They managed to make it back to Capsule Corporation before the rain came, and Tayhei paused in the front walk for a moment to cast a glance back at the sky. The clouds were heavy and black and ominous, and through the darkness, she could make out small strikes of lightning. Already, it felt as though the atmosphere around them was charged with electricity; damp and dark and waiting. Even though not a single drop of rain had fallen, she could already smell the fresh clean scent of it beginning to seep into the air. She knew that it would be only a matter of minutes before the storm hit, and judging by the past summer storms of the area, she knew that it was going to be a big one. She had lived in several different climates during her lifetime, but this area was particularly famous for ferocious summer storms. They had managed to make it so far without even a hint of rain, but it looked as though the heavens were making up for it now. Thunder rumbled low in the distance, sending a chill down her spine as she walked towards the front door. Mirai Trunks got to it first and held it open for her, raising up his arm so that she could duck under it and into the shelter of the house.

She nodded off to the future warrior, and then they both went their separate ways. He understood that she needed some time to think, and she had a suspicion that he had some things to think about as well. A lot of serious issues had just been brought up; she didn’t think either one of them could take on anything else without tripping off the edge and into insanity.

Tayhei headed into the kitchen, preparing herself for the unavoidable chore of making dinner. A quick glance at the hallway clock told her that she had probably gotten home a little later than she should have. Months ago, she would have wandered into the Capsule Corporation and found Vejiita already at the table, glowering at her and demanding something to eat. Instead, the kitchen was empty and dark. She sighed, a bit disappointed. Even though she usually didn’t find being in Vejiita’s company a pleasant thing, she felt that probably anything would have been better than such a lonely kitchen. It made her feel more like a servant than a part of the family. Though, she knew that she definitely wasn’t a servant. First of all, cooking wasn’t even part of her job description at all. It was just something that she did out of the goodness of her heart. Plus, it gave her a slight edge of power over everyone else in the family. In a group of people so completely obsessed with food and mealtimes, she easily managed to get her way. All she had to do was threaten to stop cooking for them.

She snapped on the overhead lights and went to the kitchen to wash her hands, scrubbing away any traces of germs from the park. She felt a little uncomfortable cooking in just cutoffs and a tee shirt, but she supposed it would have to do. She didn’t really feel like going all the way up to her room to change at the moment. Bending down, she opened a nearby drawer and pulled out her favorite apron, tying it securely around her waist and neck. The appropriate ingredients and cooking utensils were set out on the counter, along with her cherished cookbook --- something she always had out and ready, but never really used. Within minutes, she lost herself in her work and in her thoughts, moving through the familiar movements of measuring and stirring with a blank and distant look on her face.

Now that she had a bit of quiet time in the kitchen, she needed to lay out all of the things that she had discovered today and think them through. It wasn’t something that she was too terribly excited about doing --- in fact, she was positively dreading it. But it had to be done. She had to force herself to think about her choices and her feelings. Mirai Trunks was only going to be here for a short while, and when he left, that was it. She wouldn’t have a second chance with the future warrior; she was certain of that. But the question was: did she want the future warrior?

Yes, Mirai Trunks was kind and handsome. She knew that he would treat her well, and she knew that she would be taken care of. He certainly seemed sure about the whole thing, and his confidence was enough to make her want to believe. She knew that if she took the gamble and went back with him to the future world, that she would be happy. She didn’t see how she couldn’t be happy --- she would have someone that really cared about her and treated her as if she were the most precious thing in the world. They could live together, have a family together, and go through life with little or no complications or anger. That kind of life was all that most women could ask for.

But, as much as she wanted to be like that, she had to admit that she wasn’t one of those women. She wouldn’t be truthfully whole and truthfully happy unless she had love. And as it stood right now, she just didn’t have those kinds of feelings for Mirai Trunks. That simplistic, normal lifestyle was fine for some women, but it just didn’t cut it with her. She wanted more than that. She wanted it so bad that she was afraid to find it. To her, love had always been something distant and futuristic; she had kept it at a distance because she was afraid of it, afraid of what it would do to her heart if she lost it. Apparently, Yakosoku’s death had done much more psychological damage than she had originally thought. She had lost her little sister and it had devastated her, but more than that --- she had lost the only person she had ever loved. And that made her scared to death to give herself away like that again. If her little sister’s death had hurt her that badly, she didn’t even want to imagine how much it would hurt to lose the love of her life.

