Trunks flew over to JiJi's house carrying a small package tucked under his left

arm. 

"I wonder how she's doing.," he thought to himself.  He landed not far from

her house and looked around.  He spotted JiJi laying out on her favorite "sunning

rock" over by the stream that ran next to her house. She was listening to her music. 

"Hmm....let's me see, I wonder if I can sneak up on her." Trunks said cunningly.

He walked as quietly as he could towards her.

"Heya Trunks." JiJi said without opening her eyes.

"Ah man, you heard me..."

"Nope, I picked up on your thoughts as you flew in....." JiJi grinned and opened her eyes, "You know you can't sneak up on me."

"No wonder you always won when we played hide-and-go-seek as kids." Trunks said,

looking down at her.

"Actually... no." She giggled. "Back then I wasn't very good at picking up on people.  You just

weren't a very good hider to begin with" JiJi sat up and took off her earplugs. She smiled her little smirk at Trunks. 

"Hey now..."Trunks smirked back at her.

"Anyways, what are you doing here?" she asked, as Trunks sat down beside her.

"I wanted to see how you were doing." He bumped her shoulder softly. "My mom also wants to know too.  We haven't seen you since your grandfather's funeral 3 weeks ago."

"Sorry," JiJi said, looking down. "I just felt like I needed to hang around home for a bit, you know, help my mom."

"I understand." Trunks fidgeted with the box. "How is she?"

"Well...actually..... not too good." JiJi said quietly. "She's gotten more sick lately."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Trunks leaned into her shoulder slightly.

Silence.

JiJi closed her eyes and sighed.

"Ever since Gohan died, she hasn't been the same." She wrapped and unwrapped her earplug cords on her finger. "Now that grandpa is gone, she's....worse."

"I can't believe that Gohan died 2 years ago. " Said Trunks, as he looked down at the ground. "I still remember it as if it happened yesterday."

"Yeah, me too." JiJi looked down at the stream, "I'm trying to be strong for her, I don't want my mother to suffer anymore, but.... sometimes....it gets,.... hard to..."  Taking in deep breaths, JiJi tried to stifle back the emotions that are coming from inside of her.

"I miss Gohan, Trunks..... I miss him terribly"

"I know, I miss him too." Trunks looked up towards the passing clouds. Again they

both sat in silence for about a minute. Then JiJi shook her head,

"Anyways....."

Trunks looked at her.

"What's in the box?" she asked as she tried to put on her best smile to hide her grief.

"Oh this? Just something my grandma made for you and your mom." Trunks handed the

box to JiJi.

"What is it?" JiJi said as she took it from him and opened it.

"Just some desserts, you know how she is.  She thinks she can fix everything

with a pastry or two." Trunks laughed.

JiJi did too, "Yeah, but she sure does make some mean goodies." JiJi took off the tissue paper.

"Wow, look at this stuff!" JiJi surveyed the contents.

"MMMMM....nummy nummy."  Both of them laughed. "Tell her thank you when you see her next Trunks."

"I will. Hey when are you coming back to work? My...uh...mom wants to know."

"Well," said JiJi as she got up, "I think in a couple days, I just need to be

here for awhile."

"OK....I'll tell her that."

"Hey Trunks, why don't you come in for a little bit, I'm sure it would brighten

my mom's day."

"Sure." Trunks stood up and they both started walking toward the house.

"Besides, you can share these with us."

"MMM.....I won't argue with you on that."

"Your mother has taught you well."

"Yep, that's right."

The two of them laughed again.

"Hey Trunks grab my music doohickey thingy for me will ya?"

Trunks ran back and picked it up and looked at it.

"Are you still able to download this stuff?" he said, catching back up with her.

"Nope, unfortunately those androids destroyed the archive center last fall."

"Hmmm, bummer."

"Yeah no kidding. That more than anything really cheezes me off." JiJi grinned but looked also annoyed.

"Really? Ahh... I see now, that's why you and my mom are trying to go back into

the past." Trunks laughed as he elbowed her.

"Ohh  yeahh.....I need my music," laughed JiJi, "it helps keep me from losing my mind."

"Well then... that would be terrible..." Trunks grinned.

"Yep that's right, I mean what would the world do without my geniusness." JiJi said as she

flipped her hair with her hand.

Trunks smirked, "I shudder to think such thoughts......"

They both burst into laughter as they walked through the door.

"Hey mom! Look who's here!"

One year later....

