The Perfect Gift
By Dark Hope Assassin
Bulma had been banging with her balled fist against the door of the Gravity Chamber for quite some time before she gave up with an angry huff. If neither her son nor husband wanted to open it up on her, then she was fine with it. It was they who were missing out on a great soup she had just cooked and was currently steaming on the stove… It had a fishy smell though, but she managed her best to ignore it… outside the kitchen.
She plodded across the large lawn and—recognizing defeat when it was much too obvious not to recognize—the human knew she had to go back inside and throw the hellish liquid out first thing upon entering.
Just as she was setting off to put her noble plan in action, a gale of wind started howling loudly around her, making her hair whip furiously around her porcelain coloured face. She barely managed to hold her ground. Her eyes were clenched tightly shut as her soft lavender tresses flew to her face and threatened them. Finally, when the wind stopped, she heard a hatch open and her lids uncovered her sapphire orbs so she could see her future son come out of his time machine, packing it into a handy capsule after leaving.
The woman squealed in delight and threw herself on his neck excitedly.
"Oh, Trunks! You came back to see us again! I'm so happy you're here! Oh! Wait till I tell Mum and Dad! They're both going to be so excited!"
The powerful machines of the Gravity Chamber immediately shut down and loud cursing could be heard from the innards of the dome even though it was hermetically shut. A small ten year-old boy ran out of it and looked around vigorously, as if his pants had been set on fire.
"Did anyone call my name?" He began looking enthusiastically around and spotted his mother and a tall lavender haired man who had his arm around her neck and she had her own scrawny-looking arms compared to his tightly embraced around the youth's thick neck. The boy let out a raw yell of anger and pointed an accusatory finger at the stranger. "Are you trying to make my Mum cheat on my Dad? Why, you—Dad! Dad! Come quickly!" The boy ran inside the Gravity Room again. "Mum is going to be lured into cheating on you! Come on, quickly, quickly!"
The two separated but the woman still looked her son – well, not quite her son, but what hers was to turn into – proudly. He had grown into a handsome and strong young man. He seemed even more muscular than the last time she had seen him. His hair was very short, not reaching down his ears and he wore a black Capsule Corp. jacket this time with a black muscle shirt under it. His smile beamed brightly at her. She could judge by the light in his eyes that things had turned out quite alright in his time.
"Hey… Bulma." He stopped himself before he had stated a wrong fact. His mother was still in the future, waiting for him, unaware of his sudden visit… which only brought him back to the matter at hand, the reason for his appearance.
Bulma smiled up at him as well. She missed this boy really much… She wanted to know so many things about him and about the situation around him after he had returned to the future. She wondered how her future self was pulling through all of the things that had certainly happened… and without the man she loved, nonetheless… Although she had the proof that her husband truly cared for her and their family given just barely half a year ago, she was certain that the doubts eating on Mirai Bulma were ten times worse than the ones she had had to live with…
"Leave me alone, boy; if you're so eager to ditch training, just leave and let me train in peace, under—" But his words were abruptly put to a halt as he spotted the lavender haired boy with his mate. His expression turned blank as the two locked their gazes. Trunks looked at his father, then to the stranger, back to his father then back to the stranger as if he was watching a live table tennis play. He was certain he was missing something but everyone seemed far too consumed in whatever they were doing to bother with explaining things to him.
"Hello, Vegeta," he greeted nonchalantly. The other man just nodded at him and returned to the Gravity Chamber, locking his son out. That was everything the boy had waited for the entire day. Free from any training today, yay! After all, his father might not be exactly the same brute in the Gravity Chamber after the final showdown with Boo, but that didn't mean that he wasn't just as mean during trainings…
"Come on, Trunks; let's get inside so you tell me what happened! I cannot wait to hear it all! Oh, and spare no words to describe! Darling, where are you going? Weren't you training with your father?" Bulma asked her son. The child pouted up at her, his adorable childish lower lip fuller than the other sticking out so cutely.
