Disclaimer: Dragoball Z hører ikke til mig… [that was DBZ isn't mine in Danish]
A/N: Okay, first of all I have to set some things straight: I know I normally shouldn't name people, but what two of them have written in their last reviews let me almost explode! Those reviews came from MARRON FOR EVER RULEZZZ and NS and I don't think that those things you said belonged in a review! MARRON let me tell you: I'm self a blonde and I have absolutely nothing against Marron. I've never willingly expressed any dislike of her in one of my fics and I plan on keeping it that way! I thought we were all reasonable people, so if you have something to tell me, do it without insulting anyone, be it me or someone else. Almost the same goes for you NS, in case you still read this story. My personal opinion is that AMCM74 is a great author! And many others do think so too, or how do you think did she get her 1000+ reviews in her stories, huh? If you don't like her, okay, I won't say anything against it, but that gives you no right to insult her or any other authors or readers who just enjoy reading her fics. For me personally she gave me some ideas for my fic, which I realized for MY fic, with MY OWN ideas that I already had! I'm not some kiss-ass pussy, as well as all the others, and I won't ever lower myself to be something like that! So just shut the hell up or criticize us in a more non-insulting manner!
So, so much about that… Whatever, I won't bother with them any longer and will now continue with other things. I want to thank all you others for your supporting reviews. I'm glad that you thought it was funny… *gg* Even I still have to grin at the thought of Trunks being Saiyaman…
@ numa: With the whole 'wanting to die of old age to be with Goku again' Takeo was talking about ChiChi, not Bulma. He had just said that Bulma told him that she (ChiChi) didn't want to be included in that wish. Of course would Bulma never abandon Veggie just to be with Goku again. *g* At least not in my stories… Not that I don't like Gk/Bu fics, but I personally prefer the good old B/V and G/CC….
@ Z: You get the ffn-messenger on www.fanfiction.net . There you can download everything you need for it.
@ Darkfire: Of course I'm getting evilness lessons from Vegeta… He's my father-in-law after all! *lol*
Okay… is there still something for me to say? Hmm… Oh yeah… I have to admit that I definitely WON'T be able to finish that story before Sunday… There are just too many other things that I have to do… *ducks and dodges flying vegetable* Hey, I've warned you!!!
Oh, and by the way: *dances around happily* I got a job, I got a job, I got a jo-ob!!!!
Chapter 25: Back to the future
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It was Thursday night at Capsule Corporations. On almost the whole compound the lights were off, except in two parts: the lab and the gravity room. In the lab two people were still, working on a machine that was extremely important to one of those two. This machine was the only chance for this person to get home. The time machine.
"So the Namek Dragonballs, huh?" Bulma asked, when she climbed out of under the machine, dressed in a blue overall that was covered with grease. She, too, had, after a few days of trying, gotten Takeo to tell her about his timeline.
"Yeah," came a muffled voice from the cockpit.
"Well," she answered, wiping her hands in an old piece of cloth. "I must say I can't blame ChiChi for her decision. I think I would've done the same, if I had lost Vegeta somehow." Suddenly a small yelp came from above. "Takeo? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm okay… I just go a small electric shock." After some more rummaging in the cockpit Takeo jumped down next to Bulma, carefully sucking on his thumb, where the electric shock had hit him. He was wearing a pair of Trunks' old jeans and a white T-shirt, also covered with grease and other dirt. "But please don't tell anyone else about it, okay? It's already too much with you and mom knowing. I don't want to push Gohan and Vegeta to do it."
"Sure thing…" Bulma told him grinning. "I just hope that they get this idea, or else I'll go personally to Namek to get this wish. So, what do you think? Will this baby work?"
A few days had already passed since the return of the Great Saiyaman. Takeo had thought that it wouldn't take that long to repair the time machine, but unfortunately it did. First of all Bulma had wanted to help him, so he almost had to make blueprints for her to show her everything she needed to know. It almost seemed like the woman wanted to learn the machine by heart, so that she could build also one, if needed. And then there was the fact that not just, like Takeo had thought, some wires were scorched, but there had also been a leak in the battery, most likely the reason for the scorched wires, which they had to fix and then fill up. But thanks to the modern technology of CC, this took just about two days until everything was fixed again.
