Unexpected Company - Part Three

A Dragonball Z fanfic

By Hana Noir

The wind was making her eyes water, that's all it was.

Kauli swiped at her eyes with her hand, staring straight ahead as she rocketed over the landscape. She was over water now, not even noticing the strange varieties of fish below her. A small spot of land caught her eye and she swooped lower to investigate. The small island was only a few miles long, not even a mile wide. A medium sized rock outcropping speared straight up from the center, cold clear water tracing a worn path down its face. She landed in the grass at the base of the stone and knelt to drink from the tiny pool. She splashed the cold water on her face, sighing at the feel. Several tall trees provided shade from the blazing tropical sun and she leaned back against one of the rough, slightly hairy trunks. She closed her eyes, her mind confused and upset by the strange people and customs she had encountered here. All her life, she had been immersed in Saiyajin customs and Saiyajin beliefs. Now, everything she had learned meant nothing. It was all irrelevant. Vejiitasei was gone, the Saiyajin people were gone. There was no place for her here…

The warmth of the sun and her weary mind conspired to lull her into a fitful sleep, filled with disturbing dreams. That was how Trunks found her, dozing beneath a coconut tree, a sad expression on her face. She was moving slightly, her hands fisting and opening. He leaned back against the harsh rock, ignoring the spurs that dug into his back, considering them little enough after today's aches and pains. He didn't have any idea how long he stood there, watching her sleep. She really is very pretty, he thought, perhaps if we could've had more time…

He shook his head. He didn't have time for such thoughts. Tomorrow he was going back into the Room of Space and Time with his father, and he needed all his wits about him. Vejiita was unforgiving enough under normal circumstances; he'd be downright brutal if he sensed the least bit of distraction from his son while they were training. The sun was beginning to set when Kauli finally woke. She came to with a massive jerk, looking around quickly, as if she wasn't sure where she was.

"Are you all right?" Trunks asked, his voice soft. She scrambled to her feet, eyeing him warily.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice slightly scratchy from sleep.

Trunks shrugged, the motion scraping his shoulders against the rocks. "I was worried about you."

She snorted, turning away from him to examine the tree she had been resting against. "Don't see why you should be. I can take care of myself just fine." She started to walk away when he caught her by the shoulder. She jerked back, slapping his hand away. "Don't touch me again," she hissed. "Or I swear I'll rip your hand off and feed it to you." Gone was all the respect she had previously shown him. Her eyes were bleak and empty as she glared at him. "I realized something as I left your home, oji-sama…" The title sounded more like an insult as it fell from her lips. "Vejiitasei is no more. It doesn't matter who your father is, it doesn't matter who my parents were. Here, now, all that is of no importance whatsoever. I have no reason to bow down to you." She strode down to the small beach, her arms folded tightly across her chest, almost hugging herself. Trunks stared after her in astonishment. He almost missed the one tear that escaped her control, before she shook her head and threw it off. He saw it however, and it changed his rising anger to sympathy. He followed her onto the sand and reached for her again. His hand was millimeters from her shoulder when she whirled, sharp teeth bared in a vicious snarl.

"I told you not to touch me again!" she screamed, her fist catching him across the jaw. He ignored the blow and pulled her to him. Her fists continued to pound against his chest as he persisted. The fight drained from her suddenly and she shook once, all over. He wrapped his arms around her and she stood there, hands hanging at her sides as he hugged her gently.

"Doushite?" she asked, her voice cracking slightly. "I don't understand anything any more. Nothing makes sense to me." He lifted a hand to stroke her hair, amazed at how soft it really was. She never cried however, her eyes remained dry. "There's nothing for me here…"

"I know how you feel," Trunks whispered, meaning his words to be comforting. Their effect was the opposite however. She pulled away from him, her face twisted into a mask of hatred.

"You lie," she said softly. "You have a home and a family. Everything here is familiar to you. You know nothing." Her words jabbed right at the raw wound he hid from the world around him and his temper rose.

"I'm just as much a stranger here as you are," he shot back, his blue eyes icing over. "This is not my world, or my family. My world is a living hell, something you know nothing about! The world I come from is hard and cruel and uncertain. At least you have the consolation of knowing you'll probably be alive tomorrow!!"

She hesitated, her frown softening, becoming more uncertain. "What do you mean?" she asked, her curiosity outweighing her anger at her situation. Trunks sighed, not really wanted to explain, but at the same time wanting her to understand.