"You just told me to—"
"Oh, no, I wasn't talking to you, honey. Oh, that's right, I forgot. Trunks, this is Mirai Trunks, the boy from the future that I have told you about." Bulma explained to her offspring. The kid looked up at the towering youth by him and flashed him a smirk that much resembled his father's. The other youth just gave the small boy a heart-warming smile. The two of them were so different, even by gestures as simple as that.
"Oh, yeah, sure," chibi Trunks shrugged and directed himself towards the Son household. He stopped in mid-air as he was about to fly off. "Mum, may I go over to Goten's, please?" He remembered the last fight he had with his mother about his sudden leavings without telling anyone where he was off to. She didn't seem to care about the fact his father could monitor his ki at any time and could find him no matter if the two decided even to hide. The woman nodded and he was out of eye-sight in a matter of seconds.
"Who's Goten?" the boy from the future inquired, interested. The woman shook her lavender head and pulled him inside the house. It was going to be a long conversation, she could already tell with a smile tugging on her lips…
After an hour and a half of conversing, both sides had learnt quite much about the continuation of each other's paths.
Mirai Trunks found out that by the time of the Cell games, ChiChi had been pregnant with another boy, whom she had called Goten after his birth. She was taking care of both her sons and her husband in the same house that she lived in the future as well, in which she had lived in since forever. He also found out that the small boy whom he met out there was Bulma and Vegeta's son, also known as him, and that Bulma had prohibited Vegeta from training chibi Trunks before he had turned five, since her husband had demanded to begin his training the first day he made a step on his own. There was nothing really changed in the Briefs household. It was just the way he remembered it… It was such a cozy and lively place… full of childish laughter…
Bulma, on the other hand, found out that after his returning, Trunks had immediately sought out both androids and Cell and had destroyed them. Her future self and him had started the reconstruction of the city the very same day and by the time of the two years that have passed in the future time line, they have rebuilt the whole world that had been devastated by the androids. Trunks commented that it was not really surprising how many people were willing to work in the name of the rebuilding of their houses to occur faster.
She also found out that her future self was not really all that happy for regaining her 'old' life. As much as that was possible without Vegeta, she remarked in her mind.
Even now, she couldn't consider continuing her life without him. Yes, he was still the arrogant Prince he was. Yes, he still hadn't said The Three Words, but he was there for her. Even though they frequently fought, she loved him and—no matter how hard he tried to deny it and would never admit himself to such a thing even to himself—his actions spoke for him and his inexistent words that he did too love her more than anything before in his life. He had a strong connection to her as she did to him that neither wanted to ever be broken. They were separated most time of the day, but they were together at night when they made up for both their busy schedules. She wasn't really alright with the idea of Trunks' harsh and hard training that his father was pulling on him, but she knew quite well that if another thing such as Buu ever occurred again, her child would be one of the warriors that were to stop the monster from destroying their home planet. She knew her husband would never hurt his own child, his 'heir', as he liked to call him.
While her future self probably had no time to feel such a devotion to her husband, she was still very sure that the bare idea that they probably were still in a fight before he had died was killing the future Bulma. She could only try to imagine how many things she had have left to say later, when she thought that he would come back and they would clear the situation up, for the sake of their child… She knew that her future self, as she, would never submit herself to anyone without loving them, let alone give birth to a child…
"You told me many things about your family, but you told me nothing about Chi. How is she doing? How's she pulling with Gohan's death?" She directed the conversation in a different way since the topic of his mother seemed to cause grief to take over the lively cerulean eyes of the teen. Yet the one she chose seemed to have the same impact on him.
"Since she lived all alone and refused to come to Capsule Corp with me and mother, she lived in her own little nightmare for a year or so… Then she had breast cancer found and she passed away last summer." He spoke slowly. The subject welled up emotions he was obviously trying to suppress for the last months.
Bulma had no idea how to react. She would have never thought such a strong person as ChiChi would contract such a disease… Her voice got caught up in her throat and she imagined what it was to Mirai Trunks to lose ChiChi, who had even endured the android attack… And then to have her slip between his fingers to some nasty human sickness… it was just not fair…
"I'm sorry…" she muttered guiltily, mostly to herself than anything else. The boy shook his head. A silence was brought over the couple when the door to the living room slammed shut and Vegeta entered the room, showered and smelling of the tangerine shower gel Bulma had brought for him—against which he had heatedly objected but he hadn't been given a say.
