**** Oh, I forgot to mention it last time, but I don't own Dragonball Z ****
Trunks Briefs awoke to the sweet sounds of birds chirping next to his bedroom window. And the heavy stench of smoke. Trunks coughed slightly, wondering if Capsule Corp. had caught on fire. Suddenly remembering what day it was, the teenager relaxed. The smell didn't mean that the entire building was going down in flames. His mother was burning his birthday breakfast.
Trunks staggered down the stairs towards the kitchen, feeling much older than the nineteen years that he actually was. Peering into the room, he took stock of the pile of presents stacked neatly in the middle of the table. Smiling, Trunks took his seat at the kitchen table, eyeing the packages hungrily.
"After breakfast," chided Bulma, not even bothering to turn around. "Happy birthday, honey."
The woman faced him and smiled cheerfully at her son. Trunks smirked at his mother. A look of sadness washed over her face briefly. Why did he have to look so much like his father sometimes? Bulma quickly recovered her happy-go-lucky appearance.
"I've taken the day off so that we can spend time together," she informed him as she placed a plate of food in front of him.
"Can you afford to do that?" asked Trunks worriedly. "Capsule Corporation has been so busy with the restoration project. I really shouldn't even take the day off myself..."
Bulma held up her hand to silence him.
"The restoration project will not crumble and blow away if we're not there for just one day," she lectured. "Relax. Enjoy yourself. Today's your special day. It's not every day that the boy who saved the world turns nineteen. Goodness, you're practically a man!"
Bulma winked at him. Only she, Trunks, and ChiChi knew that it was Trunks who had finally defeated the androids. A con artist, by the name of Mr. Satan, had stolen the credit for the victory. Bulma and ChiChi had been outraged, but Trunks didn't feel there was any need to act. Mr. Satan had lost his daughter, Videl, to the androids. Trunks didn't have the heart to cause any more trouble for the man.
Trunks finished his breakfast. He waited patiently as his mother cleared the table before delving into his presents. Clothes. A new motorcycle capsule. Tickets for the grand reopening of the movie theatre. Trunks set aside the gifts.
"Thanks, mom," he said, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Did I say that's all?" asked Bulma, pulling out one last package.
Trunks raised an eyebrow, looking at her questioningly. The scientist smiled and pushed the gift towards him. Trunks carefully opened the box. Inside lay a tacky pink shirt. Pulling it out, he studied it closely. The word 'badman' was printed in black on the back.
"This...." trailed off Trunks.
"Was your father's," finished Bulma. "I gave it to him when he returned to Earth, right before a 'mysterious young man' appeared."
Trunks stared at his mother. She was smiling, despite the tears that were forming in the corner of her eyes. Faint wrinkles creased her face and bits of blue hair had fallen out of her bun. Trunks hadn't realized how old she looked. Bulma looked tired from a life full of trials.
"Mom," whispered Trunks, reaching out and taking his mother's hand.
The pair sat at the table, both smiling gently at each other. Bulma laughed sharply and waved her hand, breaking the tender mood.
"You don't have to wear it if you don't want to. I'll understand. It is a bit...gaudy," she laughed.
Trunks smiled and held it up.
"I don't think so," he stated.
He gathered his gifts and headed up stairs while his mother finished cleaning the kitchen. Trunks slipped on the 'badman' shirt. He could still smell a faint trace of Vegeta's scent that was left on the article of clothing. Smiling, he headed back downstairs. Bulma laughed when she saw what he was wearing.
"You're actually going to wear it?" she asked. "You're a brave man."
Trunks smiled.
"Do you think it's my color?" he asked, twirling around.
"You look stunning, darling!" joked Bulma.
The pair spent the rest of the morning sitting around the house, talking mostly about the different experiments that they had undertaken. They were working desperately to try to speed up the restoration process. The androids had done so much damage that there were times that Trunks believed that the human race would never recover. At those times he always remembered the single word that his mother had scratched onto the time machine: hope.
At noon, ChiChi arrived. Bulma had invited her to join them for lunch. Trunks was relieved when the brunette commandeered the kitchen. He absolutely loved the housewife's cooking. Even though his mother had plenty of experience, she had never quite mastered the culinary arts.
After lunch, Trunks made his way to his room, leaving Bulma and ChiChi in the kitchen to catch up on the latest gossip. Closing his door behind him, the teenager flopped down on his bed. He closed his eyes, trying to ignore the feeling of loneliness. He had never made any friends. He had been too busy fighting the androids to enjoy such things. His only friend had been Gohan. And those monsters had taken him away.
Rolling onto his stomach, Trunks reached under his bed, pulling out a well-worn leather book. It was a photo album full of pictures taken when he had gone back in time. Krillian, Yamcha, Tien, Chaotzu, Piccolo, Gohan, Goku, his father and mother: they were all there. There was even a picture of Trunks holding his past self; Baby Trunks was staring up at him in wide-eyed wonder.
The sound of the doorbell brought Trunks out of his reverie.
"I'll get it!" he shouted.
He closed the album and made his way back downstairs. Trunks opened the front door, wondering who could possibly be visiting his family.
"SURPRISE!"
Trunks' mouth fell open. In front of him stood a younger version of his mother, smiling happily. Next to her stood a very disgruntled Prince Vegeta. And in between the pair was a smaller version of himself staring at him warily.
"Trunks-kun! Who is it?" called Bulma from the kitchen.
"Oh boy," whispered Mirai no Trunks.
