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Trunks awoke with a start when a car door outside slammed, and his sleep-fuzzied brain took its time to clear. How had he reached his room? He suddenly felt like a child again; Vegeta must have carried him here. He touched fingers to his mouth as he attempted a smile, and felt only a quivering of his lips. His unusual good mood from the days events could not be quelled, however, and he rose from his mattress and padded softly to the door.

The door bell rang through the house, and he sensed his mother answering the door. Joyous laughing and boisterous banter ensued between Bulma and the female guest. Her pitifully tiny energy reading was familiar to him, it couldn't be…

Giving himself a once over in the mirror, he strode downstairs, reaching the front hallway just as his mother turned to go and wake him.

"Oh, you're up!" She said with a soft smile. "See who's here…" Moving out of his way, and on down the corridor, Bulma whistled quietly to herself. Puzzled by his mother's actions, Trunks stepped almost timidly into the room, only to receive a hurtling bear hug from the guest. She bore him to the ground, then sat up on his stomach, her wide smile grinning down at him.

"Trunks! Oh, I missed you so much!" The blonde hair, now streaked with blue, and soft artificially-lavender eyes came back to him in a rush.

"K-Kessho? Wow, has it been four years already? Why didn't you tell me you were coming back into town? Living in Texas made you beautiful..." Her smile turned shy, and a faint blush crept into her cheeks.

"Trunks Brief, you sound just like your mother," she reprimanded, though her eyes still danced merrily.

"Well if two people told you then it must be true. Lemme up before I wet myself, you're sitting right on my bladder." Kessho made a face, but still stood up, and reached down a hand to pull Trunks to his feet also.

"You wanna go somewhere tonight? Catch up on old times?" his face was pitifully hopeful.

She smiled, "Sure." She almost lost herself in his soft blue sadly smiling eyes. His eyes were different than she remembered…that sadness was not there before…only love for life and vibrance. What changed? What made him change? He had not smiled even once since he walked through that doorway, though he seemed excited, judging by his body language and words. Well, a puzzle for later.

Breaking out of her daze, she realized that he had gone off to tell his mother of their departure. She leaned against the wall and crossed her ankles, closing her eyes in thought. Within minutes they were in his car, engine revving. Trunks, in the driver's seat, turned to back up the vehicle, putting his arm around her shoulders stealthily instead of the headrest on her seat. She reached up a hand to hold his, thumb softly caressing his palm. They sped away from Capsule Corp, and as soon as the tan domed complex was beyond sight, he turned down a forested gravel back road. He turned the key, and the engine stopped.

They turned to stare at one another, and Kessho moved into the middle seat. Reaching a hand to her face, he softly brushed her cheek, and she unconsciously leaned into the caress, turning her face to kiss his fingertips.

"I missed you too, Kessho-chan," he breathed, and for a moment, she looked hurt, his face twisted into puzzlement in response.

"You haven't visited in a year, you know, you know that we can't afford to fly me home to see you. I was starting to wonder…" she stared hard at his chin, no longer able to meet his eyes.

He tilted her face up till her eyes met his again. "I love you," he spoke softly, "I'm sorry I haven't been to see you, things have been really hard for my family the last year or so. I wish I could explain." Her eyes hardened.

"Why can't you? You've never kept anything from me before…" His expression turned guilty. She moved back to the passenger seat, obviously hurt.

"I've trusted you, Trunks. With, with everything! You know all my deep dark little secrets…everything. I thought our relationship was built on a little trust. Hell, I thought it was built on alot of trust! But I guess I was the only trusting one in this relationship…" He clamped a hand firmly down over her mouth to end her tirade. She glared icily at him in return.

"I'm not all human," He began, and her eyes widened. "I was the second of my particular hybrid to be born. Goten is the third, and my sister the fourth, and final. My father is from a planet called Vejiita-sei, where he was the prince. I'm half human, half saiyan. That isn't everything you need to know, but it'll do until that much can sink in." He took his hand from her mouth, and waited anxiously for her response. Her eyes were very wide, and her mouth worked silently.

"You're a…a…a what?" She managed at last. He turned his back to her and pulled his shirt up a bit, and his pants down a tad, displaying a round brown scar. "Saiyan," he supplied, then pointed to the scar, "this is where my tail used to be, before they removed it. I was very little…I don't remember having it at all." She warily reached out a hand, and brushed the spot with her fingertips, the feeling soft as a feather. He closed his eyes and heaved in a deep breath, the tiny touch still managing to blow him away. He regretfully turned to sit back in his seat the right way, and faced the still-shocked female. She finally seemed to gain some of her composure.

