Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Swarm Saga ❯ Of Brewing Storms ( Chapter 11 )

Disclaimer: Still own nothing.

 

 

Chapter 11: Of Brewing Storms

 

Yamcha ran his hands through his hair and swallowed. Air moved painfully in and out of his lungs as the silence persisted. He glanced at the woman who sat across from him, still trying to process the story of his violent youth, and took another sip of his water. She sat there, her mouth slightly open, just looking at the table cloth. The ball player watched, and waited, and fidgeted while looking for any reactions coming from her as to what he had just told her.

 

He hadn't been sure how he was going to tell her. He simply knew he had to before … So, for the last couple of days he had been rehearsing that speech over and over. If he had taken her to the party, talking to her about his life would have been easier. But he hadn't and all he could do was hope for the best. Tonight wasn't even supposed to be about this. Tonight was supposed to be about candlelight, and diamonds, and them. The small velvet box burned a hole into his skin from the inside pocket of his suit coat as he agonized over whether he would even be able to give her the contents.

 

After he brought Aki home the boy's exuberance for the day had caused some tension between Ookami and himself. The young man had bounded into the house and proceeded to tell his mother, in fully embellished glory, about whom he met, and the flying, and the fighting, and that Yamcha agreed to teach him. He most certainly had not consented to that. Apparently, opening the subject up for discussion was like handing a stick of dynamite to a pyromaniac and telling him not to light it. He would never forget the accusing glare in his girlfriend's eyes as she quietly told him that he needed to leave. When he called all they did was argue. It took some convincing, but she had agreed to keep their date tonight so that they could “talk.” She needed to know that he didn't want to train Aki and why.

 

He also couldn't propose with the storm clouds over their relationship. He shifted in his seat again and the edge of the box dug into the muscle of his chest painfully.

 

“You're breaking up with me aren't you?” Yamcha's eyes snapped up to look at her. She held her head low and there were tears glistening in the corner of her eyes. Where on Earth would she have come up with that idea? Her lips quivered and she took a steadying breath. “Why else,” she paused for another deep breath and closed her eyes. She opened her eyes and addressed him, “would you tell me that unbelievable story if you weren't trying to scare me off?”

 

Relief, fear, he wasn't sure which one stole the breath from him; probably both. “He reached over the table top and placed his hand over hers. Squeezing them, he smiled up at her. “Ookami, I'm not breaking up with you.”

 

“Then why?”

 

He took a breath and allowed the awkward silence to continue as he organized his thoughts. “I never told anyone else all of that; at least no one who hadn't also lived through it.” He paused and ran his thumb over the scar on his cheek. Ookami sat back in her chair with her arms crossed across her chest and her mouth tight. Biting the bullet, he reached into the inner pocket of his sport coat, fingers fumbling over the opening. “I thought you should know about it before...” He lightly clenched his fist around the silver velvet box he held before withdrawing it and placing it on the table in front of her.

 

She reached out hesitantly and touched the box with her fingers, a caress. He stood up and knelt down next to her. Opening the box he pulled out the ring and slipped it onto her left hand. “I want you to marry me. I don't want your answer now. You should think about what I've told you about my life before you make that decision.”

 

She looked at him and traced the scars on his cheek with her fingertips. “Of course I'll marry you,” she said before leaning forward to lay a kiss on his mouth. He closed his eyes and reveled in the feel of her lips pressed against his.

 

Yamcha opened his eyes and smiled against her lips when he realized that the tinkling of silverware and the low murmur of conversation had been replaced with applause and catcalls. Ookami began giggling and Yamcha looked around the room, red faced, at the smiling faces. “She said yes!” he announced as he stood up and retook his seat.

 

She looked at him sideways without ever releasing his hand. “You said you wanted me to think about what you said. Does that mean its true? All of it?”

 

“Yes.” He watched the emotions cross her face as she reabsorbed the tale as truth this time. He watched her eyes dim as she arrived at a more distressing conclusion.

 

“If something happened, something threatened, would you still go?”

