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To Live Again Chapter 5 - Her Mother's Slave by Fair Drea Gazing at the white cotton candy clouds as they passed lazily overhead, drifting silently across the vivid blue sky Aiden laid on her back amongst the grass, one arm draped over her stomach, the other pillowing her head, her eyes closed and her breathing deep and even. Beneath a chest that was just starting to show some real promise now that her system was getting the sustenance it had been denied, a heartbeat drummed strong and healthy. She had been with the Brief�s for two weeks now and although things had started out a little rocky she was now falling into a comfortable routine and adjusting very well to her new lifestyle. At least that�s how Bulma put it. She�d put on a little over ten pounds in muscle as well as much needed body fat and in place of her usual pale pallor glowed healthy, honey colored skin. Her cheeks no longer sunk in and were infused with a natural and adorable shade of pink and her hair had a lustrous quality causing any woman who happened to see her to envy the long flowing locks�even if they were lavender. I don�t know how I ever got so lucky, she thought, dropping her arm to the ground beside her. She brushed her hand over the tips of the grass, feeling the prickly ends of the blades tickle her palm and fingers. You know how you got this lucky Aiden, a voice said, echoing dimly through her mind. Gohan saved you. He brought you here and it�s because of him that you are still alive. Sitting up Aiden wrapped her arms around her denim-clad legs and propped her chin on her knees. She stared thoughtfully out at the horizon as her thoughts shifted to Gohan, the tall, black-haired Saiyan with the adorable smile and smoldering ebony eyes. Ever since that night in her room when he had dropped off her homework thinking about him had been one of her favorite things to do. Although they hadn�t gotten that close again they had spent a lot of time together. He would come over and study with her; sometimes they would stop by a small caf� about a block away from the college when their classes were over. He�d order a latt� and she�d have a cup of chai tea then they would talk quietly like two lovers afraid to be found out. There were even times that he would team up with her in a face off against Vegeta. Of course when the fighting clearly became too strenuous for Aiden, Vegeta would instruct Gohan to take her outside and teach her the so-called mental aspects of her training. Things like flying, feeling out ki signatures and controlling her own ki, whatever that was. She was quick enough to learn it all but she was far from understanding it. She understood this whole �ki� concept about as much as she understood Gohan�s feelings for her�which was not at all. A pretty frown puckered her brow and she dropped her cerulean gaze to the red/gold leaves scattered about the wide expanse of green lawn. What did Gohan feel for her? She had thought there was something but�what did she really know about intimate relationships and the emotions they involved? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. She had never been in a relationship nor had she ever wanted to be in one. Or at least that was how she had felt before Gohan had come into her life. Now she was just�confused. �Really confused,� she muttered, flopping back down and closing her eyes. The weather was surprisingly warm for October and the suns rays caressed her skin, enticing her to doze. Coaxing her to fall away from reality and dream about things sweet and pleasurable�like Gohan. But before she could fall into what had promised to be a very relaxing cat-nap the sound of leaves crunching beneath feet carried to her ears and not long after a dark shadow fell over her. Opening her eyes Aiden squinted up at the handsome figures of Trunks and Goten. �Hey guys,� she greeted them cheerfully, giving them a bright smile. They sat down on either side of her, Trunks returning her smile with his usual friendly smirk and Goten with the trademark Son grin. �Hey Aiden. What are you doing?� her half brother asked. �Relaxing. Why?� �Well, we were wondering if you wanted to go shopping for costumes with us. The party�s tomorrow and I�m pretty sure none of us has anything yet.� �Just you two?� �And Gohan,� the other demi-Saiyan said, brushing his fingers through his unruly black hair. �He�s inside right now talking to Bulma. Poor guy's been getting an ear full from mom all day. The second he got home from college she just ripped into him for letting �non-school-related� crap get in the way of his studies. I felt bad for him so I invited him to come with. Get him out of the house and away from mom, you know?� Laying down on his side and facing Aiden he propped his head up on the palm of his hand and nudged her leg with the toe of his shoe. �So whaddaya say? Coming with us?