Moving On
By Selenity Jade (Jadesama@aol.com)
Thanks: Mia, Lynz, and W-chan for Beta'ing!
Rating: PG13
Black eyes narrowed resentfully as the blue-haired woman exited the air-car. She smiled at everyone in greeting – even him – before ducking back into the vehicle. The dark haired man watched as her little rear wiggled slightly before she finally reemerged, a tiny, blue-wrapped bundle held protectively - *lovingly* - to her breast.
The warrior listened as his – their – friends gasped in shock, his anger rising. The woman grinned beautifully at the attention she automatically received and at the state of speechlessness in which she had left the group.
She moved the bundle in front of her to give everyone a better look and grinned.
The man's lip curled in disgust as his eyes rested on the tiny lavender-haired spawn of the woman in front of him. A chubby, *purple*-haired child of the woman he loved. A child that was not his.
Not his.
Vejiita's.
Vejiita's son, produced with the woman that had once been his! The woman he had been with for more than a decade.
She had borne another man's son.
Not even a man! An alien! An alien *prince* even! The arrogant bastard who had caused his death not *that* long ago. A heartless warrior who had once come to destroy them all! A ruthless Saiyajin who still strove to destroy their best friend, *her* best friend. A cruel monster who had insulted and threatened her continuously throughout the entire time he had been staying with her.
An evil demon who had seduced his girlfriend, and then abandoned her when he had learned of her pregnancy.
He didn't know what angered him more – her betrayal, or the killer's abandonment of her. And it hurt. Kami, did he ever hurt.
"Is he Yamucha's?" Goku's not-so-little boy asked innocently.
Suppressing the urge to power up or cry – he didn't know which – Yamucha forced out, "He isn't mine."
"What?"
He smiled mirthlessly, his already shattered heart twisting painfully. "Just wait until you find out who the father *really* is."
"I bet it's Vejiita. Right, Trunks," Goku commented thoughtlessly, poking at Trunks' rounded stomach playfully. Everyone turned to gape at their innocent friend; some baffled that he could even suggest such a thing. Yamucha himself was astonished that Goku not only seemed to suggest it, but also didn't seem to *mind* it in the least!
"How did you know that, Son-kun?" Buruma asked, confused. "And how did you know his name?"
What Yamucha really wanted to know was how his friend could do that to him. How could he know, and even accept that?! Yamucha had known the younger man for almost as long as Buruma had, and the clueless warrior didn't even seem to be concerned for how he might feel about it!
"Uh," Goku stammered, looking more than a little sheepish as he rubbed the back of his head. "Lucky guess?"
Buruma looked at him disbelievingly, but seemed to accept the obvious lie, much to Yamucha's disgust. Perhaps the bastard had talked with Goku about it. Probably bragged how *easily* the Saiyajin got *his* girlfriend into bed! Yamucha repressed the snort he wanted to release and turned from the group.
It was too painful to look at the little lavender-haired child, the innocent child he had no right to hate, and yet did.
He sighed softly to himself as he stared over the large city from the cliff the Zed fighters waited. Perhaps he'd get over it soon, and he could learn to be a godfather to the kid like Buruma wanted him to be. He had been astonished that she had asked him to be something so important to the kid. The kid he had wanted with her… but now would never have.
Not even now that Vejiita had abandoned her and the boy. Because, for some damned reason, Buruma cared for the Saiyajin. She had told Yamucha that just the other morning. She cared for him, and would not allow another man to raise Trunks. She had told him that she would not hurt Vejiita that way.
As if the bastard *had* feelings!
"Where is Vejiita, anyway?" Kuririn asked suddenly.
Buruma shrugged. "I don't know. He took off for space a few months ago and I haven't heard from him since."
Yamucha did release the snort this time. Yeah, the bastard had left for space, abandoning her as soon as he had learned he was to be a father. Without even seeing the child. How could Buruma leave him for someone who could do something like that? Someone who didn't even feel guilt for abandoning his son.
Yamucha hated the Saiyajin no Ouji more than he had when he had died. Hated the prince for taking his girlfriend from him, for fathering a child on her, and for leaving her.
So much for Saiyajin honor.
Suddenly, an explosion appeared in the air, some distance away, and the fighters all turned to face it in surprise and horror.
It was time to fight. Yamucha put his hurt away for the time being, and flew after the others.
~~~
The bastard actually had the gall to show his ugly face here after everything he had done? Then not even attempt to *save* the woman who had birthed his son?! What kind of monster was he?
He felt a new anger rise within him. A very real, and very justified anger this time. It had nothing to do with jealousy now, but more that the bastard would have let his son and Buruma die! And the ass couldn't have cared less.
He would never change, Yamucha decided. Never change from the monster who had come to Chikyuu to purge the planet, steal the dragonballs, and destroy them all. He would never want more than Goku's defeat and his wish for immortality.
