CHAPTER FOUR

Bulma had slept much later than usual on that fateful day, as the clouds, heavy with rain, had poured its weather onto the region and extended her slumber. Once she had awakened, her arms were empty and cold. When the realization of Gohan's absence had been comprehended, she jolted quickly into a sitting position in a panic. She turned to see the storm ruthlessly unleashing its fury against her window.
"No…" Her stomach had sunk with the weight of a horrible feeling that only continued to fill her. She rushed to get dressed and did a thorough search of what was left of her home. "No, no, no!" Gohan and Trunks were both gone, which only fueled her rising panic. Surely, he would not have taken her son to train during this hellacious thunderstorm.

She had jumped into her car and sped to the various locations Gohan admitted they had trained, though all areas were bare and lacked any sign of life. The drive through the remainder of the city was just as quiet and did not appear to have any recent attacks from the Androids; this had seemed to be a good sign, though this did not answer the question of their whereabouts. Once her view had witnessed the roaring Oceanside close to the Capsule Corporation, the uneasy feeling had only grew. Never had she been so afraid for them.

Upon the return to her home, she attempted to dig her conscience deep into a romance novel, yet all her thoughts were occupied with the only two she had left. Eventually she had tossed the book aside and watched it slide across the coffee table and fall onto the floor. Just as the book made its landing, the ground had shook beneath her and the walls had trembled. A loud scream had uttered from her throat as she leapt to her feet and looked about; this could be either an earthquake or … she had gulped, for she did not want to finish that thought.

She had grown confused, as the residence would stop shaking momentarily but would continue for a few more seconds. Finally, Bulma had reached the window and saw a beautiful, glowing light just yards away. "Gohan!" She did not waste time for a jacket and simply ran out into the rain, demanding to know where her son was. The drops had soaked her again, much more quickly than before, as she charged across the yard. Her eyes had come into focus and she determined that this was her son. Her heart stopped at this sight, as his blood-curdling screams drowned the deafening thunder. "Trunks!?" She watched his fists freeze mid-air; he was the cause of the rumbling, as he repeatedly slammed the earth below with his fists. "You did it! You're a super saiyan!"

His face, covered with rain and tears, had lifted to meet her gaze. She inhaled a shaking breath as she had taken a quick look for Gohan in their immediate surroundings. "Gohan… Where is…?"

"They…" His voice squeaked as he had faced the ground and burst into uncontrollable sobs. "He's dead! They killed him! They killed him, mom!"

The anchor which was tied to Bulma's heart had fallen to her feet. Tears had welled in her eyes and delicately blended in with the large rain drops. She took two steps back from her son and had stared at him helplessly. "Gohan…" Her son did not hear her whisper, for he only cried, screamed and wailed inconsolably. In a desperate attempt to suppress her grief, she had reached to lift him from the ground, only to be shoved away. "No!"

"Trunks, please come inside…" She begged, only to watch him power up and fly away from her line of sight. "Come back! … Please…"

Bulma's knees buckled from beneath her and her legs were soaked from the wet ground. All hope was gone, for the world's only savior had left this earth. Her eyes, drowned with many tears of grief, had lifted to witness the dark clouds continue their wrath over West City. Just beyond those heavy, threatening clouds and clear sky littered with stars was her beloved; far enough where he could never wipe her tears away again. Her vocal cords exercised vigorously as she screamed his name towards the heavens. If he would have allowed himself a little more time to heal, the prosthetic would have greatly increased his odds and he would still be with them.

She loved. She lost. And she was broken beyond repair.

She had not eaten or slept since she learned of the news of Gohan's death… Four days ago.

Bulma and Trunks had only spoken a handful of words to one another when he finally made his return, bloody and bruised from the release of his new anger against the nature. She chose not to keep close tabs on him as he wished for his privacy to cope in his own way. Saiyans were much different with grief in comparison to the average human being. For four days she was buried in her resumed mission to complete the time machine. She had never been so thankful for the escalating workload that piled atop her.

She would do this to save the world. To save her son. Herself. And everyone she loved. Her mission had taken an alternate route, for her previous self had done nothing to deserve the agony that was forced upon her. She loved all of her lovers enough to save them from their demise; under normal circumstances, their deaths were inevitable. But she was Bulma Briefs, and she would be damned if she was going to stand by and allow this miserable chapter of history repeat itself once again.

She downed another large mug filled with coffee and poured herself another cup in victory. Her time machine was almost ready. The liquid had burned all the way down, though she was un-phased; Bulma could have swallowed a gallon of the hottest lava and would only continue to remain numb as it would burn her alive.

When Gohan died, a large piece of her had died as well. Her dreams. Any glimmer of hope that dimmed into the blackened tunnel that she would forever remain entrapped in. She was aware that he heard her cries and her begs for him to return, yet there was nothing he could do. The reunion between him, his father and lost friends must have been the utmost happiest of times since the Androids' apocalypse started.

