New Moon
Mary thought she could never do it. She had survived all nine months of her pregnancy. Her cravings were strange. All she wanted was meat and chocolate. Even in her last week, she still had a liking for meat. She figured it was because of the half-Saiyan child growing in her belly. The only part she resented was that Raditz was missing out on the child's development and honestly, she could have used the input from a Saiyan on what to expect when expecting a Saiyan child.
She knew that Raditz was lying low near Goku's house. He didn't want to be found, Mary deduced. It was a shame he wouldn't see their child being born. It was a girl. That was what it showed in the last ultrasound. There was also a tail. It stuck out like the umbilical cord. Bulma recently had her baby Trunks and the two women teased that Trunks and the baby girl would get married. The blue haired woman actually began planning for prom and a wedding. Mary didn't know how she would deal with a Saiyan child, especially with the eating habits. She was strong. She had daily soccer matches inside Mary's stomach. She actually thought she'd be pregnant forever until it happened.
Her water broke around midnight and it roused her. The pain wracked through her frame, making her thighs tense and her toes curl. Her back arched off the bed and her breaths came out as pants. She eased herself off the bed and tried not to scream. After a few minutes of struggling, she managed to walk to her parents' room and open the door. Her parents were sleeping, unaware of her condition, until she cried out.
"Mommy!" she whimpered, placing a hand on her back to support herself. "It's time!"
Mom and Dad's eyes snapped open and they sat up in bed, looking right at their daughter. Mary's mother, Maggie, got out of bed in a flash and began getting dressed. She pulled out an overnight bag and threw some clothes in. Maggie wrapped her arm around Mary's waist and ushered her down the stairs with Mary's father, Andrew, not too far behind.
They got into the car and began their journey to the hospital. Mary practiced her Lamaze breathing and tried to keep her mind off the pain. Her mom sat in the back seat with her to hold her hand and comfort her.
"It's okay, honey," Maggie said, stroking her daughter's hair. "Women give birth every day."
"Mommy, it hurts," she whimpered, clutching her mom's hand tightly. "Can you call Bulma and Goku? Tell them it's time."
Maggie whipped out her cell phone and dialed Goku's number first.
…
The ringing of the phone roused Goku and Chichi from their restful sleep. Who would be calling at midnight? Chichi wrapped her arms around Goku's neck as the Saiyan man grabbed the phone off the port and pressed the talk button. He placed the device to his ear and was surprised to hear Maggie's frantic voice on the other line.
"Goku, it's time!" shouted Maggie, fulling rousing the man.
Since Goku's mind was still half-asleep, he didn't comprehend what that meant. "Time for a midnight snack?" he asked, somewhat stupidly.
"No! Mary's water broke!"
"I'm sure you can fix it," said Goku, trying to placate the hysterical woman.
Chichi fully awoke and grabbed the phone out of Goku's hand to talk to Maggie. "How close are you to the hospital?" she asked urgently, lightly shoving Goku aside.
"We're about fifteen minutes away." Maggie sounded like she was trying to stay calm for Mary's sake.
"We'll be there as soon as we can," replied Chichi in a reassuring tone, her features softening.
After a hurried farewell, Chichi hung up the phone and looked at her husband, who looked a bit nervous. The Saiyan's face then morphed into contemplation. Chichi got up and dressed as fast as she could. She smoothed her hair down and tied it up in a simple ponytail so she wouldn't waste time tying it up in a bun. When she turned back, she saw Goku pulling on his gi.
"Goku, aren't you going with me?" asked Chichi, eyeing him.
"I'll meet you there," replied Goku in a serious tone he rarely used. "I have to find Raditz first. He's the father of the child. He has a right to know."
Chichi looked as if she couldn't believe what she heard. "We don't even know where he is," she argued, lacing her shoes on. "He could be anywhere."
"I can sense his ki," said Goku, tying his blue sash around his waist. "I'll use Instant Transmission to get to him. You can take the car and drive there. I'll have Raditz with me."
"How will you convince him to come with you?" asked Chichi, taking the car keys off the bedside table.
Goku smiled enigmatically. "Leave that to me. I'll see you soon, Chi." With that, he placed two fingers to his forehead and disappeared.
