Catie sighed as she heard the door open to her room. Couldn't Trunks leave her alone just for one day? She didn't want to eat and she was starting to become annoyed at his persistence, always waving a plate of food in front of her face. Even though she'd stopped talking to him completely, he just wouldn't seem to give up. She heard footsteps approach the bed and her anger swelled. "Would you just leave me alone?!" she snapped and turned over, but her eyes went wide when she saw Hercule standing there. "Oh. It's you." She sighed and laid back down on her side, wishing he would go away, too. She just wanted to be left alone.

"Hey there little gal," he said as he moved to pull a chair away from the wall and moved it close to the bed, so he could see her face. Trunks was becoming desperate the longer his wife stayed in their room, unmoving. While her health had improved, that was the only thing that had. She refused to talk, eat, or anything else that resembled life. He couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped his lips as he watched the little kitten dutifully moving a toy mouse next to Catie's face. He settled down in his seat and watched her for a moment more, "So, we all agree, you win the award for staying in bed the longest. Madeline is making you a victory cake and a steak dinner to celebrate." Hercule volunteered to talk to Catie and when Trunks asked why that would do any good, he simply replied that he had some experience with the matter. No need to get into details. "We'll have to do something about that hair though, looks like it could use a good comb."

"Shave it for all I care," she muttered, staring at the kitten who nibbled on her nose. She wasn't amused by the thought of a cake and the mention of steak did nothing to whet her appetite. She knew she had to look terrible, and she just didn't care. Her scalp felt itchy and greasy, she knew her hair had to be ratted up in the worst sort of way, and yet she wasn't bothered by it at all. "Stupid cat," she said and gently pushed the kitten off the bed. "Give the steak to someone who needs it," she said flatly. "I'm not hungry. Don't waste your supplies on me."

Hercule leaned back, watching as the cat was undeterred by Catie's actions and simply went over to its food bowl to start eating again. "Of course you're hungry. Your body's just been snacking on itself instead of the food it needs," he said as he scratched his chin, "Why have you given up? Why do you want to die so much?"

"I don't want to die. I just don't care if I do," she muttered. "They didn't tell you my son is dead?" she asked, finally looking up at him. "He was in my arms and those bastards shot him. I was right there and there was nothing I could do. There's no bringing him back. What's the point in living without him?"

"See now, you are wrong there. There is a difference," he said, leaning forward on his knees. "And I can see it. You say you don't care if you die, but to me, someone who says that is about to do something life threatening for the thrill of living. You just want to die because of the pain, the wrong that has been done to you and your family. Do you think the aliens are going to care if you wither away into nothing? Do you think that's going to show them? Is dying going to make your son's death more meaningful? Is it going to clear any guilt you have over that fact?"

Catie shrugged. "At least I'd be with him again." Her voice was broken as she spoke. She felt an ache creep back into her chest, something she hadn't felt in quite a while. For so long, she'd been numb. And now that numbness was replaced by pain again. She didn't know which was worse. Her eyes burned and she drew her knees up to herself in the fetal position as a tear leaked from her eye. "What would you know about it?" she spat. "Seems to me the great Mr. Satan wouldn't know a bad day if it bit him in the ass."

Hercule hid the smirk that wanted to come out at that. Emotion was good. "I know. Hard to believe it that someone like me would know a thing or two about how the world works, but there it is. I know more about this stuff than you think. Than most people think. Why do you think I help with building shelters like these?" he asked as he leaned back to watch her carefully. "Yeah, you might be with your son again, but you are being selfish. Think of all these people you are leaving behind. Do you really want to make Trunks suffer through the death of his son AND his wife? Do you think it's fair to give up when everyone else around you is trying so hard to stay alive?"

"You think it's better for him if I'm here?!" she snapped, sitting up suddenly. "All I see when I look in his eyes is pity. Sadness. I can't help the way I feel! I can't change it! It's not fair for him to waste his life worrying over me. There's nothing I can do to make this emptiness go away. What am I supposed to do? Just get up and act all fucking happy and shit when there is NOTHING left in this world to be happy about?! MY SON IS DEAD. And all that's left is this big, empty hole in my heart where he's supposed to be and it will NEVER be filled again! And it HURTS. And I don't want to live with this anymore!"

