Thwang - thwang - thwang.

The sound of a basketball ricocheting off the driveway was unusual. Generally, �basketball� wasn�t even considered to be a pastime in this home. Martial arts, eating, and studies came before such foolish games as basketball, and it was rare that the aforementioned sport was even mentioned in the vicinity of the household. Yet, the sound of the basketball could be heard.

Thwang - thwang - thwang.

Vegeta scowled as he heard the sound from the driveway, unsure of what to make of it. It was obvious that someone had gone against the unspoken rule of not allowing common sports to be played in the household. Their family was too good for ordinary human sports - only martial arts would suffice, and sometimes, even the human reparations of that were too much for the Prince of all Saiyajins to handle. Still, at least martial arts, human-twisted or not, was fighting. Basketball, on the other hand, was laughable. It was a waste of time as far as Vegeta was concerned, and he was not going to allow the sport to be acknowledged as a pastime.

Thwang - thwang - thwang.

Thus, he set off towards the driveway to take control of this overt act of transgression. Vegeta knew that the culprit most likely didn�t mean to be breaking the rules of the household - after all, no one had openly stated that human sports could not be played. Still, a crime was a crime, and in Vegeta�s eyes, that meant the criminal must be punished. Not harshly, of course, as the perpetrator did not know about the unspoken rule, but enough so that he would not do it again. It was, in Vegeta�s view, as simple as that.

Thwang - thwang - thwang.

�Brat!� Vegeta snapped as he stepped outside, eyes narrowed on his usually blank face. �What are you doing?!�

His son looked up at him, the sounds of the basketball stopping as the boy caught it in his small hands. The child�s face held no sign of contrition, but that was to be expected, as it was clear that the boy had no idea he was breaking a rule. Vegeta simply glowered at his child�s innocent albeit confused expression.

�What?� his son asked him curiously, looking up at his father. �I�m just playing basketball.� At this point, the boy gestured towards both the dark orange ball and the hoop attached to the large garage, obviously there from before the child was born.

�Basketball?� Vegeta scoffed, narrowing his eyes at the offensive object in his son�s hands. �That human sport?� The word �human� was said with such destain that the boy winced, nervous.

�Well, I am half-human, right?� the boy, Trunks, stated, shrugging. �I think basketball is fun. And easy, too.�

�It�s only easy because you�re a warrior, and Saiyajin warriors don�t play stupid games.� Vegeta proclaimed, stepping towards Trunks and instantly seizing the basketball from the boy�s hands. �Besides, this game does nothing for you. There is no point in even attempting to play a game if it doesn�t help your battle skills. Why would you?� Vegeta�s last question was meant to be rhetorical, but Trunks, not understanding the difference, decided to answer.

�Because it�s fun?� Trunks replied, showing a bit of his inherited valor as his took the basketball back from Vegeta.

Vegeta scowled at his son�s impudent actions, snatching the basketball back once more. �I will not allow any son of mine to be playing a pathetic human game.� Vegeta scoffed, clenching his fist and popping the ball. A light hissing sound could be heard as the ball quite visibly deflated.

Trunks opened his mouth to object about this contemptuous act, but before a word of protest could be uttered, Vegeta continued, �I�m bringing you over to spar with Kakarrotto�s brat. At least there you�ll get a decent workout.�

�Really? Yea!� Trunks yelped as he jumped in the air, basketball clearly forgotten. �I can�t wait! Can we go now?�

�Of course we�ll go now.� Vegeta snapped, turning around and heading towards the house. �What good would you do here?�

�That�s awesome!� Trunks continued, bounding past his father and going through the doorway. �I�m going to go grab my new scooter toy; I told Goten that I�d let him borrow it the next time I came over!�

�I don�t see why either of you have use for that pathetic contraption,� Vegeta muttered in response as Trunks leapt away, oblivious to his father�s commentary, �considering that you both can fly.�

No one was around to respond to Vegeta, though he wasn�t expecting an answer anyway. His face arranging in his typical emotionless expression, the arrogant saiyajin crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. He would wait for Trunks to gather his things, and then they would go.
 

Boom!

