Goten was sitting in the tree where he, Trunks, and Aiko would sometimes hang out. It was a cool day, and it was nice just being outside.

"Hey Goten!"

He looked down and saw Trunks running up. "Hey Trunks! What's up?"

Trunks climbed up in the tree and sat on the limb beside his friend. "Not much... Hey, do you think your dad is acting kinda weird?"

"What d'you mean?"

Trunks shrugged. "I dunno. Weird."

"I think it has something to do with Aiko's mom," Goten said thoughtfully.

"Mika?"

"Yeah. I think she's going through some tough times or somethin'... Dad's concerned, but I think she's okay now."

Trunks sighed. "I hope so."

"Guys? Are you up there?"

"Yeah, Aiko. Come on up."

She climbed up and sat on another thick branch next to the one they were sitting on. "What's up?"

Goten shrugged. "Us."

Aiko laughed, then got serious. "Um, I wanted to talk to you guys about something..."

"What is it?" asked Trunks gently.

Aiko bit her lip. "It's... it's my mom, she....." Aiko swallowed. "I'm worried about her."

"What d'you mean?" Goten asked.

"I was coming outside to find you guys, and I walked past the living room. She was sitting in there, holding an envelope from a letter from Daddy and crying..." Aiko stared at her lap.

"Dad tried talking to her," said Goten. "I guess it didn't help... this time..."

Trunks put a hand on Aiko's knee. "It'll be okay."

"No it won't. Mom never cries."

Goten sighed. "I don't know what to tell you, Aiko..."

They were silent for a few minutes, then Aiko said, "Do you think Daddy left because of me?"

"Aiko..." Trunks sighed.

"But what if he did?!"

"Aiko," said Goten, "your father didn't leave because of you."

"Then why? I wish he hadn't..."

"I know," Goten said gently. "Maybe someday when you're older, an adult, he'll arrange to meet up with you."

Aiko nodded, but she didn't believe it, and had the feeling that Goten didn't, either.

After a few minutes of silence, Goten said he had to get going so he wouldn't be late, and the three of them jumped to the ground.

Goten hurried off, and Aiko leaned against the trunk of the tree, shutting her eyes, remembering. Remembering the first time Trunks had told her that he loved her... she could remember it so well. Their first date, the first time they held hands, their first kiss. The first time she knew, realized, that she loved him. It seemed like just yesterday, but it had been when she was fourteen. Maybe she'd been a little young then... but she was now fifteen, and by her mother's standards, old enough to be dating. But strangely, Mika hadn't protested when Aiko and Trunks started dating, despite the fact that Aiko had only been fourteen. Maybe Mika realized how much they really cared about each other.

She sighed. Thinking about Trunks was helping her stop worrying about her mother... for the moment, at least.

"Hey, Angel," Trunks said softly, putting his arm around her shoulders. "What are you thinking about?"

Aiko smiled. "Us."

"Us?"

She nodded, and put her arms around him, holding him tight. "Especially the first time you told me you loved me."

Trunks smiled and kissed her forehead. "I still do, y'know."

"I know." Aiko sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder.

They were quiet for a moment, then Aiko said, "Trunks-kun?"

"Hm?"

She looked up at him. "Can... Could you sing for me?"

He looked down at her. "How come?"

"'Cause you've got a great singing voice."

Trunks blushed a little. "Okay, but what should I sing?"

"Anything."

He grinned. "The itsy bitsy spider..."

Aiko laughed and Trunks started to sing softly.

It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart

Trunks' song was interrupted by a long, sweet kiss. He wrapped his arms around Aiko and kissed her back.

"I love you, Trunks-kun," Aiko whispered, drawing her face back a little and ending the kiss.

"I love you, too, Aiko-chan," he said softly. "I meant every word of the song."

"I know you did." She smiled and held him tight. "I'll always be here for you, Trunks-kun... and I'll always love you. Forever."

Trunks kissed her forehead, and said, "Same here, Aiko. Forever."

Trunks picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, Trunks?"

"Oh, hey, Aiko. What's up?"

She sighed. "I dunno. Not much."

"Why'd you call?" Trunks asked.

"Just to talk."

