Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z and I'm not making any money from
this.
Chapter 7
Goten watched as his friend stalked out of the house and sighed heavily. His brother looked at him and frowned.
"What is the matter, Goten?" he asked, walking over to the boy. Goten shook his head.
"Oh…nothing. It is nothing that really matters."
"Oh, really? Well, excuse me for noticing, but you and Trunks didn't exactly seem on friendly terms this morning, what with you scowling and him looking amused at your obvious irritation."
"Well, it's nothing!" Goten yelled and stormed out of the door, leaving a bewildered Gohan staring after him.
Goku stepped out of the one of the stables and threw a pair of reins to the ground. They landed in the dirt, causing a cloud of dust to rise around them. He stretched in the morning sunlight and smiled. Today was another lovely day, and there were few clouds in the sky. The sun shone brilliantly down on him, and he screwed his eyes up.
"Goku, I thought that you were going down to the village today?"
The spiky haired man smiled, and turned to see Bulma standing in front of him.
"Good morrow, Miss Bulma" he said cheerfully. "I intend to go down to the village, but I must wait for Yamcha, he is just finishing off cleaning up the mess he made in the servant's chamber"
Bulma laughed. "Elderflower wine?" she guessed. Goku nodded, grinning at her.
"Well, I had better go and wake Miss Marron, Lord Krillin has requested her counsel this morning."
"Wherefore?" her raven - haired companion asked, curiously.
"Something to do with the play last night. I think he is angry at her for defying him."
Goku smirked and shook his head.
"I do not think that is the reason, Bulma"
"Well then why?"
"I saw a little of the play yesterday, and let's just say that the love scene between Romeo and Juliet was quite convincing"
The nurse raised her eyebrows. "Really?"
"I saw what I saw, Bulma. I thought it was quite romantic actually, but maybe the Lord doesn't see it that way."
'What am I doing? What's the matter with me?'
The lavender haired man frowned as he walked in the direction of the manor. His feet seemed to be moving on their own, despite a voice in his head screaming at him to stop and turn the other way. For some reason, he needed to see her. The lord's daughter.
"Marron." He whispered the blonde woman's name and gave a short sigh. Quickly he shook his head, trying to clear all thoughts of her from his mind. But still he walked towards the manor. He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked up the cobbled street, there wasn't far to go now.
"Hello, Trunks, how are you?" His fist clenched at the sound of her voice, and he turned around slowly.
"Good morrow, Miss Paris." he muttered. She smiled happily and walked up to him, flipping her long auburn hair over her shoulders.
He took a moment to fully take in her appearance. For once she was dressed modestly, in a short sleeved cream dress that reached down to her toes. It was too hot to wear anything more than simply cotton clothing, he reasoned, hence her attire.
"Seeing something that you like, good sir?" she asked coyly. Trunks scowled at her.
"Oh, come along, don't act that way," she said, laughing. "I was simply joking. Where are you off to?"
"Nowhere"
"Oh, are you taking a walk then?"
"Yes."
"Alright, I'll join you!" she said cheerily, linking arms with him. Trunks pulled his arm free and glowered at her.
"No you will not" he said, irritated, and folded his arms. Paris looked hurt and he turned away. She was reminding him of Marron with that expression, and he didn't like it.
"What is wrong with you today, Trunks?" she asked, offended. He turned around, his expression softer.
"I apologise, Miss Paris. Why don't you go to see Goten? I'm sure he'd love to see you."
"Okay then, I'll talk to you later" she smiled, brightening up again, and heading off.
Trunks turned around and walked smack into someone. Stumbling back a little, he regained his balance and glared at the unfortunate person.
"I'm incredibly sorry, good sir! I simply must pay more attention." a black haired man said apologetically. Trunks folded his arms again.
"Hmm. Of course." he said through gritted teeth. The man scratched the back of his head and grinned.
"Sorry again. Oh, wait, that's it! Listen, good sir, I am Goku and this is Yamcha" He gestured to the man who had just joined them and then smiled. "I was wondering, do you happen to know a young man named Trunks, by any chance?"
