Chapter 7: Moving Forward

On the fly back to Bulma's Trunks noticed 18 wasn't flying as fast as usually. He stopped flying and stood in the air. 18 followed his lead.

Trunks: "What's wrong 18? Are you thinking about 17?"

18: "No, it's not that, I just don't want to go back to your house! Last time I was there you guys made me feel like a prisoner!"

Trunks looked confused: "What are you talking about? You know perfectly well it only felt that way because you had to rest and recover from your injuries you got from Cell."

18: "Whatever! I don't want to go and I don't want to help protect this planet anymore."

Trunks: "Where is this coming from?"

18: "Shut up! I don't have to explain myself to you!"

At the last part of her sentence she surprisingly hit him in the face. He was pushed back a little.

18: "I don't want you around me, in fact I don't want you around at all."

18 charged at him. Trunks transformed and quickly moved out of the way.

Trunks: "I thought you wanted to change 18. What's going on?"

18: "Just shut up!"

She blasted energy at him over and over again he kept hitting them away until he was right in front of her and hit her in the face. 18 fell fast from the sky and landed hard on the ground. She slowly sat up an Trunks landed right in front of her. Trunks transformed back to normal.

Trunks: "I think I get what your trying to do 18, but I don't understand why."

18, who was still on the ground looked away: "I don't know what you're talking about!"

Trunks: "18, Those attacks, I know you have a lot more than that. You're not trying to hurt me, but you were trying to get me to destroy you…why?

18 looked up at him in rage: "Well don't you want to destroy me?! You can't get your friends back or your father, I'm half to blame for that. Don't you think you have every right to get your revenge?!"

Trunks was stunned and saw some tears in her eyes.

Trunks: She must be feeling this way because she knows she can't bring 17 back and is relating her pain to mine. "Look 18 I don't want to destroy you. I was taught revenge leads to nothing, but darkness. I was never seeking revenge when I fought you and 17, I just wanted the destruction to stop. Now that your not a threat to the earth and have agreed to protect it I have no reason to destroy you."

18 looked down: "You'll always hate me though."

Trunks: "I can tell you feel guilty for what you did in the past. I can see how sorry you are. I could never hate someone that regretful and who is trying to redeem themselves. As far as forgiving you though, that's going to take sometime. Just keep proving to me that you want to change and want to help rebuild this world."

18 stared at Trunks, moved. She was surprised that he would consider forgiving her. Trunks reached out his had.

Trunks: "Are you ready to move forward?"

18 looked at his hand then at him. She waited a second then nodded and reached up and grabbed his hand. He pulled her up to her feet.

18: "Thanks…and sorry, I wont go off on you like that again."

Trunks smiled and nodded: "Right. We should go now, my mom is probably going crazy wondering how the trip to Namek went."

They took off. They got to the house and Trunks opened the door.

Trunks: "Mom, we're back."

Bulma came rushing into the other room.

Bulma: "Oh I'm so happy you're back. So how did it go?"

Trunks: "Good. In the end Dende agreed to be the new guardian and we were able to wish back al the people who were absorbed by Cell in Star City."

Bulma: "Oh that's wonderful Trunks. I'm so glad Dende agreed. So do you have the ship?"

Trunks: "Yeah right here." (He said handing her the capsule.)

Bulma: "Okay. Well I'm going to do some maintenance on it. You guys should rest up and get something to eat. I'm sure that trip in space made you both tired." (She walked out of the room.)

18, looking at Trunks: "So, you're not going to tell her about the fight on Namek?"

Trunks: "No she would over react. I don't want to worry her. Anyway I'm going to go follow her advise and go get something to eat. Are you coming?"

18: "Not right now."

Trunks: "Okay suit yourself." (He said as he walked away.) "By the way the guess room is upstairs, first door on the left; in case you want to check it out."

When Trunks was completely out of the room 18 went up the stairs to check it out. After Trunks was done eating he went to see how his mother was doing. He found her looking around the ship outside.

Trunks: "Hey mom, do you need any help?"

Bulma: "No thanks Trunks, you should know I have this under control. So did you and 18 get along during the trip?"

Trunks: "Actually yeah and on the way back we had a talk. I did most of the talking though, but I can tell she really wants to change and feels really regretful. I never would have imagined her having this side in her before."

Bulma: "Well it's a good thing she's showing it huh?"

Trunks: "Yeah, I guess so."

Bulma: "What do you mean you guess?"

Trunks: "I just keep on wondering if Gohan or my father would approve. What will they think when they hear that I not only had a chance to destroy 18 and didn't, but saved her instead, and now I'm willing to fight along side her."

Bulma: "You should already know the answer to that. Gohan fought along side Piccolo bunch of times. Heck, Piccolo even trained Gohan for a while. Gohan knew about his past and still accepted him. So why should he be upset that you're giving 18 the same chance? Ask for your father he may not as went as far as saving 18 if he were in your shoes, but he doesn't kill without need, at least not anymore. So don't worry about it Trunks. You are doing the right thing and I'm very proud of you."

Trunks: "Thanks mom."

It was already late so Trunks and 18 didn't see each other the rest of the night