Lavender Time

Part Four

The Capsule Plane under his feet lurched and sputtered in the air. It was far from the nicest one Goten had ever ridden on. Apparently in the past few years, Bulma had to resort to cannibalizing a few of her favorite aircrafts to build more conventional gizmos. The loud hacking sound the machine made every few seconds still made him nervous. Goten always hated riding in planes, he'd much rather fly. It was faster, more convenient, and there was nothing like feeling the wind tangle one's hair and brush the skin.

But in the future, flying was a vulnerability. Mirai had a point out that it would draw unnecessary attention their way. And with Bulma traveling with them, that was a risk neither was willing to take. Still, he closed his eyes and tried to keep his stomach from jumping into his throat as another strong wind rattled the aircraft.

"You look a little green Goten," Mirai said with amusement. The younger saiyan didn't have to open his eyes to know the other was staring back at him, his lips turned up right in a familiar smirk.

"Don't pick on him Trunks." Bulma scolded softly, "his father use to be the same way. Goku was one of the bravest men I knew, but get him a car or a hovercraft and he turned into a child again." She laughed at an old memory.

Goten leaned his head against the cool window of the plane, he could hear the wind rushing by and see the treetops below speckle the earth. In his time, the entire ground was covered in forest, making it look like a sea of lush green life. On Mirai's earth it looked as if the planet had the life beaten out of it.

"We're almost there," Mirai encouraged, his voice urged Goten to look up. The older saiyan was still staring at him.

The nausea in Goten's stomach dropped to a swarm of butterflies. He quickly averted his eyes back down to the ruins below the plane. He needed the extra ten minutes of the plane ride to calm himself. Mirai's looked were so close to Trunks, it still unnerved him. Their relationship had been so new. The months before they admitted their feelings to each other had been filled with stolen glances and intimate touches until it finally boiled over. It was in that time Goten came to realize Trunks always had a spot in his heart. Ever since they were children, and that feeling grew as they did. He came to realize he was in love with Trunks, always had been and always would be.

He just hoped he would be able to see him again. Having Mirai wear Trunks' face was getting harder and harder to ignore.

"Alright we're here." Bulma announced, as the plane began its descent. Goten glanced out the window hoping for the sight of something familiar. The small white cottage they landed next to wasn't anything like the home he knew. It was much smaller. The additional space his grandfather and Gohan put on the house when Goten was born was missing. The house had definitely seen better days; there were patches on the roof and wall space. The weeds were growing out of control. He swallowed a hard lump in his throat, rethinking his decision for the first time.

Bulma killed the engine and turned to smile at him, "Alright, everyone out."

Goten opened the door and softly landed on the ground, a second later the front door to the house opened. He heard Mirai and Bulma exit the plane but after that all his attention on was the woman stepping out. She looked like his mother, wearing a handmade apron and customary dress, but her hair had long streaks of grey in them. Age hadn't been her enemy, just years of stress and survival. The lines on her face were deep and each one told an old story. But her eyes, beautiful black just like his, searched out for her visitors before lighting up.

"Bulma! What a pleasant surprise."

The sound of her voice caused Goten to freeze. His mind went blank. He had no idea where to begin, what to say...

Bulma took control as she stepped forward and embraced the woman in a friendly hug. Behind him, Mirai laid a supportive hand on his shoulder. Goten tensed, feeling strong fingers press against his skin. A strong and unshakable presence that gave him strength.

The movement drew Chichi's attention. Her gaze took in Mirai for only a few seconds before sliding off him like water and focusing in Goten. It was impossible how her eyes widened, her mouth opened in silent wonder. His face heated up in embarrassment, "Hi... I'm Goten... I'm..."

"Goten?" Chichi breathed, looking unsure.

His chest constricted at her confusion. Just his name seemed to bring age to his mother's face. Goten swallowed, this was a bad idea. The hand on his shoulder was still there, unwavering in its presence before Mirai spoke up. "Chichi, Goten is from the past that we changed. He's your second son."