"Why did you come here boy? To warn us of some other monsters we should take care of before it's too late again?" he inquired sarcastically, taking a sip of his soda can. Bulma smiled apologetically at her son from the future. Vegeta still hadn't got over the boy's depart.
"No," the youth replied shortly and clearly. "I have a problem that I need some help with. If—of course—that isn't a problem;" he added hastily.
"Why don't you talk to some of your future friends about it instead of bothering us again?" Well, let's just say that was the Vegeta way of saying 'welcome again, son, we all missed you really much'. How complicated this language was, now wasn't it? But Bulma knew the reasons for her husband's behaviour all too well. When Trunks first left for the future, Vegeta had a hard time getting over the fact he would never see the boy again. No matter what he said or did, she was sure he was proud of Mirai Trunks, very proud. And he would truly miss him as the two had spent a whole year alone in the Room of Spirit and Time. He had certainly grown devoted to the boy for such a long time…
"I have no friends in the future who can help me with such a matter and I really need some help from the two of you." The young man ignored completely the insulting tone his 'father' used at him and caught both their attentions with his statement.
"A gift for you mother? How hard can that possibly be?" Bulma exclaimed amazed. She had never been hard to please and she was quite sure that her character in the future couldn't be all that different. But the boy shook his head dejectedly at her.
"I don't want to give her just anything. I want to make her a perfect gift, something that will truly make her smile!" he explained, his voice lost.
"What do you mean 'will truly make her smile'? I doubt she doesn't smile at you. I must be one hell of a bitch in the future not to smile proudly at such a great son!" The cerulean eyed female demonstrated.
"Well, she does smile at me… But she is never sincere… It's not the smile I used to see on your face, for an example… And since she cut her hair a little shorter, she's not much different than you… And just… I don't know… It seems like—…"
"—A part of her is missing; you're right." Bulma continued where he left off with a heavy sigh. "I don't know either, Trunks… If that's the topic, I really have no idea what might make her smile to the fullest. But I could try to make something especially for her, if you'd like…" she continued. The male smiled slightly and nodded at her.
"Thank you, Bulma… That's really kind of you."
Meanwhile Vegeta shook his head and exited the room, surprised how these earthlings could be so sentimental yet so blind at the same time. And that was what dared label himself a son of his… and the son of a genius… God forbid!
Meanwhile, somewhere in the future...
The lavender haired aging woman rested her back against the bed post. She found her son's bed untouched the night before and today it was the same thing. The time machine was also missing and she could easily put two and two together. Though she shrugged the topic off with another sigh and directed herself to the kitchen to have a cup of water.
The day was nearing… A day she had grown to truly despise for the passed years… Twenty-two of them, to be exact… Twenty-two years since she had started to live alone… Sure, Trunks was there as well, he was the only person for her to live because of; otherwise she would've given up long, long ago. She could be strong, but those efforts, the ones to stay alive under the androids' repetitive attacks… It was inhuman to ask to live during those times… She had survived though, and her son had too. But she was still as alone as ever… She slept in a double bed on her own. There was no other warmth than hers under the bed covers… There was no body next to her to hug, to snuggle into through the long winter nights… no comforting frame next to her to calm her when she started getting paranoid…
She sighed looking at the picture by her bed after she had returned from the kitchen with the glass of water for a few minutes now, spacing out. Her sickeningly pale hand reached under the bed and pulled out a photo of her holding Trunks in hands with Vegeta having his hands crossed over his chest, glaring daggers at her mother who was shooting the photo of the three of them. Tears welled up her eyes and she rested the object against the soft mattress of the bed.
Why did he have to die…? Why did he have to leave…? Why did he abandon her, why…?
Present, Capsule Corporation, Dinner time…
Bulma had invited all of the Z-team members over to dinner. She had a hard time convincing Vegeta to join the table, but after whispering something in his ear he was more than compliant.
There was a huge commotion around the Capsule Corp household as the group of people was truly enormous, but all of them were eager to meet with Trunks again.