Trunks narrowly dodged a ki-blast from Goten, wincing as he heard it crash sloppily into the mountainside behind him. �Hey, Goten,� he started, flipping backwards and landing a good fifteen feet from his previous position, �you need to work on controlling your blasts!�

�D�ya think so?� Goten responded curiously, while attempting to dodge an attack from Trunks. The lavender-haired demi-saiyajin had sprung towards Goten quickly, and was now attempting to land a punch on Goten�s face - a task easier said than done, especially now that Goten was receiving after-school training from his older brother, Gohan. Luckily, Trunks was able to spar with his father now, or else Goten would be learning more than he was.

�Yeah, you do,� Trunks confirmed, blocking a kick from Goten and responding with a jab to the younger boy�s chest. �Remember the tournament? You blew up the roof!�

�Oh, yeah, that. Oops,� Goten murmured, though a grin graced his face as he spoke, �Good thing they didn�t charge us for that, huh?� At this point in time, Goten�s figure blurred, only to reappear behind Trunks. Trunks dodged quickly, trying to get Goten back in his sight.

�Yeah,� was Trunks� response. He was too busy reacting to another ki-blast from Goten to say anything more, though he did make sure to deflect the fore-coming blast into another mountainside. Both boys were up in the air, sparring earnestly - though not at full speed or strength. It was a typical spar for both of them, a conversation intermixing with a fight. Sometimes both boys would fall silent, focusing only on their fighting, but eventually one of them would speak again, renewing the almost forgotten discussion. Rarely did either of the boys truly get into a real fight when sparring; to them, it was as if they were watching a movie or playing chess. It was fun.

�KA-me,� Goten began, moving a good five feet away from Trunks, �HA-me,� Goten�s hands came out, thrusting a glowing ball of ki in Trunks� direction, �HA!�

Trunks twisted to dodge, but winced as he felt a bit of the ki-blast hitting his right shoulder. The blast sent him twirling towards the ground fifty feet below. Luckily, Trunks was able to stop himself before crashing head-first into the vegetation. Pausing for a moment to catch his breath, Trunks grinned up at Goten.

�Hey, you�re getting better at that!� the older boy praised, �Last week you weren�t able to hit me with the Kamahameha Wave.�

Goten blushed sheepishly, smiling broadly at his friend and laughing. �Sankyuu!� he chirped cheerfully, pleased with Trunks� compliment. �Gohan helped me with it yesterday!�

�Really?� Trunks asked, and then smirked. �Well, get a load of what my dad taught me!� Instantly after saying this, Trunks blurred and reappeared near Goten. As the younger boy�s eyes widened, Trunks placed his hands in front of him, shouting, �Big Bang ATTACK!� A rush of ki erupted towards Goten, catching the younger demi-saiyajin in the stomach and driving him backwards. Likewise to Trunks, Goten was able to stop himself before hitting anything, but it was obvious that the ebony-haired boy had gotten the wind knocked out of him by the unprecedented attack.

One thing Trunks liked about his Big Bang Attack: it took less time to form than the Kamehameha Wave, no matter how much more power the Kamehameha held in it. Thus explaining the reason Goten was having a harder time recuperating from the ki-blast than Trunks did.

�That was unfair, Trunks!� Goten objected as soon as his breath caught up to him, glaring at the purple-haired demi-saiyajin. �You could have warned me better!�

�You wouldn�t get a warning in a real battle, Goten.� Trunks stated, a smirk tempting to appear on his face. Goten�s face twisted into a frown, pouting, and Trunks sighed. �Oh, c�mon, Chibi, I didn�t hit you that hard, did I?�

�Yes!� Goten insisted, though his mood brightened as he heard Trunks use his nickname. Of course, Goten knew that Trunks often made use of his nickname �Chibi,� whenever the older boy wanted Goten to give in to something, but still, it made Goten feel special. Trunks didn�t address anyone else by a nickname.

�Okay, then, let�s keep going,� Trunks said, floating down to Goten�s level and arranging in a battle stance. �Ready?�

�Let�s go!� Goten replied instantly, leaping towards Trunks. The younger demi-saiyajin caught Trunks in the shoulder with a sharp punch, but Trunks countered with a kick at Goten�s side.The two of them then began fighting in a flurry of punches and kicks, neither of them getting too far. Eventually, they locked arms in the fight, and the battle became one of who was going to give up first.

Trunks grinned, �Remind you of the tournament?�

�Kinda,� Goten admitted, smiling back at his friend. �This time I�ll win, though.�

�Sure you will - when pigs start flying!� Trunks joked, rolling his eyes at Goten. Immediately after doing so, Trunks backed away from the standoff, and instead began to fire repeated ki-blasts at Goten. The black-haired boy held up his arms to block the attacks, but Trunks could see that his younger friend was being pushed back. Trunks smirked.

