Warning: Sap content thickens...
Bulma paced up and down Chichi's hall. She had stayed over night with her. And the night before Chichi had come to Capsule Corp. It was Chichi's idea that they go to her house instead, since all parts of Bulma's home only reminded her that he child was absent.
Goku had taken Gohan and Goten on a little vacation to the mountains. He'd left with them just the day before Bulma called and now she had no choice but to wait on his return. Chichi had tried calling the number he left with her, but he had obviously written it down wrong. It was a pizza delivery place, not a hotel. Bulma hadn't stopped at that. She'd taken the number and called every variation it could have been. None of them worked. There was no chance he had written a 2 that looked like a 7 or a 3 that looked like an 8...or BOTH for that matter.
It was just like Goku not to think of leaving the NAME of the hotel either. Chichi was irritated that he'd even forgotten to clarify WHICH mountain he was taking the boys to, which meant the women couldn't even search the hotels in any particular area and find ot if they were staying there. And now Bulma just paced, unable to sleep. He wasn't due back for another four days! How was she supposed to wait that long?
* * * * *
Trunks stared at Trusei. He was happily playing with a piece of string over in the corner. It would have been nice if Trunks could get excited over such a frivolous thing. As it were, nothing held much of any meaning to him lately. He hadn't slept well the previous night. The only time he fell asleep he had a nightmare about both his parents disowning him and each leaving in seperate paths. The only good thing he could think of was the fact that his kitten seemed to be his normal self again.
Since he'd been unable to sleep, Trunks had had a lot of time to think about his parents. The thing he missed most about his Mom was that she held him, though he would never admit that to anyone, especially not his father. He hated for her to do it if there was anyone other than his grandparents present. But if there WASN'T anybody there sometimes he would even go to HER, of his own initiative.
He also missed the talks they had, though infrequent. She used to explain to him sometimes some things about his father and it always made him think a little deeper. It was funny that someone who used to assure him that his father cared, even though he didn't show it, had told his father to leave and not come back. Had she only been telling him what he wanted to hear all this time? Or did she really think his father cared about him? Now he didn't know what she thought.
On the side of his father there were completely different pluses. He wanted to train. He wasn't really sure if he wanted to train just for his own sake, or because he thought it would make his father proud of him. It was probably both. Either way, without his father he'd be loosing something. His father was the one that trained him and he loved that time. And it was his FATHER's approval he was in constant yearning for. There was no way of recieving it if his father weren't with him. The thought of that being the case made him exceptionally depressed.
Logically, though, why stay with someone he didn't even know loved him? He was pretty sure Vegeta liked him part of the time, but that really wasn't enough. He KNEW his mother loved him. She told him all the time and she took him fun places, played with him...those were things his father never did. The more he thought, the more reasons he could think of that he should go back with his mother and STAY with her. But every time that thought even crossed his mind he felt an incredible ache in his heart. Worse than anything else he could think of. The decision always came back to the same thing. BOTH. Choosing one or the other just wasn't possible.
Sighing, he sat up and wrapped a blanket around himself, shivering. It seemed to be getting colder and colder in his room.
* * * * *
Vegeta glanced at the temperature gage once again. He'd been looking from time to time for the past hour and just as he'd thought, it was going down. It was now down to 59 degrees on board, yet the ship was set to be at 69. Frowning, he stood and went to the thermostat, examining it. It wasn't working, but he could see why not. The heat wasn't turning on. That's all he knew.
"Great, that's just great. Would we like to break an engine while we're at it? Perhaps let's just crash the stupid ship completley and put me out of my misery," Vegeta muttered as he made his way to Trunks' room. He still refused to leave it. This time Vegeta had told him he still had to do his school work. "History report," Vegeta demanded with irriataion.
Trunks absently grabbed the paper sitting next to him and tossed it at his father, never looking away from his cat.
Vegeta narrowed his eyes as he picked it up off the floor. He looked at it, only enhancing his reasons for anger:
History of Vegeta-sei, by Trunks
It got made. It got blown up. The end.