The youth was ready to kill when he had caught a glimpse of Juuhachigou's blonde tresses, but Krillin had assured him everything was okay. That was when the young man saw their daughter and everything cleared to him. As hard as it was to him, he offered Juuhachi a hand that she shook indifferently in her own as she sat on a chair by the rich table.
It was a wonderful night to the boy. He swelled with pride as he saw how all of the people present were happy to see him, wanted to talk to him about everything, wanted to know how he was doing and what he was planning for his future. He decided not to ask any of them about the reason for him to come here as he doubted any of them could give him a right advice. The only ones that he could trust with his secret mission here were Bulma, who could tell him perfectly well what she could want, and Vegeta, who also knew his wife well enough to tell him what he might take for her. Yet his past father seemed not to be so helpful on the topic and refused to do anyone 'favours', for he stated clearly that it was a fact so blinding that he was really beginning to doubt his wife's title of the World's smartest woman as well as the intellect of his future son.
When asked why he had come there, he answered that he just wanted to see everyone again. They had all accepted that without a moment to think it over. The only one that seemed to suspect something, ironically, was Goku… But as ever, the good-natured man didn't push his nose in Trunks' affairs.
The next day Mirai Trunks was almost on the verge of suicide as he could think up of nothing that would really make his mother happy. He had bought jewelry for her last Christmas, but she had just smiled the way she always did at him. And that was all. Well, yes, she had hugged him, she had kissed his cheek, she had continued to talk how good it was on her, but that was not something that he wanted to achieve. He could always go to a mall and find clothes, any kind of jewelry, buy some souvenirs or other junk, but that was clearly not what she wanted. Not what she really wanted.
What her heart, her soul, and her whole being longed for he couldn't grant. He was not his father, no matter that she probably saw the proud Saiya-jin Prince in the features of their offspring. He knew it quite well. He had caught her crying a numerous times at night after fighting over little things with him. Probably because the situation reminded her of how things with Vegeta were when he had been alive. She never really cried when the two of them really fought. They cleared things up almost immediately. The lavender haired semi Saiya-jin wondered if this she didn't do—too—because she was afraid she could lose him, Trunks, too, at any second…
In times like those, when he touched the sore topic, he couldn't help but wonder if the death of his father hadn't been the cause of her utter transformation, compared to the Bulma of present day. His mother was not as temperamental as the Bulma in this dimension and it was not because of exhaustion, that one he could assure. He had seen his mother as energetic as ever, mowing the lawn or just having an argument with a salesman at the mall. She hated to be lied to about the price of the clothes just because she was Bulma Briefs and had money to spend. She was no longer the same person she had probably been, he knew that…
A sigh escaped his lips. What could he possibly do to give her the husband she so longed for back? He couldn't cause miracles to happen…
The day when he decided to leave came… and he was leaving with empty hands… He thought of himself as a failure. He had failed his mother and everything he had believed in, and—worst of all—he lost his belief in himself. He couldn't do as much as please his mother. Last year he had made something for her, something especially for her that he spent so many days creating… but it had not been enough to bring happiness shimmer in her eyes. He couldn't do it; he just wasn't capable of it… It wasn't his place to ask of her happiness…
Bulma gave him a peck on the cheek as she gave him the small velvet box.
"This is for your mother," she explained the box and smiled warmly at him. He nodded and parted with her. Vegeta frowned sternly, in a scorning manner at him.
"I sincerely fail to believe that this isn't what you came here for. But I don't really care about your stupid earthly gift-giving customs anyway," he said looking quite bored. The youth's eye brows narrowed, but he said nothing. "But I will give her this, as I believe the day after your arrival she will need it." He offered Mirai Trunks a blood red coloured cape and went straight off towards the Gravity Chamber, without another word. Bulma had already gone off to ChiChi's as she couldn't handle long goodbyes. And especially not with this boy she didn't really want to let go of.
