Trunks was sitting at his desk reading his boring book of culture and customs again. He really wasn't paying much attention to it. He was more interested in the music playing on the headphones. He'd slept well last night, since Vegeta had allowed him to sleep with him again, even though he gave him strict orders that he'd sleep in his own bed the next night. Now he felt better too. He wasn't very active, but that was more out of a low level of depression he was still feeling than from being sick the previous day.
Vegeta was intently steering the ship, feeling a little more at ease, now that his son seemed to be coming out of his funk. Suddenly two figures appeared in the room. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped in shock. It took him a few minutes to gain enough composure to speak.
"Kakarot!" all Vegeta's defenses immediately went up.
Trunks looked up from his book and noticed Goku and Goten standing in the room. His eyes widened with excitement. "Goten!"
"Hey Trunks!" Goten immediately bounded over to his friend. "Long time no see, huh?! Hey, look what I got from the mountains!" he pulled out his special rock.
Trunks looked at it awkwardly, then smiled. Fruity as ever, but Goten was still his best friend and he was glad to see him.
"Vegeta, we've gotta talk," Goku stated.
"You are NOT taking Trunks," Vegeta's voice was low.
"That's not what I came here to do," Goku assured him with complete seriousness.
"Trunks, go in your room," Vegeta demanded, not looking away from his worst enemy, and yet greatest friend, both in one.
"Goten, you go too," Goku agreed, keeping eyes fixed on Vegeta.
The boys looked at them shortly, knowing something was going on. But they were too happy to see each other to care about being sent out of the room.
"So, what do you have to do on here?" Goten asked.
"THERE'S a question," Trunks almost laughed as he took his friend to his room.
Vegeta and Goku waited until both boys were completely gone and out of ear shot.
"I take it the woman sent you," Vegeta sat down, all his senses still on full alert.
"Yes and no," Goku answered simply. "She was at my house when I came home from my vacation with my sons. She's pretty upset, you know..."
"Like I care!" Vegeta spat, snorting with disgust. He really DID care, deep down, but he was too angry and on edge to admit it right now.
"What happened?"
"Haven't you heard?"
"All I heard was you two had a fight and she told you not to come back. Well... and that you had Trunks with you, of course. But I want to know just what went on. Why did she tell you to leave?"
"It's none of your business!"
Goku sighed, narrowing his eyes a little. "Don't be like that, Vegeta, I'm only trying to get a more rounded picture here."
"It's not YOUR concern!"
"Look, I promised Bulma I would help her. She wanted to come here with me, but I wouldn't let her and she wants me to bring Trunks back, but I told her I wasn't going to do that..."
"*Danged* right you aren't! That boy is not going ANYWHERE!" there were daggers in Vegeta's eyes.
"Calm down!" Goku put his hands in the air. "I said I wasn't here to take him back and I'm NOT. But I'm not leaving until I get the WHOLE story."
"If you really MUST know and there's no other way of ridding myself of your unwelcomed company," Vegeta started with a scowl, "I hadn't taken out the garbage one day and I told Trunks to do it because she was screaming her stupid head off at me for not getting to it and then she accused me of not knowing Trunks and of mistreating him by asking him to take the garbage out and she told me to leave and not come back. So I DID."
"And you took Trunks with you," Goku added, with a nod. It all made perfect sense to him, even if the women were refusing to see it.
"Of course I did, you idiot!"
"It sounds to me like there were some things said that weren't really meant. But even so, you didn't have to take Trunks did you?"
"For your information, Kakarot, that woman had no intentions of me ever seeing him again!"
Goku's eyes widened and he let out a breath. "She was probably just angry when she said that."
"You don't know a THING! You weren't THERE! She wanted me to say goodbye to him because she didn't want me seeing him again!"
"Look, I'm NOT in agreement with her saying something like that, but I really don't think she meant it. I don't think she really even meant for YOU to leave. Not for good, anyway. I'm SURE she just said it in the heat of the moment."
"For your information, Kakarot, I don't CARE! The fact is she SAID it! I'm am NOT going to loose another race! You said it yourself! We have started a new Sayain race and I am the KING of it! Kings do NOT abandon their people!"
"This isn't about that, and you know it!"
"The HECK I do...!"
"Vegeta, if this were about that, you wouldn't have left the planet!" Goku interupted. "If that were the case, then you HAVE abandoned your people, because, like it or not, Gohan, Goten, and I are ALL part of it! This is about TRUNKS, not the Sayain race!"
"Fine! I'm not DENYING it! But I have been to HELL for that child! I've sacrificed my own life for him, I've waded through the inards of the most disgusting creature ever to live...I've even FUSED with YOU...TWICE! I am NOT going to loose him now to some stupid earth woman with a big mouth!"
