The Song of an Angel

By ssj Kinara

Disclaimer: I do NOT own DBZ. All I own is Jackie and her family. Are you tired of hearing this from me yet or not? Oh well, I still need to write it.

A/N: Gomen nasai!!! I don't mean to always take so long to update, but I wanted to be sure that this chapter was really good! I think it is... Anyway, I have it up thanks to a little * cough* understatement *cough * encouragement by nightmarelover. Thanks again to those of you who review!

Recap: Trunks and Jackie are finally going out on a date!! Where will they go? What will they wear? Read to find out!!

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Chapter seven: The Date

"Oh, Jackie," Bulma crooned again, "you're going to look just lovely!"

Jackie was sitting on the chair before Bulma's vanity. Once the older woman had found out that she and Trunks were going on a date she couldn't resist offering to help Jackie prepare for the outing. At that moment Bulma was digging in her dresser looking for "the perfect dress."

"I haven't worn it since before Trunks was born. Obviously, I've gained a few pounds since then, but it should fit you."

While this was going on, Jackie was looking through the makeup Bulma had pulled out. One by one she removed the lids and caps and admired the colors, shimmers and shines. She'd never been much for makeup, at least not on an everyday basis. Her clear skin and lovely features never really called for a need of it, but she felt that she wouldn't mind... not today.

"Here it is!" Bulma called and held up a dress. It was flattering shades of green. The shoulder straps seemed to be sewn on separately, making the body resemble a tube top extending to a knee-length skirt.

"It's beautiful," breathed Jackie.

"Well, go and try it on," Bulma said, handing it to her. "It won't do you any good otherwise."

Jackie smiled thankfully and went into the restroom.

Bulma then noticed how Jackie'd removed most of the caps to her makeup. She shook her head in false exasperation. Her small smile revealed her thoughts as she began to replace the lids.

I wonder, she thought, if this is how it is to have a daughter.

She didn't care that Trunks was born male. No, she loved him with all that she had! But sometimes she did wonder what it would be like to have had another child, a girl, with Vegeta. Would she have been like Bulma: feminine and concerned with her appearance, or more like Vegeta: muscular and arrogant, or like Trunks: a perfect blend of the two: beautiful and polite, but not unable to care for herself?

But Vegeta was gone. She would never find out what it would be like to have a little girl, all because of those stupid Androids...

"...Bulma?"

She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and looked up at Jackie.

The dress fit her almost perfectly. It clung where it should have and hung to her knees. The color didn't match her eyes, but set the ocean colors off in a way that neither of them could've expected.

"Oh, Jackie," said Bulma for the umpteenth time that day, "you are just... beautiful."

Jackie blushed. "Thank you," she said softly.

"Oh, come now! You don't have to be so polite around me. Just sit and let me help you with that hair and face of yours. Not like you need it," she winked, "but you did ask!"

Still pink, she sat on the stool and let Bulma work.

* * * * * * * *

Meanwhile, in Trunks' room clothes were flying about and making a mess bigger than the one that was already there.

"I can't believe it!" he groaned, pulling clothes from the back of a drawer. "They're all jeans, t-shirts, training clothes, or dirty and ripped!" He fell back onto his bed in exasperation. "I don't have anything to wear... I'm not asking for a tux or anything!" he yelled at the ceiling. "Just something nice to wear on a first date!"

He covered his face with his hands and muttered. "I'm sure Mom's already found something great out of her closet for Jackie. She keeps telling me about hr dates with Dad..."

Suddenly, his eyes widened and he sat up. "Dad! That's it!" He leaped up off his bed and raced down the hall. "It's so obvious!" he thought, running upstairs. "Why didn't I think of it before?"

He stopped in front of a door and opened it, quietly reaching his other hand into the dark room. He pulled on a chain and a single light bulb went on. He was in the attic, surrounded by boxes and antiques and other family heirlooms. He picked his way around the boxes that were layered with dust until he came to one labeled: "Vegeta's Things." This one wasn't dusty; he and Bulma actually looked in this one regularly.

Carefully, he opened it and peered inside. He could see his father's Saiyan armor and the pink Bad Man shirt that his mom had told him about so many times.

"But pink is no color for a guy to wear on a date!" he thought, and pushed it aside. He sifted through some photos and bits of Saiyan technology until he came to some more clothing.

"Please let there be something nice..."

He was amazed when the first thing he pulled out was a crisp white, button- up, collared shirt.