"You're in trouble," replied Chibi Trunks with a smirk on his face.
Trunks Briefs awoke to the sweet sounds of birds chirping next to his bedroom window. And the heavy stench of smoke. Trunks coughed slightly, wondering if Capsule Corp. had caught on fire. Suddenly remembering what day it was, the teenager relaxed. The smell didn't mean that the entire building was going down in flames. His mother was burning his birthday breakfast.
Trunks staggered down the stairs towards the kitchen, feeling much older than the nineteen years that he actually was. Peering into the room, he took stock of the pile of presents stacked neatly in the middle of the table. Smiling, Trunks took his seat at the kitchen table, eyeing the packages hungrily.
"After breakfast," chided Bulma, not even bothering to turn around. "Happy birthday, honey."
The woman faced him and smiled cheerfully at her son. Trunks smirked at his mother. A look of sadness washed over her face briefly. Why did he have to look so much like his father sometimes? Bulma quickly recovered her happy-go-lucky appearance.
"I've taken the day off so that we can spend time together," she informed him as she placed a plate of food in front of him.
"Can you afford to do that?" asked Trunks worriedly. "Capsule Corporation has been so busy with the restoration project. I really shouldn't even take the day off myself..."
Bulma held up her hand to silence him.
"The restoration project will not crumble and blow away if we're not there for just one day," she lectured. "Relax. Enjoy yourself. Today's your special day. It's not every day that the boy who saved the world turns nineteen. Goodness, you're practically a man!"
Bulma winked at him. Only she, Trunks, and ChiChi knew that it was Trunks who had finally defeated the androids. A con artist, by the name of Mr. Satan, had stolen the credit for the victory. Bulma and ChiChi had been outraged, but Trunks didn't feel there was any need to act. Mr. Satan had lost his daughter, Videl, to the androids. Trunks didn't have the heart to cause any more trouble for the man.
Trunks finished his breakfast. He waited patiently as his mother cleared the table before delving into his presents. Clothes. A new motorcycle capsule. Tickets for the grand reopening of the movie theatre. Trunks set aside the gifts.
"Thanks, mom," he said, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Did I say that's all?" asked Bulma, pulling out one last package.
Trunks raised an eyebrow, looking at her questioningly. The scientist smiled and pushed the gift towards him. Trunks carefully opened the box. Inside lay a tacky pink shirt. Pulling it out, he studied it closely. The word 'badman' was printed in black on the back.
"This...." trailed off Trunks.
"Was your father's," finished Bulma. "I gave it to him when he returned to Earth, right before a 'mysterious young man' appeared."
Trunks stared at his mother. She was smiling, despite the tears that were forming in the corner of her eyes. Faint wrinkles creased her face and bits of blue hair had fallen out of her bun. Trunks hadn't realized how old she looked. Bulma looked tired from a life full of trials.
"Mom," whispered Trunks, reaching out and taking his mother's hand.
The pair sat at the table, both smiling gently at each other. Bulma laughed sharply and waved her hand, breaking the tender mood.
"You don't have to wear it if you don't want to. I'll understand. It is a bit...gaudy," she laughed.
Trunks smiled and held it up.
"I don't think so," he stated.
He gathered his gifts and headed up stairs while his mother finished cleaning the kitchen. Trunks slipped on the 'badman' shirt. He could still smell a faint trace of Vegeta's scent that was left on the article of clothing. Smiling, he headed back downstairs. Bulma laughed when she saw what he was wearing.
"You're actually going to wear it?" she asked. "You're a brave man."
Trunks smiled.
"Do you think it's my color?" he asked, twirling around.
"You look stunning, darling!" joked Bulma.
The pair spent the rest of the morning sitting around the house, talking mostly about the different experiments that they had undertaken. They were working desperately to try to speed up the restoration process. The androids had done so much damage that there were times that Trunks believed that the human race would never recover. At those times he always remembered the single word that his mother had scratched onto the time machine: hope.
At noon, ChiChi arrived. Bulma had invited her to join them for lunch. Trunks was relieved when the brunette commandeered the kitchen. He absolutely loved the housewife's cooking. Even though his mother had plenty of experience, she had never quite mastered the culinary arts.
After lunch, Trunks made his way to his room, leaving Bulma and ChiChi in the kitchen to catch up on the latest gossip. Closing his door behind him, the teenager flopped down on his bed. He closed his eyes, trying to ignore the feeling of loneliness. He had never made any friends. He had been too busy fighting the androids to enjoy such things. His only friend had been Gohan. And those monsters had taken him away.
Rolling onto his stomach, Trunks reached under his bed, pulling out a well-worn leather book. It was a photo album full of pictures taken when he had gone back in time. Krillian, Yamcha, Tien, Chaotzu, Piccolo, Gohan, Goku, his father and mother: they were all there. There was even a picture of Trunks holding his past self; Baby Trunks was staring up at him in wide-eyed wonder.
The sound of the doorbell brought Trunks out of his reverie.
"I'll get it!" he shouted.
He closed the album and made his way back downstairs. Trunks opened the front door, wondering who could possibly be visiting his family.
"SURPRISE!"
Trunks' mouth fell open. In front of him stood a younger version of his mother, smiling happily. Next to her stood a very disgruntled Prince Vegeta. And in between the pair was a smaller version of himself staring at him warily.
"Trunks-kun! Who is it?" called Bulma from the kitchen.
"Oh boy," whispered Mirai no Trunks.
"You're in trouble," replied Chibi Trunks with a smirk on his face.