44One Night Stand
Chapter Three: Only Time
Thoughts/Lyrics
Who can say where road goes
Where the day flows
Trunks Briefs sighed deeply as he stared out of his penthouse office suite to the city below. Taking off his glasses, he rubbed his tired eyes, wishing that he were anywhere but here. Seven years had gone by since his two nightstand, once in Hawaii and once here in Tokyo, where, for just two nights was treated to paradise, by a gorgeous emerald-eyed brunette with no last name. Since then, he had taken over Briefs Corps, much to his fathers' dismay. Nothing he ever did would be good enough for his old man. Although the one thing that Vegeta did seem to agree with him on, was not marrying Pan Son.
Pan, he had hurt her so bad in the past, but now she was happily married to someone named Motoki who ran a chain of arcades and restaurants. Goten and Gohan had gotten over their anger at Trunks and the three were friends once more, they had even helped him look for Mako, but every attempt came up empty handed.
After meeting Makoto, Trunks couldn't get her out of his mind; he knew that he couldn't be happy with Pan as long as he was wondering 'what if' about Mako. He had searched the world for her, and had come up with nothing. It was as if she had never existed.
Who can say if your love grows
As your heart chose
He had come close to finding her once, not long after their affair. He had tracked down a woman a named Makoto Kino, who lived in a prominent area of Tokyo. Upon hearing the name Makoto Kino, he had a feeling; he just knew it was her. It was as if he had waited a thousand years to hear her name, it felt as if it had been a thousand years since he had seen her last. However upon arriving at Ms. Kino's residence, he was disappointed to find that a blonde haired blue-eyed woman answered the door, claiming to be Makoto. Although Trunks had to admit she was beautiful, she wasn't his Mako she wasn't what he needed. She flirted with him, and asked him out, but he turned her down, not ready to date another woman named Makoto that wasn't the woman from the hotel.
Closing himself off emotionally, Trunks threw himself into his work, usually spending 14 hours at the office. He was back to his playboy ways, attending business parties with cool blondes and radiant redheads, but never brunettes, he couldn't bring himself to be with a brunette that wasn't Mako. Every girl he had been with since was just a fling, just to satisfy his physical needs, they did nothing to sooth the needs of his soul.
He knew that every sensible fiber in his being screamed that he should have given up on Makoto, but he couldn't. He couldn't control who his heart and soul yearned for.
Something called Crystal Tokyo had been created by Sailor Moon, who turned out to be real, ensured that peace would reign over the world. Trunks as well as the rest of his friends and family were shocked to learn the truth of the senshi, hearing their names in the news, only made him crave the woman he could never have all the more. He had been secretly searching for all of the dragon balls so that he could wish for Makoto. He was almost done too; he only needed to find one more. Then he'd be able to see her again, to tell her that she needed him just as much as he needed her. He was convinced that all it would take was seeing each other again, for her to realize that she made a mistake all those years ago by walking out on him.
Who can say why your heart sighs
As your love flies
Looking out at the city he sighed once more, I will find you again Makoto, and when I do, you can be sure, I'll never let you go again.
Four days later, Trunks had acquired all of the dragon balls, he stared at them, and the way they gleamed in the moonlight. Smiling for the first time in weeks, he called upon the one thing that could bring happiness to him. "Come out Shenlong, and grant my wish."
The giant dragon appeared on the back lot of the Briefs estate, "You have summoned me, what is your wish?"
"I wish for you to bring the woman I fell in love with, Makoto, to me."
The dragon sighed, "I'm sorry but that wish cannot be granted."
Trunks frowned, "What? Why?"
"Is it your wish to know why?" The enormous dragon asked
Trunks shook his head, "Can you take me to her?"
"That wish will be granted."
The next thing Trunks knew, he was standing in a large immaculately brilliant crystal room. He stared at the walls in awe; he had never seen anything so amazing before.
"Excuse me, how the hell did you get in here? This is a restricted area!" An angry voice yelled at him.
