Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ A Light in the Darkness ❯ A Place to Call Home ( Chapter 100 )

A Light in the Darkness - Part 100: A PlaceTo Call Home
by Mia Skywalker & Wataruo

 

PAIRING: None
RATING: PG-13
WARNINGS: none
C&C: Please! ^_^
DISCLAIMER: Neither of us owns any of the DBZ characters or anything about DBZ, but we both wish we owned the Saiyans. All of them. At least all of the ones with hair. And yes, we're including Yamcha, Ranma, and Ryouga in that, now you know. Dragonball Z and the associated characters are owned by Toei, Viz, Akira Toriyama, and FUNimation. Ranma 1/2 and the characters of Ranma Saotome and Ryouga Hibiki are owned by Viz, Rumiko Takahashi, and some Japanese studio I don't know the name of. We do own what we've written here, and our specific storyline, just not Dragonball or Ranma 1/2 themselves. We make no money off of any of these guys, nor off this fic. We just have fun writing it. Oh, I guess we do own Hakusai and Serori. But I doubt anyone cares. ^_~
SUMMARY: Vegeta, Bulma, and Trunks discuss the future.
NOTES: Blech. This particular chapter somehow vanished from my computer, and I had to pull an old copy from a pre-edited version. I've re-edited, but it hasn't gone over the 20 or so re-writes and edits that most of my other chapters have gone through, so... I'm just not entirely happy with this one.

 

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“The General is up early,” Vegeta muttered, as he and his small family exited the house. Bulma looked at him curiously, but Trunks had already noticed the new ki coming in their direction. “It is one of the soldiers. Kabu seems to be in a hurry to leave.”

 

Trunks arched an eyebrow at Vegeta, looking eerily like him in that instant. “Weren't you the one that said you wanted me to leave at dawn? I think she's only following your orders,” he responded quietly.

 

Vegeta scowled at him. “Don't remind me, brat. I forgot how literal Saiyans can be.”

 

Before either of the two could comment, a Saiyan came striding quickly up to the group, then immediately knelt when he realized that the King was standing on the front porch.

 

“Forgive this intrusion, sire, but we await your instructions,” he said, looking subserviently at the ground.

 

Vegeta gave the soldier a bored look. “Tell her that I expect everything to be ready by noon. I need to debrief my son on a few things first.”

 

The warrior nodded. “I will inform the General.”

 

Vegeta rolled his eyes irritably. “You do that. Now get out of my sight.”

 

The Saiyan soldier stood, bowed deeply, and then took off in the direction of Kabu's ship.

 

Bulma sighed wistfully after the Saiyan left. It was one more reminder that things were changing. She had only just met this young man who was her son from the future, and already he was leaving. It wasn't as though she was used to him being there, yet somehow she knew she would miss him when he was gone. And she would certainly worry about him enough.

 

As if he could sense her thoughts, Trunks smiled at her reassuringly. He didn't mention that he would miss her far more than she would miss him - he had already lost one mother, now he was about to lose another, even if only temporarily.

 

“I'll be back, mother, before I - the younger version of me - is born. I'm not going to let you go through that without me.” He took her hand and smiled into her face. “Father is here with you as well. He won't let you be alone. And I'll try to call home somehow, if there's a way to do that.”

 

Bulma shot Vegeta a glance. “Vegeta,” she asked urgently. “Do you think they might have some communication equipment they can leave behind, so they can contact us and we can reach them? It might be important. You could tell them that you want Trunks to keep you apprised of their progress. But I....” She hesitated. “What kind of technology will they have?

 

“And should I tell them that his mother wants him to check in every now and then?” Vegeta arched a brow at the two of them, and managed to hide a smirk when Trunks looked down and blushed. “I suppose we should have some means of staying in touch. Kabu should know that I would want progress reports. As for their technology...” He trailed off, eyebrows pulling together in thought. “We Saiyans had little technology of our own; it was usually borrowed from other races.”