"Hello ladies, what's shakin? I see that you guys are still playing with your

big metal toy." said Trunks as he walked in the door carrying a load of

groceries.

JiJi poked her head out of the time machine, "Hey you....be nice. This is gonna

give us all hope." She jumped out of the cockpit and landed in front of Trunks.

Trunks put his packages down.

"I know you think we're crazy darling, but people also thought your grandpa was

crazy and he became the greatest inventor in the world." Bulma said, looking up

from her work.

"Yeah Trunks...because of him, you've at least enjoyed some good birthdays in your life..."JiJi said, raising an eyebrow at him and shook a screwdriver at him. She moved over to the toolbox on the table, "So you better quit giving us a hard time."  She looked through the

box for another tool.

"Maybe," Trunks said, shrugging his shoulders, "But gramps wasn't trying to time

travel."

Bulma laughed, "He also didn't have a good grasp of time either. When he worked,

days seemed like hours to him." Bulma said as she stretched.

"Where's your Brief's pioneering spirit?" she asked. Trunks shrugged.

"Besides Trunks," said JiJi, as she found the tool she needed and walked over to

the time machine, "Don't you want to help my Father defeat the androids?"

"Look here you two," said Trunks, "I don't need any help from any dead people in

the past. I am a super saiyan and I have been training real hard to defeat those

monsters.  I'm stronger than I have ever been."

JiJi turned to him in annoyance, "Well Gohan was a super saiyan too......yet with

all of his strength... even he wasn't able to defeat the androids. It would be

best if you just stuck around here and helped us get the antidote to my father

so that we can change the past."

Angry, Trunks shouted back, "Don't talk to me about Gohan! What do you know? He

trained me, not you! He was my master and best friend! He meant everything to

me!"

"He may have been your master and friend Trunks..." said JiJi, tensing up, "but he was my Brother!" The two of them glared at each other with an uneasy Bulma caught in-between. Just then the radio blared out that the androids were on the rampage again.  All three of them listened in silent horror as the cry of dying people came over the radio waves.

"They're at it again!" yelled Trunks, as he turned toward the door.  Bulma looked

at him frantically, "Yes, but you're not going to leave to fight them are you? 

Trunks? Trunks?!!"

"I have to mom."

"No you don't, we can use the time machine! You don't have to go!" she shouted. Trunks looked back at his mom, then at JiJi.

JiJi turned away from him in disgust. "Don't expect me to save your butt again Trunks, I'm getting tired of that."

"Fine by me." Trunks ran out the door.

"He's just as stubborn as his father." said Bulma as she watched her son fly

off. "JiJi...JiJi?" Bulma walked over to the girl.  JiJi was trying to busy

herself with some bolts. "Hey JiJi..."

"What?"

"Are you, you know....keeping track of him?" Bulma asked as she knelt next to JiJi.

"I'm trying to ignore him." JiJi said as she tightened a bolt quite roughly. 

"Please," Bulma took the wrench from JiJi and then grasped JiJi's hand.

JiJi looked into Bulma eyes and saw the worried face of a mother. JiJi's pride sank. 

"Oh, alright," she sighed, "He's gonna bite my head off for this though."

"When has he ever not?" said Bulma with a slight smile. "Besides, you can blame me."

JiJi took a cleansing breath, closed her eyes, and searched for Trunks.  She found him already engaged in battle with the androids.  As his mother and friend feared, he wasn't doing well.  JiJi's eyes flew open and she trembled from the images that she had just witnessed.  Bulma gripped JiJi's hand tighter.

"What? What is it? JiJi! Tell me!"

JiJi looked at Bulma, alarmed.

"Go," pleaded Bulma, "go find him for me! Please...

JiJi gulped hard and shook her head.  She got up and ran out the door.

"Be careful....."  Bulma watched her go.  "Oh dear, oh dear..."

JiJi found the androids and Trunks in the middle of the ruined city.  She

hesitated for a moment, watching as Trunks got beaten.  She swallowed her fear and flew

toward them.  The androids had Trunks on the ground.  They were about to blast

him, when JiJi grabbed Trunks out from under them. As fast as she can move herself, she flew out of the way. Angered, the androids blasted after her, but she dodged out of the way.

"You're lucky I've been practicing my speed Trunks..." JiJi flew toward Capsule Corp. "And that you have such a good mom."  When JiJi got to Capsule Corp., she quickly took Trunks inside Bulma's lab.

"Oh no. Is he?" Bulma shouted as she reached for her son.