"I don't know how I got here." He looked around the crystal room in wonder before turning back to the ebony haired woman, who was glaring at him, "Uh, I suppose I better start from the beginning, my name is Trunks Briefs." He extended his hand as a sign of peace, noticing that she paled slightly at the mention of his name.
"Trunks Briefs?" she slowly shook his hand, as he could see the wheels turning in her head. "Why are you here? How did you get here?" she demanded after she shook her head out of her stupor.
"Have you ever heard of the Legend of the Dragon Ball?" he paused while she nodded, "Well I'm here because I made a wish to the dragon to bring Mako to me. He said that the wish could not be granted but wouldn't tell me why. I then made a wish for the dragon to take me to Mako, and I somehow ended up here. Don't know why, the dragon's never been wrong before."
Her eyes softened sadly, "I'm afraid that the Dragon didn't send you to the wrong place. This is where Makoto rests." Rei pointed behind Trunks to an enshrined coffin.
All of a sudden Trunks felt sick, his legs shook as he slowly approached the emerald casket. There she was, floating in suspended animation, wearing a billowy pale green chiffon gown, looking as if she was sleeping peacefully. He put a hand to the glass, "It's not her! It can't be her!" he yelled, before he noticed a small scar on her neck, the one he had given her when he marked her to be his, and only his. "What happened? Why is she in there?" he turned to face Rei.
Tears formed in Rei's eyes, "I don't know how to tell you this, but Makoto died a little over six years ago."
Who can say why your heart cries
When your love dies
Trunks' world came tumbling down, "She's dead?" his voice cracked as he tried to hold back his tears, and the overwhelming sense of loss that threatened to swallow him whole. "How did she die?"
"Follow me." She lead him away from the one woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. "What I am about to tell you cannot be repeated to anyone else, do you understand?" Trunks nodded, "The woman you met all those years ago was name Makoto Kino." I knew it! Trunks thought to himself as she continued, "She is, or rather was, the Sailor Senshi from the planet Jupiter." Trunks stared in awe at the admission from the raven-haired woman, "She went a little rogue on us when you met her. She had just lost her best friend in the entire world. You see the senshi don't age like normal humans, her best friend died of a heart attack at the age of 76. She ran away from everything and everyone, where she finally met you." She smiled sadly as she stopped in front of a large oak wood door, a green 4 carved into the wood. "She finally came home, I'm guessing the night after she met you." Great, I sent her running back home; maybe the attraction was all in my head.
Rei opened the door, the inside was immaculate, a modestly decorated suite, that reeked of wealth and luxury. "This was Makoto's room." She paused, "Mako had a sixth sense about things," she smiled fondly, remembering the thunder senshi, "She knew that you would find her eventually, so she left this for you." Rei led him to a huge TV screen. "She made a video for you, it's in the DVD player, I'll leave you alone now." She handed him the remote, and left closing the door behind her.
Trunks sat down on a plush recliner, and slowly hit play. The screen flickered as Mako's image appeared, she looks absolutely radiant she was sitting in the very chair he now sat in. She smiled brightly, "Hey Trunks," she blushed softly, before her gaze turned somber, "I'm so sorry for running out on you, but there was just so much going on in my life, I didn't think I could handle anything more than one night, but then fate brought us together again, here in Tokyo, and I wanted nothing more than to stay, but I couldn't." She paused as she gathered her wits about her, "I know running away was immature and selfish, and something I've regretted ever since I left. You've been the only thing on my mind since I left, which in my line of work, isn't really a good thing. I'm sure one of the girls already told you what I am, Makoto Kino, the senshi of protection, lightning and thunder. Princess of the planet Jupiter." She smiled as if knowing that Trunks face held an expression of shock. "I had just lost my best friend and I was hurting, a lot, and I met you on the beach and I was just instantly attracted to you. I figured I could lose myself in lust to ignore the pain for just a moment. Never did I ever think that I would fall for you the way I did. Dramatic I know, but it's true, I fell in love with you Trunks." She blushed charmingly.