Goku was silent as he watched the distress on his friend's face. He could feel every emotion flooding through Vegeta's veins. How was it people could not know this man felt love? To Goku is was clear as crystal. And he understood the anger he was feeling and the possessiveness. NO father (at least not one in their right mind) would want to loose their child, and that's what Vegeta was scared out of his mind about. He would never confront him with that information however. Vegeta would NEVER admit to feeling fear.
Finally he sighed and spoke. "Ok, I understand you. And whether you say it or not, I KNOW you love Trunks," he voice was very calm. "But, Vegeta, if you really DO, then think about HIS feelings."
"The boy HAS a choice. If he wants to go back to his mother, he can, but he won't see ME again, and YOU will not take him!"
"That's awful hard on him, don't you think? He's only eight years old! You can't expect him to choose between his parents... he loves you both. He NEEDS you both..."
"Just BUTT OUT, KAKAROT!"
Goku sighed, pausing another few seconds before he spoke again. "Go back to Bulma, Vegeta.
Bulma. Talk to her and straighten this out. Trunks needs to be with her and if worse comes to worse, you can visit him secretly. Bulma CAN'T stop you from seeing him, Vegeta."
Vegeta glared at him harshly.
"You know it's the right thing to do. Just think it over, that's all I ask."
"What I do is MY business," Vegeta stated simply.
Goku turned his vision toward the door the two children had left through. It was time for him to go. Bulma wouldn't be happy that he hadn't taken Trunks back, or that Vegeta had said nothing of bringing him back, but he knew deep down what he'd done was enough. Vegeta would come back, it would just take him a few days of grumbling before he made that decision. All that was needed now was time.
* * * * *
"So..., you got any candy, Goten?" Trunks watched as his friend wiggled a shoelace in front of Trusei, giggling at the kitten's antics.
"Huh? Yeah, I got a little up at the mountain. Want some?" Goten pulled a small candy bar out of his pocket.
"Yeah!" Trunks' face lit up as he took it.
"What is that?" Vegeta stared at his child.
Surprised Trunks looked up, faultering for a few seconds. "Uh...," he looked down at the candy in his hand and pretended to just be noticing what it was. "Goten! I TOLD you, I'm not allowed to HAVE candy, sheesh!" he tossed the thing back toward his friend, rolling his eyes with disaproval.
Goten looked confused. "But Trunks...you just said..."
"GOTEN!" Trunks glared at him, clenching his teeth.
Goten blinked and looked at Vegeta. "Oh...ok."
"Come on, Goten, it's time for us to go," Goku stepped up behind Vegeta.
"But we just got here," Goten complained.
"It was just a quick visit, now come on."
"But we didn't get to spar," Goten pouted.
"Yeah, can't we spar first?" Trunks jumped in.
"No," Vegeta answered coldly, taking Trunks by the arm and shoving him partially behind himself as he eyed Goku.
"You two can spar another time," Goku took Goten's hand and put two fingers to his head.
"See ya later, Trunks," Goten waved. Then they were gone.
Trunks frowned. "Bye," he muttered. Then he looked up to notice his father glaring angrily at him. "...Mom would have let me have the candy...," he tried to look innocent.
Vegeta grumbled, then turned, muttering as he left.
Trunks was surprised. That tactic NEVER worked on his father! It usually got him in MORE trouble! He'd only said it because it was the only thing that came to his mind.
* * * * *
Bulma was pacing up and down the hall when Goku and Goten re-appeared. Immediately she ran up to him. "Where's my son?!" she demanded.
"Bulma, we need to talk," Goku said, flatly.
Her face changed from angry to concerned. "Is Trunks ok?"
"Yes, he's fine," Goku assured her.
"Come on, Goten, we need to get you some new pants," Chichi took her youngest boy by the shoulders.
"But, Mom, I HATE shopping!" Goten pouted.
"Too bad!" Chichi eyed him. "Oh...Gohan, didn't you say you needed to get some training done today?"
"I did? OH, I did!" Gohan realised what his mother was doing. "I better...uh... train, then. See ya later, Bulma."
"All right, Goku, WHAT is going on? Why didn't you bring Trunks back?!" Bulma demanded.
"I'm not going to cut into Vegeta's decisions. I went there to talk to him, and that's what I did."
"I SENT you to retrieve my son!" Bulma's heat was rising.
"Well, that's not why I went."
"Go back and GET HIM!"
"Vegeta will bring him back on his own."
"How do you know?" Bulma questioned skeptically.
