worked there."
"Bra, are you in favour of this news...?" Vegeta asked the young girl, who just blinked.
"I guess...I don't really like girls much though."
Bulma looked at her daughter with compassion,"Don't worry. There will be much more mature girls there that are your age and your IQ and they won't give you half the crap that the girls at your public school did."
The girl nodded and went to her room, leaving the three in silence.
"I don't think she's too enthusiastic, Mother."
"Well that's just too damn bad. I can't send her to an All Boys' school and public school is out of the question. She was expelled for being caught in...Immoral misconduct."
Trunks coughed on his tea.
"Well...Where does she get it from?" Vegeta asked.
Bulma facefaulted,"I was not like that in middle school OR high school for your information. She is just naive and unaware of the consequences for that kind of behavior."
"I predict that she will become a drug addicted prostitute within...oh, say four years."
"Trunks, she will not. Not while I am her mother."
"Mom...," Trunks whispered in a hushed voice,"She has problems. They are minor now of course, but they will elevate once she finds ways to act them out. I say we just get her in a mental hospital before it's too late."
"Trunks, just stop your ridiculous drivel about all of it. It is none of your concern. As for Bra, she may not find the tolerance to be in our presence, which I don't blame her for...But that doesn't insinuate that she is mentally incapable of living life day to day in a normal house," Vegeta said firmly as Trunks laid back in his chair with a grumpy expression on his face.
"Your father is right. And I think that's the end of this conversation. Trunks, help me clean the table up please."
"Sure, Mom," Trunks gruffly replied as he wondered when he would be listened to around here.
k well, um yeah.
ty for the reviews so far and more will be appreciated.
and if its confusing thennnn...sorry