Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Dude Looks Like A Lady ❯ Chapter Sixty-Four ( Chapter 64 )

Innocence is futile
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Dude Looks Like A Lady
By Raven Pan and Alison Sky
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Chapter Sixty-Four
May 4, 799 - Friday
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Trunks never went home that night, or the next - for that matter. During the week following this incident, he used his lunch break to go visit the children in Videl's care, telling Truten he had some things he needed to do, and wouldn't be sleeping at home for a bit.

A week later, he finally decided he would be able to go home again, and entered mid-evening, after the children were asleep.

Goten was sitting in the livingroom his back against the couch, playing a game on the Xbox. "Come on... come on..." he muttered at the screen.

Trunks didn't say anything, dropping his keys on the table by the door, and kicking off his shoes as he pulled off his jacket to hang on the hall tree.

"Aw man, who would put a sniper on that mountain!" Goten sighed, tossing the controller to the side.

"Tough game?" Trunks forced a small chuckle, not sure how his presence would be reacted to.

"Yeah, it's the new Socom game... It's pretty cool, but there are just places that I can't figure out." Goten stood up and arched his back. "How's work been?"

"Busy," Trunks nodded. "New concepts that have to be made reality - that kind of thing."

"Same old same old, huh?" Goten chuckled. "I went shopping today, figured I would restock the shelves since I'm up and about again. Hope you don't mind, I put it on the joint account cause I couldn't find my charge."

"No I don't mind at all," Trunks blinked. He'd been expecting a chewing out... not a ... it never happened. "That's what it's there for," he headed toward the kitchen. "You get coffee?"

"Yup. I think I got everything on the list. I also got some microwave meals for you and the kids tomorrow night." Goten leaned against the doorframe.

Trunks paused in his searching, then pulled down the coffee can. "Microwave meals for me and the kids.... Where you going?" he asked curiously.

"Ran into a couple of friends from the hospital, and they're going out to a club tomorrow night. They asked if I'd join them, and I figured you hadn't spent time with the kids lately, so I told them yes..." Goten shrugged. "I mean, if you have plans, I guess I can cancel them...."

"No, I don't have plans," Trunks admitted, "you go ahead - you should do that."

Why was a part of him jealous though?

"Cool. Do you want me to bring the kids home before I go, or you want to pick them up?"

"It's up to you - if you bring the kids home, they'll get to see you before you go.... but if not, I guess that's okay too," Trunks carefully measured out the coffee.

"How about this... I'll watch the kids tomorrow, won't bother Gohan and Videl at all, and then when you get home, I'll leave. OK?" Goten asked, walking into the kitchen and getting a soda from the fridge.

"Sounds like a plan - give up on the job hunt?" Trunks asked as he put the percolater on.

"For awhile. Wait until the kids leave for summer vacations, then maybe I'll find something," Goten shrugged.

"'S what we get for living in a college town, I guess," Trunks leaned back against the counter. "So..."

Goten downed his soda. "Yeah?" he asked.

"Uhm... how was your week?" he shrugged, his arms crossing uncomfortably. Here they went again... strangers again....

"It was ok. Took the kids to the park. Truten got into the big kids swing, but I wouldn't push her and she got all upset so I sat down and put her in my lap and we swung for a bit," Goten smiled. "And the twins are almost sitting up by themselves."

"Are they?" Trunks sighed. "They grow up too fast," he looked at the floor. Missing out on his kids lives again... seemed to be becoming habit.

"They haven't done it yet... but they're close..." Goten smiled. He wasn't going to tell Trunks they did it today... if he watched them tomorrow... hopefully they would do it for him.

"Hn, maybe I'll actually get a chance to see them do something first," Trunks chuckled to himself. "Next thing I know, I'm gonna be beating guys off Truten with a stick and the twins'll be hitting highschool."

"Well, there was that little boy making eyes at Truten the other day... but I think he wanted her binkie," Goten smirked.

"When'll she be old enough to be taught to fight yet?" Trunks looked up chuckling.

"Don't know. I think Pan learned at three..."

"We'll give it another year or so, then," Trunks decided, pulling down a mug, "You want some coffee?' he offered.

"Nah, I'm fine." He held up the soda can in a mock salute.

Trunks nodded and went to pour himself a cup. Perhaps their friendship wasn't ruined after all?

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July 25, 799 - Wednesday
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Gohan walked along the trail in the woods, far from his home. She had felt like walking this morning, so when Goten offered to watch the kids for the whole day again, she took off, a backpack on her back. It had been a LONG time since she had been in the forest.

It was summer, the leaves already threatening to turn as birds chattered while flying on the breeze.

Gohan looked up at the sky, shading her eyes as she went along... the sun was so bright. It was SO beautiful. She so needed to make more time to come out this way.

It had rained during the night, and the foliage was slick on the ground as Gohan walked near the edge of a steep wooded hill.

The sound of a bird taking flight startled Gohan and she turned quickly, then cried out as her foot slipped, and she started to tumble down the side of the steep mountainside. "HELP!" she cried, then had the breath knocked out of her as her ribs connected with a large rock on the way down.

Eyes opened, startled from meditation, focusing in Gohan's direction.

Gohan finally made it to the bottom of the hill, only to find herself among a nest of sleeping... carnivorous dinosaurs....

