Well, here I am again. (Waits, expecting applause and trumpets, but hears
only the chirping of crickets. Clears throat.) Anyway, I took yesterday off
for this fic, to do some more planning, and I think I'm getting it. Thanks
for all the help and support everyone. The symbols I put up to separate
scenes don't show up anymore, I don't for the life of me know why, but I
found something that works. Not as neatly as I'd hoped, but it'll do. If
you see a little squiggly line at the end of a sentence, just take it to
mean that whatever comes next is in a different scene or perspective. Oh,
and as for them still living with Bulma, Vegeta has no real job and Usagi's
a teacher's assistant. They don't have enough to buy a house, although
they're saving for one. The pay Bulma a very small rent, and help with
buying the groceries and stuff. Also, Veggie does chores.
~
Veggie toweled sweat off his face with a sigh as he walked into Capsule Corp, glad his training was finally done. His father insisted on a certain regime for training to be completed every day, no exceptions. Vegeta himself had finished his training hours ago, but Veggie knew better than to try to skip out on his session. Somehow, Vegeta always knew about it when he did.
He was used to the achy muscles and tired feeling, and was very thankful he had no homework that night. His mother was very strict about him doing his homework, he didn't know why, but she was, and what Usagi said, Vegeta supported.
"Oh, hello young man. Could you tell everyone that I'll have dinner ready in five minutes?"
Veggie nodded, a smile plastered to his face, and edged away from Bulma's mother. The woman was getting on in years, and often got confused. She hadn't been aloud to so much as boil water since she had almost burned the house down two years ago. Bulma had hired a cook, who always served dinner at the exact same time every night. Veggie knew he had an hour and a half yet to wait to eat. Like most children, old people kind of frightened Veggie, and he was all too glad when Mrs. Briefs wandered away.
He peeked into Bulma's study as he passed, hoping to catch a glimpse of another one of Bulma and Yamcha's splendid arguments, but all was quiet, at least at his end of the house. Bulma had been engaged to Yamcha since before Veggie was born, but they still hadn't gotten married yet. Veggie was glad; if they got married, then they'd start acting all ooey-gooey like his parents and stop having such awesome arguments. He didn't particularly like either of them, since they always took their son's side against Veggie, no matter who was really at fault. Just because it was usually Veggie's fault didn't mean they shouldn't listen to both sides of the argument like Veggie's mother did. Trunks didn't know how his half-brother Trunks could have turned out so normal with a whacked-out mom like Bulma.
Well, at least he wasn't related to Yamcha, too. Veggie decided Trunks was normal because of Vegeta.
He tossed his sweaty towel over a chair in the living room, deciding to take a bath, but when he got to the hallway, his way was blocked by a couple. The woman was pinned against the wall by the man, her arms around his neck, hands in his hair. The man's hands rested on her waist with familiarity and possessiveness as they kissed passionately, as if they were the only two people in the world.
"Eeeew, YUCK! Can't you do that somewhere else! Oh man, that's so gross, I'm gonna be scarred for life! EEEEEUUUUUWWWWW!"
His parents pulled away from each other quickly, and while Usagi had the decency to blush and look down, Vegeta glared angrily at him. As if he had been the one doing something wrong! Sometimes, Veggie decided, his father had really weird logic.
"What do you think you're doing, brat?" He snarled.
"Well, I was gonna take a bath, but you're in my way. You guys are way too old to be doing that, you know. Dende, can't you ever just act normal?" He answered, letting his tone display his disapproval over his parents' actions. It was just so gross. Trouser never had to deal with stuff like this, and at least Goshin's parents were only affectionate when they thought no one was looking, but KISSING in the middle of the HALLWAY where ANYONE could see them?
"Make sure you wash up good, Veggie." Usagi ordered, composure regained during Veggie and Vegeta's glaring match. "Trunks is having dinner with us tonight, and he's bringing a special friend."
Veggie immediately brightened. "Trunks is coming home?"
