Bulma stood back with her hands on her hips as she studied the machine before her. She had just finished doing the final checks and readjustments on the reality jumper. The scientist surveyed her work and nodded.
"Please, Kami, let this work," she silently prayed.
Bulma turned to look at Vegeta, who was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed.
"Well, wish me luck!" she said, trying to sound optimistic.
She smiled and turned to climb into the machine. A weight on her arm stopped her. She looked over her shoulder to see Vegeta behind her, his hand resting gently on her arm.
"Woman, be careful," he stated softly.
She blinked rapidly, stunned by the display of emotion that was so atypical for the arrogant prince. A soft smile spread across her lips.
"Don't worry, Vegeta. I'll be back soon," replied Bulma.
Without another word, she heaved herself into the machine. She squirmed around, getting comfortable. Closing the glass shield, she looked at Vegeta who was backing away to a safe distance. She smiled and waved at him. He nodded solemnly in return. With that, Bulma pressed the button that would send her to her future son.
****
Trunks and Goten lay on their stomachs on the floor of the family room. Their eyes were glued to the television screen in front of them. They had been watching cartoons for five hours straight. Trunks sighed and rolled over onto his back.
"I'm bored," he complained.
Goten scooted over towards him and lay his head down on Trunks' chest. He peered up at his best friend with innocent eyes.
"What do you want to do?" questioned the younger boy.
"Dunno," replied Trunks, shrugging slightly. "It's so boring here. Nothing interesting ever happens."
As the words left his mouth, the doorbell rang.
"Trunks, honey! Answer the door. Mommy's busy!" yelled Bulma from the kitchen where she was preparing lunch for the three Saiyans.
"OK!" shouted Trunks in reply as he rolled Goten off of him and stood to his feet.
Goten jumped up and the pair made their way from the family room, down the stairs, and into the large indoor garden. The two boys came to a stop in front of the large front door. Trunks swung the door open and glared up at the visitor.
"Mom?" he asked incredulously, as he stared up at the woman standing on the stoop.
"Hello, Trunks-kun," replied Bulma Briefs as she smiled radiantly. The experiment had been a success.
"But I thought your mom said she couldn't answer the door because she was busy?" asked a perplexed Goten as he peered up at the scientist.
"Dummy. That's not my mom. I mean, she is, but she's not," replied Trunks.
Goten scrunched up his face.
"The other timeline, idiot," explained the taller boy as he turned back to the younger version of his mother.
"Oh. I get it," replied the younger boy, smiling at his mental victory.
Bulma chuckled as she stared down at the two children. Finally, she couldn't help herself any longer. She swept both boys into her arms and hugged them fiercely.
"I missed you two so much," she stated as she released them.
"We missed you too," replied Trunks.
Bulma smiled and wiped away the tears that were dripping down her cheeks.
"Goten! Trunks! Who's at the door, sweeties?" called Trunks' mother from the kitchen.
The boy winced when he heard his mother. How was he going to explain this to her?
"Why don't you come on in?" he asked, ushering Bulma inside.
"There's something that I need to tell you two," stated the woman as she followed the pair back through the garden towards the kitchen.
"Is something wrong?" asked Goten, his eyes filled with worry.
The young scientist nodded gravely. The trio halted outside the kitchen. Trunks warily poked his head inside. His mother was standing with her back to the door, trying to stir a cake mix.
"Um...Mom? We have a visitor," stated the young boy uncertainly.
"Oh? Who?" asked Bulma as she turned to welcome her guest.
Bulma shrieked when she saw the younger version of herself standing in the hallway. She held her hand up to her chest and gasped for breath.
"I didn't mean to startle you," apologized the younger Bulma as she smiled nervously.
"What's going on here?" demanded the older woman. "Trunks Vegeta Briefs, explain yourself immediately.
Trunks was about to reply when the door leading outside banged open and Vegeta stalked inside.
"Woman! What is all the screaming for?" he yelled as he marched in. He stopped abruptly when his eyes fell on the second Bulma. He looked from one to the other before crossing his arms over his chest and scowling. "Explain."
Trunks sighed and shook his head. The younger Bulma cleared her throat and stepped forward.
"I'm Bulma Briefs," she began.
"That's obvious," interrupted Vegeta.
She glared at him and continued.
"I'm from the alternate timeline that Trunks and Goten visited." She turned to Trunks and Goten. "We're in trouble. Something is loose on Earth. Kami-sama seemed to think that it might be beneficial if you two could return and help us out."
"No way," interrupted the older Bulma. "I won't allow it."
"But Mom! They need us!" protested Trunks.
"Yeah!" agreed Goten.
Trunks looked up at his mother with puppy-eyes. She scowled down at him in return. Desperately, he turned to his father.
"Dad?" he asked, silently begging for support.
Vegeta opened his mouth to reply, but Bulma quickly intervened.