Trunks' eyes widened and he took a step back.
"Who wants to know?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant. Goku didn't seem to notice.
"Well, I work up at the manor you see, and there is a lady there who is nurse to Miss Marron. Her name is Bulma Briefs, and she had a son named Trunks. But he was taken away from her when he was still a baby and she has not been able to find him. I thought that I might be able to help her, so I have been looking for him. Let's see, he would be about eighteen or nineteen now. Do you know him?"
Trunks didn't reply, he simply stared at the man in shock. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Goku tilted his head to the side and gave the young man an odd look.
"Is something wrong?" he asked. Trunks couldn't answer him; instead he turned around and ran in the opposite direction, forgetting all thoughts of visiting the manor.
Goku blinked. "Huh? Wait, good sir!" he cried, but the young man was long gone.
"What on earth did you say that affected him so much, good Goku?" Yamcha asked. Goku shrugged.
"I wish I knew, Yamcha. I wish I knew."
"Your behaviour was simply unacceptable!" Kriilin cried. His daughter was standing opposite him in the conference room, her eyes fixed on the ground. He walked over to her and grabbed her shoulders.
"Look at me Marron!" She looked up at him, hurt in her eyes.
"Do not try that look with me, Marron! I won't stand for such behaviour as you showed last night!"
Marron tried to fight back the tears. Every word her father said cut her like a knife, and brought memories of the time she spent with Lord Valmont back to her. She looked at her father, who was still ranting, and suddenly, a wave of annoyance overcame her.
"Stop this, father!" she yelled, surprising the lord. He froze, and gave her an incredulous look.
"What are you – " He began. Marron cut him off.
"Shut up!" she screamed. "I cannot understand you, father! You say that you would like me to be married; yet you get angry with me if I show attention to a man! I was acting, and so was he! There was nothing in it, and even if there were, it would be my business and not yours! I am eighteen years old, father, I am not a child. Allow me to make my own mistakes, there is no need for you to protect me any more!"
"But child…"
"No, father! I am not a child! I am a young woman. And I do not need this!"
She didn't wait for her father to reply as she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room.
Trunks ran through the square, ignoring the odd looks given to him by passers by. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. This was all too much to take in. After nineteen years without parents, he wasn't sure whether he was ready to hear this. His mother, whom he hadn't seen for nineteen years, a nurse to the woman he was supposed to kill?
This was all too complicated. It seemed that fate was against him at every turn, preventing him from completing his mission. Every method he thought up seemed to have a flaw.
He froze in front of the hideout.
Fate.
What the fortune teller had said to him last night echoed in his mind, could she have been telling the truth? He shook his head. It was coincidence, that was all. But his mother….that couldn't be a coincidence. There was too much correct information, his name, his age. Even her name sounded familiar somehow.
He leaned against the wall, trying to relax his racing heart. For the first time, he felt totally helpless. He couldn't complete his mission, he had news of a mother that he had never known, and the thought of her knowing exactly who he really was terrified him.
She had probably conjured up a fantasy of her son, the perfect man, a polite, handsome young lord who would kneel down and kiss her hand and smile and tell her how much he loved her. A person like Lord Valmont, the man he had been at the ball. He just couldn't be that way all the time.
He was nothing, just a common criminal, a murderer, and a thief. Would the nurse to the daughter of the richest man in the kingdom really want to be associated with someone like that?
And on the subject of Lady Marron, whenever he thought of her, his emotions were in turmoil. He felt things that he had never felt before when she came into his thoughts.
He closed his eyes, trying desperately to calm down, and then opened them again in surprise as he felt his face becoming damp. Warm liquid slowly trickled down his cheeks. He watched as a droplet fell to the ground and splashed onto the cobbles. Was he crying? This was something that he had never experienced before in his whole life that he could recall.
"My…my tears." he whispered.
Goten peered around the corner and saw Trunks leaning against the wall, gasping for breath. He narrowed his eyes, ready to go over and tell him exactly what he thought of him. He couldn't believe the way he had acted last night, so cold hearted! They had ruined someone's life, and he didn't even care.