Why had he bothered to sleep with Buruma in the first place, then?
Yamucha was aware of how beautiful Buruma was; he had, after all, dated her for more than ten years. They had never done anything more than mild petting, but he had admired her curves since she had been sixteen-years-old. He had watched her grow form a gorgeous girl into an even more beautiful woman.
He knew it wasn't so impossible to believe she and Vejiita had been drawn together. Both of them had the scariest tempers on Chikyuu-sei, and both were stubborn and proud to a fault. They were alike in so many ways that it was frightening, but he had still been blind to their attraction until Buruma had come to tell him she was pregnant. With Vejiita's child.
Not for the first time, Yamucha wondered what the short Saiyajin had that he didn't. Yamucha was more handsome and charming than that little troll. So what if the bastard was stronger than he was? He was also short, rude, and mean. Why had Buruma left him… for *that*?
He absently listened as the future boy chewed Vejiita out for not saving his family, and felt anger rise at the warrior's responses to the accusations. They mattered so little to Vejiita then? What the hell was wrong with him? Couldn't he see what he had now? Couldn't he see how damn devoted Buruma was to *him* now?
Life just wasn't fair.
~~~
Yamucha sighed as he watched Buruma and her son – both of them – at the table, and carefully avoided even glancing in Vejiita's direction at the far end of the room. Buruma was in the process of feeding little Trunks his baby food, which he didn't like too much, big Trunks was watching it all with an amused look on his face, and Vejiita, as usual, wasn't even glancing in their direction.
He began to question why he was even there. It wasn't as if he were wanted here… Buruma had let Vejiita back in the house, and he didn't want to be there watching it. He knew that Vejiita and Buruma were barely talking. The future version of her son found that disturbing, and had told Yamucha that very thing. They didn't even yell at each other.
They each pretended the other didn't exist.
Well, Vejiita did anyway. Yamucha had often caught Buruma staring longingly at the surly Saiyajin, much to his dismay. Couldn't she see that he had used her? He was no different from the man who had come to use the dragonballs. He would not change, and yet she still wanted him.
She loved him.
And it tore Yamucha apart inside.
"Yamucha?" the older Trunks said suddenly, startling the silent group from their thoughts. Vejiita's head snapped up at his future son's voice, his eyes narrowing angrily at Yamucha before he turned his attention back to his food.
"Yeah, Trunks?"
"Are you going to be at the games?" the young man asked curiously, probably attempting to make some sort of conversation.
Yamucha nodded, chewing thoughtfully. The games that Cell had called for were due to start in two days, and although Yamucha was completely terrified, he knew he would not miss it. He couldn't miss it. Now when so much was at stake, though Yamucha doubted he'd even be needed. Not when Goku was there and ready. He had faith in his younger friend, knowing how many times Goku had saved them all.
"Yeah, I'll be there, Trunks," Yamucha spoke after swallowing. "I can't very well miss it, you know."
A snort came from Vejiita, which both Trunks and Yamucha failed to acknowledge, having long ago gotten used to the surly Saiyajin's rude remarks. Neither wanted to even inquire as to what the snort was for.
"Oh," Trunks said, at a loss as to what else to say.
"Hey, how is your mother in the future anyway?" Yamucha asked suddenly, causing both Buruma and Vejiita to snap their heads in his direction. He ignored them, actually curious as to how this boy's mother had survived all those years alone and so very afraid.
"She's… good," Trunks stated slowly, looking down at his plate.
Vejiita released a disgusted snort again, actually lowering himself to speak. "Probably just as loud, obnoxious and worthless as she is here," he grunted, not even glancing up from his food.
Trunks turned narrowed blue eyes on his father, releasing a low growl. "My mother is *not* obnoxious or worthless, in this time or the future!" he hissed before glancing guiltily at the younger version of his mother.
Then, as if trying to prove something to his father, he began to speak again. "She's a lot different in my time, though. She's had to deal with a lot, being the only Zed fighter – she was considered one of them, she told me – to survive the androids' appearance, outside of Gohan. She had to raise both Gohan and myself alone, and although Gohan could take care of himself, he had been devastated by the loss of everyone. Especially Piccolo, I guess…" Trunks sighed, looking back down at his meal.
"Mom said that Gohan wasn't doing well when he came back from the fight. Piccolo had ordered him to retreat, trying to save his life after they realized exactly what they were facing, and Gohan did what he was told, although only after protesting violently. My teacher was angry with himself for as long as I can remember. He was furious the he had left the battle, left everyone to die. I overhead him tell Mom how sorry he was for failing her, failing everyone. For failing to save you, Yamucha, and failing to save my father."
Trunks sighed again, pausing. "Mom doesn't smile much anymore, and the rare times it does happen, it's usually pretty heartbreaking. When I was young, I tried so many times to make her smile just once, and it never worked when I wanted it to. She smiled more often when I did something that reminded her of my father," he whispered, seemingly unaware that both of his parents were paying close attention to his tale.
