It was around two months after the unexpected assault on the Briefs home and children that the remainder of the Briefs and Sons returned from their interplanetary mission.

Construction crews had worked around the clock to get the CC residence back to livable conditions as quickly as possible. Bulla was only too happy to have her old room back, with a few minor adjustments of course, but she had been contemplating a colour shift for a while anyway.

In amongst all the changes, it had been decided that Trunks would officially move out. He was 'too old to still be sharing a roof with his parents', he had declared. Of course, with the home's strategic proximity to his place of work, it didn't make much sense for him to live any further away, so a new house was being built on the grounds just for him. Unfortunately for him, it wouldn't be ready for another few months.

Bulla was standing next to her brother, watching with fixed attention as a massive orb descended on her backyard. In the corner of her eye, she spotted the familiar form of Son Goten waiting a few metres away with his mother and sister-in-law. This was the first she'd seen of him since Kame House, and it left her jittery.

"Here they come," Trunks uttered, keeping his arms folded and eyes locked on the Capsule Corp. flagship creation. The surface air was thrust violently as the vessel neared, causing Bulla's hair to fly wildly. "Look away as they touch down," he instructed. She nodded, doing as he said when it became too uncomfortable to watch.

Smoke surrounded the craft for a few minutes before an automated voice loudly proclaimed that it was safe to approach and exit the ship. The door popped open with Pan being the first to emerge.

She bounced out in her typical zest-for-life manner, flying straight to her mother. "Mom!" she exclaimed excitedly, squeezing her mother's slight form.

"Oh my darling," Videl cooed, embracing her daughter tightly. "I can finally sleep easy, you're back home safe."

Bulma was the next to appear, exiting with a teary smile as she spotted her children. Stepping towards them, Gohan and Piccolo came up behind her and headed for the rest of the Son welcome committee. Bulla discreetly observed the familial hugging of the two brothers, and the sweet shared smile and chaste kiss between Gohan and Videl.

"Hey mom." Bulla smiled at her own mother's approach. Bulma reached her arms around both children simultaneously, pulling them in for a close hug and planting a kiss on each of their cheeks.

"Oh my babies," Bulma sang. "I'm so relieved to see you both in one piece. I just about lost my mind when I heard what had happened."

Bulla kept her eyes on the ship door, waiting for the exit of the man she had truly been dying to see. A hand appeared suddenly, clutching the outer edge of the door jamb. There he is. Her heart jumped. Without a second thought, she ran over to the aircraft, up the ramp and to the door, leaping unashamedly at the strong, solid figure of her father. She threw her arms around his neck and buried her face into him, relishing being able to touch his living, breathing form once more.

"Daddy!" she cried. "I missed you so much." He reached out his hands to return her hug.

She couldn't bring herself to let him go, despite the crowd behind them. After a while, he patted her on the back, signalling it was time to get moving. She pulled away, suppressing the happy tears that were eager to spill, and hooked her arm in his as they descended the ramp and headed towards the others.

"Goten, come over here," Bulma called with a knowing smile, hands on her hips.

"Hi Bulma," he greeted modestly. "Welcome back."

"Oh, none of that!" she scolded, pulling him in for a squeeze. "You kept my baby girl safe from those monsters. You have no idea how grateful I am to you."

"It was nothing, honestly," he replied, looking to the ground.

"And so modest, just like your father. Oh Goten." She held his hands as she looked upon him and kissed him square on the cheek. "You've grown into such a wonderful young man."

Is he blushing? Bulla wondered with a faint smile as she observed the interaction.

Goten lifted his gaze to the young heiress briefly, before making eye contact with her father. She watched them exchange glances for a moment - her father nodding curtly at the halfling, Goten's face hardening as he returned the gesture.

She couldn't help but wonder what her father's expression would have been if he'd known what else Goten did to his dear daughter. She blushed suddenly, forcing herself to suppress the smile that was currently attempting to creep its way onto her mouth.

"Bulla!" Her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden impact of her oldest friend crashing into her. "Oh my god, you have so much to tell me!" she blurted.

"Me?!" Bulla countered, letting her grin go free. "You're the one who literally just got back from freaking space."

"Oh, that was boring." Pan crinkled her nose. "Just a lot of boring meetings and waiting around when I didn't feel like joining the boring meetings. I wasn't nearly abducted by a swarm of vengeful alien soldiers!" The dark-haired hybrid grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her in excitement.

"There's nothing to tell," Bulla chuckled, amused at her friend's enthusiasm "It was just a lot of waiting around in Goten's apartment."

"C'mon." Pan squinted at her friend sceptically. "There had to be more to it than that. Fine, tell me later. Right now I want some real, greasy, fatty, delicious earth food," she proclaimed before turning away and bouncing back to her parents.