The blasting stopped, and Goten looked up tentatively. Trunks was gone from view.

�Hey!� Goten said, frowning. He recognized this move from when Trunks had used it in the tournament to pull Goten into a stranglehold. Making sure to keep his arms in front of him and watch his back, Goten began to fly towards where Trunks had been. �Isn�t this move getting a bit old, Trunks?�

Suddenly, above him-!

Goten jerked to the right as he felt Trunks� ki over his head, but Trunks was too quick; Goten felt a blow from Trunks connect with his left shoulder, sending him careening down towards the ground. This wouldn�t be as troublesome as it seemed, had Goten�s path been clear. Unfortunately, there was a jagged outcropping of rock as a result from an earlier ki-blast, and it was Goten�s ill-luck that the sharp rock was in his way.

The younger demi-saiyajin bit back a scream as the rock stabbed through his unprotected leg, giving the impression of a knife through butter - and that description, at the speed Goten was going, wasn�t too far off. The instant after the contact had been made, Goten crashed into the ground, which only succeeded in blurring his vision and making his head hurt almost as much as his leg.

Up in the air, Trunks waited for Goten to get up, knowing that he hadn�t hit his younger friend that hard. After a few moments of waiting, Trunks focused on the small form below. Goten was sitting up just fine, but why wasn�t he getting back up and fighting? Trunks knew for a fact that his black-haired friend had taken worse hits that what he had just dealt; Trunks should know, he had initiated them. So, worried, Trunks began his descent to Goten�s position.

�Hey, what�s wrong, Goten?� Trunks asked as he came within earshot. It was then that he saw why Goten was still on the ground: Goten�s shin was bloody and exposed, with slivers of rock embedded in the wound. Trunks� eyes widened. �Oh, Dende, Goten, what happened?!�

Goten sniffled, obviously trying hard to stop from bursting into tears. �I... I ran into the... mountain when I fell...�

�Oh, man, Goten! Are you all right?� Trunks knelt beside his best friend, worry creased over his face. This was all his fault! He should have seen that stupid rock. Trying hard to ignore the heavy feelings of guilt in his heart, Trunks immediately went over to look at the open laceration. �Well?� he prodded.

�It hurts s�lot...� Goten admitted, wiping a hand across his face as a few tears trickled out. �I want Mama to look at it...�

�You�re right, we should go to your house,� Trunks agreed, though he was mainly concerned with trying to stop the bleeding. Glancing at Goten�s long sleeved shirt, Trunks said, �Hey, Goten, I�m going to take one of your sleeves off, �kay? For a makeshift bandage.�

Sniff. �Okay.� Goten agreed. Trunks grabbed the navy blue fabric in his hands, tying it efficiently around Goten�s exposed shin; the younger boy winced and bit back tears, but said nothing. For a boy who had just three weeks earlier burst into a pouting tantrum over the last cookie, Goten sure was handling the situation well. Trunks was impressed, but he said nothing.

�There!� Trunks said as his finished, giving Goten a warm smile. �We can go back to your house now, and maybe Gohan will take you up to Dende-sama�s to be healed.� Trunks held out a hand to help Goten up, but the black-haired demi-saiyajin just stared at it. After a few moments, Trunks frowned. �What�s wrong, Goten?�

�I don�t think that I can walk very well, Trunks,� Goten murmured, looking ashamed at his weakness.

�Can you fly?�

�...�dunno...� Goten admitted, looking down at the wound. �It keeps hurting a lot - I can�t concentrate.�

Trunks didn�t like the sound of what Goten had said. Surely, if Goten was having trouble concentrating on the ground (he had lost a lot of blood, after all), it would be much harder for him to fly. And Trunks didn�t want to risk another injury due to incompetence on his part. So, after thinking about the situation for a moment, Trunks decided what to do.

�Don�t worry, Chibi! I�ll carry you home.� Trunks said brightly, and he grabbed Goten�s hand. �Just get on my back, and we�ll be there in no time.�

Goten paused for a moment, obviously debating with himself over whether or not to accept. Pride and trust battled fiercely inside the small demi-saiyajin, but in the end, trust won out, as Trunks knew it would.