"And that was usually when I refused to do something, or when I took off to battle the androids against her wishes. She often told me she couldn't stay mad at me when I put that stubborn scowl on, saying I was the spitting image of my father when I did that.
"I don't remember any of the fighters, although I had seen pictures… Mom doesn't like to look at them most of the time, claiming they are too painful." He took another bite of his breakfast, frowning thoughtfully.
"She is very serious and sad, but she's a wonderful mother. She never yells at me except when I deserve it, and she took care of both Gohan and me, seeing to it that we trained and were safe. She ran the underground resistance alone; Grandma and Grandpa died in one of the first android attacks, before the Zed warriors did, actually. She's alone, but she keeps going."
Trunks looked at Yamucha. "She's the strongest person I know. She's been through more than any of us, and she keeps going. She's alone and she's sad, but she's the one that kept Gohan fighting when he wanted to give up, kept me fighting when I told her it was hopeless. She refuses to give up, despite all that the androids took from her. I am proud to have her as my mother."
Yamucha smiled softly at the younger man, glancing curiously at his former girlfriend. His eyes settled on the misty-eyed woman, and he gave her a small wink. She smiled at him in return, and then glanced towards her future son. Yamucha could see the love she felt for him, even if this one wasn't the one she had birthed.
Unwillingly, he glanced at Vejiita, nearly choking when he found the surly Saiyajin staring at Buruma, his face expressionless, although his dark eyes certainly weren't. They were tortured, and proud.
Yamucha was shocked by what he saw, unable to admit that perhaps he had been wrong, and Vejiita did feel something for the blue-haired genius. Buruma suddenly looked over at Vejiita and their eyes met. Neither said a word, but for the first time since Trunks had been born, they didn't glance away immediately.
Yamucha suddenly stood up and left the room, unwilling to watch it any longer. It hurt him too much to watch Buruma and her new lover make up. He ignored their startled glances and Trunks' questions. He rushed out the door and launched himself into the air, heading for his old hideout.
He arrived a bit later, landing with a soft thud against the sand. He walked into his old home, looking around curiously. He hadn't been back there in years, shortly after he had met Buruma.
He sat on his old bed, a bit surprised at how hard it was now, buried his head in his hands, and wept.
~~~
He felt a lot better by the time he woke up a few hours later, having cried himself to sleep. He stretched, grimacing at the tight muscles he tweaked as he stood up.
"Yamucha?"
Blinking, Yamucha poked his head out of the door, nearly falling over in shock when he saw Mirai Trunks standing before him. "Trunks, what are you doing here?"
Trunks didn't answer right away; instead, he looked out over the desert silently for a moment. "Mom, I mean my mother in my timeline, told me something before I came here."
"And that was?"
"That after she cheated on you, and slept with my father, you had a hard time dealing with it. You couldn't just disappear and never see her again, because you both had the same friends, and were part of the team. But she said you were never the same after she had me."
Trunks suddenly looked at Yamucha, his eyes sad. "I cannot say that I regret that my mother slept with my father, I wouldn't have been born otherwise. But I am sorry it had to hurt you. That my existence pains you. Mom often told me how wonderful you were, and how much you loved her. She regretted hurting you, but she didn't regret throwing it all away on a man she wasn't even sure could feel love."
He sighed and looked down at his feet. "She said that although she could have been very happy with you, and that she loved you very much, something was missing. And she found that something in my father. She didn't regret the circumstances of my birth, but she regretted how she hurt you. And in my time, she never had a chance to tell you this."
He looked back up at Yamucha then. "She hopes that this version of herself would never feel the regret she feels at not having told you, and she knew that she might have never told you anyway, so she asked me to. She asked me to tell you that she did love you. She still does. But it wasn't exactly what either of you needed. She needed my father, and although she didn't tell me that she loved him, I can see it in the younger version that she does. She said you would have made her very happy had you two married. But she realized shortly before she slept with Father that you two weren't right for each other. She regrets not ending it then, and instead of hurting you the way she did."
He fidgeted slightly. "She says that she loves you very much, and she's sorry. And that her younger self feels the same. She says you will always have a part of her that Father never could. Her youth, her first love, and your memories together. No matter what else happens, she loves you. Even if it isn't what you need, she still loves you."
Yamucha smiled, his eyes beginning to sting again. "Thank you, Trunks. And tell your mom the same, would you?"
Trunks nodded. "I will, but can I ask you something?"
"Anything."
"Can you tell me about when Mom was a teenager? Her adventures?"
Yamucha grinned. "Alright, come on in. This is where it all began for me, ironically."
"What is this place?" the teenager inquired, glancing around curiously.
"It's my old hideout. From when I was a bandit."
"You were a bandit?!" Trunks exclaimed, looking at him in disbelief.
