Disclaimer: Still don't own.

Another chappy. Enjoy some'or.

Bulma made her way down the stairs. It was pretty early in the morning, even by her standards, and to her, any time after 8 was late.

She wandered into the living room, gasping when she saw what awaited her there. On the couch, sprawled out and looking quite content, was the boy from the future. And, curled up on the sofa chair, still looking as angry and on guard as ever, even while sleeping, was the mighty Saiyan Prince. Bulma wanted to take a picture so badly, but she was sure it would wake one, of not both, up. She sighed, and walked into the kitchen, where her mother was smiling happily.

"Bulma dear, did you see those sweet young men sleeping in the living room?" She asked, bubbly as ever. Bulma had to hold her tongue. Sure, the future kid was very nice, and well mannered; a real sweet-heart. But Vegeta…SWEET? The words could not be put in the same sentence without 'killed someone who called him' in there as well.

"I hope they won't mind, but I snapped a shot of them." Bunny's ever-present smile widened as she pulled out a camera.

"You didn't wake them?" Bulma asked incredulously. Bunny shook her head.

"No dear. It's your father's latest invention. Silent Cameras, so you can catch those adorable moment's without waking up the people involved!"

Bulma pulled the camera out of her mother's hand. "If Vegeta ever finds out we have this, he'll kill us." She smirked at her mother. "Best not to let him know, then." Bunny just turned back to the meal she was making.

It wasn't long before both Trunks and Vegeta woke up. Vegeta was positively dumbfounded at the fact that he had let his guard down, and allowed himself to fall asleep on a couch. Trunks, however, was beginning to hyperventilate. What the hell was he supposed to say to his mother? 'Hey Mom! Remember how you told me to be extra careful with the Time-machine because if it broke, I may not have a way of fixing it? Well, guess what?!'

He settled for eating, then thinking.

"So, Kid, were you able to finish the phone?" Bulma asked. Trunks held it up for her to see.

"Yep, all that's left is making the call, and facing my mother's wrath." he smiled.

"Well, good luck." Bulma said, getting up from the table. Trunks too got up, and made his way to his room. It was now or never.

He dialed the number, hoping against hope the phone at the present Capsule Corps. didn't start ringing. He held his breath when the phone started to ring on the other line. He relaxed a bit when he didn't hear a ringing nearby, but he wasn't out of the woods yet.

"Hello?" came his mother's voice.

"Mom?" His voice cracked a bit. He really missed her.

"Trunks? Sweetie, is that you? Where are you? How did things go in the past?"

"Um…great…things are great…"

"'are great'?" Bulma's stern voice gave Trunks shivers. "You mean you haven't left yet?"

"Um…Mom, please don't freak out-"

"Why am I going to freak out?"

"Well, um, hopefully you won't, since I asked you so nicely…?" He said in a questioning tone, more hopeful than anything.

"What happened, Trunks?"

"The Time machine is completely busted. It won't work, the parts I need to replace either A) can't be found in this time, or B) can't be put into the machine unless you're…well, you." He said quickly.

"What did you do?" She asked, very exasperated.

"Nothing. I didn't do anything! Well, um, actually, at first, there really wasn't that much wrong. I mean, it was fixable, but then when I crashed..."

"YOU CRASHED?!" Bulma yelled at him.

'Yeah, but I'm fine, and the machine wasn't that bad either, but then…"

"Don't tell me…" Bulma sighed. "You got fed up with the machine and took out all your frustrations on it? You are so much like your father it's scary."

"Well, yeah." Trunks admitted. "But everything else is great. I killed Frieza, gave Goku the heart medicine, they know about the androids, and I'm not in immediate danger of not being born. Plus, I met my dad, and built a phone that can call across time. Pretty good for a week's worth, ne?" He said, evidently proud of himself.

"Yeah, except every second you spend there, you're disturbing the time line even more, and, since you can't rebuild the time machine, I'm going to have to build another one here, then, I won't even be able to get it to you until you're born, because if I suddenly appear there, claiming to be your mother that's not going to look good, and you probably won't be born."

Trunks took a second to work out what she said. "I don't get it."

Bulma sighed.

"I can't come to the past Trunks, or someone will recognize me. Then they'll know who your mother is, and that will lead to questions about who your father is. And then, if we do manage to dodge that bullet, it won't matter. The damage will be done. So, I'll have to wait until you're born, or at least conceived, until I come there, with either a new time machine, or the means of fixing yours."