"Couch, Vegeta," she snarled, daring him to veto her decision.
The Prince tensed for a moment and then sullenly muttered 'no.'
"It's not fair!" yelled Trunks, balling up his fists.
"Yeah!" agreed Goten, mimicking Trunks.
"No. You're mother is right," interrupted the younger Bulma. "I'm kinda happy she said no. That way I won't have to worry about you two getting hurt. I understand how worried she would be if you two ran off into another reality and she didn't have anyway of knowing if you were alright."
The two women exchanged a knowing look. Trunks just growled and crossed his arms angrily.
"But we wanna help," whined Goten.
"I know you do. But I'm sure everything will be just fine. Goku has almost reached Super Saiyan level. Same goes for Vegeta," stated Bulma, glancing up at the older Prince. "We'll manage."
The young scientist smiled weakly. Both boys hugged her fiercely.
"Would you like to stay for lunch?" asked the older Bulma awkwardly. "You're more than welcome."
"No thanks," replied the younger woman. "I need to get back as soon as possible. Everyone is waiting on me."
"We'll see you off then," replied her counterpart.
The group escorted Bulma outside. She rummaged in her pocket and pulled out the appropriate hoi-poi capsule. Clicking the activation button, she tossed the capsule into the air. With a cloud of smoke, it expanded into the full-sized reality jumper.
"Tell everyone we said hi and that we're sorry," stated Trunks as he hugged the woman and shot an dark, guilty look at his mother.
"I will. And don't be mad at your mother, young man. I won't allow it," chuckled Bulma. "See you around Goten."
"Bye, Bulma-san," stated the young boy morosely.
Bulma politely shook her counterpart's hand. She turned to Vegeta, unsure how to act. The prince made it is for her by grunting and turning away. Shaking her head at the perplexing Saiyan, Bulma scrambled up into the machine. She couldn't help feeling disappointed. Yet, she should have known better than to believe that her counterpart would just willingly allow her child to go traipsing off into an alternate reality to fight an unknown villain. Bulma glanced out at the family plus one below. Her heart ached slightly. She didn't get to spend near enough time with Trunks as she had hoped. More pressing matters, however, were awaiting her at home. She knew the other fighters were going to be let down that she hadn't brought back the two boys. She wasn't looking forward to telling them the news.
Bulma lifted her hand and waved farewell. Both boys waved vigorously back at her. She smiled faintly.
"Until next time, you two," she whispered.
Bulma pressed the ignition button and was gone.
"Please, Kami, let this work," she silently prayed.
Bulma turned to look at Vegeta, who was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed.
"Well, wish me luck!" she said, trying to sound optimistic.
She smiled and turned to climb into the machine. A weight on her arm stopped her. She looked over her shoulder to see Vegeta behind her, his hand resting gently on her arm.
"Woman, be careful," he stated softly.
She blinked rapidly, stunned by the display of emotion that was so atypical for the arrogant prince. A soft smile spread across her lips.
"Don't worry, Vegeta. I'll be back soon," replied Bulma.
Without another word, she heaved herself into the machine. She squirmed around, getting comfortable. Closing the glass shield, she looked at Vegeta who was backing away to a safe distance. She smiled and waved at him. He nodded solemnly in return. With that, Bulma pressed the button that would send her to her future son.
****
Trunks and Goten lay on their stomachs on the floor of the family room. Their eyes were glued to the television screen in front of them. They had been watching cartoons for five hours straight. Trunks sighed and rolled over onto his back.
"I'm bored," he complained.
Goten scooted over towards him and lay his head down on Trunks' chest. He peered up at his best friend with innocent eyes.
"What do you want to do?" questioned the younger boy.
"Dunno," replied Trunks, shrugging slightly. "It's so boring here. Nothing interesting ever happens."
As the words left his mouth, the doorbell rang.
"Trunks, honey! Answer the door. Mommy's busy!" yelled Bulma from the kitchen where she was preparing lunch for the three Saiyans.
"OK!" shouted Trunks in reply as he rolled Goten off of him and stood to his feet.
Goten jumped up and the pair made their way from the family room, down the stairs, and into the large indoor garden. The two boys came to a stop in front of the large front door. Trunks swung the door open and glared up at the visitor.
"Mom?" he asked incredulously, as he stared up at the woman standing on the stoop.
"Hello, Trunks-kun," replied Bulma Briefs as she smiled radiantly. The experiment had been a success.
"But I thought your mom said she couldn't answer the door because she was busy?" asked a perplexed Goten as he peered up at the scientist.
"Dummy. That's not my mom. I mean, she is, but she's not," replied Trunks.
Goten scrunched up his face.
"The other timeline, idiot," explained the taller boy as he turned back to the younger version of his mother.
"Oh. I get it," replied the younger boy, smiling at his mental victory.