Gohan stirred, having been knocked a bit on her head, then lifted her head. Her eyes widened as she looked around. Oh man.... Not good... she thought as she tried to get to her feet, then squeaked as her ankle gave, her body tumbling back to the ground.

One startled awake with a snort, then saw her, its eyes narrowing. It snarled, and others began to wake. Soon, she was surrounded.

Gohan crawled back a bit, then looked around. "Hey guys... it's me, Gohan... you remember me, right?"

One licked it's lips, the others snarled.

They started to close in.

"I guess not... damn breasts... Icarus? Chobi? please, come on, one of you HAVE to be here..." she whimpered.

One of the dinosaurs let out a roar, and bent over to take a bite out of her, obviously the leader of that pack, but a strong kick sent it flying back to the others.

Gohan's eyes widened and she looked up.

Only to see a flash of white as someone tall picked her up, put her over his shoulder, and flew away from the angry dinosaurs, roaring after them for stealing their meal.

Gohan whimpered, her ribs aching, and the speed they moved was so dizzying that she slapped her hands over her mouth to keep from throwing up.

Finally, they landed, the figure putting her down to sit next to a waterfall, "One of these days I'm not going to be able to save you from getting in over your head, kid," a low voice grumbled.

Gohan looked up at Piccolo, smiled weakly, then twisted and leaned over the side of the lake, puking. Way too much movement in a short amount of time.

Piccolo just shook his head, making appear a bit of a blanket, putting it around Gohan's shoulders before appearing a glass of pure water for Gohan to drink.

"Thanks," Gohan moaned, sitting up.

Piccolo handed the glass to her, then knelt down, "You twisted your ankle, what were you doing out there alone, hmm?" He asked, pulling a bandage from, seemingly, nowhere, to start wrapping up her foot.

"I wanted to take a walk," Gohan stated, wincing a bit as she sipped the water and spit it into the lake, washing her mouth. "I haven't done it in a long time.

"You should have asked someone to go with you," he told her.

"Goten was with the kids, and Videl was with her father... and I grew up out here... I didn't think I would get in trouble!" Gohan squeaked.

"Pathetic."

Gohan could tell Piccolo was teasing though.... in Piccolo's own left handed way.

Gohan just wrinkled her nose. "Weren't you the one who always taught me to take care of myself?" she questioned.

"As a female you have barely a fraction of the power you had as a child, Gohan. You should be more careeful," Piccolo chastised.

Gohan just lowered her head. "Sorry..."

"Why are you sorry? You didn't ask for this, and in a few months you will be back to normal."

"I know... but I guess I just forget now and then that I'm not the strongest on the planet anymore." Gohan rubbed the back of her neck.

"Well, your mother made you study enough, I'm sure you can make an effort to remember it," Piccolo said as he finished wrapping up Gohan's ankle with a 'hmpfh'.

Gohan wiggled her toes. "Sorry..."

"Hn... you didn't get eaten."

"Thanks," she said softly.

Piccolo only folded his arms and nodded. "I guess I'll have to take you home."

"Can we not tell anyone about this?" she asked hopefully.

Piccolo raised his non-eyebrows. "How do you intend to explain a swollen ankle?"

"Um.... the stairs?"

Piccolo just looked at her.

"It could work..."

"I doubt it."

"We can at least try..."

Piccolo looked up at the sky. "It's going to rain, I'm taking you home." He moved to go pick Gohan up over his shoulder again....

"Can you go slower this time?" Gohan asked, smiling.

"Hn," Piccolo nodded and, with Gohan over his shoulder, flew at a more or less 'safer' speed back to the Son residence.

"I miss flying..." Gohan sighed.

"You've put off training too much, Gohan, you should start again."

"I plan on it once I'm back to normal..." Gohan stated.

"Good," Piccolo nodded. It wasn't long before sight of the Son home began to make itself known.

Gohan watched the houses get closer from her upsidedown view. "Please let no one be home..." she muttered.

"Videl is home, Gohan," Piccolo said, having done a ki check.

Gohan just groaned.

Piccolo landed at the front door, then put Gohan down. "Have fun," he said, turning around and flying back to his interrupted solitude.

Gohan sighed, then opened the door, limping in quietly.

Videl was dozing in a chair, a book fallen in her lap.

Gohan held his breath and worked to get to the other side of the house, then stepped wong on the ankle and tumbled to the ground, giving a cry of pain.

Videl startled awake, then saw Gohan... and took in her state, leaves in her hair, blanket around her shoulders, wrap on her foot. "What did you do to yourself?" she asked, pushing out of the chair.

"Um... fell down the stairs?" Gohan tried.

"Where, in a treehouse?" Videl motioned to the leaves still in Gohan's hair.

"The porch?"

"You DO know you're a horrendous liar, right Gohan? Our porch doesn't HAVE stairs."

Gohan just whimpered. "I'm not telling." she pouted.

"Sit down, I'll get some tea," Videl said. "Who wrapped it up and gave you the blanket?"

Gohan just got up and claimed the chair. "I told you I'm not telling..."

"Aww c'mon, I'm your WIFE, you can tell me anything!"

"I kinda sorta fell down the mountains and dinos and piccolo came and yeah," Gohan said all in one breath.

Videl put a hand over her mouth, using the other to give him the 'one second' sign as she backed into the kitchen. The door closed. And she broke out into fits of laughter

"DEL!" Gohan whined.

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