A/N: So I should be doing a million other things but this story keeps eluding me. I just had to write it up. Please note the concepts and ideas in this story are all original. If you have read something similar then that is by coincidence only.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from DBZ or otherwise.
I'd love some reviews for this badboy, let me know what you think. Enjoy…
It's Time
Part One
Dende sat at his usual post on the lookout, deep in meditation, his brow creasing slightly as he sensed an unusual disturbance in air.
"What is it Dende?" Piccolo asked, unable to sense the minute details of the Earth he used when he was Guardian.
Dende opened his eyes and smiled turning to the older Namekian.
"It's time," Dende proclaimed.
"You're sure?" Piccolo questioned as he prepared to make his decent to the Earth. He did not need a reply, he knew it was true. A hint of a grin present on his face.
It was time.
Chi-Chi returned from the spare bedroom into the kitchen where she found her husband stalking over the meal set up on the dining room table.
"Goku! You're home," she greeted and skipped over to kiss his cheek, "I thought you would have still been training, well into the afternoon?"
He slid his arm around her back in greeting, delighted by her good mood. "I was, but Goten never showed up, he was supposed to meet me an hour ago."
"You know that boy," Chi-Chi rolled her eyes, "Probably off causing mischief with Trunks."
Goku chuckled. The early teens were unsurprisingly more of a worry now than they were as kids. If only they were encouraging each other to train harder rather than make trouble they probably could have surpassed their fathers by now.
Goku, scratched at the back of his head, "Oh well, I'll train with him later."
At least Goku was more forgiving than Vegeta on the matter.
"Are you going somewhere?" he asked, noting Chi-Chi was dressed nicely and not in her usual 'around the house wear.'
"Yes, I just have to drop by the town centre and pick up more supplies for Videl, that girl is having some awfully weird cravings," Chi-Chi said as she pulled out a shopping list to show him.
"I don't even think you would eat some of this stuff, now that's saying something," Chi-Chi teased.
Goku had expected Chi-Chi would be a little more pessimistic after basically being assigned as Videl's slave for the next few days. But it seemed she found it rather easy to keep the end product in mind.
All Goku needed to do these days was bring up the subject of grandchildren and Chi-Chi was immediately happy and content. Married life had never been so easy. Well for Goku anyway, Gohan's marriage was another story.
"Ok, well do you want a lift in or will you just take the hover car?" Goku asked.
"I'll go in the car. You better stay here in case she wakes up. She's just having a rest in the spare room right now."
Goku made a face at this, a little apprehensive about being alone with Videl. He had witnessed her yelling Gohan's ear off enough times to know that pregnant women were not ones you could calm down with ease. It was strange because he never remembered Chi-Chi being like that when she was pregnant although she was usually quite feisty so perhaps he had just not noticed.
"Ok," he said lightly and turned his attention back to the full spread set out on the kitchen table.
"Goku, don't even think about it, I made this meal for Videl," Chi-Chi warned, following his obvious train of thought.
"You mean all of this is just for her?" he asked shocked and a little disappointed.
"She will be hungry when she wakes up and I didn't know you were coming back so early."
The girl was apparently eating with her Saiyan child's appetite, which was unsurprising but unusual to watch. Especially for Goku who had never before had to fight over the last portion of pork ribs at the dinner table.
Goku whined a little, "When is Gohan coming back?"
Not that Gohan could moderate the temperamental girl all that well. She'd usually just start yelling at him and he would end up digging himself into a deeper hole when he tried to lighten her mood or alleviate whatever seemed to bother her. But at least he copped the brunt of it more than the rest of the Sons.
"When he finishes his big conference he'll be right back, it's only a few days Goku, you're hardly here anyway," Chi-Chi rolled her eyes at his childishness. She had to laugh though at the innocent look in his eyes as he looked over the plentiful meal set out in front of him.
As she headed for the door Chi-Chi waved back, "There's an emergency lasagne in the fridge you goof, I'm not that cruel."
Goku's eyes widened, "Oh thanks Chi, you're the best." He grinned brightly.
"Yeah, yeah, behave until I get back please," she responded modestly and uncapsulized her small hovercraft before leaving.
Gohan sighed as he looked out the window to his office. He was over it, all the business, the conferencing, the meetings; he had had enough.
He purposefully aimed to stuff as much of this corporate stuff as he could into recent months so that he could easily gain a few months off to be with Videl when the baby was to come.