Chichi took a step forward, realization dawning across her face. She closed her eyes and opened them with tears glistening at their corners. Her next movement was a blur as she stumbled forward and wrapped her arms around Goten's waist. Mirai's hand disappeared, but Goten barely noticed, he was too concerned with how small his mother's arms seemed to be. He nuzzled his nose into her soft black hair, it didn't smell exactly the same but there were some things that were deeper than just the scent of shampoo. The smell of Mount Paozu still wrapped around her in this world just like his own. There was just a spritz of perfume he knew to be her favorite. It was the only kind his father ever bought for her, and it permanently filled their house from years of her wearing it. He wrapped his arms around her, felt the slight shake her shoulders and heard her quiet sniffles before she pulled back.

Chichi beamed at him, cupping his cheek in her small hand. "A son, I can't believe Goku and I had another son." Her hand trailed to his black bangs where she busied herself trying to brush them out of his face, they stayed stubbornly in place but Chichi only smiled. "You look so much like them."

Goten laughed and looked away, embarrassed, "I get that a lot."

His mother stepped back; her hand catching Goten's to keep the connection as she took one last full look at him. Her face glowed with happiness. "You can explain everything inside. I bet you're all hungry, and over the years I still cook enough to feed a saiyan army." She started towards the house, pulling Goten behind her. Bulma and Miari exchanged amused looks before following after them.

Walking into the house shouldn't have surprised Goten, but the small kitchen and lack of warmth made him pause in the doorway. Chichi let him take it in, her hand slipped out of his grip as she nearly skipped to the kitchen. On the stove were two giant pots, both looking full to capacity. Dusty pictures of his father and mother were scattered on the walls and on top of counter tops. A few, he noticed, were turned to face down. Pictures of Gohan were also seen speckled around the room.

Bulma followed Chichi to the kitchen, asking if she could help. They smiled and laughed, diving into conversation with the occasional glance back at Goten still standing in the doorway.

"I haven't seen Chichi this happy in... years." Mirai said, coming up behind him. The other man's body slid smoothly beside him, completely blocking the rest of the doorway with his larger body.

"I'm glad. For a second there when I was really second guessing coming here." Goten sighed in relief. "This place is so different from my home."

Mirai laughed, "I'm sure." He shifted slightly, brushing his shoulder against Goten's own, "but I also know that when I was in the past the only time I felt truly at home was with my mother and father. No, things weren't the same as here, but they were my only connection to this world. No matter what time you're in, blood is still thicker than any other bond."

Goten's body relaxed at the words. 'He knows,' he thought to himself, 'He knows be better than anyone else in the world.' It was a thought he'd had before about Trunks. His Trunks. The only other person who knew what it was like to have a father obsessed with fighting. Who never confused Goten with any of the other men in his family. Trunks never forgot his favorite food or his birthday.

"Goten," Chichi called out suddenly, "Stop hiding in the corner and come over here. We have a lot to talk about."

"Sorry," Goten replied as he moved across the small room, "Would you like me to help you with anything while we talk?"

"Oh and he's a gentleman too?" Chichi shot Bulma a proud look that brought a blush across Goten's cheeks. "You and Trunks can set the table while you tell me about yourself."

Mirai's face fell just slightly as Chichi called him to work; Goten turned his head to hide his snicker. But when the younger saiyan reached for the drawer that he remembered holding his mother's favorite china, he found it empty. Mirai stepped to the right at him and reached for a lower cabinet without batting an eyelash. Goten pouted, "Hey, no fair."

Mirai laughed, "Who said setting the table was suppose to be fair?"

"Oh Chichi," Bulma sighed giving the two saiyan's a raised eyebrow, "Isn't it nice to see our children bickering together?"

Chichi's lips turned up, but her eyes stayed firmly on the stew in front of her, "It certainly is."

Goten's head perked up at the words. It hit him full force that this woman, though not his actual mother, was already referring to him as her son. The surrealness of the whole situation made the room spin. It was almost too similar. His and Mirai's playful bickering an exact mimic of a past conversation between himself and his own Trunks. Chichi and Bulma huddled close in the kitchen as they caught up with each other. Any second, it felt like, his father and brother would walk in with Vegeta grumbling behind them and Pan bouncing excitedly on their heels.

He blinked and the illusion fell away. The lines of survival were still etched on his mother and Bulma's face. Trunks was Mirai, twice as old as him and more battle scarred than anyone he had ever met. And his father and brother were dead for good.

But...

