In the morning, I wake gently to warm sunshine on my face. Stretching, I roll over into the familiar body beside me. I feel Tien's powerful chest rumble as he wraps an arm around my waist. Tilting my head back, I find my love's eyes open and smiling softly down at me.

"Good morning, Sunshine." The powerful warrior utters as he draws me close.

I nuzzle the scar over his heart. "Morning, Misiu. Let's get packed up and fly home. We don't want to miss Trunks' sendoff. Gohan will not forgive us if we miss it. I wouldn't be surprised if Bulma is throwing a going away feast for him." I stand and begin folding the blankets. Tien hops up and nods before walking to the ashes from our fire to ensure they are cold and won't start a forest fire later.

I fold up each blanket and hand them to Tien to pack. Once we are all packed up, the warrior gathers our belongings and takes me into his muscular arms. He lifts into the air and flies us home in no time.

Dropping the pack from a few feet in the air, Tien then speeds off in the direction of West City. I giggle as I tighten my arms around the tall man's neck. I know I'm safe in his arms. I trust this man completely. I know my love will never intentionally harm me.

The man touches his forehead to mine with a smirk. "I'm gonna up my speed. Gohan won't be pleased if we're late." I giggle as I tighten my hold around his neck, feeling a whoosh of wind as the tall warrior takes off in a burst of speed.

Within what seems like moments, Tien and I land on the grounds of Capsule Corporation. As soon as I'm set down, a squeal sound from behind us. I turn around only to be tackled into Tien. A small, lavender-haired baby looks up at me with an adorable grin. "Well, look who wants to say hello! Hi, buddy, you've grown in the last week." I stop to look around, not seeing Bulma or Vegeta within range. The little sneak.

"Come on, let's go find the party." The former conman ruffles the young prince's locks. The child in my arms giggle and reaches for the bald man. Tien smiles and takes the boy with a renewed confidence that he didn't have a week ago. My love shifts Trunks into one arm and snakes his hand around my waist and leads us to where we can hear music and chatter of our friends.

We round the corner and Bulma rushes us to take Trunks from Tien's arms. "You scared me, Trunks! Don't you dare do that again!" She scolds before turning to greet Tien and I. "Hey, you guys. You're just in time. Goku's whining to eat and I won't let him until everyone else gets a plate." She laughs. Tien and I simply roll our eyes and smile at the unsurprising antics of the man.

Before we make it to the others, Tien clears his throat, gaining our attention. "Say, Bulma… You haven't made any headway with the search for Launch, have you?" He pulls me closer; I stay silent. As much as he needs me, something tells me that he wants this taken care of as much as I do.

"Nothing yet. I sent a total of eight drones to Korin's Tower, the last place you saw her, and are programmed to do grid searches, working their way out. All eight drones have images of both of her personalities on their hardware. Tien," Bulma places her hand on his forearm, "That was six and a half YEARS ago. This could take a while to find her."

Sighing, "I know, but I want to face her and our past before I lost my nerve." He looks into my eyes. "So, I can move on wholeheartedly to the only one to capture my attentions." He looks back at her. "How will you know when they find her?"

Bulma pulls out her phone from her back pocket. "I've programmed each one of them to alert me of anyone with a resemblance to her, my computers in my lab will run the image through an identification software. I'll find her." She says with conviction and eyes full of promise and determination.

The three-eyed warrior nods in silent satisfaction and walks us to the rest of our friends. We hear multiple greetings from the group.

We find the elder Trunks in the midst of Krillin, Piccolo, and Gohan. We stroll towards them to say our good-byes without being rushed later. The tall half-Saiyan sees our approach and excuses himself from the three. He bows to Tien and me. "Alicia, I'm so happy you are alright. Father told me what had happened with Cell on the battlefield. I'm sorry I didn't act sooner."

"Trunks, don't you dare blame yourself. None of us could have anticipated him to make that kind of move. The only thing that matters is that he is gone for good. Take care of your mother and do your father proud in the rebuild of the future. You've got this." I grip both of his shoulders, locking eye contact with his big, blue eyes. Determined to make sure I get my point across.

"Give all your enemies hell, Trunks. You know where to find us if you need back-up." Tien catches the teenager's forearm in a warrior's handshake.

Trunks nods. "Thank you both for coming to see me off today. I'm honored by your friendships." The boy from the future grabs me up in a quick hug and goes to stand with the current versions of his mother and himself.

I smile up at my misiu. "I think he'll be just fine. I think getting to know Vegeta now, will give him a better understanding of who he is. Or part of himself, anyway. Though, I doubt they had a heart to heart, but Trunks must have inherited his observation skills from both of his parents."

Smirking down at me, Tien nods. "Yeah, he's just like both of them, and don't forget, he was trained by Gohan. He'll be more than enough for whatever comes his way. Come on, let's go see everyone else." The tall warrior takes my hand and leads me to Goku and Krillin, who are debating on which part of Master Roshi's training was the most challenging.

