Syndrome

DISCLAIMER: I do *not* own DBZ (Hee hee…. Yet… *thinks about plan to take over FUNimation and grins*) or any other licensed stuff (Pop-tarts, the Weather Channel, etc.). Think about it: If I owned it, I'd be too busy counting my money than to write useless stories about an animated TV show! So DON'T SUE ME!

. : : Chapter 3 : Tragedy : : .

The day was almost over, and soon Gohan and Videl would be leaving for home.

"Do you have to go?" Jamie whined. Gohan nodded and smiled.

"Afraid so, squirt," he said. "I gotta get back to work!" Videl nodded.

"But don't worry, we'll see you again soon," she said. Jamie smiled.

"Yeah!" Gohan grinned.

"Then we can get together and play around outside, toss a football…"

"Cool!" Jamie grinned back.

"So we'll see you guys later," Videl said, putting on her coat. Gohan hugged his father and brother.

"Take care, little bro," he said.

"Will do," Goten said, smiling.

"And take good care of Adrienne," Gohan added with a grin. Goten cocked his head.

"I think it might be the other way around…" Everyone soon said their good-byes and the couple left.

"Guess we should all be getting ready for bed soon," Chloe said, after the last glow of their taillights faded.

"But Mom, I don't wanna!" Brian complained. Trunks sighed.

"Not this again…" He wrapped his arms around his son's waist and picked him up, holding him upside-down. Brian giggled and touched his hair, which, to him, was standing on end. "C'mon, to bed with you," Trunks said, carrying him up the stairs.

"Wait for me, Daddy!" Rienna called. "Brian, wait up! Pick me up too!" She ran after her father and brother with her arms held up expectantly.

"Huh?" Trunks stopped and looked down at his daughter. "Oh, okay," he said with a grin. Trunks leaned over as best he could and picked Ri up and also held her upside down.

"Wheeeee! Look at me!" she squealed as they went off down the hall.

"That girl is so loyal to her father," Chi-Chi said.

"She is," Chloe said, nodding.

"But she looks like her mother," Bulma said. Chloe smiled.

"Thanks, Bulma."

"Well, I'd hate to have her looking like Trunks," Adrienne added. Everyone laughed.

"Grandpa, Grandpa, can you pick me up like that?" Leah asked Vegeta eagerly. He grinned.

"Can I pick you up like that?" Vegeta repeated, as if thinking it over to himself. "I think I can!"

"Ooh, ooh! Me too!" Jamie said.

"Your wish is my command," Vegeta said, bowing to his grandchildren (making them giggle) and picking them up as he stood. They both squealed with delight as he flipped them over and hauled them off to bed.

"Good night, Mommy!" Jamie said, laughing and waving as Vegeta carried Leah and him up the stairs. Adrienne laughed and waved back.

"Night, Jamie! Night Leah!"

"Night everybody!" Leah said, also waving. The threesome disappeared down the upstairs hallway.

"Now why can't Vegeta be that way to me?" Bulma asked.

"Because you're not a seven-year-old," Chi-Chi said.

"Yeah, Bulma," Goku added. "Face it, you're no spring chicken." Bulma clenched her fists and glared at the younger man.

"Yeah, well what's that supposed to mean, Goku!?" Goku laughed anxiously and scratched his head.

"Well, uh…"

"Are you saying I'm old!?"

"Well, no, I wasn't- I didn't-"

"Oh, Bulma, calm down!" Chi-Chi exclaimed. "You're not exactly Miss Teen USA, you know. None of us are!" Bulma unclenched her fists and sighed.

"Suppose you're right…"

"Well, that's that," Vegeta said, walking back down the stairs with his grown son behind him.

"Mission complete," Trunks said, sending a salute in his wife's direction. Chloe nodded.

"Good, because I'm tired, too," she said. "I've had a headache all day, and I think it's getting worse."

"What?" Vegeta asked as he and Trunks stepped off the stairs and into the living room.

"Are you sure?" Trunks asked. He walked up to her and put his hand on her forehead. "You're not sick or something, are you?"

"I dunno," Chloe admitted. "I hadn't felt anything until this morning." Trunks removed his hand.

"Hm… You're a little warmer than usual."

"Maybe you should go lie down," Goku said.

"Yeah," Chi-Chi agreed.

"Don't worry, I plan on it," Chloe said rather drowsily.

"Why don't you take some medicine or something?" Trunks asked, putting his hand around Chloe's waist and guiding her to the bathroom. He turned around to face them. "Hey Dri, where do you keep your Tylenol?"