Yamucha nodded. "I was a bandit, if you can believe it. I wasn't always a Zed fighter, you know… Actually, Buruma and Goku were the first. Then Oolong."
"OOLONG?!"
Yamucha laughed. "I see you've met him."
"Actually, yes. He survived the initial attack, but died shortly before Gohan did. How did all this happen? Mom doesn't like to speak of the past much."
Yamucha chuckled, feeling better than he had since he had learned Buruma was pregnant. "I would imagine that she doesn't. She'd be awfully embarrassed about her antics back then. But I suppose I can tell you." Grinning at the young man, he motioned him to sit at the small table in the middle of the room. Yamucha then sat across from him.
"Your mother found Goku high on the top of a mountain when she was in search of something called dragonballs…"
~~~
Yamucha looked over the place that would soon be a battlefield, his heart heavy with worry. But he did feel better, at least. He glanced over at the grouchy Saiyajin no Ouji, who was standing apart from the rest of them, his arms crossed as usual.
The warrior steeled himself and walked over to the Saiyajin, his muscles faintly twitching with tense dread. He knew he *had* to do this, even if he didn't relish it. He learned from Trunks earlier in the day that he had caught Vejiita coming out of his mother's room early yesterday morning.
Trunks had even mentioned that Vejiita had had a grin on his face, if that was possible, although it had apparently disappeared the moment Vejiita had realized Trunks was there. Yamucha couldn't picture the irritated warrior making anything other than a smirk, but it wasn't his business.
Not anymore.
"Vejiita?"
The Saiyajin's dark eyes narrowed as they fell on Yamucha, and it only seemed to enhance the anxiety inside of him. "What?"
"I wanted to say something before the fight gets going…"
Vejiita's eyebrow rose slightly, and he let out a soft snort. "Spit it out then."
"I want you to know that I was not happy when I learned that Buruma had slept with you. I was not happy for many reasons, and yes, one of those reasons was because I didn't like you."
Vejiita's eye twitched slightly, and Yamucha had the feeling the warrior was suppressing the urge to blast him where he stood. Amazingly, he was stifling it, and Yamucha suspected a lot of it had to do with Buruma. "Is there a point?" Vejiita demanded, turning his intense gaze from Yamucha and over the ring.
"Yes. I didn't think you even cared anything for her, and I was pissed off that you left her when she was pregnant with your son. I hated you more for that than when you killed me. I want you to know that, first."
Vejiita's eyes found him again, and they narrowed in anger. "I know all this, fool. Would you care to tell me something I do not know?"
"I'm not demanding an answer for what you put her through," Yamucha continued, ignoring his animosity. "You put her through hell, and I can't even count how many times she was crying on me because of you. I hated you for that, too."
"Your fucking point?!" Vejiita finally snapped, and Yamucha suspected Vejiita didn't like knowing that Buruma had been that upset because of him. He had to know about it, but perhaps getting it shoved in his face bothered him more than the Saiyajin was willing to admit.
"I had a talk with Trunks, and he told me a few things. I can't say I like you more now than I did before, but I understand everything better. I still don't think you deserve her, and I doubt you could ever make her as happy as I could have-"
Vejiita hissed.
"-but I know that she loves you."
Vejiita suddenly blinked, betraying himself.
"She loves you more than she loves me, and she made her choice. Because it is her choice, I will accept it. I will be there should you choose to leave her alone again, just as I was this past year." Yamucha paused, suddenly nervous. "I know you feel something for her – otherwise you wouldn't have slept with *my* girlfriend – and I want her to be happy. She isn't happy that I'm not happy with it, so I decided to make peace."
Yamucha's eyes steadied, and he gave Vejiita a good glare. "If you hurt her again, I will kill you. Supersaiyajin or no, Vejiita. She deserves someone a hell of a lot better than you, and we both know that. But it isn't my decision. It's hers and yours. I'm not interfering now. I want you to know… she's yours now. Treat her well."
Yamucha then turned and walked away, not expecting a reply that would never come. He had told the warrior exactly what he had come to say, and he wasn't about to stick around to hear Vejiita's angry defensive mechanisms kick in.
He suddenly felt a bit lighter. It felt good getting that off his chest, even if he knew that Vejiita would never appreciate it. He needed to let her go, in any case. She wasn't his any longer. She was another man's now…
And he wasn't that man, no matter how much he wished it otherwise. Perhaps, someday, he could move on and find someone he could love, as Buruma seemed to love Vejiita.
He was fine with it. Honestly, he was fine with her decision now. She had made her choice, and he would stick by her despite it. It still hurt, and would probably always hurt, but somehow…
The pain dimmed just a bit.
Now it was time to fight for the future of their world.
~~~
AN: I wanted to do something with how Yamucha felt about Buruma and Vejiita's relationship. This is it. ^_^
Lovies!
