Summary: A new enemy once again rears its ugly head, but this time it decides to masquerade as Trunks. However, what happens when Vegeta kills the "imposter" not knowing that he is indeed his son, the "Real" Trunks? Can Trunks ever forgive his father for making such a terrible mistake?

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball (Z, GT, etc.) or any of its characters except my OC's, nor do I make any money from my writing.

A Tremendous Betrayal

Chapter 13: Life and Trust

~Son Residence: 4 Months Later (Trunks POV)~

I sit at the table next to Goten, both of us laughing at some Saiyajin appetite joke Kuririn-san had just made. Something about Saiyajins being willing to eat anything to satisfy their appetite. I'm not surprised. Chi-chi-san is making an attempt on yet another odd style of cooking, and all of us have been invited to be her next victims... erm tasters for the dishes she had prepared. I'm sure she's cooked everything properly, but see, the thing is, this certain style of cooking includes a rather odd selection of meats: Toes, ears, tongues, and so on. Only a saiyajin could eat this stuff without questioning it to satisfy their stomach. Suddenly, I feel an arm put around my shoulders, and I tense up. I can't seem to get used to being touched by other people. Not since... I shake my head to clear that thought out of my mind, and focus instead on my 'assaulter'. I see that it's Kuririn, and I smirk, because it's obvious that he has already managed to become intensely drunk. His cheeks and nose are red, and he seems to be about to fall.

"Say Trunks," Kuririn slurs, "Isn't it about time for you to get a girlfr..." Just like that, he's laying face-down, half-way under the table. I look back up, and see 18-san standing in the area behind where her husband had been standing a moment before. Her arm is raised in a manner that suggests she had decided to expedite the unavoidable knock-out of her husband. Everyone at the table laughs at the event, but I just smile gratefully at 18, and she smiles back almost imperceptibly in understanding. She, more than anyone, understands my dislike of contact. 18 then proceeds to retake her place at the table, and everybody else returns to their conversations. Everyone except for my father, that is. He just continues wolfing down plate after plate of food. I frown. I just don't understand him. Ever since the incident, he's been cycling between ignoring me and trying to apologize. I respect him for apologizing, especially since I know that he hates to do so, but after wards, he starts avoiding me again. This is making it more difficult for me to really forgive him, because I don't know what to think. These cycles of his just confuses me. Goten, apparently having seen my frown, make a joke:

"Hey, hey." He says, elbowing my ribs slightly. "Maybe Kuririn-san is right, don't you think?" With comical timing, Kuririn groans, and lifts his head off the ground slightly.

"Huh? Why do I have a headache?" He asks, and then wonks out again. Goten and I both look down at Kuririn, and one look at each other causes us both to burst out laughing. Man, I'm glad I have my friend back. Goku had been right all along. Everybody had been. That day, months ago in a field, had really opened my eyes. Pushing people away was no way to deal with life. I guess I had underestimated him after all. The guy could be smart when he wanted to. Except for my father's periods of ignorance, everything had looked up when I started really living again. Going out to do things, interacting with my friends. It had helped, even if I do still have some difficulty trusting people.

~An Hour Later~

I walk into the woods, wondering if this is a good idea. I was in a desperate need to 'do business', but the bathroom was occupied, with a line of people behind the door. Maybe drinking so much (I don't mean alcohol) wasn't the best idea... I've finally found a seemingly secluded spot, when I hear leaves rustle behind me. A footstep. I turn around and see my father standing on the other side of the tree, his face slowly turning a bit red. I almost laugh. He must have come here for the same reason I did, considering the rapidly changing shade of his face. I wasn't expecting him to say anything, but speak he did.

"Trunks..." He says, looking down. "I am aware I've said this before... but I'm sorry for what I did to you." I'm surprised. This apology was different than the others. This time he admitted that he had done something, specifically, to me. As well as that, he had, at the word 'sorry', looked up and met my eyes. I could clearly see the grief and remorse in his eyes. Yet, I still feel the familiar feeling of rage flowing through my veins.

"And after this, you're going to start avoiding me again, right?" I reply sarcastically. "When are you going to understand that ignoring me after you apologize is only making it more difficult for me to forgive you?" My father's shoulders slump a bit, and he starts to turn around. "You see? You're already leaving! I knew you would!" I yell at his back. Then, surprising both myself and my father, I grab his shoulder and force him to turn around. Mentally, I'm thinking, No! Why did I do that? If I make him mad..., but my anger has taken control of me, and before I know it, I'm throwing a series of sloppy punches and kicks at my father, all of which he blocks. It's when I finally stop, panting slightly from anger and shortness of breath, that I realize that my father did not make a single attempt to attack me during my outbreak of fury. I close my eyes and lower my fists, already regretting my immature actions. My anger putters out completely as I feel my father, my father of all people, hug me. He hasn't hugged me since when he sacrificed his life to try to finish off Buu! My shock stops me from reacting for a while, but eventually, I don't push him away. I don't say anything. I hug him back. In that moment, I understand. I can be angry at my father no longer. I can plainly see now, that through my anger, I never noticed how truly sorry and remorseful my father had felt about his actions this whole time. For months, since the moment he found out about his mistake. Now, at long last, I am ready to accept my father again, and words echo through my head:

From pain comes the sweet hope of the next day,

The hope that is the light at the end of the dark,

The will we have to accept mistakes,

To accept the ones we love,

Right along with their faults,

Mistakes are mistakes,

They can be forgiven.

To forgive a mistake that you yourself make,

takes much more will,

Than to forgive anothers flaw,

When at last the truth is found,

and forgiveness finally reached,

the hope that results,

Lights up the dark,

And once again,

You are ready to trust.

~End Chapter~

Hah! Bet you didn't expect another update today! Anyway, here's a poll: This story doesn't have to be finished yet. Do you, or do you not, want an epilogue? Please review or PM your preference to me. Even if there isn't an epilogue, I will be doing an edit of the whole story to fix some loose ends and to elaborate further on aspects of the story that seem to need further elaboration. Thank you, to all of you who have stuck with this story since chapter 1, and to those of you who read it later on. Special Thanks to XOXOserenityXOXO , who thought of the idea of this story, and who basically outlined every chapter for me. If you want to read some amazing stories, then that's the person whos page you need to see. Again, thank you to all of you, and please do reply to the poll.