"I always knew that you weren't normal, and mysterious to say the least. But I never suspected that you weren't, that you weren't even from this planet. You said there was more? Might as well get it all out now." Trunks looked uncomfortable all of a sudden, and stared miserably down at his lap.

"I'd rather not tell you about that, although I know I should." He murmured, only half to himself. Brow creasing in worry, she crawled across the seat to him and settled one knee on either side of his hips, comfortably straddling his lap. She took his head in her hands and his eyes rose to meet hers.

"Hey," Kessho spoke softly, soothingly. "There's nothing to be afraid of. You're a freaking alien and I still love you!" She grinned at him, her smile dying after a moment when his expression remained dark.

"Do you remember when Gohan and Videl died, way back?" She nodded once, and he continued. "They lied to the press, to everyone. Videl wasn't killed in a car accident, and Gohan didn't commit suicide soon thereafter…He killed her." He didn't stop at her horrified expression. "A few months before it happened, we noticed Videl trying hard to cover up bruises, cuts, all kinds of things. I remember once, when someone very gently asked if Gohan had, had abused her. She got so defensive, only a rock wouldn't have known that we had hit the nail on the head. No one really knows what happened between them in those last months, whatever went on happened in private.

"One day, Chi-Chi heard shouting in the next room, where they were. There was a short struggle, but by the time she got there, it was over. Videl was on the floor, she never moved. Gohan was standing beside her, laughing hysterically as he looked at her body. It only lasted for about ten seconds before he came back to his senses and saw what he had done, but it was too late, everything was too late. He broke down, and held her body for more than an hour, sobbing non-stop.

"The very next day he got into an argument with his mother, and made an attempt on her life. He only broke her arm, but his father ended up having to kill him to stop him from killing Chi-Chi…" His uneven voice broke off, and he stopped to compose himself. Tears ran down Kessho's face, and Trunks wrapped his arms around her, pulling her form against his where she buried her face in his shoulder. "Shhhh," he soothed, "Please, let me finish, that's not all that you need to hear." Sniffling, she quieted herself and waited for him to continue.

"They didn't know why he went crazy, but now, now we know." Alarmed by his tone of voice, she brought her eyes to fasten on to his. "He was the first Human/Saiyan hybrid that we know of. The basic nature of the two species conflict, most dangerously when they reach adulthood, leading to those psychotic spells. I hav-haven't had any yet, but it's only a matter of time before…" She shook her head desperately, and heaved a sob of heartfelt sorrow. She urgently drew him into a crushing hug, and he quietly joined her in his own sorrow.

He hated causing pain, especially to his family, to her. The one woman that he had ever cared for, and the best he could do in return for her undying loyalty was bring this down on her head. And soon he would have to cut himself off from her…there was no way that he would endanger her, not when he knew the consequences of such an error.

Why was it always pain? Had he ever caused anyone anything but pain? He thought back on everyone he had known, how he had hurt each one, how he soon would hurt some. But he refused to cause them physical injury. If it was the last thing he did…

It took close to an hour for her to calm down, and he only sat in silence, trying hard to soothe her with soft touches, rubbing her back, and stroking her hair. She drew her face up to his and kissed him, hands tangled in his soft hair drawing him closer. After air bacame a much-needed commodity, she drew back slightly, and he gazed at her in a slight daze, his blue stare echoing a long-borne hunger. She shook her head sowly.

"It can't be true, it can't, it isn't fair," her expression flashed almost instantly to one of supreme anger and frustration. She beat uselessly with fists against his chest, not caring who received the brunt of her anger. She had learned long ago from experience that such a futile act would not harm him, or even cause pain. He caught her hands in his, stopping her tirade.

"It's over with, Kessho, there's nothing we can do now! But I'm here for a while yet, please, let's just enjoy what time we have left. Okay?" She shook her head defiantly, again holding back tears. He gave her a firm look, "Okay?" She sniffled, and forced a decidedly unhappy smile. "'Kay."

"That's my Kessho-chan," he laid his lips on her cheek, breathing in her sweet scent. "Why don't we go get something to eat, huh? After that we could go to the beach, and stargaze or something, whatever you want to do." He smoothed the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs, and she smiled and kissed the tip of his nose before moving back to her side of the car.

Trunks started the vehicle and they drove off towards the downtown area. Kessho clasped her hand in his.

"Can I, can I ask you something?" She queried timidly.

"Shoot."

"Since I've seen you today, you haven't smiled once, not even when you seemed to be happy. Why didn't you smile?" His face fell, and he stared straight ahead. His mouth worked silently a few times before he found the right words.

"I don't know, really. I just, can't. Haven't been able to for a few months now. I think it might be, I think it's symptom." She brought his hand to her mouth and planted her lips on it. She grinned.

"Then I'll smile for you."

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