Chapter 4: Love Forever
"How's your mom?" Pan asked Trunks when he entered their room. She sat on the bed giving Little Vegeta his evening bottle.
"Not good. The last time I saw mom this upset was before your parents were even married, when Goku told us Majin Buu had killed my dad and your dad," Trunks walked over to the dresser and pulled out something he hadn't worn in quite a while - his saiyan armor.
"Trunks, what are you doing?" Pan stood, holding Little Vegeta close to her; was she about to loose her husband, too? She stood beside him with tears in her eyes.
He pulled the last bit of his armor on and ran his hand down her cheek. "Don't cry, I'll be gone less than a day. I am just going to go find dad. Somehow, I don't think he's training, I haven't felt his energy fluctuated the way it does when he's training. Hopefully, I'll be back before you wake but it may be tomorrow evening. Please, Pan, I need to do this for my mother. Christmas has always been hard for her because father never truly got into the spirit, but she would rather have him be a scrooge about Christmas than him not be here at all," he said softly.
Pan smiled. "Just be careful. Don't worry about the others. I'll just tell them you're spending the day alone meditating and will be back at dinner," she said.
"Thank you," Trunks replied. He gently set his hand on his sleeping son's head and kissed his wife. Then he took off in search of Vegeta.
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Trunks yawned as the sun began to rise. He had been following Vegeta's ki signal all night and finally found his father asleep in a small cave. Shortly, as sunlight began to fill the cave, Vegeta woke up. He sat up, seeing his son. "What are you doing here?" Vegeta said gruffly.
"Looking for you. I brought you breakfast," Trunks replied, nodding toward the food near his father. Vegeta began to eat as Trunks continued, "Listen, I know you want to be left alone, but just give me a few minutes. I don't know what you're doing, but I know you're not training. From that bag over there and the fact the dragon radar is missing, I'd say you're gathering the dragon balls. What I can't figure out is why."
Vegeta swallowed his bite and sat silent for a time. "It's for your mother. I want her to have the best Christmas present I can get her," he said quietly.
"Huh? I don't get it, dad. All she wants is for you to be home; that's the best present you can give her," Trunks said, perplexed; what was his father talking about?
Vegeta stood, gathered his things, and walked out of the cave; Trunks followed. "Did you hear your sister ask your mother what she wanted for Christmas?" Vegeta asked, looking at the sunrise then Trunks.
"I did and I heard mom's answer. Yes, she would like to see you compassionate and soft rather than arrogant and rude, but the most important thing for her is to have you at home for Christmas," Trunks replied, following Vegeta to a nearby stream where they grabbed a drink and washed up.
"Trunks, there is something you will never understand," Vegeta said, standing back up, "I will never be able to give your mother what she deserves. Why she ever stayed with me is beyond me. She deserves much better than I could ever give her."
"That's not true, dad," Trunks said, grabbing Vegeta's arm as he tried to fly off. Trunks flung his dad to the ground and glared at him. "Listen to me. Mom doesn't care. She wants you. She chose you. You know as well as I do she could have had someone else. She had countless opportunities to marry Yamcha before she met you and even after, but she didn't. Why? Because she always felt there was someone else she was supposed to be with. Then you came and she knew, she knew you were the one. She knows that you aren't as soft and compassionate as the others and you never will be. She doesn't care. She loves you for who you are and all she wants is for you to realize that. She doesn't care about the gift you give her as long as she has you. I know you love her, that's all she cares about. If you two didn't love each other Victor, Bra, and I wouldn't be here. Yes, she deserves the best and for her, you are the best. How long will it take you to realize that?"
Vegeta stared at his oldest son. How could Trunks even dare to say that? Vegeta wiped the dust and blood off his mouth as he stood up to face Trunks. Part of Vegeta wanted to go after Trunks but as he began to, something stopped him. Trunks stood in amazement when Vegeta stood down from the attack. "I don't know," Vegeta said softly.
"Huh?" Trunks said, powering down from his recent transformation.
"I don't know how long it will take me to realize that," Vegeta repeated, looking at Trunks, "Listen, I'll be home Christmas morning. I need to do this, Trunks. Don't say anything about it or when I'll be home. And I have to do it on my own, understand?"
Trunks smiled. "Sure, dad, but one more thing," he replied as Vegeta was about to take off, "You might want this." He pulled the four-star dragon ball out of his pocket and tossed it to his father.
"But...how?" Vegeta asked, perplexed, looking at the dragon ball.