By Selenity Jade (Jadesama@aol.com)
Thanks: Mia, Lynz, and W-chan for Beta'ing!
Rating: PG13
Black eyes narrowed resentfully as the blue-haired woman exited the air-car. She smiled at everyone in greeting – even him – before ducking back into the vehicle. The dark haired man watched as her little rear wiggled slightly before she finally reemerged, a tiny, blue-wrapped bundle held protectively - *lovingly* - to her breast.
The warrior listened as his – their – friends gasped in shock, his anger rising. The woman grinned beautifully at the attention she automatically received and at the state of speechlessness in which she had left the group.
She moved the bundle in front of her to give everyone a better look and grinned.
The man's lip curled in disgust as his eyes rested on the tiny lavender-haired spawn of the woman in front of him. A chubby, *purple*-haired child of the woman he loved. A child that was not his.
Not his.
Vejiita's.
Vejiita's son, produced with the woman that had once been his! The woman he had been with for more than a decade.
She had borne another man's son.
Not even a man! An alien! An alien *prince* even! The arrogant bastard who had caused his death not *that* long ago. A heartless warrior who had once come to destroy them all! A ruthless Saiyajin who still strove to destroy their best friend, *her* best friend. A cruel monster who had insulted and threatened her continuously throughout the entire time he had been staying with her.
An evil demon who had seduced his girlfriend, and then abandoned her when he had learned of her pregnancy.
He didn't know what angered him more – her betrayal, or the killer's abandonment of her. And it hurt. Kami, did he ever hurt.
"Is he Yamucha's?" Goku's not-so-little boy asked innocently.
Suppressing the urge to power up or cry – he didn't know which – Yamucha forced out, "He isn't mine."
"What?"
He smiled mirthlessly, his already shattered heart twisting painfully. "Just wait until you find out who the father *really* is."
"I bet it's Vejiita. Right, Trunks," Goku commented thoughtlessly, poking at Trunks' rounded stomach playfully. Everyone turned to gape at their innocent friend; some baffled that he could even suggest such a thing. Yamucha himself was astonished that Goku not only seemed to suggest it, but also didn't seem to *mind* it in the least!
"How did you know that, Son-kun?" Buruma asked, confused. "And how did you know his name?"
What Yamucha really wanted to know was how his friend could do that to him. How could he know, and even accept that?! Yamucha had known the younger man for almost as long as Buruma had, and the clueless warrior didn't even seem to be concerned for how he might feel about it!
"Uh," Goku stammered, looking more than a little sheepish as he rubbed the back of his head. "Lucky guess?"
Buruma looked at him disbelievingly, but seemed to accept the obvious lie, much to Yamucha's disgust. Perhaps the bastard had talked with Goku about it. Probably bragged how *easily* the Saiyajin got *his* girlfriend into bed! Yamucha repressed the snort he wanted to release and turned from the group.
It was too painful to look at the little lavender-haired child, the innocent child he had no right to hate, and yet did.
He sighed softly to himself as he stared over the large city from the cliff the Zed fighters waited. Perhaps he'd get over it soon, and he could learn to be a godfather to the kid like Buruma wanted him to be. He had been astonished that she had asked him to be something so important to the kid. The kid he had wanted with her… but now would never have.
Not even now that Vejiita had abandoned her and the boy. Because, for some damned reason, Buruma cared for the Saiyajin. She had told Yamucha that just the other morning. She cared for him, and would not allow another man to raise Trunks. She had told him that she would not hurt Vejiita that way.
As if the bastard *had* feelings!
"Where is Vejiita, anyway?" Kuririn asked suddenly.
Buruma shrugged. "I don't know. He took off for space a few months ago and I haven't heard from him since."
Yamucha did release the snort this time. Yeah, the bastard had left for space, abandoning her as soon as he had learned he was to be a father. Without even seeing the child. How could Buruma leave him for someone who could do something like that? Someone who didn't even feel guilt for abandoning his son.
Yamucha hated the Saiyajin no Ouji more than he had when he had died. Hated the prince for taking his girlfriend from him, for fathering a child on her, and for leaving her.
So much for Saiyajin honor.
Suddenly, an explosion appeared in the air, some distance away, and the fighters all turned to face it in surprise and horror.
It was time to fight. Yamucha put his hurt away for the time being, and flew after the others.
~~~
The bastard actually had the gall to show his ugly face here after everything he had done? Then not even attempt to *save* the woman who had birthed his son?! What kind of monster was he?
He felt a new anger rise within him. A very real, and very justified anger this time. It had nothing to do with jealousy now, but more that the bastard would have let his son and Buruma die! And the ass couldn't have cared less.
He would never change, Yamucha decided. Never change from the monster who had come to Chikyuu to purge the planet, steal the dragonballs, and destroy them all. He would never want more than Goku's defeat and his wish for immortality.