…
Raditz was roused when he heard footsteps echoing in the cave he slept in. When his eyes adjusted, he saw that it was his moron brother, Kakarot. He had a serious look on his face and Raditz's eyebrows rose. What did the moron want?
"What do you want, Kakarot?" asked Raditz, rubbing his eyes.
"Mary's water broke," answered Goku, walking up to Raditz. "She's going to the hospital to deliver your baby. Are you coming with me or not?"
Raditz scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest in a stubborn manner. "Why should I care about that woman or her brat?" Those words made Goku's blood run cold and he got up in his brother's face.
"I may not know what you two had or how you did, but I know this, she is your family. Mary and that baby are your family. You need to be there for your family."
The older Saiyan clenched his fists, remembering all the times he had with the woman. Her beautiful red hair, her bright blue eyes, her lovely pale skin that flushed whenever he did something to pleasure her, the lovely scent of her neck that was uniquely hers.
"Why should I care?" asked Raditz coldly. "Saiyan men aren't supposed to be at the birth of their children anyways."
"Things are different now," retorted Goku resolutely. "You will be there for her, even if I have to drag you there. I don't want to fight, Raditz. You don't have to care but you can at least be there for the birth of your daughter."
"No, the woman and her bastard child mean nothing to me," said Raditz simply, turning away from Goku, who flared up with ki.
The two Saiyan men both flared with energy and immediately engaged in fighting.
…
The dust settled and the Saiyans landed on the ground, breathing heavily. They both sustained injuries but they didn't look so bad. The blood dried and the bruises would heal with the Sensu beans. Raditz realized that he was still a level below Kakarot, even with all the training he did in the gravity chamber. It was all because of Mary that he missed time in the gravity chamber. Although, the sex with her was really great and he grew to care for and miss Mary.
"Now," breathed Goku, trying to catch his breath, "are you coming or not? Mary needs you. That baby needs you. You are the father of that child whether you like it or not. I will carry you there if I have to."
Raditz snorted and rolled his eyes. "Fine," he growled, narrowing her eyes. He got to his feet and walked over to his brother. "Take me to the blasted woman."
Goku placed his hand on Raditz's shoulder and put two fingers to his forehead. The two disappeared in a flash and arrived outside of the hospital. Raditz shrugged his brother's hand off and stalked into the brightly-lit building with Goku not too far behind him. They walked over to the receptionist and Raditz placed his hands on the counter.
"Where is Mary Douglas?" demanded Raditz. "She came in here not too long ago to deliver the baby."
The poor woman stared at Raditz, looking rather frightened. "She's in the recovery room," she answered, pointing down the hall. "She had a healthy baby girl, except for one minor thing. The baby had a tail, which was removed after the umbilical cord was cut. They're in room 23."
Once receiving the answers he wanted, Raditz pushed away from the desk and ran down the hall with Goku at his heels. They dashed to the room Mary was in and saw that the woman was lying in the bed, holding a small person wrapped in a pink blanket in her arms. Her forehead and hair were damp with sweat and her eyes looked tired. She smiled when she saw Goku.
"Hey, Goku," she whispered in a weary tone and she nodded to Raditz. "Hi, Raditz, been awhile, hasn't it?" Raditz could hear the snark in her tone.
Raditz bit back a sarcastic reply when he saw his baby sleeping peacefully in the woman's arms. He walked over to Mary's side and looked down at the baby, unsure of how to react. The child had a thick head of red hair and her skin was pink. She looked too delicate to be real. Raditz reached out but then pulled his hand back. He could snap the child in half if he wasn't careful.
"Hold her," encouraged Mary, giving Raditz a soft look. "She's yours too."
"I don't know how to hold a baby," remarked Raditz, crossing his arms over his chest. "I might break the damn child."
Mary smiled at his predictable response. "Let me show you. Hold your arms out." When he did, Mary gently handed the baby over to him. "Support her head with one arm and use the other one to support her body."
Once the child was situated, Raditz stared down at his daughter. He wasn't sure what to say. The child let out a mewl and his eyes widened. Her eyes opened and he saw that they were onyx like his. Looking at her now, he knew this was definitely his daughter. He was experiencing strange paternal feelings right now.
Suddenly, a loud cry came from the baby and Raditz almost dropped her because how surprised he was. The feelings disappeared and he gave the baby back to Mary, who grabbed the child and pulled her gown down. Raditz knew what she was doing and grabbed his brother.
