3. Qiana

One month had past. Trunks and Leela trained hard together and faced the androids only a few times. Trunks and Leela knew those two were up to something or else they would've shown themselves many more times. Trunks advised Leela to be careful when she would go out alone, but Leela didn't take that advice seriously by saying she could handle the androids.

"Where're you going? I thought we would train at this hour?" Leela saw Trunks standing by the door.

"I know, I was just gonna check up on some of these tunnels to see if there's anything needed." Trunks answered.

"Why?"

"I owe it to the people here."

"No you don't. They owe you. YOU are risking YOUR life to stop the androids. Not the other way around."

"I just feel better when I know everybody's still alright."

"Fine." Leela gave in. He was way too nice to people. Something was bothering him, but that was understandable since he had lost his father and all of his friends. He did have new friends now but it wasn't the same. He could not share his power with male friends, a quick struggle, making jokes, talk about typical guy stuff, talk about their history together... Leela felt sorry for him. She lost her friends too, but that was different. It must've hurt him badly inside. Leela wished she could make his life complete again somehow. He had helped her in many ways. He gave her a better place to stay, helped her train, gave her food and made her forget about the bad memories for a while.

But what could she; a nobody, really, do for him in return?

-

-

"Quick! Give me wet towel or something, and bandages!" Trunks put the weak girl on the bench. She got in the way of an explosion set off by one of the androids who fled when it saw Trunks. Her arm was bruised and a wound below her ribs kept bleeding. Leela gave Trunks the things he requested. He pressed the towel on her side to stop the bleeding and Leela had to wrap some of the bandage around her arm and a plaster above her right eyebrow. As soon as the bleeding stopped, Trunks would bind the rest of the bandage around her waist. There she rested for a few days to recover and regain her strength.

-

-

"How can I ever repay you?" the girl had just awoken. Her ebony eyes gazed in the blue ones of Trunks.

"You can tell me your name." Trunks smiled and checked her pulse.

"My name is Qiana." she smiled back. "What's yours?"

"Trunks."

"I thank you, Trunks."

"It was nothing." Trunks blushed. He noticed she was gorgeous. She was like a model. Even though she was dirty because of the dust and mud after the explosion, she was still beautiful; big ebony eyes, blond hair touching her shoulders and red lips. Her hands were soft, like the rest of her skin.

Leela was standing behind the kneeling Trunks and noticed his blush. He was attracted to her, she knew. "Hi, I'm Leela." she suddenly said and looked at Qiana.

"Nice to meet you, Leela."

"Yea..." Leela said and left.

"What did I say?" Qiana said innocent.

"I don't know." Trunks smiled.

"Maybe she's jealous?" Qiana evoked him, wanting him to say how beautiful she was, and he fell for it.

"Well, you are very pretty."

"Are you two involved?"

"No," he said. "No, we're not."

Good, Qiana thought. You're mine, handsome. Qiana gave Trunks her finest smile.

"...Do you eh...want a bath?" Trunks hesitated.

"If you will help me? I can't move my arm without hurting myself."

"I must help you?" Trunks blushed once more. It made Qiana giggle.

-

-

The bath-tub was filled with warm water. Trunks helped Qiana in it. Then he walked back to the bathroom door. "If you need me, just call me." he said and wanted to leave but Qiana stopped him.

"Trunks?" she said.

"Yes?"

"I need you now. Will you do my back, please? I cannot reach it...my arm..." she said with her most innocent voice.

"Use your other arm!" Leela's voice called from down the hall. She heard what Qiana had said and couldn't stand the way she was speaking.

"Leela." Trunks warned her but she had already turned around the corner. Then he turned back to Qiana.

-

-

"Come on, Lee! Let's train." Trunks said.

"You are cheerful today. Does it have something to do with that girl you brought in?" Leela asked but already knew the answer. Both were on their way to the training-room when Qiana appeared in front of them.

"Hi!" she smiled.

"Speaking of the devil." Leela muttered.

