VEGETA’S HEART

When Vegeta had left Earth he had headed his ship towards the next base'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">next base on his list, and then gone to sleep. But when he woke, instead of just being famished, he felt like he was literally starving. But his stomach was roiling so badly that the just the thought of food, at first, had made him retch almost uncontrollably. The queasiness passed swiftly though and once he’d satisfied his hunger, he’d dismissed the odd incident. Assuming his reaction was only an aftereffect of the new sleep gas that Bulma’s mother had provided for the pod. There was probably something just a little off in the mix. The second time it happened, it didn’t affect him quite so badly, then third time he woke up nothing happened at all. So he guessed that whatever it was he had adapted to it.

Back on Earth Bulma’s mother and Dr. Timz, are conferring.

“She’s having a lot of trouble keeping anything down except liquids.” Says her mother concernedly.

“Some morning sickness is normal with pregnancy, but the fact that he doesn’t know, along with the stress of her worrying about him is making it worse.” Dr. Timz shakes his head. “Why didn’t she tell him before he left?”

“It was her decision not to, she says he had to go and do this, it was eating him up inside.” Her mother shrugs, “It’s because of this Saiyan bond thing they‘ve got. She knows him as well as he knows himself. Bulma thought it best for the both of them if he didn‘t know.”

“Well, we’ll just have to compensate, maybe after the first couple of months her morning sickness will pass, it usually does, until then we’ll just have to supplement her with high caloric nutritive IV’s once a day. Bring her down to the infirmary in an hour and we’ll start her up.”

Bulma’s mother nods, “Thank you, doctor.”

Timz shakes his head, ruefully, “This is all so ridiculous you know. If she had just told him, he probably would have stayed here and none of this would be a problem.”

“You’re most likely right, but she felt it was best that he didn’t know.” Says her mother resignedly. “We’ll just need to support her and her decision.”

About two months later Vegeta began craving strange foods, in odd combinations. It got so bad at one point that he’d ended up making a short side trip just to satisfy the strange hunger pangs. The occurrence puzzled him a bit but then he forgot about it as he continued on with his search for other Saiyans.

Bulma’s morning sickness is long gone and now she’s eating almost as much as her mate or Goku would. Some of her cravings are uncontrollable and very, very strange. Her biggest, much to Dr Timz dismay is for raw meat. The doctor is horrified by it, he had even scolded her roundly for it, outlining all the microorganisms and parasites that she might pick up and infect the baby with. But her mother had realised, knowing Vegeta's penchant for pulling a steak straight from the freezer and eating it raw, that there was probalby something in raw meat that the fetus needed. And that was what was causing Bulma's craving. So Mrs. Briefs constantly kept a large amount of steak tartare in the freezer, being sure that the meat was of the highest quaility and irradiated thoroughly to kill anything harmful. The Briefs have even gone as far as drafting Yamcha in helping them find some of the more esoteric things their pregnant daughter craves.

“Geesh! I feel like I’m the father!” He complains to her mother in frustration, “Vegeta should be stuck doin’ all this, not me!” As he heads off in search of dragon fruit, nopalitos and white truffles (unfortunately the fungus, not the candy.)

Often when Vegeta was battling his foes his moods would start to swing wildly, elation would suddenly be replaced with burning apprehension for no apparent reason. Or fury would turn into an almost tearful maniacal glee. He was well trained enough not to let his wildly fluctuating emotions affect his battle prowess, but once he had even let a couple of his foes live because he had suddenly PITIED them.

As she entered the last stage of her pregnancy, Bulma would become ecstatic one minute and then start crying uncontrollably the next for no apparent reason. Or she’d get mad at nothing and then start laughing uncontrollably.

Vegeta pauses to survey the ruins of the latest base he’s decimated grinding his teeth in anger. All of the base’s personnel have fled in mindless terror. But not before had forced one of them to retrieve the Saiyan records they had, but every file was marked with the same red word, TERMINATED.

Just as all the others he’s ever found have been stamped. He grimaces in fury, so it was all true! Frieza had succeeded in hunting down every last surviving Saiyan and eliminating them. Leaving just Kakarot, himself and that half-breed brat, Gohan, as the only survivors of a once proud warrior people.

