Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Shirt Off His Back ❯ Goten Revisited ( Chapter 7 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

A/N: Thank you so much for sticking along for the ride... here's the final chapter of Shirt Off His Back - if anyone has questions I'll be glad to answer them, just review and leave your email addy!

Who knows, maybe I'll write a sequel someday?

Innocence is Futile

No.... it can't be true.

I refuse to believe it's true.

Even though I can hear Bulma sobbing into Vegeta's shoulder. Even though, as I sit up, I can look over and see Trunks... his skin's a dark purple-grey now.

He lies so still - like a grotesque statue, his face is so mutilated.

It can't be true.

I won't let it be true. I find myself curling up, drawing my knees to my chest as I begin to sob, myself.

Until my eye catches sight of a scalpel on the edge of the counter, not twelve feet away.

My eyes slide to the side again, taking in the image of Bulma sobbing with Vegeta on the other side of the room.

Then back to the scalpel.

If I'm fast enough, it won't make a differnece.

Slowly, not making a sound, I push off the sheet covering me, noting that I was still only in the shirt that... Other Trunks gave me.

Another glance back at Bulma and Vegeta. Both have their eyes closed. Perfect.

I turn and lunge for the scalpel. There's a clatter when the gurney moves, as I jump from it, crashing into an instrument tray. In a moment the scalpel's in my hand. I hear the shout of surprise from Bulma, and then....

"Damnit, I told you to just let me die!" I scream as I see the scarred hands around my own, for a second time ending my attempt at blissful suicide.

"Goten... please," his voice is the same timbre as it had been when he found me, but is being used in a different way. More... familiar.

"Leave me alone, just let me go to my Trunks!" I struggle against him, and soon his arms are wrapped around me in an all to familiar fashion.

"I am your Trunks," he whispers to me, kissing the top of my head.

"No you're not! You're not! He's over there. And he's dead!"

"I was... but... the other one, the older Trunks-"

"You..." I said stubbornly. "Don't try and pretend you're my Trunks."

"Will you just hear me out, 'Ten?" He says in exhasperation, and I blink. That's... that's my Trunks's nickname for me.

"Fine."

"Good." His arms are still around me, one hand rubbing slow circles at the small of my back in an attempt to calm me. "What I'm trying to tell you... is that I am your Trunks. He... I guess he traded places with me, is the best way to say it."

"People can't just go around trading places."

"Maybe not... but I guess with enough convincing, the Supreme Kai decided to do this for us," his words are so precicely spoken, as though he's trying to understand this himself.

"I don't believe you. How do I know you're not just playing around, tryin to get... to get me to..." I burst into tears and cling to him, too upset not to cling to someone.

In this state of mind, I wouldn't be surprised if I cried on even Piccolo's shoulder.

"Then how do I prove it to you? Kaibitoshin took my soul and put it into his body. He's the dead Trunks now, and he's with his family."

"Fine... here's something he can't know, nobody knows. What'd you say to convince me to go to that fucking party, Trunks?"

He lowers his voice and presses his forehead against mine. "I said, and I quote. 'Fuck the rules, innocence is futile - let's just live it up for a change'. That's what I said."

Unbelievable.

He's gotten it.

Word for Word.

"You... you're really...?"

"I'm really me, 'Ten," he hugs me like he's afraid of losing me, and I know now this is really my best friend. We're gonna get to graduate together. We're gonna go to College and... and....

"It's YOU!!!" I shout gleefully, hugging the familiar, and unfamiliar, body so tightly. "I thought I lost you forever!"

His mouth descended on mine in a searing, fiery kiss. He... he kissed me! In front of his parents! Does that mean he's not ashamed of me anymore? Of...us?

"So did I... but I guess that one thing holds true. Trunks Briefs can't help but be dedicated to wanting the happiness of Goten Son."

I wipe away the tears on my cheeks and look at him a little confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, to keep you warm he gave you the shirt off his back," he fingers the materiel of that very same shirt. "And for our happiness. For you... he gave me the body off his soul."

Owari - The End - It is Finished

A/N 2
As promised, here is a link to the pic that started me on writing this story. WARNING: there is some slight nudity, it's of when Mirai found Goten. You've been warned, don't dare flame Rose-chan, or I'll have ta hurt you ^.^.
I have to be sneaky to give you the link. It's http://www.deviantart.com/view/2915457

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