"What did you say to Vegeta?"
Bulma's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"
"When you kicked him out. What did you say? And why did you do it?"
"That is NONE of your business!"
Goku smirked. "You and Vegeta WERE meant for each other. That's just what HE said."
Bulma faultered, her eyes darkening.
"Look, Vegeta is very upset about what went on. HE said you kicked him out over a fight about taking out the garbage..."
"That stupid JERK tried to make TRUNKS do it after I'd told HIM about five hundred times all WEEK to do it!" Bulma cut in.
"And that's why you kicked him out?"
"That was the last straw! He's constanly telling Trunks to do HIS chores! And I'm sick of his contrary attitude! I've had TOO many heartbreaking talks with Trunks about why his father doesn't care about him..."
"But he DOES care, Bulma, that's why he took him!" Goku interupted.
"I've been trying to tell Trunks that for years, but Vegeta wont show it and children NEED to SEE it! I never doubted that he cared...some, anyway, but no matter how many times I've tried to talk to him about it, he just shrugs me off and says 'don't tell me how to raise my son'!" Bulma sighed, sitting down at the table. She had a headache and her chest felt heavy.
Goku stood, watching her and waiting for her to continue.
"I miss him. I HATE him for doing this, but I still miss him. how can that be?! How can I be so...ANGRY with him and yet still want him back here?" Bulma looked up, tears in her eyes.
"I think you went too far in your words and I think he went to farr in his actions," Goku sighed, sitting down next to his long time friend. "But I really DO think he's going to come back. I think he'll stew for a few days and then I think he'll start back toward earth."
Bulma's eyes widened. "He took my baby off the planet?"
Goku sweat dropped. He hadn't meant to give any information away. "Well... uh... yeah."
She let out a breath of irritation.
"If it's any consolation, though, I get the feeling this whole thing will turn out to be one of the best things that could have happened. I know it's really hard on you right now, but I think it's very GOOD for Vegeta...AND for Trunks."
"How?"
"I don't mean to pry or to judge, but it seems to me Trunks has always been somewhat of a daddy's boy and always craving for Vegeta's attention. Am I wrong?"
Bulma shook her head, in defeat. "Yes, I'll admit, that's true."
"Well now he's up there with his father and nobody else. And I think it's good for Vegeta to have to deal with his son on his own. Who knows...maybe he'll open up a little since it's just the two of them. I KNOW he loves him, he's just too proud to show it."
Bulma smiled weakly. "I sure hope you're right...about ALL of this."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Vegeta was intently steering the ship, feeling a little more at ease, now that his son seemed to be coming out of his funk. Suddenly two figures appeared in the room. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped in shock. It took him a few minutes to gain enough composure to speak.
"Kakarot!" all Vegeta's defenses immediately went up.
Trunks looked up from his book and noticed Goku and Goten standing in the room. His eyes widened with excitement. "Goten!"
"Hey Trunks!" Goten immediately bounded over to his friend. "Long time no see, huh?! Hey, look what I got from the mountains!" he pulled out his special rock.
Trunks looked at it awkwardly, then smiled. Fruity as ever, but Goten was still his best friend and he was glad to see him.
"Vegeta, we've gotta talk," Goku stated.
"You are NOT taking Trunks," Vegeta's voice was low.
"That's not what I came here to do," Goku assured him with complete seriousness.
"Trunks, go in your room," Vegeta demanded, not looking away from his worst enemy, and yet greatest friend, both in one.
"Goten, you go too," Goku agreed, keeping eyes fixed on Vegeta.
The boys looked at them shortly, knowing something was going on. But they were too happy to see each other to care about being sent out of the room.
"So, what do you have to do on here?" Goten asked.
"THERE'S a question," Trunks almost laughed as he took his friend to his room.
Vegeta and Goku waited until both boys were completely gone and out of ear shot.
"I take it the woman sent you," Vegeta sat down, all his senses still on full alert.
"Yes and no," Goku answered simply. "She was at my house when I came home from my vacation with my sons. She's pretty upset, you know..."
"Like I care!" Vegeta spat, snorting with disgust. He really DID care, deep down, but he was too angry and on edge to admit it right now.
"What happened?"
"Haven't you heard?"
"All I heard was you two had a fight and she told you not to come back. Well... and that you had Trunks with you, of course. But I want to know just what went on. Why did she tell you to leave?"
"It's none of your business!"
Goku sighed, narrowing his eyes a little. "Don't be like that, Vegeta, I'm only trying to get a more rounded picture here."
"It's not YOUR concern!"
