| Trunks suddenly found himself on the ground, Vegeta pinning him with one hand cinched around his throat. �Vegeta. Why do you always call me that rather then �Father�? Because you refuse to allow yourself to get close enough for my death to affect you. Yes I love her! More than you�d like to believe. She, Bulma, refused to allow me to stay with her because it�s only a matter of time before someone kills me!� Something wet landed on Trunk�s cheek and ran to the ground. Vegeta was crying. �I�d dive into the maw of Hell for her, for my children. I�ve never had love and I refuse to let it go now. I will gladly slit my own throat for her, for you, for this planet (because that bastard, Kakarroto showed me how beautiful it all was). We all die, Trunks, it�s only a matter of time and she died for you! How dare you dishonor her?!� �Because I don�t know how to love. I never had time to learn to love anyone, not Gohan, not Mother! Where were you to save us then, Vegeta?! Why did you force me to become a warrior when I was only a baby? You died and no one was there to save her.� �Don�t forget that you almost died yourself. I may have vanished but then you were there. You could�ve saved her, boy!� �Stop. Calling. Me. Boy!� The two rolled over the cliff edge, grappling with each other. They hit the water like it was an icy wall. Vegeta released his son and hung in the water, eyes blazing and skin pale. Trunks allowed himself to sink, slowly exhaling and watching the silver bubbles escape to the surface. With an inward growl, Vegeta grabbed a fistful of the man�s jacket and kicked to the surface. He pounded him on the back and Trunks coughed. �Why are you doing this, Trunks? Did she raise you this way? You insist on killing yourself. It�s too easy.� The next thing Trunks knew, Vegeta had dropped him on a sandy beach. He winced as his father�s next words rang in his head. �How many scars can a man have? Wake up and see those around you. We can�t live this way, Trunks. I know, I�ve felt it before.� �I should�ve died with her,� he whispered, sitting up. �Trunks!� The man looked at his father, startled. Vegeta had been using his name for some time now. �Bulma died so that you might live, that�s why she sent you back here. Don�t give up so easily, Trunks. You�ve always been a warrior and a fighter. Now you must live and honor her.� Vegeta�s voice was decidedly soft. Trunks sighed and looked down at the sand, eyes burning with tears. He heard Vegeta approach him through the warm sand. The saiya-jin�s knees popped, the only marked appearance of his age. He lifted Trunk�s face to look him in the eyes. �If you really don�t know what love is, Trunks, you have no reason to live. But you�ve got mine-- I wouldn�t have done this otherwise. Don�t kill yourself.� �Why not?� Vegeta gave him a true smile, tired as it obviously was. �Because� I�d be sad.� He stood and left his son to stare after him in shock as he blasted away. Only about fifteen minutes later, he landed at the Capsule Corporation HQ and entered through the kitchen as he usually did. Bulma glanced up from her cooking and smiled an acknowledgment to his entry. �Dinner�s in fifteen.� He remained in the doorway, leaning against the frame with his arms folded, watching her. He was grateful that he�d died before her in Mirai�s time. The thought of losing her was sickening to him. Bulma felt his eyes on her and looked at him, concerned. �Vegeta? Are you alright?� The man nodded but didn�t speak. Casting his unusual scrutiny into her mind as a random fluke, Bulma went back to her cooking. Vegeta finally rose from his reclining and passed through the empty kitchen behind her. �I�ll get Trunks.� She stopped him from leaving the kitchen, �Vegeta.� �Hm?� He looked at her questioningly. �How was Mirai?� �Better, I hope.� He masked his surprise by replying, he had not told her that Trunks had tried to kill himself before and he hadn�t informed her were he was going but didn�t question her notice of the behavior of her son. She could read both Trunks� in an instant. �He�ll be fine, I�m sure.� She could also read Vegeta�s moods before he could get angry or dangerous. It seemed to extend to his fears too. Bulma returned to her cooking and Vegeta passed through the house to find his younger son and call him to dinner. ~Fin~ |