"Behind the mirror in the bathroom," Adrienne answered. "You need any help?"

"No, I'm ok," Chloe said, starting up the stairs. "Thanks, anyway."

"If you need anything, just call," Goten said.

"We will, Bro. Thanks," Trunks said, nodding. "Night, guys." Everyone answered with a good-bye and "get well soon" wish. The couple disappeared upstairs.

"I hope she's ok," Bulma said.

"She'll be fine," Chi-Chi said. "She's a nurse, she'd know if something terrible were wrong. It's probably a virus, at the most. I've heard one is going around lately."

"Hm, guess you're right," Bulma said, staring back up at the empty stairs.

"Of course I am!" Chi-Chi declared, trying to lift the group's spirits. "I'm not as dumb as my husband."

"HEY!" Goku exclaimed.

"Joking, Goku, dear," Chi-Chi reassured him, ruffling his hair with a sweet smile.

"No you weren't," he muttered under his breath.

"I think you hurt his feelings, Mom," Goten said.

"Oh, Goku!" Chi-Chi sighed. "I'm sorry, ok?" Goku stared back at her with a hurt expression. "Here, you want a cookie?" Goku face brightened at the thought of food. "Alright, then! I'll go fix you some cookies and milk! C'mon, Goku!"

"Yes ma'am!" Goku answered cheerfully, following his wife into the kitchen.

"Of course that would work," Bulma said. "The way to a Saiyan's heart is through his stomach."

"Mom, I want some, too!" Goten whined, chasing his parents.

"Me, too!" Vegeta agreed, also running into the kitchen.

"What'd I tell you?" Bulma asked.

"Goten!" Adrienne groaned. "It's time for bed!"

"Actually, milk and cookies sounds good right about now," her mother replied, thinking it over. Adrienne sighed.

"Yeah, it does…" she said thoughtfully. Both mother and daughter stood there for a moment, deep in thought. "Wait for me!" Adrienne cried suddenly.

"I hope you have enough milk for all of us!" Bulma shouted. Both of them raced into the kitchen to stuff their faces with sweets.

The next morning, Chi-Chi and Bulma walked down the stairs, stretching and yawning and eagerly looking forward to some fresh coffee. Into the kitchen they strolled, when both of them suddenly gasped.

"Goku, have you been down here all night?!" Chi-Chi exclaimed. Goku just groaned in response. He and Goten, Vegeta, and Adrienne were lying with his or her head down on the table, empty plates and glasses littering their sleeping space.

"Vegeta, I told you to slow down!"

"One cookie too many…." Vegeta groaned in pain.

"Vegeta, I don't feel so good…." Goku whined.

"Not this again…" Vegeta replied.

"Mom, my stomach really hurts," Goten said, looking up at his mother with sad eyes.

"Well that's what you get for eating too many cookies!" she scolded. "I warned you, but you boys never listen!"

"Hey, look, Adrienne still has a cookie left," Goku said, pointing to the cookie on Adrienne's abandoned plate.

"So?" Vegeta asked. Suddenly, Adrienne yawned and sat up, stretching her arms out as far as they would go. She cocked her head and popped her neck, then sighed.

"Morning, guys. Morning, Daddy," she said cheerfully. "Boy, I'm starved! When's breakfast?" The three men at the table groaned. Adrienne looked at them, puzzled. "What's with- oh, I get it! One too many cookies, eh guys?" Again, the three of them groaned. She grinned. "Well, I feel great, and I only had one less cookie!" The boys groaned even louder.

"We warned them," Bulma said matter-of-factly.

"Yep," Chi-Chi said, nodding.

"Well, since they're going to want to sleep, why don't we go out for breakfast?" Adrienne suggested. "That way we won't need the table."

"Great idea, Adrienne!" Chi-Chi said.

"That's why she's my daughter," Bulma exclaimed proudly. At the end of the table, Vegeta moaned and muttered something under his breath.

"Well, I'll go wake up the kids," Adrienne said. "You think I should wake up Trunks?"

"No need," Bulma said, nodding towards the stairs.

"Hi, everyone," Trunks said. "What's for breakfast?"

"We're going out," Chi-Chi said.

"Really? Cool!" Trunks replied eagerly. "I'll go get the kids!"

"What about Chloe?" Adrienne said. At this Trunks frowned.

"She said she wasn't feeling well and was gonna sleep in," he said. "I'm worried."

"Oh, Trunks, she'll be fine," Chi-Chi said. "It's probably just a cold."