Bulla watched her friend return eagerly to her family, eyes falling on one member in particular. He looked up, meeting her gaze. They regarded each other for a few seconds before she offered a smile. He did the same, before being yanked away by his niece.

The morning after her parents' return, Bulla took a deep breath before knocking apprehensively on her father's GR door. He opened it wordlessly, observing her.

She stared at him for a moment before opening her mouth. "I want to learn how to fight," she announced, maintaining eye contact as he looked upon her. After a few moments, he nodded and stepped aside, signalling her to enter.

After the first session, they reached an agreement that she would train five days per week. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays before school, and both weekend mornings. Naturally, she was reluctant, but kept her reservations to herself.

I need to do this, she reminded.

"When did you learn to read ki, child?" Vegeta asked one morning, observing her carefully for her response.

"Goten taught me," she answered casually, keeping her back to him as she stretched her upper body, warming down from the day's session.

"Since when have you been seeing Kakarot's brat for lessons?" he asked coarsely, folding his arms while he stood behind her.

"I don't," Bulla responded, feeling heat returning to her cheeks. "It's just something he showed me when I was staying with him."

"Is that so," he grumbled. "And what else has that low-class clown taught you."

"Daddy, don't talk about him like that," Bulla criticised, frowning as she turned to face her father. "He's a good fighter. He saved my life remember?"

"Answer the question, Bulla," he commanded, unmoving in his position.

She sighed, dropping her arms. "Nothing daddy. I was only with him for a few days."

"A few days too many if you ask me," he muttered, grabbing his towel.

"Well, what was he supposed to do?" she argued diplomatically. "He was stuck between a rock and a hard place."

"Somehow I find it hard to believe that the only option the boy had was to keep you behind his closed doors for three days," he answered harshly. "Despite your mother's adoration Kakarot's youngest-"

"Daddy, stop before you embarrass yourself," she interrupted, readjusting her ponytail. "He did the right thing. I was in danger and he kept me safe until I could get back to Trunks, okay? No biggie." With this, she promptly exited the training room and headed for the house.

There's no way that was going to end well if I stayed.

A few weeks after her parents' return, Bulla was given permission to organise a party in celebration of her seventeenth birthday. Her mother had allowed her to hire out a large hall and invite all of her friends from school. At the same time, Bulma reasoned it would be a great excuse to throw a reunion bash for the gang, promising that they'd rent a separate, adjacent room and wouldn't interfere with the young ones. The only rules were, no alcohol and no sexual activity.

I'll take it, the heiress had thought to herself at the time. It's something better than nothing.

On the morning of her celebration, Bulla bounced downstairs, floating on the anticipatory high of the night to come. To her surprise, Trunks was awake and fixing himself a bowl of cereal.

"You're up early for a Saturday," she commented, looking at him curiously.

"Happy birthday twirp," he replied with a grin, reaching out suddenly to pinch at her middle.

"Ah!" she shrieked, attempting to dodge and ultimately failing as he caught her and planted a sloppy kiss on her cheek.

She was already feeling giddy about the day ahead and found herself giggling girlishly at his playfulness.

"Yeah, I've got some work to catch up on and thought I'd get started early since I'll be attending some lame, low-key get together tonight." He straightened his face and cocked an eyebrow at his sister.

She beamed back at him, stealing a fruit loop from his bowl as he walked past her and headed for a stool.

Bulla followed, leaning her elbows on the bench top as she looked over at her brother. "Thanks again for helping convince mom and dad to stay out of it. I can't believe they agreed to let you supervise. Especially daddy."

"Yeah well, I guess I'm finally starting to come around to this insane concept of you growing up," he shrugged with a mouth full of cereal.

Her heart soared at the beauty of those words finally hitting her ears. She watched him dip the head of the spoon in his milk as he looked up in thought. "Actually, you should probably be thanking Goten."

Her expression dropped at the mention of his name. "What's Goten got to do with anything?" she asked, attempting to keep her voice as neutral as possible.

"Well, don't tell him I told you," he began, pausing to take another spoonful. "But he kinda brought some stuff to my attention after that whole crazy weekend happened a few months ago."

Oh, God. They talk about me and that weekend?

Hesitantly, she pried, "What exactly did he say?" Eyes glued on the lavender-haired man.

"Nothing major," he shrugged. "He just said you were really upset that first night, and it was mostly because of how dad and I have been treating you. I was kinda surprised since you know, a whole lot of other shit went down, and yet the stuff with me and dad was still at the top of the pile." He looked away from his bowl momentarily to gauge her expression. Bulla was looking at her hands, tiny creases beginning to form above her eyebrows.

