I forgot to put the disclaimer and said thank you for all my readers and reviewers, so I re-post this chapter...,

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ and all its wonderful characters.

Once again, thank you very much to all my readers and reviewers.., you are all my inspiration...

Daddy's Girl

Chapter 18

Since Ben Briefs had already had his first birthday and had grown less dependent on his mother's breastfeed, Trunks had insisted on Bulla to start working at Capsule Corps again. However, she had ever worked in the company before she was pregnant with Ben. Trunks assured her that he needed her comeback to expand the business; to be his right hand woman in the corporation; she was an heiress after all.

She never thought about saving money from her work before, but now that she was a mother, she started to think that it was important to do so. She couldn't stand thinking that she still lived with her parents' one. It's her time to be self sufficient tough. And she proved herself worthy for the company as more clients loved her inventions and her marketing approach. It could only mean more and more benefits for Capsule Corps.

But Trunks knew there were many clients who wanted to take advantage of her. What could you think about a genius beautiful heiress of the biggest company on earth? Okay, many the genius part was thrilling for some men, but still she was a dream of every businessman's life.

His sister was a grown up woman. He must be sure that she would make the best decision for herself. But some clients were really nuts.

One day he had lunch with a client who happened to be his college friend, Andrew Stuart.

"Yeah…I think you know that I'm working on some projects with your sister, so I have to spend some time to say hello to you and it's a good time to visit old friend…How are you, Trunks?"

"You see…I think lots of magazines have my story…? You aren't good reader, eh?"

The other man chuckled, "Sure, that's why I'm here…to meet your sister. I hope you don't mind…"

"You've met her, haven't you?" He raised his eyebrow at his guest's answer.

"Yeah, we're working on the new capsulizable medical equipments project. I really love working with your sister, Trunks. She's a girl with a strong will."

"….." He wasn't supposed to ask, he had seen such symptoms a lot.

His guest hide his amused smile, nobody could lie to Trunks Briefs, "Yeah, I know I have to admit that I fall in love to your sister, Trunks…since the day I saw her on that magazine. That's why I came to Capsule Corps, to meet her. The project isn't really urgent for me though I'll keep it if it makes her happy. But I don't want to scare her like a bunch of clients who run after her outside, so, I want to know your opinion about it, Trunks…"

"You've read the story…, you know she has a kid…"

"Yeah…I do… That's not a problem for me…"

Trunks hadn't said any words that time. He knew a lot of men adored her dear sister out there, even with her recent condition as a single parent. They never bothered to ask his opinion; not that he needed them to. Bulla was a grown up and knew how to make decision for her own life, but…may be…

Time had passed; his baby nephew was one year old now, and stills a fatherless kid. No matter how resourceful their family was; Trunks still think it wasn't right. Ben's infanthood cheerfulness still couldn't erase all her sister's trait of sadness from her face. Even with Chichi's and Goku's around more for Ben. He knew she missed him; that dear old friend of his; who clearly didn't want to take any responsibility over Ben's life with his disappearance.

If he gave a little try, Trunks knew he would easily find him on earth. But he had enough his old best friend's stupidity. And his action hurt Trunks' heart deeply. All that beating the crap out of him he used as revenge never made him feel any better. It was his precious little sister he threw to the garbage! His pride wouldn't allow him to crawl to him to ask him to take care of his sister. He could do that, all by himself, if he had to.

With Andrew's coming, Trunks now was considering a new plan for his sister. Almost two years! That was all enough to give that stupid old best friend of his to come and make his sister happy. But he never did. How many years again should his sister waste? She was young and beautiful and the heiress of Capsule Corps business empire. She wasn't about to throw the rest of her life waiting for an idiot like Son Goten. It was the time for her to move on her life.

He really wanted to make sure that his sister would live happily ever after like in fairy tale.

"A penny for your thought?" Marron waved her hand before Trunks' face. Trunks blinked, then pulled his wife's waist close to him and sat her on his lap.

"My brain priced less than a penny now, Mar. It contains nothing but air, lately…"

"Oh! I can't believe Mr. Trunks Briefs admitted such a thing…" Marron giggled and Trunks replied with a lazy smile.

Then he was with his serious face again, his gaze was pointless and Marron could feel that her husband really had a serious problem.

"Are you thinking about your sister?" She asked, "Trunks…"

His attention was snapped again to his wife, "You always know…What do you think I have to do, Mar-chan?" He rested his head on her shoulder and tightened his embrace to her body, "You know, today I had an old friend come to my office and asking about Bulla… I used to think it's a stupid thing that some people really think I have a control over my sister…they must come to see Dad if they really think so…"

"So…what you said?"

"Nothing… But then I think it's not a bad idea to hook her with someone…" He paused, "Someone I really know…someone who will make her happy for the rest of her life…"

"You know…" his wife replied, "I always have a feeling that Bulla never really forgets about Goten..."

"...But I don't want to let her wait for that fool for the rest of her life... She needs to move on..."

