Goten vs. Trunks

Chapter Three: Kiore

It had been a week since the day of the big storm and Goten and Trunks were beginning to doubt that Kiore was going to show up anytime soon. Until one day when Bulla brought a new friend home.

"Bulla, you do know that you don't have to buy every little thing you see." Her mother said as Bulla pulled more clothes off of the racks and stuck them in the cart.

"Mother, how do you expect me to keep looking beautiful if I don't have the clothes for it?" Bulma just laughed.

"I'm going to go get a few things from the men's section for your father. I'll meet you at the front when you're ready to check out." Bulla nodded as she watched her mother disappear.

As Bulla rounded the corner of a rack she bumped into a young girl about her age, which sent clothes flying everywhere. "Oh, my gosh. I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking at where I was going!" Bulla apologized as she began picking up clothes.

"No, I apologize. I wasn't watching where I was going either." The girl said helping Bulla clean up. When they had finished Bulla looked at the girl. She was really pretty. She had long brown hair and dark brown eyes. "I'm really sorry." The girl said again.

"No, it's fine. Really. I'm Bulla, what's your name?" Bulla asked shaking the girl's hand.

"My friends call me Kira. It's nice to meet you. Well, I guess I better get going." Kira said as she turned and began to walk away.

"Hey, wait." Bulla cried after her. Kira turned. "Do you want to hang out with me today? My parents have a meeting at the house, but we could hang out in my room or outside or something."

Kira smiled. "Sure, sounds great."

Bulla was beaming as she and her new friend got into the car. Her mother had been waiting on them and had the car all ready to go. As they were driving down the road Bulma began to talk to Kira. Bulla had never seen such a grown up teenager before. "So, how old are you, Kira?"

"I'm sixteen." She answered with a smile. "I moved here a year ago."

"Oh really, my son is seventeen and Bulla is thirteen." Bulma said. "So, if you don't mind me asking, do you live with your parents?" Seeing the look on Kira's face, Bulma regretted asking this.

Kira smiled faintly. "My parents died along time ago. I lived with my two friends. They rented a place and I'm staying there until I can find my guardian. I DO have a guardian; I just haven't been able to locate him."

"I'm sorry. Maybe we can help." Bulma said. She then had an idea. "I insist you stay with us as long as it takes us to find your guardian."

"That could take a long time. Are you sure?" Kira asked. Bulma nodded.

"Mom, what would dad say?" Bulla asked as they pulled into their driveway.

"Don't worry about your father. I'll take care of him, but until I talk to him maybe it would be better if you two stayed out of sight. Bulla you can introduce Kira to your brother and maybe you three could go to Goten's house later and hang out." Bulma suggested as the three walked into the kitchen. Bulma signaled for the girls to go up stairs as she heard Vegeta walking down the hallway.

"Does your dad not like company?" Kira asked as they walked up the stairs and down the hallway.

"Well, it's just better if mom talks to him first about company that he hasn't met yet. Sometimes he's not in a good mood and it would be embarrassing if he was in one of "those" moods today." Bulla said.

Suddenly Trunks walked out in front of them, with nothing but his shorts on. He stopped when he saw Kira. "Hello, Ladies." He said as he leaned against the wall.

Bulla rolled her eyes. "Kira this is my brother, Trunks. Trunks, Kira." Kira smiled as Trunks kissed her hand. Bulla pushed her brother out of the way and pulled Kira by the arm into her room, then shut the door. The girls could hear Trunks laughing outside the door. "Sorry about my brother. He thinks you're pretty." Kira just smiled. "Hey, do you want something to drink?" Bulla asked.

"Yeah, but you've done enough for me. Why don't you make a bed up for me on the floor or something and I'll go down stairs and get our drinks. If your parents are still down there we'll just get drinks later." Bulla nodded as Kira walked out of the room and closed the door behind her. Trunks was still standing in the hallway. He eyed her has she walked by. She then turned to him. "Something wrong?" she asked. He hadn't expected her to say anything. Most of Bulla's friends were too scared to talk to him, since he was so much older.

"Uh," he started. He felt his eyes wonder up and down her body. "No…" he finished.

"Good, then maybe you could help me. Bulla and I are thirsty. Mind showing me where the cups are?" Kira asked as she turned around and began down the stairs. Trunks nodded and followed. Kira suddenly stopped at the bottom of the steps as she heard Bulma and Vegeta talking. Kira pressed her hand hard against Trunks's chest, telling him to stop. She didn't want to interrupt his parents just to get a drink, but she couldn't bring herself to go back upstairs.

"So, you want us to keep this girl at our house until she finds her guardian?" Vegeta said loudly. Bulma put her finger to her mouth. "Don't tell me to be quiet." "This girl doesn't even have as much energy as Bulla. How do you expect us to keep our skills quiet for such a long time?"

"Well, maybe after awhile we could tell her." Bulma suggested. Trunks had been listening as well and decided this was the perfect time to interrupt before Kira heard something she wasn't supposed to. He moved her hand and walked into the kitchen.

"Hey, mom. Bulla and Kira were thirsty, so I came down to show her where things were." He said. His mother smiled and nodded. Vegeta sat down in a chair near the window as Trunks turned around and grabbed Kira's hand. She shook her head violently as she was pulled out of the shadows of the staircase and into view. Her heart pounded as she looked into the eyes of Trunks's father. Vegeta stood up.