The black haired young man walked up to his friend, who had sank onto the floor, staring at nothing as tears made their way down his face and splashed on the ground.
"Trunks, what did you…" He trailed off as he caught a glimpse of his friend's face. This couldn't be right! Trunks never cried. He had never seen him cry in his entire life. Not even when Videl had died.
"Trunks?"
His comrade didn't move. Goten knelt down, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Trunks, are you alright?" he asked, concerned. Trunks pushed his now wet hair out of his eyes and looked up at his friend.
"What's wrong with me, Goten?" he choked out. Goten felt his throat tighten. He couldn't stand to see Trunks so upset. He looked so vunerable, something that he had never seemed before. Goten had always looked up to Trunks as unfazable, nothing ever seemed to affect him. But now….
He forgot all his animosity towards the lavender haired boy as he sat down beside him, not talking, not moving. Just letting his best friend know that he was there.
A/N: I know, I know, you want to see some T/M or G/B action. You want to know what's going to happen when Masaki and Serimori are found. You want Goku and Gohan to meet. You want Trunks and Bulma to meet. You want to know why Vegeta isn't in it. You want to know why there are so many sub-plots and twists. You want me to just get the hell on with the story! Well, I'm working on it, tee hee! I don't think this chapter's so bad considering that I have come down with the dreaded Writer's Block. :( I'm trying to write through it, though, it seems to be working so far, as I'm halfway though chapter 8. (It's set to be a very long chapter, hehe)
I promise, there will be more action and romance very soon! I'm just trying to develop the characters, is all. Please don't kill me! Oh, yeah, and don't forget to review. Thanks to everyone who has so far, Angie, Son Asanra, Sunflower-Chan, Blue Fire, and Silver Pen - I like your fics! You have to continue 'The Only Ones'! Please? :) Daani, Heather, Marron, LilMelfina, Nicole, Vegeta4k and last but definitely not least, Lily! (hugs) ^^ Thanks for all your encouragement you guys, I really, really appreciate it! (Hands everyone DBZ plushies) Hope you'll carry on reading and reviewing!
Aerith
Chapter 7
Goten watched as his friend stalked out of the house and sighed heavily. His brother looked at him and frowned.
"What is the matter, Goten?" he asked, walking over to the boy. Goten shook his head.
"Oh…nothing. It is nothing that really matters."
"Oh, really? Well, excuse me for noticing, but you and Trunks didn't exactly seem on friendly terms this morning, what with you scowling and him looking amused at your obvious irritation."
"Well, it's nothing!" Goten yelled and stormed out of the door, leaving a bewildered Gohan staring after him.
Goku stepped out of the one of the stables and threw a pair of reins to the ground. They landed in the dirt, causing a cloud of dust to rise around them. He stretched in the morning sunlight and smiled. Today was another lovely day, and there were few clouds in the sky. The sun shone brilliantly down on him, and he screwed his eyes up.
"Goku, I thought that you were going down to the village today?"
The spiky haired man smiled, and turned to see Bulma standing in front of him.
"Good morrow, Miss Bulma" he said cheerfully. "I intend to go down to the village, but I must wait for Yamcha, he is just finishing off cleaning up the mess he made in the servant's chamber"
Bulma laughed. "Elderflower wine?" she guessed. Goku nodded, grinning at her.
"Well, I had better go and wake Miss Marron, Lord Krillin has requested her counsel this morning."
"Wherefore?" her raven - haired companion asked, curiously.
"Something to do with the play last night. I think he is angry at her for defying him."
Goku smirked and shook his head.
"I do not think that is the reason, Bulma"
"Well then why?"
"I saw a little of the play yesterday, and let's just say that the love scene between Romeo and Juliet was quite convincing"
The nurse raised her eyebrows. "Really?"
"I saw what I saw, Bulma. I thought it was quite romantic actually, but maybe the Lord doesn't see it that way."
'What am I doing? What's the matter with me?'
The lavender haired man frowned as he walked in the direction of the manor. His feet seemed to be moving on their own, despite a voice in his head screaming at him to stop and turn the other way. For some reason, he needed to see her. The lord's daughter.
