Chapter 13

"We're here?" Trunks craned his neck forward to see that they had indeed reached their destination as the familiar dome-shaped building came into perfect view. "Hooray! Home Sweet Home!" He cried out excitedly, pumping both of his fists high into the air. Pointing a finger at the glass window, he turned to his newly discovered aunt. "We're finally here auntie! Do you see that? We're home at last!"

Tights glanced over to where her nephew was pointing to see the home she hadn't been to in years. A smile instantly crossed her features as she heard the faint chirping of the birds and the trees swaying ever so slightly. The yards were much bigger than she remembered them being and one look at her mother's garden told her just how much work had been put into it during the years she was gone. It seemed as if Capsule Corporation had remained largely the same with a few changes here and there.

"I see that kiddo." She responded; her eyes still stuck to the window as if in some sort of trance. "I can't believe that this is the same home I used to live in when I was younger. My childhood home… it was so much fun living with my parents and little sister during those days. It's truly a joy to be back!"

That earned a simple nod from the boy as his aunt spent a few more seconds staring at the family home. Then she realized that they were still inside the taxi and the driver was still waiting for payment. Her eyes widened slightly as she became apologetic. "I'm so sorry for the hold-up, we got a little carried away!" Tights apologized as she rummaged through her purse for some money.

"Take your time, ma'am."

Tights took out a stack of money and just as she was about to hand it over-.

"I'll take care of it."

She froze in place when she heard the voice of her not so friendly brother-in-law. He had a huge stack of zeni bills in his hand, now crumpled due to it being stuffed in his pocket with no mercy and was in the process of handing it over. Getting over her shock she butted back in, "H-Hey, you don't have to do this. I can pay. I have the money right here!"

"It's not a problem." Vegeta stated without looking in her direction. His tone left no room for argument, so all she could do was nod silently as he addressed the man. "This should be enough to cover the entire fare right?"

The driver was stunned to see this much money in his sight, but he didn't make any complaints. "Y-Yeah, that should be more than enough."

He slammed the money down on the driver's palm before shoving his passenger door open, standing close by as he waited for the other two to come out. Trunks emerged from the taxicab and Tights was the last one to come out, sliding out of the backseat with her purse. Once his son and sister-in-law were out, he shut the door and walked over to the boot to collect his sister in law's belongings. He yanked out her suitcase and bag, closing the trunk with a loud thud.

"Have you taken everything?" The driver called out through an open window of the cab.

Tights gave him a quick thumbs-up in response. "We sure have. Thanks for the ride!"

"Take care!"

The taxicab sped off, leaving the trio standing there at the entrance. Tights's hair blew through the soft wind as she stared once more at her old home. She then smiled down at her little nephew. "So kiddo, do you like living here?"

"Sure, I do. There's so much space to freely roam around and everything is just so lively. There's not a single thing I dislike about this place!"

Tights ruffled his hair once more. "I thought so."

She then took a quick glance at her brother-in-law lifting her belongings with both hands. "Hey, uh, Vegeta… I just wanted to say thanks. For carrying my stuff. It must have been a handful, so I appreciate the help."

"Tch…it was…a pleasure."

"And for well… taking time out of your day to pick me up."

"Yeah, whatever… I ... I did it against my will…but I finally did it." He mumbled.

Tights raised an eyebrow, as this was news to her. "Against your will?"

"I had no choice in the matter." Vegeta stated bitterly. Had he not been holding her bags; he would have been clenching his fists or probably have punched a tree in rage. "Either I was going to the airport to... pick you up... or I was helping Trunks with his... blasted science project!"

That had taken her by surprise. It sounded as if her sister had forced him into coming out to pick her up. If this was truly the case, it would explain why he had been in a horrible mood the entire time. She didn't really dwell on it for too long though and just tried to make light of the situation. "It couldn't have been that bad. What was his science project about?"

"It had something to do with… with…" The Prince started to sweat, and his words became lodged in his throat. What on earth was he supposed to say? How was he supposed to explain his greatest fear? Even mentioning that one word would be embarrassing to say the least. It was like a curse. Tights just stood there patiently waiting for an answer, noticing that he was looking somewhat nervous. "It had something to do with what?" She pressed on.

"Worms!"

"TRUNKS!" Vegeta shouted, dropping his sister-in-law's bags on the sidewalk. His face started to turn red from anger and embarrassment.

"Oops… hehehe…" Trunks covered his mouth to cover his giggling, not looking even the slightest bit apologetic for what he did but rather looking excited for seeing his father all riled up. It was fun for him sometimes.

His eye twitched before he marched towards his young son in rage and roared, "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING HERE!?"

