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Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own Dragonball Z or any of its characters. Only this idea and the story with it are mine.
Author's Note: Happy New Year everyone!!!! Sorry about the long wait. I got snowed in over new years then I got sick. Major pain in thearse if you know what I mean. Well here's the next chapter. Oh and I've chose who I'm putting Gohan with. I'll send the lucky girl an email here within the next couple of days. The polls are now closed. Thank you for participating. Now on with the fic. Also: I'M NOT ACCEPTING ANY MORE NEW CHARACTERS!!!!
AN2: I don't know the actual time frame for the whole Marai Trunks appearance and King Cold thing so I'm just gunna wing it.
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Previously on Dragonball Z: Jeri and Kim have been transported back to the real world! Children are disappearing left and right! What's going on? Find out on this exciting episode of Dragonball Z!
Ch. 4: Changing times, shaken beliefs
(Vegeta)
It didn't feel right. Without the girls and the kids things just weren't the same.
Everyone left had gathered, but with so many missing people the gaps between the families was large. Their families had all been pretty close before. Even the families that were rivals were close to one another because either their children were friends or their wives were.
He felt isolated here. His children were gone, his mate taken from him. He was alone now. Without his family here to provide a living link he didn't feel like a part of the Special Forces. Everyone else had at least one link that tied them into the group. Even the Namek still had one link to everyone in Gohan.
He glanced over at Marai. The boy that had become almost family to him was also distanced from him. He was about to turn his gaze elsewhere when Marai's gaze caught his own for a brief second and set off a string of memories not his own.
#####Vision#####
#FLASH#
The blue haired female called Bulma sits in the grass holding up a baby with soft lavender hair. Vegeta watches the child from his spot on the wall. It is not his place to interfere right now.
#FLASH#
The baby is older now. He's walking and trying to talk. Bulma encourages the boy with a mother's gentle words. Still the prince watches from afar. He didn't belong here.
#FLASH#
The boy is training now. He spends his free time with Goten. His mother teaches him the gentler side of life, though he tries to avoid it. He can be trained now.
#FLASH#
The boy is a super saiyan. The youngest ever seen. Of royal blood. His heritage is proudly shown, his lineage undeniable. He is his father's son.
#FLASH#
The boy is now a teenager. He has his mother's brains and his father's strength. His emotions are often guarded, but never hidden to those closest to him. The prince is now actively involved in the boy's life.
#FLASH#
There is another now. A little girl. The prince's pride and joy. His daughter. He stands along side Bulma now watching the girl play with her lavender haired brother. Earth was home now. This was his......
#####End Vision#####
"No!" Vegeta roared his denial as he came out of what could only have been a vision.
"Absolutely not! There is no way!"
All eyes were riveted to the prince. Whatever Vegeta had seen had shaken him deeply.
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(Piccolo)
He was very confused. One minute everyone is discussing the strange disappearance of several of the Special Forces' children then the next they're all trying to figure out what the hell Vegeta was ranting about.
Slowly straightening from his spot against the wall Piccolo Said, "What are you talking about?"
The Namekian fighter instantly found himself on the receiving end of one of Vegeta's death glares. It was easy to tell that the saiyan prince was not in a good mood.
Before the tense situation could become violent Bulma burst into the room sobbing and ranting hysterically. Piccolo's eyes riveted over to the blue haired female as she stood in the doorway trying to calm herself enough for coherent speech.
She had two kids herself. Both were still here. At least they had been.
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(Vegeta)
His full attention was centered upon the blue haired onna called Bulma. It seemed everyone else, including the woman's idiotic mate Yamcha, were oblivious to how upset she truly was.
He didn't have to have any special sense to know how far Bulma's sorrow truly went. The way she had gone completely rigid to fight back tears told him more than enough to get the picture.
Her two children, Jordan and Victoria, were gone. As a father, he knew how much this had to hurt her. As a fighter, though, he had to admire her strength of will in this situation. Most women would have collapsed in tears at the discovery of missing children. She had come straight to her friends and family. She could have holed herself up in her room, but she had forced herself down to them all.