His anger explodes and in full fury, he levels what’s left of the ruins, leaving only a vast smoking crater. A vast pit of congealed glass caused by his relentlessly burning rage is all that’s left marking the spot where the base had once stood.

He flies back to his ship and takes off. There’s no place left to search. And although each battle has increased his strength, he still hasn’t succeeded in becoming a Super Saiyan!

He has only one place left to go, a final destination he had hoped to avoid. Not wanting to go there because he hadn’t wanted to see what it had been reduced to. But he reluctantly programs the ship to head for a certain far off star system. Then he settles back, to slip into the hibernation of cold sleep, to await the ship rousing him automatically just before he reaches his destination.

When the ship awakens him, he avoids looking out the portholes for as long as he possibly can.

When he finally does, all he sees is empty space punctuated with tiny flashes of intermittent light. Star shine reflecting off the wreckage of a once beautiful planet. The shattered remnants of rock circle endlessly, crashing silently into each other in the impenetrable darkness. Still after all these years, trying to settle into stable orbits about the star that once shone on the crimson jewel that had been the planet Vegeta.

The world of his birth is really gone. The beautiful towering cities filled with people have been reduced to dust. The lovely palace he was born in nothing but unidentifiable motes floating in somewhere out in space. He had known it was true but, had kept and cherished the faded memories of his home. Memories of Vegeta as he had last seen it, shining in space as he had been carried away by Frieza from it’s longed for safety. Now after seeing this, even that memory is stripped from him.

His sensors indicate that one of the larger fragments still retains enough atmosphere to sustain him. Vegeta directs his ship to land on the blasted plain near some jumbled rocks. The Prince of what was once this planet, strides out onto the blackened asteroid, a pitiful remnant of his shattered kingdom.

He looks around vainly, seeking anything that might have survived the final destruction. In his search he comes across a small fragment of metal no larger than his hand. It’s sharp torn edges indicate that it was ripped from something larger during the destruction, but there‘s no telling what it originally was. He gazes at the last fragment of his civilization, starts to toss it aside, but then reconsidering, he slips it inside his cuirass. Nothing else remains to be found. He wanders across the rock, grief shaking him to his core. His knees give way and he falls to the ground, tears flow once more from the eyes of the last Saiyan Prince.

Bulma wakes suddenly from a terrible nightmare, weeping uncontrollably. In her dream she had seen Vegeta, on his knees somewhere, wrapped in darkness, overwhelmed by his loneliness and grief but she couldn’t touch him, couldn’t reach him to comfort him.

Vegeta finally rises, there’s nothing left to fight for. He’s a Prince of nothingness, his kingdom has become dust, of what use is his pride or even his life?

Still disturbed Bulma has risen from her bed and gone out to the balcony. She gazes up at the stars. Even at this distance she knows in which direction to look. She’s always known where he was, out there, up in the sky. Still able to sense his presence even across the vast unfathomable distances of space. Their bond still links them that much. She longs to hold him, to take him in her arms and kiss away his sorrow.

Soon after their initial bonding they had both had realized that their connection was far greater than the one between Goku and ChiChi. But neither of them knew that their Saiyan mating bond is the strongest one ever formed. Though the link itself has attenuated with time and distance the bond remains strong and fully active.

Sometimes she could feel his intense anger, other times she’d somehow know when he was fighting in the midst of a dangerous battle somewhere and then she’d worry for his safety. Only to breathe a sigh of relief when she sensed the elation he experienced when he finally had achieved his victory.

The bond now becomes something more, a life line that will become their salvation.

She gazes towards where she feels his troubled presence tonight. Striving to send all of her love to him across the countless light years that separate them. To give him the hope she knows somehow, that he so desperately needs right now.

Vegeta looks up and spots a huge boulder heading out of the sky straight towards him, reacting instinctively he blasts it to atoms, then sees that there are numerous others heading in. He suddenly realizes that his arrival and landing here had changed the gravity fields of the entire asteroid belt. His presence had caused this pitiful planetoid’s gravity to increase just enough that it is now pulling some of the others to it! He stares as the bombardment increases, what’s the use? He can at least die here where all of his people did before.

Suddenly he feels something, a faint presence, tugging at him from far, far away. The sweet comfort of her love bathes his soul easing his pain. It’s almost as if he can feel her arms wrap around him and taste the unwavering love she has for him. Somehow through their bond, her feelings for him have reached across incredible distances to succor him in his darkest moment. He now remembers another lovely world, one that shines blue, the color of her wondrous eyes.