Trunks shrugged his shoulders as if he couldn't care less. "What do you mean, dad? Why does it have to be a secret that you hate worms? More like afraid of worms. You can't stand to see even one of them in sight! Any time there's one worm, just one… you look like you're about to throw up!"

Tights couldn't believe what she just heard. Was her brother-in-law really afraid of such a harmless creature? But why? While one part of her wondered why Bulma couldn't have paid someone else to do the job, the other part of her thought it was hilarious that she resorted to using such tactics just so he would pick her up from the airport.

"DO NOT EMBARRASS ME LIKE THAT EVER AGAIN!"

"Hehehehe, sorry…"

Vegeta started to get very triggered as veins were popping all over his forehead and his face was becoming much redder. His son had the nerve to mention his biggest weakness and laugh about it? One fist was clenched tightly as he loomed over him and pointed a finger towards the front door. "THAT IS IT! GO BACK TO THE GRAVITY CHAMBER, I'LL BE THERE IN A MOMENT! GO NOW!"

Upon hearing that, Trunks was no longer in a laughing mood as he knew what this meant. "Oh come on dad, that's not fair!" He complained.

His father had no intention of budging. "That's what you get for embarrassing me like that. And quit whining. We're having a sparring match whether you like it or not!"

"Y-Yes dad…" Trunks turned around to leave, completely dejected as he started off towards the building.

Vegeta watched with a glare and folded arms as his son was reaching the front entrance. He felt a great deal of satisfaction but as he stared ahead, he suddenly started to realize that his sister-in-law had been standing by him the entire time and she had witnessed him screaming at his only son. If he didn't fix this now, she would likely be on his case about it for a while… assuming that Tights was anything like her younger sister.

"Trunks."

The boy gulped, fearing that his father was about to punish him even more. "What is it dad?"

Vegeta remains silent for a few seconds, suffering from Tights's accusing look. He sighed as he struggled to let out the words he needed to. "I'm...I'm sorry for...screaming at you. I'll be with you in a moment. Just try to be quick."

"Sure thing dad!"

Trunks raced up to the door and the Prince sighed. Then out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his wife's sister now staring at him with a smile. He looks away from her while mumbling to himself. Not wanting to stand there and look more stupid, he just picked up her luggage from the sidewalk and followed after his young son.

She hurried after them and they made it up to the front entrance in no time. Tights peered through a window to see if she could spot any signs of her sister or parents but her view was blocked from the outside. She felt that rush of excitement, knowing that they would be reuniting not long from now. Trunks stood on his toes and lifted a finger so he could ring the doorbell but the door already opened, revealing none other than Bulma, and she was relieved to see them. Her attention was at first fixated on her husband and son.

"Thank goodness you guys are back! I was wondering where you were. You both were gone for quite a while and when I heard a taxi park outside, I figured-"

Bulma's words became lost to the wind. She went completely speechless as she turned to face the third person with them. Lifting a hand to her mouth in shock she took a step back, questioning whether or not this was real. Her older sister… who she hadn't seen in years since she was a small child was finally here in front of her, back home. Tears filled her eyes as she continued to stare at her adult sister.

Tights also had the same thoughts just staring at her little sister. Never in her life did she think that a day like this would come. Just like Bulma, she was at a loss for words and almost thought this was her imagination. It's like she was standing in front of a completely different person and not her sis. She got herself together, though her eyes were becoming watery.

"Hey sis. It's been years, hasn't it?"

"Tights? Is… Is that really you? After all this time?" Bulma finally asks, choking up.

"Yes, it's me little sister. Who else would it be?"

Tears trickled down Bulma's overjoyed face and she runs to hug her older sister, leaving the front door wide open. Tights opens her arms wide, prepared to receive a well-deserved reunion hug from her sister. Bulma threw her arms around her, embracing her as if there was nothing else in the world that mattered. Tights reciprocated the hug, allowing her own tears to fall in the process. There were no words to describe how both sisters felt. Seeing each other again after so long… was like a dream come true. Now they could catch up for as long as they needed to.

Vegeta and Trunks just stood there and watched as the two sisters embraced each other without a care for anything else around them. Trunks was thrilled for the fact that his mother and aunt had the chance to see each other once more after years of no communication while Vegeta… well, he wanted nothing more than to just head back to the gravity room to train. He had already done his part of the deal and didn't really want to do any more.

Tights patted her sister on the back repeatedly like a child in need of comfort and then pulled away, exploring her tear-streaked face.

"I can't believe it's you sis!" Bulma cried out, using the sleeve of her lab coat to clean her tears.