"Man, I never would have imagined Dad wearing something like this," he said to himself.

"But, I'm sure Mom probably just bought it for one of their dates," he countered, debating in his own mind.

"Then," he continued, "wouldn't Dad have thrown it away at first chance?"

"Well, he was a prince," he figured. "And even if his entire race was gone, besides me and Gohan he had grown up a prince and would've still acted like one..."

While he was saying this, he was removing his own shirt and putting on his father's.

"...And dressed like one."

He looked down at himself. It fit perfectly, and was surprisingly comfortable.

Smiling, he started to go through the box again.

"I wonder if he kept the pants to this..."

* * * * * * * *

Half an hour later Trunks was pacing in the den. He'd found a pair of navy blue pants to go with the shirt a long time ago. Since then he'd been pacing, trying to read, and listening for any noise from Bulma's room. Besides a few giggles, he had no clue what was going on or how long it would take. Sure, he wanted Jackie to look nice, but she was beautiful anyway! So what was taking so long?

Just as he was pacing past the hallway (again) he heard a door opening. He looked up and froze. Was he seeing an angel, descending from Heaven? No, in the old stained-glass windows they always wore white. This beautiful creature was wearing pale green. And angels never walked with a crutch.

Jackie.

Her hair was pulled back into a loose bun behind her head, with thin tassels of hair hanging in front of her ears. The dress seemed to make her eyes brighter than before. She wasn't wearing much makeup, but what little she was wearing also seemed to bring out her eyes.

She was standing in front of him.

"You're beautiful," he breathed.

Her cheeks turned pink under the light dusting of makeup. "So are you," she said, her soft eyes looking into his.

For a moment neither of them knew what to say and just looked at each other.

"So," said Trunks, "shall we go?" He offered Jackie his arm.

She smiled broadly. "Yes, lets," and looped her arm in his.

They had only taken a few steps (Jackie hardly using her crutch anymore) when a voice rang behind them.

"Trunks," said Bulma.

The pair turned to see Bulma at the foot of the stairs, looking at Trunks strangely.

"Yeah, Mom? What is it?"

She hesitated a moment. "Are... weren't those clothes your father's?"

His insides froze. Would he be in trouble? He hadn't even thought that Bulma would've been mad that he's taken them.

"Yes," he said cautiously.

A smile tugged on her lips. "They look good on you."

He let out his breath. "Thanks Mom."

She smiled and Trunks led Jackie out the front door. He looped he crutch around his arm and picked up Jackie as he had for their last outing, and took off into the sky.

As soon as the pair was gone, Bulma wiped her eyes, still smiling, but sadly.

"Yes, Trunks, you look good in those clothes, just like Vegeta."

She looked towards the pink and yellow twilight-tinted sky. "You were right, dear," she said towards the Heavens. "I think this date'll do us all good."

* * * * * * * *

Trunks lightly touched down outside of an open parking lot. At the end of the pavement was a little restaurant with the windowless back wall whitewashed neatly. Near the center, positioned to face the wall, was a small booth.

"A drive-in movie theatre," Trunks told Jackie. "They were a lot more popular in the fifties, though. But, considering the times... we make due with what we have."

"I love it!" Jackie exclaimed. "It's better than the little building we had. Really, the only movie they ever played was Frankenstein, and there's only so many times you can watch that!"

Trunks laughed. "Well, if they do play that, we'll throw popcorn into the booth until they change it. Deal?"

"Deal!"

"Great! But first, let's get something to eat!" he said over his grumbling stomach.

Jackie laughed again, still giddy from the flight and nerves. Smiling, he put his arm around her waist and began to lead her towards the little restaurant.

* * * * * * * *

"You've never had a boyfriend?!" said Trunks disbelievingly.

Jackie, sitting across from him in their booth seat, hid a smile by choosing that moment to take a sip from her milkshake, but nodded 'yes'.

"I don't believe you!" he said, a teasing glint in his eyes. "You're too pretty to never have had a boyfriend before."

"The right guy wasn't there," she said a-matter-of-factly. "And what about you? You're too handsome for me to believe that no girl's never accepted a date from you."

Trunks looked a bit solemn as he spoke. "This was one of the first places that the Androids attacked, remember? After that, there really weren't too many people my age... or any age, really."

"Oh." Trunks' solemn mood was catching.