�Okay! Thanks, Trunks!� Goten said cheerfully, taking Trunks� hand and letting the older boy help him to his feet. Climbing onto Trunks� back, Goten asked, �I�ll be okay, right?�

�Don�t worry, Chibi, I wouldn�t let anything happen to ya�.� Trunks replied, smiling and giving Goten a thumbs up. After Goten was situated on Trunks� back so that his shin wouldn�t be bumped, Trunks turned to the sky. �All right, let�s go!�

Goten clutched to Trunks� shoulders as his purple-haired friend took off, pleased that they were going to be arriving at his home in a few short minutes. His shin was hurting, but Goten was confident that whatever Trunks had done had been the right thing to do; Trunks usually knew what to do when something difficult occurred. At this thought, Goten smiled. Even though Trunks made fun of him sometimes, Goten was glad that they were friends.

After all, not just any friend would volunteer to carry him home.


~~~


Trunks softly touched down to the ground in front of Goten�s house, making sure not to make any sudden movements. He had been especially careful not to move Goten around when flying, as it would further agitate his friend, and now was no exception. As he landed, Trunks turned his head to look at the ebony-haired demi-saiyajin, quietly saying, �Hey, Goten, we�re back.�

Bleary black eyes stared back at him, and Goten managed a small smile. �That�s great...�

Trunks winced; Goten wasn�t doing well from the blood loss. Immediately, the older boy ran to the front door and kicked it open (lightly. He wasn�t going to break the door down.) Walking inside, Trunks called out, �Mrs. Chichi! Mrs. Chichi!� He knew his voice sounded desperate, but this was serious - Goten was hurt.

�Trunks, what is it?� Chichi called back from her location in the kitchen, where she was washing the dishes.

�Hurry! Goten�s hurt bad!�

The plate Chichi was holding slipped from her hand and fell to the floor, cracking into a thousand tiny shards. Chichi took no notice, as she was too busy dashing from the kitchen to the entrance hall in a little less than a second. As she arrived in the hall, she saw the truth to Trunks� statement. Goten was slumped weakly against Trunks� back, still awake but looking much like a tired two-year-old who had missed his nap. The blue arm sleeve that Trunks had tied around Goten�s wound was soaked with blood, and already, there were drops of blood staining the carpet. Obviously, the injury was still bleeding.

�My baby! My precious baby!� Chichi yelped at once, leaping forward and lifting Goten from Trunks� burden. She cradled the small boy softly, eyes wide. �Goten, speak to me. Does your leg hurt a lot?� Of course, Chichi knew how silly this sounded, but she also knew that Goten would be feeling sleepy from the loss of blood. She could not allow him to fall asleep.

�I�m okay, Mama,� Goten replied quietly, resting his head against her shoulder. �My leg doesn�t hurt as bad as it did before, but Trunks said you an� Gohan would take me to Dende-sama�s so it won�t hurt anymore.�

�Of course we will, sweetie. Just wait here.� Chichi comforted while seating Goten on the couch. Trunks stepped forward to sit by his friend and help him sit up, not entirely missing the �you�re-going-to-explain-this-later� look that Chichi shot him. After making sure that Goten was settled, Chichi quickly trotted to the base of the stairs, shouting, �Gohan! Get down here!�

The sound of feet could be heard on the floor above, and Gohan appeared at the staircase. He had recognized the note of hysteria in his mother�s voice, so he took the stairs two at a time as he came down, asking, �What is it? What�s wrong?�

�It�s Goten,� was all Chichi said as she turned around and went back into the living room.

Gohan followed his mother anxiously and bounded upon Goten and Trunks the instant he entered the room. After giving the leg wound a quick glance, he looked up at the two small boys, asking, �What happened?�

�I ran into the mountain,� Goten murmured bluntly, rubbing one of his eyes. �Can we go to Dende-sama�s now? It really hurts...�

�Yeah, sure, Goten,� Gohan said determinedly, nodding. He looked down at the tightly wrapped laceration, tied with one of Goten�s shirt sleeves, and he nodded again. �That�s just what we�re going to do,� Gohan turned to his mother, �We wouldn�t be able to make it to a hospital without them having to amputate or something.�

�Well, go then!� Chichi replied urgently, eyes wide, �Now!�

�Right!� Gohan reached out and picked up his younger brother, cradling him gently in his arms. As he walked towards the door, Trunks jumped up and began to follow him.

�Can I come, Gohan? Please?� The worry in Trunks� voice was hard to miss. Gohan was about to reply when Chichi intervened.

�No, you�re staying here, Trunks. Gohan can handle it by himself.� the black-haired woman ordered, giving Trunks a decisive glare. For a moment, it looked like Trunks was going to protest, but the purple-haired boy deflated, giving up. There wasn�t any point in arguing with Chichi.

