Well, dumb butt ff.net seems to have it out for me, so I'm biding my time, my brilliant mind already planning for its downfall… Mwahahaha!
Yep, FF.net shall clean up its act one of these days, and I will be looking over it's shoulder with my sawed off shotgun. Hee hee hee…
I'm not so much hyper as psychotic now, don't mind me.
Did you like last chapter? Seriously?? Spleeeeendid. *Giggles in an evil sort of way*
Sheesh, really , disregard my psycho side, it surfaces now and then, usually then, but occasionally now.
Disclaimer: Know what? You wanna sue me? You know what I have to say to that? Really?
Go. To. Hell. o_O I'm sorry! That should be censored, ne? Ok, then you can go to HFIL!
(~*~)
Pain was the first thing to register in her incoherent mind. Aches in places that she never even thought about, and some she did. She rubbed her aching head with a sore hand, every part of her body seemed to be hurting, not to mention the barest hint of a migraine, but somehow she knew that was Goten's head in pain. She shifted her weight, alarm shooting through her at the very loose feel of cloth about her, far too loose to be her own clothing. She recognized the need to open her eyes, but she hesitated, sure that some new hurt would be there to greet her at the first fluttering of eyelids.
Bracing herself, she opened her eyes, pleasantly surprised at the lack of pain that ensued, probably due to the dimness of the room, with the curtains drawn and door closed. She was in her very own room, strangely wearing Trunks pants and shirt. She looked at the clock, and comparing the time to what it had been when she first went outside, only a half hour. Went outside. She remembered seeing Trunks as an oozaru, after so many years of listening to her father go on about how glorious the transformation was. And after that, black nothingness. Being here, and in pain.
She shifted uncomfortably on the bed. What on chikyuu was she laying on? It didn't feel very good. At this point, nothing felt very good at all. She rolled to her side and felt behind her, discovering a warm, furry, tail-like structure. She moved it off to the side so she could get a clear view, and sat up sharply when realization dawned.
She had a tail. A tail. The true mark of a Saiyajin. Excitement welled in her, as she considered how excited her father would be. A tail came with it's own set of problems though. Like work. She would be forced to wear long dresses, skirts, or pants all the time. Of course, dyed a different color, a tail could always serve as a belt, right? Vegeta had told her how Saiyajin usually kept their tails around their waist, at least in a fight.
Climbing off of the bed carefully her warrior side kicked in, and she promptly ignored the pain, for the most part anyway. She could tell Goten was in a similar pain, though not nearly as bad as she felt. Like wise she could feel his headache. And she in return felt some of him feeling her pain, till their discomfort echoed back and forth between the two, multiplying it greatly. She dressed quickly and staggered downstairs, using the wall to her advantage for stability purposes.
Yamucha and trunks had arrived, and were busy chatting with the rest of the gathered group. Pan had returned, apparently with the others to arrive soon. Her alternate brother stuck with the black haired daughter of Gohan, Bra noticed, and the two seemed to be enjoying the other's company immensely.
Bra slumped down onto the couch next to Goten, who had drifted off despite the presence of food. She laid her head on his shoulder, ignoring the indignant glances Vegeta cast at her from across the room. Goten reached up a hand to stroke her hair, kissing the top of her head lightly. She looked up at him as she addressed him telepathically.
What happened to you? She asked, even her mind-voice sounding slurred. Goten informed her of what had occurred in the back yard, and why he had a headache. He was a little unsure of why she was so sore though.
Bulma, noticing her daughter's condition, and already aware of Goten's plight, left her spot by Vegeta(where they had been sitting in a position similar to the younger couple's, only they were holding hands) to fetch some strong painkillers. Her very own hangover formula was administered to the two demi-saiyajin, and a plate of food gathered for each. Goten was informed that to gain more food, he would have to serve himself, and she was met with a quiet nod.
Bra curled up against her mate as she dozed, the pain killers taking effect quickly. Her tail absently wrapped around his thigh as she fell asleep.
(~*~)
Bulma looked at her daughter in silence, concern painting her features. Vegeta stroked her palm with his thumb, mentally assuring her that Bra would be fine in a few hours and that first transformations were always rough. She snuggled against him, letting his warmth soothe her. She ignored the fact that she was being a horrible hostess, not even serving her guests, much less socializing with them. As there really was no way to spend time with Bra at the moment, she spent her free time with her mate, who probably needed her attention more than anyone else present anyhow.