Why had he bothered to sleep with Buruma in the first place, then?
Yamucha was aware of how beautiful Buruma was; he had, after all, dated her for more than ten years. They had never done anything more than mild petting, but he had admired her curves since she had been sixteen-years-old. He had watched her grow form a gorgeous girl into an even more beautiful woman.
He knew it wasn't so impossible to believe she and Vejiita had been drawn together. Both of them had the scariest tempers on Chikyuu-sei, and both were stubborn and proud to a fault. They were alike in so many ways that it was frightening, but he had still been blind to their attraction until Buruma had come to tell him she was pregnant. With Vejiita's child.
Not for the first time, Yamucha wondered what the short Saiyajin had that he didn't. Yamucha was more handsome and charming than that little troll. So what if the bastard was stronger than he was? He was also short, rude, and mean. Why had Buruma left him… for *that*?
He absently listened as the future boy chewed Vejiita out for not saving his family, and felt anger rise at the warrior's responses to the accusations. They mattered so little to Vejiita then? What the hell was wrong with him? Couldn't he see what he had now? Couldn't he see how damn devoted Buruma was to *him* now?
Life just wasn't fair.
~~~
Yamucha sighed as he watched Buruma and her son – both of them – at the table, and carefully avoided even glancing in Vejiita's direction at the far end of the room. Buruma was in the process of feeding little Trunks his baby food, which he didn't like too much, big Trunks was watching it all with an amused look on his face, and Vejiita, as usual, wasn't even glancing in their direction.
He began to question why he was even there. It wasn't as if he were wanted here… Buruma had let Vejiita back in the house, and he didn't want to be there watching it. He knew that Vejiita and Buruma were barely talking. The future version of her son found that disturbing, and had told Yamucha that very thing. They didn't even yell at each other.
They each pretended the other didn't exist.
Well, Vejiita did anyway. Yamucha had often caught Buruma staring longingly at the surly Saiyajin, much to his dismay. Couldn't she see that he had used her? He was no different from the man who had come to use the dragonballs. He would not change, and yet she still wanted him.
She loved him.
And it tore Yamucha apart inside.
"Yamucha?" the older Trunks said suddenly, startling the silent group from their thoughts. Vejiita's head snapped up at his future son's voice, his eyes narrowing angrily at Yamucha before he turned his attention back to his food.
"Yeah, Trunks?"
"Are you going to be at the games?" the young man asked curiously, probably attempting to make some sort of conversation.
Yamucha nodded, chewing thoughtfully. The games that Cell had called for were due to start in two days, and although Yamucha was completely terrified, he knew he would not miss it. He couldn't miss it. Now when so much was at stake, though Yamucha doubted he'd even be needed. Not when Goku was there and ready. He had faith in his younger friend, knowing how many times Goku had saved them all.
"Yeah, I'll be there, Trunks," Yamucha spoke after swallowing. "I can't very well miss it, you know."
A snort came from Vejiita, which both Trunks and Yamucha failed to acknowledge, having long ago gotten used to the surly Saiyajin's rude remarks. Neither wanted to even inquire as to what the snort was for.
"Oh," Trunks said, at a loss as to what else to say.
"Hey, how is your mother in the future anyway?" Yamucha asked suddenly, causing both Buruma and Vejiita to snap their heads in his direction. He ignored them, actually curious as to how this boy's mother had survived all those years alone and so very afraid.
"She's… good," Trunks stated slowly, looking down at his plate.
Vejiita released a disgusted snort again, actually lowering himself to speak. "Probably just as loud, obnoxious and worthless as she is here," he grunted, not even glancing up from his food.
Trunks turned narrowed blue eyes on his father, releasing a low growl. "My mother is *not* obnoxious or worthless, in this time or the future!" he hissed before glancing guiltily at the younger version of his mother.
Then, as if trying to prove something to his father, he began to speak again. "She's a lot different in my time, though. She's had to deal with a lot, being the only Zed fighter – she was considered one of them, she told me – to survive the androids' appearance, outside of Gohan. She had to raise both Gohan and myself alone, and although Gohan could take care of himself, he had been devastated by the loss of everyone. Especially Piccolo, I guess…" Trunks sighed, looking back down at his meal.
"Mom said that Gohan wasn't doing well when he came back from the fight. Piccolo had ordered him to retreat, trying to save his life after they realized exactly what they were facing, and Gohan did what he was told, although only after protesting violently. My teacher was angry with himself for as long as I can remember. He was furious the he had left the battle, left everyone to die. I overhead him tell Mom how sorry he was for failing her, failing everyone. For failing to save you, Yamucha, and failing to save my father."
Trunks sighed again, pausing. "Mom doesn't smile much anymore, and the rare times it does happen, it's usually pretty heartbreaking. When I was young, I tried so many times to make her smile just once, and it never worked when I wanted it to. She smiled more often when I did something that reminded her of my father," he whispered, seemingly unaware that both of his parents were paying close attention to his tale.