He retreated back onto the grass edging the beach, staring up at the stars above. He felt somewhat warmer when she joined him, waiting for him to speak. "I'm from an alternate timeline," he said, the words still hard to get out. He didn't dare to look at her, knowing he'd see only disbelief in her eyes. "In my world, Son Goku died of a heart disease about a year after I was born. Then, a pair of jinzouningen were unleashed upon the people by a madman with a grudge against Goku-san. They turned on their creator and ran wild, killing anyone and everyone that got in their way. They killed all Chikyuu's senshi, including my father…"

He looked at her then, surprised to see that she was hanging on his every word, her mouth a perfect O of astonishment. Encouraged by her attention, he continued. "Gohan-san was the only one who survived. He – he trained me, protected me. But it didn't matter. In the end, the jinzouningen killed him too…" He paused, the grief still fresh in his heart even after all this time. "My mother had the idea that we could change what had happened. She built a time machine and sent me back with the antidote for Goku's heart virus." He smiled wryly. "I didn't really think it would work, the only reason I went along with it was for the chance to see my father. I had no memories of him…" He took a deep breath. "It didn't work though. All we did was create another timeline where Goku-san survived. I returned home to find everything just the way I had left it. So, I charged the time machine and returned, hoping that I could help them defeat the jinzouningen here, and perhaps find a weakness in those in my world. But it seems that things have gone from bad to worse. A creature named Cell has appeared and is threatening to destroy the world. He's already killed so many people here. I trained with my father in a special place, and I'm strong enough now to defeat the jinzouningen in my world, but I won't leave them like this." He clenched his fist wishing again that he had finished Cell when he had the chance.

"Masaka…" she whispered, staring at him. "Such an incredible story and yet I feel the truth in it." She blinked, something suddenly becoming clear to her. "Yappari!! That explains why you and the infant have the same scent!! You are the same person!" He couldn't help but to grin at her innocent enthusiasm. She sobered quickly and looked at him. "So, I have arrived only to find a world that is threatened with destruction?" He nodded, and she shrugged, grinning wryly. "It will be a fight to remember then."

He looked at her askew. "You're not fighting," he stated flatly.

"Why not?" she asked, frowning at him. "I am a Saiyajin, bred for battle. It is all I am good for."

He shook his head. "I don't mean to insult you, Kauli-chan, but you're just not powerful enough to be of any help. If there had been more time perhaps, you could have trained with us, but it's only a matter of days before we face Cell. There's just no time," he said firmly, hoping that she would understand.

She sighed, her shoulders slumping. "You're right, I'm sure, if even the might of the legendary Super Saiyajin isn't enough to stop this creature." She pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, staring at the waves gently lapping the shore. "Everything is so strange here," she whispered. "All that I had thought to find was nothing more than my silly fantasies."

Trunks couldn't help but to ask. "What was it like, coming here, I mean." She turned her head, her face almost hidden by the darkness but he could just barely make out her eyes.

She shrugged. "It was lonely," she said, her voice unemotional and flat. "But a Saiyajin warrior does not dwell upon such things."

Trunks turned slightly to face her, reaching out to place his hand on hers. "Forget about that for a while," he said softly. "Forget that you're a Saiyajin warrior and forget that I'm the son of the Saiyajin prince. Right now I'm only Trunks and you're only Kauli. Tell me, what was it like?"

She stared at him, her breath catching in her chest. Could she really do what he asked, disregard everything and pretend that they were just two people, sharing a conversation? She drew in a ragged breath, and began to speak, willing to try. "As long, as long as I can remember, I was alone. The educational system in my pod told me of my mission. I touched down on Hanasei when I was only a year old. There was no-one there, the planet was completely deserted. I stayed near my pod, as I had been taught to do, surviving off of the foodstuffs that the natives had left behind. When Bardock-otou's message reached the pod, I had been there for a year. I re-entered my pod and the computer took over, putting me in suspended animation while it made it's way to Chikyuu."

She paused, collecting her thoughts before she continued. "The educational system in my pod taught me of my parents, of Vejiitasei, the Saiyajin people and their customs. It taught me everything I needed to know to integrate into Saiyajin society." She looked over at him, smirking slightly. "Did you know that according to the laws of Vejiitasei, I could be put to death for being here with you, unchaparoned? It would be unthinkable for a prince of the House of Vejiita to sire a bastard on a low class soldier. It wouldn't even matter if we had mated or not, just having the opportunity would have been grounds for execution." She laughed softly. "But I guess that doesn't matter anymore. After all, your mother is a human. That would be enough to earn you, your mother and your father a quick death." Trunks was astonished, he hadn't realized that Saiyajin laws were so strict.

