Clinging to the Past (a DBZ fanfic)

Ch. 26 - Back to the Future...

As soon as the time machine landed in their familiar desolate West City, Trunks pressed the button to open said machine and hop out with Mirai- Gonan, following. Once the time machine was safely put away in it's Capsule and placed into Trunks' jacket pocket, the mentor and pupil duo made their way inside the partially wrecked Capsule Corp. building.

With a smile on his face, Trunks called out for his mother as they walked inside, "Mom! I'm home!"

Bulma looked up from her desk, setting down a book she'd clearly been reading moments prior. "Trunks! Gonan! Thank goodness!" With a relieved smile on her face, Bulma walked over to them to meet them halfway. Her relief morphed to confusion as her attention focused on her son, noticing the subtle changes of age. "Hey! What happened? Did you get taller?"

"There was a place called the Room of Spirit and Time at Kami's place. One day inside equals to a year... and..." Trunks began to explain, but was soon interrupted by Bulma.

"I don't get it and I don't care! I'm just glad you're home!" Relieved smile still on her face, she looked between the two time travelers. "So, how'd it go? Good, from the looks of things."

And that was all it took for the two to begin their retelling of everything that had happened. After every detail was relayed to their blue haired scientist, who had brewed them tea for the conversation, she looked to have conflicting feelings, yet mostly pleased that the job ultimately got done.

But...

"I see.... So Goku died anyway..." it wasn't meant to be a jab at Gonan, but it still felt like one. She barely suppressed the flinch at the reminder. And another when Bulma looked at her. "But you avenged him."

"He never should've had to be avenged in the first place..." Gonan massaged at her temple as she looked away from the two she sat with, hoping that the migraine forming would just go away. Distantly, she felt several life forms get snuffed out from what felt like a distant city. It brought the androids to the front of her mind, and she couldn't help but worry. "If I had just taken care of him quickly, like dad had even told me to... What if I mess up again with the androids here? What if I lose myself again and they escape before they're destroyed?"

"Hey," Trunks poked her arm and gave her a look that pretended to be offended. "I'm here too, you know? I don't think you'll mess up, but if the impossible should occur, I'll be there to pick up the slack."

Gonan frowned at him, "It's not impossible if it's already happened once."

"It's impossible that you'll make the same mistake twice." Her pupil argued stubbornly. "C'mon, Gonan. You've even got my father's approval, I think! I've spent enough time with him to know he doesn't like people that screw up."

The reminder of Vegeta only made Gonan groan and let her head fall to the table. "Vegeta's even more confusing than I thought..."

"Wait, you got Vegeta's approval while you were there?" Bulma sounded shocked, and rightfully so. "But- But you're 'Kakarot's brat'!" She said the odd title with an impression of Vegeta's voice, and it actually made Gonan snicker a little at hearing it. Maybe she was a little sleep deprived, but that's fine.

"He likes Trunks, too. Even snapped at Cell when..." she trailed off at the reminder of her pupil's neck being crushed, all humor of the impression gone in an instant. "... I think he even thanked me for giving Trunks a Senzu then, too..."

"Wow, was that really Vegeta?" Bulma couldn't help the comment, but hoped that it somewhat got Gonan's mind back to something more pleasant. She just got a nod before the radio nearby crackled with a report.

"We interrupt this program for an update on the androids!!" Immediately, all eyes where on the radio. "They're currently attacking BBN Point 49 Parsley City!"