"Goten has been so pleasant," he heard Bulma praise, "Really Chichi, only your son could have his manners."

"Well it's good to know that at least somewhere everything went right."

… Maybe he could be the one to make things right.


Chichi insisted the radio play in the background as they ate. When Goten asked why she shrugged her slender shoulders and said, "It's tradition for me." She didn't listen to it at all though; instead their conversation was centered on Goten and the world he grew up in.

The topic of Gohan was a complicated game that Goten didn't know the rules to. He started off with the good news, that his brother had because of a Professor at a prestigious college, married soon after that and had a daughter. But even that had caused Chichi to flinch involuntarily while Mirai and Bulma both grew quiet.

He pretended not to notice the water gathering at the corner of his mother's eyes, or the way Mirai bit his lower lip. Chichi took a deep breath, collecting herself and forcing a smile that was Goten's only sign to continue. When he started talking about Pan, both Chichi and Bulma got googly smiles and begged for more information.

The news of Krillin and Android 18 got a reaction out of the entire table. "No No seriously," Goten continued, "They got married and have a daughter. Krillin even grew his hair out because 18 asked him to."

"Krillin with hair?" Bulma laughed, "I don't believe it."

"So Krillin's married," Chichi shook her head in disbelief, "Never thought I'd live to hear that bit of news. Not to mention Gohan getting married." She sipped her coffee, face slack with relaxation. When she put down her mug, alert black eyes locked onto Goten when a look he knew well. "What about you Goten? Is marriage in your future soon?"

The question caught him completely off guard. The spoonful of stew Goten had just swallowed threatened to choke him in his surprise. Coughs shook his entire body as he tried to clear his throat and the extra time needed to come up with a suitable answer. Around the table, Chichi and Bulma looked concerned, and even Mirai's blue eyes looked anxious.

"I... um..." he coughed again. Could he tell them about himself and Trunks? Should he?

Behind him, the radio fizzled to life with an alarming sound. All eyes went to the device just as a voice came on. "This is a warning for everyone in the Paozu Ki Region. Elysians have just attacked Timber Village. There are no survivors. Stay in your homes in case they are still in the region. I repeat, stay in your homes."

Another loud crackle ended the message, but Goten was already on his feet, his heart pounding hard in his chest. A mix of both hot and cold emotions fueled him into movement.

Mirai looked up, his face stern. "Goten."

"Mirai," he turned to the older saiyan, "We have to go. We should see if anyone needs help."

Mirai shook his head, eyes solemn. "They're all dead Goten. There isn't anything we can do about it now."

"But we should go and check, shouldn't we. I mean, the Elysians could attack another village! I...I didn't even sense them."

"That's because Elysians power levels are unreadable." Mirai explained, "That's the difficulty with fighting them. You never know how many there are, or if their Captains are among them. I can never know who they're attacking until it's too late."

Goten blinked at the news. He thought back to his first encounter with the Elysians, and Jaden. He had no idea what he had been getting himself into when he first arrived, at the same he'd been so concentrated on saving that woman he hadn't even realized that he couldn't feel their power levels.

"Plus, we may not be able to feel their power levels but they can certainly feel ours. If we go rushing off now, they'll find this house."

"So there's nothing we can do?" Goten snapped, his frustration boiling over.

"Right now the best thing we can do is keep our heads down, and train for a fight that we have the advantage on." Mirai answered, his voice strangely calm.

His stomach twisted in knots, but Goten kept his feet firmly planted. As much as it pained him to admit it, Mirai was right. He looked over at his mother; the conversation had her on edge. Her own hand was held close to her heart, as if she was silently urging to it to calm down. Goten knew if he ran off to a fight now, it might kill her.

He sighed, urging the saiyan blood in him to relax. Slowly, he nodded in agreement. The entire table relaxed, the tension easing out of the everyone's muscles. Still, Chichi's smile was watery as she stood up and started clearing the plates. "Well," she started, "It looks like you'll all be stuck here for a while. Why don't you stay for the night. I'm sure by the morning it'll be safe enough for you to travel home."

"That will work out great! Thank you Chichi," Bulma said.

