Disclaimer: I do not own Vegeta, Juuhachi-gou, or any of the other DBZ characters. I only own Koji, Hoshi, and the unborn child.
Words Not Said
By: Dajira
Someone was speaking to Juuhachi-gou. It took her a moment to realize it.
"What was that?" she asked as she looked up.
Across the table from her, Juunana-gou watched his sister in faint amusement.
"I said: is my tea that bad?" he replied. "You've barely touched it."
"Huh?" The blonde-haired woman stared down at her drink, her reflection gazing back at her. "Oh! It's fine…" Her brows furrowed together. "I just have a lot on my mind today."
"That's obvious," Juunana-gou said. "By the way, Sis, long hair looks good on you. You look like a whole new person. What made you decide to grow it out?"
Juuhachi-gou self-consciously ran her fingers through her hair. It was true that she no longer looked like the Juuhachi-gou people were used to seeing. From the time she had been activated along with her brother to defeat the Z-Senshi, she had always been seen with shoulder-length hair. Now it extended past her shoulders, stopping right above the middle of her back. Dr. Gero had once said that if either of them were to cut their hair, it would never grow back now that they were Artificial Humans; it was just something else that man had gotten wrong about them. Normally, she was a lot more observant when it came to her appearance, always keeping her hair under control whenever she felt like it was getting too long for her taste. Only this time she had been distracted by something, and before she knew it, she had her current appearance. Not to say she hated it, though. Like her brother said, she didn't look like her old self anymore, and that suited her just fine.
"I just wanted to try out something different," she answered, looking slightly uncomfortable. She then took a long drink of her tea.
Truthfully, the real reason- the distraction- why she let her hair grow out was because of a certain prince. Without actually saying it in words, he had told her he liked her hair that way, so she let it grow to please him. Of course, she would never tell either him or her brother that.
Juunana-gou sighed and crossed his arms. "Do I really have to drag this out of you, Juuhachi-gou? You obviously came over to talk about something. So, spill it already."
"I'm that apparent, huh?" Juuhachi-gou asked, smirking a bit as she sat her cup back down on the table. Her expression turned serious. "I guess I might as well. In a few more months, I wouldn't be able to hide it, anyway."
Juunana-gou was definitely interested in what was gnawing away at his sister's mind now. Juuhachi-gou lifted her eyes to meet her brother's without hesitation.
"I'm pregnant again."
Juunana-gou simply goggled at his sister.
"Don't look at me like that."
"What do you expect when you tell me something like this?" Juunana-gou countered. Recovering his composure, he observed his twin a lot more closely. "Now that you've told me, you do look like you're putting on a bit of weight."
Juuhachi-gou winced from the observation. Then she glared venomously at him.
"When did you find out?"
"Bulma confirmed it for me early this morning," she answered quietly. "To be honest, I already knew I was way before today…but I was simply trying to ignore it. For the past month, I've been experiencing the same symptoms I had when I was pregnant with Koji. I'm craving food again, and I've been nauseous a lot, too. More importantly, I can feel it like last time." She brought a hand to her still-flat stomach. "Life growing within me."
"You don't seem too thrilled about it," her brother noted.
"I don't know," Juuhachi-gou answered uncertainly, typically tucking strands of her hair behind her left ear. "Don't get me wrong, I love my son. I just really didn't plan on having anymore children. Koji himself wasn't exactly something that happened on purpose. While I've decided to have this child as well…It's just that…"
"You don't know how to tell Veggie-Head about this, right?" Juunana-gou replied knowingly.
It was her that sighed this time as she nodded. "I think he might be my biggest problem in all of this."
Vegeta wandered through one of the upper floors of his house, deep in thought. He always did this whenever he needed to be alone and think, and today he had a lot to think about. Usually at this time of day (when he was home that is), the Saiyajin Prince could only be found inside his Gravity Room pushing his body beyond its limits in the name of surpassing Kakarott. Astoundingly, even that goal wasn't enough to get his spirit fired up for training.