"I told you, I figured you were gathering the dragon balls. Goku has had the four-star ball for a while. You know the sentimental value it has for him. I didn't think you would want to try to explain to Goku why you want it. I told him I was gathering them for a special gift and that I would find it for him again in a year. Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. I can't say I agree with you staying gone, but I will hold you to being back at Christmas. Good luck, dad," Trunks replied and then took off before Vegeta could say anything.
Vegeta looked at the four-star ball and then after his son. So much of Bulma resided in their children. Trunks' words resounded in his head. Could he truly make this a Christmas for Bulma to remember? He wondered about it as he took off after the next dragon ball.
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"So you mean Trunks took off, too?" Bra asked Pan as they, Victor, Goten, and Bulma sat own for breakfast.
"Not really, he needed a break, so I told him to take one today, he'll be back by dinner," Pan replied then focused on her food.
"Well, I decided I couldn't stay gone that long. Besides I got done what I needed to," Trunks said, entering the room. He smiled at Pan as he sat down and proceeded to eat his meal in silence.
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"Looks like I'm going to have to get wet again." Vegeta was following the dragon ball signal over a vast ocean but as he neared the signal, he found it was on an island. An island he recognized. Kame island. "Great. Now what? I'll have to tell them my story to get the dragon ball." Vegeta stopped midair, trying to decide what to do. Suddenly, he saw someone flying toward him - 18.
"Vegeta," 18 said as she approached him, "Trunks told me you would be coming. He said you would be wanting this." She held out the seven-star ball to him.
"That boy didn't listen to me," Vegeta replied gruffly, taking the ball from 18.
"Oh, he did," she replied, "he just knew you didn't want to share your reason for collecting the dragon balls. He pulled me aside, told me you were collecting them for a special gift for Bulma, and that I, under no condition, was to tell anyone anything. He would tell me nothing else."
"I'll get him for that," Vegeta smirked, "Thank you, 18."
"Don't mention it. But, Vegeta, if you're looking for the perfect gift for Bulma, then return home. She just wants you for Christmas," 18 replied then flew off before Vegeta could say anything.
Once again, Vegeta was speechless. Why was it that Bulma's wish for him for Christmas kept haunting him? He shook his head; he'd figure it out later. Right now, he had to get Bulma her white Christmas. He flew off in search for the last two dragon balls.
"How's your mom?" Pan asked Trunks when he entered their room. She sat on the bed giving Little Vegeta his evening bottle.
"Not good. The last time I saw mom this upset was before your parents were even married, when Goku told us Majin Buu had killed my dad and your dad," Trunks walked over to the dresser and pulled out something he hadn't worn in quite a while - his saiyan armor.
"Trunks, what are you doing?" Pan stood, holding Little Vegeta close to her; was she about to loose her husband, too? She stood beside him with tears in her eyes.
He pulled the last bit of his armor on and ran his hand down her cheek. "Don't cry, I'll be gone less than a day. I am just going to go find dad. Somehow, I don't think he's training, I haven't felt his energy fluctuated the way it does when he's training. Hopefully, I'll be back before you wake but it may be tomorrow evening. Please, Pan, I need to do this for my mother. Christmas has always been hard for her because father never truly got into the spirit, but she would rather have him be a scrooge about Christmas than him not be here at all," he said softly.
Pan smiled. "Just be careful. Don't worry about the others. I'll just tell them you're spending the day alone meditating and will be back at dinner," she said.
"Thank you," Trunks replied. He gently set his hand on his sleeping son's head and kissed his wife. Then he took off in search of Vegeta.
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Trunks yawned as the sun began to rise. He had been following Vegeta's ki signal all night and finally found his father asleep in a small cave. Shortly, as sunlight began to fill the cave, Vegeta woke up. He sat up, seeing his son. "What are you doing here?" Vegeta said gruffly.
"Looking for you. I brought you breakfast," Trunks replied, nodding toward the food near his father. Vegeta began to eat as Trunks continued, "Listen, I know you want to be left alone, but just give me a few minutes. I don't know what you're doing, but I know you're not training. From that bag over there and the fact the dragon radar is missing, I'd say you're gathering the dragon balls. What I can't figure out is why."
Vegeta swallowed his bite and sat silent for a time. "It's for your mother. I want her to have the best Christmas present I can get her," he said quietly.
"Huh? I don't get it, dad. All she wants is for you to be home; that's the best present you can give her," Trunks said, perplexed; what was his father talking about?
Vegeta stood, gathered his things, and walked out of the cave; Trunks followed. "Did you hear your sister ask your mother what she wanted for Christmas?" Vegeta asked, looking at the sunrise then Trunks.