Goten flexed the muscles in his hand, opening and closing a fist while the small group moved around him. With each twitch of his fingers he felt the deafening need to go and fight die down just a little., Mirai's hand suddenly grabbed his elbow, jerking him out of his concentration. The lavender haired man smiled shyly and placed Goten's finished bowls in the young siayan's hands. "Bring these to Chichi, it'll take your mind off things."

"Sure," Goten said softly, but Mirai's grip didn't loosen.

"This is the smart thing to do Goten." He said, quietly enough that the two women in the room didn't hear him. "Our time to fight will be soon though."

Chichi was already in place in front of the sink, the water started and her hands busy with the first of many dishes. Bulma was nowhere in sight when Goten stepped beside her, his dishes in hand. He hesitated for only a second before saying, "Let me help you mom."

Her hands paused on the dish before Chichi looked up at him. A fond look seeped into her black eyes as she nodded, "Sure Goten. I'll wash and you dry?"

"No problem, I always dry at home." he picked up the nearby wash cloth and got to work. An awkward silence hung between them for a long moment as he gently handled the next dish his mother gave him. Behind them he could hear Bulma and Mirai whispering to each other as they fiddled with the radio.

"I know you want to go Goten," Chichi started, eyes focused on the bubble water in the sink, "And I'm happy that I raised a son who knows the difference of right and wrong, but... at the same time, I'm glad you stayed."

Guilt pinched Goten's inside at the words. "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking clearly." he apologized.

Chichi shrugged, "You were thinking like your father and there's nothing wrong with that. Bulma tells me you've been training with Mirai. So, there's not a doubt in my mind that we'll kick those flea bitten aliens off Earth. You are my son after all."

Goten smiled at her and went back to work drying the dishes. He didn't have the heart tell her that he didn't agree.

Sometimes, acting like his father wasn't a good thing.


Bulma was given the guest room to sleep in, while Goten and Trunks shared Gohan's old room. The room looked completely cleaned as if his mother had been expecting them. The textbooks were in order, clean of dust, and his orange gi was laid out on the dresser, ready to be worn.

Both Goten and Mirai hesitated to enter the room, only when Chichi marched in to set up the spare futon did they shuffle forward. The good news was that night time on Mount Paozu remained unchanged over the years. The forest creatures sung their nighttime lullaby and the half moon filled the room with a soothing light. As soon as Goten's head hit the pillow his eyes were threatening to close and never open.

The only thing that kept him from drifting off into peaceful slumber was the restlessness in which Mirai kept shifting on his bed. With a sigh, Goten turned and gently poked his friend's arm. Unsurprising bluer eyes opened without argument and stared at him. He gave the older boy a shy smile, "Can't sleep?"

"It's... been a long time since I've slept here." Mirai admitted.

Goten laughed, "Really, it feels like just yesterday to me. But that's because I got Gohan's old room when he moved out. Before that we shared."

Mirai's face softened, "Gohan and I use to share this room when I spent the night, but that was a long time ago."

"So you two were close, like brothers?" Goten asked, intrigued by the alternate version of his brother.

Mirai's smile faltered, old memories casting a dark shadow over his eyes. "We were very close, yes."

"Trunks and I use to have sleepovers here all the time." Goten admitted, fighting back a blush that threatened to heat up his cheeks. Those sleepovers had been a difficult time when they were older and he was struggling with his feelings. He pushed those thoughts away and forced a smile, "This kind of reminds me of that. It's nice."

"Yeah," Mirai breathed the word, his eyes moving from Goten to the ceiling, "This is nice."

The need to curl up close to the other saiyan pushed at Goten's nerves, but he fought them down. 'It's not Trunks,' he reminded himself, 'Not Trunks.'

"Goodnight Goten."

His heart leaped into his throat at the sleepy eyed look Mirai gave him. The lavender haired man yawned and turned over on his futon. Leaving Goten wide wake with his thoughts banging around in his head.

Mirai wasn't Trunks, at the same time this Chichi wasn't his actual mother. But there were some things that were still and always the same.


Author's Note: Hello all, sorry for the long delay! I mean- I AM SORRY! I have this story all planned out and everything so I'm hoping it goes better. However, I'm in a intense summer class right now, so we'll see if I'm able to update soon again but I will do my best to finish this story. The next chapter will be exciting. Hope you enjoyed. Please review!