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Chapter 23: The Wish

Disclaimer: I do not own DB or DB multiverse.

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Bulma stretched as she watched Vegetto down a basket of Sensu Beans. Finally it would seem the Saiyan was back to norm. She stood beside Xiao, a tall but slim Namekian who was in charge of overseeing the Sensu Bean production process. Xiao was considered an elite warrior but she imagined he was probably strength wise similar to that of one of the Z warriors. Nothing at all like her Saiyan entourage.

"I'm glad we've come to an agreement." Xiao told her firmly, he reminded her slightly of Piccolo. Especially the posture in which he stood. Bulma nodded, leaning her body a bit more to stretch out some of those unused muscles. In honesty Bulma was just thankful to be able to know that she was finally back on course and would be heading home soon.

"My father will be pleased to know that there will no longer be any trouble getting the drones to come back and forth now that your enemies have subsided. Of course there will be the issue of the oversized critters but with some testing I'm sure dad will come up with a solution."

"We are truly grateful." Xiao replied. "As much as comfort this sanctuary has brought us...Nothing beats feeling the wind upon ones face. I for one miss the open air and the glittering green skies."

Bulma yawned one last time and then settled into a nod. While back on Earth the skies were blue – she could relate to Xiao's urgency to returning to his past lifestyle. Even if there was piles of paperwork waiting for her – Bulma was okay with it. Sure as hell beat getting chased around by dinosaurs and worrying if there was enough food to last an entire trip. "If it's alright with you - we will send a shipment of Sensu Beans monthly. If it proves inefficient you could always come back and visit us – Moori will appreciate it. Ever since your father introduced him to 'golf,' he raves about it constantly."

Bulma felt a sweat droplet roll down her head and laughed.

"Is that so? I'll tell dad maybe we could send him-"

"I'd rather you not." Xiao told her sharply. "No offense but our people should grow into our customs. I can respect the need to want to help us but sometimes its best to stand back and allow us to think for ourselves. We shouldn't grow on the ideal that we can always count on an outsider. We should be able to provide for ourselves too."

Bulma reluctantly nodded. "Sometimes it is best to stand back. I agree but don't make it seem like its a burden to call on us if you really need it. Were allies so, we look out for one another."

"Hmm."

"Mother." Bulma turned to see Trunks behind her. He was rubbing the back of his neck, and looking somewhat pale.

"Trunks?" Trunks eyed Xiao before glancing back at his mom.

"A word please." He jerked his head back to motion that they talk alone. Bulma nodded and parted from Xiao with a wave.

"Is everything alright?" She peered closer to him despite his blush appearing on his cheeks as she did so. She pressed her left hand upon his forehead. "Not running a fever." She muttered under her breath. "Everything seems to be in order. Hmm."

Trunks felt himself shrink away from her. She looked at him questionably and while he did really feel uncomfortable whenever she invaded his personal space – he wouldn't dare tell her!

"It's about the dragon balls and the wish." He began only to have his mother once again get too close. This time she settled that same very left hand on his left shoulder, squeezing it gently.

"Don't worry son. We'll get you back home soon enough." A trail of sweat rolled down his face as she pressed a kiss on his cheek. "So cheer up." She told him as she pulled back and smiled.

"But," He felt his cheeks puff up in frustration. "What if I don't want to go back." Bulma froze at his words. Now she was looking at him and really trying to understand what he was trying to get across to her. Trunks fidgeted under her eagle eyed gaze."I-its not that I don't appreciate what you guys are trying to do for me. I-it's more of the fact that even if we revive the others there is no say that we can actually win. Sure there's fusion and all but I'm not sure dad will ever be willing to fuse with me."

Trunks dropped to the floor in a cross-legged style. His arm was looking down at his watch. Something Bulma noticed he kept doing recently. She bent down and looked at it. It was worn, and broken and there was a bit of blood mixed behind the fragmented glass.

"Vegeta is stubborn – yes." Bulma paused, "but in matters of crisis he will come through." She told him as she placed her right hand over the watch as if to block Trunk's cloudy vision. Yet as she did so she triggered a jerk back from her son. He was now shaking and holding her very wrist within his grasp so tightly that she couldn't help but blink at him wordlessly.

"Your wrong." Trunks replied, still shaking. By now his violet bangs had covered over his eyes. "Your wrong in regards to me."

Bulma felt her tongue click against her teeth but settled on changing the subject in which Trunks in turn released her. Bulma rubbed her arm absent mindedly.

Trunks clearly wasn't ready to divulge the secrets he was so blatantly hiding. She wondered what would make Vegeta so pig-headed not to help their son. She couldn't imagine such a reason. Pride or not Vegeta would surely not deny his request after everything Trunks had done in his absence.

"What about Goku?" She tried, and was relieved to see her son's pent up shoulders drop even if it only lasted a moment. After all Trunks merely just leaned forward. Arm's pressing onto his knees.