Vegeta resisted the urge to crinckle it up and scream at his child for showing such disrespect for his heritage. "Not accepted. Do it over and do it RIGHT."
Trunks scowled further but didn't move.
"And put your coat on."
"What for?" Trunks asked flatly.
Vegeta could feel the rage in the pit of his stomach. He grabbed Trunks' coat from its hanger on the wall and threw it at the child, then left, slamming the door, just hard enough to make a point, but not destroy it.
Once his father was gone, Trunks looked sat up, looking at the door for a moment and wiping the tears from his eyes. Angrily, he pulled out another piece of paper and began writing a new report.
History of Vegeta-sei, by Trunks
Why does it even matter? NOTHING matters! Nobody cares about anybody or anything anyway, so why should I write about a stupid planet that doesn't even exist anymore? I never went there. It wasn't even there when I was born and I didn't ask to BE born! It wasn't my choice to have anything to do with Vegeta-sei. Nobody else in the whole universe has to learn about it because their Dad didn't used to be the prince of it! It isn't there! It was a planet of stupid strong guys that didn't care about anybody and my own grandpa didn't even care about my Dad! He just handed him right over to the bad guy and then the planet got destoryed. And HE was the KING of it! So what do I think? I DON'T CARE!
Trunks let out a cry of frustration as he crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it across the room. He let out the breath he'd been holding and began sobbing.
* * * * *
The silence between them was intense as Trunks and Vegeta ate dinner. The tempertaure had dropped to 50 and was still falling the last time Vegeta looked. Trunks was wearing his coat, but he still shivered from time to time. Vegeta watched him as he ate.
When he'd come back to the room an hour after telling his son to re-do his assignment, Trunks looked as if he hadn't moved, except that his coat was on. Trunks hadn't done it, Vegeta got mad and yelled at him, and Trunks just ignored it, so Vegeta left before he lost his temper completely. If he hadn't been so angry, he would have gave him a spanking for his disobediance. However, he knew doing so at that point was a bad idea because he would have really hurt him.
Instead he came back later, when Trunks was in the bathroom and found the paper he'd thrown on the floor. It was very disturbing.
"So...," Vegeta started, his voice low and calm. "I found your history report."
Trunks was a little surprised, but didn't show it. "So?"
"Interesting perspective."
Trunks scowled, putting another spoonful of soup in his mouth.
"However," Vegeta took in a breath, "my father didn't just hand me over. He DID care."
"Well Sayains sure have a HECK of a way of showing it, now don't they?" Trunks immediately left the room.
Vegeta waited a few seconds, his chest feeling heavy, and then he followed. He stood at the door, trying to think of something to say. "Why are you so angry with me?" it was the only thing he could think of. It was practically the only thing on his mind.
"Why do you THINK, Dad! I want to see Mom!"
"I told you you could choose..."
"But I CAN'T, Dad!" Trunks interupted, staring at him for just a few seconds, his eyes almost pleading.
Vegeta sighed. "There isn't anything I can do about it. That's just the way it is."
"No, that's the way YOU made it! You and mom BOTH!" Trunks turned away. "I don't even know why you brought me in the first!"
"Because you're a Sayain, Trunks! Like it or not, it's in your blood."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"I PUT it in your blood! And I'm king now, however small a race we are. That's not something I expect you to understand right now, and I certainly would NEVER expect it from your mother!"
Trunks stared at his father with a small amount of indignance. He had one thing right. Trunks DIDN'T understand it.
"Only a weak leader will abandon his people. As king, it is my DUTY to provide for my kingdom."
Trunks sighed as he looked to Trusei. He felt less angry, but not in agreement. As far as he was concerned his father was being rediculous. He HAD no kingdom to rule over. Then another strange thought occured to him. All Vegeta DID have was him! Maybe that's why he was being so nuts.
Vegeta shook his head, trying to clear it as he crossed his arms. "Get ready for bed. And wear something warm. The heater isn't working," he left.