Bulma chuckled as she stared down at the two children. Finally, she couldn't help herself any longer. She swept both boys into her arms and hugged them fiercely.
"I missed you two so much," she stated as she released them.
"We missed you too," replied Trunks.
Bulma smiled and wiped away the tears that were dripping down her cheeks.
"Goten! Trunks! Who's at the door, sweeties?" called Trunks' mother from the kitchen.
The boy winced when he heard his mother. How was he going to explain this to her?
"Why don't you come on in?" he asked, ushering Bulma inside.
"There's something that I need to tell you two," stated the woman as she followed the pair back through the garden towards the kitchen.
"Is something wrong?" asked Goten, his eyes filled with worry.
The young scientist nodded gravely. The trio halted outside the kitchen. Trunks warily poked his head inside. His mother was standing with her back to the door, trying to stir a cake mix.
"Um...Mom? We have a visitor," stated the young boy uncertainly.
"Oh? Who?" asked Bulma as she turned to welcome her guest.
Bulma shrieked when she saw the younger version of herself standing in the hallway. She held her hand up to her chest and gasped for breath.
"I didn't mean to startle you," apologized the younger Bulma as she smiled nervously.
"What's going on here?" demanded the older woman. "Trunks Vegeta Briefs, explain yourself immediately.
Trunks was about to reply when the door leading outside banged open and Vegeta stalked inside.
"Woman! What is all the screaming for?" he yelled as he marched in. He stopped abruptly when his eyes fell on the second Bulma. He looked from one to the other before crossing his arms over his chest and scowling. "Explain."
Trunks sighed and shook his head. The younger Bulma cleared her throat and stepped forward.
"I'm Bulma Briefs," she began.
"That's obvious," interrupted Vegeta.
She glared at him and continued.
"I'm from the alternate timeline that Trunks and Goten visited." She turned to Trunks and Goten. "We're in trouble. Something is loose on Earth. Kami-sama seemed to think that it might be beneficial if you two could return and help us out."
"No way," interrupted the older Bulma. "I won't allow it."
"But Mom! They need us!" protested Trunks.
"Yeah!" agreed Goten.
Trunks looked up at his mother with puppy-eyes. She scowled down at him in return. Desperately, he turned to his father.
"Dad?" he asked, silently begging for support.
Vegeta opened his mouth to reply, but Bulma quickly intervened.
"Couch, Vegeta," she snarled, daring him to veto her decision.
The Prince tensed for a moment and then sullenly muttered 'no.'
"It's not fair!" yelled Trunks, balling up his fists.
"Yeah!" agreed Goten, mimicking Trunks.
"No. You're mother is right," interrupted the younger Bulma. "I'm kinda happy she said no. That way I won't have to worry about you two getting hurt. I understand how worried she would be if you two ran off into another reality and she didn't have anyway of knowing if you were alright."
The two women exchanged a knowing look. Trunks just growled and crossed his arms angrily.
"But we wanna help," whined Goten.
"I know you do. But I'm sure everything will be just fine. Goku has almost reached Super Saiyan level. Same goes for Vegeta," stated Bulma, glancing up at the older Prince. "We'll manage."
The young scientist smiled weakly. Both boys hugged her fiercely.
"Would you like to stay for lunch?" asked the older Bulma awkwardly. "You're more than welcome."
"No thanks," replied the younger woman. "I need to get back as soon as possible. Everyone is waiting on me."
"We'll see you off then," replied her counterpart.
The group escorted Bulma outside. She rummaged in her pocket and pulled out the appropriate hoi-poi capsule. Clicking the activation button, she tossed the capsule into the air. With a cloud of smoke, it expanded into the full-sized reality jumper.
"Tell everyone we said hi and that we're sorry," stated Trunks as he hugged the woman and shot an dark, guilty look at his mother.
"I will. And don't be mad at your mother, young man. I won't allow it," chuckled Bulma. "See you around Goten."
"Bye, Bulma-san," stated the young boy morosely.
Bulma politely shook her counterpart's hand. She turned to Vegeta, unsure how to act. The prince made it is for her by grunting and turning away. Shaking her head at the perplexing Saiyan, Bulma scrambled up into the machine. She couldn't help feeling disappointed. Yet, she should have known better than to believe that her counterpart would just willingly allow her child to go traipsing off into an alternate reality to fight an unknown villain. Bulma glanced out at the family plus one below. Her heart ached slightly. She didn't get to spend near enough time with Trunks as she had hoped. More pressing matters, however, were awaiting her at home. She knew the other fighters were going to be let down that she hadn't brought back the two boys. She wasn't looking forward to telling them the news.
Bulma lifted her hand and waved farewell. Both boys waved vigorously back at her. She smiled faintly.
"Until next time, you two," she whispered.
Bulma pressed the ignition button and was gone.