A/N: I know it's been a while so just a refresher: Kao Tsoga and Nel Ohasi are Goten's attorneys.

Short chapter, but only want to include so much at one time.

:*: Sinking Ship :*:

"Ah, Mr. Kusman, it's Kao Tsoga from Satan City. We sent out a sample for a hair follicle test about a month back. Our trial for our client begins soon, how's the progress so far?"

Ber Kusman was one of the finest forensic experts in Japan, and worth every penny for his thorough work. Upon their first meeting with Goten, a hair sample was taken to prove that he too was a victim in this predicament. Kusman's analysis usually took up to a month at the latest, and Kao was beginning to sweat that the report may not be back in time for the first hearing.

"Yes, yes, that's right, Mr. Goten Son... Yes... Oh, I see... Well, do call as soon as you have everything worked out. Thank you again." Kao clicked the receiver of his phone back to the switch hook. This was very unlike the infamous Ber Kusman. The man was smart enough not to take on too many orders, that way he could assure his work would be complete in a timely manner.

'Ah, Mr. Tsoga. I am sorry to inform you that there has been a slight delay. I will notify you as soon as the analysis is complete.'

His fingers drummed on the desk in front of him, papers, video films, and photos scattered atop. A pit of failure set in his chest as he accepted that the sample may not be ready for the first hearing, putting Goten through more finger pointing and scorn from the audience and society alone if their case continued much longer.

His eyes steered upward as his associate entered the room, disappointment also looming over him as Kao broke the news.

"It's just a slight delay. Let's move onto these films. Mrs. Briefs has spent more time with a couple of college girls than any grown woman should." Nel Ohasi pointed out as he set up picture boards of various occasions where Bulma was seen with Valese and another brunette female unknown to Nel and Kao. "The other alleged victim, Ms. Bra Briefs, isn't seen in these films at all." Kao pointed out.

The two wrapped up the overview of their research to prepare for their meeting with the client himself.

"Mr. Son, please, have a seat. And who are your guests?" Nel greeted the three.

"My brother, Gohan Son , and my friend and roommate Trunks Briefs."

Kao and Nel's heads turned towards each other, then back towards the three in unison. "Briefs? Any relation?"

"Yeah." Trunks answered. "Bra is my sister, Bulma is my mother."

"Very interesting. Let's begin."

xXxXxXx

Bulma spent endless hours scheming and twisting stories and ideas, it became an intoxicating hobby for her. It kept her mind off of the inevitable destiny she will have reached before the new year they have entered into was over. She would be bankrupt, struggling, and shamed. She had even enjoyed having luncheons with Valese and Tundra, although they didn't know it with her harsh exterior and tight demeanor. Made her feel young and admired again.

"Tundra, here." She pulled a thick manilla envelope from a leather satchel and slid it across the table during one of their many luncheons at one of the restaurants they frequented. "Get this to him as soon as possible. He's bound to be done with the test soon. If his report gets into the hands of those attorneys, your ass is grass."

Tundra and Valese both gulped almost audibly.

"Notify me as soon as you receive a response, no matter what time of day it is." Bulma applauded her choice of accomplices. These girls from old money families had more connections than she thought.

xXxXxXx

Trunks, Pan, Gohan, Videl, and Goten met up for lunch at a nearby cafe once the meeting with Kao and Nel ended. It was hard to believe that it was already mid-February, only weeks before the most life changing month of the year approached. An eight-month pregnant Pan and Trunks nervously awaited the birth of her first child, Videl's 70% mortality rate surgery to have her tumor removed, all amidst the mess that Goten was in. Everyone became uneasy as the weeks ensued, the Spring season looked awfully dreary this year.

The others noticed the love bite on Goten's neck, but nobody addressed it. Pan had watched Bra withdraw herself from the world in the early stages of all this. She was a zombie, her grades were suffering, but she didn't care. She managed to keep her job with Nori at the restaurant, even Nori and the customers noticed the abrupt change.

Videl caught a ride with Trunks and Pan while Gohan took his brother back to their parents' house. Since Goku was still at work in the commercial district, the brothers stopped at the grocery store for a small shopping list called in by their mother.

"I'll head West towards the dairy stuff." Goten pointed.

"That leaves me to head East for... everything else." Gohan received an encouraging shoulder pat from his brother as they parted ways.

"Croutons, croutons..." Gohan mumbled to himself as he scanned the aisle for his mother's preferred brand. "Ah, finally-" His reach was thrown off by a broad figure clad in dark denim, navy coat and matching cap bumping him shoulder to shoulder, shoving a manilla envelope into his possession.

"Gohan Son, you have 72 hours to sign this contract, have it notarized by a legal representative, and return it in an unmarked packaged box to stand #52 in the Tokyo market district. If you fail to do so, the results of your brother's hair follicle test, as well as any other forensic test that the case will include, will not be in his favor, the analyst will be sure of that." The figure kept his face lowered and continued his fast pace down the aisle and out of sight.

Gohan was absolutely stunned in disbelief. It wasn't until he had realized he stopped breathing when his ears began to function again, the normal day to day grocery shoppers passing by as he stood there with his eyes solely on the envelope in his hands.

Before meeting with Goten at the register, he set the envelope underneath the contents of the cart and continued as if everything was normal.

"Honey, you're home. Everything okay at your parents'?" Videl greeted her husband as he set his coat on the rack in the foyer.

"Er, yeah, everything's good. I'm gonna head up to the study for a few."

Nestling himself into the leather chair of his work room, he hastily unclipped the seal of the manilla envelope and slid out its contents.

His breath caught in his throat, his chest grew heavy, tears swelled in his eyes as the contract's purpose registered. Everything he worked for, his years worth of effort placed into his invention...

The final paragraph read:

I, Gohan Son, forward the above patented product(s) to the possession of Capsule Corporation. I relinquish all monetary and investment value and proceeds related to the above mentioned product(s) to the acting CEO of Capsule Corporation.

xXxXxXx

Bulma excused herself from the table as she and her husband ate dinner in the dining room.

This caller would require complete discretion from any ears listening around the house. Confined in her office, she brought her cell phone to her ear. "Ber, how are you?" Her grin could be heard through the phone, her fingers tracing her thigh at the sound of his voice announcing what she had wanted to hear.

"It is done."