Hey, so sorry for SUCH a long wait! I apologise profusely to all my readers and reviwers :( But I am back! I think my writing's gotten better over the time too so hopefully the story will improve!


By the time Goten entered the living quarters of Capsule Corp, the place was busy again. It seemed the entire group of friends had decided to permanently hang out here in the days leading up to the Cell Games. This was done much to the displeasure of Vegeta and Goten saw, from the window he was standing at, Vegeta and Trunks walking back to the house through the gardens. A small smirk played on his face as he realised how easy it was going to be.

"Goten?" He heard his name being called and saw Trunk's grandmother standing a little way away. "You coming in for some lunch?" She said sweetly and he smiled at her.

"I'll be right there!" He said brightly before moving after her into the dining room. Mei was already in there, helping Bulma place food on the table. Goten went to help Bulma with a heavy plate and almost dropped it when his mother emerged from the kitchen. She stopped as she saw him staring and adopted a similar look.

"You look familiar…" She said and tilted her head to one side but before Goten had a chance to say anything Bulma explained quickly who he was. "Trunks and Mei's friend?" Chichi said slowly as though she did not believe it but Goten nodded.

"Yes," he said quickly, "from the future." Mei stood by his side and nodded too. He looked across to her and she smiled as though their last meeting was completely forgotten. The doors opened again and in walked many of the fighters Mei had gotten to know over the past while. Yamcha ruffled her hair as he walked by in the strange, affectionate manner he had adopted for her and even Tien's serious face broke into a smile as he saw her. There was a strange sense of welcome given to Mei by everyone as they hadn't had a teenage girl around for a long time. In a strange way it completed Bulma's family and therefore the circle of close friends.

"How are you Mei?" Yamcha asked as he sat down and Mei shrugged.

"Fine I guess," she forced a smile, "you?" He was about to answer when the doors slid open once more and Mei turned with a real smile as she saw Trunks enter after his father. As soon as Vegeta entered she notice the level of noise in the room went down and the atmosphere turned slightly colder, but to her he was just Trunks' dad, a harsh and uncaring person but still his dad. Trunks walked over to her and both had made a silent agreement that when Vegeta was around they would behave but that didn't mean they would stop teasing and testing each other. In accordance with this Trunks put a hand on her back when she kissed her cheek and slowly slid his hand further down her body until she gave in and, as secretively as possible, yanked his hand away from her. "How was it?" She whispered to him.

"Good." But there was a strange sense of excitement in Trunks that Mei had never seen before, she simply questioned him with her eyes. "My father…he's unlike anyone I've ever known, he's so-"

"You two!" Trunks and Mei snapped their head over to Vegeta who was opposite them. He sat at the table and gave them a hard stare before nodding to the chairs in front of him. "Sit here." He said and both Trunks and Mei looked to Bulma for some indication of what this meant She shrugged and nodded as Chichi whispered something to her. Bulma gave Trunks and Mei a meaningful look and they sat down opposite Vegeta who turned his head away from them haughtily. Underneath the table Mei put her hand on Trunk's thigh and squeezed affectionately; she did it so often she hadn't realised she was doing it until Trunks caught her eye and smirked at her. Everyone sat at the table around them and began to eat, Mei saw Goten sit down next to his mother and remembered Goku and Gohan must still be in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. He caught her staring and she looked away quickly.

"So," Bulma said as everyone around them had begun talking, "how was it?" She asked Vegeta who shrugged so she looked to Trunks. Mei was surprised when Trunks merely shrugged in response as well, hoping that his attitude was not a reflection of his mood; perhaps he was just trying to be like his father? "Mei was helping me out today, with your time machine." Bulma said proudly and Mei blushed. "She's a clever girl," Bulma said to Vegeta as though trying to prove something. Mei understood this; Vegeta had not quite accepted Mei yet. Trunks was different because Vegeta already knew he had a son but Mei was alien to him and she knew it would take time to win him over. "Although she and Goten got stuck in the machine for a while-"

"What?" Trunks looked up from his plate quickly.

"Goten and I were in the machine and the door closed." Mei said innocently and he looked to her.

"How did it close?" He asked suddenly and Mei was getting worried again; why was he asking so many questions?

"Goten pushed the wrong button." She said simply and Trunks nodded slowly, casting a glance in Goten's direction. Mei looked round as the sound of crying came from the living room.

"Oh, damn-"

"I'll go," Mei said, interrupting Bulma who had stood up to go to her child. She nodded gratefully at Mei who left for the next room. As she reached into the cot to pick up the baby Mei remembered what Bulma had said that morning, about children and marriage...she was nineteen! That stuff was hardly on her mind. Well, no, it was always on her mind; in her world, in the dark and twisted future they lived in, Trunks was really all she had and she knew she'd stay with him forever...but the prospect of marriage was scary for some reason. "It's alright," she whispered to baby Turnks in her arms as he sniffed and his bottom lip trembled.

"Hey," she turned around to see Trunks stood at the door, a small smile on his face as he realised she was holding him.

"This is weird," she said slowly, voicing his thoughts. Trunks sighed, she stood by the cot with a bundle in her arms, sunlight streaming through her hair from the window behind her and it reminded him it could've been their future, had things not go so out of hand.

"Mum thinks I should cut my hair," he said, running a hand through his long lilac locks. Mei tilted her head to one side.

"Hmmm, I like it long." She concluded as he walked over to her. "Shhhh," she whispered as he approached and he could see the baby had fallen asleep in her arms. "Trunks?"

"Yes?"

"Did you ever wonder," she looked him in the eye, "what it would've been like?" She had asked an incredibly vague question but Trunks knew what she meant. "If I had never found you," she looked back down, "I doubt I'd be alive." She laughed slightly as she said it.

"If I had never found you," Trunks said quietly, "I don't think I'd have bothered to stay alive-"

"Don't say things like that!" She exclaimed.

"How could I have," he asked her, "when you are my life?"

"You think you're so smooth," she said as she placed baby Trunks back into the cot, as soon as she turned around Trunks put his arms around her.

"It always helps," he said and kissed her forehead.

"Trunks, what do you think about marriage?" She asked suddenly and Trunks moved away from her slightly.

"What does it matter?" He asked uncertainly and Mei tried to make it look like it wasn't a big deal. She shrugged.

"Will we...every get married?" She asked and Trunks' mouth opened.

"What's gotten into you-"

"Why aren't you answering the question?" Mei urged him and he shook his head.

"We're nineteen!" He said quickly, "you don't just rush into something like-"

"And?" She said quickly, "in our future there are no other nineteen year olds around. We're some of the only people left!" Trunks looked away, "don't you love me enough?" At this Trunks became angry.

"Marriage isn't just about loving someone enough," he snapped.

"Then what is it about?" She laughed when he shrugged. "You don't want to marry me-"

"Why is this suddenly such a big thing?!" He shouted and let go of her.

"Because it feels like time is running out!" She shouted back, "because life will never be normal when we go back. Because I need you there all the time!" Both of them ran a hand through their hair and put their hands on their hips. "What about children?" She asked and he looked up.

"What?"

"Children, babies, kids!" She said, "with me?" He shook his head.

"Mei, I have too much on my mind right now," he said slowly and turned away, "don't start this now," he put a hand on the handle of the door, "not with the Cell Games coming up and Goten-"

"What if I were pregnant?"


Please review to help me improve etc!