"I hope so…"

"Pancakes! Pancakes! Pancakes!" Brian and Jamie were chanting. Chi-Chi, Bulma, Adrienne, Trunks, and the children were at the local IHOP, and had already ordered each individual's meal.

"Brian, hush!" Trunks hissed. "Keep your voice down! They do have to cook the food, you know!" Brian grinned sheepishly at his father.

"Sorry, Dad." He and Jamie began to whisper their chant instead of yelling it.

"Pancakes! Pancakes! Pancakes!" Trunks sighed and shook his head.

"I remember when you used to do that," Bulma said. Chi-Chi nodded.

"Goten, too."

"It's different when you're the parent, eh, Trunks?" Adrienne said slyly. Trunks smiled.

"A whole lot different."

"Daddy, draw me a picture!" Rienna said suddenly, flipping her place mat over, pushing it into her father's table space, and handing a red crayon to Trunks. To this, he smiled a crooked smile.

"A picture? Me?" He looked at the crayon, then back at his daughter. "I dunno…"

"C'mon, Daddy! Draw me a dinosaur! A big red one!" Brian and Jamie stopped their chanting.

"Yeah, Dad, go ahead!" Brian said.

"Well, go on, Trunks," Bulma said.

"Ok, here goes…"

A few minutes later, Trunks' dinosaur was finished. It did somewhat look like a dinosaur, in a remote sort of way. But let's face it, it wasn't exactly the Mona Lisa.

"Finished!" he said, putting down the crayon and holding up his artwork.

"He's funny-looking," Brian said. "Look, his teeth are all crooked!"

"That's what he gets for not brushing his teeth the way he should," Trunks said with a grin.

"But his tail's too short!" Brian said. "That's no dinosaur!"

"What are you talking about?" Trunks said, turning the picture. "See, if you hold it this way…"

"Well I think it's wonderful!" Rienna said, giving her father a big hug. "Thanks, Daddy!" Trunks hugged her back.

"You're welcome."

"Say, that kinda looks like Deho," Adrienne said, cocking her head to look at the picture. Trunks gasped.

"It does!"

"Who's Deho?" Leah asked, finally looking up from her own drawing.

"Deho's my pet dinosaur, remember? The one that likes to ride around in my pocket?"

"You mean the little red one?" Jamie asked. "The one that scares Uncle Trunks?" Trunks sweat-dropped.

"Yeah, that's the one," Adrienne said with a grin.

"Oh, I remember Deho," Bulma said. "He's the one that Trunks and your father thought was a demon, am I right?"

"Yep!" Adrienne said.

"Oh, I remember him!" Chi-Chi said. "Goku was the only guy that thought he was cute."

"Another reason I believe he is crazy," Trunks said. "Oh, look, here comes the food!"

"PANCAKES!" Brian shrieked with glee. Trunks sighed and put his hand to his forehead.

"Yes, Brian, pancakes…."

"We're home!" Adrienne called. The group filed through the doorway and hung their coats on the coat rack beside the door. "Goten?"

"Grandpa, we're home!" Leah yelled, her hands cupped over her mouth. Bulma frowned.

"I wonder where everyone-"

"Oh, you're back!" Goku said. "Thank goodness!"

"Goku, what's the matter?" Chi-Chi asked.

"Trunks, you better come, quick!"

"What do you mean?" Trunks asked, jogging up to meet him. "Is Chloe alright?" Goku shook his head.

"She really doesn't look so good," he said solemnly.

"Mommy…?" Rienna asked.

"Dad?" Brian asked, looking at his father questioningly. What was wrong with their mother?

"Just stay with your Aunt Adrienne, I'll be right back," Trunks said. He and Goku quickly ascended the stairs and rushed out of sight.

"Mom, what's wrong with Aunt Chloe?" Leah asked.

"I don't know," Adrienne said, frowning.

"I hope it's not really serious," Chi-Chi said.

"I'm going to go see for myself," Bulma said. "After all, Chloe's not the only person in this family with medical experience."

"I wanna go!" Rienna said worriedly.

"No, you stay here," her grandmother answered.

"But I wanna go with Daddy," she said quietly. Bulma kneeled next to her granddaughter and put a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Listen, Rienna, this is very important. I'm sorry you can't come, but you be a big girl and wait here, ok?" Rienna nodded. Bulma smiled. "Good girl." Bulma stood up and walked up the stairs. She followed the hallway to the room nearest the end and quietly opened the door. Goku, Goten, Trunks, and Vegeta looked up to see who had entered the room.