"No Goku can't help us. He died from his Heart Virus. A natural cause. He cannot be revived from the dragon balls. So in my time-line there won't be a Vegetto."

"There can be." Vegetto spoke up. Both Trunks and Bulma looked up to see the gallant Hero hovering overhead. "I could go back with you and one-two punch that pink menace."

Bulma smiled.

"Now there's an idea!" She exclaimed, beaming towards Vegetto happy to have him at her side during these sort of conversation. Something Vegeta would pay no mind to. "I can start making adjustments and look into fixing the time-machine. Maybe my future self left some instruction manual that I can follow and then we can have you traveling back and forth in no time!"

"No!" Trunks quickly snapped up, ruining the happy mood. His eyes were dark when the laid on hers. She reeled at the underlining haunting look to it. "I don't want to go back." Her voice went mute. She couldn't talk because Trunks – this Trunks at least had never snapped at her so viciously.

"Hey," Vegetto called to his son roughly. "Stop it. Your scaring her." Vegetto bit out and Trunks kind of just snapped out of it. He blinked a couple times wordlessly at his father then he glanced back at Bulma. She swallowed roughly making Trunks head drop shamelessly.

His orbs glistened looking down at the watch his mother gave him. The very watch his mother held on her dying breath. With a broken shuddering sob Trunks felt his eyes clamp shut and the tears he was holding back finally fell. Left hand went over left eye instantly trying to hide away such weaknesses.

A left hand hovering over Bulma's mouth as she was unsure just how to comfort her future son. She was going to shakily reach out to him with her right hand but when she caught Vegetto's gaze, she decided not to. Especially when he leaned down to his knee and gripped Trunk's left shoulder shaking him softly as if to comfort him. "You can stay here as long as you wish." Vegetto told him. "Your always welcomed here...Son."

Trunks nodded numbly.

Bulma slowly raised her head and looked up overhead.

Soon they were going to call upon the Namekian dragon balls to make their one wish to come true. Her eyes then glanced towards Vegetto and her son and she found her heart squeezing against her chest. With her future son no longer needing to return to his own time – a new wish could be made.

Vegetto paused, his eyes glancing back towards her as if sensing the disturbance within her. She could only shift gaze away and try to push him out. She just didn't want him to see. She didn't want him to know that even after everything he had done – she wanted him to go.

She still wanted Vegeta to come home.

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The chant that Moori spoke out made Bulma stiffen.

It was now or never.

Never seemed like the optimal choice however when nothing seemed to be happening.

Bulma felt herself relax for a moments end. At the moment Vegetto, Trunks, Moori, and herself were now outside and above ground. All seven dragon balls laid on the ground before them present and ready to be used.

Moori insisted that he knew the password to summoning it but Bulma wasn't so sure now with the silence that followed.

"Um..." Bulma began but as she did so the balls began to glow and pulse a golden hue. The skies above began to darken and the clouds circled around one epicenter as if preparing for something to form. The ocean waves crashed against their island and as they did finally a bolting streak of gold shot into the sky until finally it became known as Porunga.

A massive entity of untold power.

"You have collected all seven dragon balls," His voice boomed like thunder over a stormy sky. "And now as it is written think wisely and I will grant you one wish within my power."

Moori turned to Bulma with a grand smile.

"Porunga is our dragon of love. He will see to that your generosity is repaid in full. So please tell me the wish you have journeyed such a long way to see upheld." Bulma's hands clamp together. She is shaking again. There is so much conflict rippling through her she is unsure what to do.

She has to be responsible. For whatever she decides to do. It cannot be something she wants but in turn what she knows will be the best for everyone else and in the end – she knows she must let go.

Vegetto's presence is clear.

He has been at her side since Moori had turned to ask for a wish. Bulma finally allows herself to shift gaze over to him. She is surprised when he in turn presses his lips to her forehead. A gesture that has become somewhat routine for the two of them. A way to comfort her whenever she is truly feeling amiss.

Bulma feels the tears well. She's unsure what to say. She knows she must eventually say her goodbyes and it is now, that she will have to ultimately say them. Thankfully – she does not have to as Vegetto leans head down and presses soft lips against her own.

"So long." He bids and with a heavy swallow she nods turning head away from him. Tears casting out behind her as she moves back over to Moori to signal she's ready to make a wish. Moori repeats back the desired wish in his tongue and with a hum, Porunga confirms.

"That wish will be granted." His eyes begin to glow a brilliant red.

Bulma wordlessly sinks to the ground on her knees and there is a dead look in her eyes as she must come to terms in what she has done. Vegetto turns toward Trunks – his eyes torn, but smile soft and still evident despite knowing.

"Trunks take care of your mother." Vegetto tells Trunks and Trunks nods despite the fact he feels like he could not do such a task, At least not anymore but still even now in front of this person he must try. The two shake each others hands.