It was a testament to just how serious his inner dilemma really was.
From the time he awoke that morning, he had sensed something was not only just off, but wrong. It gave him the feeling that he had something to do today that was far more significant than training. As the day went on, the feeling grew and grew…until he finally recognized what the problem was.
He had been having trouble with it on and off again for years now, and every time he had simply ignored it until it went away. In the past, he was able to resist it easy enough, though things had changed now, and a lot had happened to him over the years to change his perspective on some things. Now that this quandary had returned again, not for the first time was Vegeta contemplating on whether he should just go ahead and face it head on, and that was why he was struggling. Confronting this particular problem could be the toughest challenge of a Saiyajin warrior's life. It could be even tougher than facing the strongest opponent on the battlefield.
*No, not for every Saiyajin,* he corrected himself. His accustomed frown hardened for a moment as a particular Saiyajin with a goofy grin came to his mind.
Of course his rival would breeze through something like this, and without even understanding what was really going on. Apparently, even his sister had seemed to find someway to overcome this predicament. For a very fleeting second, the Ouji actually considered going to visit Amara to ask her how dealt with it. Then he immediately squelched the idea entirely. For more than one reason, Vegeta decided that his sister would probably be the last person he needed to talk to about this.
Pausing by a window, he gazed outside into a cloudless, blue sky.
*Am I really ready for this?* he asked himself. *There's no turning back if I do go through with it.*
Vegeta reflected over his dilemma for a long time. Even though deep down, he already knew what he had to do.
Juuhachi-gou returned to her house some time later. She was in a better frame of mind now after talking to her brother about her problem. She had always been thankful that Juunana-gou came back into her life after they were apart for several years. Being able to go talk to him about things like a real brother and sister made her feel even grateful for it; particularly since Juunana was a lot maturer now.
When she alighted in her front yard, she still didn't enter right away, gathering herself to break the news to her husband and son. Juuhachi-gou knew Koji would be thrilled to have a sibling; he's wanted one ever since he found out Goten had one and he didn't. His father was a different matter.
She recalled how he reacted when she got pregnant with Koji (though her initial reaction to it had hardly been any better). It was thirteen years ago when it happened. What had started off as an unexpected one night stand had somehow evolved into a full-fledged affair between them. In spite of knowing their destiny to have a son together, she and Vegeta had resisted hard, but not even they could escape fate for long. At that time, she and Vegeta had reached a point in their existences where neither knew whether to go up or down, so it wasn't that surprising they would become attracted to each other; whether they wanted to or not. Their secret relationship was originally intended to be just for fun without any attachments involved- something to pass up the time since they had nothing better to do.
Then the unthinkable happened…she found out she was with child.
Juuhachi-gou supposed she and Vegeta had been fools not to see it coming. Albeit she could still sexually perform like a human woman, they never assumed she was still able to reproduce like one as well. When she had first found out, she had been shocked, which quickly turned to fury towards Vegeta and that was why she attacked him for it. Looking back, she couldn't blame Vegeta for running off like he had. While they both were different people now, there was still no telling how he would react to something like this.
*Why am I hesitating for?* she scolded herself. *One of the things I hate about being pregnant is how it affects my mood. If he can't handle the news and runs off again, that's his hang-up. Maybe this will teach him to stay on his side of the bed!*
Feeling more like her usual, confident self, Juuhachi-gou marched towards the house, ready to tell her family and get this over with. Pulling up in front of the door, she opened it and started to enter- only to hastily step to the side to avoid being steamrolled by her son as he came dashing out of the house.
"Koji!" she called. He stopped at once, turning to her. Juuhachi-gou subsequently noted the backpack he was carrying.
"Oh, Mama, you're finally back," Koji said. "You've been gone for half of the day."
"Where are you going in such a hurry?" she queried, ignoring his last remark.
