"So that's the whole story…" Bulma laid her hands out on the table, now having at last finished telling the story of her sadness to her closest friends.
The day was bright and sunny, Bra had driven her Mother, as promised, to the Son household where Bulma had told her story to Goku and Chichi, while her daughter sat by her side.
"Oh, my Dende…" Chichi covered her mouth with one hand, her husband looking down at the table.
"I know…" Bulma's face grew sadder. "Trunks barely acknowledges my presence, let alone communicates to me…and when he does…" Her voice began to break. "He acts as if I'm some enemy of his…and…not…his…Mommy…" She burst into tears, her hands shooting to her face.
"Please don't cry, Mommy." Bra handed her Mother a tissue from the box on the table, Chichi was always prepared for the worst.
"It's…" Bulma blew her nose. "It's as if we're some sort of dysfunctional family!" She looked at her friends now, hoping they, if anyone, would have some kind words to help solve her problem.
"Oh, Bulma!" Chichi got up from the table, rushing around the round object to comfort her friend, her arms wrapping around the bluennette while she pulled her head into her slim neck.
His eyes still staring down at his hands, Goku thought about everything he had just heard, taking in all of Bulma's words as well as her tragic story. Dende…I knew things were bad, but this bad? He looked up at the grieving woman, his wife still holding her, while her young daughter looked on with tear-filled eyes.
I don't know what is going on with you, Trunks, but I need to fix it…you need to fix it. Goku was just about to open his mouth when Gohan spoke, the young man having been standing at the kitchen counter, unable to find a seat when Bulma had told her sob story.
"Don't worry, Bulma!" Gohan offered his advice to her. "Just ignore him. He'll come around at some point. He's just as thickheaded as I was when I was younger. Just let him get over it and he'll be back to you eventually."
Now Goku spoke though, his eyes full of calmness, and love, he looked into Bulma's watery blue ones, the eyes of his oldest friend. "I don't think we can afford to wait that long…I'll have a talk with Trunks." His words were as sure as they had been on Namek, and at the Cell Games, he meant to help his friend as much as he could.
"Wait! Dad, you don't want to do that!" Gohan stood up straight from his leaning position. "What if that only drives him further away from her?"
Goku turned to address his son when Bulma spoke up once more.
"I don't care how!" She cried. "I just want my son back! The boy who used to love me and call me "Mom!" Water streaming down her face once more, Chichi found she couldn't hold her anymore.
Thankfully, Goku now stood up as well, walking around the table, he held his friend in his arms, letting her cry into his strong chest as he comforted her in his embrace. "It's all going to be okay…Bulma…"
Bra could only look on, her eyes just as wet as her Mother's. She was glad she had taken her here today, it seemed like these were the only people who could help her now.
Capsule Corp.:
Trunks was in his office, the office of the CEO of Capsule Corp. He was busy on yet another new capsule design when he heard a knock on his door.
"Come in!" He called, looking up, he saw his best friend open the door, that familiar grin on his face.
"Hey! What's up? Mr. Big CEO?" Goten chuckled, leaning against his friend's office door as he looked around the room; he was always amazed by the splendor of Trunks' office. "Wanna go pick up some babes and have a fun time?" He gave his friend a playful wink.
"No thanks." Trunks replied plainly, the fact that he'd turn down such an idea earning him his friend's complete attention.
"Hey…" Goten got up off the door now. "What's wrong? Are there problems at home again?" He asked, taking a couple steps closer to the desk of the CEO.
"You know how it is." He folded his arms across his chest. "Just Bulma screwing shit up as usual." He looked out the window as he spoke, not really enjoying where this conversation had turned. She is such a disappointment.
Hearing his best friend's harsh words for a woman who was such a role model most of his life struck silence into Goten, his eyes looking down as he mulled over everything.
Looking back up at Trunks, he spoke, hesitantly. "Hey, Trunks…" He started. "Maybe you should take it easy on her."
Trunks looked up at him now, his lavender hair moving across his eyes. "You, know, Goten…Part of me wants to…but I just can't trust her anymore…not now…"
Son Household:
Things had calmed down some since Bulma had told her story, while Goku calmed down his friend, Gohan, had flown off and retrieved Videl from work, the young woman now assisting in comforting the Brief woman.