"You think it's better for him if you are gone? He will have two deaths tearing him apart. How would you feel if he was killed by the aliens as well? Would that force a gun in your hands to point the wrong way and shoot yourself? Would he?" Hercule was revealing in the movement. Now, if he could just get her out of bed. He stood up. "You are belittling your son's death by acting like this. Like there is no point to life anymore. Yes, it is a grave tragedy that no mother should ever have to go through. But it happened."

Catie's eyes narrowed at him and got to her feet. How dare this man speak to her about her son's death. "You know NOTHING about how I feel or what I would do. You don't know me! How dare you stand there and criticize me?" Her voice became shriller the longer she shouted at him. "Belittling my son's death?! FUCK YOU!" she screamed and hauled off, smacking him across the face as hard as she could.

Hercule reveled in the pain. It wasn't the hardest he had been hit. He gave that honor to Cell. He closed his eyes, taking the stinging slap as best he could, steeling his eyes when he opened them again, seeing the fierce young woman in front of him. Again, she needed to do it again. "You belittle his death by wasting away in a bed, forgetting everyone else around you. Would he want you to take it laying down? Because that's what you've been doing. I can criticize you if I want because there is nothing you can do about it. I know a great deal more than you about this. Don't you misjudge me. I act like an idiot. That doesn't mean I am one."

"HA! You must be a fucking idiot to say things like this to me! Fuck you, you lying bastard! There are more people in this world that know the truth about you than you realize. I don't believe a fucking word you say! You think you know what I'm going through? You think you know this kind of pain? You can't even begin to fathom it! Everything out of your mouth is nothing but BULLSHIT!" she screamed. She balled up her fist and swung at him again, landing a hard punch to his jaw. She lashed out with her foot, kicking the back of his knee as her punch turned him, dropping him to his knees. "Go fuck yourself, Champ!"

"I lost my wife to depression," he spat back at her. "Yes I know what you are going through. I know what Trunks is going through," he said as he defiantly raised his head to her, "I may be full of shit, but I know it. I know the pain of what you are going through. How much it hurts. Letting it control you is the easy way out and we weren't put on this earth to do things the easy way. You're friends with Goku right? Yeah, I know what I did at the Cell games, but Goku didn't stick around to claim ownership of the kill. Neither did his boy. I would gladly give up that victory if they ever came forward to claim it. They saved our lives that day. It was something I couldn't do. But they weren't there and I was. I took it and used it for my own purposes. I didn't run away from it. That's your beef with me, right? There. You have that. Now when my wife died, yeah, I felt like ending it. Like life lost its luster, there was no purpose anymore. But I was needed. Past my own pain, I saw that I was needed to do more work here. To help. Can't you say the same?"

Catie went quiet, shocked at what he had told her. She'd never heard even a whisper of a rumor about his wife. She'd always assumed he'd never been married, that he was too busy bedding all the women that flaunted around him at the matches. Her knees gave out as her anger ebbed and she fell to the floor. Leaning back against the bed, she stared sadly at him, tears welling in her eyes again. "But what can I do?" she asked in a shaking voice. "I have no purpose left. Zane was my everything." She drew her knees up and covered her face with her hands. No, her son wouldn't want her to be like this. Neither would Vegeta. She shuddered as she thought about what he would say, how he would bark at her to get up, dry her tears, to snap out of it and soldier on. A loud sob escaped her lips as she leaned over to rest her forehead on her knees. "I don't know how to deal with this."

Hercule knelt next to her, reaching out and putting a large hand on her shoulder. "No one knows how to deal with the death of someone we hold dear to our hearts. In some way, the world does end. I don't want to meet the person who can deal with death so easily that they cast it aside and don't let it shake them at all. We need you, Catie. Trunks needs you. Don't plan ahead, live one day at a time. Today, you need food, you need to be with Trunks. Remember the good about your son. Tomorrow, who knows what will happen? It's full of possibilities." He looked down as the kitten wandered over, mewling up at Catie, its tiny paw on her leg. "Live for this little guy. His mother probably died out there and now he's all alone. Will he replace your son? No. Of course not. Nor will you replace his mother. But you can both bring each other comfort."