�Bye, Trunks,� Goten said weakly, giving Trunks a small wave, �I�ll be back soon.� Trunks� expression transformed from disappointed to up-beat as he realized that Goten was watching him, and he grinned.

�You better, Chibi!� Trunks replied, though his cheerfulness was partially an act. He knew that Goten was badly hurt from blood loss, and unlike Goten, he didn�t put utmost faith in Dende-sama. It was probably from being Vegeta�s son, but Trunks wasn�t all that trusting in the concept of �happily ever after.�

�All right, we�re off,� Gohan told Chichi, giving his mother a brief smile. �We�ll be back soon, don�t worry!� In the blink of an eye, they were gone.

Trunks looked towards the way they had gone, still being able to see the two demi-saiyajins. He stared in their direction until even the little specks in the distance were gone, signifying that the two boys were out of eyesight. It was then that Trunks realized that he was being stared at with a glare that would have made his father proud. Warily, he turned around to see Chichi standing behind him, a look of anger and irritation upon her face.

Trunks couldn�t help it: he flinched.

�Well?� Chichi asked simply, glowering down at him. Trunks could swear that he shrunk a few inches.

�Uh, well... what?� Trunks responded, not exactly sure what Chichi was talking about. He had a pretty good idea what she meant, but with Chichi, he had learned, it was hard to tell. Sometimes, the black-haired woman would change subjects so dramatically that no one, not even Dende-sama himself, knew what she was talking about.

�You know very well what I�m talking about, mister!� Chichi snapped back, �What happened to my baby? What did you do? I know you were fighting, but that was a little much!�

�It was an accident!� Trunks insisted, eyes wide. He couldn�t help but feel guilty for Goten�s injury, and Chichi�s comments weren�t helping. �Really, it was! I hit him, but I didn�t see the rock! I didn�t mean to hurt him!�

�You expect me to see my little boy with a gash through his leg and be swayed off by a simple �it was an accident�? I don�t think so, mister!� Chichi returned, hands on hips. At Trunks� hurt and ashamed expression, her black eyes softened. �Oh - Trunks, I�m sorry. It was an accident and I shouldn�t blame you. I apologize for yelling.�

Nervously, Trunks willed himself to look up at Chichi. True, he had lived with his father for as long as he could remember, but Chichi was the single person on the planet who could give even Vegeta a run for his money. Also, Trunks was used to Vegeta - Chichi�s mood swings were so drastic that he just couldn�t trust her when she was like this. �A-all right, Mrs. Chichi. Me an� Goten were trying to be careful, but it just kind of happened...�

�Well, you did the right thing when you wrapped his leg and brought him back here, then.� Chichi responded, acting like she hadn�t yelled at all. Trunks was still a bit precarious around the black-haired woman, but he could feel his nerves slowly calming down. Chichi looked down at him, saying, �Come with me. You�re going to help me do the dishes.�

�Uh,� Trunks began, but Chichi turned immediately after saying that and headed toward the kitchen. Given the incentive, Trunks followed her, not daring to go against what Chichi had ordered. After all, she was an adult and he was a kid. By the basic rules of nature, kids listened to adults, and that was that. Besides, if he had protested, Trunks was sure that Chichi would start screaming again, and that was something that he wanted to avoid at all costs.

So, after considering his options, Trunks sighed and listened as Chichi told him what to do. At least it would give him something to do while he waited...


~~~


The Son household was now the cleanest house within radar; Trunks could vouch for that. The dishes were done, beds were made, and carpets were vacuumed. Not a single speck of dust could be seen without some sort of powerful microscope, and if seen, it would soon be obliterated. Every bit of the home was looking shiny and brand-new, even those things that had been in existence for longer than the inhabitants. If a single bit of dirt or grime was left in the residence, Trunks was not to be blamed.

The purple-haired demi-saiyajin wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, exhausted. He had never thought that cleaning could be harder than fighting, but then again, he had never really had to clean at his home. Capsule Cooperation was kept spic and span by the robotic nannies that were constantly streaming throughout his house. But at Goten�s house... Trunks had always thought that Goten�s house was too small - until now. Now he was just glad that it wasn�t any bigger. Trunks had already been tired from sparring with his younger best friend, and all this cleaning wasn�t helping his weariness at all. Boy, he wished that Goten would come back.