"No, just beaten," JiJi carried Trunks over to the medical bay and lay him in a medical bed. Bulma grabbed a med kit and started to work on her son. JiJi stood off a ways, with her head drooped in silence.  When Bulma was done, she turned to JiJi, "Thank you Hon...."

JiJi nodded her head slightly. 

"I think I'll go work on the machine." JiJi said and walked out. 

About an hour passed before Trunks woke up.

"Mom?" he groaned.

"Trunks. I'm here sweetheart" Bulma headed over to her son. She cradled his head in her hand.

"What happened?" he barely managed to squeak out, "I was on the ground under android 17's boot, and then there was a flash of light. I don't remember anything else after that."

"I sent JiJi out to get you," Bulma said. "She was able to pull you out in the nick of time."

"JiJi huh?" Trunks winced as he felt the pain from his battle. "I'm sorry mom,

I should have listened to you. I shouldn't have tried to fight those androids on my own."

"Hush now," Bulma wiped his brow, "Everything is going to be ok. All I care

about right now is that you're alive." She leaned in and kissed him tenderly.

"Listen mom, I think I'm ready to pilot the time machine." Trunks said.

"Trunks" Bulma huffed, "you don't even know if you've got any of your limbs in tact.  Let's just

concentrate on you getting better. Alright?"

"Alright."

"Maybe your dear old mother isn't so crazy after all?" Bulma smiled at him and leaned over the bedside rail.

Trunks laughed and groaned again his pain.

"So this is where my father trained.  I've never been in here before, my mom

wouldn't let me."

Trunks surveyed the inside of the gravity room.  He

walked around the place examining every inch of space, every corner.

"Here is the data on Freeza." JiJi handed Trunks a data storage microchip.

"Thanks." He held it up to his eye level, studying it.  "You're pretty good at finding old stuff like this." He said to JiJi.

"This is actually from your mom." JiJi folded her arms. Trunks looked at her surprised.

"It was Vegeta's." she continued, "According to her, he kept a record of Freeza's moves so that he could one day try and defeat him."

"Really?  So this was my dad's huh?" Trunks looked more carefully at the chip.

"I'll let you get to it." JiJi turned to leave.

"Wait a sec," said Trunks, stopping her, "JiJi," He put his hand behind his head. "I'm sorry about what I said to you 2 weeks ago.  You know, about Gohan." 

JiJi glanced at him, then at the floor.

"No, it's ok." she sighed. "These androids are making everybody crazy. We both were a little hotheaded"

"Even so, I'm still sorry."

"Thanks." JiJi slightly smiled.

"Listen JiJi," said Trunks, "Do you really think your dad is going to make a difference?  Is any of this going to make a difference?"

JiJi shrugged. "I don't know.  Your mom thinks so." she paused. She takes a long drawn breath.

"Whenever Gohan or my mom talked about him they always talked about how incredibly strong he was.  Not only that," she looked up, "but how he made everyone able to believe in something greater and in themselves." She closed her eyes. "I'm not sure if he'll be able to change history, but we have to try." JiJi looked at Trunks. "That's what I hope."

Trunks looked at the chip.  Thoughts ran a mile a minute in his head. Androids, time

travel, all the people he loved.

"I hope so too," he thought to himself.

"Well, train hard Trunks," JiJi left the room. Trunks inserted the chip into

the simulations download port.

"Training system activated."

A year passed, the time machine was finally ready.

"I hope this works." said JiJi to herself, as she watched Trunks hug his mom

goodbye.

"Oh you look so handsome Trunks Brief." Bulma tearfully said.  Trunks smiled.

"Here's the antidote, don't drop it." Bulma handed the precious vial to her son.

"Don't worry." He put it into his pocket. "Hey you.." Trunks turned and grinned at JiJi.  "I know you'll miss my presence, but try not to fall to pieces while I'm gone."

"Oh no... I've got more important stuff to do than worry about you." JiJi

smirked.  "Wash my hair, do dishes, watch the grass grow, alphabetize the spice

rack...." she chuckled.

"Hmmm... right."

"Hey, Trunks,"

"Yeah?"

"Do be careful."

"Ohh, so you do care."

JiJi rolled her eyes around.

Trunks jumped into the time machine, "Stay out of trouble mom."

Bulma laughed, "As always. You come back to me in one piece now you hear."

The time machine roared alive, and ascended into the sky. Bulma and JiJi watched as

it disappeared into the past.

"He's in your hands now Goku." said Bulma, shielding her eyes from the machines bright light. 

JiJi watched in troubled silence.