"Leave, Kakarot," demanded Raditz, pointing to the door. "Mary is going to bare herself and she does not need you to see it."
"She's going to feed the baby, Raditz," assured Goku, touching his brother on the shoulder. "Chichi did the same thing when Gohan was born. There's nothing to worry about. It's called breastfeeding, I think. According to Chichi, female mammals feed their offspring from the breast. That's how kids get their nutrients. Babies don't have teeth so they can't eat regular food."
"Goku, I don't wanna sound rude," said Mary after the baby latched onto the exposed nipple, "but can you leave? I want to feed my child alone. She deserves some privacy and quietness. This is bonding time, not visiting hour. Chichi, Bulma, and my parents are down in the hospital cafeteria. There may be some food down there you might like."
Goku smiled at Mary, keeping his gaze on her face. "Sure, I'll do that. By the way, Mary, how come it didn't take long for you to have the baby? I know childbirth can last a long time."
"I had a C-section," replied Mary, stroking the back of her daughter's head. "The baby wasn't positioned right and I couldn't push so they cut her out. At least I have a cool battle scar now." She smiled cheerfully at her wit. "See you later, Goku."
Goku waved and walked out of the room, leaving Raditz and Mary be.
"Have you decided on a name?" asked Raditz, feeling awkward.
"I wanted to discuss that with you," answered Mary, using her free hand to gesture to Raditz. "Come here."
She scooted over and Raditz sat down next to her, being careful not to touch her. He was surprised when she snuggled up next to him. It was probably because of the drugs. She was also very happy, but that was because she had a baby.
"I thought of naming her Gina," said Raditz, hesitantly wrapping an arm around her. "That was my mother's name."
"Gina…" mused Mary, looking thoughtful. Then, she looked down and smiled at the baby, who was finishing up her feeding. "I like it. It fits." She lifted the child and patted the little one on the back until a little burp escaped the child's mouth.
"What was that?" asked Raditz, arching an eyebrow.
"After a baby eats, they need to be burped because gas can cause them pain," explained Mary, rubbing the soft skin of the baby's back. "Look at her. Isn't she a sweet girl?"
Raditz's face looked gentle as he gazed at the sleepy infant. When he looked at her, he noticed that the baby was falling asleep. Apparently, babies needed a lot of rest so they can grow. This was his daughter, his progeny, a half-Saiyan baby. The Saiyan race was slowly rebuilding, one baby at a time. Raditz placed his hand on Mary's arm and she looked at him with a curious look on her face.
"Mary, I have feelings for you I can't explain," said Raditz, mentally-slapping himself for being an idiot.
Luckily, she just smiled a gentle smile. "I know," she said softly. "I've always known, Raditz. Do you wanna hold her?"
Raditz shook his head. "My hands are too rough," he said gruffly. "I could hurt her."
"She's your baby too, Raditz. I know it won't hurt her. She's half-Saiyan, and if she's as half as tough as her daddy, she'll be fine."
Without saying a word, Raditz turned her face towards him and pressed his lips to hers. Mary returned the kiss and wrapped her free arm around his neck, pulling him closer. Just as they started to get into the kiss, someone clearing their throat made them jump and break apart. Mary looked over Raditz's shoulder and saw Goku was standing there with Chichi, Bulma, and Mary's parents. They all looked at them expectantly, as if waiting for something else to happen.
"Does this mean you're back together?" asked Goku, sounding and looking like a five-year-old in a Disney store.
Mary's face burned with heat and she looked back down at her baby so she didn't have to see everyone's faces. Raditz hugged Mary and their daughter close to him, glaring daggers at Goku, who scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
Mary grabbed one of the pillows from behind her back and threw it at Goku, who caught it. "Guys, can we have some time alone? We have a lot to catch up on."
"Don't do anything too rough," said Chichi, sounding like she was Mary's mother. "You just had a C-section and the sutures need to heal. You wouldn't wanna hurt Mary, right, Raditz?" Her eyes looked flinty with anger. No doubt, she was mad about Raditz leaving the poor pregnant woman to fend for herself.
"Of course not," replied Raditz, returning the narrow-eyed look. "After all, she is my woman. If I want to have more offspring, I will have to be gentle."