"And that was usually when I refused to do something, or when I took off to battle the androids against her wishes. She often told me she couldn't stay mad at me when I put that stubborn scowl on, saying I was the spitting image of my father when I did that.
"I don't remember any of the fighters, although I had seen pictures… Mom doesn't like to look at them most of the time, claiming they are too painful." He took another bite of his breakfast, frowning thoughtfully.
"She is very serious and sad, but she's a wonderful mother. She never yells at me except when I deserve it, and she took care of both Gohan and me, seeing to it that we trained and were safe. She ran the underground resistance alone; Grandma and Grandpa died in one of the first android attacks, before the Zed warriors did, actually. She's alone, but she keeps going."
Trunks looked at Yamucha. "She's the strongest person I know. She's been through more than any of us, and she keeps going. She's alone and she's sad, but she's the one that kept Gohan fighting when he wanted to give up, kept me fighting when I told her it was hopeless. She refuses to give up, despite all that the androids took from her. I am proud to have her as my mother."
Yamucha smiled softly at the younger man, glancing curiously at his former girlfriend. His eyes settled on the misty-eyed woman, and he gave her a small wink. She smiled at him in return, and then glanced towards her future son. Yamucha could see the love she felt for him, even if this one wasn't the one she had birthed.
Unwillingly, he glanced at Vejiita, nearly choking when he found the surly Saiyajin staring at Buruma, his face expressionless, although his dark eyes certainly weren't. They were tortured, and proud.
Yamucha was shocked by what he saw, unable to admit that perhaps he had been wrong, and Vejiita did feel something for the blue-haired genius. Buruma suddenly looked over at Vejiita and their eyes met. Neither said a word, but for the first time since Trunks had been born, they didn't glance away immediately.
Yamucha suddenly stood up and left the room, unwilling to watch it any longer. It hurt him too much to watch Buruma and her new lover make up. He ignored their startled glances and Trunks' questions. He rushed out the door and launched himself into the air, heading for his old hideout.
He arrived a bit later, landing with a soft thud against the sand. He walked into his old home, looking around curiously. He hadn't been back there in years, shortly after he had met Buruma.
He sat on his old bed, a bit surprised at how hard it was now, buried his head in his hands, and wept.
~~~
He felt a lot better by the time he woke up a few hours later, having cried himself to sleep. He stretched, grimacing at the tight muscles he tweaked as he stood up.
"Yamucha?"
Blinking, Yamucha poked his head out of the door, nearly falling over in shock when he saw Mirai Trunks standing before him. "Trunks, what are you doing here?"
Trunks didn't answer right away; instead, he looked out over the desert silently for a moment. "Mom, I mean my mother in my timeline, told me something before I came here."
"And that was?"
"That after she cheated on you, and slept with my father, you had a hard time dealing with it. You couldn't just disappear and never see her again, because you both had the same friends, and were part of the team. But she said you were never the same after she had me."
Trunks suddenly looked at Yamucha, his eyes sad. "I cannot say that I regret that my mother slept with my father, I wouldn't have been born otherwise. But I am sorry it had to hurt you. That my existence pains you. Mom often told me how wonderful you were, and how much you loved her. She regretted hurting you, but she didn't regret throwing it all away on a man she wasn't even sure could feel love."
He sighed and looked down at his feet. "She said that although she could have been very happy with you, and that she loved you very much, something was missing. And she found that something in my father. She didn't regret the circumstances of my birth, but she regretted how she hurt you. And in my time, she never had a chance to tell you this."
He looked back up at Yamucha then. "She hopes that this version of herself would never feel the regret she feels at not having told you, and she knew that she might have never told you anyway, so she asked me to. She asked me to tell you that she did love you. She still does. But it wasn't exactly what either of you needed. She needed my father, and although she didn't tell me that she loved him, I can see it in the younger version that she does. She said you would have made her very happy had you two married. But she realized shortly before she slept with Father that you two weren't right for each other. She regrets not ending it then, and instead of hurting you the way she did."
He fidgeted slightly. "She says that she loves you very much, and she's sorry. And that her younger self feels the same. She says you will always have a part of her that Father never could. Her youth, her first love, and your memories together. No matter what else happens, she loves you. Even if it isn't what you need, she still loves you."
Yamucha smiled, his eyes beginning to sting again. "Thank you, Trunks. And tell your mom the same, would you?"
Trunks nodded. "I will, but can I ask you something?"
"Anything."
"Can you tell me about when Mom was a teenager? Her adventures?"
Yamucha grinned. "Alright, come on in. This is where it all began for me, ironically."
"What is this place?" the teenager inquired, glancing around curiously.
"It's my old hideout. From when I was a bandit."
"You were a bandit?!" Trunks exclaimed, looking at him in disbelief.