After a moment Trunks noticed her silence and decided to change the subject. "Hey, what's past is past," he said. "That can't be changed. But what's right now is that movie, and we're going to miss it if we don't go now!"

He stood and offered her his arm. She smiled gratefully, grabbed her crutch and looped her arm in his.

There were only a few other groups in the parking lot waiting to see the movie. Two older couples were in cars; the others were leaning against curbs. A few people waved at Trunks as they sat next to a curb.

The movie turned out to be A Walk to Remember. Trunks quickly whispered to Jackie that he hadn't seen it for a few years, but it was pretty good.

She nodded. "I've never seen it, but Mom said it was good."

They watched the movie quietly, reacting to it in just the right ways and now and then just thinking about what a difference in the world had happened in only a decade and a half.

By the date scene, Jackie had snuggled into Trunks' side and his arm was around her. At that moment Trunks felt as if she was his best friend in the world, like he could tell her anything and she would understand. He felt like he never wanted to leave her side and always wanted to make her happy.

Up on the whitewashed screen, Jamie had pulled him onto the dance floor and was showing him how to dance. Trunks was struck with an idea.

"Would you like to dance?" he whispered into her ear.

She smiled at him, but sadly. "I'd love to, but you know I can't use my foot."

"So don't use it," he told her softly, and lifted her off the ground... literally. He held her close to him and flew in slow circles, almost as if they truly were dancing. To Jackie, it was even better.

"Ooh!" she squealed, throwing her arms around his neck.

"It's okay," he told her, soothingly. He took her right hand in his left and held onto her waist. "I won't let you fall."

"I know you won't." She smiled at him and began to get into the dance. For what seemed to be hours they floated in elegant circles, forgetting the world, forgetting the movie, forgetting the danger. There was only them, and nothing else in the world mattered.

Almost unconsciously, they stopped, nearly nose-to-nose, looking into each other's eyes. Somehow they were moving closer to each other, closer, closer...

And the dream ended with a loud honking of a car horn. Below them the movie was over and everyone was leaving.

"Oh, is it that late already?" said Jackie, rather disappointed. "We'd better get home before your mother has a fit."

"Yeah, and I'm sure your dad would want you home before midnight," added Trunks.

Jackie made an inaudible comment, but Trunks couldn't mistake that sad look in her eye. He made a decision.

"Jackie, I want to show you something before we go home."

"B-but your mom-"

"It's not so far out of the way," he said. Jackie nodded and he flew to the southeast.

He touched down lightly in front of what looked like a small shrine. A large, square stone stood in the middle of it. But what caught Jackie's attention were the papers. Papers and photos were tacked up on the walls and taped to the stone. There was no pattern to them but they seemed to have some certain significance.

"Trunks... what is this?" she asked.

"This," he said walking up to the stone, "is our memorial to all those that we've lost to the Androids."

A shiver ran up Jackie's back.

"Here, come see this." Trunks began to gently pull away the layers of paper. There, carved into the stone were these words:

Vegeta, Prince Of The Saiyans The first To Die, The Last To Be Forgotten

"Oh, Trunks," gasped Jackie. She folded her hands and whispered a quick prayer.

"So..." started Jackie after a moment, "these are all the names of the people who've died at the hands of those beasts?"

"The ones who their friends and families could remember, yes."

Jackie nodded slightly.

After looking at her for a moment, Trunks sighed and pulled out a permanent marker from his pocket. "Here," he said. "You can add your parent's names if you want."

She gazed at the marker, her eyes welling up again, but she smiled and wiped her eyes, accepting it. She wrote:

John And Elizabeth Shiro The Best Parents I Could've Had

She leaned back onto her knees and folded her hands in prayer.

After a minute, she stood up again gingerly.

There were tears streaming down her cheeks as she looked at Trunks.

"Jackie..." he began sympathetically.

Before he could say more, she flung her arms around him and cried into his shoulder. "Thank you," she said through her tears. "I couldn't have asked for someone better to be rescued by. You're my best friend. I love you."

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A/N: Awwww! Okay, it's a good chapter if the author keeps getting shivers as she writes it! So what do you all think? Well, tell me! I bothered to write this for all of you readers, so all I ask in return is a little review! There's only three more chapters coming up, folks! The end is drawing near!

Next chapter: Time passes and things are going absolutely wonderfully for the Briefs and Jackie. But who's this on the phone? Next time, Jackie has to make a huge decision that'll affect everyone! Don't give up on me, it will be written!