You'd think he would be enjoying escaping from his terrifying pregZilla of a wife for a few days straight as he was on the other side of the planet on business, but no.
He was feeling homesick, missing his wife, mood swings or not. Videl wasn't as bad as Goten seemed to make out anyway, not that he needed to justify his marriage to a 13 year old. Sure she was moody and aggressive, but Gohan knew she wasn't really like that in her heart.
He wanted to be home, in their little house built next to his parents. He wanted to start painting the baby's room and setting up all the Capsule baby equipment Bulma had gifted them. He wanted to be with his family.
The window was looking awfully tempting. He calculated that if he left now he could be back home in two hours tops.
Very tempting indeed.
"Chi-Chi?" Videl called as she scurried out of the spare room and into the lounge catching Goku licking a lasagne dish clean from any scraps, smudges of sauce all over his face.
He put the dish down when he noticed her, "She just went into town for supplies, she'll be back in a little while," he explained.
"Oh," Videl sighed a little disappointed.
She had on a loose thick dress with track pants underneath, yet she still felt utterly uncomfortable. And to think, she still had another month of this.
"Are you hungry?" Goku asked and nicely as possible trying hard not to accidentally upset her. When Gohan asked a similar question he had apparently, and not even to his own knowledge, made a mockery of her weight gain, to which she threw a fit at.
"Not really," she frowned, she usually was hungry right about now but instead she just felt a little queasy.
She sat down slowly on a wooden chair at the table and looked at the lovely home cooked meal in front of her.
Videl recognised in her extremely temperamental state that she was not exhibiting the appropriate level of gratitude towards Chi-Chi and the rest of Gohan's family for all they had been doing for her and she made a mental note to thank them all properly when this was all over.
Gohan too for that matter, he had been so good to her. But for some reason Videl just felt like yelling at everyone all the time. She hoped this aggressive nature was not indicative of the personality of the child inside of her.
Videl hated it when Gohan was away, even if she was mad at him for no reason. She just wanted him around. She needed him to help her through all of this craziness. She loved him.
Goku walked over slowing making calculated steps as he collected a cushion from their one small couch and he placed it behind Videl's back, so she would be a little more comfortable propped up against the chair.
She smiled at the kind gesture, "Thank you," she uttered.
"Don't mention it," Goku replied and thought about picking at some of the sushi rolls set in a plate on the table in front of her.
"What time is it?" Videl asked, a little groggily.
Goku didn't really know how to tell the time on an analogue clock display but he took a look at the position of the sun outside and knew.
A strange skill to have, but it was handy when he was out training and he had promised Chi-Chi he would come home by a certain time.
"About 2:30pm" Goku replied.
"Really, I slept for so long then, but I feel so fatigued," Videl rubbed her fingers at her temples.
"Does that usually happen?" Goku asked.
"No, usually I can just sleep like a log for hours. Gohan has had to wake me up a few times, freaking out that I was so unresponsive," Videl smiled at the memory of Gohan being so worried about her.
The two were silent for a little while as Videl was deep in thought. Emotionally she was starting to feel quite relaxed, which was new. But she couldn't help but feel this was the calm before the storm.
"Ahh Videl…" Goku disrupted her from her train of thought.
"WHAT!?" she snarled back.
Goku held his hands up in surrender, wondering what he said.
"It's just you seem really pale and you are sweating, Are you ok?"
Videl growled. She had had enough of everyone commenting on her appearance. If they want to try carrying a baby around in their wombs for 9 months and look perfect then good luck to them.
She got up to find a mirror and checked her skin. Goku was right, her face was horrible. All pale and clammy, 'Gross,' she thought.
"I'm fine Goku," she growled and wiped her face with her sleeve, 'I probably just need a longer sleep,' she thought.
As she walked back over to her chair to attempt the long process of sitting down again she stumbled on her own feet falling into the corner of the table, bringing it down with her as she approached the floor.
She didn't feel the impact of the hard wood floor though, and as she opened her eyes Goku was holding onto her and trying to get her carefully back on her feet.
"Whoa there. I didn't realise you were planning on taking a trip?" Goku chuckled, placing her upright but continuing to support her shoulders.
The table leg had collapsed and food was spread everywhere. The situation shocked Videl quite suddenly.
"I'm so sorry about the table," Videl began to cry uncontrollably, "What have I done!?"