"OOH!" Chichi suddenly jumped up from the couch, startling everyone else in the room. They had moved from the kitchen to better accommodate their number.
"I know just what will cheer you up, Bulma!" She cheered, gaining the attention of everyone, their eyes landing on the woman with a strange gaze.
"Let's have a girls night out!" She practically leaped, joy just written on her face.
"A girls…night out?" Bulma looked up at her friend, still rather weary from her ordeal.
"Yeah!" Videl shot up as well, standing beside her Mother-in-law as she agreed with her idea. "And don't worry about the bill!" She held up a thumbs up. "Because I'm paying!"
Bra looked to her Mother with a hopeful expression, hoping her Mother would decide to go along with it, sadly though she was still apprehensive.
"I don't know, you guys…" She rested her hands in her lap, her body still leaning into Goku's while they sat on the couch, she didn't know if she should. "There is still dinner to cook, and you know how much Vegeta eats…" She began, only to be cut off by Chichi.
"Oh, phooey!" Chichi put her hands on her hips as she grinned happily. "You know as well as I do, men will eat anything! Saiyan or normal!" She giggled. "Just order a truckload of pizzas and you won't hear a single complaint, I promise you!"
Videl covered her mouth at the woman's words, trying her best not to laugh. She's got that right!
Gohan though, was having a slightly harder time; he gave a few nervous laughs as he held his head, wishing his wife hadn't agreed so quickly with that statement.
Despite all the jokes though, Bulma was still feeling unsure, that was until she felt a strong hand grip her arm, her fragile form being pulled into Goku's embrace.
"Come on, Bulma." He smiled down into her shocked eyes. "You'll have fun; I know it!"
Smiling up into his big, dumb face, Bulma finally agreed. "Alright…" She stood up now, letting Goku's arm gently fall off her shoulder. "I guess you're right. I'll go."
"Yay!" Bra cheered, happily jumping up and hugging her Mother's arm. "This is going to be so much fun, Mommy!"
"Okay, then!" Chichi clapped her hands together. "It's settled; we'll all go home and get ready, then be back here in an hour!"
"Right!" All the girls nodded to one another. Goku looking to his son with a grin, the younger man signaling back to him. This was going to be a good night.
Brief Household:
It was nearly time to get going. Bulma and Bra had dressed up in their most beautiful dresses, Bulma in a lovely red dress, while Bra wore a more modest version of her usual red ensemble, her Mother thankfully still having a leash on what she wore. "Are you ready, sweety?" Bulma grinned at her daughter.
"Yeah, Mommy." She whined. Not completely happy with what she was forced to wear.
Just as they were heading for the door, it opened on its own, a lavender head poking through the breach.
Seeing the two girls all dressed up made the man raise an eyebrow. "Where are you two going?" He asked, for once with more curiosity than hostility.
Doing a quick twirl in her lovely dress, Bulma snatched the keys to her capsule car off the wall. "We're going out to dinner! Chichi and Videl are taking us both for a girls night out!" She beamed happily. "Isn't that wonderful, honey?" She asked him, being happy had shrouded her knowledge of him, however briefly.
"Isn't it wonderful to go get drunk and have others drag your useless ass home; you mean?" He said dryly, he hung up his jacket, trying his best to ignore his little sister's angry glare.
Bulma did her best to stay calm. This night was for her after all, and she was not going to let him ruin it. "I'm not going to get drunk, Trunks." She tried to smile. "The restaurant we're going to doesn't even serve alcohol."
"Good…" He started to get moving. "Because if it did, you'd clean them out…"
"Trunks!" Bra shouted, preparing to give her brother a piece of her mind.
"Whatever…" He stepped between them, completely disregarding his sister's shouts as he brushed past, on his way to his room. "I'm going to bed."
'Doohm!' The sound of a door slamming in the distance told the girls he was gone.
"Well I think that went well…" Bulma looked down at her daughter, the girl finishing her Father's pizza order on her phone.
"Yeah, Mommy!" She finished up and put the phone away. Grabbing her Mother's hand, she smiled. "Let's go!"