Catie dropped her hand and stared miserably at the little cat. A fresh wave of tears hit her and she picked it up, cuddling it to her neck. No, it didn't replace her son. Nothing ever would. But something about the warm ball of fuzz purring against the side of her neck soothed a part of her soul. "Hi baby," she whispered to it as tears poured down her face. She sobbed again as it nuzzled her chin. She sniffled and looked at Hercule, the bruise blooming on his jaw. "I'm sorry I hit you," she said softly, not quite meeting his eyes as she spoke.

Hercule smiled at her, stroking her dirty hair and pushing a few locks behind her ear. "Nah, don't be. I figure I have a few more coming in my life," he said, moving to wipe tears of his own away before he wiped away hers. "You've gotta a real decent right hook. Who taught you?" he asked as he rubbed at his jaw, moving to sit down across from her.

"Vegeta," she answered. "Trunks' dad. He's… one of the Saiyans the aliens are looking for." She paused and sniffled, wiping her nose on her sleeve. "He's probably the strongest in the universe, next to Goku. He's been a warrior all his life. He trained me and Jenny; she's like practically my sister. He took both of us under his wing when we came here as students, taught us how to fight. Especially after a whole bunch of shit happened. Found out we had powers an' shit." She waved her hand. "It's a long story."

Hercule smiled at her. "I'd love to hear it some time," he said as he leaned back, tilting his head at her. "So, I know you've said you haven't been hungry. But let's go take a walk in the kitchen, see if anything jumps out at you." He pushed himself to his feet, reaching down a hand for her to take. "I know a few people who would like to see you up and about."

Catie nodded and took his hand, letting him pull her to his feet as she gently set the kitten in the middle of her disheveled bed. She ran her hand over the soft fur a couple of times before she followed Hercule to the kitchen. She stopped and rubbed at her eyes when she saw Trunks standing there talking to Tora. Her eyes burned again as Trunks turned towards her, a surprised look on his face. "Hi," she said quietly.

Trunks' eyes widened as he saw Catie and Hercule standing in the kitchen. He looked at the man, not believing what he saw. He had actually gotten her out of bed. Where he had done little to motivate his own wife, Hercule had somehow done the impossible. He noted the fresh bruises on his face and arms, but said nothing. "Hey baby," he said cautiously before he walked over to her, reaching out and cupping her cheek, brushing away the tears there. "How are you doing?"

Hercule smiled at the interaction and went over to stand next to Tora, leaning back against the counter. "She deserves whatever she wants to eat. Something good for the soul, I think. Like lava cakes, bacon mac'n'cheese. Something deep fried and smothered in chocolate."

"I'm okay," she said in a tiny voice. She looked into Trunks' deep blue eyes, searching them as tears spilled from her own. "I'm sorry," she squeaked. "I'm sorry I tried to give up. I don't want to do that to you. I… I don't want to just lay down and die." She choked on the last word and leaned into his chest, taking comfort in his warmth. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"Shhh," he soothed, pulling her against him tightly. "I know. I know. You have nothing to be sorry for," he said as he leaned down and kissed her forehead, "Come on, let's get you something to eat and then we can go back to the room. Maybe a shower and some fresh clothes?"

Hercule smiled and thumped Tora with his elbow. "Come on. Let's go change those bedsheets for them while she's out and about," he said, giving a wink to Trunks. "Madeline, make sure she eats everything on that plate you give her, okay? Won't do anyone any good if the aliens come by, breathe on her and she falls over."

Tora nodded. "Yup," he said and gave Trunks a thumbs-up as he left the kitchen. He didn't know what Hercule had said to Catie, but he was grateful for it.

"Thank you," Catie said softly to Madeline as she set a plate in front of her. Chicken strips, mashed potatoes, mac'n'cheese. "Comfort food," Catie grinned and sank her teeth into the chicken, a soft groan escaping her throat. For the first time in weeks, her stomach growled. "Heh. I'm actually hungry," she said and reached over to squeeze Trunks' hand as she took another bite and another.

Trunks wiped away his tears as he watched his wife eat, bite after bite. "Thank the gods," he breathed, squeezing her hand tightly before he brought it up to his lips, kissing gently at her knuckles. He wondered just what it was that Hercule said to her that made her get up, but he wasn't about to question it. Whatever it had been, this was what she needed. "It's good to have you back, love. I missed you."