� Aiden closed her eyes again, appearing to think for a moment and then nodded. �Sure. But you have to help me up.� Springing to their feet the two helped her, pulling her up quickly. Goten caught a glimpse of what her shirt said and immediately burst out laughing. �Very nice,� he said, pointing to the fancy dark purple writing scrawled across the front of her simple white t-shirt. Glancing down, Aiden got a look at the word �Princess� up side down and smiled. �You like that? Trunks thought it was pretty hilarious�practically forced me to get it.� �It�s funny AND it�s the truth!� Trunks exclaimed in his defense. �How many girls do you know that can get away with wearing one of these lame shirts and have it actually be true, huh?� Goten nodded. �You have a point, Trunks.� The three turned and went into the house leaving the bright sunshine filled back yard behind and entering the dimly lit foyer. They found Gohan in the living room standing beside the couch and looking slightly irritated as he talked with Bulma. Aiden assumed it was his mother's constant nagging that had put him in his current state and quickly went to put a smile on his face. She hated seeing him upset. �Hey Gohan! I hear you�re going shopping with us,� she said, giving him her most winning smile, one she had only discovered she owned a week ago. Amazing what a new life could do to you. He turned to face her and the look of annoyance fell away, leaving in its place a shy smile and red cheeks. �Yeah. Anything to get away from mom. She�s in a mood.� Something flashed in his eyes, something distant and unreachable and for a brief moment Aiden could have sworn there was more to it then he was letting on. He and Bulma had been talking very quietly when they entered�talking in a way that two people do when they have a secret. Aiden highly doubted Chichi�s quick temper was something to be secretive of. If it were Goten wouldn�t mention it as often as he did. �I�m sorry to hear that,� she murmured, brushing aside her suspicions. �Hopefully we can get your mind off of it for a while.� Gohan smiled and gave a shrug of his broad shoulders. �That would be nice. My ears are still ringing from all her yelling�can you fix that too?� Aiden made a face and he laughed. �All I can really do there is suggest you buy some high quality ear plugs to wear whenever you�re home,� she said. �Oh you two stop. Chichi�s not all that bad,� Bulma chided them, laughter sparkling in her own bright blue eyes. She quickly changed the subject, glancing over at Trunks. �You�re going to take your jeep, right?� �Yup.� �Okay. Well�drive careful you guys and don�t get too gruesome with the costumes okay? I want to be able to at least recognize you.� �The whole point of Halloween is to not be recognized mom. That and candy,� Trunks said, walking past her and giving her a quick hug. �You know what I mean. And Aiden,� she pulled the young woman into a warm, motherly embrace, �don�t let these boys talk you into getting something you don�t want. I know how persuasive Trunks and Goten can be it comes to convincing people to do things. And they�re only ten times worse when they work as a team.� Laughing, Aiden hugged the woman back. �I won't. Promise.� The group of four left the house and went to where Trunks� blue jeep was parked in the driveway. Goten called shotgun leaving the cramped back seat for Aiden and Gohan. They squished in as best they could, Aiden behind Trunks and Gohan behind his brother. When their legs brushed they both blushed, muttered apologies and shifted in their seats. But the limited space didn�t allow for much movement especially since two devious demi-Saiyans who knew exactly what they were doing had pushed their seats back, putting serious restrictions on the amount of leg room the older Saiyans were allowed. After several failed attempts Gohan draped his arm over the seat and let his leg rest against Aiden�s. �Well�I give up.� �It�s okay,� Aiden replied softly. �I don�t mind.� Her blue eyes studied him intently and she could feel her skin start to tingle pleasantly where his leg was pressed against hers. Gohan had to use every ounce of his will power to keep himself from pulling her into his arms and kissing those sweet, full lips. She wasn�t making it any easier on him by staring at him like that either. Giving in just a little to the overwhelming temptation Gohan smiled into Aiden�s gorgeous blue eyes and moved his hand from the back of her seat to her shoulder. In the front, checking out the action between Gohan and Aiden by way of rearview mirror, Trunks grinned and gave his best friends a thumbs up. He then threw the Jeep into reverse and peeled out of the driveway, eager to get to the mall and put the next step of his and Goten�s plan into action. *~*~*~* Two hours later after they were all piled back into Trunks� jeep along with several loaded shopping bags, Aiden peeked into the orange and black striped bag in her lap to reconfirm that she had actually bought the costume Goten had helped her pick out. Colors of bright blue satin and black leather winked back up at her. She stifled a groan as she snapped the bag shut, fixing her gaze on the dark gray upholstered back of Trunks� seat and waiting for him to start the jeep. �Halloween is the perfect chance to do stuff like this Aiden,� Goten had said as he had handed her a blue satin corset with black lace at the edges. �That�s why people love the holiday so much. They get a chance to kick back and be something they don�t usually get to be.