"Look, I promised Bulma I would help her. She wanted to come here with me, but I wouldn't let her and she wants me to bring Trunks back, but I told her I wasn't going to do that..."
"*Danged* right you aren't! That boy is not going ANYWHERE!" there were daggers in Vegeta's eyes.
"Calm down!" Goku put his hands in the air. "I said I wasn't here to take him back and I'm NOT. But I'm not leaving until I get the WHOLE story."
"If you really MUST know and there's no other way of ridding myself of your unwelcomed company," Vegeta started with a scowl, "I hadn't taken out the garbage one day and I told Trunks to do it because she was screaming her stupid head off at me for not getting to it and then she accused me of not knowing Trunks and of mistreating him by asking him to take the garbage out and she told me to leave and not come back. So I DID."
"And you took Trunks with you," Goku added, with a nod. It all made perfect sense to him, even if the women were refusing to see it.
"Of course I did, you idiot!"
"It sounds to me like there were some things said that weren't really meant. But even so, you didn't have to take Trunks did you?"
"For your information, Kakarot, that woman had no intentions of me ever seeing him again!"
Goku's eyes widened and he let out a breath. "She was probably just angry when she said that."
"You don't know a THING! You weren't THERE! She wanted me to say goodbye to him because she didn't want me seeing him again!"
"Look, I'm NOT in agreement with her saying something like that, but I really don't think she meant it. I don't think she really even meant for YOU to leave. Not for good, anyway. I'm SURE she just said it in the heat of the moment."
"For your information, Kakarot, I don't CARE! The fact is she SAID it! I'm am NOT going to loose another race! You said it yourself! We have started a new Sayain race and I am the KING of it! Kings do NOT abandon their people!"
"This isn't about that, and you know it!"
"The HECK I do...!"
"Vegeta, if this were about that, you wouldn't have left the planet!" Goku interupted. "If that were the case, then you HAVE abandoned your people, because, like it or not, Gohan, Goten, and I are ALL part of it! This is about TRUNKS, not the Sayain race!"
"Fine! I'm not DENYING it! But I have been to HELL for that child! I've sacrificed my own life for him, I've waded through the inards of the most disgusting creature ever to live...I've even FUSED with YOU...TWICE! I am NOT going to loose him now to some stupid earth woman with a big mouth!"
Goku was silent as he watched the distress on his friend's face. He could feel every emotion flooding through Vegeta's veins. How was it people could not know this man felt love? To Goku is was clear as crystal. And he understood the anger he was feeling and the possessiveness. NO father (at least not one in their right mind) would want to loose their child, and that's what Vegeta was scared out of his mind about. He would never confront him with that information however. Vegeta would NEVER admit to feeling fear.
Finally he sighed and spoke. "Ok, I understand you. And whether you say it or not, I KNOW you love Trunks," he voice was very calm. "But, Vegeta, if you really DO, then think about HIS feelings."
"The boy HAS a choice. If he wants to go back to his mother, he can, but he won't see ME again, and YOU will not take him!"
"That's awful hard on him, don't you think? He's only eight years old! You can't expect him to choose between his parents... he loves you both. He NEEDS you both..."
"Just BUTT OUT, KAKAROT!"
Goku sighed, pausing another few seconds before he spoke again. "Go back to Bulma, Vegeta.
Bulma. Talk to her and straighten this out. Trunks needs to be with her and if worse comes to worse, you can visit him secretly. Bulma CAN'T stop you from seeing him, Vegeta."
Vegeta glared at him harshly.
"You know it's the right thing to do. Just think it over, that's all I ask."
"What I do is MY business," Vegeta stated simply.
Goku turned his vision toward the door the two children had left through. It was time for him to go. Bulma wouldn't be happy that he hadn't taken Trunks back, or that Vegeta had said nothing of bringing him back, but he knew deep down what he'd done was enough. Vegeta would come back, it would just take him a few days of grumbling before he made that decision. All that was needed now was time.
* * * * *
"So..., you got any candy, Goten?" Trunks watched as his friend wiggled a shoelace in front of Trusei, giggling at the kitten's antics.
"Huh? Yeah, I got a little up at the mountain. Want some?" Goten pulled a small candy bar out of his pocket.
"Yeah!" Trunks' face lit up as he took it.
"What is that?" Vegeta stared at his child.
Surprised Trunks looked up, faultering for a few seconds. "Uh...," he looked down at the candy in his hand and pretended to just be noticing what it was. "Goten! I TOLD you, I'm not allowed to HAVE candy, sheesh!" he tossed the thing back toward his friend, rolling his eyes with disaproval.
Goten looked confused. "But Trunks...you just said..."