Who can say when the roads meet
That love might be
In your heart
"I didn't want to, but I couldn't help it." She blushed at her confession, "I know what you must be thinking, if I really liked you then I wouldn't have run, I wouldn't have hid from you the way I did. I wouldn't have my best friend Mina pretend to be me when you came knocking on my door. It made me so happy to know that you wanted to see me again, that you came looking for me. But please understand that what I did was for a reason, I can't be with you Trunks, no matter how much I want to. Loosing Shino, my best friend, nearly killed me, I wouldn't be able to survive loosing you. Being a senshi, we don't age like regular people do, I'd out live you by maybe thousands of years, and I couldn't live that long without you. So I did what I thought was best, I separated myself from you, so I wouldn't get attached. And, as impossible as I thought it would be, I have a piece of you here with me."
The video panned out to show her hand resting on a very large, very pregnant stomach. "This is another reason I was afraid to face you, I didn't even think it was possible for me to get pregnant. I didn't know how you would take the news, you were rumored to be engaged to Pan Son, and I didn't want to come between you two."
She quickly changed her disposition, "Anyway, I'm expecting a little boy in a month, on December 6, the day after my birthday. I haven't told any of the girls this, but I have a feeling I'm not going to be around for much longer. I know I told you that we senshi live longer than normal humans, but we do die, and we won't get reborn until we all die. So now you know the truth, about everything, maybe I'll see you around Trunks." She smiled sweetly, and blew him a kiss,"Goodbye."
The DVD shut itself off, and Trunks was in tears, not only did he loose the woman he knew was the love of his life, he had a son he didn't even know about. He turned as he sensed that he was no longer alone, Rei stood there wiping away her own tears.
"I thought you said the senshi outlived everyone, how did she die?" he demanded, pain seeping into his voice.
"We usually do outlive everything, but childbirth is a complicated thing with or without magical elements. You Mr. Briefs are no human, you are Saiyan if I am not mistaken, if we had the knowledge of what you were, a better course of action would have been taken. However we didn't know, and Makoto died bringing Kiyoshi into this world." She stepped to the side, revealing a small child that looked exactly like him, the only difference was that he had Mako's vibrant emerald eyes. "Trunks, this is your son Kiyoshi, Kiyoshi, this is your father, Trunks Briefs."
The little boy stepped forward, emerald eyes shinning happily, "Daddy?" Trunks nodded numbly, still taking in the fact that Mako was gone. The little boy launched himself into Trunks arms, and Trunks held him as if this small child was his life.
He looked up when he heard a group of women 'awe'. He looked up and was stunned, the entire royal court stood in front of him.
He picked up his son and bowed before the queen, "Your majesty."
The queen of Crystal Tokyo smiled and, "Your highness," she bowed as well, "I do believe you are the Prince of Saiyan's are you not?"
Trunks nodded, "That I am." He shifted Kiyoshi to the other arm.
"May I have a word with you in private?" she asked, her court getting the hint began to leave, Kiyoshi also got out of his fathers arms and headed out. When they were alone Serenity asked Trunks to have a seat. "I'm sorry that you had to find out all this information this way. I'm sorry for your loss. Mako was so in love with you, it broke my heart to tell her she couldn't be with you."
Trunks glared at her, "You what? You're the one who told her she couldn't be with me? Why? If being with me made her happy, why wouldn't you want that?"
"Because, she had a duty to the crown, a duty to protect me. All the girls knew they weren't allowed to fall in love until the creation of Crystal Tokyo. But Mako was always the most romantic, the biggest dreamer." She shed a tear.
Trunks continued to glare at her, "You don't make any sense, you spout ideas of peace, love and a utopian society, but when it comes to your own friends, you hold them back from happiness." He spat out at her.
"You don't understand, we were fighting for peace, without Mako that never would have been possible. The girls have died for me before, they know their roles, she was born to serve and protect me, she couldn't go back on her birthright." Serenity pleaded for him to understand.
"If you had let her be with me she'd still be alive, you would have known that I was a Saiyan, there would have been no complications with her birth, she wouldn't have died!" he yelled angrily, "You killed her, by keeping her away from me you killed her. I don't know how you live with yourself." The queen was crying now as he stood up and walked out. Approaching the group of women he motioned for his son to come over, picking him up in his arms, he began to walk away.