"Bardock-otou sent instructions for the pod's computer to use the longest, least traveled route to Chikyuu. I supposed he meant for me to arrive here after Kakarott had purged the planet and to join with him," she said, a hint of amusement still in her voice. "I can't help but to wonder if he would have sent me if he had know Kakarott had failed in his mission. Why did he not carry out his mission?" she asked quickly, getting out the question that had been bothering her since she landed.

"My mother told me that when Goku-san was a baby, he had a really bad accident and lost all of his memory. He has the instincts of a Saiyajin, but he lost all knowledge of ever being a Saiyajin," Trunks said, shrugging.

Kauli considered this, shrugging her shoulders. "I suppose it all worked out for the best. After all, Frieza would probably have killed Kakarott if he had know of him." She sighed. "I learned of Vejiitasei's destruction from the automatic news relays on the refueling stations. That's how I recognized your father. The relays kept me up to date on all of the information in Frieza's empire. It takes a pod about a month to completely recharge its' drive system. I would wander around those empty refueling depots, almost hoping that someone, anyone would come along. I dreamed of finding Kakarott and going with him to find the remnants of the Saiyajin race, rebuilding our people. I know now that my dreams were foolish, but at the time they were all I had…" Her voice trailed off and she rested her forehead on her knees, trying not to let her feelings show.

"Sometimes…" Trunks said slowly. "We have to dream. Because the dreams are all that keep us alive. My dreams are no more foolish than yours. I want to destroy the jinzouningen and rebuild my world, make it a better place for the survivors, few as they are…" She lifted her head, staring at him with something akin to awe.

"I almost wish I had come to your world instead of this one," she said, laughing bitterly. "At least there, I could help rebuild. My strength could be put to good use. Here…" She shook her head. "There's nothing for me here…" He started to protest, but she cut him off. "You know it as well as I. If this Cell creature you spoke of is defeated, it will be through no effort of mine. The only Saiyajin males here are Vejiita-sama and Kakarott, and they both have mates. Kakarott's son is too young and you… you will leave after the battle is done. So, I am still alone, you see. Fate is harsh, indeed…"

"You're… you're very pretty, Kauli-chan," Trunks stammered, trying not to sound like an idiot. "Any human man would consider himself lucky to have a wife like you."

She gave him a faint smile and shook her head. "No, I think not. I have no interest in a mate who is weaker than I am. I could not live like that. Perhaps it is a failing in Saiyajin females, but all my instincts cry out for a mate that is as hot blooded as myself." Trunks flushed slightly. She was so direct in her words, her lack of social skills making her candid. "Can I ask you something? It may not be an appropriate question, however."

He blinked, wondering what she could possibly want to know. "I'll answer if I can."

She turned to face him, her eyes riveted to his. "Have you ever mated with a human female?" she asked curiously, watching him closely. His entire face turned beet red and he opened his mouth to answer, only to close it again. She averted her gaze. "Perhaps I have asked something I shouldn't have?"

"Well, that is something that you normally don't ask a person," Trunks said, still a bit red-faced. "But honestly, yes I have. Once."

"Why only once?" she asked, making him blush again. Her face showed only honest curiosity.

"I, err, uh, well, Kauli-chan…" he sputtered, trying to figure out how to answer her question. Finally, he decided that being direct would be the best path to take. "I almost hurt her. Humans are much more fragile than we are. It was hard to control myself…" He ducked his head, unable to look at her. She wasn't fragile, his traitorous mind whispered insidiously.

"I see…" she said thoughtfully. Without warning, she moved, shoving him back into the hardy grass and throwing a leg over his waist to straddle him. He was frozen in shock, staring up at her, barely able to breathe as she leaned down to whisper into his ear. "Trunks-sama, I am no weak human. Onegai shimasu, I beg of you, for this one moment, don't let me be alone…" His hands grasped her waist, his fingers digging into her flesh as he fought with his own body and instincts. A soft purr rumbled in her throat as she nuzzled against his neck. "Please…"

He wrapped his arms around her, his muscles tightening as he sat up, holding her against him. "I want to," he whispered harshly, "Kami knows I want you like I've never wanted another woman, but this isn't right, Kauli-chan." His entire body was shaking as he struggled for control.