"I mean, I knew you and me had it out a bunch of times," he added. "But I guess it never occurred to me how much it was really affecting you." He placed his spoon down before continuing. "He said something along the lines of, 'I can't keep you wrapped up forever' and that you need to scrape your knees a few times, or some shit." He started to smile. "Don't get me wrong, in that moment I wanted to punch him. Like, 'What the fuck are you saying man', but after a while, it started to sink in."

Bulla smiled warmly at her brother and gave him a hug as he leaned over the last of his breakfast, before spinning on her heel and heading to the stairs.

I can't even remember what I went downstairs for, she mused. But Goten helped convince Trunks to see me as an adult.

"Where'd Maddie go?" Pan yelled, attempting to speak over the booming speakers. "She was telling me about some new moisturizer she's been using on her skin, when I told her I was gonna grab a drink. When I came back she was gone!" The dark-haired hybrid was dressed in a simple, black, figure-hugging mini dress with her hair straightened, loose and kissing the tops of her toned tan shoulders.

Bulla smirked and nodded to the wall a few feet away. The birthday girl herself was wearing a tight baby blue cocktail dress with slim spaghetti straps. Her hair was styled in a fancy half-updo, complete with a dainty diamond encrusted tiara. Tonight I am a princess, she had told herself. Both hybrids grinned as their eyes landed on a wild curly head of golden hair currently engaged in tonsil hockey with a tall, tan-skinned gentleman. "You'd think they'd be bored of each other by now," Bulla chuckled, watching the pair in fascination.

"Well that's Madison for you," Pan joked, turning away. "I bet she's secretly a witch and casts spells on poor unsuspecting males."

"Yeah, if by casts a spell you mean 'walks past and makes eye contact for a single second,'" the heiress contributed, secretly admiring the seeming ease her dear friend had in catching boys hook, line and sinker.

Both teens laughed before Bulla shifted gears. "I'm guessing no one here tickles your fancy though."

"Who needs boys when there are endless adventures to be had!" Pan mused, throwing her arms out enthusiastically.

"What about you, Blue. Anyone here catch your interest?" the quarter-Saiyan teased. "Any secret crush you've been harbouring while I was floating around the solar system?"

Bulla looked up at her friend coyly, gearing up to set her straight when her gaze involuntarily fell on a figure in the doorway behind the quarterling. All humour slipped from her face as she regarded the man who was currently making his way towards the duo.

Seeing the sober expression of her best friend, Pan swivelled to suss out what had grabbed the heiress's attention. "Oh yay, here come the lame adults to ruin the party," she muttered sarcastically, watching Trunks and Goten's approach. Both were dressed in suits, Trunks in a navy three-piece and Goten in a black two-piece, sans tie, with the top button undone.

"Hi girls," Trunks grinned, draping his arm across Pan's shoulders as he looked at his sister. "Look who showed up, Bulla. This guy somehow managed to find the time in his busy schedule to grace us with his presence," the lavender-haired demi-Saiyan ribbed, eyeing his partner-in-crime.

"C'mon man, don't be like that," Goten frowned before turning his attention to the heiress. "Happy Birthday, Bulla," he greeted with a warm smile, reaching out to hug her. She reciprocated coolly, but found herself caught off guard when he lightly kissed her on the cheek. He pulled out a wrapped, medium-sized box and handed it to the birthday girl. "I got you a present."

"Oh, you didn't have to do that," she responded reflexively, lifting her gaze briefly to meet his eyes while she reluctantly grasped the package.

"It's just something small," he assured with a familiar grin. "But I thought you might get a kick out of it. Actually, open it now."

Three sets of eyes watched with great interest as the teen carefully opened the neatly wrapped box. Bulla's free hand instantly went to her mouth as she tried to suppress her own grin, eyes dancing at the rectangular carton.

"Pancake mix?" Pan announced in disbelief before whacking her uncle on the arm. "What is wrong with you! You honestly gave a girl pancake-mix for her seventeenth birthday?!"

Bulla couldn't contain herself any longer and burst into a fit of giggles as she stared at the box in her hand. At seeing her amusement, Goten erupted in his own laughter.

Trunks watched the duo in confusion, turning his attention to the dark-haired girl of the group. She returned his befuddled expression with her own, scrunching her shoulders.

Bulla threw her arms around Goten's neck once again, a bit more easily this time, as she stated, "I love it."

"Notice it says, 'just add milk', alright? Milk," he instructed, running his finger along the box and looking back to her to see if she was following. She was still giggling when he added, "Next time I come around, let's whip up a batch."

She nodded, wiping a tear at the corner of her eye that was threatening to ruin all the work she'd put into her face.

"Aaand that's about as much as I can stand being around all these tweens," Trunks asserted, eyes glossing over the room. "Good to see your friends are behaving themselves, brat. We'll catch you two later." He clapped his hand on Goten's shoulder and guided him towards the exit.

