Note: This fic was originally supposed to be an NC-17 because of some sexual content that will be found during the course of the story, but thanks to Ff.net, I've had to set it at an R-rating. Apart from that, I hope you enjoy my first attempts at a lemon!

Chapter 1: A birthday present from Mirai (Future) Trunks

It was another beautiful summers' day at the Capsule Corps, and Mirai Trunks was working on his time machine. Five years had been and gone since Trunks had been to the past, witnessed Gohan destroy Cell and then returned to the future and destroyed the androids and Cell from his timeline. It took a long while for the city to be restored, and it was soon back on the track of life.

Bulma could hear murmurs of "Shit!" and "Fucking cunt of a machine!" coming from Trunks, and she went over to see exactly what it was he was doing.

"What are you up to, Trunks?" she asked.

"It's Gohan's 16th birthday tomorrow," he answered, in-between curses of annoyance.

"So that means you're going to the past again?" said Bulma.

"Uh huh," grinned Trunks, closing the door to the mechanics of the time machine and rolling out from underneath on his wheeled board. He then got up and dusted himself off.

"If you're wondering what I've been doing, I've improved the time machine so that not only can I travel back in time, I can take an extra passenger and I can immediately teleport it to different worlds! Cool, eh?"

"That's wonderful, honey! It's well seeing that you get your brains from my side of the family! (A/N: Sorry, Vegeta! Please don't kill me! 0_0;) But, what's this gotta do with Gohan?" she questioned.

"This is going to be his birthday present from me!" he beamed.

Bulma cocked her head to one side. "What? The time machine?"

Trunks fell anime style.

"No! The chance to go to other worlds!"

"Ohh..." was all she could manage to say. "But are you sure that it's safe? I mean, you haven't even tested it yet!"

"It'll be fine! Don't you worry, mother." soothed Trunks, easing Bulma's doubts.

Trunks decided to leave early that night, so he would be in time for Gohan's birthday the very next day.

"You be careful, alright?" she said, as Trunks got the time machine ready for blastoff.

"Sure mom!" he promised, as the time machine took off into the air.

"Goodbye, Trunks! Have a good time!" she shouted.

"I will! Adios!" he yelled, just before the time machine disappeared in a brilliant flash of blue light.

'Gee, I sure hope he comes back again...' thought Bulma.

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As Trunks passed through the tides of time, he pondered on where he and Gohan could go.

Ah, bugger it! Why try to work out co-ordinations when we could just go to a random planet?

It was about 5:30 in the morning when Trunks finally made it back to the past. He landed outside the Capsule Corps, got out the time machine and knocked on the door. A very sleepy Bulma answered.

"What time do you call this? I need my beauty sleep!" she questioned the tall figure. She couldn't see him properly because she was still half-asleep.

"Sorry for waking you so early, mom." said Trunks.

Bulma rubbed her eyes and opened them wide.

"Trunks?" she queried. "Is that really you?"

"Yes, it's me," he said. "Is it all right if I come in?"

"Oh, Sure!" Bulma was ecstatic. Her son from the future had come to visit again! She went and poured out a mug of coffee for each of them, and they sat down at the kitchen table.

"So... what brings you back here, Trunks? Not more androids, I hope!"

"No, no androids this time! I just came to give Gohan his birthday present, that's all."

"Oh? And what's that?" she asked.

"It's really cool. I've been working on it since I got home after the Cell Games all those years ago. I had modified the time machine so that I can take one extra passenger and also visit other worlds in a second, just like Goku's Instant Transmission! Does that sound great or what!" said Mirai Trunks, a little too smugly.

"Most definitely! Gohan will be thrilled to bits! Wish it was me that was going..." murmured Bulma dreamily.

Trunks finished his coffee and did a big stretch as he yawned.

"I think you should maybe go for a nap," suggested Bulma.

"Good idea. I'll go sleep for a little while then I'll go over to Gohan's."

As he went to walk out of the kitchen, he bumped into Vegeta, who had just come out of the gravity room.

"Oh, hi dad," he said. Vegeta just grunted at him and kept on walking. "I see father's still his usual self after all these years," laughed Trunks, as he walked into the living room. Bulma chuckled softly from her place at the kitchen table. Vegeta scowled at her.

"Woman, what are you laughing at? And what's the brat doing back here?" he questioned, pouring out some coffee for himself.