 

Vegeta shrugged at Bulma's surprised expression. “There is always the possibility that there are a few scientists among them. The females are more likely to be technically inclined. I am sure you will want to talk to them, woman. We will tour the ship before they leave, regardless. It is standard protocol.”

 

Bulma frowned at his comment. “What about your armour, and the regeneration tanks? They wash the individual with Saiyan DNA - that seems like it would have had to have been invented by Saiyans. Why else would they have used Saiyan DNA?”

 

“What doctors had was a generic DNA for each race on board, so depending on who was hurt they would simply flood them in the DNA for their race.” Vegeta shrugged. “The tanks were Tuffle in origin along with the armour you see us wear. Our scientists simply modified it for our own use, and it works better for Saiyans because of our natural healing abilities.”

 

“Oh.” Bulma frowned. What a waste of their intelligence! It was obvious that at least some Saiyans had a great deal of intelligence - Kabu's ability to modify her sons' biology and suppress parts of their DNA before they were born was testament to that. Yet she preferred being a warrior to being a scientist, wasting all that intelligence on something that Bulma considered as trivial as fighting.

 

“I guess it just proves even more that your people are barbarians,” she quipped at him sharply. “Well, why don't we go see the ship then, to see if there's something we can use for Trunks to communicate with us? I assume that the farther they get from us, the harder it will be for him to contact us. If nothing else, I suppose we can use my father's communicator that he let me use when we were on Namek, but I'd prefer something with visual as well.”

 

“Woman, you can handle all of the technical things.” An odd glint appeared in Vegeta's eyes at the thought. “Finally,” he muttered. “A place to call home.”

 

Bulma glared at him darkly. “Oh? And what do you call this? A cave?” There was a dangerous edge to her voice. Trunks gave her a startled look, but wisely said nothing.

 

Vegeta shrugged. “This is your homeworld, woman. I hope that you never have to experience not having a place to call home. Finally my people will have somewhere to return to.” Vegeta folded his arms across his chest, his thoughts turning inward.

 

Bulma tapped her foot, looking more than a little irritated. “And you, Vegeta? Are you saying that this isn't home to you? Don't you think we'd expect you to come back here if you left? Or do you think you could just leave, and that no one would care? Or are you saying that you wouldn't care if you left? I thought we meant something to you, Vegeta. I guess I was wrong.”

 

Vegeta looked disgruntled at Bulma's sudden tirade. “Woman, you always assume the worst, don't you?” He folded his arms across his chest, scowling deeply. “I would want you and the brat to come with me. I thought you had already agreed to do that.”

 

Bulma glared back at him, her arms crossed over her own chest. “Chikyuu is my home. I would go with you because you wanted to go, but not otherwise. I would be perfectly happy to stay here. So tell me, Vegeta. If Kabu had never arrived with all of these other Saiyans, would you have ever accepted Chikyuu as your home? Or would you have someday wanted to leave, to find a place that you could call home, even if you had to leave everyone here behind?”

 

Vegeta's eyes narrowed. “Woman, I thought you knew me better than to ask such asinine questions.”

 

“Do I?” Bulma's voice was low and dangerous. “I don't really know, Vegeta. You seem very anxious to leave. I don't like the idea of leaving my family, my home, and my company, but I would do it for you. I just wonder, Vegeta - would you have done the same for me?”

 

“Then you are stupider than I thought,” Vegeta snapped. “Humans - I'll never understand them.”

 

“You still haven't answered my question, Vegeta!” Bulma's voice was slowly rising in both pitch and volume. “If you're not going to answer me, then I guess I know the answer already, don't I?”

 

“You are an idiot, woman.” Vegeta's tone changed. “You have no idea what I would go through for you. For all your self-proclaimed genius, simple answers baffle you.” Vegeta glared at her. “What do you think I would do, woman? Use your head and think.”