Trunks finally understood.

"And also, Trunks," Bulma started again "We're going to have to talk a lot. You need to be prepared for what's going to happen between me and Vegeta. You need to know when you can get involved, and when you have to let things be. So, you're going to have to talk to me every day."

"Kay, mom." He agreed. "I will."

"Ok, bye Trunks. Get some sleep. If I know you, you haven't slept all week and have been trying to find a way home."

Trunks gave a small chuckle. "Uh, yeah. Bye mom." He hung up, fell into his bed, and got some more sleep.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

It had been only three days. Three. Not that much, and already, Trunks was going to explode.

"Gary" "no" "Robert" "no" "Bill" "no" "Dave" "no" "Why can't you just tell me?" "Because I can't." "Hmmm…All the names I've been saying don't really fit you, do they?" "Obviously not." "Well, I'll just have to try harder!"

Trunks had to commend his mother's spirit, but still, this was just annoying. Finally, it hit that day. Day 4. THE day.

"I got it!" Bulma cried, staring at Trunks from across the dinner table.

"What?" he sighed, prepared to hear her try to convince him that his name was "Vlad" or something.

"Trunks!" She shouted triumphantly. Trunks froze. She knew by his reaction that she was right.

"I knew it! It just hit me! The name suits you so well! Well, actually, I had another guess, but this seemed more likely." She said, chuckling. Trunks was still frozen. After a few seconds, he was able to talk again.

"What was your other guess?" He had to ask, though he was afraid of the answer.

"You'll probably laugh." She said, blushing slightly. "I dunno, I was just watching you eat yesterday, and it hit me how much you look like Vegeta, and I absently thought that might work as your name. It does suit you, you know." She said, not realizing Trunks had stopped all movement, and all the colour had left his face.

"Um, Kid? Trunks?" She asked, after 5 minutes, his expression still there. "Geez, I had no idea comparing him to Vegeta would have this affect."

So that was that. Everyone knew his name, and Trunks did not like it. Of course, his mother hadn't helped at all when he told her what had happened.

"If you're quite finished yet!" He said, after listening to his mother laugh hysterically for a good 10 minutes.

"It's funny!" she cried, wiping tears from her eyes.

"I fail to see the humour." He said coldly.

"B-but…She thought your name was….your name…Vegeta!" She got out through laughs.

"I will hang up, you know."

"Oh fine. But it IS funny. I will never let you live this down, Veggie." She said, calming down, but the humour still in her voice. Trunks sighed.

"So, is anything supposed to happen soon?" He asked.

"Huh? Oh yeah, me and Yamcha should get into a big fight soon. We won't break up, but it is where I make the decision that I have to break up with him soon. It might be better that you don't get involved. I stay with him longer than I want to because I don't want to be alone. If you're there for me, I may have the strength to break up with him sooner, which may screw things up."

"Kay'. Trunks said simply, not liking the fact that his mother will be upset and he wouldn't be able to do anything about it. "I gotta go, bye mom."

"Bye Veggie" Bulma chuckled again before hanging up.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Another week had passed. Though Trunks was upset that Bulma blew his cover, he was enjoying the fact that she had stopped harassing him to find out his name. But he really didn't have time to enjoy that. He had been avoiding her. Finally, he got the clearance from his mother that it was ok for him to go talk to her.

"Hey." He said, walking into the kitchen, where she was absently staring out the window. Trunks wondered if she even knew she was watching Vegeta do warm up exorcizes.

"Hi Trunks." She smiled at him. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing much. I would just like to tell you that you nearly killed my mother." He smiled back at her. She gave a confused look. "Well, I told her about you guessing my name, and what you thought it was, and she was laughing to hard she nearly suffocated. And, I would also have you know that she now calls me 'Veggie'."

Bulma gave a light laugh. "Oh well, sorry Trunks."

Trunks smiled wider. Thank goodness. The mood was lighter.

"You haven't been training." Bulma said suddenly.

"Uh…I really don't have anywhere to train. I've actually been enjoying the peace a bit. I guess I am slacking off…" He finished awkwardly.

"Well, you need to train, don't you? I mean, not to the extent Vegeta does, but still."

Trunks shrugged, but then, as if the two were in cahoots, Vegeta burst through the door.

"Boy. Come with me. Training. Now." He said, walking back out.