"Where're you going, Trunks?" Qiana wondered.

"We are going to train." he replied.

"Can I watch?" Qiana asked.

"I don't see why not."

"I do." Leela said. "Our training is much too dangerous for someone like you to even be in the same room." she pointed out.

"But I will stand by the door if you want." Qiana gave her innocent tone.

"If you are on the other side of the door, then it's fine." Leela said in sarcasm. She couldn't stand Qiana's tone.

"Leela." Trunks warned. Leela gazed at him in surprise.

"What?" she said. "It IS too dangerous for her to be in the same room when we're training."

"Well, then we will hold ourselves back." Trunks suggested.

Leela sighed but tried again: "We might hurt her." she made clear and noticed him worry.

He thought this over, then said: "I'm very sorry, Qiana. You can come and watch when I'm training alone." Trunks said.

"But..." Qiana tried.

"I don't want you to get hurt." Trunks pointed out.

"Oh, Trunks." Qiana hugged him. Leela watched in astonishment. "You're much too good for me." Qiana added.

"Yes, way too much." Leela muttered.

"Did you say something?" Qiana let go of Trunks and gazed at Leela.

"I'm sorry, did I say that aloud?" Leela overdid her apologizing gesture and walked into the training-room, where she waited for Trunks who came ten minutes later.

"You sure took your time." Leela said annoyed and immediately began their training.

"Lee, why do you have to be so mean to Qiana? She did you nothing." Trunks said, defending himself by grabbing her leg with which she kicked and threw her on the ground.

"Oh, please! Don't you see what she's doing? She's trying to get you all to herself." Leela got up and hit him in his stomach, but he recovered quickly.

"So what if she is? Why would it bother you?" Trunks attacked Leela, trying to hit her back, but she blocked every punch.

"It doesn't. Her attitude, that's what bothers me. The way how she's trying to convince you that she is the best woman for you available, that stupid innocent tone in her voice... The girl is an actress!" Leela let her guard down because Qiana was getting to her and got hit by one of Trunks' punches. "Dammit!" she called.

"Don't let it get to your head, Leela." Trunks smirked.

"What do you mean?" Leela asked annoyed.

"I know you're just jealous." he replied.

"Me? Jealous?! Of whom?" she called out.

"Qiana." he simply answered.

"And how's that?" she sounded bored, hiding the fact she was quite taken aback by where this conversation was going.

"Because I'm attracted to her." he admitted.

"Are you kiddin' me? I will never be jealous of her!"

"Really..." Trunks said in disbelief. "She is rather pretty."

"Please." she snorted. "I see no future in us, Trunks. Trust me on this one." she said, clearly feeling awkward about it.

"Are you sure?" he made it sound like a joke.

Leela attacked him. She kicked and punched, but all of her attempts on hitting him failed. He was too fast and blocked each move she made. She let herself fall on the floor and tackled him. It worked. He fell down. She flew up and shot an energy-ball at him. Trunks crossed his arms protectively in front of his face as it came his way. A direct hit.

Leela's eyes were searching for him in the smoke. When he revealed himself again he planted his elbow in her stomach. She bent over. Trunks made a fist and covered it with his other hand, held it up and slammed it on her back with a huge amount of power. Leela tried to stop herself from hitting the ground but she couldn't even slow down. She hit the floor hard but got up and grinned.

"What do you say? Shall we turn up the gravity-meter?" she suggested.

"Okay." Trunks did what she requested and soon the fight was heating up. Kicks, punches, and all kinds of defense and attack maneuvers were tried out. It went on for hours! Finally they decided to call it a day and turned down the gravity-meter.

"Tell me something, and be honest." Trunks looked at her.

"Yes?" Leela gazed back, waiting for his question.

"Is there really no chance of you being jealous?"

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but there isn't. I don't fall in love." Leela stated.

"You don't fall in love? How can you just not fall in love? Love is something that happens. You cannot fight it."

