Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Wish For The Past ❯ My Son ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: No, I don't own DBZ. But Mirai Trunks here *indicates the incredibly handsome purple haired teen she's still attached to* says that he'll pretend that he belongs to me! *blushes* He thinks I'm great looking too. Isn't he so awesome!?

"So let me get this straight," Bardock swallowed a chunk of meat, taking a swig of ale to wash it down. "You and the son of," he paused, looking around to make sure no one was listening in on the conversation, then lowered his voice, "Vegeta-ouji used these seven wish-granting balls to wish for food and for you to meet me, your grandfather? And this... Eternal Dragon sent you to the past, which is my present? And in your time, Vegeta-sei was destroyed by Frieza, leaving only Kakarot, Vegeta, and two others who are dead now as the only Saiya-jin alive in the entire universe?" The elder Saiyan shook his head disbelievingly as the younger Saiyan slurped his soup and nodded eagerly. Bits of stew dribbled down the front of his orange gi. "If it weren't for the fact that Frieza nearly did destroy all of Vegeta-sei, and the fact that I don't think you could lie if your life depended on it, I don't think I'd believe you." I believe him. Damn it, I must be losing my mind. A half Saiyan from the future who just happens to be stronger than the most feared creature in the known universe! And he's mygrandson!

The older warrior sighed and and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He could feel a headache coming on. Listening with only one ear, he heard Goten tell him stories about his other son, Radditz, and Vegeta-ouji's first visit to Earth, then Frieza, and the five androids of Dr. Gero: 16-21. 21. Cell. Made up of the most powerful beings in the universe, including Kakarot, Vegeta-ouji, Frieza, and his father, King Cold. Defeated by an eleven year old boy, Son Gohan. Another grandson of Bardock's. It was all more than the Saiyan could handle right now. I need something stiffer than ale, he thought to himself, then looked over at the young, impressionable child sitting across the table. Damn. Have to set a good example for the kid. Kids shouldn't be drinking heavy stuff at that age and he might decide that whatever I do, he can do, since I'm his grandpa. Damn it all.

The talkative Goten was in the middle of telling his grandfather about some prank or other that he and his friend Trunks had played. "... and he was soooo mad, you shoulda seen his face! Hahaha!! It was soooo funny! When I saw Vegeta-san with pink hair I thought I'd die laughing! And me an' Trunks got pictures! We have 'em stashed away somewhere where he'd never find them, or Vegeta would blast them to bits. BOOOM! And then we wouldn't have anything to blackmail him with anymore." Bardock couldn't help but think that these two kids had a death wish. Pouring neon pink dye into the hair cleanser that the Prince of all Saiya-jin used.... As highly as he respected his prince, though, the thought of him with bright pink hair was amusing enough that even he nearly burst out laughing. It took a lot of self control to contain his mirth. They were in a public eating place, after all.

"Goten," Bardock started to say, cutting the youngster off before he could start into another tale of his and Trunks's misadventures. "We can't go around telling everyone you're my grandson, you know. People already think I'm crazy because I tried to warn them about Frieza. Since Frieza did attack Vegeta say, they've started to change their minds about that. No need to convince them otherwise. Even I find it hard to believe that you're from the future. I don't know if we're going to be able to get you back to where you belong, but until we can figure out what to do, I need you to pretend that you really are my son, Kakarot. Okay?" It could work. The boy definitely looked like Kakarot. And with his ability to 'suppress his ki' he could fool the scouters into thinking he really was a third class warrior's son. The only problem was the boy's difficulty in lying.

"So you'd be my tousan?" Goten queried. That was easy enough. Bardock looked almost exactly like Goku. He thought for a minute. "And I'd pretend to be my dad! That'd be cool!" Everyone always thought he looked like a mini-Goku anyway and he'd always liked the idea of trying to be just like his dad. The only difficulty he could see was that he wasn't used to his dad being called 'Kakarot'. Except by Vegeta-san, but that was another story entirely. Nor was he used to being called anything other than Goten, or spawn of Kakarot, in Vegeta's case. Still, how hard could it be?

