Blue Roses

Bouzi Neo

Chapter Three: Houseguest

She sighed. When he left, she said all the wrong things. Turning the radio up didn't drown things out. Her son.

She should've made him come back!

She should have done something. Anything. But she did, she argued with herself, If he wanted to go get killed...

Why couldn't she even think it? Why couldn't she think that if he wanted to go get killed, it was his fault.

Bulma sighed and sped up, maybe he'd be waiting for her at home. She knew that she couldn't say it... The last thing she told Vegeta was that if he wanted to go get killed, she wouldn't cry.

She cried. He proved her wrong. He always did.

Pushing the thoughts of Vegeta away, she started going as fast as she could on the vacant road... Trunks might be there, waiting for her to fix any wounds.

Stupid kid! Why did he have to go fight them? Why did he have to go... he could be dead!

"Is this... is this the way life's supposed to be?" Trunks murmured, his fists digging into his pants. "So full of pain... Well, I'd rather fight and die then watch this happen." His thoughts drifted to his death, more tears slid down, splattering on his hand. Crystal tears. He couldn't keep hiding, no matter how afraid he was. No matter what he'd put his mother through? "No! I can't just sneak around while all this is going on!" She had been protecting him for so long... he owed her his life so many times over.

Gohan stood, perfect posture, staring out the window. The androids were a chaotic, he agreed with the boy. He almost envied how he couldn't so freely cry. He had seen a lot of things, horrible things, since boyhood, and now this of all the worst.

He sighed. The thought, of his father, who so proudly fought to save the world, his mother, himself, and died for it. Others, he didn't know of had as well. The world's greatest fighters. A super team they made that died one by one, starting with the leader.

But 'Son-San' didn't go down fighting, he died of what, of all things? A heart disease. Trunks truly believed that his mother thought the reason that they all flew apart was because he died. How could he leave them, how could he be the reason that this team came apart but she forgave him?

This was his life! He looked to the cracked wall, touched the toy in his pocket, remembered the crushed buildings, the radio and T.V. reposts, and he thought about it. He was Saiya-Jin. He knew, from the stories, few there were, of his father that the Saiya-Jin race was born to fight, for combat. He took a deep breath, "Please, train me, you have to... Please! I must fight! C'mon, Gohan! You're half Saiya-Jin like me, right? So then you must know how I'm feeling. Help me channel some of this anger!"

But Gohan, who had a slight smirk, already knew that this would happen. He kept his arms crossed, and idly stared out the window. The boy gave a good argument, but he didn't have to think twice. He understood perfectly how the young Saiya-Jin was feeling. Son of the prince... the back of his mind taunted.

"Gohan!" Trunks shouted again.

"You're pitiful, Trunks." Gohan said, his voice mocking somewhat. Trunks frowned. Was this the kind Gohan? "An emotional wreck. Just like I was when my mom wouldn't let me train and with my father." He remembered those days, but turned and approached the boy, who was calmed now. "From now on, I'm your master and you are my pupil. How's that?" He placed a hand on his head, smiling.

The tears slowed, "Great... I won't let you down."

Gohan beamed, "Yeah. I know."
Bulma sighed as she pulled into Capsule Corporation, re-containing the car. 'Kami, please oh please let him be alright. There aren't any Dragonballs! Please let him be alive! I haven't asked much of you and really meant it... he's my boy... Great Bulma, now you're talking to yourself, or better yet, a dead man. Namek. Thing.' She laughed a little, taking the groceries and entering. "Trunks! I'm home!"
Trunks heard his mother and quickly wiped his eyes, "My mom's back..." Gohan's heart leapt, and as Trunks wasn't looking his smiled, "Oh man!" He looked at Gohan, his eyes pleading. His mother'd forbid it! "Please don't tell her?"

"Right." Gohan nodded. He loved her, and he didn't want to anger her. But he also knew it was his duty, to his father, to the world, to train Trunks. When he died, he was all the world would have left. Whether it was the androids still lurking around or a new foe.

Trunks ran to the table, picking up his school booklet, well what was a schoolbook. His mother taught him, mostly. No schools left.

Gohan went to the window, hoping she wouldn't see him blushing.

"Hello?" Bulma called again, her voice worried and playful at once. Maybe he was just hiding. He was a little prankster when he was a child. "Anyone in here?" She gave a fake sigh of relief as she saw him, though every part of her was pounding with thanks, "Ahh, nice to see that you're ALIVE, son. Do you plan on living LONG, or should I start shopping for one instead of two?"

Gohan chuckled to himself. She was the same, stubborn, sarcastic, he shivered. Her voice was so...

"Uhh, no Mom, two's fine."

Bulma looked to the window, she thought she saw a ghost for a moment. Strong build, handsome, dark hair, pale skin, orange and blue gi. Then she looked closer. Gohan, "Oh, and a surprise guest," She mused, "How are you Gohan?"

Bulma had a deep respect for the boy, well now a man. He was so strong, like his father. He would be proud. She almost forgot why, she knew, he was there and let herself smile at him.

Gohan turned at his name and stared at her. Hot pink jumper, unzipped down. Damn bread, he cursed, looking at it. He stared idly for a moment, before replying, "Fine..." He nodded, "Hi."

He wanted to do something... but he just stared. Trunks, book upside down, looked to his mother. Gohan marveled at how she could just grab the attention of the room... She was... perfect.

"Trunks goes to fight the androids, and then you show up." She cursed him. That was all she had left! How could he? He was going to get Trunks killed! It was free will to go, yes, but now that Gohan was here, she knew what'd happen next. "What an interesting coincidence, wouldn't you say?" She walked to the kitchen, put the groceries up and start dinner, "You guys aren't planning anything?" Her voice warned, "Well I didn't think so." She left the two blinking, "No one's that stupid. Right?" Her voice, sharp, commanding, and she looked straight at Gohan.

Gohan shuddered under her eyes, they twinkled but were sarcastic. He looked at Trunks and cursed Vegeta again.

'You take her. then you make me train him... you know I'll do it because it's right, and also because it keeps me from her.' He looked at Bulma again. 'Not for long, Vegeta.'
Bad Gohan!

I watched the history of trunks for a few hours, that one part just for this chappeh! Woe to me. I can recite it.

Next Time: Bulma insists that Gohan stays, but when the topic turns to Son Gokou, Trunks can't help but feel the same resentment towards the man he never met. Then, when Gohan and Bulma get a moment alone... his mind might tend to wonder...

Reviewer's Corner:

Angel: Heh, I try to update quickly, but with school and all... Yanno how it is.

Vegeta Goddess: I'm glad you liked the last chapter. Either that or it sucked so much that it caused your brain to melt and the only cure for the condition is more bad-ness. Anyway, here it is. I was actually thinking about cleaning up the flashback on the last chapter. Something about it just seems so over-dramatic. Gah, you have no idea how much time a week I spend just editing fics, and I always have to re-edit this and that, this and that, because there's always a typo and I always forget if I'm using Japanese or English and there's always something. Right now, I'm having fun with setting up this new format, but I hope I can get a few more chapters in. I am seriously thinking about entering that contest if it's not too late.

Celeb Ryu: As always, you'll probably be the first to hear if I make an update. Hell, you're usually the one I go to when I want someone to tell me if it's good or not, so keep that in mind and calm down, Celly.