�Mrs. Chichi?� Trunks spoke up, setting down his broom. The broom was too big for him to use normally, so Trunks had to levitate a few feet to be able to use the aforementioned object properly. At the moment, it fell to the ground, the broomstick clattering loudly on the floor. �Mrs. Chichi, may I stop now? I�m done.� At least, I hope I am, the boy thought silently, casting Chichi a worried glance, Next thing you know, she�ll have me refurnishing...

�What? Oh, stop... well,� Chichi began, and started to look around. True, her home was cleaner than it had been ever since Goten was born, but was it up to the potential that she usually persisted to? After deciding that yes, it was perfect, Chichi smiled down at her new helper. �All right, Trunks, you can stop. Dinner will be ready in a half and hour, so go upstairs and clean up, okay? I�ll call your mother and tell her you�re staying.�

�Okay!� Trunks said gratefully, instantly dashing out of the room and flying upstairs. He had spent the night over at Goten�s house so many times that he knew exactly where the towels and soap were located. Not to mention that he had just recently delivered the new stacks of towels to the linen closet, after Chichi was done folding the laundry. So, pleased that he was now finished with doing anymore housework, Trunks turned on the water tap and began to get ready for a bath.

Downstairs, Chichi was stirring a multitude of soup dishes, as well as watching the copious amount of rice that was cooking in the other assorted pots and pans. She assumed that Gohan and Goten would be back for dinner (they should be arriving soon), and since Trunks was staying as well, Chichi knew that they would need plenty of food. With three demi-saiyajin stomachs to fill, Chichi would be surprised if she received any food herself.

�Hmm...hmm-hmmm, hm, hmmm...� Chichi hummed to herself as she cooked, recalling an old melody from when she was a child. It was a common occurrence that the dark-haired woman would sing as she cooked, except when she was extremely upset or nervous. Such as the time when Goku had been sick, or during the Cell Games... The sound of humming died down as Chichi remembered that time of her life and her deceased husband. Oh, Goku...

�Mom! We�re back!� a voice from outside interrupted her thoughts, and Chichi looked up, startled.

�Gohan?� she responded, though she didn�t step away from the pots of cooking soup and rice. The sound of the door opening and two sets of feet walking in was confirmation, and Chichi smiled to herself. �I�m in the kitchen, boys!�

Gohan walked into the kitchen with Goten hot on his heels. Chichi was pleased to see that Goten�s leg was now perfectly restored. In fact, Chichi thought, frowning, she was surprised that it had taken her two sons so long to get back. So she questioned, �Where have you been? It couldn�t have been that difficult to get there. I�ve been worried!�

�Piccolo was there, so we stayed and talked a bit,� Gohan answered, looking abashed. �Sorry.�

�Sorry?� Chichi repeated, one hand on her hip as she prepared to reprove her two sons. �It�s nearly dinnertime! You could have remembered that maybe your mother was concerned about her baby boy!� At that point in time, Chichi looked down at her youngest son. �Is your leg all better, Goten? Did Dende-sama heal it up for you?�

�Yep!� Goten said happily, walking up to the assorted pots and pans, �Wow, this smells good! What is it?�

�You�ll find out soon enough,� Chichi responded. She then turned back to Gohan, who she suspected was trying to sneak quietly out of the room. �Hold it right there, mister!� Gohan froze, and Chichi continued, �I wish that you would have at least called.�

�Sorry, Mom,� Gohan responded, bowing his head. �I will next time, I swear.�

�Good. Now, what did Piccolo have to say?� Chichi asked, turning away from Gohan and starting to stir the soup again. Goten was below her, tugging on her dress to ask for a taste, and Chichi shooed him away. �Why was he at Dende-sama�s anyway? Doesn�t he live in the mountains?�

�Apparently, he�s been spending more time at the tower ever since he and Kami-sama joined together. I guess Kami-sama is a bit nostalgic,� Gohan responded. �He didn�t have much to say, really. We just talked for awhile. He did want to know if I was interested in sparring this weekend.�

�Are you going to?�

�Yeah, I think so.� Gohan responded, �I don�t have much else going on, and besides, I haven�t sparred with Piccolo for awhile. I kind of miss it.�

�Well, all right then.� Chichi responded, tasting a bit of the soup. �Just don�t let it interfere with your studies.� Gohan nodded and began to respond, but was cut off by Goten.

