Trunks placed everything back in the drawers, unable to find his gold locket. He wasn't sure what happened to it, but it was gone. It just vanished. What happened to it? he wondered.
He heard the opening of the front door, and it slammed just as suddenly. Curious, he opened the office door just enough to see who came in. He saw Bulma lie on the couch, looking frustrated.
"Where does she get off?" Trunks heard his mother yell at nobody. "Where does she get the nerve to say something like that?"
Trunks couldn't contain his curiosity any longer. "Who has the nerve to say what?" he asked.
Bulma jumped at the sound of her son's voice. She stood up quickly, seeing Trunks come out of the office. "What do you mean?"
"Mom, you're not really good at pretending. And I heard you say that. Who were you talking about, and what did she say?"
"Nobody, Trunks. I was talking about nobody." If he knew who I was talking about, she thought, he'd never forgive me.
Unfortunately, Trunks realized exactly who she was talking about. "Mom, you didn't…" He watched as his mother looked away, rather guiltily. "You did, didn't you?"
"Maybe," was all Bulma said.
"Why did you go over there to talk to Chi Chi? To find out exactly why Goten and I had a fight, right? Because you're too curious to let it drop?"
"I had to find out why, Trunks. Whatever bothers you happens to bother me, too. I just went over there to ask Chi Chi if she knew why you two weren't talking."
"But you had no right to butt into something that wasn't your business. This argument is between me and Goten, and that's all."
"But you two are some of the most stubborn people I know, and knowing you two, it could be weeks before you decide to talk to each other again. At least if I knew why you were fighting, I could try to help knock some sense into you."
Trunks looked down. She knew now, that was it. At least she knew a little bit of it. If he knew Goten, Goten wouldn't have gone into great detail. He would have gotten straight to the point without explaining the whole thing. "So what happened?" he asked. "Did you get the answers you were looking for?"
Bulma sighed. "Got a lot more than that."
"Like what?"
"Let's just say that Chi Chi and I won't be talking very soon in the near future, Trunks." Bulma turned and climbed up the stairs to her room.
Trunks didn't need to wonder what his mom meant. He has used the same phrase before. They had an argument, where both people were angered by the others' words. He was unsure if the argument was similar to his and Goten's, but since both women were as stubborn, if not more stubborn, than there Saiyan husbands, it could be a while until they decided to apologize, if at all.
He sighed. He wasn't sure what to do anymore. Things weren't going to get any easier, Trunks knew that. What was going to happen from there? Like his mother and Goten's, would there whole family get affected by this argument? Trunks had no way of knowing.
Goten let the door of the small jewelry shop slam behind him. Looking at the little case he held in his hand, he opened it and was hit by the sun reflecting of the gold locket. He had gotten the clasp of the chain fixed, but since he and Trunks weren't really speaking, Goten wondered how he was going to give the locket back.
He sighed loudly, walking down the street. He paid no attention to the other people, or the noises of the city. He wasn't really comfortable in a city, being that he lived his whole life in the mountains. He even had Paris move there after they had gotten married. Goten could never move to the city, but he did have to stop by every once in a while.
Goten turned his attention to a television set in the window. It was a commercial, for a Capsule Corporation product. He continued down the street, not wanting to see what it was selling. He was trying so hard to fight the anger swelling inside him, trying to calm himself down about the whole argument, but it wasn't helping him much. He was angry about the argument that they had, that they were losing many years of a great friendship away because of pride. At the moment, he wasn't sure who he was angrier at, Trunks or himself.
Chi Chi had already told him about what happened between her and Bulma. At first he was angry at them, too, for butting in, but he understood that they just wanted to help. However, when she told Goten about the argument that they had, Goten nearly flipped. What would happen now? If those two had started arguing because of them, how long would it be before other members of the family would start arguing because of the argument that they had?
Goten shook his, trying to clear his mind of such thoughts, but to now avail. He glanced down at the locket, and took it out of its confinement. Throwing the box away, he placed the locket in his pocket, trying to decide the best way of giving it back to Trunks without confronting him.
Looking at his watch, Goten noticed it was almost time to pick up Gozen from school, at Western Capitol City. Problem was, Trunks might be there at the same time he was. Goten sighed. When he and Trunks decided to put there sons in the same school, neither one of them knew that they would have an argument this big. Their sons might decide that they wanted to go to the others' house, but Goten knew that wouldn't happen without the chance of him talking to Trunks, or visa versa. Unsure of what to do, Goten flew off to Western Capitol City to pick Gozen up, only hoping that Trunks wouldn't be there yet.
Goten landed a few blocks away from the school, thinking that maybe he should have found a better place to take off then in the middle of the street, since he was trying to act 'normal', but it didn't matter anymore, so he let it drop. As he walked towards the elementary school, he wasn't sure if he did want to see Trunks or not. Part of him did, maybe try to talk to him, but part of him didn't, afraid that Trunks would still be mad, or that he would say something cruel and nasty. He wasn't sure what to think.