"It really is. I never thought we would be together again." Tights remarked. "You've grown so much, it's amazing. The last time we saw each other you were just a small child!"

"And you were just a teen, ready to embark on your journey to become a sci-fi and adventure novelist."

The two sisters found it hard to contain their emotions and they embraced each other once more until Bulma started squeezing her older sister a little too tight. "H-Hey take it easy sis." Tights wheezed out as she attempted to end the embrace.

"Oh, I'm sorry sis!"

Bulma was quick to release her sister from the hug as soon as she saw that she was struggling to breathe. Tights winced a bit from the pain, not even expecting her sister to have been this strong. "Ow… that hurt…"

"I'm sorry. I just missed you so much!"

"It's okay, I understand. I kinda wish we grew up together, you know?" Tights sighed; eyes downcast. "I missed so much during my absence. Birthday celebrations, family outings… that kind of stuff."

Bulma held both her sister's hands. "It's going to be okay, sis. We're gonna make up for lost time, no matter what!"

The smile returned to her face. "There's no doubt about that. Are mom and dad home?"

In answer to her question, two familiar voices were heard chattering from inside the Capsule Corporation building. Tights recognized those voices instantly and knew that it was their parents.

"Yeah, they are. They're having a lovely chat in the kitchen." Bulma looked both ways to ensure that the coast was clear. Then she gave her sister a secretive smile. "We should go and surprise them!"

"Definitely. It was a brilliant idea not telling them about my arrival."

Bulma swiftly turned her attention back to her son and short-tempered husband, almost forgetting that they had been standing there. "Vegeta, take my sister's luggage to her room!" She commanded, causing him to roll his eyes at the order. "And be as quiet as possible when you're doing so. We're trying to surprise our parents."

He gave her a scowl, not caring in the slightest if he made any noise or not. "Tch… whatever…"

Bulma sighed and shook her head at her husband's antics. Vegeta just stormed back inside the home with his sister-in-law's stuff, wanting to get this done and over with. "Hey, wait up-" She ran back to the door after realizing that she hadn't even told him where her sister's room was. "Vegeta-"

"Hey dad, wait up! Aunt Tights's bedroom is that way!" Trunks called out, racing after his father.

Bulma sighed in relief as her son got this handled. "You ready to go inside?" Bulma asked with an excited grin.

Tights wiped her remaining tears and said with a smile, "Yes, I am."

The two sisters carefully step inside and Bulma shuts the door without making so much as a creak for their parents to hear. Then they pass through the lobby and quietly tiptoe through the sitting area without having to accidentally move or joggle any of the furniture around. As they're nearing the kitchen, their parents' voices become louder and louder. The entire dining room came into view, but their eyes were soon stuck on the kitchen door, which was slightly open.

Bulma lifted a finger to her lips and Tights nodded, understanding that it meant for her to be quiet until further notice. Both sisters snuck closer to the door. "You stay here. I'm going to get mom and dad's attention." Bulma said in a hushed tone.

"Got it!"

Bulma left her sister's side and Tights took cover behind the open door, but peeked through the keyhole to get a glimpse of what was happening. The two parents sat on barstools at the kitchen counter. Dr. Briefs laughed at something his wife said as he reached over for a jar full of her homemade chocolate chip cookies. Panchy Briefs poured some hot tea for her husband as he took out a few cookies from the jar. She carefully slid his cup over to him when their younger daughter waltzed into the kitchen like there was nothing going on.

"Hey Mom, hey Dad!" She greeted, putting both hands behind her back sheepishly. "Whatcha doing?"

"Oh, hi pumpkin. Your mother was just telling me a funny story." Dr. Briefs said to his daughter as he munched on his cookie, breaking off a small piece and feeding it to the black cat perched on his shoulder. "And she just made a fresh batch of chocolate chips. They're so delicious that I never get sick of eating them. Here, you should try some."

Mrs. Briefs patted the jar of cookies on the counter. "Have as much as you want."

"No thanks, maybe later." Bulma politely declined before getting straight to the point, fighting to hide the smile on her face. "I… I actually have a surprise for you both."

"You do?" Dr. Briefs asked, rubbing his moustache in wonder. "What is it?"

"Oh my," Panchy commented. "It's been a while since someone surprised us with something. Do tell darling. What is this surprise you have for me and your father?"

Bulma's heart pounded in her chest as she could no longer hide the bright smile. "Trust me, you're gonna love this!"

"Is it a new car, maybe?"

"Did you build us a new machine?"

