The Future He Never Had

By: Liv-x-Lex4Ever

Chapter 2: Seeing Pure Beauty

A week later…

Trunks and Bulma walked out to the fully-charged time machine. They both had bags slung over their shoulders and a guarded smile upon their lips. The open cap of the time machine glistened in the hot sun. He wiped the sweat from his brow and grabbed his mother around the waist and lifted her into the open cap.

She smiled. "That was nice of you, but there's a ladder right next to us."

He looked at her, situating himself at the controls, and closed the lid. "I know. I wanted to. It's lucky you made the inside a bit bigger. Otherwise, I'd really be squished."

Bulma flipped the switch with ease and entered '2010' in the year spot and then she sat at the back and relaxed a bit. Trunks joined her. "I'd say it's more than a bit bigger. We can actually sit down. Both of us."

"How'd you manage that anyway? It looks pretty much the same."

She gestured to the circle in the bottom.

He looked at her in awe. "N-no way! This? This-this thing is a capsule inside a capsule?"

She laughed. "Yes, it took me years to perfect it and even now it has a few cracks."

"So, when we land…?"

"Just hit the normal button. It's all connected. When the outside shrinks, this will too."

"Do I ever mention how great it is that you're a genius?" he smiled cheekily.

"Not nearly enough," she stretched and yawned. "We should be there in about 4 hours. I need to rest."

He looked at the floor. "Hey Mom, before you sleep I have a question to ask, but I'm not sure if I should."

She patted his shoulder. "I just came clean about something no one else knew. Something so painful it still hurts to think about. If I can do that, you can ask me your question."

"Yeah, but see, that's just it . . ."

Silence was a friend for a moment. Deep down, she was anxious of his question, but she still wanted to know. "What's your question?"

He bit his lip in hesitation and slowly asked. "I know technology is advanced since you've improved a lot, but well, did you know the gender of the baby?" As soon as he asked he regretted it because he knew those memories were ones she would rather forget. "I'm sorry. Forget I asked okay?" He scooted to the far end to let her rest.

"I didn't 'know' but I had a 'feeling'. That's why it's going to hurt me by coming with you, but still…I want to know. Is this timeline like that? Would you have had a little brother or sister? Would they have looked like me or like your father?"

"Everyone wonders that, Mom, but most people aren't privileged enough to get to see it."

She sighed, lying on the seat. "Yeah, but I always wanted a little girl to spoil."

He shrugged. "Who knows, maybe you'll get to spoil her here."

She nodded, her eyes drifting closed.

Bulma opened her eyes, realizing she was back in her house. 'Wait,' she thought. 'Wasn't I in the time machine with Trunks?' She stood up, noticing something was odd about herself. Her hair wasn't in the style she put it in that morning. Part of it was up and the rest lay on her shoulders.

She walked out of the lab. Reaching the door, her mouth dropped open in shock. Everything was back to normal. Nothing was broken or out of place and everything looked brighter.

Walking down the hallway to the Gravitron Room, she expected to see Trunks, but instead she saw the Prince of the Sayain race training hard. For a second, she stopped to watch in awe. She wished she could open the door and hear him yell, but upon trying to press the combination, she realized she was invisible.

She stifled a cry. Looking right, she saw a child's shoe, but it wasn't her son's, no. Her son didn't wear pink princess shoes. 'A girl?' she thought. 'My little girl?' With that, she ran down the hall trying to find her little girl who remained nameless.

"Mom?" Trunks said, shaking her gently. "Mom, wake up."

She rubbed her eyes and sat up. "What?"

"We're here."

She looked around, seeing beautiful grassland with tall, shady trees, birds flying overhead, chirping. She could hear the stream too as well as feel the breeze. She stood up as Trunks helped her down onto the soft grass. "It's so nice," she said walking over and sitting next to the clear stream.

He sighed and sat beside her. "Yeah, it really is. I can't believe a place so open to construction is still so breathtaking."

She laughed.

He cocked an eyebrow. "What?"

"You need more guy friends, Trunks. What guy calls the outdoors breathtaking? What about rugged, musky, or dirty?"

"Hey, at least I had a parent who actually showed me affection!" he claimed.

She sighed. "Yeah, but you knew he loved you, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, like a rival maybe," he exasperated as he stood up, pulling her with him. "Come on, we've got a ways to go."

She smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Let's fly!"

He held her tightly to him and took off toward the city.

An hour later, they were flying over the city.

Bulma looked as happy as Trunks had ever seen her. "It's so nice to be here where things aren't demolished."

He smiled, landing behind a couple trees. "It sure is. We should probably walk from here. It's only a block." He took a few steps forward and then ran back. "Yeah, we're about there. Same as always."