* * * * *
The air was very cold as Vegeta laid in bed. He couldn't sleep at all. Not only was he cold, but he'd been listening to Trunks' ki for two hours. It had gone up and down 5 times. Neither of them were resting easy. Vegeta let out a heavy sigh and stood.
"That's enough of this," he muttered as Trunks' ki shot up for the sixth time. Pulling on a long sleeved shirt and a robe, Vegeta made his way into his son's room.
Trunks had his blanket wrapped tightly around him, but still he was shivering and breathing uneasy. Part of it was whatever nightmare he was having. But it had a lot to do with the cold too. Vegeta put a hand on his head and closed his eyes to see if he could read what was going on in Trunks' mind. He was having a dream about Majin Buu. The two of them were fighting and Trunks was loosing.
"Trunks, get up," Vegeta demanded, stepping back and opening his eyes.
Trunks woke with a start. It took him a few moments to orient himself and realise his father was in the room digging through his dresser. "Dad, I'm cold," his voice was shaky.
"Put this on," Vegeta tossed him a thick sweat shirt and sweat pants.
Trunks slowly pulled himself out of his bed.
"You're not wearing any socks!" Vegeta observed.
"I never wear socks to bed..."
"For heaven's sake, Trunks!" Vegeta pulled out a thickest pair of socks he could find for the boy, thorwing those to him as well. "No wonder you're about to freeze to death! Don't you know your head and your feet is where the majority of your body heat escapes from?"
"No...," Trunks glanced up at him, a little surprised by his father's behavior.
"Come on," Vegeta grabbed the blankets off Trunks' bed and left the room.
Trunks trailed behind, following him into his room and watched with curiousity as his father spread Trunks' blanket over the giant bed, then pulled out several more from the closet and put them on the bed as well.
"Climb in," Vegeta instructed.
Trunks eyes widened. "But this is YOUR bed..."
Vegeta glared at him shortly. "I'm well aware of that! Get in!"
"Why?" Trunks looked at him awkwardly. His father had NEVER invited him to share his bed before.
"Haven't you ever heard of shared body heat?"
"What's that?"
Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Each of us has a regulated body temperature and if we both sleep here we'll act as heaters to each other," he tried to explain. Trunks only stared at him blankly. Vegeta was getting irritated. "Look! If you don't get in this bed you're gonna freeze to death, now do as I say!" he ordered.
Trunks eyed him as he crawled under the covers.
"Come closer."
Uncomfortable Trunks scooted just a little closer to his father. He was beginning to wonder if this was some sort of trick and he was going to get punished for not writing his report earlier.
"Oh for heaven's sake!" Vegeta reached out and pulled Trunks toward him, wrapping one arm snuggly around his waist and letting his shoulder act as a pillow for his son. "Now go to sleep!" he demanded harshly, turning off the bedside lamp.
Trunks laid, wide-eyes for quite some time, trying to decifer what was happening. This was...this was being held! It felt REALLY good! But at the same time, kinda forced. His father was doing it because of the cold, not because he cared. It was so that they could stay warm. In the end he decided that didn't matter. Not right now. He would just enjoy the moment. Smiling, Trunks finally relaxed, turning on his side and placing one arm across his father's stomach as he burried his head between his shoulder and chest.
Vegeta wasn't asleep either. Trunks was finally relaxing. He could feel his small hand when he placed it on Vegeta's abdomen. It felt warm--in more than one way. Looking down with his keen night vision, Vegeta watched his child. He was finally starting to fall asleep. 'This had better serve all purposes,' he thought to himself. He brought Trunks in here under the guise of it being for the cold, but it was also an attempt to stop the nightmares he was having. And perhaps even to make the boy know he cared. It really wasn't an easy thing to convince him of. And Vegeta knew that was his own fault. But still, he couldn't bring himself to say anything in words.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sorry there wasn't an update yesterday. I was DYING to write this chapter, but I had a friend spending the night with me at the house I'm babysitting until mid-December, so I didn't get any time to do it yesterday. But really, you probably don't care because I get this updated ALL the time anyway. What's ONE day without a new chapter? (Murder for me...I'm gonna be so sad when I finish this story! I'm SO into writing it!)