Bulma laughed at those guesses. "It's neither of those. Give me a second!" She hurried off to retrieve 'the surprise,' briefly leaving both parents to wonder what their daughter had in store for them. It wasn't every day that they received surprises, but nothing could have prepared them for this very moment.

"Hi Mom and Dad. Long time no see."

Both sat completely frozen in their stools as they heard another feminine voice. Why did it feel as if it was familiar? They both stared at each other in shock, as they both knew who it was standing behind them. That voice… they heard it again after many years. But how? And why?

"D-Darling, d-did you hear that?" Panchy stumbled, touching her husband's arm. "It's…"

"It's her…" Dr. Briefs stuttered. "After all this time… but how is it possible?"

They slowly turned around to come face to face with their eldest daughter Tights Briefs who they had not seen or heard from in years. And not only that, but their beautiful baby girl had also changed from being a teenager to an adult. It was hard to believe that it was really her.

It had taken a long while for either of them to form any coherent words. They just looked on ahead stunned as she did a tiny wave in their direction. "Mom… Dad…? Are you alright?"

"T-Tights d-darling, is that really you?" Panchy finally asked, tears forming in her eyes.

"Yes mom, it really is me."

"Oh my god Tights! You're back!" Mrs. Briefs cried out elated, rushing to envelop her daughter in a loving embrace. Dr. Briefs joined in and soon they were in a group hug.

Bulma just stood there in the kitchen, wiping a tear from her eye as she watched her sister wrap her arms around their parents who were both over the moon. She released her parents from the hug, beaming at both of them. Out of all the surprises, this was the best one ever planned.

"Welcome back, pumpkin!"

"I missed you guys so much!"

"I still can't believe it!" Dr. Briefs expressed. "What are you doing here?"

"Well…" Tights looked over at her younger sister. "Bulma was the one who called me."

"Did she?" Panchy asked. "Oh! That really was a huge surprise!"

"There's this reunion party she said she wants to throw, and she needed my help for that. Since I haven't seen you all in years, I decided to take a plane right here to West City and help her out while spending as much time with you guys as possible." Tights explained.

"Well this is quite surprising, but I really thank you for that, Bulma." Dr Briefs praised his younger daughter. "That was a nice move on your part."

A slight blush appeared on her face. "It's nothing dad. We all deserve to be together as a family."

"You're right! So Tights, are you already settled in?"

"Not yet, I just got here."

"Well, we kept your old bedroom in case you ever planned to visit us." Panchy explained.

"That's great, but there's a lot of work ahead of me before I can rest!" Tights said, ready for action.

"Darling, you should rest a little bit." Her father urged. "You had quite a long flight. You should rest for a couple of hours then you can plan whatever you need."

"Grandpa's right, auntie." Trunks bounced into the kitchen after having just shown his dad the way to his auntie's bedroom. He winced as the faint sound of his father slamming the gravity room door with so much force reached his ears.

"You don't have to worry guys, I'll be alright." She insisted. "I can rest after making the preparations for this party."

"But you should rest a little. Then you can be fully prepared to plan this big party." Trunks reasoned with his aunt. "Planning a party must be a lot of work, so don't you want to rest before doing that?"

Tights gave in, realizing that she wasn't going to win this. "Alright, if you all insist."

"Come on, guys! Let's take Auntie Tights to her room!" Trunks yelled, pulling on his aunt's arm.

"Slow down, kiddo!" She scolded lightly.

"Alright, I'm sorry but let's go!"

The rest of the Briefs family watched as Trunks was pulling on his aunt's arm and dragging her despite her protests to take his time and not rush. It didn't take long for them to disappear from sight. "Whoa, Trunks is really happy with his aunt." Bulma commented with a smile.

"He sure is." Panchy remarked.

"They just met and he already adores her. And I can't believe that she's here again."

"Me neither…" Dr. Briefs commented.

"We should go with them, don't you think?" Bulma suggested.

"Yes darling. We should make sure she's settled in comfortably." Mrs. Briefs agreed wholeheartedly.

"Let's all go inside!"

They quickly make their way to Tights's old bedroom which had all the luxuries a bedroom should have. A flatscreen television, an air ventilation, a clean bathroom, and a window with an eye-catching view. Her suitcase and bag had been dumped on the floor. Tights was staring at everything in awe at how amazing it still looked after all these years of it not being occupied.

"Wow...this is...my room."

Bulma nodded with a smile. "Trunks and I tidied it up yesterday."

"I can't believe this at all...it's like...like I never left." Tights muttered, walking up to the window and tracing her finger on the glass. She stared down at the nice view below her.

"Yep. All those memories..."

"It's been a while, right?" Tights remarked, turning to face her sister.