� And all of that had sounded good to her�until now. �So what did you get?� Gohan asked, leaning over and trying to look in her bag. Cheeks burning with mortification, Aiden tightened her grip on it just as Goten whipped around in his seat, shooting a glare at his brother. �I thought we agreed on no one seeing each other's costumes until tomorrow.� Gohan sat back with a sheepish grin. �I know. I was just curious.� The engine softly roared to life and Trunks drove out of the parking lot, heading for home just as the sun started its slow descent into the lavender/blue horizon. When they reached Capsule Corp. he parked in the drive way and they all piled out of the jeep, talking excitedly about tomorrow night and of course�food. �I told mom you guys would probably stay for supper since it�s Friday. Hope you don�t mind.� �Nope,� the two raven-haired Saiyan�s said in unison. Goten put his hands behind his head and turned around, walking backwards across the lawn. �So Trunks�we�re hitting that haunted house before the bar right?� �I can�t believe you two are actually going to try getting into a bar,� Gohan commented dryly. �Try?� Trunks scoffed, looking amused. �Consider it done. We�re now the owners of the best fake ID�s I�ve ever seen. And what�s the harm anyway? It�s not like we�re actually going to get hammered and risk alcohol poisoning like some people out there. We�re Saiyans�it would take a hell of a lot of liquor to get us even close to that kind of danger.� Aiden stared at her half brother in disbelief. �Are you serious?� �Yup. Saiyan�s have an incredibly high alcohol tolerance. Just ask dad about it. One time he actually counted how many beers it took him to finally catch a buzz. It�s a pretty impressive number.� �Oh shoot,� Aiden cried, coming to a sudden stop. �I forgot the make up.� Reaching out and taking her hand Trunks gave it a gentle tug. �Leave it. We can get it in the morning.� �That�s okay. I�ll just run back and get it real quick. You guys go ahead�I�ll be there in a bit.� Turning on her heel she trotted back to the jeep as the other three went inside. The blue plastic bag was lying under Goten�s seat and it took her a while to actually find it. Once she did she made her leisurely way back to the house, swinging the bag gently and humming to herself. �Got pretty lucky, didn�t you?� a harsh voice called out behind her. A gasp caught in Aiden�s throat as the bag slid from her suddenly numb fingers and hit the turf with a muffled thump. Slowly she turned around, fear clawing like a desperate wild animal at her insides. �What are you doing here?� she asked her mother who stood at least a yard away, a cigarette dangling from her fingers. �I could ask you the same thing. What did you do to get into such fancy digs, huh? Turn a few tricks?� Suppressing a shudder of revulsion, Aiden narrowed a spiteful glare on Bernadette. �Leave,� she said evenly. Bernadette laughed, tossing her head back. �Whatsa matter sweetie?� she asked. Dropping her cigarette she crushed it beneath the toe of a knee high black boot and then straightened her short black skirt. �Don�t want to admit that you�re just like your mother?� �I am nothing like you,� Aiden hissed. Her whole body was trembling now, consumed with dread. For the life of her she couldn�t understand why. She was stronger now, the past few weeks had changed her. All of that should have stood out in her mind and showed her that she could handle this�and yet all she could see what a terrified lavender haired girl huddled in the corner of a shabby apartment, shattered glass surrounding her, angry red welts all up her arms and neck, her mothers outraged, drunken screams surrounding her as large tears tracked their way down her small pale cheeks. �Nothing like me, huh?� Bernadette growled, taking a step forward. �You came from me Aidey. I own you.� �No one owns me.� Her mother cocked a brow at this and crossed her arms over her sagging chest. �Self-righteous little bitch you turned out to be. Tell you what�I�ll get out of your face and leave you alone but�you�ve got to fork out fifteen hundred dollars kiddo. Fifteen hundred and I�m out of your life for good.� A clammy iciness swept over Aiden, making her feel small and empty. Fifteen hundred was all she was worth to her own mother? Used capsule cars were worth more then that. �Its kinda your only choice here hun. Either you give me the money or I tell whatever rich snob you�re entertaining in there what a diseased little slut you really are. Can�t think of a single man who�d want a freak for his whore.