Trunks nodded. "Cool. Hey, do you wanna do something Friday night? That girl Delia, I think she's in your grade, she's having a party or something, or we could go to a movie, something like that..."

Aiko sighed. "I'd love to, but I've got to babysit my neighbors' kids..." She groaned. "They're a perfect terror. One's four, the other's seven."

Trunks laughed. "Poor you."

She sighed. "Sorry I can't go..."

"That's okay. Maybe next week or something?"

"Okay. See you later, Underwear Boy!"

"Bye, Aiko-chan."

Two days later, Aiko was walking down the street when she saw Trunks. She smiled to herself. She hadn't seen him since Friday. "Trunks-kun!" He turned around, anger on his face. "Trunks, what's wrong?"

"You've got some nerve asking that, Aiko," he growled.

Aiko was taken aback. Trunks had never used that tone of voice talking to her before. "Trunks, are you okay?"

"You've been messing around with other guys, haven't you?!" Trunks demanded angrily.

"W-what?!" Aiko exclaimed.

There was anger, frustration, but most of all hurt in Trunks' eyes. "Delia called me yesterday and told me. You were all over her boyfriend at that party!" he said. "You lied and cheated on me!"

"That's not true!" Aiko exclaimed. "That's not true! I was baby-sitting, remember?!"

"Just an excuse so I wouldn't go to the party so you'd have him all to yourself!" Trunks' voice started to get louder, and Aiko was afraid he was in the mood to go Super Saiyan.

"Trunks-kun--"

"Don't call me that!" he said, tears pooling in his eyes. "I hate you!"

Aiko felt like she'd been stabbed. For the first time since she could remember, tears started to form in her eyes, too. "Trunks, I love you!"

"No, you don't!" Trunks said, his voice cracking. "'Love' is just another word to you. Another empty word!"

Aiko's tears poured onto her cheeks. Trunks fell silent. He had known her for four years and had never seen her cry. "Trunks, why would I lie to you? I do love you! Delia made the whole thing up, I swear!"

Trunks shook his head, frustrated. "It's over, Aiko."

Those three words hit Aiko like and oncoming train. "No..." she whispered. "You don't mean that! Trunks, no! I love you!"

"Yes, I do and no, you don't," he said. He walked up to her and looked into her eyes. "I should have known that it was too good to last." Trunks leaned down and gave her a long kiss.

"Trunks?..."

He looked into those burning, green eyes. "That was for good-bye."

Aiko started to protest, but realized. If she really loved him... "I'll let him go," Aiko whispered to herself. Then aloud she said in a shaky voice, "I really do love you, Trunks, so if you... don't want to... to be together anymore..." She took a deep breath. "I'll let you go. I want you to be happy." She kissed him goodbye once more and ran away.

"Aiko-chan..." Trunks muttered through gritted teeth. "I love you, too. But I can't trust you anymore..." A tear slid down his cheek and splashed on the pavement.

Aiko ran. She ran to the tree where she and Trunks had last been... together... I don't believe that he would believe one of Delia's lies! she thought to herself.

Her tears blurred her vision, and as she got to the tree, she smacked into someone. She looked up. "G-goten..."

"Aiko..." Goten pulled her in a hug immediately. "You've been crying. What's... wrong, Aiko?"

Aiko couldn't answer. By now she was crying too hard. She buried her face in his chest and he held tight to her. She was trembling. It was a warm day, so she was either very scared or extremely upset, maybe both...

Goten couldn't think of what would make Aiko cry, especially like this. The it hit him. "Aiko," he said gently. "It is Trunks?"

Surprised, she looked up at him, bewilderment on her pretty, tear-stained face. "H-how did you know, Goten?"

"He's the only thing that you would cry over. Is he okay?"

"NO!" yelled Aiko, breaking away from him. Now it was Goten's turn to be surprised. "That... That..." She blurted out every obscene word she could think of, then fell into Goten's arms crying again.

Goten held her tight. "What... What did he do, Aiko?"

"He believes a stupid lie that I was... cheating on him!" Aiko sobbed. "Goten... please... Take me home... Please..."

"No problem," he said gently. He held out his hand, and she took it, twining their fingers together. Goten squeezed her hand tight and walked her home.