"Wait, where are you going?" Rei called out.
"I'm taking my son home."
Who can say when the day sleeps
If the night keeps all your heart
That night Trunks fell asleep with his son by his side. Before he completely drifted off a glimmer of green light appeared on the balcony. Trunks watched in fascination as the light took the shape of a woman, not just any woman, his woman,
"Mako?" he whispered, getting out of bed, slowly walking towards her.
She smiled fondly at him before looking at their son, "He really is beautiful isn't he?" she walked over to Kiyoshi and gently ran a hand through his soft lavender locks.
The touch caused him to open his eyes, "Mommy?" he rubbed his eyes sleepily.
"Hey baby," a few tears ran down her cheeks, "Go back to sleep baby, and remember I'll always love you."
Kiyoshi nodded sleepily and yawned, cuddling closer to her, "I love you mommy." He murmured before succumbing to sleep, in his mothers arms, something he hadn't done since the day he was born.
Mako smiled sadly as she kissed his forehead, "Sleep well my little prince." She took one last lingering look at him before turning her emerald eyes on Trunks.
Trunks watched the whole exchange, too shocked to move, afraid that if he did, she would disappear. She looked exactly as he remembered her, absolutely radiant, he couldn't help but suck in a breath when she turned to look at him.
Before she even had the chance to speak, Trunks rushed forward and swept her into his arms, kissing her passionately.
Who can say if your love grows
As your heart chose
She smiled softly at him as they separated, "What, how, why?" the words just fell from his mouth.
"I've been granted one hour with you, to explain why I did what I did, and why it had to be this way." She tenderly caressed his face, Trunks had never felt closer to heaven than at that very moment.
Trunks closed his eyes and let himself get lost in her touch, it never ceased to amaze him how something as simple as her touch could make him feel so at peace. "Only an hour?" he choked out, tears filling his eyes as he felt her hand leave his skin. He opened his eyes, not caring if a few tears rolled down his cheek.
She was crying as well, "Just an hour I'm afraid." Extending her hand to him, she smiled, "Lets go for a walk love, it's been so long since I've been here."
Taking her offered hand, Trunks nodded and followed her, letting her lead him to wherever her heart desired. He smiled when he realized she was leading him to the roof, he watched as she looked up at the sky, "God the stars are so beautiful." She murmured as Trunks wrapped his arms around her. "I almost forgot what they looked like." She tore her eyes from the sky to look into the sapphire eyes of Trunks.
"So," Trunks whispered, hesitantly breaking the silence, afraid that if he did, she would vanish into thin air. But there are just some questions that he needed answered. "Why'd you leave the first time?"
She smiled sheepishly at him, "In all honesty I was afraid, I never felt anything for anyone like the way I felt for you. It scared me, the intensity of passion and emotions that ran through me. I didn't know what to do, so I ran."
"And the second time?" he entwined his fingers with hers, bringing her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles gently.
"Because I was ordered too. When we ran into each other that day, I was totally prepared to spend the rest of my life with you, but my duty to the crown prevented that. Believe me, if it had been up to me, I never would have left your side." She ran a hand through his hair, Trunks leaned into her touch savoring the moment.
"Why didn't you tell me about Kiyoshi? Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?" he couldn't help the anger and pain that seeped into his voice.
"I had every intention of telling you, but I only survived for two hours after Kiyoshi was born." Tears fell from her eyes as she turned away from him, "I tried so many times while I was pregnant to go and tell you, but I couldn't bring myself too, cause I knew if I saw you again, I'd never want to leave." She leaned against the rail, and looked out into the night sky, "I'd turn my back on my birthright, I'd reject the one thing that I was born to do, and I couldn't do that, no matter how much I loved you, I couldn't turn my back on the world, on what I knew was right."
She turned to face him, tears streaming down her cheeks, "And if you want to resent me for that then go ahead, what's done is done, I can't change the past, and even if I could, I wouldn't because I did what's right."