"Hey, hey, don't cry Videl, it's just a table. Hey, me and Gohan used to break stuff all the time in this house, one time he was studying in the living room and-" he stopped when he noticed it.
"And what?" Videl asked, feeling desperate to hear the end of a story involving Gohan.
"Ahhh, Uh…" Goku mumbled. He was staring at the ground below Videl.
"What!?" she followed his eyes to the floor where she noticed a small puddle of water forming. She touched at her trackpants which were dampened. "But, but, it's too early?"
"What's too early? Videl did you wet yourself?" Goku asked. Shielding his torso at the same time since she would probably hit him for that suggestion.
"My- My water broke," she stuttered.
"Your what?"
"My water broke, I'm going into labour, th- the baby is coming"
"The baby? But Chi-Chi said it wasn't due for another month"
A sharp pain in her stomach made her reel over and utter a small cry.
"Oh, Chi-Chi said did she? Well I guess she must be master of the universe. I said the baby is coming, so the baby is coming!" Videl snapped.
Goku's apprehension rose again, as he tried to think through what it was he could do.
He hadn't been there when Chi-Chi went into labour, both times. How was he supposed to know what to do?
"I'll get you to a hospital then," Goku suggested changing his position so he was supporting Videl's back rather than her shoulders so that he could carry her if she needed.
Videl had a horrible image pop into her mind of her being carried through the air whilst the baby being born mid-flight would fall away, several hundred metres to the ground.
"No, No don't do that," she shook her head trying to get that image away.
"No, it's fine, I'll just use my instant transmission," not that he knew where the hospital was.
"No Goku," Videl pleaded, "I'm not going to a hospital. I'm a celebrity around here! Do you know how many reporters would be camped out around my room or worse, in my face if I go to a hospital? And worse, I can't have people knowing my baby is going to be born with a tail. We'll never here the end of it, no way!"
"But… well… what were you planning on doing?" Goku asked.
"Chi-Chi organised a doctor to come here, the number is on the fridge, just- just call them," Videl panted a little as another sharp pain fluttered through her body.
"Ok, hang on," Goku grabbed the throw rug from the couch, hoping it wasn't sentimentally important to Chi-Chi, and spread it on the floor away from all of the food and broken dishes.
He helped Videl onto the floor and placed the remaining couch cushions behind her to prop her up.
"Ahhh," she winced from the pain and looked at the fridge again, reminding Goku to make the call.
"I'll just be a sec," Goku got up in a panic, snatching the slip of paper from the refrigerator and reaching for the only phone in the house, "Ok I got it."
Being a little startled Goku accidentally pressed the button too hard causing the phone to shatter in his hand.
"OH NO!" Goku shouted at hundreds of broken pieces metal and plastic in his hands, 'not another one,' he thought.
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?!" Videl shrieked.
"I'm sorry, I sometimes, when I get nervous I can't control some of my strength," Goku admitted sheepishly.
Videl scowled at him but turned her concentration back to her contractions.
"Goku, you have to do something!" she cried.
"Ok, I know, I'll instant transmission to Chi-Chi and she will know what-"
"NO!" Videl refused, "Don't leave me, I swear to Kami, if you leave me…"
"But Videl, I'll be right back and-"
"NO!" her voice was becoming demonic.
…
Goku was frightened now, to say the least. "Ok, I won't leave," he promised.
'There must be another way I can get Gohan or Chi-Chi,' he thought to himself.
"Goku!" Videl screamed out, "Can't you help me out here? Tell me how to breathe or something?"
'If she needed help to breathe she would die, that's just silly Videl,' Goku thought, 'She's obviously distressed.'
"Hey that's it," Goku said, as he stepped away from her into an open space in the room.
"What's it? Can you call Gohan?" Videl asked through her breaths.
Goku transformed into a Super Saiyan and radiated his ki.
The distress signal. All the Z fighters had agreed on a signal, where they would flare their ki three times fast, three times slow and three times fast again. Like Morse code only with energy. Gohan would surely feel the signal, wherever he was and would come back as quickly as possible.
This signal was to be used in absolute emergencies when the fighters would require some help. If this wasn't an emergency Goku would have to wonder what is.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? Can't you quit being a moron for ONE SECOND and see that I NEED YOU TO HELP ME, YOU IDIOTIC DROPBEAT LUNATIC?!"
Goku powered down immediately, he didn't need to be told twice.