Collecting the Briefs family's gifts for his mother, Mirai Trunks threw the capsule that contained his time machine and hopped into it fast, closing the hatch. He was about to start the engine when he decided to check the presents by himself before he gave them to his mother. His conscience wouldn't let him rest for having opened them before her, but his curiosity would make his life Hell before the night came, as it was when he had planned to give her the presents.
He opened the velvet box and found inside the most beautiful and fine necklace he had ever seen. It was probably made of white gold and he supposed it was worth quite a lot of money. He didn't doubt Bulma was ready to give so many for such a thing, especially for the person that was his mother, and actually her future self. Well, at least, in a way it was…
His cerulean eyes opened even wider when he saw what was hidden in the folded Saiya-jin cape. It was a Dragon shaped figure made of wood. By the clumsy way it had been done the youth guessed it was his younger self's work. But it was not the Dragon that caught his attention, but the way the Dragon looked. It was like those long, snake-like dragons with what seemed thousands of pairs limbs along their body. Two words were what formed in Mirai Trunks' mind and a smile covered his face. Shen Long.
He got out of the time machine as fast as he could and, collecting it into a small pocket-sized capsule, and he flew with full speed towards the first mechanical shop he could find. He had a Dragon Ball Radar to make and Dragon Balls to collect! He thanked Dende for Vegeta's thoughtfulness in those situations. What would he do without him?
The same evening Bulma was looking out the window melancholically as she cooked something on the stove.
"I'm really sorry we couldn't help Trunks… I sure hoped we could do something for him…" she muttered sadly. Her Saiya-jin mate snorted.
"You couldn't help him. I did more than enough;" he stated haughtily and made her raise a thin eye brow at that. As much as she had heard, her husband had only given Mirai Trunks a cape that had belonged to one of his armors that she had made for him before the fight with Cell by his request and he hadn't even said a nice word to go with it. She shrugged the topic off, deciding that she shouldn't make her head ache over past things.
"Whatever you say, honey." She looked out at the stars only to find none in the sky. "Hm… That's sure strange… I didn't see any clouds up in the sky a minute ago…"
A smirk took control of the Prince's face. So, the boy had got his hint, eh? Well, maybe he wasn't that slow after all.
The teen's mouth gaped widely ajar as he watched the miraculous Dragon snake in the air as it appeared in the sky. It was majestic scenery… But a wave of warmth—of a certain exhilaration—washed over him as the voice of the Eternal Dragon resounded right into his mind without any words leaving the creature's huge mouth,
"What is your wish?"
The Future timeline, Capsule Corporation, late evening on Bulma's birthday…
The woman was pacing back and forth in the empty room. The tension could be felt in the air and sliced with a knife.
She was already worried sick about her dear son. He never dared to miss her birthday, let alone forget about it completely. She was sure that something had happened to him as he hadn't been home for two entire days. She had a billion thoughts running through her mind. When she was about to go psychotic, she could faintly hear the front door clicking gently closed down the dark unlit corridor—she hadn't even remembered to put the lights on! Her sapphire eyes pinned to the entrance of the room, she noticed her son joining her with a guilty grin on his face as he carried something in his hands. She glared heatedly at him and felt the tears creating a thin film in her eyes.
"Where were you?" She emphasized on each word in a hissing low tone. "Have you any idea how long I have waited for you? Have you any idea how worried I got about you? Don't ever do that again, do you understand me?" She didn't leave him the time to say a word. By the look on her face, Trunks decided to leave her be tonight. He would try to soothe her the next day, if she needed any soothing anyway…
He gave his mother the cape without a word. He removed himself from the room over to the stairs that lead to his chambers, throwing one last grin to his Mum from the highest step. She wondered what possibly made him so cheerful about it all… She had always thought him a responsible boy! Why, the nerve! To make her so angry, on her birthday nonetheless!
"You set a table?"
A stern manly voice spoke from behind her, making all of her senses freeze in the same instant. It was a voice that she hadn't heard in such a long time but was certain she would remember forever. A voice she only had resounding in her mind and without any hopes of hearing ever again since Piccolo had been destroyed. "I sure hope you have put something for me in there too."
Was it possible? Was it a miracle? Or maybe it was just her mind playing tricks on her…?
