To Believe Is To Love: Taking Chances

Disclaimer: I don’t own DBZ, and if I did, I could think of doing things with certain saiyan characters that wouldn’t be put into the words of a fanfic.


Chapter 8


After the groceries were put away, Laina had prepared a light lunch. Well, light for her and Lily. Trunks required a little more than a bowl of soup and a sandwich. It was the only thing she could make that didn’t require a lot of thought or effort since she had her mind focused on Jayce. She hoped that whatever Trunks decided to speak with Jayce about would help to ease some of his hurt and maybe help Trunks also.

“ Trunks?” she started to ask.
He looked up from his food and looked at her. He arched his brow.
“ I was wondering what you’re going to say to Jayce?”
He leaned back in his chair crossing his arms over his chest. “ I’m not sure yet Laina.” He shrugged after speaking.
“ I suppose it depends on how Jayce reacts to me. I can promise you that I won’t hurt him, even if he becomes violent.”
Laina hadn’t thought that far ahead. Of course it was possible that Jayce would strike out first. “ I understand. Thank you for that promise. I know it won’t be easy talking with him. Things have been kind of...stressful around here for a few months now.”
Trunks continued staring at Laina, wondering if this is when she will admit that her husband had hurt them. She lowered her head instead and stared at the tabletop. He sighed and pushed away from the table, his appetite gone. “ I guess I will go ahead and get acquainted with your son.” He gave her a wan smile as she looked up at him.

He walked down the hallway and paused at Jayce’s door. He could hear the music booming from within. Even though the door was closed he winced at the noise, his sensitive hearing being what it is. He took a deep breath and then pounded on the door with his fist. The music volume lowered and the door was quickly opened, Jayce standing in the doorway with a scowl on his face.
“ What the fuck do you want?” he growled out.
Trunks stepped inside the room before Jayce could close the door. “ I thought that I would speak with you about a couple of things.”
Jayce closed the door and walked over to a chair by his desk and sat down. He glowered at Trunks. “ So. Speak. Then leave me alone.”
Trunks’ eyes roamed over the room and he noticed that even though Jayce’s emotions and attitude were chaotic, his room was the opposite. It was sparsely furnished and neat. The stereo was the main focus in the room.
“ I couldn’t help but notice that you resent my presence here.”
Jayce laughed without humor. “ You think?” he sarcastically replied.
Trunks smirked. This kid could give Vegeta lessons in being hostile. “ What’s the real reason for why you’re acting like this?”
Jayce slumped his shoulders a bit and shrugged.
“ I’m not leaving you alone until we talk it out.” Trunks leaned his back against the door and crossed his arms. He kept his eyes on Jayce, silently emphasizing his statement to the fact.
Jayce sighed. “ My dad left us a few months ago. He didn’t even let us know until the last minute. He didn’t even say good-bye, fuck you or anything. He just left.” Jayce took a shuddery breath and continued, “ I think my mom knew more than what she told us. If she loved dad so much, she could have stopped this from happening!”
Trunks softly said, “ Maybe she thought it would be better for you if you didn’t know all the details?”
Jayce clenched his fists and retorted, “ Bullshit! She just let him go! She didn’t even try to stop him. She pretty much held the door open for him. And then you come along.”
“ What about me?” asked Trunks.
Jayce yelled. “ You show up and she acts like a bitch in heat!”
Trunks straightened up and growled menacingly. “ Watch it, kid.”
Jayce smirked. “ Or what? She’s been acting all hot with you. You can’t deny that.”
Trunks was finding it hard to keep his promise to Laina. Granted he was her son, but Laina was his woman now, and no one insults his woman. He cracked is knuckles.
“ I know that it’s hard for you to see your mother with a new man. I’m not sure if I would have accepted it myself if my own mother had found someone new. She had loved my father until the day she died. But then, I had never gotten to know my father in my time. Not until I went back anyway.”
Jayce grunted in response. “ Whatever, man.”
Trunks could feel his temper rising. “ I grew up hearing stories about my father. When she had built that time machine, she did warn me that my father was a bit unique in his attitude. Her way of preparing me, I guess. I did not expect to meet the man that I met. In a word, he was an asshole. I couldn’t understand what it was about him that had kept my mother’s undying loyalty. Would it have been better had I not met him? No, I don’t think so, because it gave me another view of my father.”
“ So? What’s that got to do with anything?”
“ It’s better not to know all the details. There are some things that you may not want to know and your mother would rather that you find out these things on your own than say anything to turn you against your father. You should appreciate that.”
“ Fuck that!” Before Trunks could react, Jayce flew from his chair, his fist already swinging in motion to connect with Trunks’ jaw. Trunks’ head snapped back and he instinctively blocked the other fist heading for him. He pushed the boy’s fist aside and wrapped his arms around Jayce’s upper arms in a full nelson to keep him immobile. Jayce kept swinging out with his legs, grunting and swearing under his breath. Jayce’s face was turning red in his exertion to free himself from the hold.
Trunks gritted out, “ Look, I promised your mother that I wouldn’t hurt you, and I won’t. But, do you really want to fight with me?”
Jayce’s body went slack and Trunks released him. The boy slid to the floor on his knees, his head down, and started to sob. Trunks knelt down and put a hand on the boy’s shoulder in sympathy.
“ I d-don’t like feeling this way. I never meant to hurt my mom.” Jayce shuddered out. “ It’s just-” he swallowed, sniffed, then whispered, “ I don’t know.”
“ Your mother hurts for you and your sister. It’s hard for her too and I think that she feels the same as you. It’s because of you and your sister that your mom is able to go on and do what she has to. But she tries to keep a brave front because she’s taking care of you.”
“ She shouldn’t feel like she still has to take care of me. I’m a man now, I should be taking care of her and Lily.”
“ Yeah, well, that’s your right as her son. If she were alone. She’s not now.”
Jayce looked questioningly at Trunks.“ What do you mean?”
“ I’m here now. I will take care of your mother.”
“ You just met her last night! You don’t even really know her!” Jayce disputed.
Trunks couldn’t argue with Jayce about that. He was still amazed at how fast his and Laina’s relationship had started. It just felt right to him. “ Yes, but I know that I want to be here with her. I know that she has a good heart and right now, that’s all that matters.” Trunks stood up and walked over to the door. Jayce’s next statement stopped him.
“ If you hurt her, I’ll kill you. Super Saiyan or not.”
Trunks replied without turning around. “ I would let you.” He opened the door and walked out of the room.