A/N: I'm very sorry for the long wait...again. Turns out I have yet another
problem with my internet connection, and as of now I have no idea when
it'll be cleared up. I'll post this chapter as soon as I can. Thanks for
all your reviews, old and new. They're very much appreciated. Talk about a
way to get over writer's block (or off your lasy ass). *grin* This would be
longer, but I wanted to hurry up and get the next chapter out. -.-; Thank
you for your patience.
Torankusu's eyes widened almost comically, especially considering it was him. Shock was emenating from him like chi when he was fighting; his eyes acted like the focus point. It was shown clearly there. His posture spoke volumes, also, as it normally did. He arms and hands were slackened and he paid no attention to alertness, as he did most fo the time, whether it was nessecary or not. He didn't even attempt to brush the hair that had yet again fallen in front of his eyes.
Buruma, for her part, only frowned thoughtfully. She hadn't been here before; for Trunks it would be amazing to see Gohan as an eighteen year old, when only a few months ago he was merely at the age of eleven. And also...his present self must be eight, or near it. What was he like?
And his father...that explained why he was capable of showing such compassion. Seven years of living with his mother...and him. The other Torankusu.
His expression had lapsed back into his usual expression, one of tenderness and seriousness at the same time. Of content and deep sadness.
Mainly, he no longer looked like...an idiot. Thank Kami. Or...Dende, he supposed. That was odd sounding at best, but there you had it.
Finally turning his attention back to the people in the room--his family--he said quietly, "That...could be a problem."
Both the Burumas rolled their eyes, though the "Duh, Torankusu," was slightly differed as the present Buruma called him Trunks. Still, it was very wierd.
Of course, both Burumas looked at eachother and bursted out laughing.
Torankusu was going to do his own eye-roll at this, though an amused one, but he caught his father doign the same thing and stopped. Things didn't need to get that eerie.
When his mothers calmed down, Present Buruma said, "We might've gotten away with it if our Trunks was still a baby, but as I said, it's been seven years..."
Torankusu's Buruma nodded.
"We were orriginally going to make Torankusu--mine--yours' brother, but after seven years people would notice--"
Bejita again rolled his eyes.
"They would noticed anyone, Buruma. Torankusu should have been here for eighteen years--that's ten more than our son here anyway."
Buruma looked sheepish as she turned to look at Bejita; or rather, past him. She couldn't deal with looking into his eyes again...not yet. Now was not the time for another near breakdown. Well, in her opinion no time was, but this... She figured this was a special case.
"Good point," Thank Kami, I didn't stutter...
Mirai Buruma shrugged a bit, hoping she looked nonchalant.
"It could be possible you sent him away..."
The younger Buruma shook her head slowly, frowning.
"Nope. They've gone through my family's birth records with a fine- tooth comb, I don't think fake ones would convince them--that's what ya've got, isn't it?" she asked, grinning.
Mirai smiled slightly in return, nodding.
"Among other things...I guess that work was for nothing--"
"Maybe not..." Torankusu said slowly, looking intensley thoughtful. Of course, mostly everything about him was intense, anyway.
Both of his mothers looked to him, as did Bejita.
"What do you mean, Trunks?" The younger of the two women asked.
Eyebrows knit closely, he answered, "Maybe...I could be Bejita's son, but not---"
"What about your mother, boy?" Bejita asked, frowning. "How exactly will you explain my 'other son's' mother looking like my wife's twin?"
"We can fix that," Buruma jumped in. "All of the handlers of our records, they know Bejita's a Saiyajin--that is, that he's from a long way away from here. They don't know anything about his family..." She was getting more and more excited. "We can dye your hair black, get you some contacts..."
Torankusu's Buruma raised her eyebrows sceptically, but she was grinning. Bejita, however, was not satisfied. One has to wonder if he ever is.
"And I suppose you've both figured out how to--" He paused. Truth be told, even though he thought this was an *incredibly* stupid idea, he couldn't really think of anything specific to point out. So he simply stated what was on his mind.
"This is fucking stupid." His mate just rolled her eyes.
"Yes, we know what you think. Concidering you think that about pretty much everything. Can you let us scheme now?"
.They've been together for a long time, Torankusu realised. Time his mother never got to have. He felt a pang of saddness, striking him deep in his chest like the sharp, cold metal of his own blade. He knew his mother caught his expression--it seemed she always did, even when she wasn't looking--because she touched his hand softly with her own.
"No," Bejita said firmly. "I will not let you make our future son along with my future mate make fulls of themselves." He was in his regular stuborn stance; arms crossed, face set in a determined scowl, body tensed. That was his prebattle position, too, though their was no air of threat about him. Not real threat, anyway.