"Do you wanna bet on that?" Leela smirked, opened the door and left the puzzled Trunks behind.

Not a second after Leela had opened the door, Qiana came running in.

"Trunks!" she called out. "You aren't hurt, are you? Did she hurt you?" Qiana asked worried, noticing there wasn't anything left of his shirt.

"What an actress." Leela muttered and saw how Qiana searched his body for bruises she could take care of. It disgusted Leela to see Qiana's body literally crawling around Trunks', touching him wherever she could over his bare chest. Right when Qiana was behind Trunks, inspecting his back, Leela saw her looking at her. Qiana was smirking at Leela in an evil way. She received a surprising gaze from Leela who didn't know what to do. But when Qiana began to kiss Trunks softly on his shoulder while looking at Leela, she stepped over and grabbed Qiana by her collar. Leela was furious. Of all the nerve! How dared Qiana to challenge her?! She pulled Qiana away from Trunks and pushed her on the ground.

"I'll get you!!" Leela called out.

"Trunks! Help!" Qiana screamed. Trunks pulled Leela off of Qiana with some difficulty, but managed to keep her away from Qiana.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Trunks demanded, who was on his knees holding the terrified Qiana. "What do you think you're doing?"

"She challenged me!" Leela called in defense.

"What? Where did you come up with that?" Qiana asked with her innocent voice.

"You..." Leela pointed at her as a warning. "You better keep your mouth shut if you wanna live. I can see right through your innocent looks and tones. I know who you really are and I don't like you, at all."

"Trunks, make her go away. She frightens me." Qiana cried.

"Leela, if you don't stop it this instant, I..." Trunks got interrupted.

"You what, huh?!" Leela demanded.

"You better listen to me."

"No Trunks. You listen to me! She wants you all to herself! When she finally has you, you will mean nothing more than a victory to her. She will only use you and you will end up getting hurt. Is that what you really want?"

"I warn you, Leela." Trunks was protective over Qiana who cried in his arms but Leela saw her smirk while she was at it.

"Look at her! She's smirkin'!" Leela called out. Trunks looked at Qiana but she wasn't smirking no more. "She did smirk, dammit!"

"Right, that's it." Trunks let go of Qiana and stepped to Leela. He grabbed her arm, pulling her with him. "Outside." he commanded.

Leela took one last glare at Qiana: "There will come a time when Trunks isn't there to protect your ass!" she shouted.

-

-

"Are you out of your mind? Attacking her like that, what were you thinking?" Trunks and Leela stood outside.

"Why won't you listen to me?" Leela tried but couldn't get him to listen at all.

"Where did you get the nerve to hit her? You could've done some serious damage."

"I think she already is damaged; in her HEAD!!"

"I cannot believe you said that!"

"And I cannot believe you choose to believe her over me!"

"Well, she wasn't the one attacking you!"

"Trunks! You don't understand! She's up to something, I just know she is. Please, I don't want you to get hurt again, especially not by that girl."

"What? You hit her because you don't want me to get hurt by her? What do you know about getting hurt?"

"I know what it's like." she replied. "You know that." she added softly.

He knew what she was talking about and said: "My family was killed as well, as are my friends. The only one left is my mom."

"I have no one."

"You have me as your friend."

She took a step back. "No, don't lie to me. If you choose Qiana over me, then I have no friends."

"That's just silly. You know I'll be there for you. But Qiana has lost everyone as well. She needs someone."

"I cannot be in any area knowing she's there. It's either her or me."

"You're making me choose?" he asked astonished. "Then I guess you're right. You don't have friends. Friends don't make each other choose between other friends." Trunks said offended.

"You've made your point." Leela said coldly, then added: "I'll see you around." She flew away.

-

-

"Are you okay?" Trunks helped Qiana on her feet but she fell back, only to be caught by Trunks.

"I think she bruised my ankle. It hurts." Qiana said it in a way to make Trunks feel sorry for her.

"Here, let me carry you to the kitchen where we can put some ice on it." Trunks said.