"Marron." He whispered the blonde woman's name and gave a short sigh. Quickly he shook his head, trying to clear all thoughts of her from his mind. But still he walked towards the manor. He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked up the cobbled street, there wasn't far to go now.
"Hello, Trunks, how are you?" His fist clenched at the sound of her voice, and he turned around slowly.
"Good morrow, Miss Paris." he muttered. She smiled happily and walked up to him, flipping her long auburn hair over her shoulders.
He took a moment to fully take in her appearance. For once she was dressed modestly, in a short sleeved cream dress that reached down to her toes. It was too hot to wear anything more than simply cotton clothing, he reasoned, hence her attire.
"Seeing something that you like, good sir?" she asked coyly. Trunks scowled at her.
"Oh, come along, don't act that way," she said, laughing. "I was simply joking. Where are you off to?"
"Nowhere"
"Oh, are you taking a walk then?"
"Yes."
"Alright, I'll join you!" she said cheerily, linking arms with him. Trunks pulled his arm free and glowered at her.
"No you will not" he said, irritated, and folded his arms. Paris looked hurt and he turned away. She was reminding him of Marron with that expression, and he didn't like it.
"What is wrong with you today, Trunks?" she asked, offended. He turned around, his expression softer.
"I apologise, Miss Paris. Why don't you go to see Goten? I'm sure he'd love to see you."
"Okay then, I'll talk to you later" she smiled, brightening up again, and heading off.
Trunks turned around and walked smack into someone. Stumbling back a little, he regained his balance and glared at the unfortunate person.
"I'm incredibly sorry, good sir! I simply must pay more attention." a black haired man said apologetically. Trunks folded his arms again.
"Hmm. Of course." he said through gritted teeth. The man scratched the back of his head and grinned.
"Sorry again. Oh, wait, that's it! Listen, good sir, I am Goku and this is Yamcha" He gestured to the man who had just joined them and then smiled. "I was wondering, do you happen to know a young man named Trunks, by any chance?"
Trunks' eyes widened and he took a step back.
"Who wants to know?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant. Goku didn't seem to notice.
"Well, I work up at the manor you see, and there is a lady there who is nurse to Miss Marron. Her name is Bulma Briefs, and she had a son named Trunks. But he was taken away from her when he was still a baby and she has not been able to find him. I thought that I might be able to help her, so I have been looking for him. Let's see, he would be about eighteen or nineteen now. Do you know him?"
Trunks didn't reply, he simply stared at the man in shock. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Goku tilted his head to the side and gave the young man an odd look.
"Is something wrong?" he asked. Trunks couldn't answer him; instead he turned around and ran in the opposite direction, forgetting all thoughts of visiting the manor.
Goku blinked. "Huh? Wait, good sir!" he cried, but the young man was long gone.
"What on earth did you say that affected him so much, good Goku?" Yamcha asked. Goku shrugged.
"I wish I knew, Yamcha. I wish I knew."
"Your behaviour was simply unacceptable!" Kriilin cried. His daughter was standing opposite him in the conference room, her eyes fixed on the ground. He walked over to her and grabbed her shoulders.
"Look at me Marron!" She looked up at him, hurt in her eyes.
"Do not try that look with me, Marron! I won't stand for such behaviour as you showed last night!"
Marron tried to fight back the tears. Every word her father said cut her like a knife, and brought memories of the time she spent with Lord Valmont back to her. She looked at her father, who was still ranting, and suddenly, a wave of annoyance overcame her.
"Stop this, father!" she yelled, surprising the lord. He froze, and gave her an incredulous look.
"What are you – " He began. Marron cut him off.
"Shut up!" she screamed. "I cannot understand you, father! You say that you would like me to be married; yet you get angry with me if I show attention to a man! I was acting, and so was he! There was nothing in it, and even if there were, it would be my business and not yours! I am eighteen years old, father, I am not a child. Allow me to make my own mistakes, there is no need for you to protect me any more!"
"But child…"
"No, father! I am not a child! I am a young woman. And I do not need this!"
She didn't wait for her father to reply as she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room.