Not for the first time she contemplated his reaction to her the night before. Their 'fun in bed' had been no surprise, but before that, his crying, had shocked her to the core. She had rarely seen him display emotion so freely, and that was only right after he awoke from one of his nightmares... Ah, there it was. Not only had he been feeling strong emotions, but she had awakened him.
Of course, what had felt like a mere two years to her had been fifteen for him. She hated seeing how much pain he was in. Trying to ignore that glimmer of hope that had been ignited earlier in her conversation with herself and Goku, she put an arm around Vegeta's middle. His arm was laid across the back of the couch, and he moved his hand down to rub the back of her neck gently.
bulma was still walking about the room moving from person to person. She held a glass of punch in one hand, which she refilled every few minutes.
The doorbell rang, and Pan rushed to open it, admitting Marron, holding a bowl of salad.
(~*~) I could just stop here, and leave y'all hanging…but I'm not that psychotic, believe it or not. But then
again, maybe I am… :)
Happiness welled within her, socializing with these people again. Sometimes she felt a little…left out, but she accredited it to the fact that they had done things together that she had never even been aware of. She started at the familiar sound of the doorbell, and watched with interest as Pan answered the door.
A cute, pixie-faced girl entered, with a large salad in her hands. She chattered excitedly with Pan, and was followed closely by Krillin. A Krillin with thick salt and pepper hair. She took another close look at the girl, noting the resemblance. But there was no way she could have gotten that gorgeous blond hair from Krillin.
She vaguely heard the sound of glass shattering, and her own gasp. 18 entered the house, her hair cut short along her jawline. Everyone looked back at bulma, and the broken glass. Memories flashed through her head, images of pain and suffering, senseless destruction. Watching helplessly as Vegeta was beaten to a bloody pulp, slowly killed and painfully reminded of his own weakness with every blow. Seeing Gohan getting his stump of an arm sewn up, and his eventual funeral. Chi-Chi hadn't even cried. She'd become a shell of her former self, refusing to eat, unless her father forced her. Her eyes had been so empty. Having to witness her yong son become a man long before he even would have entered Jr. High. Seeing the haunted look in his eyes, at the mere age of ten.
Reality intruded upon her thoughts, and she glanced around the room hastily, embarassement causing her cheeks to burn. She crouched down to gather up the pieces of glass, the scraping sounds against tile seeming excruciatingly loud as it broke the silence in the room. trunks' hand covered hers, and he pulled her to a standing position, leading her gently from the room. Once away from the other guests, he pulled her into a suffocating hug. She hugged him in return, the tears that had been forming in her eyes now rolling down her cheeks, giving way to wrenching sobs. She wept into his chest, uncaring if those in the next room heard her.
Her crying slowed, and she pulled away to dry her face, giving trunks a kiss on the cheek, thanking him without words. trunks turned to look towards the door, or more specifically, to whoever had entered the room. She finished wiping her eyes and turned around to see Krillin, who looked even more embarassed than she felt. She giggled nervously, at a loss for words.
"Are you okay bulma?" He began sheepishly, guilt plainly displayed on his features. "I guess we should have warned you guys, I didn't even think of it." He looked at the floor, his awkwardness visible.
"No, it's alright," she assured him. "It just brought back a few bad memories, that's all." If that wasn't the biggest understatement of her life. More like horrible, gut-wrenching nightmares. She walked past Krillin back to the other room, determined not to alienate herself further.
(~*~)
He watched silently as his mother dried her face, he always hated seeing her cry. She spoke briefly to Krillin and walked out of the room.
Shaking his head in wonder at her bravery, he shrugged to Krillin, who gave him a cluless look. trunks walked back into the adjoining room and stood against the wall near Pan, who was nibbling away at a salad. She gave him a concerned look.
"Is your Kaasan okay?" Her voice drifted to him melodically. She had such a wonderful voice, and he wondered fleetingly if he could get her to sing some time.
"She'll be fine. Sometimes her cicumstances just get the best of her." He looked down, not for the first time wishing that his idea for the time machine was possible. He bitterly pushed the thought away, attempting to resign himself to what fate had dealt him. He started when her fingers laced with his. He glanced up at her, unsure. She gave him a smile and a peck on the cheek. His skin burned at the point of contact while small shivers traced their way up his arm.