Cursing softly about the incompetence of so many people Vegeta walked over to stand at the once more sobbing female's side, then sent a solid death glare at Yamcha and said, "You idiots! How could all of you be so dense? Kakarot I understand, he's always an idiot, but the rest of you..... You would think those of you who are parents would understand what's wrong with her!"
The gentle hand that was placed on his shoulder stopped him from attacking anyone. He was fully prepared to give her his best death glare, but when his dark eyes met her sad blue ones he lost the anger for the glare and looked away. She didn't deserve his wrath. It wasn't her he was angry at.
When Bulma didn't remove her hand from his shoulder Vegeta looked back at her and was met, once more, with the female's teary blue eyes. She was crying again. This time though, Yamcha had noticed and was on his way to comfort her. Vegeta was glad for this. Those deep blue eyes of hers were haunting him.
'She has the same color eyes as Marai.' He thought offhandedly as he watched the blue haired onna with her mate.
He wondered briefly why he had been unable to shove the female away from himself earlier when he'd wanted to. A shudder ran down his spine. The very thought of harming her himself horrified him. Then his earlierflash of memory came back to him and he put two and two together.
Bulma had the same colored eyes as Marai, and her hair had been that soft lavender when she was young. And Marai was his son. Which meant that....
"Oh my dear Kami. It can't be."
But he had to know for sure. Vegeta opened his mind to the special bond he'd formed with those of his bloodline and sent one single message out, praying silently that the intended recipient didn't hear it.
#Marai.#
The lavender haired youth jerked and his head swung around like he'd been punched. The boy's blue eyes were huge as he seemingly searched for something.
Vegeta sent out another message.
#Marai. If you hear this you'd better respond.#
Again the boy looked horrified, but then he cocked his head to one side and sent a soft return message.
#Sir?#
Now it was Vegeta's turn to look horrified. His next telepathic message was sent in a low clip.
#Is Bulma your mother?#
Marai opened his mouth as if to object, but was stopped by the prince's growled clip of thought.
#Don't you dare lie to me boy!#
Marai shut his eyes before responding with a soft, #Yes, she is.#
Vegeta nearly fell over. It was no wonder he had a problem comprehending allowing the blue haired female to come to harm. Under different circumstances she would have been his mate. Kami only knew how that would have turned out.
Shaking himself out of his disturbing thoughts Vegeta sent another clip of thought out to Marai.
#Do you know who your father is?#
#...Hai....sir.....#
#You are certain?#
#Yes....father.#
Vegeta jerked back then took a deep breath.
#Does anyone else know?#
Marai brought his dark blue yes up to meet his father's eyes then said, #Hai.#
The prince leaned lightly into the wall then said, #Who else knows?#
There was an uncomfortably long pause.
#Jeri knows.#
Everyone felt the flare of power as Vegeta lunged at Marai and pinned him to the wall by the throat. Nobody knew about the silent conversation going on between the prince and Marai, but they could feel Vegeta's rage as it poured out of him. He was furious.
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(Trunks)
He had to get free. He couldn't breathe.
Focusing on the link he had only just become aware of he said, #Father, let me go!#
The grip on his throat tightened as the furious voice of the prince echoed in his mind.
#You told my mate?! How am I supposed to explain this to her?! You idiot boy! Don't you ever think before you take action?! She'll think I betrayed her!#
Trunks' temper flared.
#She already knew!#
The prince was flung from the young demi saiyan as tempers and powers flared. Speaking so that everyone could hear him Trunks said, "She knew about me before I even told her my name! She knows who I am, what I am!"
All eyes were focused on the pair of powerful fighters as they glowered at one another. This could get ugly fast. Vegeta had no anchor, and Trunks was stronger than the prince. There was no way to stop them if they started fighting.
Trunks took a deep breath to cool his temper and prevent himself from turning super then stepped away from Vegeta and said, "I never told her anything. Jeri knows things that nobody has ever told her. Haven't you ever noticed that?"