The final screw had been tightened and she stepped back to admire her work. It was finally completed. Her hand grasped a towel and embraced the skin of her hairline that beaded in sweat. Footsteps echoed down the stairs yet she paid no mind to this. Trunks would finally come to talk to her after four days of silence. "Nice place," a smooth, alluring voice had called out. "I think your roof might have a leak, though."

Her eyebrows had lowered. Who in the hell was this? When she turned to see the source of the voice, the towel slipped from her fingers. Two individuals, similar in size and with eyes of the coldest blue had emitted from the doorway, staring solely on her. When the realization had hit Bulma that the Androids had backed her into a corner with no escape, a strong, intense wave of fear had encased her form and paralyzed her from where she stood. She could not move, speak or even blink.

"I think we're slipping, Seventeen. We actually missed one." Eighteen's musical laugh filled the large room.

"Hmm…" He did not seem amused at his sister's humor. "I guess we did."

Bulma had started to hyperventilate uncontrollably in the attempt to catch her breath, while her chest had suddenly cursed her with an immense amount of pain. Her numb hand tightly gripped her shirt; this new pain was unbearable and beyond any words. Her fear was too much for her. "No…" she choked out.

Eighteen cocked an eyebrow in Bulma's direction, who could not run even if she wanted to. "Looks like our very presence is killing the little old lady. We're not that scary, are we, miss Briefs?"

The blonde's words had distorted as they entered Bulma's ears. The very essence of her existence was failing her in such a quick, drastic amount of time and nothing could be done to prevent this. Her skin was drenched in sweat and trembled with her muscles and bones. Her time, too, was running out.

"Let's help her out, shall we, Eighteen?" She had come face to face with a bright yellow orb of energy that had developed in Seventeen's palm.

The two methods of her inevitable death had raced to claim her. The suffocating squeeze of her heart had only tightened and she closed her eyes, having accepted her fate that would claim her much earlier than she wished it would come. I'm so sorry, Trunks! Her mind had screamed. Please save the past!

It was then that so many images from memories overwhelmed her. The very first time she met Goku. The arrival of the Saiyans and learning of Goku's heritage. Her heart-dropping journey with Krillin and Gohan to Namek. Meeting Vegeta for the first time and his animalistic belief that her bad temper was her mating call to him. The first time that she succumbed to the once love-less, yet incredible affair that only continued. The moment that she had discovered of her pregnancy in her personal bathroom just minutes after she discovered that he had taken off to another planet in her father's space pod to train. Hearing his little huff when Vegeta had learned of 'the kid', thus spending the majority of her pregnancy alone. The doctor's loud announcement, 'it's a boy!', followed by her new son's loud cry when he was born only at the witness of the medical team, her parents and herself in the operating room. Trunks's first smile shortly just a week after his birth. Constantly shielding him despite celebrating his victories during the apocalypse. Falling so hard for Gohan and desperately shielding her own feelings at her discovery that he was a fully-grown man.

Tears streamed down her face, knowing that she was merely becoming a memory to her son the way his loved ones had. Forgive me, Trunks.

"Get up from there. You look ridiculous."

It was then that Bulma was sure her heart stopped. When her eyes opened, Gohan's beautiful, scar free body had come into her view. His arm was also returned! Through him, she could see that the androids had frozen solid as if time had stopped. Eighteen was in the midst of a laugh and Seventeen, who appeared more focused and less amused, had a blast of energy that had extended to her direction, just inches away from where Gohan had stood with his hand extended. Once more, she had taken her transparent hand into his and she stood with him.

"Gohan…" she whispered.

To her surprise, she looked to her feet and found herself standing through her human body, which was collapsed onto the floor. Her eyes were wide open with tears still continuing to stain her cheeks. A single tear drop was in the process of leaving her eye and it had frozen during its journey to the hardwood floor. The apocalyptic tragedy had suddenly turned into a sci-fi movie.

"Gohan!" She did not care, for she swung her body towards his hold and he caught her with ease. His lips repeatedly pressed against her hairline while he returned the tightened affection around her body just as she did him.

"Come. We must go."

When he levitated beyond her, she had followed him as though she had flown her entire life. Apparently, it was a gift that had come naturally following her death. Though she deeply wished to cry for her son, she could not. All sadness had been wiped away and was only replaced with a beautiful peace. The constant worries had no longer plagued her or threatened to change her onto a madwoman. She was overcome with a permanent relief.

Her flight was not interrupted by the ceiling and she left her home for the final time. Her eyes scanned the planet Earth for a final time. Two squirrels, completely still and frozen, had held acorns atop the large tree beside the Capsule Corporation, as a blue bird was paused while sweeping past them. "Has the world ended?" She asked stupidly.

"Time is only frozen in our perspective until we reach the others," He had stopped long enough for Bulma to join his side. "The heavens are so beautiful, Bulma. Many await your arrival."

"Oh, Gohan…" She smiled. He pressed his palms to her back as he swooped in for a passionate kiss. With such thrill and happiness, she had returned this beautiful affection as they continued to levitate to their destination; there would be no greater reunion than her and Gohan, who was worth every ache and pain of her grief. She was ready to spend the remainder of eternity with him.

Her savior.

The End