� �I�m not a freak,� Aiden said in a low, trembling voice. �And the only whore here is you!� Bernadette�s fist came down so quickly that she didn�t even have time to think. It was a back handed punch, one of her mother�s favorites and the impact of her knuckles against Aiden�s jaw sent the younger woman staggering backwards. �You ungrateful bitch!� the fake blonde hissed, grabbing hold of Aiden�s arm and digging her nails into the yielding flesh. �Give me the money.� You can fight her Aiden. You�re stronger now! Stand up to her! The voice screamed its orders in her head as tears of fear and pain raced over her cheeks. But that demanding voice was so dim when compared to the childish one that sounded so terrified. No, I can�t fight her, it said. I can�t. If I fight her she�ll kill me. I�m so scared! And she was. Years and years of abuse had instilled an immense fear within Aiden for this woman that she couldn�t even begin to fathom. �I�I don�t have any money,� she cried. The nails dug further into her arm, twisting cruelly and Aiden gasped in pain. �Please�you�re hurting me!� �That�s the whole point sweetie,� Bernadette growled with a mocking grin. �Trust me, you deserve much worse.� �Let go of her right now!� Bernadette�s head snapped up. Her dull eyes narrowed as they came to rest upon the man standing behind Aiden. �Well, I�ll be damned,� she murmured. �I�m sure you will,� Vegeta replied dryly. �Release my daughter.� Bernadette laughed callously, shoving Aiden towards him. He immediately pulled her behind him, making himself a formidable wall between mother and daughter. Gohan and Trunks appeared to one side of him, Bulma to the other and Goten had gone to Aiden, wrapping his arm around her trembling shoulders. They all glared at the blond prostitute with pure, uncensored hatred. �Twenty years and you finally decide to take what�s yours?� Bernadette sneered, unfazed by the number of people. �I did no taking. She came to me,� Vegeta said evenly. �Now why does that not surprise me? She always was a greedy little tramp.� Bulma lunged forward before Vegeta could stop her and drove her fist into Bernadette�s face. �Don�t you ever insult her like that,� she yelled at the other woman as Bernadette held a hand over her bleeding lip, making choked sputtering noises. �And get the hell off of my property or I�ll be instructing my husband to kill you.� Vegeta regarded his mate with an amused smirk. �For once I may just have to listen to you woman.� He turned a spiteful glare on Bernadette, then, speaking to her in a voice laced with contempt, said, �Which would be all the more reason for you to leave. I won't hesitate to destroy you for what you have done to my daughter.� �Your daughter!?� Bernadette shrieked. �Who the hell was the one who raised her huh?� �Oh and you did such a great job of it too,� Bulma scoffed with a roll of her blue eyes. �Regardless of whether you raised her or not, she is no longer your concern.� Bernadette stared at the blue haired scientist for a long time before she finally spoke. �She never was my concern.� Her narrowed eyes slid to Aiden, rage glittering in their depths. �I don�t have a daughter.� For years Aiden had been dealt blow after blow, beaten with so many different things that she couldn�t even name them all. For years she had suffered unimaginable pain but nothing�nothing hurt as much as this. With Bernadette�s careless words the tiny part of Aiden that truly believed her mother cared for her died. Her breath left her, tears burned forcefully at the back of her eyes and her skin started to feel far to tight. She shrugged off Goten�s arm and in a zombie like state, turned to the house and walked slowly inside. Only Goten noticed. The others were too busy making sure that the woman who had at one time called Aiden her daughter was well on her way with no intentions of returning. Once Bernadette had clambered into her old beat up car, making sure to shoot a particularly nasty look at all of them, Bulma sighed and leaned back against Vegeta. �So that was her,� she murmured in a hollow voice. �What a horrible person. I can�t believe she said such cruel things to�oh no.� Whipping around Bulma searched for Aiden, finding only Goten where the girl had once stood. �Goten, where did she go?� �Inside,� the boy said with a sad expression. Bulma ran for the door. She threw it open, not bothering to close it and made her way quickly upstairs. Aiden was sitting on her bed, her blank, lifeless gaze fixed on the carpet. She looked so tiny�so alone. It broke Bulma�s heart to see her like this. She moved to the bed very cautiously as if she was approaching a scared animal and she sat on the bed. Aiden didn�t move. She didn�t acknowledge Bulma�s presence. She merely remained staring at the floor, her arms wrapped loosely around her. �Aiden,� she murmured softly, lifting a hand to touch the girl�s arm. �Part of me really believed that she cared. Even with all of the�the beatings and the�suffering�it still wanted to believe. It still wanted to have someone to call mother,� the girl said in an anguished whisper. �Oh sweetheart.