"Right," Bardock agreed. "I'll call you Kakarot from now on, okay? And you just call me father." Okay, one problem solved, for now. Now to figure out how to get this kid back to where he came from before the situation has a chance to get worse. "You'll live with me until we can straighten out this mess." It's a damn good thing his friend, Trunks, didn't come to the past with him. Given what trouble Goten, er.. Kakarot, says he gets into when they're together, I can only imagine the headaches I'd get trying to keep a low profile!

"Okay, tousan," Goten chirped enthusiastically.

Paying the bill for the meal the two had eaten, the taller Saiyan warrior led his charge out of the restaurant and towards the section of the city where he had a small apartment that he liked to call home. Sleep would be a good thing right now, especially since he didn't have the liberty to get himself dead drunk. No, he had a feeling he would need to be sober and well rested so he could keep an eye on the troublemaker who had suddenly become a part of his life.

Thunder sounded in the distance as the first drops of rain splattered against Trunks's skin. He didn't care. Rain fit his mood really well right now. In just a few short minutes he'd be home, minus one Son Goten. In just a few short minutes, he'd have to tell everyone what had happened. The thunder, lightning, and rain sounded like a funeral dirge to the purple haired Saiyan's ears. Close enough.

By the time the nine year old put his hand on the front door of Capsule Corporation HQ he was soaked to the skin and shivering from the cold. He opened the door and stepped inside. The door shut behind him, locking out the storm. Sealing his doom.

"Where the hell have you been?!" Trunks cringed at the familiar piercing screech that was his mother's voice. Man, can she yell... he thought dully. "You and Goten told me you were going to play hide and seek and you've been gone for days!!! Chi-Chi's been driving me up the wall with her constant worrying and you have the nerve to show up, dripping water all over the floor, after three days without telling anyone where you were!" Bulma fumed, shaking her fist under her son's nose. Not that she could really do that much damage even if she did hit him. "And I don't suppose you had anything to do with the Eternal Dragon appearing, now did you?" she added, her voice dangerously low. The look in her eyes could have melted glaciers.

Trunks stared at his feet, his tail curling in guilt around on of his legs. Behind the blue haired human, his father leaned against a wall, his arms folded, acting indifferent. His eyes, too, were latched onto the squirming demi-Saiyan.

"And where's Goten?" Bulma looked behind her son at the closed door, as though expecting it to open and the other half of the mischievous duo to come running through it at any moment, laughing about some private joke or other. Trunks's heart leapt into his throat and tears sprang to his eyes. All thoughts of his father's lessons that tears were a sign of weakness were forgotten as the events of the past few days once again unfolded within the young boy's mind.

"In Hell," he whispered, nearly choking on those two words. No longer able to hold back the tears streaming from his liquid blue eyes, he rushed forward and hugged his kaasan fiercely, burying his face in her bosom as sobs wracked his small frame. His mother's anger quickly drained from her own eyes as he brokenly told his parents the events of the past three days and the misspoken wish his friend had made. Horror replaced it instead. Even Vegeta's eyes looked slightly troubled, though heaven help the person who pointed that out to him.

Riiiiing.

Bulma had a sinking feeling in her stomach that it was Chi-Chi calling yet again to see if the boys had shown up yet.

Riiiiiing.

"Trunks," she said, proud that her voice didn't tremble. "Answer the phone."

Riiiiiing.

"Yes, kaasan," he whispered, not trusting his voice. He walked over to the phone and picked it up before it could ring again. Taking in a ragged breath, he prepared himself for what was sure to be one of the worst times of his short life. "Moshi moshi, Briefs' residence," he said into the receiver.

Next time on Wish For The Past: Who's calling the Briefs' home and what do they want? How will Chi-Chi take the news that her little boy is in Hell with his grandfather, a man she's never met? Will Trunks escape the encounter with the Sons with his life? And what about Goten, er.. 'Kakarot'? How does he handle his new role on Vegeta-sei?

Thanks for reading! ^_^