"How can you NOT think being chased by SHARKS was the worst part of our training, Goku? If we stopped swimming at any time, we would have been EATEN!" Krillin passionately points out.

"Yeah, but how could you stand wearing that turtle shell? Or all that homework? My head hurt every night." The Saiyan whines out. He turns to his very first rival. "You had completely different training with the Crane Hermit than we did. What was the worst part of your training, Tien?"

Tien sighs and lowers his head. "I wouldn't really call it 'training,' Goku. More like being taught how to survive while having the tar beat out of me by Tao. I was one of the few who could endure his abuse and get stronger. Surviving Tao took my mentality and willingness to trust. I couldn't trust any opponent to fight with honor, so I never did. Not until that fateful 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament. Some little brat got in my head." The tallest gives Krillin a knowing smirk.

Goku looks back and forth between his two friends. "A little brat? Who was that?" I bury my face in my hands to hide my laughter, Krillin face-palms, and Tien rolls his eyes, shaking his head.

"I only fought one kid that year, Goku. Think hard about that tournament. Who all did I face in front of the crowd that first tournament I was in?" The tallest of our group asks the spiky-haired Saiyan.

"Hmmm… You broke Yamcha's leg in the first round… Then Jackie Chun hopped out of the ring… Then you fought me. Me?! I'm the 'little brat that got in your head?' Was I in your head in a good way, at least?" The grown man pouts at his elder.

Krillin raises an eyebrow, curious to hear their school rival's answer. The three-eyed warrior simply smirks at his friend. "Goku, did I not change my ways? Until that point in my life, I had never come across a foe who could go toe to toe with me. Never had I faced someone who caused me to question all that I was taught, who I was supposed to become. I am content with how my life has turned out." Tien wraps an arm around my waist and smiles down at me. "Thank you, Goku, for changing me for the better."

I smile with pride as I watch my boyfriend extend his hand to shake the Saiyan's. I squeeze into his side, blushing just a bit. As I look back to the other man, Goku beams and clasps the outstretched arm. "In that case, it was my pleasure. I'm glad that I can always count of you, Krillin, and the rest of the gang to have my back after all these years."

Krillin lays a hand atop the clasped ones before him. "Can't break up a dream team like us. I'll always have both of your backs." Goku and Tien smirk and nod at their shorter friend.

Suddenly, a shrill whistle sounds and catches everyone's attention. Bulma and the elder version of her son stand beside his time machine. Once everyone quiets down, she addresses the gathering of friends. "Thank you for coming to say goodbye to Trunks. We appreciate your support and friendship." The blue-haired woman turns to her son. "Have a safe trip back to the future, kiddo. I love you. Give 'em hell. Show them what happens when you mess with a Saiyan of Earth." She throws a hug around the teen's shoulders.

Once his mother releases him, Trunks turns to the group of his new friends and bows at his waist. "Thank you all for your encouragement and guidance. I truly hope I do you all proud in my timeline." The young man turns to the time machine and I see Vegeta give the future version of his son a two-finger salute. Trunks nods in acknowledgement and floats up to open the vessel's hatch.

We all watch in silence as Trunks settles into the pilot seat and starts the engine. Our eyes never leave the craft as it ascends into the air. The teen waves one last time before blinking out of existence.

Tien and I look at each other and smile. "He'll be fine. He has been trained by Gohan and Vegeta. He's a Saiyan prince. There will be no foe that he can't defeat now." The tall man squeezes my shoulder, before walking towards the buffet table.

I walk to the edge of the gathering and just watch everyone converse with each other. Many are laughing, smiles on all faces. Soon I am joined by Yamcha. "Hello, Yamcha. Are you enjoying the party?"

"I always enjoy seeing my friends. Why aren't you in the midst of everyone, relishing in the attention?" Yamcha asks casually as he leans against the wall behind me.

"Who says I'm not enjoying myself? I like to watch and observe people in this kind of setting. I actually don't like being the center of attention. That's why I took off after the dragon said I couldn't go home. There was no telling what I'd have acted like once the shock wore off. I'm prideful that way, much like the rest of you. Shedding tears is a weakness to me, so I rarely let them fall. Even then, never in front of anyone. When I finally broke in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, all I could feel was shame in myself that not only did Goku, but Gohan, see me."

Yamcha nods his head. "Wow, you really were brought here for Tien. You should know us well enough by now that we wouldn't think any less of you just because you show a less than desirable emotion. Speaking of Tien, do you have any idea as to why he wants to talk to the rest of us?"

"I do, but it's not my place to divulge the details. He will talk to everyone when he's ready." I search for the man in question and find him with Vegeta under a large tree. The much taller man is shuffling his feet and rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. His unoccupied hand is moving in motions of mapping out an explanation. The prince is scowling, but as the warrior before him continues to speak, it softens. Vegeta breaks eye contact with Tien before finding me. I nod and mouth silently, 'It's true.' The prince turns back to my lover. "Excuse me, Yamcha."

