2. Secrets Unreachable
"Here we are." Trunks landed in front of the door. Leela wasn't far behind him, but right before she landed next to him, loose images suddenly forced their way into her mind; making her dizzy trying to figure them out. They seemed memories, but she didn't remember them. Gravity got to her. She fell down. Trunks saw this and could catch her on time.
"Hey, what happened?" Trunks asked worried.
"Nothing. Let go." Leela struggled and Trunks let go of her.
"Something happened. You cannot just fall out of the sky."
"Yes I can. You've just witnessed it." Leela answered sarcastic.
"What happened?" Trunks demanded.
"Nothing happened. Just leave it." Leela said annoyed.
"There is something." he said suspiciously. "There is something you're not telling me, Leela."
"Well, Trunks, maybe there is, but have you even considered that I might like to keep some stuff to myself?" For crying out loud, they've just met!
Trunks didn't reply and opened the door.
"Trunks? Is that you?" a voice came from downstairs.
"Hi mom! I brought someone." Trunks answered and turned to Leela. "Come on down, you'll meet my mom." Trunks waited for Leela to respond.
"Right, then shall we?" Leela finally said.
"Right, come on." he walked down the stairs, followed by Leela. Soon they reached Bulma.
"Hello son, who's she? Your girlfriend? You finally have a girlfriend?" Bulma said pleased.
"No, mom. Sorry to disappoint you. This is Leela. She a saiyin and agreed to train with me to fight the androids together."
"A saiyin?" Bulma asked surprised.
"I'll explain that part later." Trunks promised. "But she can stay here, right?"
"Sure! Nice to meet you, Leela."
"You too, ma'am." Leela said.
"Please, call me Bulma. By the way, Trunks, I have to see one of my friends later on to help me with this new device. It may help destroy the androids."
"It too dangerous outside, mom." Trunks warned her.
"I'll be very careful. Don't worry, I've done this before." Bulma smiled to comfort Trunks. "Besides, I'll go when it's dark and Heather knows I'm coming."
"Knows? The phones don't work and there isn't anything else to contact with." Leela pointed out.
"We still have walkie-talkies." Bulma contradicted her.
"Smart. But don't the androids know of those things as well?" Leela asked.
"Not yet and I hope it stays that way." Bulma replied.
"So? Where is that room you were talking about?" Leela turned to Trunks.
"Right, that room I was talking about..." Trunks hesitated. "Follow me." he left his mom to go to the end of the hall to the room. Leela was right beside him, exploring the area they walked in. A huge room with a big machine in the corner so there was enough room to fight in. The gravity-meter Trunks had talked about. She saw all kinds of swords hanging on the wall, weights of enormous amount on the floor, some bodybuilding equipment and the rest of the room was empty. The space was obviously needed to train fighting skills.
Trunks closed the door. "Here it is." he said.
"Good." Leela responded. "Let's begin."
"Right now?" Trunks wasn't really surprised to hear her say that. She was a feisty one.
"We shouldn't waste any time." Leela looked in his eyes.
"Sure, fine. Let's begin." Trunks hadn't even finished his sentence or Leela was already on him. He was lucky to have quick reaction or else he couldn't have blocked her punch that had a huge amount of strength behind it. Though he was able to block it, he got shoved against the wall hard. Leela stared at him.
"Come on. Hit me." she simply said.
"I have a better idea. Why don't you try out the gravity-meter? See how you can handle fifty times Earth's normal gravity?" Trunks suggested.
"Why? Are you scared to fight me?" Leela provoked.
"Right, remember you've asked for it." Trunks smirked and flew at her fast. Leela was pleased to know he was indeed very strong, but soon she learned he was way stronger than she was. Suddenly her fear for him came back to her. It made her weak and vulnerable. Trunks noticed this and wondered why. He decided to put an end to their training and ask her. But that wasn't easy since he had trouble stopping the fight. He saw fear in her eyes, and she kept fighting him as if her life depended on it. It not only confused him, but it worried him as well. Then he saw the opportunity to take her down. With a quick and smooth move, he grabbed her from behind and held her in a position which was impossible for her to get out of.
"Let go so we do it over. And this time, I win." Leela said, trying to struggle, but it was no use.
"You're shaking. What's wrong?" Trunks asked, holding her tight.
"Let go, Trunks!" Leela noticed he was right. She had to get out of here, away from him.
"What is wrong? Why are you shaking?"
"Let me go!"
"No, first you tell me what's wrong, then I'll let you go."
"I have nothing to tell." Leela said calmly, though she still trembled.
"Yes, I think you have. I can see fear in your eyes, you let your guard down too often and you're shaking, not to mention you fell out of the sky not so long ago. Now I want to know what is wrong." Trunks forced her in telling. He wanted to know what made her scare.
"Fine, I'll tell you if you let go of me." Leela replied.
"You tell and I will."
"You got that backwards."
"I don't think so." Trunks said.
"Do you trust me?" Leela asked, hoping that it would make him let go of her.
"...Do you trust me?" Trunks returned the question.
"Yes."
"If you did, you wouldn't be trembling." he pointed out.
"Then why would you ask? Now answer my question."
"Your secrets make me unable to trust you completely. But I will if you don't keep secrets from me."
"Secrets from you? Who do you think you are? My father?! I will never tell you any secrets!"
Trunks let go. Leela turned to see his face. "If you ever, ever do this again..." she warned him and walked away.
"Where're you going?" Trunks wanted to know but he didn't get an answer. Instead, she left slamming the door closed behind her. He stared at the floor confused, but mostly; disappointed.
-
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"I thought I might find you here." Trunks bend down to meet Leela's eyes. She sat once again in the corner of the building where Trunks had found her the first time they met.
"What do you want?" Leela shot back.
Trunks sat down, just before the entrance of her hiding place. He wasn't able to really see her, for it was too dark. "I want to say I'm sorry. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did."
"Then why did you?" Leela's voice softened.
"Because you were scared of me and didn't want to tell me anything. I just wanted to help you, but I did it the wrong way. I shouldn't have done that and I'm really sorry. If you do not want to tell me your secrets, then there's nothing I can do. I just want you to know that...that I'll be here."
"..." Leela looked at him curiously, then said: "Thank you."
Trunks smiled back. Before he left he said: "Do you want to sleep here?"
"This is my home."
Trunks wasn't really surprised by this. All the people lived in either smashed houses or buildings, or in the underground tunnels. "I offer you to stay at my place, where it's warm. Will you take that offer?"
"How will I know for certain you won't try to hurt me again?"
"I…hurt you? I didn't know it would strike you as hurting. I know I cannot undo what I did but I ask you to forgive me, to trust me."
"Fine, you're forgiven." Leela simply said.
In the way she said it, Trunks could make out that she didn't really mean it. And she never really answered his question. He knew by the way she looked at him, she didn't completely trust him. But she trusted him enough to go back with him...