Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Apprentice ❯ The Rest is Silence ( Chapter 12 )

A/N: I apologize for being late with this update. The computer was not accessible to me, and I was distracted by EverQuest. o^_^o Dark Elves are fun. *ahem* Anyway, Please leave a review/comment I would truly appreciate it. Remember, feedback is what every writer strives for. Especially those of us who are still learning. Many thanks to those who have reviewed my stories. You do inspire me to keep thinking. And special thanks to PG, who helped get my butt in gear to type what was in my head.

Disclaimer: (I swore to only do one, but I keep throwing in shit I don't own.) if it's a name in italics that you recognize, then its not mine. That should be simple enough. So, on with the story.

Apprentice by Alexa

Chapter Twelve - The Rest is Silence

Upon hearing Mr. Link's proposal, Bulma immediately summoned Ashentara and Vegeta to come inside. All involved entered the living room. Link sat on the couch with a few small stacks of papers on the coffee table. His light gray suit had obviously seen better times. Jacket was slung over an arm of the overstuffed piece of furniture, tie at half-mast, dress shirt partially unbuttoned, cuffs rolled up above his elbows. He was busy shuffling papers around between his hands, the table, and the dark brown cardboard file box at his feet.

"You will never believe what I've found." Link spoke with a contained enthusiasm. "Since we had the time, I figured it couldn't hurt to do a few background checks on the Emerald family."

Ash snorted. "I can make a pretty good guess at what you found. Or some of it, at least."

"That's exactly why I'm going to need to put her on the stand. With this evidence and your testimony, the judge will have to throw the case out the proverbial window."

Vegeta felt left out. He had no idea what any of them were talking about. "Explain!"

Link turned a startled face to the Saiyan. "Oh, my apologies, Mr. Briefs. When I ran the background checks, I found previous suits that were unsubstantiated. The lack of concrete evidence caused the judges to essentially throw each case 'out the window'." The young lawyer's face slightly blushed. He mentally berated himself for being repetitive.

Bulma had been mentally stewing ever since Link told her what he had found. "I can't believe that bastard has tried this scam before."

"Well believe it. Dear ol' dad had always dreamed of getting rich off of a lawsuit. I swear he and the mongrels spent every waking moment trying to concoct a new way to sue any company they heard of. I'm actually surprised they managed to come up with something this clever. They don't usually show such initiative." Ash glanced over each stack of papers looking for anything distinctly familiar.

"I'm actually quite surprised that Mr. Emerald has not given up by now." Link confessed.

"Well, I get my stubborn attitude from somewhere. Might as well be him, I guess." She released a mildly depressed sigh. "I remember this one…" Ash pointed to a set of papers as she spoke, "He thought he could sue the car company when the automobile in question wasn't even in his name; it belonged to a friend. Although, I question the validity of that friendship, too."

Trunks and Goten entered the house through the kitchen after beating the hell out of each other, or as they called it, sparring. Bits of conversation wafted into the kitchen from the voices in the living room. The two boys exchanged curious glances. It was Goten who spoke first.

"Sounds like they're talking about the trial."

"Yeah, the lawyer mom hired is here. Sounds like he might have something useful for a change." Trunks's lack of confidence in Link was clearly heard in his tone.

"You sound really impressed with the man." Goten quietly said.

"Goten, I can't think of a single thing that man has done that's been worth his fee. Daily fee." Anger slowly arose within the pale-haired youth's strained whispers.

Goten just shrugged. He didn't know what to say to comfort his friend. He tried not to lie, unless absolutely necessary. Dende knew those situations were already too close together for the Son's personal comfort. "Well, lets just go play a game or something."

A warm small spread across Trunks's face. "I wondered how long it would take before you suggested something like that."

"You know me too well."

Retreating from the trial-centered discussion, the boys headed for the second floor. Quietly treading down the corridor, they slipped inside the young prince's room. Each let out a relieved breath neither knew they had been holding. Goten was about to ask if Trunks thought they might have been heard when he realized the stupidity of the question. He opted to remain silent and sit on the bed. Trunks was busy scanning over the video game titles stacked on a shelf.

"Any specific game you wanna play?"

Goten thought about that for a moment. "None I can think of, no." He glanced over towards the desk. Trunks's school notebook was sitting on top of a small stack of class books. Goten noticed a piece of paper sticking out of one edge.

"How about Street Fighter EX3?"

Goten's head jerked towards Trunks. "We've overplayed that game, already."

"Yeah, you're right. Hmm…." His gaze never left the stack.

The young Son's eyes shifted back to the paper. He had a strange feeling that whatever was on it, he shouldn't look at it. It's probably just math homework or something. The texture of the paper didn't look like something for math homework, though. Hmm. Well, if it is just homework, then it doesn't matter whether or not I look at it. Hazarding a glance at Trunks's turned back, Goten reached out for the paper.