"Hope you enjoy your party," the dark-haired halfling called out over his shoulder, raising his hand as a send-off.

Bulla watched the retreating form of her brother and his best friend, smile still planted firmly on her face, before turning to face her bewildered friend.

"What on earth…?" Pan queried, throwing up in hands in defeat.

"It's just a little inside joke," Bulla smiled, looking upon the box once more.

"Did you enjoy your party sweetheart?" Bulma asked on entering Bulla's room, bending down to look over the teen's shoulder and into the generous vanity mirror.

"Uh huh," Bulla responded cheerfully, wiping off her eyeshadow. "I had a great time. Thank you for everything." She turned to kiss her mother on the cheek. "What about you? How was your reunion?"

"Oh just fabulous," the older Briefs chuckled. "It's always so wonderful to see everyone. We go too long between get-togethers. I see Gohan all the time at work, but what a treat to catch up with Krillin and Eighteen, and even a brief hello from Tien and Chiaotzu. Yamcha's as suave as ever, that old dog." Her eyes twinkled. "Of course, I always need to keep one eye on your father, to make sure he doesn't cause some spectacle."

"How was daddy tonight?" Bulla enquired, removing the last of her makeup. "He looked kinda grumpy earlier."

"He did seem a touch more antisocial than usual," she considered, holding her daughter's shoulders as she tilted her head in thought. "But I don't even bother trying to understand his mood swings anymore," she laughed. "So long as I don't have to come up with some story in the morning to tell the press, I try not to ask too much of him."

"I think I want some more cake," Bulla voiced, pushing herself up from her cushioned stool and floating out of her room.

Grabbing a slice of delicious sponge from the fridge, Bulla followed her father's ki to the living room and found him sitting idly on the couch. The lights were low and the TV was off. She draped her arms down either side of his neck and kissed him on the cheek before coming around to join him.

"Why are you sitting in the dark daddy?" she asked sweetly, pressing her fork through the squishy layers of her birthday cake. He turned to face her, sniffing as he did so. "Ew, stop," she whinged. "You know I don't like it when you smell me."

He looked into her eyes, gaze floating between the two orbs, seemingly seeking something, before he finally spoke. "How was your birthday."

"It was great!" she answered enthusiastically, beaming as she brought her fork to her mouth. "Some people from my class said it was the best party they'd been to all year. Thank you so so much for letting me have it, and for allowing Trunks to supervise in place of you and mom." He nodded in acknowledgement before turning to face the blank television screen. "Is everything okay? You're acting kind of strange."

She put her plate down on the coffee table in front of her before shuffling closer to her father and bringing her feet up onto the couch next to her. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes as he lifted his arm and wrapped it around her. "I missed this," she uttered quietly. Vegeta leaned his nose into his daughter's hair, kissing the top of her head.

"I love you, daddy," she whispered, snuggling further into him.

"Love you too, princess."

Trunks came in through the front door behind them and wandered into the living room, flicking on the lights. "Why's it so dark in here?" he asked, shrugging off his suit jacket.

Bulla lifted her head to look behind her. "Hey, Trunks."

He sat down in one of the armchairs, joining them in the living area. "So I hear things went well tonight," he commented as he loosened his tie and rolled up his sleeves. "Your friends sound like they had a good time."

"Yep, they want me to do it again for my eighteenth," she beamed. She heard a faint grumble coming from the man next to her, causing her to chuckle. "Don't worry daddy, I'm pretty sure I want something more low key next time. It's exhausting trying to play hostess and make conversation with so many people. Plus I feel bad getting all those presents, most of which I won't even use," the teen added.

"Speaking of which," Trunks exhaled, sinking deeper into his seat. "What was up with that weird gift Goten gave you?"

Bulla felt her father tense suddenly beneath her.

An involuntary smile appeared on her face as she recalled the older hybrid's present. "Nothing," she giggled, looking up in thought. "Just a silly inside joke."

"Yeah, that's all he said about it too." The lavender-haired man tilted his head back and rested his eyes.

Vegeta stood abruptly and exited the living area without so much as a good night. Both Briefs children watched as he disappeared through the archway and ascended the stairs.

"What's with him?" Trunks queried, leaning his head into his hand and glancing through the outstretched fingers.

Bulla looked down at the carpet, a small frown beginning to appear on her previously jovial face. What is with him?

Post chapter notes:

In case it wasn't clear in the text, this is a flashback chapter, taking place two months-ish after the very beginning of the story, and roughly four months before present day.

Next chapter we'll be back in present time with more insight into Bulla and Goten's feelings about that day :O

Thank you for continuing to enjoy and review this story!