 

He closed his eyes and thought about lying to her but he had been forthright so far. “If I thought I could help, yes.”

 

“And if you were wrong?”

 

“I'd probably be dead again with no chance of coming back.” She slid her hand from his. Yamcha closed his eyes and swallowed around the dry lump in his throat. Any moment now he would hear a snap and feel the box being pushed toward him.

 

“And this is what you said you'd teach my son?” His eyes popped open; widening into saucers as he looked at her. The change of subject was so abrupt that he did not know what to do with it.

 

“I never said that. I'd told him we would discuss it. That discussion included you.” She glared at him and rolled her eyes. “I really don't want to teach him. I was hoping that we'd be able to talk him out of it. Or that with some distance he would decide that he didn't want to.”

 

“I was afraid of that. Have you met my son Yamcha? He's not going to let it go.” She sighed and fell back into the chair. “He's wanted to learn since he was eight. But with three kids and less than regular child support payments, I could never afford it.”

 

“So if you're not against it, why have we been fighting for the past three days?”

 

“Well, there were other reasons I never quite had the money. I wasn't too happy about the violence. And don't you dare compare what you just told me to him achieving a black belt. He still hasn't shut up about men flying and shooting light out of their hands. I thought he had just watched too much “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.” Besides, you don't want to. I could see it all over your face the other night. I didn't want to see the disappointment in his eyes when you didn't follow through.”

 

Yamcha decided right then and there to kill the putz. He also had a problem. He didn't want to teach the kid. He supposed he didn't mind teaching Aki the basics but he did not want to go farther than that. He leaned forward, placed his elbows on his knees, and rubbed his hands together. His fingertips traced the calluses blanketing his palms.

 

---

 

Goten sat straight up in bed. He listened around the room searching for whatever it was that pulled him away from some rather enjoyable dreams. If he found them he was going to rip their heads off. Holding his breath, the only thing he heard in the darkness was the gentle ticking from the mantel clock in the other room.

 

When his immediate senses failed to pick up anything, Goten caught a sigh of relief. He rolled over in the sheets and reached for the phone when he felt Marron's ki flare around her and the pounding on his door began again. He flopped down on his back with a groan and rubbed his face before rolling himself out of bed and began rooting around on the floor looking for his discarded pants and a t-shirt.

 

He had found his pants but gave up on the shirt as the pounding continued. He yanked open the door and was attacked by a lovely blonde. Suddenly, those dreams were not nearly as enjoyable. Unfortunately, she was crying. He stepped back and looked at her.

 

Her hair and cheeks were wind torn from her flight over and her eyes were red. He led her into the room. He put her on the side chair and sat on the edge of the coffee table. Clasping her hands, he leaned forward. “Marron, why don't you tell me what's wrong.”

 

She wiped at the tears in her eyes. “I'm sorry. I must look like a mess. I thought I was going to be OK but with the hole in my wall and the realization that someone got into my flat that easily… I couldn't stay there. Can I crash here tonight? I'd go home but Mom brought her there and I…” She trailed off shrugging apologetically.

 

Goten had no idea what she was talking about. Whatever it was had shaken her badly. “Of course you can but, Marron, perhaps you should start at the beginning. Who broke into your apartment and why is there a whole in the wall?”

 

“Seloli. She was there when I got home from work.”

 

“Who?”

 

“The girl from the tournament. I really thought I was going to die.”

 

Goten wrapped his arms around her and hugged her to his chest as the sobs restarted. Suddenly things began falling into place. Power built in his stomach then began pulsing through his veins. So this was how Gohan felt when he got angry. He shushed her softly while rubbing soft circles on her back.

 

He set to spreading out his ki in search. In response, he received the position of almost everyone in his extended family, awake and moving about in a similar fashion. However, it was the unfamiliar ki that caught his attention.

 

He focused on the new ki. It was moving … east, toward the islands. He felt Vegeta take off after it. Trunks was somewhere between West Capital and South City. He had stopped, clearly oscillating between moving forward and turning east. Obviously he wasn't paying attention to any of the other kis in the area because he continued on. Both Goku and Gohan left their homes shortly afterwards.