Bulma paced up and down Chichi's hall. She had stayed over night with her. And the night before Chichi had come to Capsule Corp. It was Chichi's idea that they go to her house instead, since all parts of Bulma's home only reminded her that he child was absent.
Goku had taken Gohan and Goten on a little vacation to the mountains. He'd left with them just the day before Bulma called and now she had no choice but to wait on his return. Chichi had tried calling the number he left with her, but he had obviously written it down wrong. It was a pizza delivery place, not a hotel. Bulma hadn't stopped at that. She'd taken the number and called every variation it could have been. None of them worked. There was no chance he had written a 2 that looked like a 7 or a 3 that looked like an 8...or BOTH for that matter.
It was just like Goku not to think of leaving the NAME of the hotel either. Chichi was irritated that he'd even forgotten to clarify WHICH mountain he was taking the boys to, which meant the women couldn't even search the hotels in any particular area and find ot if they were staying there. And now Bulma just paced, unable to sleep. He wasn't due back for another four days! How was she supposed to wait that long?
* * * * *
Trunks stared at Trusei. He was happily playing with a piece of string over in the corner. It would have been nice if Trunks could get excited over such a frivolous thing. As it were, nothing held much of any meaning to him lately. He hadn't slept well the previous night. The only time he fell asleep he had a nightmare about both his parents disowning him and each leaving in seperate paths. The only good thing he could think of was the fact that his kitten seemed to be his normal self again.
Since he'd been unable to sleep, Trunks had had a lot of time to think about his parents. The thing he missed most about his Mom was that she held him, though he would never admit that to anyone, especially not his father. He hated for her to do it if there was anyone other than his grandparents present. But if there WASN'T anybody there sometimes he would even go to HER, of his own initiative.
He also missed the talks they had, though infrequent. She used to explain to him sometimes some things about his father and it always made him think a little deeper. It was funny that someone who used to assure him that his father cared, even though he didn't show it, had told his father to leave and not come back. Had she only been telling him what he wanted to hear all this time? Or did she really think his father cared about him? Now he didn't know what she thought.
On the side of his father there were completely different pluses. He wanted to train. He wasn't really sure if he wanted to train just for his own sake, or because he thought it would make his father proud of him. It was probably both. Either way, without his father he'd be loosing something. His father was the one that trained him and he loved that time. And it was his FATHER's approval he was in constant yearning for. There was no way of recieving it if his father weren't with him. The thought of that being the case made him exceptionally depressed.
Logically, though, why stay with someone he didn't even know loved him? He was pretty sure Vegeta liked him part of the time, but that really wasn't enough. He KNEW his mother loved him. She told him all the time and she took him fun places, played with him...those were things his father never did. The more he thought, the more reasons he could think of that he should go back with his mother and STAY with her. But every time that thought even crossed his mind he felt an incredible ache in his heart. Worse than anything else he could think of. The decision always came back to the same thing. BOTH. Choosing one or the other just wasn't possible.
Sighing, he sat up and wrapped a blanket around himself, shivering. It seemed to be getting colder and colder in his room.
* * * * *
Vegeta glanced at the temperature gage once again. He'd been looking from time to time for the past hour and just as he'd thought, it was going down. It was now down to 59 degrees on board, yet the ship was set to be at 69. Frowning, he stood and went to the thermostat, examining it. It wasn't working, but he could see why not. The heat wasn't turning on. That's all he knew.
"Great, that's just great. Would we like to break an engine while we're at it? Perhaps let's just crash the stupid ship completley and put me out of my misery," Vegeta muttered as he made his way to Trunks' room. He still refused to leave it. This time Vegeta had told him he still had to do his school work. "History report," Vegeta demanded with irriataion.
Trunks absently grabbed the paper sitting next to him and tossed it at his father, never looking away from his cat.
Vegeta narrowed his eyes as he picked it up off the floor. He looked at it, only enhancing his reasons for anger:
History of Vegeta-sei, by Trunks
It got made. It got blown up. The end.