"Why not?" she asked. "Neither of us are promised to anyone. We are betraying no vows."

He shook his head, wishing he could make her understand. "My blood may be Saiyajin, but my heart is human. I can't do this. It would be an empty act, and in the end, we would both be worse off than we were before." He looked her right in the eyes, hoping that she wouldn't take this the wrong way. "You would still be lonely, Kauli-chan." She looked away from his earnest blue gaze, silver tears welling up in her eyes. She took a shuddering breath and they slipped free, coursing down her cheeks. "Aa… Kauli-chan, namida janai yo… Don't cry, please." He clasped her face gently, wiping away the tears with his thumbs.

She never made a sound, letting the tears flow silently. He watched her tears and felt each one sear his heart like a brand. "Kauli-chan…" He leaned closer, holding her face steady and kissed her softly. His mind screamed at him that this was definitely against all better judgement, but in his heart, it seemed like the right thing to do. Her eyes grew wide when he pressed his warm lips against hers, then slid shut as she surrendered to him. It wasn't a Saiyajin gesture, but it made her entire body tingle.

His hands slid into her hair, tugging against the tie she used to bind the unruly mass into a ponytail. It gave with a snap and her dark hair fell in a cascade of spikes. She smelled like wind and wildfire to him, an intoxicating mixture. He stroked at her lips with his tongue, coaxing her to open her mouth. A feral growl rose in his chest, startling them both. He pulled away with difficulty, breathing harshly. His state of arousal was almost painful, especially since she was pressed right up against the most inflamed portion of his anatomy.

She opened her eyes to stare at him in wonder, one hand coming up to press fingers to her slightly swollen lips. "That gesture," she asked softly, "what do you call it?"

Trunks half-laughed, half-groaned. "It's called a kiss, Kauli-chan."

"A kiss…" she repeated, reaching out to trace a finger over his lips. "It makes me feel strange, but in a good way." She tilted her head slightly, considering. "Why did you do it?"

"I don't know," he admitted, idly playing with her hair. "I shouldn't have done it at all."

"I'm glad you did," she said. "I would like it if you did it again."

He did laugh then, unable to resist the impulse to hug her. She was so refreshingly honest and open. "I think… that I would like that as well, Kauli-chan," he placed a finger over her lips to silence her. "But not now. I would like to get to know you first." He paused, wondering if there was any sort of hope for them. He already liked her more than any other girl he had ever met, future or present. "We need to get back to Capsule Corp. I have to train with my father tomorrow, so I won't be around at all. When we get back, we'll have a few days before Cell starts his game. I'd really like it if you'd spend some time with me." She nodded, scooting off of his lap, and he gritted his teeth at the motion. He rose to his feet, holding out a hand to her. She placed her hand in his and let him lift her up into the night sky.

It was late at night by the time they reached CC and Trunks motioned for her to remain silent as they crept in the back door. They started to tiptoe across the dark kitchen when every light in the room snapped on, startling the both of them into defensive positions.

"Kaa-san!!" Trunks exclaimed, spying his mother sitting at the kitchen table. "Oi!! You almost gave me a heart attack!!" Buruma glared at the pair of teenagers darkly, noticing the bits of grass still clinging to her son's hair and clothes and the general disarray of Kauli's wild mane.

"Go on up to your room, Kauli-chan," she said, gesturing to the hallway. "I need to speak with my son." The Saiyajin girl glanced at Trunks uncertainly and he jerked his head at the door. She didn't ask twice, but beat a hasty retreat to the dubious safety of her room. Left alone with his mother, Trunks was finding it hard to keep his composure.

"Nanda, kaa-san?" he asked, fighting the urge to shuffle his feet like a guilty child. He hadn't done anything wrong…

Buruma stared at her grown son, secretly amused by his behavior at this moment, but she wanted to talk to him, candidly. "Sit down, Trunks-kun. I want to talk to you." He slid into a chair on the other side of the table, never talking his eyes off of her. "You like her don't you?" He blinked, astonished at her perception. Buruma smiled wryly and continued. "I've seen you with the girls around here. You're polite and considerate, but once they're gone, you don't give them a second thought. I've watched you today and I've never seen you like you were around her." Her smile deepened, becoming amused. "Vejiita told me about the misunderstanding the two of you had. Did you work it out?"