� Bulma tipped the younger woman�s chin up with her fingers and stared into her mournful blue eyes. �Its okay.� �No it�s not,� Aiden replied forcefully. �How can it be okay? My own mother wanted to buy me off with only fifteen hundred dollars. A measly fucking fifteen hundred dollars! I�what�I don�t understand�why�� She grappled for words to express her pain, words to tell Bulma how she felt as if her heart had just been forcefully ripped from her chest. �She�she doesn�t even care!� A sob tore from her throat and Aiden fell forward. Bulma uttered a hoarse cry and pulled the crying girl into her arms, rocking her back and forth as her anguished poured forth in great sobs. �We care though sweetheart. We care,� she whispered close to her ear, stroking the soft mass of lavender hair. �Believe it or not�your father and I love you very much.� Aiden�s sobs drifted away after several long minutes and she finally stilled within the circle of Bulma�s protective embrace. Her heart was racing with the forcefulness of her crying and her eyes lids felt very heavy. �How can you love me?� she whispered, clinging to Bulma. �You don�t even know me.� �I know you enough Aiden,� she replied, smiling. �You�ve become a big part of this family�one we are so happy to have. We all love you so much.� Aiden hiccupped and sagged wearily against Bulma. Fresh tears started to slide slowly down her face, cleansing tears that did not burn. �You love me,� she stated softly, her voice hushed with awe. Bulma nodded as she tightened her arms around her precious burden. �Yes Aiden. We love you.� Moments after the storm passed Vegeta appeared in the doorway. He cast a worried glance at Aiden who was now lying on the bed, her head in Bulma�s lap. Seeing her husband, Bulma smiled and nodded for him to enter. �Aiden, your father�s here,� she whispered, stroking her hand tenderly over the back of the young woman�s head. �I know,� she murmured. Her lids slowly opened to reveal tired, bloodshot eyes and she gave Vegeta a pitiful half smile. �Hello father.� Closing the door behind him the Saiyan Prince grunted a hello and joined them on the bed. Aiden sat up and he took a seat next to her. �Are you well?� he asked. The young lavender haired Saiyan lifted her shoulders. �As well as can be expected I guess,� she replied honestly. �This whole�disowned thing is kind of new.� Vegeta took his daughters hand between his own. The smooth peach skin made quite a contrast when compared to his own weathered and callused hands. This only served to remind him how fragile his daughter really was, not just physically�but it appeared that she was still mentally fragile as well. Had she not been her mother�s words would have not cut her so deeply and although he would have usually expressed distaste for such weakness he would not do it in front of Aiden. He understood her pain all too well. �You have not been disowned Aiden. You have a family here. That woman may have been your mother at one time but she did not deserve you. You are a far better person then she will ever be. You know that, don�t you?� Staring at him intently, tears glistening once more in her vibrant eyes, the young Saiyan shook her head. �Well, you are,� he said firmly. �You are a unique young woman who is just as beautiful as she is powerful and I am very proud to have you as my daughter. While you are under our roof you will never doubt our love for you, understood?� Instead of responding with words Aiden threw her arms around his neck and clung tightly to him. �Thank you,� she whispered. �Thank you so much.� �There is nothing to thank. I was just merely stating facts,� he said gruffly, but he was smiling as he wrapped his arms around her and returned his embrace. Seconds later they pulled away from each other and Aiden sighed deeply, pushing a hand through her hair. Her eyes fell to her arm where a row of angry crescent moon welts marred her skin. �I don�t know how I could have let this happen,� she murmured. �After all that training you would think that I�d be able to stand up to her�that I wouldn�t be afraid. But all I could do was stand there�scared out of my mind.� Bulma draped an arm over Aiden�s shoulders. �Well you�ll never have to worry about that again,� she said. �Not when you�re with this woman at least,� Vegeta intoned, shooting Bulma an amused look. �There�s a good possibility that you may have broken her nose.� �She deserved worse.� Turning her attention back to Aiden, Bulma�s expression grew serious. �I was thinking Aiden�and this is just a suggestion�you�re old enough now that if you wanted to you could sever some of those ties to your mother.