"...And I believe that Goten is the same with her..."

"He never shows up... I knew he stayed somewhere close, Mar. I could feel his ki, very faint...he tried to hide it"

"Oh...Trunks..."

"I think he already wasted to much time. He must have come here and talked to Bulla long time ago…"

"Do you think he still hates us for everything?"

"..."

"Maybe we must do something to make him out of his hidden cave, Trunks…"

He had come to watch her from somewhere near The Capsule Corps headquarter as he knew that she worked there. He suppressed his ki as faint as possible, he didn't want other people to see him or acknowledge him. He came just for her, only her.

It had been a habit of him recently, though he wasn't sure for how long, might be months. He knew her schedule well now; what time she arrived at Capsule Corp headquarter; what time she returned home; where her favorite restaurant for lunch was or when their son, Ben, would occasionally visit his mother in her office with his grandpa or grandma.

He had his few favorite spots to watch her; from the rooftop of the building opposite Capsule Corps or hidden from the tree branches of Capsule Corps' yard itself. He often wasn't alone, as some people-gossip magazines' reporters or stalkers-also watched The Briefs for any wardrobe or attitude malfunctions. It made him angry, but he refrained from exploding his rage and attracting attention from the people he didn't want to meet.

He had also long refrained from coming to her to hug her, to kiss her, to caress her soft porcelain looking skin with his broad hands. The urge was getting bigger and bigger day by day.

And that was one day when Son Goten stood at his favorite spot to watch her. He had dreamed about her the night before, so intimate dream. And that left him with empty feeling as he didn't find her beside him after he woke up.

He smiled as he saw her emerge from her air-car and then encapsulated it in the large Capsule Corps' yard. Her formal dress hugged her now fuller body perfectly and hung few inches above her porcelain knees. She was much more beautiful than her picture in the magazine.

He didn't even realize that his feet instinctively brought him to step closer to her and his hand touched her shoulder lightly from behind. He smiled widely. She spun around her body.

And let out a loud surprised scream.

People started to turn their stares to them. He jumped and flied as fast as possible back to his home to East City.

She hated him, he decided then. She didn't want to see him again. How could he think that she would want to see him again after all he'd done to her? As he splash water to his face to calm his nerve in his bathroom, he looked his reflection in the mirror for the first time since a very long time. And then he realized.

She just simply didn't recognize him. His new feature had scared her.

He looked at the reflection in the mirror in front of him; it was plain, expressionless.

If he ever cared to look at himself through the mirror, he would know how aged he looked recently. The legend of Saiyan's eternal youth didn't seem to be loyal to him. Bloodshot eyes, long unshaved grayish colored facial hair grew covering large part of his face, and all the wrinkles drew his stresses perfectly and successfully made him look at least ten years older. He was much thinner; he had lost a lot of his weight. For the first time in only Kami knew for how long, he felt disgusted to himself. He didn't know the man in the mirror, he didn't want to know. He grabbed the razor before him and started shaving. He felt his life slowly back through his working hands.

He didn't know why he didn't do it sooner.

The day when he returned to his home at East City, Lowell, his right hand man in his park had no difficulty in recognizing him. Sure, that old man had been with him since the first time he ran his amusement park. As he was broken heart on Paris that time, his appearance could be worse than this.

Maybe, it was a good thing that she didn't recognize her. He was moved by his instinct only, what could be worse than having her acknowledge him but rejected him?

He could not imagine being rejected, though he knew he deserved it.

He made a note to be careful next time, not again to be carried away by situation. He would make sure that he prepared everything carefully before he went to see her again.

"Miss Briefs are you okay?" A guard came to her rescue. As if a human guard was strong enough to rescue her if something serious really happened to her.

Bulla stopped screaming. She blinked her eyes as she saw the middle aged guard in front of her. The man who succeeded to surprise her had already gone to thin air. What was him? An intruder? A fan? A street burglar who asked for charity?

"Where is he? I swear I saw a strange man here…"

"I didn't see anyone Miss…"

"Oh, okay, forget it. I have no time to deal with something like this anyway now…" She said, "Bye, Charles. Thanks for your concern…"

"You're welcome, Miss…"

Bulla sighed as she walked through Capsule Corps' headquarter corridor to her office room. However, it's not that easy to forget the incident she just experienced, especially the way that man disappeared to thin air. Ordinary reporter, or fan-the most common kind of people who would like to steal pictures of the famous Briefs family-would not be able to disappear as fast as that man. She was sure he flied away. How many people on earth could fly? The ones she didn't know?

Oh my Kami! Could it be…could he be…Son Goten?

She stopped on her tracks; her heart suddenly beat harder than usual. If it was truly him, could it be that he came to see her? Finally?

Oh, how stupid she was. The way she screamed had driven him away, again. What if he never came back this time?

She turned around, ran back desperately to the front yard where that man had surprised her. She found nothing, of course. Only that Charles guard bowed and smiled to her politely.

Maybe, he would never come back again. Maybe, he wasn't even Son Goten.

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