He cursed the blush that rose in his cheeks at her question. "We talked…" he said slowly, wondering if he should confide in her or not. His mother, he knew, sometimes had amazing insights into people. "She's so very lonely, kaa-san," he said, making up his mind. "And confused."

Buruma nodded. "I think I can understand some of it. Nothing here is familiar or even like anything she learned about. It's going to be hard for her to acclimate. It still is for your otou-san sometimes." She smirked then. "Of course, Kauli doesn't have that whole 'royalty' attitude to overcome either." She drummed her fingers on the table, considering the situation. "How do you think she feels toward you?"

Trunks' face turned even redder. "She's – she's attracted to me. And I find her attractive as well…" He couldn't bring himself to look at his mother.

Buruma frowned, intensely disliking the words she felt that she had to say. "Is it fair of you to spend time with her, Trunks-kun?" She placed a hand over his, hoping he would understand. "I'm not trying to be cruel, but you're not going to stay here. Perhaps it would be easier on the both of you if you didn't spend time with her…"

Trunks' head came up and he sighed. "It might be," he admitted, "but I'm selfish enough to want to spend what little time I can with her. After all, I'll never see her again. This is my only chance…" Buruma's eyes welled with tears as she looked at her solemn son and she came around the table to hug him tightly.

"Nothing's ever been easy for you, has it?" she asked rhetorically. "You do what your heart says is right, Trunks-kun. It'll never lead you wrong." She smiled wryly. "But the heart has a tendency to choose hard paths sometimes." He patted her hands, smiling up at her as she pulled away. Buruma dashed a tear from her eye and her smile was proud. "We should both get some sleep. Oyasumi, musuko."

"Oyasumi, kaa-chan," he whispered, watching her as she left the room. He waited for several minutes before heading for his room. He tossed his jacket across a chair and kicked his boots off next to the door, flopping onto the neatly made bed. He closed his eyes and willed himself to doze off.

He wasn't sure how long he had slept, or what had roused him. It could have been the creak of the door or the ki of the person sneaking in. Either way, he was up instantly, snatching his sword from where it had been propped up beside the bed and swinging it at the intruder.

"Trunks-sama!" The familiar, breathless voice halted his attack, the tip of the sword a hair's breath from his victim's throat. He could see the throb of her pulse as it sped up.

"Kauli-chan??" he asked, his voice hoarse in disbelief. She nodded, eyes wide as she stared at the gleaming length of the sword in his hand. "What're you doing in here?" She was dressed in a midriff baring gray tank top and a matching pair of boxer type shorts.

"I-I can't sleep," she admitted. She clutched a pillow to her chest tightly, making Trunks wonder if the stuffing would pop out of it. "I-I thought perhaps…" Her words trailed off, then she took a deep breath. "I thought perhaps I could sleep in here with you," she blurted out. "I brought my own cushion," she continued quickly as he gaped in astonishment. "And the floors here are very soft," she added, wriggling her toes into the plush carpet.

"Y-you want to sleep in here," Trunks said, running a hand through his long hair, staring at her. She nodded hopefully. "On the floor," he further clarified. She nodded again. He let out a gusty sigh, knowing he was going to regret this tomorrow when his father got him into the Room of Space and Time. But she looked so wistful that he couldn't bring himself to say no. "You can stay," he said, catching her arm when she started to put her pillow down on the floor. "But you sleep in the bed." He pulled back the blanket and gestured for her to climb in.

Kauli was astonished that he was inviting her to sleep in his bed. "Where will you sleep?" she asked as he tucked the blankets around her shoulders, covering up all that tempting bare skin. He put his sword back into the scabbard, walking around the bed to place it against the wall.

"I'll sleep next to you," he said, stretching out atop of the blankets. She turned to face him, her eyes already growing heavy. "Nani?" he asked, noticing her puzzled look.

"You confuse me so," she admitted, her eyelids drooping as she snuggled closer to tuck her head under his chin. "I don't know what you want from me." She yawned softly, her eyes closing He pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head, almost missing her next words. "I would give all that I am to make you happy…"

He stared down at her in astonishment, waiting to see if she would speak again, but the only sound she made was a gentle purring snore. He sighed, placing his arm over her, holding her close as she slept. Her quiet breathing soon lulled him to sleep as well.