When they got to Aiko's house, her mother wasn't home. Aiko broke away from Goten and ran up to her room. Sighing, he followed her into her room.

She was lying face down on the bed crying loudly. "Trunks..." he heard her wail.

Goten sat down next to her and pulled her into his lap. She snuggled up to him, crying. Goten put his arms around her. "Aiko..." he whispered. "It's okay..."

"No, it's not!" Aiko said. "Trunks is... the only person... the only guy..."

"...That you truly love, right?"

"That I'm truly in love with," she said, as a fresh bout of sobs overtook her. Suddenly, she jumped up and ran to the bathroom that was ajoined to her bedroom. She knelt in front of the toilet seat and threw up in it.

Goten came in a hugged her around the neck from behind. "Sh... You've cried yourself sick," he said gently. She just sat with her head over the toilet. "Go sit down on your bed," he instructed her. She did as he told her and he flushed the toilet and brought her some water. "Drink this."

She smiled sadly and drank it. Goten sat next to her. "He hates me," Aiko whispered.

Goten put his arm around her shoulders. "No, I know he doesn't. He... He's never been in love before, Aiko. It's hard on both of you. You're both growing up so fast. Love... Love makes you mature while you're still young, before you're ready. You have to... try and make the right decisions so no one will be hurt in the long run..." His voice cracked and Aiko wondered what was wrong.

Goten smiled weakly. "Hey, it'll be okay, Aiko," he said. "I promise." Aiko sat on his lap, her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you," Aiko whispered.

"For what?"

"For being here. You're my best friend in the world..."

He held he tight and kissed her forehead softly. "Hey, anytime, Aiko. Anytime."

The next day, Aiko wasn't at school. Goten went over after school to see what was wrong, although he was pretty sure he knew what it was. He knocked on the door.

"Goten," Mika smiled. "Here to see Aiko?" He nodded. "Poor thing's sick. She was up throwing up all night, and she couldn't sleep, and she won't even eat."

Goten felt a lump form in his throat. "Not anything?"

Mika shook her head. "Not a bite. I'm afraid she might be coming down with the flu or something."

You couldn't be more wrong, Goten thought. "Can... can I go up and see her...?"

Mika nodded. "Go on up, Goten. Don't you get sick, too, or your mom will have a fit."

Goten smiled weakly and headed up to Aiko's room. "Aiko...? You okay?" The only response was the sound of barfing. Sighing, Goten opened the door and walked into Aiko's bathroom. "Aiko?"

"Goten..." She looked awful. Her hair was falling around her shoulders messily and her pretty face was tear-stained. Her green eyes that were usually bright and happy were red, puffy and dull. There was no sign of her usual smile, and her pajamas were wrinkled, indicated a night of tossing and turning and absolutely no sleep.

"Aiko..." Goten whispered, hugging her tight. "Are you okay, Aiko?"

She shook her head. "No," she whispered.

"Did you sleep at all?" She shook her head. "And you haven't eaten anything?" She shook her head again. He rubbed her back gently. "Aiko..." he murmured. "It'll be okay, Aiko. It'll be okay."

Aiko started to cry again. "No, it won't!" she sobbed into his shirt. "Trunks doesn't trust me! He doesn't love me anymore!"

"Aiko, you couldn't be more wrong," Goten said. "Trunks loves you with everything he has. Why else would he be so upset to hear that... garbage from Delia?"

"Jealous..."

"No, Aiko," Goten said gently. "Because he loves you. He loves you so, so much. Please admit it to yourself. You know he loves you, Aiko."

Aiko let out a loud sob and squeezed Goten tight. "I know he does... That he did... But... but..." She sniffled. "I miss him. I miss his smile... I miss his touch... I miss his embrace, his kiss, I miss the way he used to comfort me. Goten, I need him! I... I can't live without him... He's my everything..."

"And you're his," Goten reassured her. "Don't worry. Everything'll work out."

I'll always be here for you, Trunks-kun... And I'll always love you. Forever.

"No-hoo-hooo..." Aiko sobbed, remembering Trunks' words. Goten kissed her cheek softly.

"Sh..." he whispered. "Sh... Everything's going to be okay, Aiko, I promise. I promise."