"Oh, Mom…" Trunks said quietly. Goten walked to the door.

"I'm gonna go… check on Adrienne," he said softly. Bulma nodded, and he left. She walked over to where her son was kneeling on the floor, his hand holding Chloe's. He looked quite shaken up.

"How is she?" Bulma asked, also kneeling by the bed. Chloe was pale and shaking as if from a fever. Sweat poured down her pained face, and, her eyes closed, was gasping for breath. Bulma put her hand gently to her daughter-in-law's forehead, but immediately jerked away. "She's burning up!"

"We know," Vegeta said solemnly.

"Well, she needs to be at the hospital, not lying around here in bed!" Bulma exclaimed. She stood up and walked over to the bedside table where an old telephone sat idle. "I'll call for an ambul- Huh?" Trunks had placed his hand on his mother's and was staring up at her, tears in his eyes. He shook his head. "But Trunks-"

"By the time they got here, it'd be over…" he said, almost inaudibly.

"Trunks, you're talking nonsense," Bulma said. Goku shook his head.

"I can feel all the life pouring out of her," he said.

"She won't last much longer," Vegeta said, walking over to his wife. She gasped and put her hand over her mouth. Vegeta wrapped his arms around her and held her as she quietly began to cry. Trunks stared at his wife, feeble and frail with illness, and tears filled his bright blue eyes. They began to stream down his cheeks as he wept silently. Suddenly, Bulma looked up at Goku.

"Goku," she said quietly, "would you mind getting Rienna and Brian? They need to know."

"All of them need to know," Vegeta added. Goku nodded.

"Sure." He quietly walked out of the room to fetch the small group downstairs. A few moments later, Goten and the others walked into the room.

"Daddy!" Rienna cried, both she and her brother rushing into their father's arms.

"Dad, Mom's not dying, is she?" Brian asked. "This is just a big trick, right?" Trunks looked down at his two children, not sure what to say. His cheeks were tear-stained, and his cheeks and nose were red. That seemed to be enough of an answer for the two of them. Rienna burst into tears and buried her face in her father's shoulder, her arms wrapped as tightly around him as she could manage. Brian's eyes began to overflow with tears. He stomped his foot. "NO! You're lying!" Trunks started to weep, and he put his arms around his son and daughter and began to rock them.

"This can't be happening… it isn't happening…" Brian sobbed.

"It's not fair!" Rienna cried. Leah and Jamie held onto their parents with all their strength, almost afraid that maybe they would be next. Goten bent over and picked both of them up, and everyone seemed to fade into the silence broken only by the sound of crying. Slowly, Chloe's shivers began to subside and her breaths became less frequent. Rienna stood up and everyone watched as she walked to her mother's side. She leaned over and whispered: "Mommy… I love you…" That broke Trunks' heart. He was losing his wife, but the children were losing a mother. He could only imagine how they must feel.

"How am I gonna do this without you…?" he whispered. A few more minutes passed and Chloe's breathing slowed to a stop.

"Mom?" Brian asked, standing up suddenly and rushing to her side. "Mom, c'mon, wake up!" Bulma burst into tears, and Vegeta escorted her from the room. Chi-Chi and Goku stood silently, arms around each other. Goten sniffed and wiped his eyes.

"Maybe we should leave," he said faintly. Adrienne nodded, and both of them carried their saddened children out of the room. Goku walked over to the bed and picked up the two lavender-headed kids.

"No! I wanna stay with Mommy!" Rienna cried.

"Put me down!" Brian protested. Goku fought back tears and followed his wife out of the room. Trunks pulled his knees up to his chest, crossed his arms, and leaned against his arms while he cried his eyes out. He felt so helpless.

"What do I do now?" he asked his wife, knowing all too well she wouldn't answer. "What can I do? You were everything to me, but now you're…" Trunks couldn't bring himself to admit she was gone. There had to be something he could do. Some way to bring her back…. Of course! Suddenly, it dawned on him. Why hadn't he thought of it before? He could use the Dragonballs! Trunks almost laughed at his stupidity and stood up. He faintly smiled at Chloe as he bent over and kissed her warm lips. "I'll be back," he said quietly.

Told ya this one would be better. *grin* It's MUCH better. Well, wouldn't you say? Heheh... The story is MOVING now! Heh. 'Bout time. *sigh* Ah well. The story's gonna pick up REALLY soon. ...I can tell this is going to be a short story. *sigh* Oh well, better short than no story at all, right? .....RIGHT?!