"Yes, so I want you to wash your hair and your tail and make sure you get behind your ears, and-"
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Jeesh, leave me alone, I know how to take a bath. I'm not a baby, mom." He rolled his eyes, unwinding his tail from around his waist and continuing on his way to the bathroom. Parents could be so annoying sometimes, especially mothers. ~
By the time Veggie was dried and dressed, he heard the familiar noises in the entrance hall downstairs that meant visitors. He took the stairs two at a time and was hugging his half-brother before the tall lavender haired man knew what hit him.
"Well, there you are, bro." Trunks laughed. "I was wondering where you were."
Veggie suddenly realized hugging wasn't a very manly thing to do and pulled away, solemnly offering to shake his brother's hand instead. The twenty-two year old half Saiyan laughed again then, blue eyes sparkling with mirth, shook Veggie's smaller hand. He then straitened, turned, and hugged Vegeta.
"WHAT THE HELL BRAT!?!?!"
Trunks released his father with a smirk, winking at Veggie - he always had liked making Vegeta yell - and turned to Usagi, who hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek. Veggie didn't know how his brother endured the humiliation. He then hugged Bulma and finally gave a half wave to Yamcha - who he didn't like any more than Veggie did.
"Where's Trouser?" He asked, once done greeting everyone but his other half- brother.
"Probably upstairs doing his homework." Bulma answered proudly. "That boy had a head for schoolwork, he's always studying."
"Yeah, cause he actually needs to study." Veggie snorted.
"Veggie."
He looked to meet his mother's disapproving frown and only shrugged. Bulma always gave Trouser treats for being smart, but Veggie was mush smarter than him, and he didn't get half the attention.
"Everyone, I'd like you to meet my fiancée, Monica. She's in my History of Law class at college. That's where we met." Trunks smiled, putting his arm around a girl Veggie had never seen before. She was shorter than Trunks, but taller than Bulma, and had shoulder length brown black hair, brown eyes, and very tan skin. That was all the impression Veggie had time to make before everyone was crowding in, trying to greet the new girl. Then the cook came, and announced that dinner was ready.
Veggie liked all the noise of comfortable conversation that came with meals at Capsule Corp, especially when Trunks was visiting from college. The laughter and teasing and retelling of all the grand fights that came before Veggie was born - he loved hearing it. He wished he had a battle story to tell, but at the age of twelve, Veggie had never been in a real fight. Just sparring with his dad or Trunks or anyone else who was around, and that didn't count. He wanted the danger, the excitement, the-
"Moooom!" He wailed, mortified. "I can fix my own plate! I'm not a baby, you know."
"Oh, no, of course not." Usagi smiled slightly, putting the plate she had been fixing down, and went to sit next to his father. Veggie knew with disgusting certainty that they were probably holding hands under the table.
The doorbell rang, and Bulma went to get it, coming back a few moments later.
"It's for you, Usagi."
"Me?" She looked startled. "Who is it?"
"I don't know, some woman. She said she's an old friend."
"All my old friends here are your old friends." She mumbled, rising. Vegeta's eyes watched her leave.
"So, little bro, what have you been up to?" Trunks asked, sitting next to him. Veggie was both surprised and pleased at the action. After all, Trunks was the one everyone wanted to be talking to at the moment, he had been gone a long time. Veggie understood why everyone liked him, he himself had always adored Trunks, the closest thing he had to a sibling. "Got a girlfriend yet?"
"No."
"He sure does spend a lotta' time around Goshin though." Trouser smirked, sitting on Trunks' other side just before his fiancée could. The dark haired girl smiled patiently and sat across from him instead.
"Is this true, Veggie?" Trunks asked teasingly.
"She's just my friend."
"You sure?" He grinned.
"What's this? My brat will not be mating with the spawn of Kakarrot!"
"Mating? No way, I'm never gonna' mate! I don't like Goshin!"
"Veggie and Goshin sitting in a tree!" Trouser chanted.