That world holds memories too, fresher, happier, more precious memories of his new life, new home and most of all of his truemate Bulma!

He straightens, ‘What is am I doing? If I die she’ll be devastated, she might even die herself.’ It has happened before, the death of one mate causing the other to die from shock and grief when the bond is suddenly severed.

He starts frantically destroying the meteors as they come streaming in, yelling in fury as he desperately streaks towards his distant ship. If it’s destroyed he’ll still end up dying here! He’ll never see her again or share the glorious joy of their bodies and spirits merging and melting into one. His energy is rapidly depleting, but thankfully it looks like most of the meteors are now gone. He nears his ship but then the faint light of the Saiyan sun is blocked by the massive looming body that hurtles down towards both him and the doomed ship.

Vegeta howls his rage, “NOOOOOO!!!”

He blasts away at the senseless boulder that spells his end. The last of his power is quickly spent, exhausted he collapses to his knees, without even shifting the massive missile that grows ever larger in the sky. He knows that he’ll never see her and their home again. Suddenly he doesn’t care about anything else, not his pride, not his strength, not beating Kakarot, not even becoming Super Saiyan.

All he cares about now is being able to return to her. Something he knows he’ll never do now as he looks up at the looming rock, but then something suddenly snaps inside him, a new light suddenly glows under the menacing shadow. He screams in triumph as a mighty blast erupts from his hands and heart, as Vegeta the newly ascended Super Saiyan destroys the planetoid that would have prevented him from ever returning to her! He had finally found his power in the depths of his love for a mere Earth woman.

The Prince returns to his vessel. Planet Vegeta is a nothing but a memory, the dust of lost Saiyan dreams blows across the blasted plain. It’s last monarch launches his ship towards Earth which holds newer, better dreams.

On Earth, Bulma sighs in relief. She knows something has happened, Vegeta’s soul killing despair is gone. She feels his triumph, and knows somehow that he’s now returning to her. She smiles and blows a tender kiss skywards, stroking her distended belly with her other hand, “Your daddy’s finally coming home.” Then returns to her bed wrapped in the pink BADMAN shirt.

Vegeta is puzzled, as he prepares for hibernation. He knows without a doubt that he had felt her aura. But that a link that strong is completely unheard. With the distance and time of separation involved it should have been impossible for him to have any sense of her emotions at all. All he should be able to feel is the sense of her continuing life force.

He explores his sense of her and realizes that even at this distance he knows she’s now sleeping. And there’s a difference about her he can’t define. She seems weighted down, something is draining her energy, not in any dangerous way but steadily none the less. He can still feel her underlying sadness over their separation, the love she has for him and a kind of joyful trepidation in her soul.

Three months later Vegeta wakes from cold sleep, he has a horrific backache, but he ignores it. The linkage between them is so strong that he can taste Bulma’s emotions. Almost as if he is holding her right there in his arms, instead of their being still separated by 30 billion units. He can already feel his truemate’s eagerness, and her anxiety!? As she waits for him on the ground, but he also still senses that odd difference in her aura. It mystifies him. Her hungry longing for his presence is still there, but there’s a tentative apprehension in her too.

Something has changed between them. Vegeta wonders what it could be the cause of the odd sensations he’s getting from her. It’s a weird feeling, almost as if there’s duality about her.

His ship swells larger in the blue sky. She had felt him coming a couple of hours ago when he’d awoke as his ship entered the farthest reaches of the solar system'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">solar system. When she told them she wanted go out to met him at the landing pad, Dr. Timz had protested vehemently.

But her mother had understood her need to do it this way. She had been the one who had gotten the wheelchair and brought Bulma downstairs, much to everyone else‘s dismay. Wheeling her daughter out here and waiting until they could just start to glimpse his ship’s contrail in the sky. She had helped Bulma to her feet then retreated to watch, just inside the main dome entrance, ready to come rushing to her aid if needed. All so her daughter could greet her mate upright when he returned.

Now Bulma watches his ship approach apprehensively, longingly, eager to see him and feel his strong arms around her once more, but just a little afraid too. How will he react to this? She hadn’t consulted him about it at all, she had just done it.

