4: Where are you?

What had gotten into her son? For the umpteenth time that night Bulma looked out the window, half expecting to see the light Trunks emitted when he flew back home. But for the umpteenth time the light wasn't there.

She'd told him he didn't have to come back if he left now, but it had been an empty threat, meant as a last resort to make him stay. He hadn't reacted to it the way she thought he would and now her son was out there somewhere, alone. Where could he be? She'd phoned Chichi immediately after Trunks was out of sight and Chichi had promised to call if she heard anything. Then Bulma had proceeded calling some of Trunks' other friends, but he was not anywhere and one woman even got mad at her for calling at such time of the night! The indecency! Her son was gone and she was worried sick!

Vegeta had just let him go. He could've easily stopped his son, prevented him from leaving, but he had not lifted a finger. He'd flat out refused to go after him and just left the room as if nothing at all was wrong.

Bulma glanced at her husband next to her on the couch, who was concentrating on some wrestling program on tv. She knew he cared. She knew he loved his son, even if he was quite crude in showing it. But she just didn't understand. Why had he not gone after him? Did he really think it was alright for a thirteen-year-old to be out alone at this hour? What had happened in that room before she'd stepped in? What had been said? And how had her son gotten hurt?

"You worry too much, woman." Vegeta said roughly, eyes still on the tv.

Bulma realised she was again staring at the window, searching for that light that wouldn't come. She looked at her husband. "He's my son."

"Oh, so now he's your son?"

"Don't start with me, Vegeta."

But her husband seemed to ignore her. "He is strong. He is a super saiyan. He will not fall to the petty creatures that inhabit this planet."

"He's never been out on his own this late." Bulma answered. "Super saiyan or no, he is also a teenager. Do you remember when you were that age? Who knows what kind of trouble he can get himself into."

She knew a little about when Vegeta had been that age. Life under Freeza was never easy but for an adolescent who wanted to grow up and be on his own it was much worse. Freeza had not tolerated disobedience.

There was no Freeza here on earth, but that did not mean there was no trouble to be found. Bulma had run off to seek adventure when she'd been barely older than Trunks was now and she'd found it. It had nearly killed her on several occasions. Trunks might be able to face those kind of dangers, but what about the other dangers? What if he got in touch with alcohol and prostitutes? What if he started doing drugs? There was so much her teenage son had yet to learn.

"He will be fine. He's overdue for a lesson in humility." Vegeta simply told her.

Humility? Bulma wondered if he indeed needed a lesson in that. The boy had grown quiet the past year. She'd noticed he started turning into himself more and more, especially since Bra was born. She'd thought he'd just been thoughtful. He was old enough to want to be on his own more and the baby needed a lot of her parents' attention. She'd thought he understood that and that he kept to himself for that reason.

Also she realised that he was becoming a teenager and teenagers did not always want to share everything with their mother. She'd found that hard sometimes, when he wasn't so ready to tell her what he'd been up to anymore, but she'd tried as best as she could to accept it. Her little boy was growing up.

Bulma sighed and leaned into her husband who accepted her touch easily now. She realised she'd never really gotten around to asking what was going on in Trunks' mind lately. She'd been so busy with Bra and her work that she'd just accepted her son's retreat and had not asked the questions a good mother should have asked.

"I'm a lousy mother." She realised out loud.

"You are a fine mother." Vegeta replied automatically.

"I told him not to come back."

"He'll be back." Vegeta said. "Where the hell else will he go?"

"I just wish he wouldn't have gone out at all."

"He'll be back, woman." She felt him put an arm around her and he pulled her against him. "Instead of worrying over him, you should be thinking of how to punish him when he does."

"Punish him?" She just wanted him home! She didn't want to scare him away with punishment.

"Yes, punishment." Vegeta said. "The way he behaved tonight is clearly unacceptable. He ran away twice."

He had, hadn't he? "I guess you're right." But Bulma didn't feel like she wanted to punish him at all. She just wanted to put him to bed and watch over him while he slept like she'd done when he was just a toddler.

"Of course I'm right, woman."

"Can't you just reach out to him, see if you can feel him?" She pleaded tiredly with her husband.

"He needs to come back on his own." Vegeta answered simply.

"But you can check up on him, right? Just to see if he's okay? He doesn't have to know you're doing it, right?"

"Our son is fine, woman."

"Just check up on him, please."

"If he has not returned in a day I will bring him back personally."

"A whole day? You're leaving him out there on his own for a whole day?"

"Have some faith in him, woman."

-.-

Finally. The woman had fallen asleep and it seemed to hold this time. Vegeta continued staring at the tv without really seeing anything. He'd followed his son's ki until the boy turned it down. Vegeta knew it hadn't been dropped because he was in danger. He had not sensed any danger. The boy just clearly did not want to be 'checked up' on.

He had no idea what was going on in the mind of his son. He'd never been particularly good at it, but for some reason he just couldn't seem to reach the boy at all lately. When the brat was still young and he had taught him how to fight they had been in sync, they had bonded like saiyans did. The boy had learned to follow his father as any boy should and he had been satisfied with that.

My conception was the biggest mistake you ever made!

It had been a mistake back then. He'd been attracted to Bulma and somewhere along the like they had both let their guards slip. He might have mentioned it once or twice when the boy was younger, that he had not been planned –that he had been stuck with him- but surely the boy would know better by now?

You never wanted me!

Then where had that come from? The boy knew Vegeta did not give voice to his emotions. He was a Saiyan, for crying out loud! He'd been raised with the idea that having emotional attachments was a weakness and the boy had never voiced a word that said he did not understand or that he wanted change. Why change something that seemed to work?

You never know when I have something going on!

That was his wife's department. She dealt with whatever was going on with him and it had worked for years. Then why would the brat all of a sudden throw that back in his face? The brat knew damned well that Vegeta would be no good at that kind of sentimental stuff.

I'll call child protection services and they'll take me away!

He didn't know what to do with that. Child protection services. His son was a saiyan, for crying out loud, not some weak, frail human! He didn't beat him that much and only if he really deserved it. He only hit his son when he had crossed a hard border and even then he never went too far. He could take whatever Vegeta gave him and that had made Vegeta proud. His son was not afraid of a little punishment now and then. He took it like a man, like a saiyan warrior. He took it just the way he should.

But not tonight. Tonight he'd fought back. Vegeta had been so surprised by the response that he had not continued on. His son had crossed the line he knew never to cross and he had not stood for the beating he deserved. He had been insolent, childish, hateful. What the hell had gotten into him? And how the fuck was Vegeta going to get it out if he would not stand for a beating he perfectly deserved?

If only you were half the father Goku is.

That brat had better come back within twenty-four hours, or there would be hell to pay if Vegeta had to actually go and find him.

-princess

I had this whole part about Yamcha's thoghts in here, but I decided to scrap it as it did not seem to be really important. He's not a main character of the fiction. It made the chapter a little shorter, but I hope you don't mind. From what I read many people who like the Briefs family don't care much for Yamcha. If I am wrong, please let me know and I'll see if I can write some of his thoughts into the next chapter!