"Oh Vegeta, stop calling him that. It's Gohan's birthday today, remember? And Trunks had come especially to give him a present!"

"Well, Kakarot's brat isn't getting anything from me!" he snorted.

"Vegeta! Is 'brat' your word of the week or something?" she said, trying her best not to giggle. Vegeta just glared at her and headed back to the gravity room.

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It was about twelve-thirty in the afternoon when Trunks finally surfaced, and he went outside and started up his time machine.

"I'll see you over at Gohan's, mom!" he said.

"OK, hon!" Bulma replied.

It didn't take Trunks long to reach the Son family home up near Mt.Paos. He jumped out of the time machine and knocked on the door. ChiChi answered and gasped.

"Oh my God! I haven't seen you since the Cell Games!" she shrieked.

"I know, I know. I've just come to give Gohan his birthday present. Sixteen years old- not a little boy anymore, is he?" said Trunks.

"Yes, I suppose that's true. I mean, I have loosened the chains a little bit, so he has more breaks in his studies so he can go play with Goten. He's going to school in two years' time!" (A/N: I thought 'loosened the chains' was a great expression to use, cos I think she really does shackle him to the desk and make him study! Poor guy... .;)

"Goten?" said Trunks confusedly.

"Oh that's right! You haven't seen Goten. He was born just after the Cell Games!"

He followed ChiChi into the living room, and a small boy resembling Goku skipped over to see him.

"Hello there! My name's Goten. What's yours?" he chirped happily.

"Oh, hi. My name's Trunks."

Goten looked at him strangely.

"Hey! You've got the same name as my friend! You also look like him... that's scary!" he said.

Goten went over to ChiChi.

"I'm going to go play outside now, momma!"

"Okay! Don't go too far. You'll need to be back in time for Gohan's birthday dinner!" she yelled as Goten sped off into the distance.

"Speaking of Gohan, where is the little guy?" asked Trunks.

"I wouldn't have said 'little', if I were you," ChiChi replied. "He's almost the same height as you!"

Just at that very moment, Gohan walked into the living room.

"Hey, mom!" he said.

"Happy sixteenth birthday, son!" she squealed.

Trunks couldn't believe that it was Gohan standing there. He had doubled in height, and his voice had matured. His hair was now short and spiked, with a spiky lock of hair hanging down near his eyes. He had on the same kind of outfit that he wore at the Cell Games, but minus the cape. He had also swapped his little brown shoes for black, red and white boots.

Gohan looked to his mother's side and saw Trunks. He smiled brightly.

"Long time no see, Trunks! We thought we'd never hear from you again! How's things back in your time?"

"Everything's back to normal," he reported. "But enough of that. Come outside and I'll tell you about the present that I've got for you!"

They walked outside and Trunks pointed to the time machine.

"As my birthday present to you, I'm gonna take you on a tour of the planets! How's that sound?"

"Oh wow! That's so cool!" shouted Gohan. "I'll go get ready!"

ChiChi butted in.

"But what about your studies, Gohan? They are the most important things at this moment in time!" she warned.

"It'll be fine!" he said, climbing into the time machine. "I can always catch up on what I've missed."

ChiChi took a deep breath.

"Well, if you insist on going, at least take something that you can study with."

Gohan almost fell out of the time machine. He thought she would have physically hauled him out and refuse to let him go!

"Ok, I'm taking a chemistry book with me, does that sound alright?" he asked, waving the book in the air.

"Sure." She turned to Trunks. "Now I want you to promise me that Gohan will be okay," she said. "I don't want him getting hurt. I don't even want to see his hair out of place. If there is so much as a scratch on him-"

"Alright, alright! He'll be fine!" he promised. Sheesh, she hasn't changed a bit… Trunks got into the time machine and started the engines.

"Bye, mom!" shouted Gohan.

"Goodbye son!" she shouted back.

The time machine shot off into the air and disappeared in a blue flash.

Nothing better happen to my Gohan! Thought ChiChi as she went back into the house to bake Gohan's birthday cake.

~tbc~

What strange and mysterious planet will Gohan get to visit? Will the trip run as smoothly as Trunks promises? Will ChiChi bake her cake to perfection? Find out in the next chapter of "The Rise of Artek"!

I am REALLY going to have to stop sounding like a commentator. I'm no good at it!

Ja Ne!