Just a Nightmare: Distant Dreams

The next few days passed by pretty much the same way they'd always had. Goku and Vegeta sparred on a daily basis, Trunks and Goten hung out after the lavender-haired demi-Saiya-jin got home from work, and Bura begged her father to train her. Actually, the last was a brand new occurrence.

"Just tell me why, Papa? Why can't I kick butt like the rest of you?" Bura grumpily dug her spoon into her bowl of cereal at the breakfast table.

Vegeta looked at her with a tired expression. "Because learning to fight will make you a target, Bura. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Oh," she said at length. "I understand. But what if the bad guy doesn't care that I'm just an innocent bystander? If I can't defend myself against him, then I'm just as dead. I would rather have a chance at saving myself, Papa."

Trunks nodded. "The squirt has a point."

He didn't want to give in even though his daughter had a solid argument, but there was no guarantee that evil was done visiting Chikyuu. "Meet me in the backyard an hour after breakfast. Your lessons begin today."

A delighted smile lit up her face like a Christmas tree. "Really, Papa? Oh, domo arigatou!" Bura ran around the table and hugged him with all of her strength.

"Don't thank me just yet. Trunks will tell you that I don't go easy on anyone."

"I don't care." She ran upstairs to get ready.

Vegeta dropped his head to his hands almost as soon as she was out of sight. "I don't know a damn thing about training a female child."

"It's not as if she's ningen. Bura can take a lot."

"Not the point, brat. The female mind is a confusing, complicated thing. I could accidentally say something to her that would make her burst into tears! What am I supposed to do then, huh? You'll be at work and I don't have a clue how to calm a crying female."

Trunks smothered a smile. "You'll be fine, Papa. Hey, if worse comes to worse you could always call Goku-san. He did train Pan after all."

Hope dawned in his eyes. "You're right and Gohan's brat was even younger than Bura is now!" Though having Goku help him out with Bura was the primary reason, he couldn't help but to be happy about the potential time they would get to spend together. Vegeta considered it an added bonus.

"I have to leave, but I'll come if you call me." His blue eyes silently pleaded for his father to call him. He'd been the president of Capsule Corporation for a year -- ever since Buruma died -- and he still hadn't adjusted.

"You own the company, Trunks. If you despise working there so much, why can't you just hire someone to run it for you?"

Trunks twisted his hands and confliction showed on his face. Obviously it was something he'd thought about (and agonized over) before. "Ojiisan spent his entire life running Capsule Corporation and Kaasan did the same. I feel like I'm dishonoring their memories by just thinking about it. It would tear me apart to actually do it."

"Trunks," Vegeta said seriously, "I don't think either of them would want you to do something that made you miserable. I certainly don't."

"I didn't think that you cared either way," he said while looking ashamed. "You're my Papa and I know that you love me... I guess. It's just that you don't seem to care about anything other than being the strongest and beating the crap out of Goku-san."

Vegeta knew that he was right, but hadn't he seen the changes over the years? After the defeat of Majin Buu -- and the birth of Bura -- he'd concentrated more on his children than anything else. From the fusions of Vegetto and Gogeta, he'd seen deep into Goku's heart and discovered what made the man so powerful. He had a core of righteousness that Vegeta could never hope to match, but, regardless of futility, he would spend the rest of his life trying.

"While, I admit, fighting with Kakarotto is enjoyable, you and Bura are my responsibility." Vegeta allowed emotion to fill his eyes, something he hadn't done in a very long time. "Your happiness is important to me. No matter how I behave, always remember that."

Trunks was completely speechless. He just sat in his chair and stared at his father until Vegeta tapped his wrist. "What does that..." The young man glanced down and gasped. "Watch! Time! Late!"

"At least you've got the essentials," Vegeta said with a very small smile.

He jumped up and grabbed his briefcase, throwing one last look at his father. Then, on an impulse, he went over and hugged the startled Saiya-jin. "Arigatou, Papa. See you later."

The prince sat there for a moment, a smile on his face, until a voice pulled him from his thoughts. "That was so sweet!"

Vegeta jumped and was five seconds away from letting loose a ki attack on the owner of the voice. He turned and groaned aloud. "Kakarotto. I should have known."

"Don't act like you're disappointed to see me. I know better. I could even say that you like having me around." Goku grinned.

"Say one damn thing and you're hearing about it for the rest of your life," Vegeta grumbled. "Do you promise not to bring whatever I say next up again?"

"I promise," he said promptly. He said it a little too fast for Vegeta tastes, but the ouji continued anyway.

"Bura asked me to train her and I agreed. Ihavenodamnideahowtotrainafemalesowouldy ouhelpmedothis?"

Goku blinked and processed his words. "Are you asking me for help?"

"Hai." He tried not to look ashamed, but it didn't work very well. Goku opened his mouth again and the prince held up a hand. "If it's anything other than 'hai' or 'iie', I don't want to hear it."

He looked at him with bright, innocent eyes. "I dunno. Maybe." Goku found himself suddenly on the floor, looking up at the ceiling. Vegeta was straddling his waist and wiggling his fingers.

"Answer me correctly or I'm going to torture you." The younger Saiya-jin's eyes sparkled with humor and before he could even open his mouth, Vegeta's nimble fingers were digging into his sides.

Goku squealed and began to laugh hysterically. "Hai, hai! I'll help you!" Tears fell from his eyes and he was dangerously close to wetting himself. "Onegai, 'geta. Stop tickling me!"

"If I'm interrupting something, I could always come back," Bura stood in the doorway, looking at them with a humored expression on her face. She had on one of Trunks' old gi that he'd worn when he was her age with a tee-shirt underneath.

The three of them went outside. "I can't believe that someone's finally gonna teach me martial arts! You two are the best!"

"Just wait until you see 'geta's training methods," Goku stage whispered. He then said louder, "Bura-chan, can you fly?"

She nodded. "Trunks taught me a few years ago after I begged him to death. I'm pretty sure I picked it up faster than Goten-niichan." Bra smirked. "That's something I can tease him about for years."

"What else do you know?"

They only covered the basics that day. Bura could fly and control her ki, but that seemed to be about the full extent of her abilities. Then, much to the delight of the girl, Goku and Vegeta sparred for her.

She was absolutely entranced. "You make it look just like a dance."

"That comes with decades of practice," Goku told her.

"I'm gonna be that good someday and then I'll get to spar with both of you." Bura could picture it in her mind. "I bet I'll even win!" Vegeta and Goku exchanged looks and burst into laughter. Bura glared at them. "What's so funny?"

"N-nothing, Bura," Vegeta gasped. "It's just that while you get stronger, so will we."

Goku shook his head. "I was laughing because she sounded so much like you right then. No one would ever mistake her for someone else's daughter." The short Saiya-jin didn't know whether to be pleased... or insulted.

The rest of the afternoon was spent teaching Bura how to spar. Most of it was instinctual -- she was part Saiya-jin after all -- and, by the end of the day, she felt that she could go up against Pan and know what to do.

"She's only a quarter-Saiya-jin, but would probably kick my butt," she grumped. "But, if I train every single day, eventually I'll be stronger than she is. I am Vegeta's daughter after all."

Vegeta looked as if he would burst with pride. "At last, someone who recognizes true strength."

"I've always admired your strength, Vegeta," Goku said quietly. "Especially when no one else did."

The prince smiled and stared deeply into his former rival's eyes. After five minutes went by and neither of their gazes wavered, Bura smiled to herself and went into the house. It seemed that Goten was right... for once.