�Mama, is Trunks still here?� Goten asked, tugging on a handful of Chichi�s dress. He had hoped that Trunks would stay until they got back, because he still wanted to play, even if they weren�t sparring. Goten had a new video that he wanted to show Trunks, so they could watch that.

�Oh, right,� Chichi gasped, amazed that she had nearly forgotten about the other demi-saiyajin in the house. Looking down at her son, Chichi said, �He�s upstairs taking a bath, I think. He was helping me clean the house this afternoon.� Pausing, Chichi frowned at Goten�s appearance, �You should probably get up there and join him, Goten. You�re filthy.�

�I�m hungry!� Goten whined pitifully, looking at the food before him, �Can�t I take a bath after dinner?�

�No. I will not have a dirty son at the dinner table.� Chichi replied sternly, giving Goten a look. �Now get upstairs before Trunks is finished or you�ll have to run the water all over again.�

�Okay...� Goten murmured glumly, but he quickly walked upstairs. Gohan smiled as his younger brother�s form disappeared around the corner, remembering his own experiences of being disciplined as a child - and thanking Dende-sama that he was older now.

�You need any help, Mom?� Gohan asked, looking around at the astonishingly clean kitchen. Boy, his mother and Trunks had been busy this afternoon - Gohan could barely remember the house ever being this tidy.

�Yes, I do. Would you set the table?� Chichi responded, beginning to drain the rice.