She looked out the window then, her eyes focusing on the dark clouds that were quickly rolling in. Lighting struck somewhere in the distance, and a rumble of thunder shook seconds later, signaling that the storm was getting much closer. It was funny: she kept waiting for the rain to fall, but for some reason it seemed as though the storm just wouldn’t come.

Somehow --- though he would never be able to explain why, Trunks knew that she was home. He hadn’t heard a sound from downstairs, or seen anything that gave him the slightest hint of her whereabouts….he just knew. He didn’t really care about the implications of that or the way that it made him feel; all he cared about was the fact that Tayhei had been out with Mirai Trunks and it pissed him off. He wasn’t quite sure what direction this unbelievable anger was coming from, but he was too deep into it to question it now. Instead, he just wallowed in it and let the wretched feeling completely engulf him. The feeling was so strong that it couldn’t help but overwhelm any feelings of grief and guilt and uncertainty that were still lingering in his heart. He didn’t mind. It was easier to concentrate on the anger.

And that was exactly what he was concentrating on as he stomped through the house in search of her.

He had been playing cards with Bra for the last hour, mechanically playing his hands and going through the familiar motions of the game. He wasn’t ashamed to admit that she had been thoroughly kicking his ass. He didn’t even care. He barely even knew what cards he had in his hand. His mind was definitely not on the game, and definitely not on his little sister. The only thing that he could concentrate on was that stupid note, and the image of Tayhei and the future warrior cuddled up on some park bench. What he should really should have done was stomp right out to East Capitol Park and catch them in the act. He would've liked to see Tayhei try to manipulate her way out of a situation like that. Though, he didn’t doubt her ability. The girl had already managed to do a number of things that he originally thought were completely impossible.

Without even realizing it, he let out a low growl.

It didn’t help that everyone else was gone now too. There was no one around to help him keep his cool and tell him to just relax and take deep breaths. Piccolo and Koronu had long since left, his father was probably still out training somewhere, Mirai Bulma was busy down in the lab, and even Goten had given up waiting for food. He had surrendered and headed home with Kuririn and Marron, his stomach practically screaming as he ran out the door and crammed himself into their little Capsule Car. Although he understood that his friend needed food, he still couldn’t help but feel incredibly betrayed when Goten left. That meant he was here in this house, all alone with Tayhei, Mirai Trunks, and a woman who looked and sounded just like his mother. His father wasn’t around enough to warrant a presence, and Bra was too young to offer him any kind of consolation. He felt sorely outnumbered and completely helpless. It was true that Goten probably wasn’t that big of a help anyway, but he was at least company. Now he was going to have to go down and talk to Tayhei alone, and that just pissed him off even more.

Of course, there was no more avoiding it. It had to be done. He would first just ask her politely about where she had been, and if she denied it, then he would show her the proof. Faced with her own handwriting, she couldn’t very well deny anything anymore. True, he didn’t exactly know what crime he was trying to convict her of, but if she had done anything worthy of guilt, it would probably show. Then he would tell her exactly what he thought of her, and exactly how deserving she was of his anger. Though, he wasn’t exactly sure what he was angry about. He wasn’t jealous. At least, he refused to believe that he was jealous. There was really no need for jealousy in this type of situation. After all, it wasn’t as if he had feelings for her. It wasn’t as if she had just unknowingly stepped all over his heart with those charming six inch spiked heels.

He finally found her in the kitchen, and had to stop for a moment to catch his breath and get his thoughts in order. She was making dinner now, just as if she had never even left the house at all, humming as she popped something delicious into the oven and adjusted the timer. He narrowed his sky blue eyes into a fierce glare. Of course, she just had to be wearing something that made her seem sweet and innocent; instead of the usual tiny, sexy dress, it was shorts and a tee shirt. And of course she had to have a sad look on her face --- a look that evoked sympathy and made him want to reach out and hug her instead of yelling at her. He was convinced that it was all part of her plan: she was luring him into thinking that she had changed. She had stopped saying mean comments to him and stopped trying to get him into trouble. She had been quiet and distant and almost….pleasant. And to top it all off, she was here making dinner, wearing clothes that were totally unlike her and a frown that was completely endearing. But he knew that it was nothing more than a brilliant web of deceit. She was still the same Tayhei, and he had the note to prove it.