The teasing and banter cut off abruptly as Vegeta suddenly leapt to his feet, a strange look in his eye, mumbling something about someone blocking him. At that exact moment there was a scream from outside and suddenly everyone was rushing for the door, Vegeta in the lead. Veggie followed, having no idea what was going on until he ran outside into the twilight and saw his father fall to his knees beside a body that was twisted in an unnatural position. Veggie tried to run to him, but Trunks' hand on his shoulder stopped him. Veggie could only think of one thing. A smiling face and soft hands and a woman who'd always tried to take care of him, and why had he been embarrassed by her and why had he snapped at her and why wasn't she moving?
"Mommy?" He whispered. ~
To Be Continued
Veggie toweled sweat off his face with a sigh as he walked into Capsule Corp, glad his training was finally done. His father insisted on a certain regime for training to be completed every day, no exceptions. Vegeta himself had finished his training hours ago, but Veggie knew better than to try to skip out on his session. Somehow, Vegeta always knew about it when he did.
He was used to the achy muscles and tired feeling, and was very thankful he had no homework that night. His mother was very strict about him doing his homework, he didn't know why, but she was, and what Usagi said, Vegeta supported.
"Oh, hello young man. Could you tell everyone that I'll have dinner ready in five minutes?"
Veggie nodded, a smile plastered to his face, and edged away from Bulma's mother. The woman was getting on in years, and often got confused. She hadn't been aloud to so much as boil water since she had almost burned the house down two years ago. Bulma had hired a cook, who always served dinner at the exact same time every night. Veggie knew he had an hour and a half yet to wait to eat. Like most children, old people kind of frightened Veggie, and he was all too glad when Mrs. Briefs wandered away.
He peeked into Bulma's study as he passed, hoping to catch a glimpse of another one of Bulma and Yamcha's splendid arguments, but all was quiet, at least at his end of the house. Bulma had been engaged to Yamcha since before Veggie was born, but they still hadn't gotten married yet. Veggie was glad; if they got married, then they'd start acting all ooey-gooey like his parents and stop having such awesome arguments. He didn't particularly like either of them, since they always took their son's side against Veggie, no matter who was really at fault. Just because it was usually Veggie's fault didn't mean they shouldn't listen to both sides of the argument like Veggie's mother did. Trunks didn't know how his half-brother Trunks could have turned out so normal with a whacked-out mom like Bulma.
Well, at least he wasn't related to Yamcha, too. Veggie decided Trunks was normal because of Vegeta.
He tossed his sweaty towel over a chair in the living room, deciding to take a bath, but when he got to the hallway, his way was blocked by a couple. The woman was pinned against the wall by the man, her arms around his neck, hands in his hair. The man's hands rested on her waist with familiarity and possessiveness as they kissed passionately, as if they were the only two people in the world.
"Eeeew, YUCK! Can't you do that somewhere else! Oh man, that's so gross, I'm gonna be scarred for life! EEEEEUUUUUWWWWW!"
His parents pulled away from each other quickly, and while Usagi had the decency to blush and look down, Vegeta glared angrily at him. As if he had been the one doing something wrong! Sometimes, Veggie decided, his father had really weird logic.
"What do you think you're doing, brat?" He snarled.
"Well, I was gonna take a bath, but you're in my way. You guys are way too old to be doing that, you know. Dende, can't you ever just act normal?" He answered, letting his tone display his disapproval over his parents' actions. It was just so gross. Trouser never had to deal with stuff like this, and at least Goshin's parents were only affectionate when they thought no one was looking, but KISSING in the middle of the HALLWAY where ANYONE could see them?
"Make sure you wash up good, Veggie." Usagi ordered, composure regained during Veggie and Vegeta's glaring match. "Trunks is having dinner with us tonight, and he's bringing a special friend."
Veggie immediately brightened. "Trunks is coming home?"
"Yes, so I want you to wash your hair and your tail and make sure you get behind your ears, and-"
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Jeesh, leave me alone, I know how to take a bath. I'm not a baby, mom." He rolled his eyes, unwinding his tail from around his waist and continuing on his way to the bathroom. Parents could be so annoying sometimes, especially mothers. ~
By the time Veggie was dried and dressed, he heard the familiar noises in the entrance hall downstairs that meant visitors. He took the stairs two at a time and was hugging his half-brother before the tall lavender haired man knew what hit him.
