Warning:
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This epilogue takes place after a huge jump in time after the end of Just a Smile. It was originally part of Chapter 20, so it turned out to be rather short.
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Since it represents the transition to a new story, a continuation of Just a Smile, it should only be read by those who are interested in it. Readers satisfied with the first ending of Just a Smile are advised not to read any further. The epilogue is not for the faint of heart.
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Just a smile
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Epilogue: ... because life goes on ...
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“Trunks, where are you?” Bulma pushed the braid back over her shoulder. In the two years since Gokou had flown up and away with the rebirth of Buu, she had let her hair grow back long.
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“What's up?” Her hands stuck in his trouser pockets came strolling out of his room. "I'm not hard of hearing."
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<br />She sighed and tossed him the thick envelope. "Bring this to me at the post office, will you?"
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He glanced at the address. "That Lumia again. You really did eat a fool of her."
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Bulma shrugged. "Somebody has to keep running the Capsule Corps. Your grandfather is becoming more and more forgetful and I can use all the help I can get. Or do you suddenly intend to follow in my footsteps?"
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"Then I would have to have as good grades as this Lumia, right? You always blame me and Bra that we don't feel like studying as much as Gohan did back then."
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"Has that changed?" Asked Bulma with a sigh.
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"Not the track," Trunks yawned. "I would much rather go to parties than stick my nose in books. It's enough for me that my father pulls my ears out every time because I don't want to train with him. It's really boring to sit in the room all the time when there is so much going on outside."He looked at the clock." Let me guess, I should stop by the Sons and pick up Bra, right? "
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"That's right. After all, she's back to school tomorrow. I know that Goten has had a storm-free booth for three weeks because Chichi moved to her father's house on the Bratpfannenberg, but that doesn't mean that Bra is old enough to attend your parties You should really take care of her a little more as her brother. "
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"Mom," he said, shaking his head and grinning, "you can really tell how old you are. Times change."
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He walked past her, slipped down the stairs and out the front door. She could really get on your nerves with her constant admonitions. He and Bra weren't little children anymore.
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“Trunks, wait a minute!” She came running after him. A little out of breath, she stood on the threshold and gasped for breath. The glaring sunshine mercilessly illuminated the lines on her face and the gray streaks in her long hair.Trunks didn't understand why she was wearing it for so long if it only made her look older. "Because of ... because of your birthday next week ..."
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"Oh that," he waved him off. "Please don't make any fuss about it. It's enough for me if you double the usual check for me. Please, none of those children's parties with daddy's old buddies and a cake. It's really from the day before yesterday."
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Bulma turned her head to one side quickly so that he couldn't see her troubled expression. "How ...", she swallowed and started again, "how do you imagine your birthday?"
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"Goten already has everything under control, we're going to blow his house away, it's really cool that he has the whole house to himself." Bulma heard the envy in his voice and cleared her throat. "Would you like the house to yourself too? Do we bother parents so much?"
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"Not dad, he's always in the training room," said Trunks with the brutal openness of his youth, "but your hustle and bustle often upsets me.Once this Lumia has graduated from university and moves in with us, it will get even more annoying. I don't hope you plan on getting her and me out, do you? "
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Bulma still didn't look at him. "Don't worry," she said aloud, "As far as I know, you are not her type and she is a real workhorse. We will mainly sit in the workshop and hardly bother you."
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"Then I'm reassured," said Trunks. “See you tonight!” With a casual wave he flew away.
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Bulma watched him go with wet eyes and sighed heavily. It was really time he stood on his own two feet. Surely she had spoiled him a little too much ...
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She went back inside and prepared the ingredients for her dinner. Vegeta would have to come out of the training room in two or three hours and then he would be as hungry as ever.
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After she was almost done with the preparations, the cell phone rang.<br />
"Hello Hello!"
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"Mom, it's me."
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"Bra dear, what's up?"
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"Trunks has just come to pick me up. We have decided to eat with Aunt Videl and Uncle Gohan. There is a barbecue there today. Great, isn't it?"