� �How?� �You could go to the court house and change your name. You�re a little to old to for a custody battle but if changing your last name sounds appealing I could take you there tomorrow and pay the fee. How does that sound?� she asked. Aiden nodded. �I think I�d like to do that. But�what would I use for a last name?� �Well�� Bulma said, drawing the word out as she cast a questioning glance over Aiden�s head to Vegeta. After receiving a nod of approval she continued. �Your father and I were thinking that it would be nice of you were an actual member of this family so maybe you could take our last name?� �You�you�d let me do that?� �Of course Aiden. Nothing would make us happier.� Another fresh onslaught of tears worked their way to her eyes and Aiden made a frustrated noise that was half sigh half laugh, wiping them with the back of her hand. �I�m such a cry baby today.� Laughing, Bulma gave her a quick hug. �With the day you�ve had no one can fault you for being a little emotional hun. So is that a yes?� �Yes�yes. And thank you so much.� Twisting her hands nervously in her lap she sniffled, forcing herself not to cry. �This means so much to me.� A sudden knock sounded at the door and Trunks poked his head in, blue eyes peering up from under a mess of lavender hair. �Hey�mind if I come in?� he asked as he warily scanned the faces of the beds occupants. Aiden smiled at her brother and shook her head. �Where�s Gohan and Goten?� �They went home but they�ll be back tomorrow.� �We have to put up with Kakarott�s brats more than he does,� Vegeta grumbled, back to his usual, uncaring self now that his son was in the room. �Remind me to lock myself in the gravity room all day tomorrow.� Biting back a giggle that had rose within her, Aiden elbowed him softly. �Come on now daddy, they�re not so bad,� she teased. �Maybe not to you.� Bulma rolled her eyes at the two and motioned for her son to join them. �Trunks honey, what would you say to Aiden becoming a real member of this family?� �Isn�t she already?� he asked as he sat beside his mother and winked at Aiden. �In a way yes but not officially. We were going to go to the court house tomorrow and get her last name changed.� �I think that�s a great idea mom.� �Well then,� Bulma said, practically beaming in her enthusiasm, �it�s settled. I don�t suppose that little scene down in the yard caused any of you Saiyan�s to lose your appetite, did it?� �Honestly woman�it would take more than some bitchy female in a trashy clothing to make me lose my appetite,� Vegeta muttered, betting up and making his way arrogantly to the door. Bulma made a face at his back, drawing laughter from both Aiden and Trunks. �Well kids, lets go eat before everything gets cold.� As a family they made their way downstairs for supper. *~*~*~* Later that evening as Aiden lay awake in her bed, a book laying face down beside her and her bedside lamp throwing a dim glow over the room, the phone rang. Turning onto her back she listened to the shrill ring, wondering if anyone was even awake to answer it. Midway through the third ring the sound was cut off. Out in the hallway she could hear a male voice, easily distinguishable as Trunks�. He spoke for a few seconds and then fell silent. A moment later he knocked softly on her door and Aiden sat up, calling out for him to enter. �Hey, phone�s for you. It�s Gohan,� he said, holding out the phone to her as he approached the bed. After handing her the phone he gave her a hug and ruffled her hair. �Night sis.� �Night Trunks,� she replied, smiling fondly at her brother as he left. Then she took a deep breath, released it slowly and put the phone to her ear. �Hello?� �Hey Aiden. It�s Gohan.� The sound of his smooth deep voice laced with concern immediately relaxed her and brought a shy smile to her face. �I know. Why didn�t you stay for supper?� �Well�Goten and I thought it would be a good idea to give you guys some time alone after what happened. Are you okay?� �I�m fine now,� she replied. Leaning back against her pillows she tucked her legs under the thick comforter. �I probably should have seen it coming.� �Why do you say that?� �I�ve been my mother�s slave since the day I was old enough to understand the concept of hard work. I was a fool to think she�d let me off that easy.� �You�re not a fool Aiden.� �I felt like one today,� she grumbled, sinking further into her pillows. �After all you and dad taught me I should have been able to stand up to her easily.� �Considering the situation I�m not surprised that you reacted the way you did. When someone�s traumatized at a young age by something it tends to stick with them for a long time�no matter how hard they try to bury it.� Aiden turned onto her side and looked out the window, wondering if Gohan was doing the same. She wished he was there with her instead of miles away. �Have you ever�been through something really awful before Gohan?