 

He was slightly disappointed that he wouldn't be joining in on the fun but Marron was more important. When she collected herself again and pulled away Goten studied her face. She was extremely pale and her eyes constantly shifted. “You haven't eaten have you? You're dizzy.” She looked at the floor and shook her head. “I'm going to fix you something to eat. When I get back we'll talk OK?” She simply nodded.

 

As he walked past her, she grabbed his arm. “Thank you.” He nodded at her and she let him go. His chest clenched at the vulnerability in her eyes and the tear stains drying on the plains of her cheeks. He padded quickly into the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee. The bitter smell wafted throughout the room, the familiar scent relaxing him and reminding him why this was his favorite drink. He then turned and set about making a sandwich for his guest.

 

When the phone rang Goten snagged it off the hook knowing who it was. “Yeah Trunks that's her ki. She's here.”

 

“Thank Kami. When I saw the hole in the wall I got worried. So you know what happened?”

 

“Not all of it. She's a little shaken up but otherwise whole. How bad is the wall?”

 

“It looks like someone was thrown through it. I'll block it off tonight and call someone in the morning to get it fixed.”

 

“I'll take care of it. You'll just end up putting out too much money. There's a contractor down there that likes me anyway. I'll tell you what you can do though. Follow your father to the inn. Find out what that bitch thought she was doing.”

 

---

 

The wind was beginning to pick up as Eighteen landed on the lawn with a light tap. She then turned and smoothed her hair, despite the wind, as she waited for the woman following to land also. The saiyan landed with less grace as she flinched when the waves crashed and rolled against the beach. Through the glow of the porch light Kuririn could see her gaze move between the waves and the sky.

 

Kuririn's wife crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her gaze and the younger woman smiled at the sky and let her tail slip down to brush at her ankles. “They already know you're here. I expect one if not both of them to be showing up shortly.”

 

The tail stiffened and wrapped itself around her leg. “She contacted them.”

 

“She didn't need to. They knew where you were the moment you started flying.” Eighteen turned and looked at him before climbing of the steps of the back porch. “Follow me. We'll get you settled in before they arrive.”

 

The saiyan continued to stare at the sky. The waves crashed against the both the beach behind her and the cliffs on the side of the inn drawing her attention back to the water as she sidestepped away from both. Eighteen turned and looked at he girl and barked out, “NOW!”

 

The girl turned and glared at his wife with a small sneer, glared at Kuririn too and he felt the icy grip of fear grab hold of his heart. She assessed him for a moment and her sneer was replaced by a neutral expression he could not fully read. In the background, waves once again broke upon the craggy cliff. The muscles under the fur on her tail rolled as she stomped her feet on the firm ground, resettled the bag on her shoulder, and finally moved to follow his wife.

 

He followed them inside and up the stairs. Eighteen spoke the entire trip relaying the “Rules” in a very ordinary fashion. She stopped at the door next to Marron's room. Separated from the rest of the inn; a room that was empty and never rented out; a room that they had hoped to fill with another child one day before they had finally given up hope. It turned out that Gero's implants into his wife did not leave her with the room to carry a child to term. Marron was something of a miracle. Eighteen eventually turned it into a guest room for the family; more often than not Seventeen's when he was there.

 

The girl asked something of his wife and she answered. He didn't really pay attention though. He looked around the sparsely decorated room. The masculine scent of freshly chopped wood and forest that seemed to follow his brother-in-law everywhere these days still clung to the baseboards. He watched the intruder stand awkwardly in the center of the guest room, his son's room, as she inspected it and answered his wife with monosyllabic sounds to let her know that she was still listening. She looked rather unimpressed and he shivered with the sudden draft that came through. The girl turned and looked down on him, her mouth twitching.