"Well…I guess that solves that problem…" Bulma smiled.

"That…that doesn't make sense…" Trunks mumbled. Bulma gave him an odd look, but otherwise ignored him. She was somewhat used to the fact that Trunks talked to himself a lot.

His mother had always told him that Vegeta never trained with anyone. No one was worthy to train with the great Saiyan Prince. Pushing all rational thought aside, Trunks made his way to Capsule 3, deciding that, no matter what was wrong with this picture, he really didn't want to disobey Vegeta.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Trunks woke up in his bed. "Week 4. It has officially been one month" He mumbled to himself.

Things had changed a lot in the last few weeks. For one, Trunks had adopted a training schedule. Well, more like Vegeta ever so nicely gave him the choice of 'train or perish' He chose train.

His mother had assured him that Vegeta was probably training with him so that he could attempt to find some great secret to being Super Saiyan, and that it was probably good for him to spend time with Vegeta.

He went into the living room, finding the Senior Briefs there already, as well as Bulma.

"Where's Vegeta?" He asked.

"Where else? Training." Bulma scoffed. "That man is going to kill himself one of these days, training under 300 times earth's gravity." The entire house a jolt just as the words left her.

"What was that?" She said, worry in her voice. It only took seconds for them to realize it was the gravity room.

Bulma raced out of the house, Yamcha on her heals. Trunks was about to follow, but his cell phone rang. He quickly picked it up.

"Mom?" He asked. She heard the worry and urgency in his voice, and knew she called too late.

"Trunks, leave it alone. Don't help. This is really important."

"But…mom…"

"Trunks." The finality in her voice ended the conversation.'

"Kay." He said, hanging up.

He looked out the window, watching as Vegeta tried in vain to get up, just to fall and be cradled by Bulma. Trunks gave a small smile. This was actually quite fun to watch, but still. He wanted to be there. Things had changed in this time. What if Vegeta didn't make it, or something? Then what?

Trunks shoved his pessimistic thoughts out of his head, and resigned himself to worry patiently, letting things run their course.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Two more months had passed. According to his mother, the new Time-machine for Trunks was almost done, so all that was left was waiting for Trunks to be conceived. Something the teen was not looking forward to. But, all that aside, the 18 year old had something else to worry about. No, it wasn't the fact that Bulma was going to break up with Yamcha in less than a year, nor was it that Bulma and Vegeta were literally one year and 3 months away from…well, you know. No, it was the fact that today was his birthday. It would be his first birthday away from his mother, corny as that sounds.

He walked through the halls of Capsule Corp. to the kitchen, clearly upset. Apparently, he wasn't the only one.

"Hey Trunks." Bulma sighed.

"What's up?" He fell into a chair.

"Nothing. You?"

"Nothing."

"You both sound miserable. Weakling human emotions." Vegeta scoffed. This was the first time in a while he had graced them with his presence.

"Me and Yamcha are fighting again." Bulma sighed.

"It's my birthday." Trunks sighed.

Vegeta stared at the boy.

"Why are you so depressed that it's your birthday?" He asked. Weren't only middle aged women upset that they got older?

"Because, no one here knows. And I'm pretty sure my mom forgot in all the commotion, otherwise she would have called me by now. And I don't want to call her and tell her."

"Poor kid." Bulma said, frowning at him. She suddenly brightened. "I know! I'll bake you a cake!" She ran to the cupboards, pulling stuff out to bake with.

"Thanks, but you don't have to…" Trunks said, being polite. To be honest, he would LOVE a cake at this point.

"Don't be silly. This is perfect. You get a birthday cake, and I get something to take my mind of Yamcha. And, hey, since I'm in such a good mood now, I'll even let Vegeta have some!"

"You have a deal." Vegeta said, humour in his voice, something extremely rare. Trunks guessed it had something to do with the prospect of cake.

And hour or so later, the odd little family (two of it's member's not even knowing it was a family) ate cake happily, to celebrate Trunks turning 19 years old, Bulma getting over her fight with Yamcha in less than a day, and Vegeta getting cake.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

So, if you couldn't tell, I was extremely hungry while writing that last part. I have had a cake craving for the last two weeks.

Bleh. The chapter sounded so much better when I wrote it compared to rereading it now. Well, hope you all (or at least SOMEONE!) enjoyed! Next chapter coming soon! (Damn. I want cake...)