A/N: I'm back to finish the rest of from what should have been chapter 13. Hope you enjoy, thanks for reading and reviewing/favoring!

Chapter 14: Mirai

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ.

"Tell me everything."

Bulma watched as Trunk's head dipped into a solemn state. She knew whatever he had to say, would cause her a heavy heart. Even if he wasn't her son from this particular time – she still felt a connection. Their short time together – his need to protect her and defend her – Bulma knew she had come to love him as her own baby boy.

He was shaking, she noted. Fists balled into frustration as he grit his teeth. She understood however how he felt. Things must have been hard for him. The dragon balls were not in his grasp. There would be no wishing back, and there would be no second meetings.

Only death and despair.

Bulma's lips lined as she held back the tears building in her eyes. She hoped that resolving the enemy in this time would help Trunks overcome his obstacles. There wasn't any doubt in her mind that Vegetto couldn't win over this new threat – his strength painfully obvious as he toyed with his competition.

Bulma's mind felt muddled.

She just didn't know if Trunks would be to get any training in. After all Vegetto was a one hit wonder so how could Trunks possibly train with Vegetto without –Well – dying?!

Bulma bit the inside of her cheek, she knew she was still sour about what happened to her son of this time. Vegetto and Lusc both mentioned that Trunks was still alive but she never got to confirm this. He was still so much out of reach. Growing up much too fast for her liking.

Speaking of growing up – Trunks looked about the same as when he exited the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Long purple locks pulled back into a ponytail and he still was dressed in his first encounter attire. It seemed he favored the look, the one he wore when he defeated Freeza. Pride that he got from his father, more or less.

Finally she heard a breath, and Trunks voice came. Broken, but unrelenting.

"I was hoping peace would last forever." He began, but shook his head and cursed under his breathe. "Yet when the tournament rolled in...Things worsened. We were finally recovering from the Androids! People were finally adjusting – the tournament was supposed to be a way to let things go. Frustration, tears, and regret!"

Bulma raised a hand up to stop him. Trunks lifted his gaze to her, and while she had this nagging feeling that she knew what he was talking about – she however stayed silent on her musing.

After all there were plenty of tournaments – it couldn't have been this specific one.

Besides her son was from the future.

Not the past.

"I'm sorry go on." Bulma told him feeling slightly embarrassed. "I-I just thought I heard someone at the door." She said all too lamely.

She watched her son's exterior drop from it's frustration instantly. He observed her for a moment and with each passing minute Bulma felt like she knew what was coming.

Then it came.

"Where is father?"

Bulma panicked all too quickly for his liking. She knew because his gaze seemed to harden furiously. "Now that you've reminded me...I can't sense him or myself anywhere for that matter. What happened and why are you dressed – like that anyhow?"

"I was going to New Namek to revive him." Bulma sputtered out. It was half true. Well...It was something. "Trunks is on New Namek recovering." She replied point blankly. When his brow raised, Bulma felt herself grow cold.

"What happened?" He pressed, but she stayed silent. Refusing to go into details with her own son. She just could not echo what she saw.

"You're shaking."

"Like mother, like son." She spoke harshly surprising him and herself. Bulma's gaze quickly darted away from his feeling bitter.

"New Namek?" His voice prodded once more. This time at least shifting off her personal life. "There is such a place?" He questioned, a swell of hope ringing in his voice.

"Y-you," Bulma began, realization dawning on her. "You haven't been to New Namek?"

"Well everyone is-"

"Ah!" Bulma exclaimed, body turning towards her son. "Of course – you don't know! Namekians that survived the Freeza ordeal! Oh Dende-! The dragon balls are still around in your time after all!"

Trunks sputtered at this. "You don't have to be alone anymore Trunks!" Bulma announced feeling giddy. "They can be revived!"

"No they can't." He replied sharply, "Even such a place is out of my reach. There's no home anymore. I-I don't have access to a space ship or anything. All I had was what I originally carried. The Time Machine."

"What do you mean - 'no home'?" She questioned, dread swelling in her heart.

"I was powerless to stop it mother. I could only do what I was best at. Hiding like the coward I am."

"Trunks what happened at the tournament?" Bulma asked – she needed to know who this threat was so she could prepare. After all there was going to be an upcoming tournament surely to replace the one that caused so much despair. So many bad memories.

Trunks shuddered at the reminder of it. He felt his vision blur as the imagine came into a visible plane of existence once more. It was almost like everything happened just yesterday but it had been a full year – a year filled with unquestionable rage.

"Android 16 and I were powerless to stop them. They destroyed him right before my eyes, and in retaliation I powered up. I didn't know they planned to steal my energy to help create that pink menace."

"Are you talking about Majin Buu?" Bulma questioned and she inwardly nodded when his head shot up at her. His eyes begging for an explanation on how she knew. "Oh Trunks honey-" Bulma began feeling somewhat relieved as this rolled off her tongue. "You've traveled a bit forward then back! We've already defeated Majin Buu."

The look on Trunk's face was priceless but he managed to take a deep breath in and relax. "I should have anticipated this. With everyone still well... Alive." He managed.

Bulma frowned resisting the urge to pull him into a hug. She couldn't do such motherly things with this man. He was much too old and she knew he would be quite flustered too.

"How am I?" Bulma whispered softly, and as soon as she said, she regretted it.

"Dead." Trunks replied eyesight dropping away from her own. "I-I-"

"It's alright." Bulma quickly rebounded, noticing his trembling as well as the tears that ran down his cheeks, "I-"

"No it's not! You're my mother! I wanted at least one person in my life to die naturally, but no! Everything is always taken away from me! I can't ever win!"

"Trunks-"

"But do you understand now?! Bobbidi caught wind that you were a well-known genius that ended the android menace so he quickly ordered Buu to put an end to Capsule Corporation! He made sure to destroy all of our research, labs, and any means to escape off this planet. Bobbidi wanted everyone on Earth to be under his captured audience. He didn't need any heroes trying to steal his spotlight. Damn it..."

It was then that Trunks collapsed to the ground, he was now laying back on the floor, and staring up at the roof. "I even goofed and came to the wrong time line. Its like I can't do anything right anymore." Her son groaned miserably as he covered his right arm over his eyes. "I'm a mess without you mother."

Bulma placed her hands to her side, and tried to push this out of her sight. Her son from the future was always such a strong man. To see him stressed, made her brain rack uncontrollably. She began to think about solutions, her brain running through a million options. Finally she paused, an idea sparking to mind.

"Use our dragon balls." She stated out loud, making Trunks freeze in place. "The ones on New Namek are supposed to be the most powerful of all." She continued and Trunks slowly began to rise into a sitting position. A bead of sweat rolled down her head, the idea was crazy, but maybe... "Maybe, maybe they can even surpass the boundaries of time and space. It's a small chance but we ought to take it."

"But," Trunks breathed uneasily, "But didn't you need those to revive father?"

Bulma's breath instantly sucked in.

She was so wrapped in with fixing her son's issue that she had forgotten her own mission. Bulma immediately felt her hands rubbing each other trying to calm herself as quick as possible.

"V-Vegeta can wait." She strained, "Your issue is far more dire. You need this. We still have ours. We can wait. You can't."

It was then that she felt herself being pulled into a hug. The scent of lavender being engulfed around her. Bulma felt her cheeks flush, she wasn't expecting this. But she couldn't help but give a small smile when she heard him let out a small sob into her shoulder.

"Thank you mother." He cried out, "Thank you, thank you, thank you..."

Bulma's smile grew as she returned the hug. Hands brushing through his purple locks to comfort him.

Even as a man, he was still her very own baby boy.

XXX

TBC