She hoped she was not completely insane and that she would live long enough to really live this daydream that she was probably having now…
Past, Capsule Corporation, Kitchen;
Bulma looked at the note and the Dragon Radar set on the table. She grabbed it and began reading it,
'Dad, thanks a bunch for the wood figurine! It really helped me getting my mind back as it probably flew somewhere along the lines! I really owe you some! I'll see what I can do about it some day! --Mirai Trunks'
By the time she finished reading it, she noticed her husband's head over her right shoulder and his eyes zooming over the words in his future son's beautiful penmanship.
"What was that wood figurine you gave him? And what's with the Dragon Radar?" she asked in puzzlement.
Vegeta shook his spiky-haired head and made his way towards their bedroom. The woman was really out of it this year, he deduced.
"No, really, Vegeta! Wait! I asked you something!" she yelled after him and followed suit.
Future, Capsule Corp, around midnight, Trunks' bedroom…
The youth lay on his back on the comfy bed he bought just last year and was looking through the dark at the ceiling. He had taken so much time to talk to his father, explain to him what the situation was. He had expected him to be violent, to be harsher with his words, ruder in his actions… to be more like the father he had met in the past. But there was no such thing. All he had been was quiet. He seemed thoughtful and distant… The younger Saiya-jin wondered what was on his mind, but didn't question him. His father was there, for Pete's sake! His father! His own father! Not his past self's one… He could barely believe it, let alone ruin the moment with his endless questions!
Sure, they hadn't had enough time to talk, to tell the man how much he had actually missed him… But they had all the time in the world now. Everything would be okay now… their family was whole…
He was sure his mother would be truly happy now… no regrets!
Bulma stood speechless in the still room, utterly awestruck. She couldn't help but gasp and put a hand over her mouth as she looked at her husband, who looked just the same as she remembered him leaving. He was still the very same man… His flame-like hairdo, his ebony spikes, his onyx gaze, his built form and his gorgeous features…
It was too good to be true, it seemed like one of the dreams she always had when she had been thinking about his death the day before… She would wake up any time now, figuring out it was all just a nasty trick of her mind, just to screw with her mentality. But, what she didn't realize at that moment was that it was not. It was as real as it could possibly get…
"Why are you looking at me as if I'm a ghost?" He chuckled at his attempted joke. He had asked her once what earthlings called a ghost and he found the bare idea completely stupid, and the fear of those creatures utterly useless. Of course there were moving dead people! That was what he had been when he had died. He hadn't had his body taken in the Other World because all he had done for the Earth, even though it all failed in the end.
"Who are you?" his woman asked coldly, pulling her hand away from her mouth so she would be able to speak. He looked strangely at her. Perhaps she had already snapped?
"Don't you recognize me?" He inquired as well, a complacent smirk on his face.
"How did you get in here?" she continued with the disturbing questions.
"Through the door," he stated nonchalantly, mentioning with his thumb the door behind him. Her narrowed eye brows lowered further. He had loved to banter her when he had been alive… It was an amusement he would never grow tired of. But right now he wasn't trying to set her nerves off, he was trying to get her understand that it was, indeed, him standing in front of her, of flesh and blood, as hard as it was for him to believe it himself. He had been dead for twenty-two years… How else could she react when he just waltzed in back in the Corporation, demanding food and roof over his head as he had before he passed away…? Well, it wasn't as if he wanted to die, now was it? How could she be mad at him? It wasn't his fault!
"Why are you here?"
"Since when did you start doubting everything so much, woman? Am I not a prize enough for you?" Mirai Vegeta asked sarcastically. She snorted at his question.
"I don't know who you are and just how my son made you look like my late husband, but I wish you would leave my mansion as fast as you can, sir. I do not plan on fighting with you and I wouldn't wish to make my son throw you out by force."
"I liked the 'sir' part, woman, you should start to use it more often while I'm around. And I'd like to see the brat give it a try—we'll see who's stronger." He smirked at her.
"While… you're around…" Her eyes started swimming and her heart leapt a beat with hope… Could it really be… Vegeta… While he was around… "I have no idea how he taught you how to speak, call me or behave like but it isn't funny anymore—"
"For Enma's sake, this game is getting seriously tiresome! Come here already!"