Vegeta was sitting on a bench at the park nearest Capsule Corp watching his three year old daughter chase around a bunch of wild ducks. He was trying to figure out what was worse. Bulla's incessant crying he had to endure all the year before or this knew mock maturity the toddler now thought she had. Nagging at her father to take her here and there, it was exhausting.
'Just like your mother,' he thought as the girl stood swishing her poufy dress poking her tongue out at the bird that seemed to have bested her.
She stomped back over towards Vegeta, a familiar scowl on her face.
'Here we go,' he thought, rolling his eyes.
"Daddy," she frowned, "I can't catch him." She pointed at the bird which was grooming itself in a way that you could tell was in mockery.
"And why do you say that?" Vegeta asked in his regular tone. He had not conformed along with Trunks, Bulma and her parents who all insisted on talking to the heiress in patronising baby drabble. She may be young but she was still a Saiyan, and Vegeta would treat her like one.
"Becoz I twied," she stomped her foot to dramatize her frustration.
"And, what did I tell you about giving up?" he scoffed at her.
She looked down, "Don't give up?" she said shyly.
Vegeta nodded at her waiting for her next move.
"Ok daddy, I'll twy again," she beamed in excitement. He decided he would never get used to her mood swings and smiled at her as she ran off to attempt to catch the bird once more.
Vegeta crossed his leg over his knee and leaned back on the park bench, soaking in the sunlight. He supposed this wasn't the worst way to spend his training break.
Fresh air, no teenage brat to deal with, no nagging wife to have to cover for on the teenage brats behalf when he got into whatever mischief at school; just a small moment of peace.
Vegeta didn't notice a blonde woman in her early 20s had sat next to him until she spoke in a tone he didn't care for.
"Single father huh?" the suggestive connotation was there as she motioned to Vegeta's bare ring finger.
Vegeta rolled his eyes, wondering why this was becoming a regular occurrence. Earth women were idiots, he'd blast her if Bulla ever became like that.
The woman sat there poised seductively, waiting for a response and Vegeta momentarily thought about giving her an honest answer. The last wedding band Bulma had ignorantly demanded he wore was melted into a scolding liquid as an energy beam left his palm. Now there's an explanation that would probably make this harlot question his sanity.
Vegeta was thankful that Bulla chose that moment to return to his presence.
"Daddy, this one is bwoken," she held out the duck which was in an unfortunate condition, well to put it bluntly, it was dead. Bulla hadn't exactly learned to control her higher than average strength.
This was an observation Dr Briefs had noted when he narrowly saved his kitten from the toddlers death grip. Since then he had built her a large set of robotic pets to play with whom she could be as rough as she wanted with.
Bulla had obviously not understood the difference between those mechanical companions and the bird she was holding that was, well used to be, alive. She held the dead duck out in the air at her father waiting for an explanation. This sure frightened the blonde woman a whole bunch and Vegeta chuckled as she shrieked and scrambled away in a rush.
"Just leave it behind, I'm sure someone will come to fix it," Vegeta suggested trying to avoid his daughter becoming upset, "But you caught it now didn't you?"
"Yes, did you see me?" she grinned in pride.
He tussled her hair in admiration, deciding he liked her like this. Content with herself over the destruction of mere farm critters. Heaven help him when she grew into a bratty teenager like Trunks, acting as if the world was ending at every single insignificant problem.
"I saw. Good job," 'For getting rid of that peasant,' he added in his head.
Vegeta stood up straight as he felt the ki flaring. It was distinct, obviously Kakarot's Super Saiyan 2 level, pulsating in the distress signal.
Vegeta took one look at his daughter debating whether it would be safer to leave her on her own here in the park or take her with him to whatever threat awaited that Kakarot needed help with.
He decided there was nowhere safer for her to be than with him.
"Come on princess," Vegeta held out his hand for her to come, "I'll take you for a flight."
She lit up in sheer joy and cuddled into her dad as Vegeta took to the air in haste holding his daughter tightly flying at top speed to Mt Paozu.
Gohan's assistant walked into his private office reciting memo points and his messages as she walked in.
"And you will need to meet with Dr Krane immediately after the 3pm conference and-" she stopped talking when she noticed he was no longer in the room.
"Huh?" she wondered as she looked over an open window, "I wonder where he went?"
A/N: This is a two part story. Please note, things that didn't seem important to the plot will become important in the second half. Hope you are enjoying so far.
Love: HerosReprise