Ch 12
"You made it!"
"Yeah, I'm sorry again Videl. I—
"It's all right Goten. You're here now, and that's all that matters."
Videl and Goten sat down in one of the offices owned by the record label. Videl took out her laptop and brought up his schedule. "Obviously we have to start small to get your name out there. People will see your face and hear your voice and eventually you'll be selling out big performances."
"That sounds amazing Videl. You've really come through for me. Thank you," he said as he looked at the schedule.
"It's my job Goten. Anyway you'll be starting in Japan. We want to eventually get you to America. It's important to be popular in America."
"Ok, but I don't speak English that well. I mean I took some courses in high school and college, but—
"It might be a good idea to learn english fluently, so you can make an album in English and become popular in America. I'll hire an english tutor."
"Wa—wait Videl this is moving a bit too fast."
"You know Trunks wouldn't want you to give your dream for him. He'd be furious."
Goten smiled. "I know, but I'm bonded to him now. I don't know how complicated that will make things."
"I think it's clear that you need to talk to Trunks about this Goten."
"You're right. I just hoped I could make this decision without him."
"If only life were that simple," she smiled as she got from the table. "So I sent a copy of the schedule to your email. You start Monday, and I'll see you then. Well maybe before then," she smiled.
"All right," said Goten.
"You know your mom will want to plan something special before you go."
"So, she planning something?"
"Sunday at 7PM don't be late."
"I'll see you soon Videl," he said as she left the office.
As he left the office, he wondered how his conversation with Trunks would go. His mind and heart were pulling him two different ways, and he didn't know what to do. Hopefully Trunks could help make this decision. It wouldn't be an easy one, and it was giving him a huge headache.
Trunks had come home from work to an empty gravity room and decided to let off some steam. Work had been especially hectic today and being tired hadn't helped him out. He wanted desperately to sleep, but he knew it would lead to nightmares about his father's life. He wondered if they could get any worse than they were now.
Sloppy kicks and punches were thrown to his imaginary opponent. He wouldn't risk using the bots in his state. The turned up gravity would have to suffice for now. Trying to push himself, he wanted to forget the images of his nightmares, burn the memories from his brain. He could feel his power level rising to dangerous heights. 'Wait this doesn't feel right. It's more erratic,' he thought as he powered down.
Lying on the floor in his own sweat, he removed his shirt and threw it aside. Grabbing his towel from around his neck, he wiped off the sweat from his face and sighed. He could feel his eyes wanting to close so bad, but he willed them open and now he had to face the fact that this would be his life from now on. He thought of Goten. 'It's for you chibi.'
A knock came to the door, so he willed himself up on his feet and unlocked the door and came out of the gravity room. Turning around to face his visitor, he was surprised. "Goten?"
"I—I'm sorry I had to leave you in the early morning. I had to go over some things with Videl that have to do with my promotional tour schedule.
"It's all right chibi. I understand. You must be so excited. I'm really happy for you," he smiled.
"I start Monday in Japan. I can send you the schedule if you want."
"Sure I like to know where you are at all times," he smiled. "Hey maybe I'll show up to one of your concerts. It occurs to me that I haven't actually heard you sing before."
"Well you can go out and purchase my CD. It's out in stores all ready."
"I will definitely do that, but I have a feeling you're in conflict."
"Long term my career isn't going to work. I'm worried about you. Through this bond I can all ready feel your feelings. You're doing your best to hide them from me, but you're not succeeding. I love you too much to let you burry yourself in this misery of your father's past. You're losing sleep as well, and it's not healthy."
"And you think the solution is to sleep by my side every night to sooth my nightmares? It's a short term solution to a long term problem."
"It's the only one I've got Trunks. You need your sleep, and—
"Why don't you just use instant transmission and sleep with me every night and then use the technique to get back to wherever you are in the world?"
"That sounds like it will work, and I think the only problem with that is the technique tires me out."
"Again it's a short term solution to a long term problem. Eventually you'll be too tired and it will affect your performance because like you said the technique takes a lot out of you. I guess we can try it out for now, but I have to find a solution that doesn't involve you sacrificing your dreams for me." He felt Goten's arms around him, and he closed his eyes, feeling how right it felt to be in the arms of someone who truly loves him.
Moonlight fell over the Briefs home and into the bedroom window of Trunks Briefs. In the room Goten held Trunks close while he slept. At this point he didn't feel anything could wake his tired mate and he was glad, glad he could offer his mate some peace at night.