Trunks, still holding Kira's hand, led her over to the cabinet. "This is where the cups and plates are. Over here are the forks and spoons. And you can find anything you want to eat in the fridge." Kira nodded. She and Trunks turned around to face Vegeta and Bulma. "I guess you've already met my mom, Bulma. This is my dad,"

"This…" she asked, "This is your dad?" Her face was red and she felt dizzy. Trunks nodded.

Bulla, wondering where her friend had gone decided to come down stairs. When she walked into the kitchen she saw her brother holding Kira's hand and both of them were looking at Vegeta. "What's going on?" she asked.

Vegeta looked at his daughter. "Where did you meet this girl, Bulla?"

"At the store. I accidentally ran into her while I was shopping." She answered truthfully. "She said her name is Kira."

Vegeta looked back at Kira. "She did, did she?" Kira realized that Trunks was still holding her hand. Wanting support, she squeezed his hand. Trunks looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Ohm, maybe this isn't a good time. Mom you and dad finish your conversation and Kira, Bulla and I can get drinks later…" Trunks said suddenly as Kira's squeeze got harder. He pulled her back over to the stairs where he led her and his sister back to his room. When he had closed the door he finally let go of Kira's hand. "What in the world was that about?"

"Maybe we should have waited until after their conversation before we barged in…" Kira said sitting down on Trunks's bed.

Trunks let out a huge sigh and sat down on the floor in front of her. "So, how old are you?" he asked breaking the awkward silence.

"I'm sixteen. My birthday was a week ago." She answered. Trunks's stomach squirmed inside of him.

"So…Where do you live?"

"Trunks! Stop asking her so many questions she just got here! Good grief. She's probably tired." Bulla stood up and walked to the door. "I'll go get the guest room ready for you." She said looking at Kira. She turned to Trunks and glared at him. "And you, leave the poor girl alone would yah!" she walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Trunks looked at the floor and sighed again. "I live by my self…I told your mom and your sister that I lived with my roommates. I didn't want them to worry about me. My friends sometimes stay at my house though. I've lived alone since my parents died and since I can't find my guardian, I don't really have anyone to stay with." Kira said aloud.

"And who is your guardian, exactly?" Trunks asked trying not to pry.

"I told you I lived with my parents. Well, they died along time ago along with my guardian's father. Unfortunately they were all we had. And since we were alone he took responsibility for me. I lost track of him after a few years though. He decided that he had a better chance of getting what he wanted here so he left…" She said, now looking at her feet.

"He left you alone? How old were you?"

"Well, he found me temporary parents until I was able to get out on my own, unfortunately he still had the legal papers saying that he had custody over me, so I had to leave my parents and I've been looking for him for a year now." She said looking back up to Trunks, who now had figured everything out. "I think I've found him, but every time I try to get near him to talk to him I see his family and I don't want to intrude."

"You're not intruding." Trunks said quickly.

"What?"

"I mean, I'm sure he wouldn't think you were intruding if u just went to talk to him." He had figured it out. This was Kiore. It had to be. She just turned sixteen and was looking for her guardian, but he still wasn't positive. "I think my parents are done in the kitchen if you want something to drink." Trunks said changing the subject. He could tell she was tired. "I'll go get you some water."

"Thanks." She said as he walked out of the room.

"Vegeta, I'm sure this girl will be fine with us. And if she finds out about us, well let's just see how it goes. She doesn't have a family. Her parents died and she needs a home just for a while." Bulma said as Vegeta walked back and forth from the chair he had been sitting in to the counter top. He hadn't said a word. He was trying to think.

"Mom, sorry to interrupt but I think you and dad have kinda taken over the kitchen. I just need to get some water." Trunks said as he walked to the sink and filled up a glass.

"So, how is she?" Bulma asked her son.

"She's good. She's in my room right now. Bulla is fixing up the guest room, but she might not make it. She's worn out. So don't expect me in my room tomorrow, I'll be in the guest room." He said walking past his father who was frowning. "What's your problem?" he asked.

"I don't have a problem!" Vegeta yelled as he marched up to his room and slammed the door.

Trunks shrugged as he walked back up to his room. Just as he thought. Kira had fallen asleep on his bed. He didn't really want to wake her, but he had to try to get her to the other room.

As Trunks started to walk, with Kira in his arms, he stopped to see his father standing at the door. Vegeta looked at the girl then back to Trunks. He walked slowly to his son and took Kira out of his arms. "Dad…" Trunks started. Vegeta gave him a warning look, not to wake Kira up. He walked slowly out of Trunks's room and in to the guest room where he laid Kira on the bed. He than walked to the door and shut it.

Five minutes later Vegeta walked out of the room to find his son still standing there staring at him. "That's Kiore." He said. "You can go in there, but don't wake her up." Trunks watched his father disappear into his own room before he walked into Kira's bedroom. Kira's clothes had been changed, into a pair of his pajama pants and one of his tee-shirts. It really was Kiore…Trunks had been right all along.

"Trunks, are you okay?"

"Kira…Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up…I was just…"

"No, it's fine." She said. "You look tired. Why don't you go to bed, we'll talk in the morning." Trunks nodded and walked out, closing the door behind him. He almost ran into Bulla.

"What were you doing in there?" She asked suspiciously. "Listen here brother, this is one friend I intend to keep, so don't go falling in love with her."

Trunks walked into his room and closed his door. "I think I already have…"