� He was silent for a long moment before speaking. �There was one time when I was younger. I watched my father sacrifice himself to save the world. It�s not as bad as what you went through�but it was really hard to deal with. And even though I know he�s one of the strongest guys alive every time he goes out to fight�I get really worried that I�ll never see him again.� �Oh Gohan, I�m so sorry.� �Then there was this other time I had to sit still for hours while some crazy old guy with a thing for Bulma danced in a circle around me. That was pretty traumatizing.� His obvious attempt to lighten the mood of their conversation worked and Aiden giggled. �I�m going to assume that asking questions would be a bad idea.� Gohan chuckled on the other end. �Yeah it would. So did Trunks say when we�re leaving tomorrow night?� �Well he suggested that we go out to eat first. Then there was that haunted house so I�m going to guess 7�7:30. Somewhere around there. �Okay. So what are you going to be?� �If I told you I�d have to kill you,� she teased. �Then you�d be out of a date tomorrow night.� Aiden�s breath stilled. Her heart, only minutes ago beating steadily, now pounded in a quick tatoo against her ribs. �So you�re my date now?� she asked, cringing at the sound of her overly hopeful voice. �Well�ahh�I guess. But hey, I�ll see you tomorrow okay?� �Okay.� Aiden smiled. �Goodnight Gohan.� �Good night Aiden.� Hanging up the phone she flipped onto her other side and placed it on the bedside table. Minutes later she was asleep, dreaming of the man she would be going on her first ever date with tomorrow night. *~* Halloween Night *~* �This is Halloween, this is Halloween, pumpkins scream in the dead of night,� Aiden sang cheerfully, accompanying the voices on the TV as she sat on the edge of her bed helping her brother with his costume. She had popped �The Nightmare Before Christmas� into the VCR so that she could watch it as she worked tediously to perfect Trunks� look. �So is this a movie about Halloween�or Christmas?� Trunks asked from his on the floor at the end of the bed. So far he looked like absolute hell. One eye was extremely black and blue, a long, jagged gash ran the length of his face from temple to jaw and an intricate array of tattoos covered half of his exposed chest and his left arm. In the middle of applying another fake tattoo Aiden glanced up at the screen. �It�s iffy,� she said. �Kind of like some of these tattoos. A few of these are kind of girly Trunks.� �Just the small ones!� he yelped defensively. �The bigger ones are pretty cool though.� He riffled through a stack of fake tattoos and pulled out a large sheet with a Celtic design scrawled boldly across it. He handed it to Aiden. �You can�t use this one,� she said, taking it from him and setting it beside her. �You�re supposed to be a biker. Tough bikers that just got the crap kicked out of them in a barroom brawl don�t have Celtic tattoos. Hand me the one with the snake and skull.� Halfway through the movie Trunks� costume was complete. He was convincingly tattooed and bruised. He was dressed from head to foot in black leather. A pair of chaps were worn covered his blue jeans and hung over his steel toed boots and a vest barley covered his bare chest. �You�re going to freeze,� Aiden muttered as she tied an authentic Harley bandana around his head and moved in front of him, adjusting it. Trunks grinned down at her. �I�ll be fine mom. Besides, we�re going to be inside most of the night.� �You think they�ll even let us into the restaurant?� She reached up and ran the pad of her thumb gently beneath his eye, smudging his bruise colored makeup. She hated to admit it but she was actually very good at creating believable bruises. She had seen enough of them to know the exact shades that were needed to make a fake bruise look real. Trunks went to the mirror at her vanity to see what he looked like once she was finished. �Of course they�ll let us in. With your costume I�ll bet we even get seated first if there�s a wait.� He caught her dirty look reflected in the mirror and laughed. �I�m just saying sis. Hey.� Turning to face her he glanced worriedly at her tail. �Thought about what you�re going to do with that yet?� �I was just going to leave it,� she said as she wrapped the furry appendage around her waist. �It is, after all, Halloween.� �Milkin� it for all it�s worth Ms. Briefs?� he asked, using her newly acquired last name. �You�re damn right I am Mr. Briefs. Now out.� She grabbed his arm, carefully avoiding the tattoos and started to drag him towards the door. �I have to start getting ready if we�re ever going to get out of here.� �Alright. See you downstairs!� The door closed behind him, leaving Aiden alone in her room. Well, not really alone. Mr. Oogie Boogie was serenading her from the television. Slowly turning her gaze to her bed Aiden stared down at her costume and swallowed hard. �What are you going to do?