There! He feels her waiting for him, soon she will be in his arms to share his triumph! But why does she seem so tired and weak?

Bulma’s legs are getting shaky already. She hasn’t stood up this long for quite some time. She places her hand on the bush beside her to steady herself and for support.

The ship touches down, the door lowers and he steps out. She’s waiting for him eyes glistening, standing at the edge of the landing pad, partially obscured by some bushes. There’s a look of welcome on her face as well as one of apprehension. She’s beautiful but ethereally so, but also looks exhausted, and he still can’t understand the odd sensations he’s getting from her.

Vegeta strides towards her, then stops dead in shock when he finally sees her fully. She glows from the life growing within her, he’s never seen her looking quite so wondrous. Now he understands the cause of the difference he’d sensed in her, the duality. No wonder the bond between them had retained it’s full strength, the linkage between them so clear and firm as if they were always touching. In a way, they had been, she has been carrying a part of him within herself all this time.

“Ve.., Vegeta?” She says softly, hesitantly.., still uncertain of his reaction. She had felt his shock of surprise when he finally seen her altered shape.

“Bulma!” In a blur he’s by her side, sweeping her off her feet. Hoisting her up in his arms, he spins them all around smirking with pride.

Frieza has failed utterly!

The Saiyan race has not be extinguished it will arise again, stronger and better than before. His people will return to their rightful place in universe. Vegeta holds her and the future tightly but gently in his arms. His triumph has suddenly been multiplied a hundred.., no a thousand-fold. “When? How long? Why didn‘t you tell me?”

She smiles at him, “When, that night in the gravity chamber.” Feeling his joy, with relief, “How long, well I’m in my tenth month, 39 weeks tomorrow, “Why I didn’t tell you, because I knew you had to go and find what you were looking for.”

“You know me almost too well don’t you.” He scowls down at her softly.

She nods, then laughs, “You’re gonna be mad at me, I shouldn’t even be out here. And Dr. Timz is mad too, he inside right now having fits. He didn’t want to let me up out of bed to come meet you, I’m supposed to be staying strictly off my feet.”

“Then you will.” He carries her to the main dome. “Why did you even risk it?”

“I wouldn’t have, but then Mom said that it should be all right if I was careful and didn’t strain myself, for just a little bit, just long enough to greet you.” She lays her head contentedly on his brawny shoulder. “In fact she’s the one who brought me down here, in a wheelchair.”

Just inside the dome they find her parents and Dr. Timz are waiting. Bulma’s mother still has the wheelchair, ready to use it to take her back upstairs.

“Well my boy what do you think of our Bulma’s little surprise?” Asks her father.

“I’ve always enjoyed her surprises.” Says the beaming Saiyan Prince. “And this is one of her best.”

Dr. Timz is fussing, “That’s more than enough for now. She really needs to get back into bed, if she’s going to carry the full eleven months.”

Distaining the wheelchair her mother has ready, Vegeta insists on carrying Bulma himself. All the way back to their apartment, with the entire entourage in tow, he leads the way almost triumphantly. When he finally settles her gently into their bed, Dr. Timz hustles him aside to use the stethoscope to check on both her and the baby. The doctor glares at her and goes “Humph!” Then takes out a hypo and gives her a shot, scolding, “I told you not to go out there.”

Vegeta scowls at the doctor.

The nurse, Maggie, reinserts the IV drip that holds the medication that’s helping to stave off Bulma’s labor.

Once it’s attached, his truemate holds her free hand out to him and smiles, “I couldn’t let my Prince come home and not find me waiting for him doctor.” Vegeta sits down on the side of the bed and takes it gently.

“Do you know what it is?” He asks her. “No, I thought I’d wait and see if you wanted to know or not. Dr. Timz is the only one that does.”

Vegeta looks at the doctor and growls, “Well. What is it?”

Dr. Timz smiles, “It’s a boy. With no abnormalities.”

Bulma smiles happily as Vegeta’s scowl disappears and he beams saying, “A son!”''

Then her smile disappears. “Vegeta, that last part is Dr. Timz’ way of saying that the baby doesn’t have a tail, do you mind much.”

Vegeta pauses to consider it. “No, not every half-blood has one, it only means he’s limited, he can never transform into the oozura form.” The prince reflects, it’s probably for the best anyway if he’s going to be living here on Earth.

