I don't own DBZ/DBGT.

A/N: ….. *bursts into tears* almost done… um, er, ano… 183? Please?

And sorry about the wait. Tests are everywhere x_x

What's Betrayal Among Friends?

Chapter 22 – Hear Me Out, Will Ya?!

Birds flew away. Squirrels stopped squirling. A baby far away started crying. All at the uttering of a single sentence.

"How. Could. You."

A simple question; a simple question that turned two young men's lives upside down.

"Goten, what… why are you…"

"Stay out of this, Paris-chan."

Trunks stood up, his face expressionless as only his father could teach him. He met his friend's glare calmly.

"How could you?"

"How could I what?"

"You know damn well! How long has this been going on?!"

Goten only glanced accusingly at Paris momentarily before sending the full death glare at Trunks.

"How can you even look me in the eye?"

"He, he wanted to take me away from you!"

The cheater squeeked as she clang to Goten's arm, sending Trunks a 'play-along-I'll-get-us-out-of-this' glance, which he knew better as 'sorry-you're-screwed'.

"Goten, please…"

"The hell with it! I came here, finding you with my girl, and you want me to listen?!"

Paris let go; Trunks got his guard up, calling an aura of Ki. He wasn't going to attack, mind you; Goten just had a massive energy ball in his hand. The purple haired boy almost didn't dodge it.

"Come back here!"

An energy fight in the middle of the park sure got attention. Bra blinked as she looked from her hiding place. Then she ran to where her brother and crushed were, along with a massive presence of Ki.

"Well damn it all to bloody hell."

Marron, Ubuu and Pan looked as the two heated up. Ubuu was about to fly and stop them, when Marron stopped him. Both quarter Saiyan and demon's reincarnation stared at her.

"Are you insane?!"

"I trust them."

"TRUST?!... Marron, excuse me, but Goten's gonna kill your ex! What's wrong with you?!"

"I just know them too well."

But Pan wasn't about to let her crush and uncle go at it. She flew forward. However, fate (or me :P) wasn't about to let her interfere.

"PAN! STOP! HALT! PAAAAAN!"

And before her floated her small robotic friend.

"Gillu! Not you too!"

"Pan, please. Rash thinking won't help."

"But it can't hurt!"

Trying to get past him, Pan only managed to get Gillu clinging to her neck, trying to stop her.

"Why're you trying to stop me?!"

"Gillu trusts Trunks."

"I know, but…"

"Gillu trusts Pan, too."

The girl stopped and blinked.

"Nani…"

"Does Pan trust Trunks?"

She trusted them all. She really did. And when it came down to it, she'd place her life in her hands. She did it before. Now she had to trust her gut instinct, telling her her older friend knew what he was doing. There was still a nagging part of her that wanted to bite her uncle's head off, but that was that annoying thing called love.

'I'm gonna regret this.'

The sky was quickly filled with energy blasts, but the energy belonged only to one of the two.

"Stop dodging and fight me!"

"I won't! Goten, listen to me!"

Another blast. Trunks saw that the only thing he could do was to talk, and pray that his friend hadn't gotten deaf.

"Goten, I'm sorry you had to find out this way, but I had no other choice! Goten, your fiance's a cheating bitch."

"SHUT UP!"

The energy ball hit fair and square.

"Trunks!"

Bra cried from bellow. Goten winced in regret, but anger was stronger. Trunks was still there, even more determined than he was.

"I won't. I'm sorry it seems like she's cheating with me, but you have to believe me, Goten, I hate her guts for what she did to you."

"Yeah right. But you don't have proof of any other people, now do you?"

Trunks knew that if he said anything, he wouldn't get through to him. But Dende was in a good mood. Trunks didn't have to do any of the talking.

"He's right, Goten-kun."

The calm voice brought all's attention to the bluette. She looked at Trunks, who looked back gratefully.

"When we bought your suit… when we sat in the restaurant. When you…"

A blush crept to her cheeks, which caused Paris to glare at her. Bra felt extreme satisfaction from that.

"…when you proposed to get the hang of it."

Blushing crimson as well, Goten didn't look at the girl's glaring brother, even though Trunks had to admit, if only that was for real…

"I saw her in the restaurant. With another guy. She said that he was her cousin. Well, you don't French kiss your cousin, now do you?"

The accused woman tried to make an escape, only to bump into a certain young man with an African origin.

"Now, where are you going?"

Panic began to settle.

"You… you're wrong. It couldn't have been her."

The husband-to-be, or not, denied the very thought.

"I told you she told me, right? She ran after me, telling me to stay away from him… and from you."

"Goten…"

Trunks tried to reason again now that his friend seemed to be calmer, but was only hit by another energy ball.

"Lies! My Paris would never have done such a thing! You tricked her! It was your fault!"

Several more energy balls came; Trunks tried to avoid none, causing Goten to blink.

'Why isn't he fighting back?!'

"What's the matter?! Won't you fight for your girl?! I bet you liked her kisses, she's a good kisser!"

Paris had to blush, and so did Pan, only the later had something to say in the matter.

"Now wait just a minute! The only time they kissed was when Paris forced it on Trunks! I saw them!"

Now everyone looked at the Son girl.

'So that's why she didn't like me.'

Paris realized.

'Go Pan-chan!'

Both Marron and Bra thought, smiling their support at the girl. Trunks looked at her guiltily. Goten didn't know what to say. He knew his niece liked his friend; but to such an extent she'd lie for him?

"I was out shopping with Marron when I saw them. I… I felt so betrayed."

When Trunks looked at her, she looked away, trying to fight back the tears. If he could, he would've hugged her tightly. But if he did as much as move, he'd get blasted again.

"I guess this is what you're feeling now. You want to blast him, don't you?"

Yep.

"But it's not his fault, Uncle Goten! I see it now. If it was, Bra never would've supported him all along!"

"All along. Right."

The bluette giggled as her brother rubbed his cheek.

"Trunks is the victim here. You're the victim. Not that witch you claim to love… and that claims to love you back."

"No… no! She'd never do that to me!"

Trying to fight up to the very last moment.

"So you're saying Trunks would?"

At the sound of his other best friend's voice, Goten stared.

"Ma, Marron!"

"I've known you both from birth. We've been though a lot together. 30 years, Goten? 30 years of friendship. Are you going to throw it away over a misunderstanding? For Dende's sake, man, he's trying to help you here!"

It was done. All the cats have been let out of their bags. Ball was in Goten's court now.