"What about a Dead or Alive game? No, wait let's play Capcom vs. Marvel 2!" Trunks swirled almost on the tips of his toes to face Goten. What he saw made his eyes go wide.

Goten sat staring transfixed at the paper clutched in his hands. His heart had stopped beating long enough that a faint tremor rumbled throughout his ribcage when it began pumping, again. So mesmerized was he that he never heard a single word that left his friend's mouth.

Trunks finally gave up trying to ransom the page and just grabbed it. The moment it left Goten's hands, his attention returned to earth. Without sparing a glance at the paper, Trunks slapped it face-down onto his desk. "What the fuck was so captivating about my homework?!"

Goten stared dumbfounded at his friend. He glanced at the paper, then back to the angry hybrid. "I don't think that was your homework, Trunks."

"Then what was it?"

"Unless you started taking art." The question posed went straight over Goten's head. It was like he was staring at something that only he could see.

"Art…?" Scratching his head, Trunks looked at the stunned boy on his bed. He opened his mouth but was cut off by said boy.

"Though, I don't know why you would use Ashentara as the basis for that." He tentatively pointed towards the desk.

Trunks stared at the face-down paper. Ashentara? That must just be the sketch that I did in detention. He turned his attention back to Goten. Although, why would he react like this to that drawing? The last time he had that look on his face was when Yamcha left that porn magazine here. Even I have to agree that Big Bitches was frightening. A shudder ran down his spine at the memory of large women doing …. I don't want to think about what they were doing to themselves. Or each other. He shook his head to clear those thoughts away. "Goten, that girl was just something I drew while in detention. I didn't realize it looked like Ash until after it was done. I guess it was a subconscious thing that I made it resemble…"

"YOU drew that?!" The utter surprise in Goten's voice startled Trunks. He took a step back from the bed.

"Well… yeah. I've seen her from that angle enough times…"

Goten didn't have to interrupt this time. The look on his face was enough.

"Goten, are you okay?"

"You've … seen Ash .. in that ….. pose? More than once?" His expression was one that could almost be described as betrayal. "Is there something that you'd like to tell me?" Goten's eyes darkened just a shade. "Bro?" We're best friends, or at least I thought we were. If he was doing that with her, then I would have thought he'd tell me. Maybe mom has been right all along. Perhaps, I can't trust him as much as I thought. His face fell into a solemn, blank stare. Trying to will his 'friend' to tell him the truth with only the questioning in his eyes.

The lavender-haired hybrid intently stared into the unfamiliar face of his best friend. An unsettling feeling made the pit of his stomach turn cold. Goten has never given me a look like that. What the hell is wrong with him? He started acting like this when he saw that drawing. A realization dawned on Trunks. Wait a minute! It's the sketch. There's something about it… Even in his own thoughts he had trouble putting it into words. Sparing a glance towards those watchful, mistrusting eyes, Trunks slowly picked up the paper from his desk. He held it with fingertips only at a distance from himself like it had an offending odor. The image before him was not his drawing of the high-kick girl. Oh, shit! This is the one Felix did!

"Goten, please believe me. Felix drew this one. He gave it to me in detention today. I don't really know why…"

The lavender youth's frantic explanation was abruptly silenced by the young woman standing in the now open door. "Hey, Goten. I was sent to ask if you'd be staying for dinner?" Ash stood there wearing the remains of her training clothes. The outer body suit had been half-stripped away to reveal a tight spandex top. She leaned to one side with her left hand on the doorknob and the right resting on her nearly-bare hip. Only a thin line of lace told the males she was wearing something under her lower half. Although, underwear might be overstating it a little. The suit was hugging the curve of her hips a little lower than normal.

"Uh… Yeah, I'll be staying for dinner."

"Sweet." Ash opened her mouth to say more but glanced at Trunks. She perked an eyebrow at his transfixed countenance. Snickering slightly, she said, "Trunks, don't look at me like that. How many times have you seen me in less?" With that question hanging in the air, she turned to leave the room.

Goten suspiciously fixed his eyes onto the almost-blushing young man. He coldly stared at those crystalline blue eyes.

Bulma's appetite was getting the better of her. She stood at the foot of the steps and yelled for the boys, and Ash, to get downstairs pronto if they wanted anything to eat. This was definitely becoming a take-out kind of night. Link had begun to explain his plan to Bulma, Vegeta, and Ash. When it came to show time -as it were- everyone would have to remember exactly what to say. The phrasing would be very important.

Ash sat on the loveseat across the coffee table from Link who was on the couch. Her head was resting in the palm of her hand. A thought had occurred to her, but she wasn't sure that moment was the appropriate time to bring it up. I really should tell them. I am the only one here who knows that disgusting excuse for a man this well. Somehow I doubt he has changed much -if at all- since I left. Mentally resolving herself, Ash decided there was no time like the present.

