Several Years Ago:
Only three days had passed since Dr. Briefs had died. The man had seemed to still be in his prime when he had fallen, so suddenly, so inexplicably; and then he was gone, like a light suddenly flickering out.
His death had been a huge blow to Bulma. The girl had looked up to her Father all he life, a true Daddy's girl if there ever was one, now she was just a girl though, a girl without the Daddy she had loved so much and for so long.
'Clink!' Bulma set the shot glass down on the bar for what seemed like the hundredth time that night. The woman swayed as she sat upon the stool, her emotions even more fragile than her body was at the moment. "Anozzer one!" She slurred, her speech was a mess, as was her hair as she ordered the bartender to pour her another shot.
"Nah-ah, lady." The man looked down at her with caring eyes. "You've had way too much. Let me call you a cab." He reached for the phone to call for a cab, but the bluennette had already stumbled out of the bar, pulling a capsule out of her pocket. He's gone… She thought as she prepared to toss it onto the ground.
Present Day:
It had not been an hour since the incident at dinner, her eyes still red from crying, Bulma was getting ready for bed with her husband.
"I'm telling you, Vegeta." Bulma said as she took off her earrings. "Trunks just doesn't look at me the same anymore! It's as if I've failed him as a mother…" She felt her tears returning, her beautiful blue eyes turning red once more.
Vegeta scoffed as he took off his shirt. "For goodness sake just calm down, woman." He gave her a confident look. "It's all in your head; the boy will get over it eventually."
"But, Vegeta…" Bulma moaned. "No matter what I do, he just pushes me away! It's as if I never mattered to him!" Bulma was sitting down in bed now, the cover pulled up to her chest as she gazed at her husband, hoping he'd have some comforting words for her.
"Just stop whining and go to bed." He kissed her on the lips before turning over, loud snores soon emanating from his sleeping form.
He never was good with words. She thought. "Thank you, Vegeta…" She lied down to sleep, hoping she'd figure out a way to win her son back the next day.
The next morning Bulma had an idea. Her son may have lost faith in her, and her husband wasn't helpful beyond physical help, but there was one man who she knew still loved and respected her just as he had always done, Goku.
When Dr. Briefs had died, the Son family had become closer to her than ever before, Goku more than anyone. The man had always been close to the bluennette, she had only been the second person he had ever met, and the first girl. He had known her since childhood and had always stood by her side and protected her when she was in danger. When others had faltered during her collapse into alcoholism, Goku was the one who had told her it was all going to be alright.
That night when she had left the bar, just as she was about to deploy her flying car, a hand had grabbed hers. Goku pulled her against him, that familiar voice of his echoing into her ear, telling her to let it out. She had cried in her friend's arms that night. He was the one who had helped her when this had first started, and she hoped, he would be the one to ultimately help her escape its grip and return her son to her.
"Hmmm…" Bulma sighed as she washed the dishes after breakfast, her daughter drying them as she cleaned them. I'll go see Goku and Chichi today… Maybe they can tell me how to get Trunks back.
"Bulma, watch what you're doing." Trunks barked as he brushed by the women, his wide torso just barely missing them as Bulma swung a plate around.
"Don't worry, Trunks; I've got it." Bulma tried to reassure her son, she was not planning on breaking something in front of him.
"Yeah, right!" He grizzled at her. "That's what you said the last time you broke somethi-"
Before the man was able to finish his scathing response, he was interrupted yet again by Bra, the girl coming to her Mother's rescue. "Stop being a jerk and go to work, Trunks!" Bra sent him a glare that would have reminded anyone of Bulma at her age.
"I'm tired of you always coming to HER side!" Trunks pointed his finger at Bulma, anger still emanating from his voice.
"Trunks, can we please talk about this?"
Bulma tried to face him, her face full of the usual concern for her son, but she was too late, hearing her voice Trunks had left, the back door slamming shut behind him.
Bulma set the plate she was cleaning down on the counter, her head hanging low as she thought about the son she loved so much. She was really getting tired of the way he acted, but at this point she certainly hadn't done anything to make him think she was anything other than a drunk.
"Mommy, don't worry about Trunks. He'll come around." Bra smiled up at her Mother as she took the dish off the counter and started rinsing it.
"Thanks, Bra." Bulma gave her daughter all the light she could muster, the girl returning her glow.
"Any time, Mommy." She smiled.
"Bra?" Bulma suddenly opened her eyes. "Do you think you could take me to go see the Sons today?"