Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Through Thick and Thin ❯ A Real Problem ( Chapter 2 )

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--THROUGH THICK AND THIN--

--Chapter 2--

--A Real Problem--

Trunks bolted upright in his bed, searching wildly around for danger. He was alone in the room, but he was sure he had heard a shout....

"Shut UP!!!" His mother's shrill, angry voice made its way up the stairs and he sighed, though he wasn't sure if it was in relief or exasperation. There wasn't any real danger, only a heated argument between his parents.

"Fuck you!" This time it was his father's gruff voice that reached the teen's ears.

"Why the hell are you getting mad at me!? This is all your doing!" Bulma shouted.

With a groan, Trunks collapsed back on his bed, throwing his pillow over his head in attempt to block out the sound. But unfortunately he was part Saiya-jin and his hearing was considerably better than any human's, so the pillow did little to muffle the shouts.

"My doing!? So I suppose you've just sat around and done absolutely jack shit?" Vegeta hollered in response.

Trunks heard his mother sigh. "Will you stop yelling?" she growled, her voice significantly quieter, though still just as venomous.

"Don't growl at me, woman!" the Saiya-jin prince yelled. "You were shouting just as loud as me! Loud-mouthed bitch."

Bulma gave a hysterical scream and Trunks heard something shatter against the wall, followed by the slamming of a door. Vegeta's ki was much higher than usual and Trunks could sense it moving away from the house in the direction of the gravity room.

He probably should train, Trunks thought. It seems to calm him down.

Trunks suddenly heard a timid knock at his door. Bra, he thought, and stood up to let his sister in. Sure enough there she stood, dressed in her pink flannel pajamas with sheep sleeping on clouds, a battered old bear in her arms. Trunks recognized the bear; it had been his own when he was younger.

Bra looked up at her brother, her eyes wet with tears. "Mama and Papa hate each other, don't they?" she asked quietly.

"Of course not. Don't be silly," Trunks said as he picked the six year old up and carried her to his bed. He put her down gently and she pulled her knees to her chest, looking at the bear. She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her pajamas and sighed.

"I'm scared, Trunks," she admitted with a sniff a few moments later. "They've never yelled like that for that long before."

"Don't be scared. They're not going to kill each other or anything," he told her.

Bra shook her head. "I'm not scared about that. There's this girl at school and she says her parents don't live together because they always fight. She only sees her papa on Saturday's and Sunday's, and sometimes her mama won't let her go because she hates him." She looked up, fresh tears welling up in her azure eyes. "Do you think Mama and Papa will stop living together?"

Trunks started to shake his head, but Bra began bawling before he could explain.

"Where will Papa go, Trunks? Will Mama ever let me see him again? Why don't they love each other anymore?" Sobs racked her body and Trunks lifted her up onto his lap.

"Bra, I don't think you have to worry about that. Mom and Dad love each other a lot, even though they fight. And even if they did stop living together, Mom will always let you see Dad."

"But I don't want them to stop living together. I wanna live with both of them at the same time!"

"But they won't stop living together!" Trunks explained. "No matter what happens, they're always going to love each other, okay? They've always fought; why are you getting so upset about it now?"

"Because..." Bra said, "Papa was sleeping on the couch last night. Mama doesn't want him anymore!"

How does she know that? He wondered. I only knew because I could sense that their kis weren't together. And that's happened before; why is she so concerned now? Then he remembered that the last time Vegeta had been banished to the couch Bra was only an infant and wouldn't remember the incident at all.

"Of course she does," Trunks said. "They just both needed some time to cool off."

"But they were still fighting this morning."

"Well, maybe they need more time. Either way, Bra, I wouldn't worry about it. They're not going to stop loving each other, okay?"

Bra looked at her brother and he smiled warmly. He sounds so sure... she thought. And he wouldn't lie to me. She nodded, wiped her eyes and smiled back. "Okay," she said, and gave Trunks a hug before sliding off his lap and onto the floor. Holding her bear by the paw, she left the room and padded down the hall to the washroom.

Trunks sighed. Nothing's going to happen, he assured himself. Bra's just got me thinking about it. They won't split up. He shook his head. Not in a million years.

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"Trunks!"

Trunks snapped out of his daydream and looked at his friend. Goten was hovering in the air a few feet away, a frown on his face.

"What? Huh?"

"What's wrong with you today? You're not even concentrating!" Goten said.

Trunks shook his head. "Sorry. My mind's just occupied. Shall we continue?" He dropped into his fighting stance again, prepared to continue the spar. Though it was well below freezing, both boys wore only a T-shirt and pants. Sparring kept them warm, as did their kis.

Goten shook his head. "No. You're just going to start thinking again, and not about the fight." He lowered himself to the ground and retrieved his sweater and jacket. Trunks landed nearby.

"Sorry," he apologized. "It's just that.... Nevermind."

Goten looked at him, an eyebrow raised. "Well, now you have to tell me since you brought it up."

The lavender haired boy shook his head and picked up his own jacket.