I leave the scarred former bandit and stride to my misiu's side. When I join them, I slide an arm around his waist and hug him, letting him know I am beside him. He's just finished telling the Saiyan prince about his secret past.

Vegeta turns his sharp eyes to me and simply asks, "Did you know?"

"Not until after you saved me from Cell. It's why I provided the distraction while he told Bulma and asked for her help. I'm sorry I wouldn't tell you, but know you know the whole truth."

The prince tightens his crossed arms and closes his eyes. He bows his head low in thought. "This woman is clearly as evil as Frieza. The Saiyan race may have been blood-thirsty for battle, but an assault such as that was considered to be highly disgraceful. Those who engaged in such acts were swiftly put to death. Makes me sick to know this kind of crime goes unjustified more often than not on this mud ball. Does Kakarot know?"

"Not until yesterday, Vegeta. To be honest, I forgot it all happened, but once Goku told me what Cell did to my sunshine, did it all come rushing back. Only you, Goku, Alicia, and Bulma know the whole story. Gohan figured out the gist of what happened." Tien answers. "I'm planning on telling the others today, while we are all gathered. I knew you would need the full back story of who exactly Launch was to us. So, I explained it all to you alone." The tall warrior relays to the group's most recent ally.

I glance towards Piccolo, curious if he may have overheard their conversation. Suddenly, the Namekian locks his eyes with mine. He simply points to his ear and nods. I guess that answers my question. I gently pull on Tien's shoulder, gaining his attention. "Piccolo knows. He overheard you telling Vegeta. You only have to tell Yamcha and Krillin now. One less person to fear judgement from." The martial artist nods his head before kissing the top of mine.

"He was the only one I didn't fear judgement from. I might as well get it over with. I'll be back." He takes off to the grouping of Goku, Krillin, and Yamcha. I decide to hang back with the prince. The earth-raised Saiyan can support Tien on this one.

"You seem better than the other day." The gruff man states quietly. "Three-eyes treating you well?"

"Which other day are you referring to? The day with Cell? Yes, Tien has comforted me well. I'm glad he's the one the Fates brought me to. He's a good and trustworthy man, Prince Vegeta. I hope someday he will trust you as much as I trust you both." I look up to the prince, who is observing the group of friends.

"You needn't call me by my royal title anymore. I may be royal by blood, but with so few of my race left, I'm not a ruler. Just call me by my name." Vegeta smiles down at me, before motioning his head to the group. "Now knowing this bit of his history, explains a lot about him. His own pride kept him from telling his friends for fear of being shamed. I would have acted the same way. Fearing the reactions of my comrades, how they would treat me after finding out. Would they see me as some kind of delicate flower, one phrase away from wilting away? Or would they humiliate me with ridicule for falling victim when I was smarter and stronger than my adversary? But for him to simply continue on as if it never happened? He's stronger than I've given him credit for."

Out of the blue, Krillin shouts, "THAT'S why you were so different at Kami's?" Vegeta and I share a glance before walking to the huddle of fighters. I'll admit, I'm a bit shocked that Krillin had the outburst.

Yamcha chimes in, "So what happened that made you want to tell us now after so long? Did Launch show back up?"

Tien, Goku, and Vegeta look at me. I guess it's my turn to share. "No, Launch hasn't come back into Tien's life. When Cell transported us back to the Saiyans, he broke multiple bones in my leg before touching me with the intention of 'teaching' Gohan the female anatomy through a visual aid." I take a deep breath and look at the two fighters who didn't know and weren't there. "Luckily, Vegeta came up with a plan and all three Saiyans were able to save me before Cell could start that kind of assault on me."

"When Goku told me, what Cell wanted to do to my sunshine, he unlocked all those suppressed memories of what Launch did to me. But there is something else that I didn't tell you three. There is a possibility that Launch conceived a child that I've never met. That's why I told Bulma and Goku first about my secret. I don't know if there is a kid, nor do I know how to be a dad." Tien finishes.

"Wow." Krillin breathes. "Now I understand. I'm sorry I overreacted, Tien. However, I can help, just let me know. I'm here for you both." The shortest of the Earth's protectors pulls me into a hug. "I'm glad you were saved from Cell before you were defiled. Tien needs all of us now."

"Thanks, and you're right. Tien needs us all now." Krillin squeezes me just a tad tighter, sealing his promise to be there for us during such a difficult time.

Chapter 4 is complete! I haven't forgotten this story, just a bit of a block for a while. Though, I have been thinking long and hard about this story. I've decided I'm not going to write anymore lemons for this series.

Thank you all for continuing to read my stories.

Huge shout-out to the ever-sweet Sunni-Chan! I LOVED your review, so this chapter is dedicated to you. Thanks again, sweetness!