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Um, hello ^_^ (Peeks at the angry mob with torches and pitch forks) How are you?  Before you kills me I do have a little gift for you.  I’ve started writing again.  I have a lot more time on my hands since I feel better and.. well.. my job fired me.  Oh don’t worry about it, I’ll be okay.  So what I’ll be broke for a little bit but all is well that ends well.  I hope you forgive me for being so stagnant.

Disclaimer: My parents said they will buy me Dragonball/ Z/GT, as well as, the publishing rights to Alanis Morrisette’s "Uninvited" and *Nsync’s "Just the Two of Us". But then again, they are habitual liars.

"…" is spoken; *…* is thoughts; **** is telepathic conversation; #### is flashbacks; ><><>< is the song

 

 

Bulma came down the stairs once she heard Trunks yell the limo was waiting for them.  As she came down she noticed her husband’s face was more stern than normal.  When she walked past him she asked in a slightly apathetic voice,

“What’s wrong with you?”  She half expected Vegeta to start moaning about going to the dinner party tonight as he did with all formal events.  She was slightly surprised when he stood in front of her, placed his hand on her shoulder, and said clairvoyantly,

*********************

“Have you noticed your children today? Answer me back mentally.”  She frowned slightly as she looked in her husband’s eyes and answered,

“No, not since the meeting this morning.  Is something wrong with them?”  The man smirked slightly and responded,

“They’re a little different since that time.  You will see what I mean tonight.”

***********************

 Just at that moment Trunks walked into the foyer and smiled at his mother. He came over and kissed her on the cheek and said,

“Hi mom.  You look beautiful.”  Bulma smiled and said,

“Thank you!  You’re in a cheerful mood, something good happen?”  Trunks smiled as he looked at his parents and said,

“You could say that.”, then walked to the stairwell.  Bulma watched her oldest child walk away with a spark in his eyes that he hadn’t had in such a long time.

 

*Well son, whatever has you so happy makes me happy.*

 

Vegeta heard his wife’s thought and speak out loud,

“I wouldn’t be so sure.”, then walked outside to the limo.  Bulma looked at Vegeta’s retreat form and decided to disregard his last remark.  When she turned around she saw Bra coming down the stairs and smiled.

“Honey, you look adorable!  I haven’t seen you dress like that since you were fifteen!”  Bra frowned at her mother’s remark and said in a more churlish tone than she intended, making her sound like a female version of her father,

“Mother, I really don’t feel like hearing how ‘cute’ I look. Please excuse me but I’m just not in the mood.  I am only going to this event because Videl happens to be a close family friend.”  She cut her eyes to her brother and proceeded out the door to join her father in the car that awaited them.  Bulma looked at her daughter then back at her son and wondered if his happiness was the cause of Bra’s anger. 

 

*I’ll find out what’s going on between these two.  It’s got to be something very important for Vegeta to say something about it.*

 

She headed towards the door and said to Trunks,

“Trunks, everyone is outside.  Let’s go.”  When she didn’t get a response from her son, she turned around to find him looking dreamily up the stairs.  She followed his line of sight only to see an extremely beautiful young lady at the top.  She watched the woman step down the stairs gracefully as she looked directly at Trunks with the same expression. Bulma smiled and said to herself,

 

*Oh, so that’s why he’s so happy.  New girlfriend.*

 

As the young woman came closer, Bulma gasped as she realized that the woman was none other than Pan.  She stepped closer and said in a breathless voice,

“Panny?  Oh my, you look, gorgeous!!!” Pan blushed faintly and said in a soft voice,

“Thanks Bulma.  You look great also.”  Pan then laced her arm in Trunks and started out the door with the man in tow.  Bulma slowly followed, watching her son and you best friend’s granddaughter walk to a completely different limo from the one she, Vegeta and Bra were riding in.  Then, like a ton of bricks, she made the realization that Pan and Trunks were actually acting like a couple.  As she walked to her limo she thought to herself,

 

*Why do we always have to find out the shocking things right as a party is going on.  Dende’ please help keep Gohan and Vegeta from killing Trunks and Pan, or anyone for that fact, tonight.*

 

Goten walked over to his parent’s house to pick them up for the party.  As his enter his childhood home, he heard his mother yelling at his father about something.  He learned soon after Goku had returned from the other world after their fight with Buu that his parent’s ‘arguments’ weren’t always arguments.  Like Bulma and Vegeta, they seemed to have a certain flare for verbal sparring, at least his mother did.  He figured his father went along with it because it resembled battle to some extent, he never really thought to ask him.