Trunks laughed softly as he pulled her to him, "How could you think I'd resent you for that, if anything it makes me love you more. You gave up everything for the greater good, you chose duty over love, because you knew it was the right thing to do. I've been in the same position, and it's not an easy choice to make. As much as I hate that you're not here, I'm proud that you made the decision you did." He lifted her face to look into his. Cupping her cheek he gently wiped away her tears. "Now that you put it the way that you did, it's a good thing you didn't show up to tell me about Kiyoshi, cause I never would have let you go." He kissed her tenderly.
"I love you Trunks, I always have, and I always will." She whispered as the sun slowly began to melt away the darkness of night.
"How much time do we have left?"
Who can say where the road goes
Where the day flows
She smiled sadly, "Not much I'm afraid." She looked out at the horizon, where navy blue of nightwas giving way to the suns yellow rays. "Once the sun warms the earth I'll be gone."
"Then we'll run from the sun," he pulled her back inside, to the comfort of his dark bedroom.
She looked at him sadly, caressing his face, "You know that this won't keep me with you, no matter how I wish to stay." Tears rolled down her cheeks like little rivers.
Trunks held her tighter, "It's not enough time, tell whoever's in charge it's not enough time." He cried as he felt her arms wrap around him.
"I'll always be here," she rest her hand on his beating heart, which was breaking as dawn neared, "As long as you love me, I'll never leave your side."
"No, please don't leave me! I love you, you can't leave me, please." Trunks struggled to hold onto her, tears streaming down his face, as she began to disappear, "Will I ever see you again?"
She simply smiled softly at him, and blew him a kiss, "I'll always be with you."
Only time…
OMG, I actually finished a fic! Who would've thought that I would actually finish one! Crazy I tell ya!I can'tbelieve that I managed to write an entirecrossover fic with DBZ, considering I've never ever seen the show, so if people were out of character I appologize. You guys should allthank Hehe Panda cause without her allowing me to bug her about DBZ info, this fic wouldn't guys for coming along for the ride. I don't own the characters except Kiyoshi. The song belongs to Enya. And for those who are wondering how Kiyoshi knew that Mako was his mother, I read somewhere that a child will always recognize their mothers voice/scent/presence, no matter how long its been since they've been together or how old the child was when they last saw her.
Thank you's:
Dimonyo-Anghel: I never really stated who she was talking to on the phone, but that doesn't really matter, the only thing that matters is that the order for her to leave Trunks came from Serenity... and unless I decided to do a sequel, Mako will not be meeting Bulma and Vegeta.
Damia: Wow, and update in my honor... hmm... I love Man Slayers! I would love to see that one updated... and if I can add my two cents... Mako/Heero pairings are my favorite!
Elara: I hope that cleared things up about Shino, I think I mentioned he had a heart attack, I'm to lazy to go back and check, if I didn't, he died of a heart attack. MM's I'm stuck as far as weaving it all together, aswell as thinking of three different I didn't go into more detail on the phone call, but I couldn't think of a way to weave it in... and no I don't know anything about Fushigi Yugi... but then again I don't know anything about DBZ either ;p
Hehe Panda: B! I'd be so lost without you! Thanks for all the info, and just for being so freakin cool! You rock, but then again you already knew that!
Yassig: As I mentioned before, good luck with the wedding plannings, and don't be afraid to be meticulous about it, after all it is the biggest day of your life :) May you and your husband-to-be have a very happily ever after!
Star-Blue-Angel: Thanks so much for your enthusiastic support, I love fans like you. Although I am considering doing a sequel cause I have a feeling people won't be too happy with this ending, I make no promises. Thanks for the words of wisdom, hope this was soon enough for ya! P.S. Eclectic Soul is now Hehe Panda
Cris: What can I say, everyone was all lovey-dovey for Vday, and here I am killing off Mako andany chance she and Trunks had at happiness... o.O
Thunder-Heart: Thanks for the sweet review hun! Hope you're doing alright!
Happy belated 'Singles Awareness Day' aka Valentines Day everyone!
One Love,
Athena Kyle