 

Eighteen touched him on the shoulder and he followed her out the room, without closing the door, and down the steps. When they reached the landing again he continued on into the kitchen and poured himself a shot of whiskey. Eighteen frowned at the strong odor as he downed it. He leaned his elbows on the island and rolled the empty glass between his fingers. Outside, the wind caused the old Victorian inn to creek.

 

His wife watched him noting the tension in his jaw and shoulders. “What? You have wanted to say something since I got back. Spit it out already.”

 

“There is a murdering alien in our guest room and you brought her here. She's dangerous. You should have just killed her. It would have saved us some time later.”

 

The blonde woman rolled her eyes and sighed. She then looked at him impassively and quirked an eyebrow upward as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Your daughter didn't want me to.”

 

“I don't care. That “woman” upstairs went after Marron. Perhaps it doesn't matter to you much, but I don't like the idea of gathering Dragon Balls so that I can wish my daughter back to life.” Kuririn felt his own ki gathering and had to force himself to lower it before they had to remodel the kitchen, again. “And if you hadn't gotten there when you did, that's exactly what we'd be doing.”

 

“This is exactly why she is here instead of South City; where I can keep an eye on her and keep her away from Marron.”

 

“But you can't watch her the entire time. We have a business, an inn, guests whose safety we're responsible for.”

 

“So you'll help.”

 

The short monk blinked and looked at the woman. Was she nuts? “Honey, this is a Saiyan we are talking about.”

 

“So is Vegeta, I seem to remember breaking him in half.”

 

“You're more than welcome to try it again if you think you still can.” Kuririn looked up at the dark voice that invaded the room. Vegeta stood in the doorway behind the android with his feet spread and his arms crossed over his chest. The short fighter let out a sigh of relief. Perhaps his highness could talk some sense into his wife.

 

 

TBC

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A/N: Thank you for reading my story. Please remember that I like to read reviews. They just make me happy. Everyone say hello to Bardockgurl, the awesome writer who was nice enough to beta for me. She deserves a big THANK YOU!!!!

 

-El-

 

 

Dreamwraith - Look everybody I got a review from Dreamwraith!!!!! My cheeks are starting to hurt from smiling so much and I'm sure my neighbors think I'm nuts. I don't particularly like those portrayals of Marron either. And I will NEVER write a T/P story. There is too large of an age difference between them. That and most T/P stories are just that, tp something with which to wipe ... To be honest, I had not thought of Kuririn crushing the phone in his grip. If I had, he probably would have.

 

Lildivagirlz - Yeah, the more I write Marron the more I like her. She's very easy to write. She flows well.

 

pannybaby123 - Well, I wrote more. Just not very soon. My thesis has been taking up a lot of my time.

 

Wynora - Thank you!!! I'm glad to know that you don't care with whom even though you're an M/U fan. I really hate disappointing my readers.

 

Love Of Vegeta - Yes, I agree with you on the review thing. But I don't always get my way apparently. They do all have their own story inside the metanarrative (I can't believe I just used that word). Each one will begin and end at different times. I'm trying to keep Seloli's part small because I am wary of OC fics and am kinda surprised that I am writing one. Besides she is actually something of a selfish snob. Sorry about making you wait one more chapter to see the interrogation.

 

Goten's Fan - Thank You! I'm trying but the writing has been slow. (Real life stuff and all that.)

 

ilex9 - Yes. Kuririn and Eighteen will be getting air time. Kuririn even has his own little story all about his power level and self confidence which starts, as you might have seen, in this chapter. I have to be very careful with the OC. After I wrote chapter 2, I made the decision not to write from her perspective again and she actually became easier to write and to keep in character. Go figure.

 

Bory - The comment about eye strain is the best complement I have ever received. I know exactly what you are talking about because I've done it too. I'm rather proud of the occupations as well. A lot of time was devoted to discussing with CLeighM the pros and cons of various occupations and points of plot lines. Of course there is more than one Saiyan. (I've only seen one plausible background story for a single survivor.) And you might even get to meet a few of the others if you continue reading.

 

lilmelfina64 - Thank You. Yeah… I'm not all that good at humor apparently. I do try. I just fail miserably.