� a captive, overly chubby Santa asked on the TV. Aiden sucked up her courage and said in a low voice, mimicking Mr. Oogie Boogie, �I�m gonna do the best I can.� *~*~* Downstairs, watching TV and enjoying the rare peace and quiet Vegeta lounged on the couch, his feet propped up on the table and crossed at the ankles. He held up the remote and was about to change the channel when Goku, Gohan and Goten all appeared in front of him, blocking the TV. �Ever tried knocking Kakarott?� he growled, his usual scowl deepening. Goku only grinned and said, �Happy Halloween to you too Vegeta. Doing anything tonight?� �Yes,� the Saiyan Prince snapped. �Not that it�s any of your business but I�m going to be training. You�re presence just reminded me of that fact.� He stood abruptly and left the room passing Trunks on his way out. �Hey guys!� the lavender haired Saiyan greeted them as he vaulted over the couch, taking the spot his father had just vacated. �You�re early. Nice costumes�but�Goten what the hell are you supposed to be?� �You can�t tell?� The younger Son, dressed in a suit and wearing a bowtie spun around and gave Trunks a winning grin. �Here�s a hint. Mom would kill me if she knew what I was.� �Yeah�and that really narrows it down,� Trunk muttered with a roll of his eyes. �And I have no clue. Enlighten me.� �He�s a Chippendale,� Bulma cried, walking in the room. �Oh, Goten you�re right. You�re mom would have killed you!� Goten smirked and rubbed the back of his neck, a slight blush staining his cheeks. �Yeah�but think of all the chicks that�ll love it.� Gohan, dressed up in camouflage pants, combat boots and a mass amount of green, black and brown war paint shook his head. �I tried to talk him out of it but he said it was either this or Hercule.� �Well guys. You have fun. Be responsible and don�t worry about being home early. I�ll take care of Chichi.� Goku gave each of his sons a hug, making Gohan�s as quick as possible so as to avoid having war paint smeared on him, and then held his fingers to his forehead. �Bye Bulma!� �See you later Goku!� The blue haired woman said, waving at him. Once he was gone she took a seat next to her son on the couch and gave him a quick once over. �Very nice. Did Aiden help you with the makeup?� Trunk nodded. �She did all of it.� �That was sweet of her. So is there any way I can talk you guys into wearing more or is your only intent to impress the women?� �We�re two single guys mom. What do you think?� �I think you�re lucky to have a mom like me who�s going to let you get away with this.� She looked up at Gohan. �What about you kid? You trying to impress somebody? I thought Videl wasn�t going to be back until next month sometime?� Goten laughed and nudged his brother. �He�s trying to impress somebody all right but it sure as hell isn�t Videl!� Bulma looked back and forth between the two, feeling a sharp pang of sympathy for Gohan. She understood perfectly well that the young Saiyan was very attracted to Aiden and the fact that he was still with Videl, someone who Bulma was pretty sure Aiden knew nothing about, didn�t exactly make matters better. If anything should transpire between Aiden and Gohan the poor guy was going to be in a lot of trouble unless he told the other woman in his life about it before it was too late. �Bulma�don�t give me that look,� Gohan said kindly. �I understand what you�re thinking�but you don�t have to worry, really.� Bulma smiled. �I know hun. But I just don�t want to see anyone hurt.� �You won't. I promise I�� His voice suddenly died away and he forgot how to speak. He forgot how to think even. All he could do was stare at the vision walking into the room and try to control the sudden animalistic urges that screamed to be released. Aiden, never given to looking incredibly provocative, was doing just that. Her long legs were incased in a pair of thigh high leather boots and black fishnet stockings. She wore a pair of incredibly short leather shorts and an electric blue satin bodice that emphasized every part of her that had begun to grow now that she was getting the food she needed. Ever curve was accented and her breasts swelled enticingly above the low neckline. On her head rested a black leather Ivy cap, emphasizing her dark penciled eyes and full red lips. �Gohan�you�re drooling,� Goten whispered beside him. �Am not,� he shot back, unconsciously lifting a hand to his mouth. Seeing the reaction of the two Trunks spun around and gave a low whistle. �Damn Aiden! That�s the costume Goten helped you pick out?� Aiden blushed, a small smile curving her lips as she slowly walked into the room. �Yeah. He said I would make a perfect Pussy Cat Doll and�well�he�s really convincing.� �And she pulled it off nicely too!� Goten said, looking smug. �You look great Aiden.� �Thank you.� Pushing off the couch, Trunks stood up and stretched his tattooed arms above his head. �So what do you say guys? Should we get this party started?� [ Previous | Next Chapter ] |