I don't own DBZ/DBGT.

Gotens Angel: o.o your best friend is a machine gun?! Mine too! *takes out a beam canon*

Sugar Cubes: no sugar for you!

Ssjmiraitrks: soon enough?

Brachan90: the world isn't full of idiots. It's just run by them.

Goten's Gaurdian Angel: o.o Mirai Gohan's mine! Give him back!

Lord Nazgul: ^_^ glad to see the 'regulars' are still liking this.

Juunanagou4ever: Pearl Harbor? o.O you lost me

Heather: o.o omg, even anonymous reviewers are reviewing! Me am happy!

Parron: that was deep.

What's Betrayal Among Friends?

Chapter 18 – Self Inflicted Pep Talks and Plain Answers

The door to the house opened loudly. Vegeta looked up from the newspaper, which he found rather amusing. What he saw would be amusing as well, had he not found it to be so frightening.

"What happened to you?"

Bra stood there with messy hair, stained cloths, and a turn purse.

"I. am going. To kill. That. Little. Piece. Of. Mechanic. JUNK!"

Did Vegeta see his daughter's hair flash blonde there?

"Oh, your brother's little robot friend? What did he do?"

The girl presented her once-purse.

"He completely destroyed my purse, so I'm going to destroy him!"

The father chuckled as the girl stumped past him.

"Ah, she is her mother's daughter… huh?"

Sensing someone behind him, Vegeta turned around to see Trunks close the door and lean against it. His entire manner spoke of great sadness and suppressed frustration. Bad combination to handle without blowing something to bits. Vegeta knew; he'd been there too many times.

"You look like someone died. What's the matter, beaten by Mr. Satan?"

He said it with a smirk, but his son only walked past him, hands in his pockets. Vegeta grabbed Trunks's hand, forcing the Demi-Saiyan to look at him. Those once shining blue eyes were clouded, and… how did the woman put it? Tear stricken?

"Answer me, boy. And so help me if you don't have a good reason to be this depressed."

Trunks chuckled bitterly.

"Then you'll be disappointed, because this sure isn't your cup of tea."

So Vegeta braced himself.

Chichi silently glanced into the living room and frowned. Goten was still there, leaning against the couch's back, still looking at the door in the dark.

"Goten?"

"I'm all right, Kaa-san."

"I doubt it."

When no answer came, Chichi sighed, and walked away. Steps then came down the stairs, and Goten soon felt his niece lean against him and rest her head on his shoulders. He in return rested his head on hers.

"Why is it that we can't keep our friends, uncle?"

Goten raised an eyebrow.

"What did you and Bra argue about?"

"…nothing of importance. But we worked it out. Kinda."

Her voice still almost cracked.

"So… I heard you're getting married."

"Yeah."

"Don't do it, uncle Goten…"

At this point Goten stood up quickly. Pan almost fell from losing her leaning spot.

"What, what, what, what is it with everybody?! Isn't this what you wanted?!"

"Goten…"

"No!"

It wasn't that he was mad at her. He wasn't mad at Trunks either, mind you. Goten knew Trunks cared for him; heck, the two were closer than him and Gohan! No. He was mad at himself. For acting the way he did. For probably throwing a life long friendship out the window. For not seeing what was obviously upsetting his best friend, something which concerned the woman he loved. Obviously, both reasons for him to know. But he didn't. He was clueless. But it was far easier leashing out at those around him than at himself. So he did just that.

"You've all been barking up my tree, telling me to stop changing girls. I did. Dende help me, I did. I put a ring on her finger, Pan. A ring! That's that, no more fooling around! But now…"

Trying to sort through his thoughts and feelings like his black locks, Goten ran a hand through his hair, and bit his lip.

"But now, instead of being my best man, Trunks tried to talk me out of it. Mom's suddenly not that happy. And now you. Why, Panny? What did I do?"

In a plain voice, Pan answered.

"You didn't do anything."

This only frustrated her uncle more.

"Then why?!"

"I'm not the one to tell you that."

"Then who is?!"

"Your best friend."

Onyx eyes met onyx, and Pan left, not making a sound.

Vegeta sipped his coffee, glancing at his son across the table. Trunks was staring at his cup silently.

"So what happened?"

A sigh was the beginning of the answer.

"A mess."

The father knew that his son wouldn't spill his heart out. His fault, you could say.

"Look, boy…"

"I know what you're going to say. And you're right. I'm a jerk."

Vegeta blinked.

"Huh?"

"I'm being weak. Letting others push me around. It started with me not going and telling. Because I was scared. So I gave her power over me. Big mistake."

Vegeta didn't know exactly what happened, but he didn't like the sound of it.

"Wha, who did…"

But Trunks kept on going.

"And then, when things got too complicated, I backed down, drowning in despair and self pity. My own sister was ready to bite my head off, just because I wasn't strong enough to explain. When did she believe me? When I broke down and begged. That's when."

The prince's blood began boiling, but not more than his son's, which proved as the Demi Saiyan slammed his fist against the table.

"I let myself get dragged down and humiliated. Now my own best friend is ready to part ways. All because I did a stupid mistake!"

Vegeta felt a great confusion and anger as his son went along.

"Well no more! This is where I put the line!"

Determination slowly took over Trunks's voice.

"I will not be pushed anymore. Time to shove back."

Vegeta was taken aback as Trunks stood up, his eyes shining with tamed fury.

"If that girl wants war, she'll get a war!"

The full Saiyan blinked as his son's aura flared up.

"Yeah! I'll show her! I'll show her good!"

His aura died off as a smile decorated Trunks's handsome features.

"Thanks dad, I really needed that. Well, bye now!"

He ran upstairs, leaving his father to blink.

"Ok."

"Lousy, no good, shitting piece of junk!"

Bra was trying desperately to scavenge what little she could of her purse. Tears came to her eyes as she looked at her diary, which she carried everywhere. In her purse.

"My diary… my beloved diary…"

With a soft knock on the door, Trunks walked into the room. Immediately, Bra searched him, his shoulders especially.

"Where is he? WHERE IS HE?!"

"Who?"

The girl practically fumed.

"Don't play innocent with me! I know you're hiding him! Show him!"

But Trunks just blinked.

"Oh, Gillu. Haven't seen him."

The bluette blinked, then sighed.

"Well, come on in. What can I do for you?"

She sat down on her bed and tried to fit two pieces of… something… together.

"It's about Goten."

The girl was back on her feet in an instant, her ruined purse forgotten.

"Did you talk to him?"

A sigh. Gentle features twisted in concern in response.

"Didn't go that well, huh?"

"Went awful, actually."

Trunks pretty much collapsed on his sister's bed.

"He wouldn't hear it. Said that if I was really his best friend I wouldn't tell him such things. He…"

Blue eyes closed as the effort to recall the act was too much for a tired soul.

"He begged for my blessing."

His sister could do nothing less than be sympathetic and, sadly, nothing more.

"What did you say?"

"…Nothing."

"So what are you going to do now?"

As he sat up, Trunks's determined fire returned to his eyes.

"What *we* are going to do about it."

Bra blinked.

"I'm not going to tell Goten, Bra."

"Huh?!"

"Paris is."

A total confused expression.

"Nani?"

"Yep."

The grin turned into a smirk…

"Time for Paris to be caught in the act."

…And the smirk mirrored on both siblings' faces.

A/N: ^_^ hm… 130 reviews? Pretty please with sugar on top? But not for Sugar Cubes. You had enough :p