He cut her and before she could open her mouth to make a stubborn comeback again, his lips claimed hers. She gasped again and clenched her eyes shut.
She had never dreamed she would ever again experience those feelings again, feel the warmth of those familiar lips, hear the same insults, endure the same exhilaration from a verbal spar as she had with him… She had never grown used to the fact she'd live and die with the regrets of that day, the day she had insulted him terribly before he went off for the fight with the androids… She had wanted to say sorry so many times, and so many times it had torn her heart apart to think she would never have her peace because he was just dead… and he couldn't be brought back… And then there he was, in her living room, in her house, in their house again… in her arms again…! She thought she could die happy then.
"Vegeta…" The fragile woman almost whimpered against his lips when she pulled back for air. He smirked down at her.
"There you have who I am, now, don't you?" He chuckled after his statement while he savored feeling her lavender tresses, the softest thing he had ever touched in more than two-decades.
"How is it possible… are you real…?" she almost moaned out, hoping the dream would continue just a little longer… She held onto him for her dear life, her forehead burying in his chest.
A moment that she thought was never going to happen was coming true, on midnight, on her birthday, she was finally having what she wanted. This was the moment she anticipated in her dreams, when he would fade away, due to her mind not being cruel enough to lie to her that long. But nothing happened. He just lifted her chin up and locked their gazes. Her eyes were shimmering with tears. But they were tears of joy, he knew…
"I'm as real as real can be…" His gaze averted for a moment. "King Enma has been merciful to me—he had let me keep my body in the afterlife… I even met Kakarotto there." He smirked complacently. "We fought every day… and over the years, I have watched you in that flying wrinkled hag's glass ball, or whatever it's called." Bulma choked on a sob in a little laugh. "I watched you raise our son on your own… I looked on as you continued forward, kept on living… You may say it was because of him, but I'm certain that even if you were alone you would've continued to fight on, because there's so much pride in you, woman…" His finger twitched under her chin. "The time I spent in the other world… It helped me realize some things… I'm different from the Vegeta you once knew… And I have wanted to say something in a long time now." Her fingers almost lost hold on the soft fabric of the cape. "I—"
"No," she whispered breathlessly and silenced him with a small peck on the lips. He looked at her in puzzlement. "Don't say it now…" Her voice sounded weary, but there was a pleased smile on her face. "Don't say it now…" Her hands unfolded the cape and she draped it over his shoulders, pulling him closer to her. "Don't say anything…"
For a few long minutes she just stood there, breathing hard, trying to suppress her sobs that made her whole body shake. Her husband—whom she had dreamed so much about that the pure fact he was standing there seemed so unreal—stood there, against her, his forehead connecting with hers, his eyes closing in bliss as if her mind transferred memories to him. He had missed her so much in the afterlife… He had wanted to say so many things; Kakarotto's mushiness had rubbed off on him and made him want to apologize for so many things… He had wanted to redeem himself to her, he had wanted to be a with that human woman… the only human woman with a character so alike his, so Saiya-jin she would have made a wonderful Queen…
He remembered the velvet box in his hand and took out the fine necklace from within, putting it on her slender neck. She looked at the jewel and then locked her sapphire gaze with his. He smiled at her, something she had never seen him do before in his life… He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. He tried again, with quite some more success.
"Happy birthday… Bulma…"
A huge smile covered her face and she burst in tears, grabbing her man for her dear life, showering kisses all over his face.
She had never before appreciated a gift more than this one… for she had never been given a gift more perfect than this one…
Now she knew she would die a happy woman…
And, that's it! What do you think of this cute little one-shot? I don't really expect it to be glad to have many reviews, but I still felt like writing it. I have no idea whether I messed up something in the Dragon ball universe, but who gives a damn? That's how the story works for me, that's how I make my story! Hehe… So… What do you think about it? I edited it quite a lot, especially the last scene, since it was the most rushed thing in the entire story. It was really short and maybe just a li-i-i-ittle rash, but I liked writing it… Don't forget to leave a comment!