Something was differant. When Torankusu had last been here, his father wouldn't have cared either way. He cared, and was no longer so caught up in his self-image to show it. He truly had grown, mentally and emotionally.
If not physically.
Present Buruma sighed in frustration, closing her eyes tightly for an instant. When they opened again, the sparkled with annoyance and challenge.
"Well, what would your ideas be, then, Oh Brilliant One?" The abundance of sarcasm was welcome to Torankusu's ears. Not greif or painfalu nostalgia or worry. His mother was bantering with her mate and loving it.
It was the way things should have been.
Bejita obviously came up with nothing in the four seconds Buruma allowed before she smirked triumphantly. Noticing his time was up, her snorted haughtily.
"At least any plan of mine wouldn't requite them to wear disguises twenty-four hours a day."
Torankusu's Buruma opened her mouth hesitantly, as if not wanting to interupt the argument. When she spoke, her voice was full of remembrance and longing, along with determination.
"It won't be a problem."
The opponents both turned to lookat her, their eyes widening. It seemed they forgot anyone was their in their fight. To them, it was like they were the only ones on the planet. Sort of like what other couples experienced in a romantic embrace.
The future Buruma's face was stern, determined. Unwavering. It was plain in the set of her jaw, the subtle flash in her bright eyes. Her son knew that when she got that expression, there was no use arguing with her. You would get more headway with one fo her capsules.
Torankusu nodded his own silent agreement. He knew how much this meant to his mother, and so it meant as much to him also. And besides, even if he didn't feel that way... He knew the face. You don't argue with her when she gets that face.
Unless you were Bejita, but he never seemed to have much luck, so...
"It's worth it."
Torankusu didn't even recall thinking the words, they just left his mouth. But he realised he meant them, so he made no attempt to take them back. Wasn't this what he'd wanted for so long anyway? A normal life... Almost, at least. With his mother...and Gohan. And everyone else. How many times had he dreamed of going to a real school, having real friends?
Yes. It was worth it.
"Yeah, so, living in deceit ever single second is worth it too, huh?"
Something cold and burning shot right through Torankusu's heart at the sound of that dry, amused voice. He didn't note the differances there, behind the sarcastic words; he heard only her.
His chi already surrounding him, he turned his tense, ready body to face it. His mother trembled beside him, and he side-stepped, placing himself in front of her. All he could utter was a low, loatheful word.
"Jinzouningen."
Torankusu's eyes widened almost comically, especially considering it was him. Shock was emenating from him like chi when he was fighting; his eyes acted like the focus point. It was shown clearly there. His posture spoke volumes, also, as it normally did. He arms and hands were slackened and he paid no attention to alertness, as he did most fo the time, whether it was nessecary or not. He didn't even attempt to brush the hair that had yet again fallen in front of his eyes.
Buruma, for her part, only frowned thoughtfully. She hadn't been here before; for Trunks it would be amazing to see Gohan as an eighteen year old, when only a few months ago he was merely at the age of eleven. And also...his present self must be eight, or near it. What was he like?
And his father...that explained why he was capable of showing such compassion. Seven years of living with his mother...and him. The other Torankusu.
His expression had lapsed back into his usual expression, one of tenderness and seriousness at the same time. Of content and deep sadness.
Mainly, he no longer looked like...an idiot. Thank Kami. Or...Dende, he supposed. That was odd sounding at best, but there you had it.
Finally turning his attention back to the people in the room--his family--he said quietly, "That...could be a problem."
Both the Burumas rolled their eyes, though the "Duh, Torankusu," was slightly differed as the present Buruma called him Trunks. Still, it was very wierd.
Of course, both Burumas looked at eachother and bursted out laughing.
Torankusu was going to do his own eye-roll at this, though an amused one, but he caught his father doign the same thing and stopped. Things didn't need to get that eerie.
When his mothers calmed down, Present Buruma said, "We might've gotten away with it if our Trunks was still a baby, but as I said, it's been seven years..."
Torankusu's Buruma nodded.
"We were orriginally going to make Torankusu--mine--yours' brother, but after seven years people would notice--"
Bejita again rolled his eyes.
"They would noticed anyone, Buruma. Torankusu should have been here for eighteen years--that's ten more than our son here anyway."
Buruma looked sheepish as she turned to look at Bejita; or rather, past him. She couldn't deal with looking into his eyes again...not yet. Now was not the time for another near breakdown. Well, in her opinion no time was, but this... She figured this was a special case.