She smiles again, “Do you want to name him Vegeta, too?”

He looks at her solemnly remembering his last stop, “Planet Vegeta is no more, I am the last prince of the line. You can name your child whatever you wish.”

She looks at him searchingly, “You’re sure?“

He nods wordlessly.

She reaches over and hugs him happily.

Timz glares at them, “Well, whatever else you do, you’d better not move from that bed again.” He warns, “Luckily no harm was done this time, you’re both still all right.”

Vegeta looks sternly at her, “She’ll do as she’s told now, I’ll see to it personally.”

Bulma lies back down, and winks at him. “Is that an order from Your Highness?”

He winks back, “Yes it is, My Consort.”

A couple of nights later, Vegeta wakes to a sensation of intense pain stabbing into his abdomen, but it passes swiftly.

He feels her hand scrabbling for his against the bedclothes. It grasps his, the touch is clammy.

“Vegeta,” says Bulma’s voice shakily, “Get Mom.”

Vegeta jumps from the bed and runs to the guestroom where Bulma’s mother has been staying for the past three months, “Something’s wrong, Bulma wants you!”

Mrs. Briefs follows him back, she checks the IV and then examines her daughter.

Suddenly the pain grips Vegeta’s gut again, he resists doubling over as he realizes it’s an echo of hers, as she voices a low moan.

Bulma’s mother adjusts the IV drip then checks her again and smiles. “It’s all right dear. Just another bout of false labor, it’ll pass soon.”

Bulma bites her lip and nods.

Vegeta is furious, “False labor what’s that? It was horrible!”

Bulma’s mother looks at him, “No it wasn’t, it’s mild, when she really starts labor, it’ll be much stronger and last a lot longer.”

Vegeta stares at his mother-in-law and almost yells, “That’s the worst pain I’ve ever experienced!”

“You felt her pain?” Asks Mrs. Briefs looking at him in astonishment.

Vegeta nods wordlessly.

Bulma kinda half laughs, “It must be the bond, Mom.”

“What else have you been feeling?” asks Mrs. Briefs speculatively. “Any nausea in the morning, odd cravings or mood swings?”

“I was sick the first couple of times I woke from cold sleep.” He tells her, now beginning to understand those strange occurances.

Her mother nods, “That would have been about the right time, Bulma had morning sickness pretty bad for the first four months.”

Vegeta winces then grits his teeth, as Bulma moans softly when another spasm grips her.

Mrs. Briefs watches his reactions with interest then when it’s passed asks him, “Was there anything else?”

He informs her. “I did experience the cravings you mentioned, and then later my emotions were sometimes inexplicably uncontrollable.”

Bulma’s mother eyes widen then she giggles, “Vegeta, dear, you have all the classic symptoms of a sympathetic pregnancy!”

“WWWHHAATT!” He practically roars.

Bulma gives a shaky little laugh, her pains are starting to ease off, “Well, it’s only fair, every time you get hurt I feel it. Now it’s your turn, but don’t worry it won’t be that much longer.”

Vegeta looks from one woman to the other, suddenly thinking ‘What in the hell have I gotten myself into this time.’

The day finally comes when Dr. Timz removes the IV. The doctor has Bulma taken down to the infirmary by gurney. She’s been taken into the isolation room, which has been temporarily converted into a delivery room. Just outside the door, Yamcha, her parents and Vegeta all anxiously wait for the onslaught of her labor.

Mrs. Briefs has wisely given the Saiyan Prince a strong painkiller earlier, to dull the shared sensations once he starts to experience the echo of his mate’s pain when Bulma’s contractions do start.

About forty five minutes later, Mrs. Briefs sees Vegeta wince slightly, she smiles and watches the door. Dr. Timz comes out and looks sternly at the Saiyan Prince.

Vegeta scowls back at him, Timz continued glare finally prompts him to ask, “What!” Rather crossly.

“You weren’t here to support her during the pregnancy or to even take Lamaze lessons with her.” Scolds Timz. “The least you can do is come in and hold her hand!”

Vegeta looks the others, “What in the hell is he talking about?”

Yamcha just grins an mumbles. “Now yer in for it.”

Her mother explains, “Here on Earth the father is usually expected to help and support his wife in the delivery room while she gives birth.”