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"Aha ..." Bulma looked at the filled baking dish. How long did it take her to prepare this pumpkin pie really well after Bras was born? Twenty attempts or was it thirty? She had always loved Bra and Trunks. In the past.
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"You can't imagine how great it is here. We're having so much fun ... I can't stay here today, please! Aunt Videl will make sure that I get to school on time."
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The lump in Bulma's throat grew thicker and thicker. Then she heard Bra handing the phone over to Videl. "Please, Videl, talk to Mama. She's always so old-fashioned and boring."
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"Bulma?" It was Videl's voice."I'm really sorry, but they took me by surprise with their request. Trunks flew off with Goten to catch a few more fish."
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"It's okay," Bulma heard herself say in a voice that didn't seem to be hers. "I just hope they don't go into too much trouble."
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"But no, Bra is such a lovely girl. She and Pan played all afternoon. Bra is great with children. You can be really proud of her."
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"So am I," said Bulma and somehow she managed to make her voice sound happy. "I'm proud of both of them."
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"Then everything is clear and the two of them spend the night with us today. So you and Vegeta have time for a romantic evening for two ..." Bulma could literally hear Videl winking at her.
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"Have a nice evening and thank you for taking care of the two rascals," said Bulma, before hanging up, ignoring Videl's allusion.<br />
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What should she have said? She just stood still for a minute or two, staring out the window at the afternoon sun. A small, framed picture stood between the flower pots. It had been admitted shortly after she was released from the hospital after Bras was born. At that time she had short hair and held the little Bra in one arm. She had placed the other on Trunks shoulder, who stood proudly like a little snow king in front of her, grinning into the camera. Vegeta stood by her side, one arm around her shoulder and with the other hand tossed Trunk's hair into a mess. Bulma took the picture in both hands and looked at it for a long time.
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Then she put it back, put the mold in the stove, and went to the exercise room. She opened the door a tiny crack. Vegeta was in the middle of his step combinations. His sweat-covered body shone and the play of his muscles had lost none of its suppleness.As always, Bulma's heart beat faster when she watched him so secretly.
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Suddenly he stopped. Without turning to her he asked surly: "What's going on, Bulma?"
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She winced. "Nothing special ... I ... I just wanted to ask if you could finish your training a little earlier today. The children stay with Gohan and Videl, we would have some time for each other to talk and so ..."
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"Is that why you are bothering me?" He started with some stretching exercises. "It's not the first time you've stayed with Gohan. At least I'll have some peace and quiet for an extra round. Don't be so nice and annoy me any longer. We're long gone from any romantic nonsense, aren't we?"
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Bulma closed the door quietly. She could still hear him shouting that she should make the meal an hour later as usual and that he was not in the mood for greens. Then there was only gasping and groaning to the music of his exercises.<br />
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Bulma leaned against the door from the outside and took a deep breath. Then she pushed herself off and walked slowly into the bathroom. She washed her face with cold water. How long has it been? When did it start? After Gokou's disappearance?
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“Nonsense!” She said aloud to her reflection in the mirror, which was staring blurredly at her. "You can't blame it on Gokou any more than they can blame it on your age." She remembered the conversation that she had overheard by chance a few weeks ago. Trunks had come back from meeting a school friend earlier than planned and encountered Vegeta in the garden.
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"Back already?" He asked his son. "Wasn't it fun to hang out lazily?"
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"Don't get sarcastic, father," Trunks had complained. "If you only knew ... Arrin and I met his parents by chance in town and Arrin almost died of embarrassment. It's hard to believe, the two have been married for over 20 years and have turtled like a young couple.It's hard to believe that you can be so embarrassing at that age. If it had been you and mom, I would have sunk into the ground ... "
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"Don't worry, my boy," Vegeta had said with a grin. "Or can you imagine that I would perform such a circus with your mother? Not even when she was young and crisp would I have thought of that and now ..." he had laughed. Contemptuous and cold. Or so it had sounded to her ears. She