He stepped into the kitchen and crossed his arms tightly over his chest, intent on intimidating her with not only his voice, but his stance as well. He was going to make her crack and tell him the truth, whether she wanted to or not. He had learned well enough from his father; he knew how to make someone cower. So far, none of those tricks had managed to work on Tayhei, but he was going to give it his every effort today. He felt that she deserved it, and besides, he was too blinded by anger and jealousy to think about any other options.

“Where you were you!?” He demanded suddenly.

There was a slight pause as she looked back at him in surprise, then she turned back towards her cooking and shrugged her slim shoulders. “Why do you care?”

“Answer my question.”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but I went to the park for awhile.” She informed him calmly. “I had something I needed to do.”

“With Mirai Trunks?” He challenged.

“He was there.”

Impatiently, he shook his head. She wasn’t being very cooperative --- just as he suspected. She was obviously trying to hide something, and he knew that it had to do with Mirai Trunks. He wasn’t an idiot, and there was no way he was going to let her get away with telling him just the bare minimal and expecting him to be happy about it. He had a right to know more. He raised his eyebrows at her threateningly and locked his jaw. “What were you doing, then?” He demanded.

“We eloped, Trunks. He and I are running off to the islands after dinner to begin our lives together as basket weavers in a small village community of pigmies.”

He didn’t see what was so damn amusing about the situation. He was trying to seriously interrogate her, and he didn’t appreciate her use of humor. Besides, although it was said in a heavily sarcastic tone, the very thought of Mirai Trunks and Tayhei eloping made his blood boil. He had originally thought that the idea of Goten and Tayhei getting married was bad, but this was much, much worse. For one thing, he didn’t even like Mirai Trunks.

“Very funny.” He snarled. “So what, do you like him now or something? What about Goten?”

“Goten?” She repeated, sounding genuinely confused. She turned around and placed her hands on her hips, giving him an exasperated look. “Goten and I are just friends, Trunks. And no, I do not like him. It’s not like that at all.”

“Then please, enlighten me. What is it like? You just use Goten and then drop him as soon as someone with a big sword comes along?” He accused. Then he cocked his head to the side and gave her the most hurtful, wolfish glare that he could muster. “You know, Mirai Trunks probably doesn’t even give a damn about you. You’re just a child to him. He’s probably just using you for a ‘good time’ while he’s here.”

“For the last time, Goten and I are just friends.” Tayhei said curtly. She narrowed her green eyes and lifted a hand to point sharply at him. Her gaze took on a fire that he rarely ever saw anymore --- the signal that he had actually said something that really and truly made her furious. When she spoke, her voice was strong but so quiet that it was hard to hear over the simmering on the stove. “And you don’t know anything about Mirai Trunks. You have no right to say those kinds of things about him. Besides, how could he be using me when I was the one that asked him to meet me at the park?”

Stunned, it took him a moment to recover. She didn't have to make it sound like she was doing all of this on purpose....“Well, why the hell would you want to do that?”

“I wanted to talk to him.”

“About what?” He howled.

“I don’t see why any of this is your business, Trunks. It doesn’t concern you at all, and I really don’t think you have a right to ask me about it. I went to the park, I happened to invite Mirai Trunks along with me. So what? I don’t see why you have to get so upset over it. Frankly, I think you’re just being childish, and I refuse to discuss the matter any further with you. Dinner will be ready in half an hour. If you want to eat, take it out of the oven and serve it yourself.” She informed him haughtily, then whipped the apron off of her and smacked it down onto the countertop. With strides more angry than elegant, she pushed past him and out of the kitchen, stomping away towards her room.

Trunks sighed as she left, and closed his eyes for a moment to will his anger to subside. The anger and the stress and all of the issues in his life were beginning to seem like more than he could bear. He was making one mistake after another, and simultaneously pushing away everyone in his life that mattered to him. And the worst thing was, he didn’t know how to stop. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself looking out the window at the storm clouds that were looming in the distance. They were dark and ominous and completely matched what he was feeling in his heart.