“You mean you want me to go in there!” He glares at them in disbelief.

They all nod, including the doctor.

Vegeta scowls at them then shrugs, “I suppose it couldn’t be any worst than on a battlefield.”

But he scowls when he hears Yamcha comment. “Serves you right,” then adds with a nasty laugh, “now we‘ll see how tough you really are.”

Vegeta cringes a little inside as he passes through the door of the delivery room. Saiyan males never had to attend their mates during birth. In fact most of the time they were usually far, far away, preferably somewhere off planet at the time, to avoid the complications of the empathy bond.

Bulma is lying half propped on the bed at an odd angle. Her feet already up in the stirrups.

Sweat is dotting her brow. Her first contractions were strong and close together, Dr Timz had said it was very good and then left.

Returning he now has her mate in tow.

She looks over at Vegeta in surprise then winces as another pain grips her. He feels it too but the painkiller her mother had given him has numbed it down to a mere sensation of pressure. For the first time he begins to suspect how much she’s endured being bonded to him.

He walks over and takes her hand.

The pain passes, she looks up at him, “You don’t have to do this Vegeta.” She glares at Dr. Timz. “I told you he doesn’t need to be in here.”

Timz just glares back her saying , “He’s the father, since it took both of you to put this baby in you, you should both be here when it comes out!” Timz moves to check her progress, “After all, half of this is his responsibility, he started it.”

Bulma starts to speak, but another strong contraction grips her. Her hand tightens crushingly around Vegeta’s.

He looks down amazed at the strength of her grip, then says, “Timz is right. I should finish what I started.”

Bulma half laughs through her contraction, “Was that supposed to be a joke?”

He looks at her and the familiar half smirk appears on his face. “What do you think?”

The baby is large but is born right on schedule with no complications. Vegeta remains in the delivery room supporting his mate, experiencing the weak echoes of the intense pain she feels so fully. He gains a new respect for her strength and courage. He had never realized how much females endured just to bring forth new life. But when Timz asks if he wants to cut the cord, the Saiyan Prince takes one look at the slimy nasty looking red thing and passes out cold!

When he returns to consciousness to Timz’ and Maggie’s smiles of amusement. Vegeta threatens to kill anyone who ever dares breath a single word about it.

Bulma smiles tiredly up at him, where he’s standing at the foot of her bed, “But Vegeta, I thought it was cute.”

“Cute!?” He scowls at her sourly.

He continues to frown fiercely until Maggie sets the now cleaned up babe in Bulma’s arms. Then his glare softens, his mate and her child are radiant.

Dr. Timz comes over with a paper. “What are you going to name him?”

Bulma glances at Vegeta and he nods at her, saying, “He’s your son.”

She answers the doctor without taking her eyes from her mate’s, “Trunks, his name is Trunks Briefs.”

The doctor and nurse depart, leaving the little family alone for the first time.

He moves to her side and looks down at the infant. The brat’s still kind of red and wrinkled looking, but Vegeta has to admit it’s not really an ugly child. He has his grandfather’s lavender hair, and as he blinks his eyes, they flash the same glorious color of his mother’s. “He looks like you.” says the Prince to his truemate.

Bulma gazes down at the precious bundle in her arms thoughtfully scanning the child‘s tiny features. “Not really, his face is shaped more like yours.”

She strokes the small cheek affectionately. Then curls the tiny fingers about hers.

The infant turns his head in the direction of the touch, the instinctual rooting response activating, his mouth moving. Not finding anything frustrates the child. The baby screws up his face and screams. His brows coming down in scowl that is an exact miniature replica of his father’s usual dour look. “See and he sounds like you too!” She laughs in delight.

Vegeta scowls a bit at her remark, then looks at the crying child. He touches the baby’s cheek and says sternly, “Shut up brat.”

At the sound of his father’s gruff voice the boy stops screaming and immediately turns his face towards the finger. His little mouth encounters it and he latches on avidly and starts trying to suckle.

Vegeta stares at the child sucking on his finger.

“He wants to be fed.” Concludes the Prince as he pulls his digit free of the baby’s mouth.

“Well that figures, he is half-Saiyan after all.” She giggles.