He looked over to the couch that held his alternate sister and best friend.
"What's up with Goten and Bra? Have they been going out for a while?" He asked curiously.
"I don't think they've ever 'gone out'." Pan replied. "After Trunks died Goten filled that big brother role, while I was the sparring partner, punching bag, best friend, what ever. They've always been really close though, and I guess they finally broke free of their sibling-like relationship."
He nodded silently, his eyes wandering back to the beauty seated next to him. Her raven black hair was swept behind her ear, allowing him to see her eyes, sparkling in the soft light of the room. Her resemblance to Gohan was apparent, even if no one else seemed to think it was so. Of course, he had been very close to Gohan, and therefore noticed more her personality similarities than her physical appearance.
He glanced at his alternate parents, who were still snuggling. No one dared go near for any semblance of conversation, though Bulma was the assumed host, and the party in her honor(sort of). Trunks was speaking to the girl he had learned was Marron, with Krillin nearby watching suspiciously. trunks smiled mentally as he figured out that Trunks had been known for a ladies man in his earlier, living, years. As if he would be around long enough to become attached to a girl anyhow. It just went to show how unreasonable parents could be.
AN: I hate to skip a bunch of stuff, but this party is really not a major part of the plot, except Bra getting her tail back, and that really didn't involve the party. So, "We'll fast forward to a few years later" Well, not really, just another hour or so. *grins* hehe, Alanis Morisette good.
(~*~)
Bra opened her eyes slowly, finding herself still leaning on her mate, tail wrapped tightly around his leg. She stretched lethargically and yawned, deciding she needed to brush her teeth, judging by the awful taste in her mouth. He stirred softly and looked around, his eyes glazed from sleep. She followed his gaze to the door, which everyone who wasn't a Briefs was leaving through. Pan stuck around, still chatting with trunks, probably waiting for her uncle. Trunks was snoring away in the lazy boy across the room.
Standing up slowly, Bra marveled at the fact that she felt pretty normal, except for being a little off balance anyway. Goten's headache was near gone, and he followed her to an upright position.
The front door closed, and Bra sighed in exasperation at the sight of her parents making out like teenagers against it.
"Get a room." she grumbled, earning her an evil glare from her father.
"We have a room, which we will utilize if we so wish." He retorted snidely, gathering his mate into his arms and moving upstairs.
Bra staggered her way to the near-demolished table of food. She picked a little at what was left before deciding to just make a real meal. She didn't bother asking Goten, as she could sense his stomach growling already, once again echoing the feeling back and forth until both were simply starving.
They raced as one to the kitchen in a flash, gathering ingredients faster than the human eye sould see. Bra shared her list of foods needed with Goten, who more than knew his way around her kitchen. She had a huge meal laid out in record time, and they began devouring the food at an alarming rate. Pan and trunks entered the room to gawk, before walking right back out, thouroughly disgusted.
Satisfied with the nourishment now in her belly, Bra proceeded outside, informing Goten of her intention to collect her father's scouter. He in turn informed his niece, and took off after his mate.
She felt an arm slither around her waist, as Goten pulled her tight against himself. She could feel his breath against her ear as he put on the speed, able to go only slightly faster than Bra herself. She lay her head back on his shoulder, as she was still rather tired. Neither felt the need to speak, and so remained silent, watching the sun set as they flew over the glistening ocean. (AN: I know, how typical is that? Flying over the ocean and all. I mean come on, most of the planet surface is water! Why am I even bringing this up? Like it matters! I'm like seriously sleep deprived…)
***
Well, I know, short chapter. Gomen nasai minna! I just can't stand writing meaningless fluff. The chapter started off great, but it was all downhill from there… Please forgive me! It's short, but if I don't post it soon I will get bored with the story, lack of reviews, blah blah blah…
Speaking of which, I have decided not to hold it against y'all the lack of reviews for chapter 10. It was really cursed ff.net's fault anyhow. They took forever to put my fic near the top of the list, and when they did, it was already down to 80 or something retarded like that. So, I will forgive you this once, and you can make it up to me by reviewing lots!! Because I really love reviews! They're like a narcotic…
Actually I shouldn't say that, because I've never tried any form of narcotic, and thusly wouldn't know much about the matter.
So, review! Please!