�Sure,� Gohan replied, reaching into the cabinet for the glasses and plates. So, the food would be ready, and supper would begin.


~~~


�So, you�re sleeping over?� Goten asked, taking a few blankets from the linen closet. It was after dinner, and both boys were crowded by the closet. Dinner had taken awhile, so Chichi decided to call Trunks� mother and ask if Trunks could stay over instead of having Gohan escort the young demi-saiyan home. It was too late for Trunks to go home by himself, and besides, Gohan was busy studying for his biology test. Not that it really mattered that Trunks wasn�t going home; the purple-haired demi-saiyajin would often call for a spontaneous sleepover at his best friend�s house.

�Uh-huh,� Trunks responded, crawling into the back of the closet and snatching a few pillows from the bottom of the pile. The other pillows wobbled and then fell down on the purple-haired demi-saiyan, who made an audible �hey!� in protest.

�That�s great!� Goten said cheerfully, oblivious to the accident that just occurred. Trunks began piling the pillows back up again as Goten continued, saying, �We can watch my new movie!�

�What is it?� Trunks questioned, placing the last of the fallen pillows on top of the pile. Then, grabbing the two that he had initially retrieved, Trunks crawled out from the back of the closet.

�It�s called �The Mighty Ducks.�� Goten replied as he and Trunks began to carry the pillows and blankets downstairs. Whenever Trunks stayed at Goten�s house, the two boys would sleep downstairs. Partially because that was where the television was, and partially because Chichi didn�t want them to disturb Gohan with any noise. So every time Trunks slept over, each of them would grab some blankets and pillows and lay them out in the living room downstairs. �My Mama bought it for me last week, but I haven�t watched it yet. It�s about hockey!�

�That sound cool,� Trunks replied, grinning at his best friend. �My dad won�t let me have sports movies at my house. He thinks they�re stupid.�

�That�s mean,� Goten murmured, looking upset over the idea of not being able to watch some of his favorite movies, like Air Bud and Rookie of the Year, just because someone else in the family didn�t like sports. Goten looked at Trunks. �But I thought your dad liked sports. He�s a really good fighter, isn�t he?�

�He said he doesn�t like human sports,� Trunks explained. �He won�t let me play basketball.�

�That is mean.� Goten repeated, frowning.

�It doesn�t matter,� Trunks stated offhandedly, shrugging. The two boys arrived in the living room, and Trunks grinned as he saw the cassette and case on top of the television. �Is that it?�

�Yep!� Goten responded, the somber mood that he had earlier possessed gone as he saw the movie. �I bet Mama set it out for us to watch!�

�Well, c�mon, put it in!� Trunks said eagerly, sitting down on the couch amidst the various pillows and blankets. Goten popped the video in the cassette player and joined Trunks, sitting on the other side of the couch. The black-haired demi-saiyan reached up and turned off the lights, and both boys waited for the movie to start. Once it did, all was silent, with both pairs of eyes in the room fixed on the screen in front of them.

The movie progressed, showing a group of rag-tag hockey players and a coach that only was in it for community service. The hockey players and the coach soon developed a bond and grew stronger, working as a team and winning more and more games. To Trunks, it seemed a bit juvenile - after all, both he and Goten had gone up against something created out of pure evil and seen the horror caused from that. So neither of them would have been too fazed by the intimidation set off by the opposing hockey team to the Ducks. Still, it was fun to watch.

Trunks looked over at Goten, who had moved more towards the middle of the couch as the movie progressed, taking most of the blankets away. Goten�s face was rapt with attention, a half-smile adorning his expression as he watched the two teams go head-to-head on the ice. It was exciting, Trunks supposed, but kind of cheesy. Still, it was really funny sometimes, and he wasn�t about to complain about it. After all, Chichi could have made them watch something stupid, like Power Rangers or Blue�s Clues, like she had been known to do in the past. Trunks shuddered to himself, reliving the moment. He never, ever wanted to have to go through that again. It was the worst kind of torture a parent could come up with.

As the movie continued, though, Trunks found himself trying hard not to fall asleep. Apparently, his exhilarating day had taken more out of him than he thought, as he felt completely burnt out. From sparring with Goten to cleaning with Chichi, Trunks� body was tired and ready for a good, long sleep. Too bad the movie still had a half hour to go. But, Trunks reasoned, he could always come over later to watch the rest of it, if he fell asleep. Or he could whine to his mother about his father�s unfairness, so he could watch it at home. But then again... Soon, Trunks� heavy eyes closed and his breathing became even, signifying that he had fallen victim to the call of sleep.

Goten, on the other hand, was still seated with his wide eyes focused on the screen. It was the final game between the Ducks and the opposing team, and Goten wasn�t about to miss a bit of it. His favorite character was Charlie, because he liked how Charlie was nice to everyone and was really good at hockey. Goten smiled to himself, imagining himself as Charlie and scoring a goal for the team. It made him wish that his mother would let him play hockey with the other kids, but Goten knew that it would be unfair to everyone else. After all, he was a demi-saiyajin. Besides, martial arts was more fun than hockey anyway.

Eventually, the movie ended, and Goten regretfully pushed the stop button on the remote control. He wanted to watch the movie again, but Goten knew that Trunks often became annoyed when Goten viewed videos repeatedly. So Goten turned to his best friend to ask for permission.

�Hey, Trunks, can I-?� Goten began, but broke off suddenly. It was then that he realized that Trunks had fallen asleep. The older boy was curled up in a ball at the end of the couch, looking a lot like a sleeping, purple-haired kitten. Goten giggled. �You look silly, Trunks.�

Trunks made no movement to show that he had heard his younger friend, and Goten shrugged, pressing the rewind button on the remote. If Trunks wasn�t awake to say that he didn�t want to watch the movie again, then Goten felt that he had every right to view it once more. It wasn�t like Trunks was going to get mad about something that he hadn�t even been awake to see.

When the movie finished rewinding, Goten pressed the play button and grabbed his blanket from the side of the couch. Looking at the sleeping Trunks, Goten giggled again and sat down beside the purple-haired demi-saiyan. After curling up next to his older friend, Goten turned to watch the television once again.

The video played for only a few minutes before Goten began to feel the tug of sleep on his mind as well. The black-haired boy struggled hard to stay awake (he did want to see the movie again), but in the end, sleep won out. Resting his head against Trunks� arm, Goten soon joined his friend in an exhausted slumber.

It was about an hour later when Chichi arrived in the living room to inform the boys that it was time to go to sleep. To her surprise, both of the normally active children were sleeping peacefully, and it looked like they had been for quite awhile. Trunks was leaning against the edge of the couch, head tilting forward, and Goten was curled up next to Trunks, the younger boy�s head on Trunks� arm. The scene created from both boys caused Chichi�s eyes to widen, and a smile appeared on her face. How adorable!, the black-haired woman thought, hardly daring to move in fear of disturbing the peaceful scene.

So Chichi simply grabbed a blanket from the floor and placed it over the two slumbering youths, in case they became cold during the night. Then, after turning the television off, she quietly left the room, leaving it as it had been before she arrived.