"I really hate to burst your bubble, Link. But, I think there is something that you really should know."

The entire living room quieted to give Ashentara their full attention. Only the ticking of the grandfather clock made a sound.

Link prompted her to explain.

"Even if we prove his claims of experimentation are unsubstantiated, he'll still try to discredit Capsule Corp. out of spite. I know him, too well."

It was Bulma who posed the query. "How can he discredit Capsule Corp.? What would he do"

"The only thing I can think of, given to him by my three ingenious brothers no doubt, is the rumors about myself and Vegeta."

Trunks quickly pointed out that the same rumors existed about her and himself.

"Yes, but you're not married to the Capsule Corp. President! A relationship between you and I would do nothing in the way of discrediting this company. However, … if Sephiroth can make the public believe Vegeta has committed adultery, then no one will look at the Capsule Corp. logo the same way. It won't matter if the judge rules in our favor."

Link was wringing his hands not looking at Ash or anyone else. "He'll do it, too. I've been up against him on too many cases to not believe what she's saying. Sephiroth has a very sly tongue when it comes to persuading the general masses. He tells them all the dirty things they want to hear about someone who is innocent." He threw up his hands in defeat. "We're screwed."

Trunks and Bulma each crumpled where they sat. If their lawyer said they were screwed, what chances did they have? Bulma would not accept, nay, would not allow the name of her family's business to be soiled by a no-class, scum-sucking, lowlife who has repeated this scam too many times before. "Maybe we can settle this with an undisclosed, out of court settlement. Every man has his price, right?"

Vegeta had remained silent as all the possibilities were presented. He knew a way around the infidelity problem. Although, it was still just an idea. Not quite solid, yet. "Link, is there a way to prove that Ashentara and I have never had sex?"

Nearly every head in the room was jerked towards the prince at his words. Link fumbled for an answer. He had to remember what types of tests were indisputable and permissible in court as evidence.

Strangely, it was Ash who answered. "It can be proven that I have never had sex."

At that confession, the attention was turned to Ashentara. Except Goten who was intently staring at Trunks. She's never… Ash is a virgin? Then, that would mean my assumption earlier isn't true. But something still doesn't seem to fit right. If he and Ash weren't sleeping together, then why would he behave around her as he does? She keeps teasing him. He has a tendency to blush more when she's around. Not to mention, the picture… Goten stopped himself in mid-thought. Felix did that picture. But he did mention another one. One I haven't seen yet. Ash may still be a virgin, but there is more than one way to have sex. The Son narrowed his eyes in suspicion. What have you and Ash been doing? Bro? Goten had considered pointing out that minor detail. There was more than one way to have sex, after all. Bulma's overjoyed face stopped him. How could he be the one to make that smile crumble? Smiles had become few and far-between for her. Ultimately, he decided to keep his mouth shut.

Link gave Bulma the business card of a respected doctor who could have the test results to him before opening statements. They only had one full day before the trial -complete with media coverage- resumed. He told her to tell the receptionist he was sending her and they should be able to get it over with in the morning. Bulma claimed to have a few files that required her attention and headed for her office. Goten excused himself to return home. Trunks crashed in the suddenly empty living room after popping Braveheart into the DVD player. He chuckled remembering his father's remark about Scottish kilts.

Upstairs, Ash was crawling into bed, literally. She felt so beaten, the muscles all over her body were sore. She tossed and turned trying to find a comfortable position for nearly an hour before giving up. The Fates are really fucking with me today. What the hell did I ever do to warrant this much grief? She thought about that for a moment. Never mind. Don't answer that. I might be afraid of the reply. Or worse, can't argue against it. Sleep began to overtake the young woman's mind. Steadily drifting into the realm where dreams lived.

Warmth. She felt an almost consuming warmth surround her. Ash's body felt weightless, like she wasn't really laying on the bed. The sensation that something… someone was hovering above her crept into her senses. Velvety soft fingers caressed her sides. Sensually gentle lips brushed the skin of her abdomen sending a quiver down her spine. That intense heat flowed into her from those light touches spreading to the tips of her fingers and toes. She could feel the satin sheets under her now. They hadn't been there before. Or had they? Her small hands became entwined into the thick hair of her lover. Her eyes began to open glimpsing golden strands between her fingers.

Ash sat bolt upright in her bed. She was momentarily blind in the darkness. The remnants of her dream lingered at the edge of her senses. She stared down at her empty hands. Blond?

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And so that is the end of chapter twelve. As always with every writer, feedback is much appreciated and encouraged. The next chapter might take a little longer, I'm not sure yet. Still have a few plot details that need hammering out. So I'm not going to set a deadline today. I'll try not to take too long. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

If there is anyone out there who would be ever so kind as to do a character design of Ashentara, please feel free. I would love to see a rendition of her. Until next time.