Vegeta resisted the urge to crinckle it up and scream at his child for showing such disrespect for his heritage. "Not accepted. Do it over and do it RIGHT."
Trunks scowled further but didn't move.
"And put your coat on."
"What for?" Trunks asked flatly.
Vegeta could feel the rage in the pit of his stomach. He grabbed Trunks' coat from its hanger on the wall and threw it at the child, then left, slamming the door, just hard enough to make a point, but not destroy it.
Once his father was gone, Trunks looked sat up, looking at the door for a moment and wiping the tears from his eyes. Angrily, he pulled out another piece of paper and began writing a new report.
History of Vegeta-sei, by Trunks
Why does it even matter? NOTHING matters! Nobody cares about anybody or anything anyway, so why should I write about a stupid planet that doesn't even exist anymore? I never went there. It wasn't even there when I was born and I didn't ask to BE born! It wasn't my choice to have anything to do with Vegeta-sei. Nobody else in the whole universe has to learn about it because their Dad didn't used to be the prince of it! It isn't there! It was a planet of stupid strong guys that didn't care about anybody and my own grandpa didn't even care about my Dad! He just handed him right over to the bad guy and then the planet got destoryed. And HE was the KING of it! So what do I think? I DON'T CARE!
Trunks let out a cry of frustration as he crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it across the room. He let out the breath he'd been holding and began sobbing.
* * * * *
The silence between them was intense as Trunks and Vegeta ate dinner. The tempertaure had dropped to 50 and was still falling the last time Vegeta looked. Trunks was wearing his coat, but he still shivered from time to time. Vegeta watched him as he ate.
When he'd come back to the room an hour after telling his son to re-do his assignment, Trunks looked as if he hadn't moved, except that his coat was on. Trunks hadn't done it, Vegeta got mad and yelled at him, and Trunks just ignored it, so Vegeta left before he lost his temper completely. If he hadn't been so angry, he would have gave him a spanking for his disobediance. However, he knew doing so at that point was a bad idea because he would have really hurt him.
Instead he came back later, when Trunks was in the bathroom and found the paper he'd thrown on the floor. It was very disturbing.
"So...," Vegeta started, his voice low and calm. "I found your history report."
Trunks was a little surprised, but didn't show it. "So?"
"Interesting perspective."
Trunks scowled, putting another spoonful of soup in his mouth.
"However," Vegeta took in a breath, "my father didn't just hand me over. He DID care."
"Well Sayains sure have a HECK of a way of showing it, now don't they?" Trunks immediately left the room.
Vegeta waited a few seconds, his chest feeling heavy, and then he followed. He stood at the door, trying to think of something to say. "Why are you so angry with me?" it was the only thing he could think of. It was practically the only thing on his mind.
"Why do you THINK, Dad! I want to see Mom!"
"I told you you could choose..."
"But I CAN'T, Dad!" Trunks interupted, staring at him for just a few seconds, his eyes almost pleading.
Vegeta sighed. "There isn't anything I can do about it. That's just the way it is."
"No, that's the way YOU made it! You and mom BOTH!" Trunks turned away. "I don't even know why you brought me in the first!"
"Because you're a Sayain, Trunks! Like it or not, it's in your blood."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"I PUT it in your blood! And I'm king now, however small a race we are. That's not something I expect you to understand right now, and I certainly would NEVER expect it from your mother!"
Trunks stared at his father with a small amount of indignance. He had one thing right. Trunks DIDN'T understand it.
"Only a weak leader will abandon his people. As king, it is my DUTY to provide for my kingdom."
Trunks sighed as he looked to Trusei. He felt less angry, but not in agreement. As far as he was concerned his father was being rediculous. He HAD no kingdom to rule over. Then another strange thought occured to him. All Vegeta DID have was him! Maybe that's why he was being so nuts.
Vegeta shook his head, trying to clear it as he crossed his arms. "Get ready for bed. And wear something warm. The heater isn't working," he left.
* * * * *
The air was very cold as Vegeta laid in bed. He couldn't sleep at all. Not only was he cold, but he'd been listening to Trunks' ki for two hours. It had gone up and down 5 times. Neither of them were resting easy. Vegeta let out a heavy sigh and stood.