"Well, there you are, bro." Trunks laughed. "I was wondering where you were."
Veggie suddenly realized hugging wasn't a very manly thing to do and pulled away, solemnly offering to shake his brother's hand instead. The twenty-two year old half Saiyan laughed again then, blue eyes sparkling with mirth, shook Veggie's smaller hand. He then straitened, turned, and hugged Vegeta.
"WHAT THE HELL BRAT!?!?!"
Trunks released his father with a smirk, winking at Veggie - he always had liked making Vegeta yell - and turned to Usagi, who hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek. Veggie didn't know how his brother endured the humiliation. He then hugged Bulma and finally gave a half wave to Yamcha - who he didn't like any more than Veggie did.
"Where's Trouser?" He asked, once done greeting everyone but his other half- brother.
"Probably upstairs doing his homework." Bulma answered proudly. "That boy had a head for schoolwork, he's always studying."
"Yeah, cause he actually needs to study." Veggie snorted.
"Veggie."
He looked to meet his mother's disapproving frown and only shrugged. Bulma always gave Trouser treats for being smart, but Veggie was mush smarter than him, and he didn't get half the attention.
"Everyone, I'd like you to meet my fiancée, Monica. She's in my History of Law class at college. That's where we met." Trunks smiled, putting his arm around a girl Veggie had never seen before. She was shorter than Trunks, but taller than Bulma, and had shoulder length brown black hair, brown eyes, and very tan skin. That was all the impression Veggie had time to make before everyone was crowding in, trying to greet the new girl. Then the cook came, and announced that dinner was ready.
Veggie liked all the noise of comfortable conversation that came with meals at Capsule Corp, especially when Trunks was visiting from college. The laughter and teasing and retelling of all the grand fights that came before Veggie was born - he loved hearing it. He wished he had a battle story to tell, but at the age of twelve, Veggie had never been in a real fight. Just sparring with his dad or Trunks or anyone else who was around, and that didn't count. He wanted the danger, the excitement, the-
"Moooom!" He wailed, mortified. "I can fix my own plate! I'm not a baby, you know."
"Oh, no, of course not." Usagi smiled slightly, putting the plate she had been fixing down, and went to sit next to his father. Veggie knew with disgusting certainty that they were probably holding hands under the table.
The doorbell rang, and Bulma went to get it, coming back a few moments later.
"It's for you, Usagi."
"Me?" She looked startled. "Who is it?"
"I don't know, some woman. She said she's an old friend."
"All my old friends here are your old friends." She mumbled, rising. Vegeta's eyes watched her leave.
"So, little bro, what have you been up to?" Trunks asked, sitting next to him. Veggie was both surprised and pleased at the action. After all, Trunks was the one everyone wanted to be talking to at the moment, he had been gone a long time. Veggie understood why everyone liked him, he himself had always adored Trunks, the closest thing he had to a sibling. "Got a girlfriend yet?"
"No."
"He sure does spend a lotta' time around Goshin though." Trouser smirked, sitting on Trunks' other side just before his fiancée could. The dark haired girl smiled patiently and sat across from him instead.
"Is this true, Veggie?" Trunks asked teasingly.
"She's just my friend."
"You sure?" He grinned.
"What's this? My brat will not be mating with the spawn of Kakarrot!"
"Mating? No way, I'm never gonna' mate! I don't like Goshin!"
"Veggie and Goshin sitting in a tree!" Trouser chanted.
The teasing and banter cut off abruptly as Vegeta suddenly leapt to his feet, a strange look in his eye, mumbling something about someone blocking him. At that exact moment there was a scream from outside and suddenly everyone was rushing for the door, Vegeta in the lead. Veggie followed, having no idea what was going on until he ran outside into the twilight and saw his father fall to his knees beside a body that was twisted in an unnatural position. Veggie tried to run to him, but Trunks' hand on his shoulder stopped him. Veggie could only think of one thing. A smiling face and soft hands and a woman who'd always tried to take care of him, and why had he been embarrassed by her and why had he snapped at her and why wasn't she moving?
"Mommy?" He whispered. ~
To Be Continued