"Look, I'm your best friend. You have to tell me. What am I going to do? Laugh in your face and walk away?" He snorted as if to say that would never happen.

Trunks sighed. "Don't worry about it Goten. It's nothing. I don't even know why I'm thinking about it."

Goten frowned at his friend, a slightly hurt expression in his eyes. "You're thinking about it because it's bothering you. What is it?"

Trunks sighed. "My parents are fighting. I know there's nothing to worry about but my sister got me thinking... what if this is the end? I keep thinking it's my fault. My mom is defending me, telling Dad to do more things with me. I don't care! The fact that he does more things with Bra doesn't bother me.

"If my parents split up because my mom thinks I'm jealous or something, I'll feel so terrible! But... I don't want to say anything to her because then she'll feel like an ass for getting mad at him for nothing." Trunks sighed again and waited for Goten to start laughing.

"Wow, Trunks.... So I'm guessing this fight is much worse than the others?"

"I don't know. It's not the worst fight they've had but Bra's gotten me thinking about it. She's the one who's worried about them splitting up but she brought it up and it's making me paranoid!"

Goten smiled sympathetically. "I wouldn't worry. They always fight and they always make up. I know your parents well enough to know how meaningless their arguments are."

That's what I told Bra... Trunks remembered. He nodded. "Thanks, Goten," he said quietly. "I should go. I told Bra I'd take her to the mall to go Christmas shopping."

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He held his sister's hand, not really paying attention to what she was saying, nor to what she was throwing in the cart. He became accustomed to his sister's happy chatter, accepting it and hearing it without really hearing. So when her talking stopped he instantly realized. He felt her eyes on him and he looked at her, confused.

"I heard Mama say to Grandma today that if she ever sees Papa again, it'll be too soon. What does that mean Trunks?"

Trunks paled. He was sure that it was just something Bulma had said during the heat of the moment, but he had a sickening feeling that it would upset Bra greatly. But... he couldn't lie. He had never lied to Bra before and she was part of the family too. She had a right to know.

"It means," he started, "that she never wants to see him again. And never seeing him again won't be long enough. But I wouldn't worry; you and I both know that Mom and Dad say things about each other that they don't mean when they're angry."

Bra nodded and looked down. "Okay. If you say so."

She didn't say another word about it the whole while they were at the mall, but neither did she resume her carefree conversing and nor did she put another thing into the shopping cart.

Trunks regretted telling her.

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Like the previous night, Trunks could sense his father's ki in the living room rather than in the bedroom with his mother. He sighed and got up, treading quietly down the stairs as so not to disturb anyone who was sleeping.

Trunks stopped on the stairs and saw his father was sitting on the couch, channel surfing, a pillow and blanket nearby.

"What do you want?" Vegeta inquired, his gaze never leaving the television.

Trunks jumped. He hadn't expected his father to speak first. He shook his head. "Nothing." He walked down the remaining stairs and sat down beside his father.

"Okay... there is something."

"If it's about your mother, I don't want to hear it," the Saiya-jin snapped.

Trunks shook his head slowly. "Not... exactly..." When his father didn't say anything, Trunks carried on. "It's about both of you. Your relationship. Bra brought it up. She... she wants to know if you're splitting up."

Before Vegeta could comment, Trunks jumped up, determined to get everything out. "And-and she also heard Mom say that if she ever saw you again it would be too soon. I don't really care that you like Bra better; it doesn't matter!" Panic was slowing creeping into his voice, and his arms were flailing about in semi-hysterics.

"Mom's not really mad at you; she's just trying to defend me! But I don't care! I-"

"Shut up!"

Trunks was instantly quiet and he sat back down, flushing with embarrassment.

Vegeta faced him for the first time, his face expressionless. "It's a possibility," he said simply, before turning back to the television.

The teenager felt suddenly nauseous. "A... possibility?" His voice squeaked at the end and he mentally slapped himself. I can't even control myself for two minutes! he thought in annoyance and shame.

"That's what I said."

Clutching his stomach, Trunks stood again. "You... you mean..." his voice trailed off, before he burst out laughing. "Whoa... I can't believe I fell for that! Man, don't I feel stupid!" He let go of his stomach and sat down once more.

Vegeta turned and looked at his son levelly. "Have I ever been one to make a joke?"

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When Trunks heard his mother's alarm clock go off in the next room at six o'clock, he was wide awake, and had been all night.

It's a possibility.

Have I ever been one to make a joke?

The words kept repeating themselves in his mind, haunting him.

Have I ever been one to make a joke?

The look on Vegeta's face had left no room for amusement. It had been a cold, serious expression, telling Trunks his father was dead serious.

He sighed as he kicked off the blankets and decided to get up. He hadn't slept all night, and he doubted that he would get to sleep now. This, he thought worriedly, is turning into a real problem.

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A/N: So how was the second chapter? All reviews are welcomed (this includes constructive criticism. Hell, leave a flame, but they will be used to roast the flamer's ass) so please feel free to leave one. ^^;