"Aa. Of course." Trunks tells him, they share a short hug.

"Could you also tell the younger version of yourself that I'm sorry." Vegetto adds. He after all did knock his son out.

"Sorry for what?" A new voice chirps in and the two parting Saiyans look down to see a very live-and well mini Trunks looking up at them with a curious expression.

There is a momentary lapse before Vegetto finds his eyes darting over to Bulma's form. She is now staring off into the skies where the dragon balls split away to once again be gathered when the time has come once more. Her arms are wrapped around her body, she appears listless, but as he moves towards her – she responds by catching his gaze once more.

At first there's silence. Then he's offering his right hand toward her and helping her to her feet. That doesn't last very long as mini Trunks jumps into his mother's arms. Cuddling into her shoulder and she's finally smiling. Laughing and simply purely overjoyed at being able to hold onto what is hers again.

When the laughter and tears subside and Bulma is simply holding a now sleeping mini in her arms, she finally approaches Vegetto once more.

"Well I guess that proved to be a bust." She told him softly and he could only tilt his head in response. "You know that the wish didn't work."

"I don't understand." He tells her, because he sees Trunks in her arms. It clearly worked out.

Bulma lets out a frustrated grumble.

She really doesn't want to wake her son – she likes having him back in her arms like this.

"To UN-fuse." She clarifies. "It didn't work."

Vegetto blinks a couple of times before the dots start to connect and now he's staring down at Bulma with perplexity.

He's surprised in her decision.

"But," He finds his tongue clicking unnervingly, "But what about the others?"

Bulma shrugs casually.

"We tried." She snips as a matter-of-factually, "But the wish was simply too much to ask for and out of Porunga's power. So I guess your sticking around after all."

Vegetto couldn't help but stagger at her words.

She was willing to lie for him.

Lie to everyone to keep him around.

It was a daunting situation.

One that he'd never want to put her through.

"And your okay with this?" He asked, his heart pulling against his chest just looking at her.

Bulma let out a huff.

"Well someone has to be."

It was then that he could no longer keep still and he pulled her into his arms. Waking his poor son in the process. Earning a curse and a knock over the head from Bulma. The two scowled Vegetto senselessly on the side despite his clear bubbling laughter.

A light cough however made the three stop and they turned to see Mirai scratching the back of his neck. His mother eventually smiled, broke past the two and moved over to him. She grabbed his arm and pulled him back over to his smaller form.

Young Trunks eyeballed his older self.

"Trunks, Mirai is going to be staying with us for now on. I hope that you two will become good friends." Young trunks crossed his arms over his chest, and looked away.

"I'm not sharing my bed with that guy. He'll break it." Mirai Trunks laughed at this and Bulma groaned.

"You are not going to be sharing beds. He'll get his own bed and own room when he moves in." She made sure to clarify and Trunks finally was alright with it. "Then its settled." She told Mirai with a smile. "Your here to stay."

"Aa. Thanks for having me." He said, glancing between his mother and father. Then down to his self who still was looking away stubbornly in a similar fashion to his real father. "I look forward to it."

"So do I." Vegetto said smirking. His eyes however were on glued onto Bulma's now flushing form. Bulma shifted nervously pulling loose blue strand behind ear laughing. Mirai Trunks could see the way her eyes looked to his pleading for help. Trunks shook his head.

This was all on her.

All on her.

Bulma blanched.

Just.

What.

Had.

She.

Done?

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To Be Continued

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The Review Hub:

LVR4Trunks-n-Vegeta : Thanks for being the first person to catch up to me upon my return. I hope that this serves as some peace for the hole I left behind. I actually love Mirari Trunks's character. Which is why I really hated GT but then I realized growing up Trunks would have a different personality because one is like put into a favorable spoiled role while the other simply only knew how to survive. So now I'm okay with it but I still want to explore his / or the backstory ive made for him more which will appear in the next chapters to come. Thanks for your support!

Shadowcynder183: Unfortunately I did have someone in my life pass away and that did stop my world immensely. I had to pick up so many pieces and sort many things out but I can finally report back that the tides have smoothed. So I am here to continue the best I can. Thank you as well for your support!

Osiris Mongua M: Thanks for your words! When I first started this fic, I was unsure how I would ever write personalities in one - woo - crazy. Then I watched GT again, I don't know why but I saw Gogeta. Gogeta acts serious in person but when he fights - he's a goofball the same can be seen in the new Brolly movie so I was like hmm. Vegetto should be the opposite. Technically? So I went with that as my final scheme. I hope it works out - Thanks for your support!

twisterblake2015 and Luana LS : I'm glad you liked my updated chapter! I hope to see you in the future so thanks for your support!

Emma H. Joestar and elianni: Yes I am back! Thanks so much for your support!

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