 

He sat in the living room and mindlessly flipped through the channels on the television and purposely ignored his parent’s fussing, that is until he heard his name.  Goten lowered the volume on the set and listened in on his parents’ conversation.

 

“Goku, something’s wrong with him and I know you know!  So spill it!”

“He’s a grown man ChiChi!!!  If he wants you to know his problems he will tell you.  Besides I never said I knew what was bothering him.”

“You said you spoke to him at Bulma’s house and that he seemed stressed!  You’re telling me that you saw the anguish your son was going through and never thought to ask him what was wrong?!?”

“Look, I spoke to him and he said he was going through a stressful time.  I didn’t feel the need to pressure him into telling me his problems.  If he needs help, he knows he can come to us.  Babe, stop freaking out over it.  Like I said, he’s a grown man and knows how to take care of himself.”  Goten heard his mother sigh in defeat and say,

“Goten never keeps anything from me.  I’m just worried his got himself into something he can’t get out of.  He and Gohan are going to drive me crazy.”

“What has Gohan done?”

“He called screaming something about Pan.  I tell you, you’d think the girl was the devil’s spawn the way he reacts about her sometimes.”

“Let me guess, Trunks did something like bought her a car or something like that.”

“I don’t know.  He should realize those two are friends, nothing more, nothing less.”

 

Goten sighed and leaned back into the crouch.  He stopped listening in on the conversation once he figured he wasn’t the major factor of their conversation.  He closed his eyes and thought,

 

*Dad won’t be able to keep this bond shit a secret from mom too much longer if she’s already pressuring him.  I really gotta find a way to break this.  Maybe he can help, since he already knows.*

 

Goten opened his eyes just in time to see Goku come down the stairs dressed in his new tuxedo.  He looked at his father and smiled, showing he liked the way the suit fit.  Goku in turn held his arms out and turned to model the expensive outfit his youngest son bought for him.

 

“Very sheik dad.  Very sheik.”  Goku smiled and said,

“Thanks!  I must admit, you do have good taste in clothes.”  Goten stood and said in a jokingly tone,

“I guess I got that from mom.”  From the top of the stairs ChiChi said,

“That for sure.  Your dad couldn’t match socks to save his life.”  Goku looked up at his wife and said,

“Hey, that’s mean!!!”  As ChiChi came down the stairs, she walked over to her husband and pat him on the belly as she retorted,

“The truth isn’t always nice.  You know that.”  Goten shook his head as he head towards the door and said,

“Come guys, we’re running late as is.” 

 

As the three exited the house, Goku asked his son clairvoyantly,

*********************

“So did Vegeta find out?”

“No.  He still believes we were just sparring.”

“You know, you two won’t be able to hide this much longer.  Everyone’s bound to find out, I mean you and Bra are probably having a hard enough time just staying away from each other now.”  Goten looked at his father and replied mentally,

“Dad, honestly, me and Bra don’t want this and hopefully we will find some way  to break this bond.”  Goku looked at his son as he helped his son in the car and said,

“Son, I don’t think that’s possible.”  Goten looked at his father and said,

“Dad, you of all people should know anything’s possible.”

*********************

 

Vegeta looked directly at his daughter as Bulma chattered about things he couldn’t possibly find interesting.  Bra nodded absently as she half listened to her mother and purposely tried to avoid looking at him.

 

*Girl, you think you are so clever.*

 

After a couple of minutes Bra turned to her father and said in an aggravated tone,

“What dad?”  Vegeta smirked and said in a uncharacteristically innocent voice.

“What Bra?”  Bra frowned and said,

“You’ve been staring at me since we got in the car. Is there something you want?”  Vegeta leaned back into seat and said,

“as a matter of fact there is, why were you sparring with Goten this afternoon?”  Bulma looked from Vegeta to Bra and asked in an upset tone,

“You went sparring when you should’ve  been working?!?  Bra, I’m not going to deal with you sneaking off too!  Trunks just stopped doing it!”  Bra rolled her eyes and said in a malevolent tone to her parents,

“FYI mother, he still does it.  You just don’t know about it because I cover for him.  Today, he was paying back one of the many favors he owes me!,” she turned directly to her father and continued,  “Now as for me sparring with Goten, why not?!?  He’s my friend just as much as Trunks is Pan’s friend and he doesn’t try to beat the hell out of me when we spar!”  Vegeta frowned and said in a forceful voice,

“First thing, you will control your tone and maintain the honor of your parents!  Just because you are able to run your mother’s company doesn’t give you the right to disrespect either one of us!  Second thing, I have every right to ask you why you were sparring with him when he brings you back unconscious!  And if you haven’t noticed, your brother and your best friend are more than friends these days.  Is that the same with you and Goten?!?”  Bra’s eyes almost bulged out of her head when her father asked her that question.