Yamucha nodded. "I was a bandit, if you can believe it. I wasn't always a Zed fighter, you know… Actually, Buruma and Goku were the first. Then Oolong."
"OOLONG?!"
Yamucha laughed. "I see you've met him."
"Actually, yes. He survived the initial attack, but died shortly before Gohan did. How did all this happen? Mom doesn't like to speak of the past much."
Yamucha chuckled, feeling better than he had since he had learned Buruma was pregnant. "I would imagine that she doesn't. She'd be awfully embarrassed about her antics back then. But I suppose I can tell you." Grinning at the young man, he motioned him to sit at the small table in the middle of the room. Yamucha then sat across from him.
"Your mother found Goku high on the top of a mountain when she was in search of something called dragonballs…"
~~~
Yamucha looked over the place that would soon be a battlefield, his heart heavy with worry. But he did feel better, at least. He glanced over at the grouchy Saiyajin no Ouji, who was standing apart from the rest of them, his arms crossed as usual.
The warrior steeled himself and walked over to the Saiyajin, his muscles faintly twitching with tense dread. He knew he *had* to do this, even if he didn't relish it. He learned from Trunks earlier in the day that he had caught Vejiita coming out of his mother's room early yesterday morning.
Trunks had even mentioned that Vejiita had had a grin on his face, if that was possible, although it had apparently disappeared the moment Vejiita had realized Trunks was there. Yamucha couldn't picture the irritated warrior making anything other than a smirk, but it wasn't his business.
Not anymore.
"Vejiita?"
The Saiyajin's dark eyes narrowed as they fell on Yamucha, and it only seemed to enhance the anxiety inside of him. "What?"
"I wanted to say something before the fight gets going…"
Vejiita's eyebrow rose slightly, and he let out a soft snort. "Spit it out then."
"I want you to know that I was not happy when I learned that Buruma had slept with you. I was not happy for many reasons, and yes, one of those reasons was because I didn't like you."
Vejiita's eye twitched slightly, and Yamucha had the feeling the warrior was suppressing the urge to blast him where he stood. Amazingly, he was stifling it, and Yamucha suspected a lot of it had to do with Buruma. "Is there a point?" Vejiita demanded, turning his intense gaze from Yamucha and over the ring.
"Yes. I didn't think you even cared anything for her, and I was pissed off that you left her when she was pregnant with your son. I hated you more for that than when you killed me. I want you to know that, first."
Vejiita's eyes found him again, and they narrowed in anger. "I know all this, fool. Would you care to tell me something I do not know?"
"I'm not demanding an answer for what you put her through," Yamucha continued, ignoring his animosity. "You put her through hell, and I can't even count how many times she was crying on me because of you. I hated you for that, too."
"Your fucking point?!" Vejiita finally snapped, and Yamucha suspected Vejiita didn't like knowing that Buruma had been that upset because of him. He had to know about it, but perhaps getting it shoved in his face bothered him more than the Saiyajin was willing to admit.
"I had a talk with Trunks, and he told me a few things. I can't say I like you more now than I did before, but I understand everything better. I still don't think you deserve her, and I doubt you could ever make her as happy as I could have-"
Vejiita hissed.
"-but I know that she loves you."
Vejiita suddenly blinked, betraying himself.
"She loves you more than she loves me, and she made her choice. Because it is her choice, I will accept it. I will be there should you choose to leave her alone again, just as I was this past year." Yamucha paused, suddenly nervous. "I know you feel something for her – otherwise you wouldn't have slept with *my* girlfriend – and I want her to be happy. She isn't happy that I'm not happy with it, so I decided to make peace."
Yamucha's eyes steadied, and he gave Vejiita a good glare. "If you hurt her again, I will kill you. Supersaiyajin or no, Vejiita. She deserves someone a hell of a lot better than you, and we both know that. But it isn't my decision. It's hers and yours. I'm not interfering now. I want you to know… she's yours now. Treat her well."
Yamucha then turned and walked away, not expecting a reply that would never come. He had told the warrior exactly what he had come to say, and he wasn't about to stick around to hear Vejiita's angry defensive mechanisms kick in.
He suddenly felt a bit lighter. It felt good getting that off his chest, even if he knew that Vejiita would never appreciate it. He needed to let her go, in any case. She wasn't his any longer. She was another man's now…
And he wasn't that man, no matter how much he wished it otherwise. Perhaps, someday, he could move on and find someone he could love, as Buruma seemed to love Vejiita.
He was fine with it. Honestly, he was fine with her decision now. She had made her choice, and he would stick by her despite it. It still hurt, and would probably always hurt, but somehow…
The pain dimmed just a bit.
Now it was time to fight for the future of their world.
~~~
AN: I wanted to do something with how Yamucha felt about Buruma and Vejiita's relationship. This is it. ^_^
Lovies!