"That's enough of this," he muttered as Trunks' ki shot up for the sixth time. Pulling on a long sleeved shirt and a robe, Vegeta made his way into his son's room.
Trunks had his blanket wrapped tightly around him, but still he was shivering and breathing uneasy. Part of it was whatever nightmare he was having. But it had a lot to do with the cold too. Vegeta put a hand on his head and closed his eyes to see if he could read what was going on in Trunks' mind. He was having a dream about Majin Buu. The two of them were fighting and Trunks was loosing.
"Trunks, get up," Vegeta demanded, stepping back and opening his eyes.
Trunks woke with a start. It took him a few moments to orient himself and realise his father was in the room digging through his dresser. "Dad, I'm cold," his voice was shaky.
"Put this on," Vegeta tossed him a thick sweat shirt and sweat pants.
Trunks slowly pulled himself out of his bed.
"You're not wearing any socks!" Vegeta observed.
"I never wear socks to bed..."
"For heaven's sake, Trunks!" Vegeta pulled out a thickest pair of socks he could find for the boy, thorwing those to him as well. "No wonder you're about to freeze to death! Don't you know your head and your feet is where the majority of your body heat escapes from?"
"No...," Trunks glanced up at him, a little surprised by his father's behavior.
"Come on," Vegeta grabbed the blankets off Trunks' bed and left the room.
Trunks trailed behind, following him into his room and watched with curiousity as his father spread Trunks' blanket over the giant bed, then pulled out several more from the closet and put them on the bed as well.
"Climb in," Vegeta instructed.
Trunks eyes widened. "But this is YOUR bed..."
Vegeta glared at him shortly. "I'm well aware of that! Get in!"
"Why?" Trunks looked at him awkwardly. His father had NEVER invited him to share his bed before.
"Haven't you ever heard of shared body heat?"
"What's that?"
Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Each of us has a regulated body temperature and if we both sleep here we'll act as heaters to each other," he tried to explain. Trunks only stared at him blankly. Vegeta was getting irritated. "Look! If you don't get in this bed you're gonna freeze to death, now do as I say!" he ordered.
Trunks eyed him as he crawled under the covers.
"Come closer."
Uncomfortable Trunks scooted just a little closer to his father. He was beginning to wonder if this was some sort of trick and he was going to get punished for not writing his report earlier.
"Oh for heaven's sake!" Vegeta reached out and pulled Trunks toward him, wrapping one arm snuggly around his waist and letting his shoulder act as a pillow for his son. "Now go to sleep!" he demanded harshly, turning off the bedside lamp.
Trunks laid, wide-eyes for quite some time, trying to decifer what was happening. This was...this was being held! It felt REALLY good! But at the same time, kinda forced. His father was doing it because of the cold, not because he cared. It was so that they could stay warm. In the end he decided that didn't matter. Not right now. He would just enjoy the moment. Smiling, Trunks finally relaxed, turning on his side and placing one arm across his father's stomach as he burried his head between his shoulder and chest.
Vegeta wasn't asleep either. Trunks was finally relaxing. He could feel his small hand when he placed it on Vegeta's abdomen. It felt warm--in more than one way. Looking down with his keen night vision, Vegeta watched his child. He was finally starting to fall asleep. 'This had better serve all purposes,' he thought to himself. He brought Trunks in here under the guise of it being for the cold, but it was also an attempt to stop the nightmares he was having. And perhaps even to make the boy know he cared. It really wasn't an easy thing to convince him of. And Vegeta knew that was his own fault. But still, he couldn't bring himself to say anything in words.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sorry there wasn't an update yesterday. I was DYING to write this chapter, but I had a friend spending the night with me at the house I'm babysitting until mid-December, so I didn't get any time to do it yesterday. But really, you probably don't care because I get this updated ALL the time anyway. What's ONE day without a new chapter? (Murder for me...I'm gonna be so sad when I finish this story! I'm SO into writing it!)