Before he could get back to sleep, he felt the chaotic ki of Trunks. Looking over to him, Goten could see Trunks had suddenly transformed into a super saiyan in his sleep. He was breathing heavily and then started to scream.
"Trunks! Trunks, wake up!" yelled Goten as he shook his mate as hard as he could to wake him up. It proved to be the wrong move as Trunks threw Goten hard out the door and into the hallway.
Goten hissed as he touched the back of his head and felt a wetness. Bringing his hand close to his eyes, he saw his blood. Trying to get up, he felt dizzy as he sat back down on the floor.
"Goten!"
Goten turned towards the voice who was at his blurry. Once his vision cleared some, he saw the worried eyes of Bulma as Vegeta came by and went into Trunks's room. "Bu—Bulma?"
"It looks like you hit your head pretty hard. I need to get you to the lab," said Bulma as she helped him up. "Bo—boy! You're heavy."
"Wa—wait what about Trunks?"
"Let Vegeta handle him right now. I'm worried to, but he'll know what to do."
"Mom, what's going on?" asked Bulla as she and Uub came from the other end of the hall.
"You're brother's nightmares are escalated it would seem, and your father is in there trying to calm your brother down."
"What happened to you Goten?" asked Uub.
"Trunks knocked me out of his room and into the hallway. I think he was fighting something in his dream because he went super saiyan."
"Uub, can you help me carry Goten to the lab?" asked Bulma.
"Yeah sure," said Uub as he supported Goten's weight while walking with Bulma and Goten to the lab and Bulla followed.
"Well," smiled Bulma, "the good news is that you don't have a concussion," she said after she patched up his head. "You might bruise and the area may be sensitive so just be careful."
"Thanks Bulma," said Goten as he got off the medical bed. "So, has it been this bad before?"
"No, it's just the further Trunks gets into Vegeta's past, the more he wants to fight the reality of what his father use to be. I've seen it all, so I know what he's going through. it's harder for Trunks to accept that his father wasn't always good. He's always looked up to him since he was little, wanted to make Vegeta proud. Trunks is trying to cope in his own way."
"What can I do for him Bulma?" asked Goten as Bulma could see the desperation in his eyes, the same desperation she had when Vegeta had nightmares.
Trunks throat was raw from all the screaming, and he could feel himself tire from his super saiyan transformation. Turning back to lavender hair and blues eyes, he fell back onto his bed. Looking around, he saw someone was missing from his bed. "Goten?"
"He's in the medical lab," said Vegeta as Trunks sat up in his bed.
"What's he doing there?"
"Apparently you threw him into the hallway where he bumped his head. He'll be all right. Your mother patching him up as we speak."
"I don't want to see anymore father."
"I know what you must think of me Trunks, and I can say it was my past. It's just an excuse. Believe it or not I've learned from the experiences in my life. They shaped me into a cold hearted warrior. My pride was all I had, but your mother and Kakarott showed me what I could become. You and your sister showed me what I could be and everyday I try to live up to that. My family is the most important thing to me, and I will do everything in my power to protect it. I can't protect you from this my son."
"In some ways I can understand why you turned out the way you did. I think more than anything I wish you didn't have to suffer throughout your life. I'm starting to understand you better, and I guess that's a good thing."
"You sound just like your mother."
Trunks couldn't help but smile. "I can't imagine it was easy for mom to see your whole life flash before her eyes."
"No, but she took it all in. She cried the whole night afterwards, and I felt guilty for letting myself become vulnerable."
Trunks smirked. "Like you're doing at this very moment."
"Shut up! Anyways when your mother finally calmed down, she told me my life hadn't scared her away. She wanted more than anything to be there for me always. She still loved and accepted me, and I couldn't understand why. Perhaps I will never know."
"You know you could just ask her."
"i think I prefer to leave it a mystery."
"Anyway I'm sure things have become more complicated between Goten and I. He's always been able to stop the nightmares. He can't anymore, so he needs to go and live his dream. I'm not going anywhere. I'll always be there for him, but he needs to fly."
"You know it will be hard to convince him Trunks."
"I know, but I'm not sure I could live with myself if he didn't go. Besides who knows what I would do to him during my nightmares. I all ready knocked him out of my room."
"The boy is tough. He will endure because he must. Your bond has sealed your fates together for better or worse," said Vegeta as he left his son's room, giving Trunks a lot to think about while he stayed awake.