She leaned her head on his shoulder, chewing her food for a moment. "I can't promise how I'll be tomorrow. Or the next day. But I'm trying, Trunks. I'm going to try to learn how to deal with this, to learn how to live again." She sat up and looked in his eyes, her own pleading for understanding. "Just be patient with me, okay?" she asked, her tone vulnerable. "Please?"

Trunks smiled at her, kissing her cheek. "Whatever you need, love. I'll give it to you if it's in my power," he said. He wanted nothing more than to just hold her, to make sure she was truly alright and not going to slip away from him in the middle of the night. That she wasn't going to wither away into nothing because she wasn't trying anymore.

Madeline smiled at the couple, taking Catie's plate back as she finished off the last morsel. "Go on then. I'll send up some desert in a little bit. Hot chocolate and a couple slices of cheesecake," she said with a wink, "Mother's own recipe to cure the aching soul."

Catie thanked Madeline before she and Trunks returned to their room. The bed had been made and she thought about how good it would feel to lay on fresh sheets after a hot shower. She realized then what a luxury that would be at this point. She scratched at her scalp and frowned when her fingers nearly got stuck in the ratty tangles. "I feel gross," she admitted sheepishly.

Trunks chuckled at her and reached for her clothes, lifting her shirt over her head. He carefully undressed her until she was bare before him. "We can fix that," he said quietly as he stripped down as well, leading her into the in suite bathroom. He turned on the light and turned on the shower, making sure the water was hot before he helped Catie step into the spray. He went over to the cabinet in the room and took out a comb as well as shampoo and conditioner. He carefully stepped into the shower behind his mate and set the items down before he drew her into his arms, kissing her soundly. "By the gods, I've missed you."

"I'm sorry, baby," she answered, sliding her arms around his waist as the hot water beat down on them. "Gods, this feels good." She nuzzled into his chest, kissing at the strong muscles. "I just sort of lost myself. The more death we saw out there, those people in the church, I started thinking maybe they were right. Maybe there really was no hope, no point of living. I gave up. I know I was wrong, but I couldn't help it. I wanted to cry or be angry or just feel SOMETHING and all I felt was numb. I still do, a little, but I don't want to feel like that anymore. It's like I was already dead inside."

It was burning at Trunks, to know what Hercule had said. Though he felt asking was invasive and it was something that should remain between the two. He leaned down, kissing the top of her head, content to just hold her in the hot water, happy to have her in his arms once again. "I am glad. I know you had to mourn. I know what we saw wasn't the easiest. If you had been able to go through that without blinking an eye, then I would have been worried," he said as he finally reached for the shampoo, squeezing a good measure into his hands before he began to wash her hair.

Catie moaned and leaned into his touch. His fingers in her hair felt like heaven. "I shouldn't have quit on you, though," she said softly as he worked her hair into a lather. "I still have you. I can't leave you behind. I won't make you bury me, too." Tears burned her eyes again as she thought about what she'd almost done to her husband. Her mate. "I need something, Trunks. I need a purpose. Killing the aliens like we were wasn't it. It made me cold. Like, somehow it killed part of my spirit. I need something more and I don't know what it is."

"Live for me. Live for those out there who are still fighting the aliens. Live for our parents, our friends. Our family," he said as he leaned her back into the spray of the water, washing the suds away before he got the conditioner and comb. He made sure to put a healthy amount of the creamy lotion into her hair before he used the comb to gently work out the tangles that had formed.

"Okay," she agreed, letting him comb the rats from her hair. He was right, of course. He still needed her; she couldn't abandon him now. "Thank you," she said softly as he finally set the comb aside and rinsed her hair. She let him wrap her up in a soft towel before she looked at him, shifting her weight from foot to foot. "Trunks?" she asked, chewing her lip. "I know this is going to sound lame, and I know all I've done is lay around, but I haven't hardly slept at all. And every time I do, I have horrible dreams. Do you think you could lay down with me? Just… hold me for a while?"

Trunks smiled at her and nodded, kissing her softly. "Whatever you want," he answered as he picked her up and walked her out into the main room so he could set her on the bed. "One second." He went and turned down the lights before he went back to his mate and climbed under the covers with her. The fresh cool sheets felt amazing and even better as he curled up behind his wife, gently tugging her into his arms. "Sleep now. I'll be here."

Catie nearly whimpered as he wrapped his strong, warm arms around her. She laid her arms over his and brought his hand up to her lips, kissing it. "I'll be here, too."