Takeo smiled. "Yep, I'm quite sure that it will work." Suddenly he got a serious and somewhat sad and thoughtful expression on his face. "That means that I will leave tomorrow."
"You're thinking about your parents, huh?" Bulma asked concerned.
The young man nodded slightly. "I think it will be hard for me to go back. I mean, now that I know how it could have been… It will be hard to face the reality in my time."
Bulma put a comforting hand on his shoulder and flashed him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry Takeo. I'm quite sure that everything will also work out in your timeline. You just need a plan to get them back together, that's all, now that you know that they don't hate each other. And I also think that Trunks deserves to know that he has a great son like you."
~*~
Not that far away from the lab a heated battle was going on. Two Super Saiyajins facing each other in the gravity room, both of them dripping with sweat, their faces illuminated by red light, just staring at each other, waiting for the next move of the other. They had been in there for a few hours already, none of them wanting to give in. The tension in this room was almost unbearable thick, so that you could slice it with a knife. Both fighters had gone to the edge of level two and yet one was more exhausted than the other and both knew that the next attack would most likely decide the outcome of the match.
The young woman panted hard. She knew she would loose that match. Her opponent was far superior and more experienced in battle than she would probably ever be. But she liked a good workout. In the last days almost everyone had handled her with kid gloves because of her condition. Everyone except her opponent. He had told her that, as Planet Vegeta still existed, pregnant women were fighting until a short time before the birth and that some children were even born on the battlefield.
With a battle raging scream she lunged at her opponent, ready for the last attack. Of blood she might be more human than Saiyajin, but her way of acting and the love to fight proved that she was worth to be called a Saiyajin.
Just a few minutes later Pan was sitting on the ground, gratefully for the bottle of cool water she was holding in her hands. This match had really taken a lot out of her and she was glad that Vegeta had been gone to get some senzus. She chuckled. Trunks wouldn't like it seeing her like this. She didn't know how often she had to tell him in the last few days that she was pregnant and not almost dead.
After having eaten the senzu bean, Pan felt immediately a lot better, almost ready for another match. She and Vegeta had just left the gravity room, as their way crossed with the one of Bulma and Takeo, who were on their way to the living quarters.
"Hey!" Pan greeted them smiling. "So, how is it going with the time machine?"
Both smiled back at her. "It's fixed and I will leave tomorrow," her son told her.
Pan's face fell. She had silently hoped that it would take longer for them to repair the machine, so that she could spend a bit more time with her son from the future. But she knew that those thoughts were unfair and egoistic. He didn't belong here. It wasn't his time. But she didn't even have the possibility to test out his strength and fighting abilities. Suddenly she got an idea and a smirk crept on her face. "Okay, when you leave tomorrow I want to spar with you. As in now!" Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed his arm and dragged him to the gravity room, ignoring the looks she was receiving from Bulma and Vegeta.
~*~
The next morning when Takeo woke up, he had the feeling as if a truck had hit him. He was sore all over, when he tried to move and even when he was holding still he could feel small glimpses of the pain his mother had inflicted on him during their sparring match the previous night. He had actually forgotten the rule number one when sparring with his mother: Never underestimate her, especially not when she's pissed at you for holding back. It wouldn't have been that bad, but unfortunately for him there had just been one senzu bean left, which he of course gave to Pan to eat. And now, here he was, lying in his bed and trying to move as few as possible. Well, maybe after he got home the Bulma of his timeline had a senzu for him.
After ten more minutes of lying completely still he decided that he would have to get up sometime that morning and that this time could actually be now. Groaning he climbed out of the warm bed and shuffled over to the bathroom, where he, not once bothering looking into the mirror, stripped down his clothes [A/N: *drool*], which contained a T-shirt and his boxers and finally stepped into the shower. He sighed as the hot water hit his sore body. As it streamed over his tensed muscles [A/N: just imagine this! *dream*], they finally started to relax, reducing the pain.