His mother laughed. "Don't you think I know that? It may have been years since you've been back and I've never been back here, but I know my family well enough to say that while we may expand, we'll never relocate."

He shrugged. "Yeah, but as we know well by now, looks can be deceiving. I just wanted to be sure."

She smiled, hugging him. "I appreciate that, son, really, but I'm your mom. I should be watching out for you, not the other way around." She released him and they began their short trek. "Goku and your father taught me what the words self preservation mean."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that I may not be nearly as powerful as you, but you don't always have to worry about me."

"Except when you go days at your computer without rest or nourishment, right?" he asked with a smirk.

She sighed. "Yes, there's that, but I would've eaten…eventually."

He remained silent until they saw the Capsule Corporation when his mother nearly fell. "Mom, what is it?"

She stared in amazement, remaining wordless. She hadn't seen the house together in years and it looked like the most beautiful place on the Earth.

Trunks waved a hand in front of her face. "Mom? Hello? Earth to Mom, anybody home?"

She snapped back to reality. "Uh, yeah, yeah, its just…its been a while since I've seen the house in livable conditions."

"Yeah, it has been a while," he commented as he spotted a pink bike on the sidewalk. A girl of about 2 with blue hair in pigtails and a bright red dress with matching shoes ran across the neatly trimmed yard. Trunks instantly pulled his mother behind the trees where he was across the street.

She ran back and forth a few more times, before tripping and skinning her knee on the cement, letting out a wail. It wasn't until Bulma got a clear look at her still form that she recognized her true features.

The little girl looked around, but saw no one coming to help so she increased the volume of her cries. "MOMMY! TWUNKS! MOMMY!" she cried, but still no one came.

Bulma stepped out from behind the trees.

"What! Mom! No!" Trunks yelled, trying to pull her back. "We can't!"

"Why not? We came back here to see everybody anyway."

"But you're no—"

"Mommy!" the little girl said more steadily. "Mommy, I hurt my knee." She tried to stand and walk over, but she fell again, crying more.

He sighed. In a way she was right. They were here to see everybody, but Trunks knew he was right too. His mother wasn't her mother—not exactly. He released her arm. "Go, but I'm coming with you."

Bulma nodded and walked over, picking up the little girl. "Awww! It's okay. It's gonna be okay." She nodded, sniveling and resting her head in her shoulder.

Trunks looked at her, pointing to the closed door of the Capsule Corporation. "Maybe, we should…"

She nodded, walking behind him. He raised his hand to knock, but then lowered it in thought. What were they supposed to say? 'Hi! Remember me? Your son that came from the future 15 years ago? Well, I'm back. Oh, and this is my mother.' Yeah, that'd go over really well. He turned around.

"Well, don't just stand there, knock!" she ordered.

He ran his hand through his hair. "I know, but what do we say? I mean, if Dad answers the door well… then what?"

She cocked an eyebrow. "You're afraid of him?"

"What? No, no, but its just…two of you? Two of me? He'll think we're some crazy imposters or something. You know how suspicious he gets."

She sighed, stepping up beside him and knocking, with the toddler on her hip. He was right, but if she still knew Vegeta as well as she thought she did, nothing of the sort would happen.

Not a second later, the door was flung open and there, clad in only a towel around his waist, stood the Prince of the Sayain race. He looked at the future version of his 'wife' a second and then slammed the door, causing his daughter to squirm and cry.

Future-Bulma could hear him inside the house. "Woman, you never told me you had a sibling!"

The present version of herself sighed. "I don't! And I have a name you know! Would it kill you to use it?"

It took a couple seconds for the door to open again, this time by the present version of herself. She looked her up and down, before her daughter took the conversation. "Mommy?" she said, looking at her. "But you Mommy!" she said confused, looking to her future self.

"What is going on here?" Present-Bulma asked with her hands on her hips.

Trunks stepped up beside his mother. "I, uh, think I can answer that, if you'll let us in, of course," he said, flashing her a pearly smile.

It took her a second for her brain to register who he was exactly. After all those years, she'd recognize that hardened exterior anywhere. She hadn't seen him in 15 years, but she'd always recognize him. She reached out and touched his face. "Trunks," she breathed. "The other Trunks. You came to warn us…"

Author's Note: So, what do you think?

Surprise! Yes, I know it's been forever since I've posted anything for this story and I apologize for that. But, as anyone who has my on Author Alert knows, I've become more of a Law & Order: SVU writer anymore. And, yeah, I know I originally said this would be only a 2-shot, but I decided it was getting too long! ;)

This will be a 3-shot.

Review thanks to: Thomas Drovin, Kiyamasho, Puja723 & Hmrtaylor

Please read and review!

Liv-x-Lex4Ever