 

“I DON'T KNOW!” she shouted at him angrily. “If I knew, I wouldn't be asking, would I?”

 

Trunks flinched at her shout. He was used to her temper, occasionally even directed at himself, but he'd had this strange romantic notion that his parents had never gotten angry with each other, even though he had been told that wasn't true.

 

“Mother,” he interrupted quietly. “Mother, in my time he died for you. Do you really think he'd ever leave you?”

 

Bulma shot him a heated look, and then her face softened. “Trunks....” She glanced back at Vegeta and then at Trunks, thinking of what the young man had already lived through.

 

She looked back at Vegeta, her anger dissipating. “I'm sorry, Vegeta,” she said sadly. “But I really don't know what you would do. For all I know, if I couldn't or wouldn't leave for some reason, you might leave anyway. Would you? Would you rather be with them, or with me?”

 

Vegeta rolled his eyes in irritation. “Baka,” he muttered under his breath before embracing her tightly. “It would kill me to leave you. You know that.”

 

“I don't know that,” Bulma murmured. “If I did, I wouldn't ask. I mean, you talk about this `bond', but how do I know you won't get bored of me? Will you leave me when I grow old, and you're still young and strong? When I can no longer give you children? With all these Saiyan women around now....”

 

“You can't get bored with bonds,” Vegeta growled, sounding exasperated. “It will be this way until one of us dies, and even then, the one living will most likely die as well. This is something that doesn't go away.”

 

Bulma pulled away from him and looked at him skeptically. “I lived, even after you died. In Trunks' past, I mean. If the bond makes both of us die at the same time, why did I still live? I think we can live, even without the bond.”

 

Trunks coughed lightly, and Bulma looked at him. He blushed and looked down in embarrassment, then spoke softly. “But you weren't happy, mother. I know you wanted to die, many times. But you told me that you lived because of me. If you hadn't been pregnant with me, you told me you would have died. I'm the only thing that kept you alive.”

 

Bulma stared at him in shock, and then looked back at Vegeta. “But I still lived,” she insisted. “So if I die, you can live too. And if you left, you could still live as well, right?”

 

“No, you existed,” Vegeta corrected. “You didn't live. There is a difference. If you hadn't been pregnant with Trunks, you would have found a way to end your own life. I won't want to live without you.”

 

Bulma stared at him, not sure what to say, and the three of them remained in silence for several long minutes.