Trunks ran through the square, ignoring the odd looks given to him by passers by. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. This was all too much to take in. After nineteen years without parents, he wasn't sure whether he was ready to hear this. His mother, whom he hadn't seen for nineteen years, a nurse to the woman he was supposed to kill?
This was all too complicated. It seemed that fate was against him at every turn, preventing him from completing his mission. Every method he thought up seemed to have a flaw.
He froze in front of the hideout.
Fate.
What the fortune teller had said to him last night echoed in his mind, could she have been telling the truth? He shook his head. It was coincidence, that was all. But his mother….that couldn't be a coincidence. There was too much correct information, his name, his age. Even her name sounded familiar somehow.
He leaned against the wall, trying to relax his racing heart. For the first time, he felt totally helpless. He couldn't complete his mission, he had news of a mother that he had never known, and the thought of her knowing exactly who he really was terrified him.
She had probably conjured up a fantasy of her son, the perfect man, a polite, handsome young lord who would kneel down and kiss her hand and smile and tell her how much he loved her. A person like Lord Valmont, the man he had been at the ball. He just couldn't be that way all the time.
He was nothing, just a common criminal, a murderer, and a thief. Would the nurse to the daughter of the richest man in the kingdom really want to be associated with someone like that?
And on the subject of Lady Marron, whenever he thought of her, his emotions were in turmoil. He felt things that he had never felt before when she came into his thoughts.
He closed his eyes, trying desperately to calm down, and then opened them again in surprise as he felt his face becoming damp. Warm liquid slowly trickled down his cheeks. He watched as a droplet fell to the ground and splashed onto the cobbles. Was he crying? This was something that he had never experienced before in his whole life that he could recall.
"My…my tears." he whispered.
Goten peered around the corner and saw Trunks leaning against the wall, gasping for breath. He narrowed his eyes, ready to go over and tell him exactly what he thought of him. He couldn't believe the way he had acted last night, so cold hearted! They had ruined someone's life, and he didn't even care.
The black haired young man walked up to his friend, who had sank onto the floor, staring at nothing as tears made their way down his face and splashed on the ground.
"Trunks, what did you…" He trailed off as he caught a glimpse of his friend's face. This couldn't be right! Trunks never cried. He had never seen him cry in his entire life. Not even when Videl had died.
"Trunks?"
His comrade didn't move. Goten knelt down, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Trunks, are you alright?" he asked, concerned. Trunks pushed his now wet hair out of his eyes and looked up at his friend.
"What's wrong with me, Goten?" he choked out. Goten felt his throat tighten. He couldn't stand to see Trunks so upset. He looked so vunerable, something that he had never seemed before. Goten had always looked up to Trunks as unfazable, nothing ever seemed to affect him. But now….
He forgot all his animosity towards the lavender haired boy as he sat down beside him, not talking, not moving. Just letting his best friend know that he was there.
A/N: I know, I know, you want to see some T/M or G/B action. You want to know what's going to happen when Masaki and Serimori are found. You want Goku and Gohan to meet. You want Trunks and Bulma to meet. You want to know why Vegeta isn't in it. You want to know why there are so many sub-plots and twists. You want me to just get the hell on with the story! Well, I'm working on it, tee hee! I don't think this chapter's so bad considering that I have come down with the dreaded Writer's Block. :( I'm trying to write through it, though, it seems to be working so far, as I'm halfway though chapter 8. (It's set to be a very long chapter, hehe)
I promise, there will be more action and romance very soon! I'm just trying to develop the characters, is all. Please don't kill me! Oh, yeah, and don't forget to review. Thanks to everyone who has so far, Angie, Son Asanra, Sunflower-Chan, Blue Fire, and Silver Pen - I like your fics! You have to continue 'The Only Ones'! Please? :) Daani, Heather, Marron, LilMelfina, Nicole, Vegeta4k and last but definitely not least, Lily! (hugs) ^^ Thanks for all your encouragement you guys, I really, really appreciate it! (Hands everyone DBZ plushies) Hope you'll carry on reading and reviewing!
Aerith