Trunks sat on the balcony, head in his hands. His tears fell like raindrops on his lap as he cried. He loved Aiko so much but was so afraid to trust her now. But how would he manage without her? She was always there with her beautiful smile to cheer him up on a bad day, always ready with a warm hug to make him feel good, and always willing to give advice.

Almost a year they had been together. Just two more months before what would have been their anniversary. Almost a whole year. Their first relationship for both of them...

"This isn't happening..." Trunks muttered to himself. "I'll wake up any minute and I'll go see Aiko and tell her about this... this... nightmare." That's what it was. Just a nightmare...

Stop kidding yourself, Trunks, he thought. It's over. You broke her heart. Happy now? He sniffed and wiped his eyes, smearing tears across his face. "Aiko-chan... I miss you..."

All Trunks wanted now was for everything to be alright. But he was afraid. He was afraid of falling in love. And he was afraid to trust the woman he loved. Had he made a rash decision?

"Idiot..." he muttered to himself. Was it too late now? Was it too late to take it back? She probably hates me now. Instead of loving me with all her heart, she hates me with all her heart... Why, why, why is this happening to me?...

He wanted so bad to hold her again... to taste her kisses again... to be in her company or just to hear her laugh, even to hear her cry, as long as he was with her.

"Aiko!!!" He yelled her name and it echoed across the valley. His voice dropped to a whimper. "I love you, Aiko-chan... I still love you..." Another tear rolled down his cheek. "My angel..."

Aiko opened her eyes and yawned. She had finally gotten some sleep. Even if it was just an hour. She sat up slowly. Goten was sitting on the floor, leaning against the side of the bed, deep in thought. She smiled to herself. He was so sweet. He hadn't even left her...

"Goten..."

He looked up. "Aiko, you're awake." She nodded. "Aiko, let's go do something to get your mind off... you know."

Aiko nodded. "Sure. Where do ya wanna go?"

Goten shrugged. "Fast food, arcade, wherever."

"The arcade!" Aiko exclaimed. It was their favorite hangout.

"The arcade it is," Goten smiled. Aiko brushed her hair into a ponytail and they headed downstairs. As they passed through the living room, Aiko tripped and Goten caught her. "Oops," he smiled.

Aiko laughed. "You're so sweet." Goten smiled, happy to hear her laugh again.

Mika walked in. "Aiko, are you feeling well enough to be going out?"

Aiko nodded. "Yeah, I feel way better, Mom. Don't worry, we're just going to the arcade. I'll be home in a couple hours or so, okay?" Mika nodded and Goten and Aiko headed out the door.

At the arcade, Aiko was kicking Goten's butt at video games. Goten was kind of surprised that she was so cheery. But he was glad that she was feeling better.

They were having so much fun, they didn't notice a familiar character enter the arcade. Trunks had come to the arcade to get his mind off Aiko.

Then he saw Goten and Aiko laughing and playing video games. He felt his blood boil. She wasn't the least bit upset. It had been an act, all her crying. Aiko and her stupid lies... He hated her for it.

And his so-called best friend seemed to not even care about him. He had taken Aiko's side... That swine... Trunks thought angrily. I hate both of them...

Trunks suddenly realized that he had lost his two best friends in the world. His two only real friends. I'm all alone now, he thought. He shook his head, trying to clear it and walked out of the arcade.

Meanwhile, Goten stopped laughing. Aiko noticed and grew serious. "What is it, Goten?"

"I... I just felt Trunks' ki, and it was getting pretty high," Goten responded, staring into space. "He must have been close by, and mad, too."

Aiko bit her lip. "Trunks-kun..." she sighed. "Goten, I don't think he'll ever forgive me..."

"For what?!" Goten said, shocked. "Aiko, you didn't do anything! It's his fault to believe that stupid lie! You're not the one at fault here!"

"Yeah, but as far as he's concerned I am..." Aiko whispered. "So he'll have to forgive me..."

"Aiko..." Goten said, frustrated. "You're not making sense."

"Goten," Aiko pleaded. "Can we go someplace where... I won't get... Where it won't bring back any memories? Please?"

"Hey, no prob," he smiled. "Let's get something to eat."

Aiko smiled. "I haven't eaten since yesterday afternoon. Let's go!"