All at once Vegeta lost the force behind his anger. He said, "I have noticed. She's been that way since the first time we met."
Trunks nodded slightly then went to lean against the wall again. The situation had been too stressful for him. He knew that his father was still emotionally unstable from Jeri's disappearance and understood why he had been attacked.
Bringing one leg up to prop against the wall he said, "Do all of you remember when I got into a fight with Jeri at the tournament?"
Vegeta glared at him as everyone said, "Hai."
Marai looked out at everyone and said, "The reason behind that were the Androids."
This got the attention of everyone assembled. There hadn't been an enemy since the defeat of Freeza on Namek.
Finally Vegeta broke the silence. "What are you talking about, boy? We haven't seen battle since before my kids were born."
Marai flinched at the mention of the two children that, in another time, could have been him and a younger sister.
"Tell me, what was the date when you met Jeri?"
"November 23, why?"
"Two days before Cold and Freeza came."
"What? No one ever came after that. Jeri began her training with the Namek."
"And how long did that last?"
"A year, maybe more."
Marai turned to Piccolo.
"And when did Miss Kim get here?"
"Late November that next year, just after Jeri finished with her training. What does this have to do with anything?"
"Plenty. I think I've been silent for too long."
Bulma spoke this time. "What do you mean?"
Straightening himself Marai said, "My name is Trunks. I come from the future, this future. In my world all but a few of you are dead. I came here to warn you all about the coming of the androids, but something went wrong and I over jumped my destination. Originally, I was only going to stay long enough to warn you and give Goku the medicine for the heart disease he got on Yardarat. I never intended to stay as long as I have and how I can't get back ever. I promised my mother I'd do this and return to bury her beside my father, but it looks like I can't keep that promise."
From his spot beside Gohan on the other side of the room Goku said, "One problem, Trunks. I came back with the others from Namek. Freeza was destroyed by a super saiyan level Kamehameha wave."
Gohan continued, "So dad never had the heart disease and Freeza didn't survive Namek."
Trunks turned to Gohan and said, "If that's true then... Have you reached super saiyan form yet?"
"Uh... No, never had the mind to."
Trunks was silent for a long while before he said, "Then the Androids never.... My dear Kami, she's changed everything."
Vegeta knew who the lavender haired youth was speaking about. Jeri, his Jeri. The boy knew something important, something that Jeri had known about as well.
Once again the silence was broken as Bulma said, "What does this all have to do with our missing kids?"
Trunks sent her a brief smile then said, "Plenty. See they were never meant to exist."
At the sounds of outraged horror from the group Trunks held up his hand then continued with his explanation, "Think about this, all of you. If Jeri and Kim had never come here how many of you would actually still be here? In my time Piccolo was a loner who hardly ever came to gatherings unless Gohan forced him to. Here he's more a part of the group. I don't even exist here. My parents are both married to other people. None of you are even close the power levels you should have. Most of your kids don't fight."
His blue eyes clouded as he continued, "My parents argued a lot, but they loved each other unconditionally. I was a baby when the Androids killed my father. I barely knew him. Mother never talked much about him, but I often heard her crying at night when she thought I was asleep. I know she missed him even when I was too young to understand her reason for tears. I taught her to fly... Why didn't she run? Why did she let them kill her? I just don't understand."
His voice failed him then as memories of his beautiful mother's lifeless form surfaced in his mind. The gentle presence of his mother's past self brought him back to reality.
"I'm sure your parents are together now in the other world. And I'm sure they're proud of you."
He looked up at her.
"Do you really think so?"
With a smile only a mother could give and a hug Bulma said, "I know that they are because, if you were my son, I'd be proud of you."
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Phew! Man that took forever. I'm finally done with this chapter.
Hope I didn't take too long to get this out.
Please read and review.
Next time on Dragonball Z: Jeri and Vegeta have somehow renewed their bond and can speak to one another. What! Jeri is sixteen again! What could be going on? Find out on the next exciting episode of Dragonball Z!