Andrew pulled at his wife and gestured to everyone else. "Come on, guys, let's leave the lovebirds alone."
Before they could leave, a nurse walked in to check on Mary and the baby. She pulled out a chart and fiddled with the machines a bit. After she was done, she looked at the new family on the bed and smiled.
"Visiting hours will be over in a half hour," the nurse informed, looking pointedly at Raditz. "Mary needs to rest."
Raditz nodded and pressed a kiss to Mary's cheek, noticing that she did look a little tired. Well, having a baby would make one exhausted. The nurse walked out with the rest of the visitors and left the couple be to discuss their future. Once they were alone, Mary gave Raditz a serious look.
"Where do we stand, Raditz?" she asked softly so she wouldn't wake the baby. "What are we going to do now?"
Raditz reached down and touched the child's fuzz of hair. "We would have to marry," he mused, looking thoughtful. "The baby needs the most stable life she can get. She won't be neglected a mother and father like I was. Saiyan children are separated from their parents as soon as possible so they can either train or get thrown to a different planet to claim it."
Mary could see the shadows of his past from the expression on his face. "I don't know how a parent could let their baby get sent to a different world and not know about their safety." She looked down on the sleeping Gina. "I don't think I would ever give up my baby."
"My parents did try to fight the orders of having me sent to another world," said Raditz, absentmindedly stroking the baby's head. "My mother wanted to hold on to me as long as possible. I know it sickened her to be separated from me. I never really got to know my parents because I was always on missions. While I was off-planet, all the Saiyans were destroyed, except for the ones off-planet like me. Then, Frieza took us and made us his slaves. He made us do things that we didn't want to do. He made us destroy worlds that didn't need to be destroyed. Honestly, I'm glad the slimy bastard is gone."
Mary gave him a soft smile and touched his cheek with a gentle hand. "I don't know what kind of advice to give," she remarked. "I usually know what to say in various situations, but not this one. From what I gather, Frieza is a cold-hearted, slimy bastard who deserves to be in hell. You're not that person anymore, Raditz. I know your heart. You feel things just like everyone else, no matter how hard you try to push it away."
Raditz looked like he wanted to deny it but he knew he couldn't. She was right, damn her! "Shut up, woman." The walls were back up. He didn't want to admit that she was right.
Her smile grew broader at her victory. "I love being right," she said smugly.
"I know," replied Raditz, shaking his head. "You're incorrigible, woman." His tone was full of teasing.
"You love me for it," said Mary, giving him a sassy look.
Suddenly, the nurse reappeared, looking thoroughly annoyed. "Sir, it's time for the patient to rest. You can visit her in a few hours."
Raditz looked like he wanted to argue but a look from Mary shut him up. "Fine," he said, getting up from the bed. "Goodnight, Mary. Goodnight, princess." He gave the baby a tender kiss on the head and then pecked Mary on the lips. After that, he walked out and left to get some sleep himself.
"You have a loyal husband," said the nurse, giving Mary a smile. "It looked like he was ready to take a bullet for you. Something tells me little baby Douglas will be a daddy's girl."
"Gina," interjected Mary, handing the baby to the nurse so she could go back to the nursery. "Her name is Gina."
"Gina Douglas," said the nurse, testing the name. "Sounds like she will be a strong girl." Then, she looked down at the sleeping baby. "Yes, you will. Now let's leave mommy so she can sleep." Giving one last reassuring smile, the nurse left, taking baby Gina with her.
Mary sighed contently and settled back on her pillows. It didn't take her long to fall asleep. She had a long night and deserved the rest.
…
A few days later, Mary and Gina were sent home and were greeted with a welcoming party. Everyone was there: Goku, Chichi, Gohan, Piccolo, Bulma, baby Trunks, and Krillin. It was there that Raditz announced that he planned to marry Mary. Her parents were surprised but delighted that Gina would have a father and Mary a husband. It may have not been conventional, but hey, Raditz and Mary were never conventional. They weren't even in a relationship when they conceived Gina, but now, all was good in the world. No matter what came their way, they would face it head on, just like true warriors.
A/N: The end (?). Sorry, no smut but this is the ending chapter of Mary and Raditz's saga (for now). Now, they are together and things will get better. Yay! I hope you enjoyed it!