The infant moves his head back and forth trying to relocate the withdrawn finger. When he doesn’t find it his face starts to scowl again, but before he can start crying Bulma offers him her breast. He latches on to the nipple and begins to feed avidly.

Vegeta looks at the contentment shining from Bulma’s face as she bends over, nursing her child for the first time. He can taste her happiness, contentment radiates from the new mother.

Leaning over her babe, the prince’s truemate doesn’t see the slight smile of regret on his face, as he thinks, ‘Well if I am killed by those androids at least she’ll still have something.’

As Vegeta watches his family, a sense of permanence and security begins to fill his soul.

“Good, I thought I’d have to drag you out of there.” She says referring to the training room.

“I need you to watch Trunks for awhile.”

“What?!” exclaims Vegeta.

“Something’s important has come up and I have to go across town to deal with it.”

“Why can’t your mother take care of him?”

“Mom and Dad are out and won’t be back till tomorrow night.”

“So where’s the nanny?”

“She called in sick this morning.”

“So get someone...,”

“NO! He’s your son too.” She glares at him angrily. “You spent less than five minutes a day with him. Trunks barely knows you and cries very time you come near him. It’s disgraceful for a baby to scream every time his father just looks at him.”

“You’re the one who wanted him in the first place!”

Bulma gives him a stricken look.

After the words escaped Vegeta’s lips he wished he hadn’t said them.

It was true, Bulma was the one that had wanted the baby. But it was because the tale of that mysterious stranger from the future had weighed so heavily on her mind. It had frightened her so much, that a couple of years after the boy had left she had stopped her birth control without informing her mate. The thought of losing him forever had terrified her and she was afraid that if Vegeta were to be killed she would have nothing to go on living for either, unless... So she had decided to have his child, something to keep and cherish of his if the unthinkable did happen.

Vegeta’s pride prevents him from saying the words, so he apologizes the only way he can, by tenderly taking his mate and her child in his arms and holding them tightly.

Bulma lays her head on his shoulder, and sniffles a little.

The baby looks up at her and the other one. Sensing something happening, he opens his mouth to scream then stops, the other has never done this before. He suddenly feels safer than when she alone is holding him. His gaze travels from one face to the other.

Vegeta looks down at the boy.

“See he’s not screaming.” says the Prince gruffly.

That draws a half sobbing-chuckle from his mate.

Bulma slips the child into Vegeta’s arms.

The baby’s eyes widen. The other has never held him before.

Bulma smiles at Vegeta and their son, “You’re right he’s not. Do you think you can handle him for about an hour or so?”

“A Saiyan warrior can handle anything!” “You’re sure? Taking care of a baby’s a lot tougher than just beating someone to a pulp.”

“Just get going woman!” He scowls at her affectionately. “The sooner you’re gone the sooner you’ll be back to take care of him!”

She backs away smiling.

“Your lunch is waiting on the patio table'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">patio table. Trunks has already been fed and changed so he should be good for some time. I left his baby seat on the blanket. He needs some sunshine and fresh air.” She looks at Vegeta, his normal bronze tan is fading, “It looks like you could use some too. So why don’t you both just rest out in the sun after you’ve eaten.”

Vegeta nods in agreement, then watches as his mate walks away.

The baby stares after her, she is leaving! He opens his mouth to howl in protest, and the other distracts him with a gentle shake.

“None of that, you are the descendant of princes.” Says Vegeta softly but sternly. “That makes you a prince too. Princes do not scream merely because their mother has left for a little while.”

The baby regards the other’s face. Usually so stern and frightening looking, it has softened somehow. The face looks down at him with almost the same look she does. He feels safe!

The baby seems to smile at Vegeta.

“Well brat, you’ve apparently eaten, but I haven’t.” Vegeta heads for the patio and his waiting lunch.

The baby blinks sleepily at his father as Vegeta places him in the bouncy chair, he gives it a little push before going over to the table.

The gentle up and down motion quickly sooths and lulls the baby, through heavy lidded eyes he watches the other eat until he drifts off to sleep.

Finally finishing his repast, Vegeta looks over at the napping child. The boy is growing well, he’s well conformed and should make a fine warrior one day.

He comes over and sits cross-legged on the blanket in front of the infant.

As long as his mother allows him to be trained properly, he reflects sourly. The baby is barely two months old and Bulma is already exhibiting too much maternal concern over him, and that name. He shouldn’t have promised to let her name the kid. Who else would think of naming a child after an animal’s nose or a car part'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">car part!