"GOTEN!" Trunks glared at him, clenching his teeth.
Goten blinked and looked at Vegeta. "Oh...ok."
"Come on, Goten, it's time for us to go," Goku stepped up behind Vegeta.
"But we just got here," Goten complained.
"It was just a quick visit, now come on."
"But we didn't get to spar," Goten pouted.
"Yeah, can't we spar first?" Trunks jumped in.
"No," Vegeta answered coldly, taking Trunks by the arm and shoving him partially behind himself as he eyed Goku.
"You two can spar another time," Goku took Goten's hand and put two fingers to his head.
"See ya later, Trunks," Goten waved. Then they were gone.
Trunks frowned. "Bye," he muttered. Then he looked up to notice his father glaring angrily at him. "...Mom would have let me have the candy...," he tried to look innocent.
Vegeta grumbled, then turned, muttering as he left.
Trunks was surprised. That tactic NEVER worked on his father! It usually got him in MORE trouble! He'd only said it because it was the only thing that came to his mind.
* * * * *
Bulma was pacing up and down the hall when Goku and Goten re-appeared. Immediately she ran up to him. "Where's my son?!" she demanded.
"Bulma, we need to talk," Goku said, flatly.
Her face changed from angry to concerned. "Is Trunks ok?"
"Yes, he's fine," Goku assured her.
"Come on, Goten, we need to get you some new pants," Chichi took her youngest boy by the shoulders.
"But, Mom, I HATE shopping!" Goten pouted.
"Too bad!" Chichi eyed him. "Oh...Gohan, didn't you say you needed to get some training done today?"
"I did? OH, I did!" Gohan realised what his mother was doing. "I better...uh... train, then. See ya later, Bulma."
"All right, Goku, WHAT is going on? Why didn't you bring Trunks back?!" Bulma demanded.
"I'm not going to cut into Vegeta's decisions. I went there to talk to him, and that's what I did."
"I SENT you to retrieve my son!" Bulma's heat was rising.
"Well, that's not why I went."
"Go back and GET HIM!"
"Vegeta will bring him back on his own."
"How do you know?" Bulma questioned skeptically.
"What did you say to Vegeta?"
Bulma's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"
"When you kicked him out. What did you say? And why did you do it?"
"That is NONE of your business!"
Goku smirked. "You and Vegeta WERE meant for each other. That's just what HE said."
Bulma faultered, her eyes darkening.
"Look, Vegeta is very upset about what went on. HE said you kicked him out over a fight about taking out the garbage..."
"That stupid JERK tried to make TRUNKS do it after I'd told HIM about five hundred times all WEEK to do it!" Bulma cut in.
"And that's why you kicked him out?"
"That was the last straw! He's constanly telling Trunks to do HIS chores! And I'm sick of his contrary attitude! I've had TOO many heartbreaking talks with Trunks about why his father doesn't care about him..."
"But he DOES care, Bulma, that's why he took him!" Goku interupted.
"I've been trying to tell Trunks that for years, but Vegeta wont show it and children NEED to SEE it! I never doubted that he cared...some, anyway, but no matter how many times I've tried to talk to him about it, he just shrugs me off and says 'don't tell me how to raise my son'!" Bulma sighed, sitting down at the table. She had a headache and her chest felt heavy.
Goku stood, watching her and waiting for her to continue.
"I miss him. I HATE him for doing this, but I still miss him. how can that be?! How can I be so...ANGRY with him and yet still want him back here?" Bulma looked up, tears in her eyes.
"I think you went too far in your words and I think he went to farr in his actions," Goku sighed, sitting down next to his long time friend. "But I really DO think he's going to come back. I think he'll stew for a few days and then I think he'll start back toward earth."
Bulma's eyes widened. "He took my baby off the planet?"
Goku sweat dropped. He hadn't meant to give any information away. "Well... uh... yeah."
She let out a breath of irritation.
"If it's any consolation, though, I get the feeling this whole thing will turn out to be one of the best things that could have happened. I know it's really hard on you right now, but I think it's very GOOD for Vegeta...AND for Trunks."
"How?"
"I don't mean to pry or to judge, but it seems to me Trunks has always been somewhat of a daddy's boy and always craving for Vegeta's attention. Am I wrong?"
Bulma shook her head, in defeat. "Yes, I'll admit, that's true."
"Well now he's up there with his father and nobody else. And I think it's good for Vegeta to have to deal with his son on his own. Who knows...maybe he'll open up a little since it's just the two of them. I KNOW he loves him, he's just too proud to show it."
Bulma smiled weakly. "I sure hope you're right...about ALL of this."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~