Luckily for him, he didn't see Trunks at all. Goten saw Polo waving to a very familiar woman with blue hair, wearing a red dress, gloves, and shoes. She looked exactly like her mother, Bulma Briefs. Goten sighed. He was a little more relieved that Bra was there instead of Trunks.
Goten made his way over to the entrance of the elementary school, and saw Gozen running up to him. Polo also spotted him, and pointed him out to Bra, who turned around to see him approach.
"Hey Bra," Goten said.
"Hey," she replied.
"What are you doing here?"
"Why do you ask, Goten? Am I not aloud to pick up my nephew?" she asked in a teasing manner.
"Hey, just asking. Where's Trunks?"
"He's stuck in a meeting, so he asked me to pick up Polo from school today. Why?" she asked, her eyes shifting into a serious look. "Were you hoping to see him today?"
"Um…no. Just wondering." He stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked to the ground. Bra looked at him, then looked down too.
Polo and Gozen walked ahead of them, engrossed in some kind of game, so Bra and Goten walked beside each other for a little while. After a heavy silence between them, Bra said, "Goten, can I ask you something?"
"Sure, Bra? What's up?"
"Why are you and Trunks arguing?"
Goten continued to look at the ground, quiet for a moment. Then he said, "Did Trunks tell you we were arguing?"
"No," Bra said, looking at the two boys ahead of them, "but I can tell something's not right with Trunks. He seems a little…down in the dumps. He doesn't say much when I try to ask him, but I know it has something to do with you. I heard Mom and Trunks talking about it, but I wasn't able to hear the whole thing."
"It's not really something I want to talk about at the moment, Bra."
"I just want to know. I know it makes you just as upset as it does with Trunks. I haven't seen him act this way since Marron died."
"Really?" Goten asked, surprised. When Marron died, Trunks was close to an emotional breakdown.
"Well, kind of, yes. But he tries not to show it. He tries to get us to think that there's nothing wrong. No one believes his act, though. Even Polo knows something's up."
"Well, there's nothing anyone can really do about it. Mom and Bulma already tried to help, but they ended up arguing with each other. I think they're still not speaking."
"I might be able to help," Bra said. "I don't want you guys to be arguing anymore. I'm not sure if the families' relationship would survive if you two kept arguing."
Goten looked at her. "What do you mean?" he asked.
Bra shrugged. "I don't know, but you and Trunks were best friends, and if you two are arguing with each other, then each family would have to take sides, wouldn't they? Of course, your family will take your side, while our family would side with Trunks. Even if we didn't want to argue, we would support our family."
Goten looked at Gozen. Was Bra right? Would the argument between him and Trunks affect their families' relationship with each other. It already worked on Bulma and his mom. What if this argument did jeopardize the friendship of the Sons and Briefs? Would Polo and Gozen argue, too? Would they choose their fathers' side, even if it meant not speaking to each other ever again?
"I might be wrong," Bra said, seeing the look on Goten's face, "but then again, I might be right. I mean, I like you Goten, and I like Pan. You two are my friends. But Trunks is my brother. If there would be a time that I would have to choose between him and you…"
"You would choose him?" Goten said. Bra looked down at her feet. Goten nodded. "I understand Bra. I think it's unfair to make our families choose sides, but this argument that Trunks and I have, it won't be resolved so easily."
"So what are you going to do?"
"I don't know Bra. I don't know." They both remained quiet for a minute, then Goten said, "I guess I am kind of still mad at your brother, but, in some way, I'm not. I don't how to explain it. I feel confused, I suppose."
Bra nodded. "I know what you're talking about," she said softly. "It's just as confusing as trying to decide between a friend who has been there all your life, and a brother who always has, and will, be there for you."
Goten looked at her. He felt so guilty about making each family choose between friends and family, because he knew that they would have to choose family over friends, even if those friends are very dear and very precious to them.
They both stopped in front of the Briefs' mansion, Polo and Gozen ending their game. There was silence around them, the traffic noises seemingly light-years away. Then Bra turned away, Polo following close behind her. She pulled out a key, and unlocked the door. Twisting the knob, she slowly opened it.
"Bra," Goten called out. She turned to look at him.
He sighed. "I'm sorry about making you choose like this, and I'll understand with whatever chose you make."
Bra nodded, then turned away. Goten caught a glimpse of a tear in her eye, as she and Polo disappeared inside, and he somehow knew that that would be his last time to see her.
Goten stood there for a moment, then walked on, Gozen right behind him, wondering about what his father had said. Goten knew he was still angry with Trunks, after what Trunks had, and hadn't, done all the years that he knew him. But was the argument really worth losing so much?
TBC