Just the other day, when he had mentioned that if they had still been on his home planet the child would have already gone through the initial testing to see what his power potential was. She had nearly hit the ceiling.

“My son is not going to be a warrior unless he wants to! Someday he’s going to inherit Capsule Corp.” Then she refused to discuss it at all.

Vegeta looks at the boy speculatively.

Bulma is gone, and so are her parents. There’s no one left here to interfere or disturb them.

This could be his only chance to assess the child’s potential.

The baby stirs as if sensing his father’s train of thought and wakens.

He blinks sleepily, looking about in search of her. She is nowhere in sight, but the other is. He is about to cry when he remembers the feeling of safety he had in the other’s arms. So instead he coos softly, and reaches towards the other.

Vegeta reacts to the baby’s sound. It doesn’t just cry!

The child’s movements have a strangely compelling appeal. He leans closer and extends a finger towards the babe. The baby latches on with a firm grip. The child is strong, the Saiyan Prince smiles, good.

I wonder if he can control ki? Most Saiyan babes start bouncing weak power balls around soon after they focus their eyes. But Bulma had not allowed him to produce any ki balls near the child.

Vegeta focuses his power, creating what would be considered a mere soap bubble of energy about 6 inches in diameter. If the child cannot control it, it will pop harmlessly all flash and sound when it touches him.

The baby watches the glowing ball form in front of him, his lips curve upwards in a smile of delight, it’s so bright. He wants it, the wavering glitter of it fascinates him. He waves his hands towards this new thing.

Vegeta wafts it closer to the small fingers. The baby reaches out to touch the energy ball and makes a startled sound when his fingers come in contact with it. But the sound is one of amazement rather than a cry of pain or fear.

The ball remains, while the baby’s blue eyes are riveted onto it.

Excellent! Thinks Vegeta, the boy can control ki and strongly for his age. He can even feel the slightest of tugs from his babyish attempts at control. The prince smiles.

The bright thing is all warm and tingly; it makes him want to wiggle all over. He pats at it and it floats back to the other. There’s the happy look on the other’s face, like the one she gets when he does something new that she likes.

Vegeta stops the energy ball’s drift and then pushes it towards Trunks once more.

The baby laughs and wriggles in delight. This is fun, he tries to grab the ball again, manages to catch it momentarily but is still not quite able to firmly grasp it between his two tiny hands. He ends up squeezing it too hard and it slips loose from his hands to float back towards the other.

Vegeta is extremely pleased, not only can the child control ki, but he can actually touch it. Very few Saiyan children of his tender age would have been able to accomplish that.

Trunks reaches towards the ball still wanting it. It floats just out of reach. He waves his little hands and kicks his tiny feet, excitedly.

One more test will fully satisfy Vegeta. The child can touch the ki ball but once he has it, can he capture and fully restrain it? He wafts it towards the child once more, then positions it firmly just within the baby’s reach.

Trunks grabs at the ball and pulls it towards him. He clutches the bright warm tingly thing tightly in his little hands. It’s such a wonderful toy; it vibrates on his tummy and makes an intriguing sound. Just like the ones over his sleeping place. But this one is so much more fun, it’s buzzy, and glowy. He can never reach those other toys and that sound always makes him sleepy. He happily mouths the ball in his hands.

Concentrating on his son and the ki ball, Vegeta fails to hear Bulma’s car return. Stepping out of it she sees her mate leaning over their son watching something closely but she can’t quite make out what’s going on. It looks like Trunks is holding a ball of some kind,... AND IT’S GLOWING!!!!!

She drops her packages in shock and starts running towards them.

“VEGETA JUST WHAT IN THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING TO MY BABY!!!!!” She screams.

Startled by her voice the baby releases the ki ball. It drifts away, towards the other.

Vegeta glances at his furious mate. Then turns back, calmly retrieves his control over the energy ball, and wafts it back towards his wide-eyed son. “You said that you wanted me to spend more time with Trunks, so that’s what I’m doing. I’m playing catch with my son.”

Bulma stops thunderstruck, Vegeta had never referred to the child as his son before!

The baby giggles with delight and bats the golden ki ball back to his father.

To be continued......