 

~~~*~~~

 

It didn't take Goku long to get up and head over to Bulma's that day. He knew that Trunks - the adult version - was leaving on a mission for his father, to find a planet that they could call home. It puzzled Goku, that Vegeta would want to leave; he had assumed that the smaller Saiyan had finally found a home here, but it looked as though he wanted to rule over his people. It must be because Vegeta was a prince, Goku decided as he approached Bulma's home.

 

The younger Saiyan didn't believe he would want to leave Earth. Maybe he would go and visit the other Saiyans, but deep down in his heart he felt that this planet was home. He needed nothing else but his family.

 

Goku smiled to himself as he touched down and noticed the three on the porch. Trunks seemed to be standing to the side, quietly watching Vegeta and Bulma embrace.

 

“Good morning!” he greeted cheerfully, unaware that he had interrupted an awkward pause. “Am I too early for breakfast?”

 

Vegeta glared at Goku as he released Bulma. “What are you doing here?” he asked peevishly.

 

“Well, you made me Bulma's bodyguard, remember? I figured I should be here when Trunks leaves.” Goku shrugged. “I didn't want to wake up Chi-Chi before I left, so I'm hungry.”

 

“So you want to mooch a meal from us?” Vegeta snorted, and then gestured over his shoulder. “You know where the kitchen is.”

 

Goku grinned as he walked towards the door, patting Trunks on the shoulder as he walked by him. “Better eat something before you leave,” he told the young man. “You don't know what kind of food they might have on the ship.”

 

“I already ate....” Trunks replied respectfully, but trailed off unfinished at the door slamming shut behind Goku. He sighed and smiled. His mother had told him stories about Goku's fixation with food, but he had never really believed it. Now he knew she hadn't exaggerated at all.

 

“Is he always like that?” he asked his parents quietly, and was startled to see his mother burst into laughter.

 

Vegeta eyed Trunks for a moment before snorting irritably. “Didn't your mother ever tell you about how much he loves food? That baka doesn't think of anything else.”

 

“But he...” Trunks frowned. “She did,” he admitted, “but that can't be all he thinks about, can it? Aunt Chi-Chi always told us what a great man he was....”

 

“Great?” Vegeta scoffed in annoyance, eyes fixed on the door through which his erstwhile adversary had disappeared. “How can you call that moron great?” He folded his arms over his chest and scowled. “That woman must have wanted to give you a good impression of him. All you have to do is look at him. He hasn't had an intelligent thought in years. He has a power level that few have ever matched and what does he do with it? Nothing! He has no idea what to do with his power. Hell, brat.” His scowl deepened. “If he ever has an original idea I think his head will explode”

 

Bulma was still laughing, causing Trunks to frown in consternation. “But I thought he... didn't he save the world a few times?” he asked in confusion. “Mother said he was the greatest warrior in the world - other than you, of course.”

 

But even you hadn't defeated Frieza on Namek, Trunks thought to himself, but said nothing.

 

Vegeta continued to scowl. “I call that luck. He seems to have an abundance of that.”

 

Bulma's giggles subsided somewhat, and she shook her head at Vegeta's words. “That wasn't luck,” she admonished him. “You know better than to say that. And besides,” she smirked at Vegeta. “Would you have made him my bodyguard just because he's `lucky'?”

 

Vegeta bit back a reply, irked that Bulma had once again outwitted him. He was about to go on about Goku's lack of brains when his stomach growled loudly, despite having just eaten breakfast, sending Bulma off into another fit of giggles.

 

“I am hungry,” Vegeta announced as if his stomach hadn't made its presence known moments before. “Come on, woman. Let's get something to eat.”

 

“I don't think Goku is the only one who thinks with his stomach!” Bulma teased him. “Come on, we don't want you wasting away!” She took his arm and glanced over at Trunks. “Are you coming?”

 

He shook his head, strangely reluctant to be with the others. He knew he wouldn't see them again for a long time, but he felt a strong urge to be alone at the moment. Perhaps because, in his past, he had spent so much time alone, and was rarely around large groups of people like this for extended periods of time.

 

“I'm all right,” he assured his mother. “I think I'll stay out here for a little while. To see if any of Kabu's people come back,” he explained, trying to come up with an excuse.

 

Bulma nodded reluctantly. “If you're sure....” She smiled at Vegeta. “Well, let's get you fed then!”

 

Vegeta allowed Bulma to lead him into the kitchen, nodding once to his son, somehow understanding the need to be alone.

 

He had no doubt that his son would become a great leader if given the opportunity. It was one of the reasons he was sending Trunks out with a group of unknown Saiyans in the first place, although he did have reservations. These were, after all, seasoned warriors. Trunks had fought the androids in his timeline, but he didn't have the combat leadership experience that he would need to command a group such as the one Vegeta was sending him with.

 