He was in the shower for about thirty minutes before he decided that it was enough. Feeling now more at ease, he wrapped a towel around his waist and walked back into the room, where he searched for his clothes, which consisted of the dark blue jeans, the white T-shirt and the denim jacket in which he had arrived in that time, putting them on before he walked downstairs to the kitchen. He wasn't the first one there, to be precise, he had slept the longest of everyone else. Except of Vegeta, who was probably again in the gravity room, everyone was there, even the whole Son family and Mr. Satan, whom they had told everything the day after the spectacular return of the Great Saiyaman. "Good morning," he greeted them and plopped down into a chair next to his partner in crime Goten.
"Good morning dear," ChiChi said and held her frying pan in front of his nose, causing him to want to cower for a second. "What some omelet?"
"Yeah, thanks…" he said, thanking Dende that ChiChi had made breakfast, because in the last few days he had come to love her food, regretting that he never had the chance to taste it in his timeline. Sure, his mother had inherited a lot of talent from her grandmother, but it was just not the same. And well, Bulma's cooking… He didn't want to think further about that.
"Say, Takeo, how are you feeling today?" Pan asked him, having a mischievous glint in her eyes.
He, knowing exactly what she was referring to, just smirked back. "I'm fine," he told her, not wanting her to know how much pain she really had inflicted on him. But keeping it a secret was harder than he thought, because as he raised his arm to hand ChiChi his plate for new omelets, he involuntarily had to wince, as a sharp pain shot through his arm.
Pan looked at him, now showing a bit of sympathy. "Sorry… I shouldn't have been so hard on you yesterday… By the way, I paid Korin's tower a visit this morning, but unfortunately the next senzus will be fully grown in a few days."
"Ah, don't worry… It's particularly my fault. I shouldn't have underestimated you. About the senzus… well, we can't change that, can we? So I just have to hope that Bulma, I mean the one of my timeline, has got some senzus lying around," he told her.
"Wait a minute…" Trunks suddenly said. "You two have been sparring last night? Takeo, how could you let your mother do that? She's pregnant for Dende's sake!"
"Trunks, as you already said, I'm pregnant! PREGNANT! And not almost dead! How often do I have to tell that? And it wasn't Takeo's fault. It was me who wanted to spar with him. He had even gone easy on me… And now let's drop the subject and eat."
~*~
About one hour later, when really every stomach of every Saiyajin had been satisfied, the whole gang was gathered in the large backyard of the living quarters of Capsule Corporation. They all wanted to say goodbye to Takeo, who was standing next to his fixed time machine, ready to take off. Most people were standing around him, just the close family members were standing directly next to him, except of Vegeta of course, who, as usually, was leaning against a tree far away from the others. Right at that moment ChiChi was clinging at Takeo's neck, not wanting to let go of her great-grandchild.
"Come on, mom." Goten carefully peeled her off of him. "You'll see him again. Well, not directly him, but a baby version of him in eight months."
ChiChi blew her nose and looked at her son. "You're right… Takeo," she said to the other young man. "I'm glad that you came back to help Pan and Trunks get together. I have always known that those two were just right for each other and even Goku said the same shortly before he died. Get back home safely, okay?"
"Don't worry, I will," Takeo answered and then turned to Goten and Bra. "Goodbye you two…" he said and hugged his aunt, before he shook the hand of and exchanged a brotherly hug with Goten.
"Goodbye Takeo. It was really nice to meet you," Bra told him honestly.
"Takeo," Goten said. "Thanks again for the help with Saiyaman." Both men began to snicker again, taking a side-glance at their victim. "Please, be careful on your way back and I'm quite confident that somehow everything will work out in your timeline. Trunks and Pan may be the most stubborn people I know, but they love each other."
"Thanks Goten. Goodbye Bra." The next ones were Gohan and Videl. "Well, Gohan, Videl… Or should I say grandpa and grandma?"
"I don't know," Gohan said smiling. "Grandpa sounds so old, but I guess that's what I am. Takeo, I want to thank you, for everything you have done. I'm proud to call you my grandson."
"I can just say the same," Videl told him. "Pan has really done a good job raising you. Thanks." She hugged him.
He and Gohan shook hands, before it was Bulma's turn. "Bulma, I have to thank you, for helping me repair the time machine and for letting me stay at Capsule Corporation for the last few days."
"Ah, that's nothing. But I also have to thank you for letting me help you. You are really a fine young man. Oh, and before I forget." She grabbed into her pocket and took out an envelope, giving it to him. "Please, can you give that to my other self. It's really important."