"I did and I heard mom's answer. Yes, she would like to see you compassionate and soft rather than arrogant and rude, but the most important thing for her is to have you at home for Christmas," Trunks replied, following Vegeta to a nearby stream where they grabbed a drink and washed up.
"Trunks, there is something you will never understand," Vegeta said, standing back up, "I will never be able to give your mother what she deserves. Why she ever stayed with me is beyond me. She deserves much better than I could ever give her."
"That's not true, dad," Trunks said, grabbing Vegeta's arm as he tried to fly off. Trunks flung his dad to the ground and glared at him. "Listen to me. Mom doesn't care. She wants you. She chose you. You know as well as I do she could have had someone else. She had countless opportunities to marry Yamcha before she met you and even after, but she didn't. Why? Because she always felt there was someone else she was supposed to be with. Then you came and she knew, she knew you were the one. She knows that you aren't as soft and compassionate as the others and you never will be. She doesn't care. She loves you for who you are and all she wants is for you to realize that. She doesn't care about the gift you give her as long as she has you. I know you love her, that's all she cares about. If you two didn't love each other Victor, Bra, and I wouldn't be here. Yes, she deserves the best and for her, you are the best. How long will it take you to realize that?"
Vegeta stared at his oldest son. How could Trunks even dare to say that? Vegeta wiped the dust and blood off his mouth as he stood up to face Trunks. Part of Vegeta wanted to go after Trunks but as he began to, something stopped him. Trunks stood in amazement when Vegeta stood down from the attack. "I don't know," Vegeta said softly.
"Huh?" Trunks said, powering down from his recent transformation.
"I don't know how long it will take me to realize that," Vegeta repeated, looking at Trunks, "Listen, I'll be home Christmas morning. I need to do this, Trunks. Don't say anything about it or when I'll be home. And I have to do it on my own, understand?"
Trunks smiled. "Sure, dad, but one more thing," he replied as Vegeta was about to take off, "You might want this." He pulled the four-star dragon ball out of his pocket and tossed it to his father.
"But...how?" Vegeta asked, perplexed, looking at the dragon ball.
"I told you, I figured you were gathering the dragon balls. Goku has had the four-star ball for a while. You know the sentimental value it has for him. I didn't think you would want to try to explain to Goku why you want it. I told him I was gathering them for a special gift and that I would find it for him again in a year. Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. I can't say I agree with you staying gone, but I will hold you to being back at Christmas. Good luck, dad," Trunks replied and then took off before Vegeta could say anything.
Vegeta looked at the four-star ball and then after his son. So much of Bulma resided in their children. Trunks' words resounded in his head. Could he truly make this a Christmas for Bulma to remember? He wondered about it as he took off after the next dragon ball.
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"So you mean Trunks took off, too?" Bra asked Pan as they, Victor, Goten, and Bulma sat own for breakfast.
"Not really, he needed a break, so I told him to take one today, he'll be back by dinner," Pan replied then focused on her food.
"Well, I decided I couldn't stay gone that long. Besides I got done what I needed to," Trunks said, entering the room. He smiled at Pan as he sat down and proceeded to eat his meal in silence.
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"Looks like I'm going to have to get wet again." Vegeta was following the dragon ball signal over a vast ocean but as he neared the signal, he found it was on an island. An island he recognized. Kame island. "Great. Now what? I'll have to tell them my story to get the dragon ball." Vegeta stopped midair, trying to decide what to do. Suddenly, he saw someone flying toward him - 18.
"Vegeta," 18 said as she approached him, "Trunks told me you would be coming. He said you would be wanting this." She held out the seven-star ball to him.
"That boy didn't listen to me," Vegeta replied gruffly, taking the ball from 18.
"Oh, he did," she replied, "he just knew you didn't want to share your reason for collecting the dragon balls. He pulled me aside, told me you were collecting them for a special gift for Bulma, and that I, under no condition, was to tell anyone anything. He would tell me nothing else."
"I'll get him for that," Vegeta smirked, "Thank you, 18."
"Don't mention it. But, Vegeta, if you're looking for the perfect gift for Bulma, then return home. She just wants you for Christmas," 18 replied then flew off before Vegeta could say anything.
Once again, Vegeta was speechless. Why was it that Bulma's wish for him for Christmas kept haunting him? He shook his head; he'd figure it out later. Right now, he had to get Bulma her white Christmas. He flew off in search for the last two dragon balls.