"Good point," Thank Kami, I didn't stutter...
Mirai Buruma shrugged a bit, hoping she looked nonchalant.
"It could be possible you sent him away..."
The younger Buruma shook her head slowly, frowning.
"Nope. They've gone through my family's birth records with a fine- tooth comb, I don't think fake ones would convince them--that's what ya've got, isn't it?" she asked, grinning.
Mirai smiled slightly in return, nodding.
"Among other things...I guess that work was for nothing--"
"Maybe not..." Torankusu said slowly, looking intensley thoughtful. Of course, mostly everything about him was intense, anyway.
Both of his mothers looked to him, as did Bejita.
"What do you mean, Trunks?" The younger of the two women asked.
Eyebrows knit closely, he answered, "Maybe...I could be Bejita's son, but not---"
"What about your mother, boy?" Bejita asked, frowning. "How exactly will you explain my 'other son's' mother looking like my wife's twin?"
"We can fix that," Buruma jumped in. "All of the handlers of our records, they know Bejita's a Saiyajin--that is, that he's from a long way away from here. They don't know anything about his family..." She was getting more and more excited. "We can dye your hair black, get you some contacts..."
Torankusu's Buruma raised her eyebrows sceptically, but she was grinning. Bejita, however, was not satisfied. One has to wonder if he ever is.
"And I suppose you've both figured out how to--" He paused. Truth be told, even though he thought this was an *incredibly* stupid idea, he couldn't really think of anything specific to point out. So he simply stated what was on his mind.
"This is fucking stupid." His mate just rolled her eyes.
"Yes, we know what you think. Concidering you think that about pretty much everything. Can you let us scheme now?"
.They've been together for a long time, Torankusu realised. Time his mother never got to have. He felt a pang of saddness, striking him deep in his chest like the sharp, cold metal of his own blade. He knew his mother caught his expression--it seemed she always did, even when she wasn't looking--because she touched his hand softly with her own.
"No," Bejita said firmly. "I will not let you make our future son along with my future mate make fulls of themselves." He was in his regular stuborn stance; arms crossed, face set in a determined scowl, body tensed. That was his prebattle position, too, though their was no air of threat about him. Not real threat, anyway.
Something was differant. When Torankusu had last been here, his father wouldn't have cared either way. He cared, and was no longer so caught up in his self-image to show it. He truly had grown, mentally and emotionally.
If not physically.
Present Buruma sighed in frustration, closing her eyes tightly for an instant. When they opened again, the sparkled with annoyance and challenge.
"Well, what would your ideas be, then, Oh Brilliant One?" The abundance of sarcasm was welcome to Torankusu's ears. Not greif or painfalu nostalgia or worry. His mother was bantering with her mate and loving it.
It was the way things should have been.
Bejita obviously came up with nothing in the four seconds Buruma allowed before she smirked triumphantly. Noticing his time was up, her snorted haughtily.
"At least any plan of mine wouldn't requite them to wear disguises twenty-four hours a day."
Torankusu's Buruma opened her mouth hesitantly, as if not wanting to interupt the argument. When she spoke, her voice was full of remembrance and longing, along with determination.
"It won't be a problem."
The opponents both turned to lookat her, their eyes widening. It seemed they forgot anyone was their in their fight. To them, it was like they were the only ones on the planet. Sort of like what other couples experienced in a romantic embrace.
The future Buruma's face was stern, determined. Unwavering. It was plain in the set of her jaw, the subtle flash in her bright eyes. Her son knew that when she got that expression, there was no use arguing with her. You would get more headway with one fo her capsules.
Torankusu nodded his own silent agreement. He knew how much this meant to his mother, and so it meant as much to him also. And besides, even if he didn't feel that way... He knew the face. You don't argue with her when she gets that face.
Unless you were Bejita, but he never seemed to have much luck, so...
"It's worth it."
Torankusu didn't even recall thinking the words, they just left his mouth. But he realised he meant them, so he made no attempt to take them back. Wasn't this what he'd wanted for so long anyway? A normal life... Almost, at least. With his mother...and Gohan. And everyone else. How many times had he dreamed of going to a real school, having real friends?
Yes. It was worth it.
"Yeah, so, living in deceit ever single second is worth it too, huh?"
Something cold and burning shot right through Torankusu's heart at the sound of that dry, amused voice. He didn't note the differances there, behind the sarcastic words; he heard only her.
His chi already surrounding him, he turned his tense, ready body to face it. His mother trembled beside him, and he side-stepped, placing himself in front of her. All he could utter was a low, loatheful word.
"Jinzouningen."