"I will," Takeo answered and pulled her also in an embrace. Last but not least he turned to his parents. "Mom, dad…"
"Oh Takeo." Pan threw her arms around his neck, sobbing into his chest. "I'll miss you."
He gently rubbed her back. "Shh… Remember, you'll soon be the mother of a mini-me. So, please don't be sad, okay?" Pan pulled herself out of the embrace and Takeo wiped the tears away.
"Takeo." Trunks now came up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "I know everyone else has already said it. But I want to say it again. Thank you. For everything. If it hadn't been for you… well… you know what would have happened to all of us. I'm glad that I have you as my son and I think my other self will say the same, when he finds out about you." His father smiled at him, as he also took something out of his pocket. "I also got something for you. Those are new sunglasses. I thought I get you new ones, since I broke yours…"
Takeo took them and placed them on his nose. "Thanks, dad…" He walked back to the time machine and looked around one last time, where his gaze rested on Vegeta for a short moment. The Prince just nodded at his grandson and gave a small wave with his hand, the same way he already did, as Mirai Trunks went back to his time. Takeo nodded back with a smile on his face and then jumped into the time machine. He closed the glass dome and then pushed the start button, the whole time silently praying that it would work this time. And it did. As soon as he had pushed the button the machine started to hum and slowly took off into the air. As it was high enough, Takeo looked back down and waved one last time. Goodbye mom, dad… I'm glad that at least you two are happy now. I wish you and my mini-me the best, he thought before the time machine vanished.
Everyone waved until the time machine finally disappeared. Pan was still crying, but she didn't know if it was because she was sad that Takeo had to go, or if it was because she was so happy that she and Trunks were together now. Trunks put his arm around her shoulder and looked at her, grinning. "Well, and now let's see if our son will be anything like him, when we both raise him."
Pan grinned back. "Let's hope that you don't have too much bad influence on him. After what I had heard what you and Goten did as you were small, I don't even want to think what could be…"
"We'll see. But now let's get back inside…" Pan nodded at him and together they followed the others.
~*~
Bulma Briefs was sitting in her lab in front of her pc. She had some work to do, but couldn't quite concentrate. She was worried about the young man she had sent into the past a few days ago. Her grandson Takeo. He should've been long back by now, but he wasn't. Hundreds of questions were nagging her mind, like, what if there had been problems with the machine? If there had been, would he have been able to fix it? She would never forgive herself if something had happened to the young man and if he was now stuck in the past without a way to come back home…
Suddenly she whirled around startled as she heard a humming noise in the middle of the lab. And really, out of nowhere the time machine had appeared. Waiting anticipated for something to happen, she watched as the glass dome opened and the very same young man, she had sent into the past, jumped out of it. "Hey Bulma," he greeted her cheerfully.
"Takeo, you're back," she said relieved, but then put her hands on her hips and scowled at him. "Takeo Vegeta Son! Where have you been the whole time? I've been worried sick about you…"
Grinning sheepishly, he scratched the back of his head. "Sorry about that… But there had been a few problems with the time machine… Fortunately…"
Bulma raised an eyebrow. "Fortunately? What are you talking about?"
"What about we sit down somewhere and drink something. Then I'll tell you everything that had happened in the last few days during my stay in the past," Takeo proposed.
The woman sighed. "Okay… Let's go to the kitchen. I'll make us some tea."
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Don't worry… that isn't the end of the story… There'll still a few more chapters. I've even decided to make an extra chapter of the wedding, which I normally planned to put into the epilogue… Whatever, in the next chapter you'll meet a character that will also play a (more or less) important role in "History of Takeo". His name already fell in "The return of… who?!", for those of you who've noticed.
Whatever, I hoped you liked this chapter as much as the others and write many, many reviews… I'm still hoping to hit the 1.000 mark, but I can't do that without your help. You are the reviewers after all! *gg* Oh, and please don't be angry with me, but this will be the last chapter for about… uhm… a week? *prepares to dodge anything thrown at her* I'm sorry, really… But I'll probably just have enough time to finish the next chapter of "The Treasure of Power" this weekend… Please, forgive me!!! And I already told you that I will be gone on a field trip with my class!
Eternally yours
ChibiChibi