 

*Oh gosh!!!  Does he know!!!  Goku did you tell him?*

 

“NO!!! Me and Goten are just friends!!!  Why would you even ask me that!”  Vegeta’s eyes narrowed as he watched his daughter blatantly lie to him but remanded silent. Bulma looked from Bra to Vegeta and back to Bra.  She watched the two have a staring contest with neither party wavering one bit.  She decided to break the strained silence and said,

“Vegeta, you know Bra and Goten aren’t like Trunks and Pan.  They’re more like brother/ sister than boyfriend/girlfriend.”  Bra raised an eyebrow and said as a sign to her mother’s statement,

“Exactly!”  Vegeta humphed under his breath and turned his head breaking the stare-down.

 

*She thinks she’s going to be able to lie her way out of this huh?  Well Bra, you may have your mother fooled but I’m not her.*

 

Bra mimicked her father’s actions and thought to herself,

 

*Kami please let this night go smoothly.  First thing tomorrow morning, me and Goten are going to find the dragonballs to break this crap and make everyone forget the events.*

 

The three Briefs sat in the car silence the rest of the way to the dinner party.  Bulma occasionally looked from her husband to her daughter wondering what was going on.  From time to time Vegeta caught his wife stealing looks at him and humphed.  Once the driver announced that they had arrived to the banquet hall, Bra practically tore the car door off trying to get out of the car.  Vegeta and Bulma slowly followed.  On the way inside Bulma asked her husband,

“Vegeta, what’s going on with Bra?  She temperamental but not like this.”  Vegeta looked over to his wife and said,

“Just watch her tonight and you will understand.”

 

Goku, ChiChi, and Goten arrived at the banquet hall right after Vegeta, Bulma, and Bra.  As Goten got out of the car, he immediately spotted his unlikely mate.  He could easily tell she was upset although she wore a warm smile on her face.  He sighed thinking she was still upset over there little bickering match they had earlier and said telepathically,

********************

“What’s wrong with you.”

“Goten, I don’t want to argue right now.  I think my dad knows about us.” 

**********************

Goten immediately started to go into a panic and said out loud,

“He what!!!  But how!!!”  ChiChi and Goku quickly turned to their youngest son wondering what his outburst was about.  ChiChi looked at him and said in a hushed voice,

“Please don’t tell me I have to treat you like a little kid and smack you!”  Goten looked over to his infuriated mother and said,

“Sorry mom.  It won’t happen again.”  As the three started to walk into the elaborate hall  Bra continued her conversation with Goten.

 

************************

“Real smooth Sherlock!!!  While you’re at it why don’t you scream we’re bonded!!!”

“Sorry.  Are you sure he knows about us?”

“Not quite but he keeps asking what were you and I doing.”

“Oh man, I’m going to die.  I just know it.”

************************

By this time Bra and Goten were standing in front of one another and stopped their clairvoyant conversation.  Goten looked at the woman and gasped at how pretty she looked.  Bra heard his thoughts and blushed profusely.

“Thank you.  You look good yourself.”  She eyed the man up and down willing herself not to tackle him.  Goten in turn blushed hearing her thoughts about him.  Both quickly remembered they didn’t want to be together and turned away from each other and went their separate ways.

 

Across the room, two women looked at their youngest children with an odd expression.  Bulma looked over to ChiChi and asked,

“What the hell was that?”  ChiChi shrugged her shoulders and said,

“You got me.  I’ve never seen to people walk mindlessly to each other, stand there, blush, then walk away.”  Bulma shook her head and said,

“That girl’s getting weird.”

“So is my son Bulma.”

 

So was that good enough?  You’ll let me live?  Oh Thank you!!!!  The only thing I ask is that you review.  Thank you!!!

NaCoBe