"It sure has. How was the taxi ride?" Dr. Briefs asked.

The black cat on his shoulder jumped off and walked over to the older sister, clawing at her leg. Tights smiled before she scooped it up in her arms and ran her fingers through its fur, unable to stop herself from marveling over its cuteness. "The ride was fine dad. Trunks was curious to know about me and my writing. I promised him earlier that I would let him borrow some of my books to read." She answered while neglecting to mention the fact that her sister's husband had also been a topic of discussion.

"Aw, that's great." Bulma smiled.

"Anyway, your father and I will be heading back downstairs to give you some time to rest," Panchy announced. "I'll be starting dinner soon, and I'll be making your favorites."

"That's great mom." Tights said as she handed her father's furry friend over to him. "I miss your homemade cooking!"

"And I think you'll love it even more this time around. My cooking has improved over the years."

"Rest well, pumpkin."

"I will."

Dr. and Mrs. Briefs depart from the bedroom, leaving Tights alone with her sister and nephew. They were quiet for a few seconds until… "Hey kiddo, I never got to ask. How old are you?"

"Oh, I'm eight years old!" Trunks answered proudly.

"Aw, I'm sure you'll grow into a handsome young man," Tights cooed, ruffling her nephew's lavender hair.

"Oh...come on..." He said while a little blushed.

Tights chuckled. "Don't be embarrassed, maybe you'll find a nice girl to date in the near future."

"Well...I never thought about that."

"You have plenty of time to decide what you want to do, alright?"

Trunks nodded. "Right now I just want to become stronger, especially when I'm training with my dad. I know he wants me to become powerful!"

"There's no doubt in my mind that you'll become super strong!" Tights cheered her nephew on.

"THANKS AUNTIE!" He rushed over to give his aunt a hug to show his appreciation. "My dad must be waiting for me! I'll see you all later!"

"Give it your all!"

"I will auntie!"

Trunks waves his mother and aunt goodbye as he runs off to the gravity chamber. Tights looks in his direction with a bright smile. "He's certainly following in his father's footsteps, isn't he?" She asks in an attempt to steer the conversation towards Vegeta.

"Well, he looks up to his dad very much. They love to train and fight, but I'm happy for the fact that they also spend time together as father and son." Bulma remarks with a smile as she starts to think about her husband.

"I can tell," Tights said as she shared the same thoughts as her sister. "On our way back home, Trunks spoke so highly of him that it touched my heart."

"He did?" Bulma asked in surprise. "He talked about his dad?"

"He sure did." She sat down on her bed and patted a free spot, indicating that her younger sister should sit down next to her. Once her sis was sitting beside her she continued, "He said that even if the family isn't always on the same page, Vegeta loves both him and you and that he'd do anything to protect the both of you whenever there's danger lurking around. He also said there's nothing he loved more on this earth than to spend quality time with him. It was really sweet."

"Well, yeah. He's right. He said the whole truth."

"It sounds to me like you picked the right man." Tights said softly.

"Well, I think I did." Bulma said, the love for her husband swelling in her heart. "We didn't start our relationship on the best of terms. But with time, I started to care about him. And he started to care as well. Of course, IN HIS OWN WAY. But we managed to start a family together. I love him so much and there's not a single day that passes by where I regret being with him."

"Awww…"

"I may not have the perfect husband or the most loving one. But one thing is for sure: I 100% feel safe with him by my side."

"I'm glad to hear that sis. You deserve to be happy with your husband." Tights smiled.

"Thanks sis, I appreciate that."

"No prob."

"Though I do need to ask; how often do you two spend time together as a couple?" She wondered.

Bulma twiddled with her thumbs as she replied, "Well...maybe a couple of hours...2-3 hours everyday? He trains most of the time after that."

"That's not bad at all. I'm curious, does he ask to spend time together or do you always have to ask him?"

"I mean I'm the one who always has to make the initiative, but… he chooses to go along with it on his own will. Though I can't say it's easy for him to be out there in public."

Tights placed an arm around her sister's shoulder and held one of her hands, pulling her a little closer. "If he's willing to take time off from training just to be with his wife, then that definitely means something. I can tell that he loves you and is making an effort to be there for you even if he's having a difficult time showing it."

The truth in those words almost made Bulma tear up. "I know. Thanks for listening to me sis. I'll leave now so you can get some rest,"

"Sounds good. If you ever want to talk, I'm here for you."

The two sisters hugged each other and Bulma rose from her bed, shutting the door behind her. Tights laid on her queen-sized bed, exhausted from the entire plane flight but happy that she had the chance to reunite with her whole family. Within a matter of minutes, she fell asleep.