I am getting sentimental like my mate, Vegeta decided as he glanced through the window, distracted by his own thoughts. He will be fine. He has my strength and his mother's intelligence. He will do well.

 

Bulma was unaware of her husband's thoughts as they entered the kitchen, and she smiled at the various Saiyans and half-Saiyans around her. Suddenly she was very aware that she was the only human amongst all these Saiyans, and she felt oddly distanced from all of them. It was with a great deal of effort that she kept her smile plastered to her face and didn't let it waver.

 

“Well, Vegeta!” she said in her usual chipper voice, no trace of her feelings emitting from it. “You know how to handle the replicator. I'm just going to have a cup of coffee.”

 

Vegeta frowned. “Shouldn't you eat more than that?” he asked. “You have the brat to think of as well.”

 

“The `brat',” she informed him, “is Trunks. And he's right outside. Since we know he obviously makes it okay, then we know that I can take care of myself, right? So let me eat what I'm going to eat, and I'll be fine.”

 

Gohan blinked at the two of them and laughed. “Bulma never ate much for breakfast on the ship, Vegeta-san. When we were going to Namek she always said she couldn't handle animal flesh early in the morning. She thought it was barbaric to eat it for breakfast.” He grinned at her. “But she never had a problem with meat for dinner!”

 

Yamcha blinked at that comment. “She was always ordering salads whenever we went out. I thought she was a vegetarian!”

 

Bulma rolled her eyes at both of them. “Shows how much you know! I just have to watch my figure, you know! It takes hard work saying this gorgeous all the time!”

 

Vegeta's mouth quirked up into a knowing smirk. “You won't be slim for much longer. You will be gaining some weight soon.”

 

Bulma stared at him, stricken, and then she acted the way she always did when she was hurt - she lashed out at him.

 

“Fine!” she snarled, her hands on her hips. “Then when I get fat, I suppose you'll not want to be around me. You'll probably want someone who is still slim and pretty and... NOT FAT!”

 

Vegeta's eyebrows rose at her sudden mood swing and he reminded himself once again not to mention her weight. Earth females seemed to have rather odd notions when it came to that topic.

 

“I do not think you will lose your beauty simply by gaining weight.” When he realized what he had admitted out loud, he glared at the startled expressions around him. “WHAT?!?” he growled out at them to hide his embarrassment.

 

Gohan blinked in surprise and then smiled. “My daddy always said that Bulma was the prettiest girl he's ever known!” he exclaimed out loud. “Right, daddy?” He beamed at his father.

 

Goku grinned. “I always thought so,” he agreed, not noticing that Vegeta seemed perturbed by this remark.

 

Bulma's eyes welled up with tears. “Really?” she said softly, touched by their comments. Goku wasn't the most observant person in the world, and if he thought she was pretty....

 

“Bulma,” said Yamcha, both reproachfully and reassuringly. “You know I've always considered you the most beautiful woman I've ever met. Except Hakusai, of course,” he added hastily. He laughed nervously, suddenly afraid she would be angry with him.

 

Hakusai chuckled at Yamcha's panicky expression. “He is right you know. I have always thought you are much more feminine than I am.”

 

Bulma sat down, trying to hold back her tears. Yamcha looked at her in concern a moment, and then realized that she was crying because she was `happy'. He couldn't understand how someone could cry when they were actually feeling happy, but he had learned not to argue with Bulma.

 

She looked up at Vegeta, tears in her eyes. “Thank you,” she said softly.

 

Vegeta merely grunted and inclined his head, before beginning to eat.

 

Bulma watched the horde of Saiyans eat and make pigs of themselves to varying degrees, listening to their noisy and - for the most part - good-hearted banter. Vegeta was the one exception to that; whenever he would put in a comment, it was almost always an insult in some manner to either Goku or Yamcha, but most of the time to Goku.

 

The other Saiyan didn't seem at all bothered by his comments, however. Bulma wasn't entirely sure if it was because he didn't understand them, or if in some way he understood Vegeta better than the others, and knew that this was simply Vegeta's way of dealing with people. He was as good-natured as ever with it, simply laughing off Vegeta's comments and not being bothered by them in the slightest. Bulma noticed that this seemed to frustrate Vegeta a little, but she thought she understood it a little better than the others.

 

She would talk to him about it later, she decided to herself. Maybe.

 

 

To be continued.....

 

~~~~~*~~~~~

 

And in the next exciting episode of DragonBall Z: A Light in the Darkness... Saying good-bye.