"Don't you remember?" he asked. "I told you this morning that I'm going camping this weekend."
Juuhachi-gou thought the question over and nodded. She did recall her son mentioning to her that he was going somewhere with Goku and the others before she left, and her telling him that he could go. Her mind had been on other matters at the time that she had barely been paying attention to him. Thinking about it some more, she believed it might be for the best that he was going away, as it would give her the chance to talk to Vegeta first in private.
"Here they come now!" Koji announced enthusiastically, pointing towards the sky.
She looked. An all-too familiar silver aircar approached. Slowly, it disembarked and rolled to a stop in front of the house. The window on the driver side rolled down and Goku stuck his head out to wave.
"Yo, Juuhachi-gou-san!" he called amiably. Both Goten and Hoshi waved from the backseat.
"Don't worry, Juuhachi-san," Kuririn told her, as he stuck his head out the passenger's side. "We'll take good care of Koji."
Smiling faintly, she acknowledged them all with a wave. Her expression hardened as she looked back towards her son.
"Koji, you better not cause Kuririn and Goku any trouble," she warned him.
"I won't!" Koji promised. With a wave, he called, "Bye, Kaasan!"
As she watched her son run over to the car, Juuhachi-gou was once again reminded that her son wasn't a little boy anymore. It was something she had been noticing a lot lately. To her, it seemed just yesterday when she had given birth to that red-haired child with the tiny, angry face. At twelve, he was steadily growing; he had already had another growth spurt earlier that year. She knew it wouldn't be long before he was a teenager, and eventually a full-grown adult-
Juuhachi-gou shook her head to get a hold of herself, self-annoyed at her sentimentality just now. So what if he was growing up, all children did that. She pondered if what happened was brought on by her pregnancy affecting her hormones. Then she thought about the times she had personally seen Chichi and Bulma act that way with their children because they were growing older, and considered maybe her leftover human emotions were the cause. Or maybe it was just both? She wondered if even Amara had had this problem.
Once he was inside, the car ascended back into the air and flew away. Afterwards, Juuhachi-gou found herself thinking back to her son promising that he would be good while he was on his trip, and she chuckled to herself. She could actually count the number of times he'd given her that same promise of being on his best behavior and broke it. Her son seemed to have a knack for finding some kind of trouble to get into, especially when he was together with Goten and Hoshi. Nevertheless, if he did get into any trouble, Goku and Kuririn were with him this time, and that set her mind at ease.
Reality suddenly snapped back into place for her, reminding her of her situation and what she had to do. Turning, Juuhachi-gou tried to enter her home again. Once more, she was forced to stop.
Someone was standing there in the doorway, observing her.
Juuhachi-gou stared back. Usually, she could always sense when Vegeta was near, so it was a surprise to her that she hadn't felt him at all this time. The two stood like that for a long time, watching each other. It was Juuhachi-gou who eventually spoke first.
"I'm glad I didn't have to look at for you," she said. "There's something I have to tell you-"
"You can tell me later," Vegeta interrupted. "Right now, you're coming with me."
"Eh?" Juuhachi-gou responded, taken off guard. "What did you say?"
"Surely you didn't lose your hearing while you were out," Vegeta retorted, closing the door behind him and locking it. He didn't seem fazed at all by the glare his words earned him. "We're leaving."
As Vegeta walked passed her, Juuhachi-gou couldn't deny her interest was piqued.
He was taking her somewhere for a change? Vegeta never took her anywhere! When they went out together, it was usually her that to persuade him into coming with her. She hated to have to delay telling him about her pregnancy, especially after she had finally found the resolve to tell him in the first place, but…
Realizing his mate wasn't walking with him, he spun to see her standing exactly where he last saw her. He glowered. "What the hell are you dawdling for!"
"I'm coming already!" Juuhachi-gou snapped, her own temper flaring. Walking over to join him, she thought, *With that attitude of his, this had better be good!*
Shortly, the couple could be found flying alongside one another over a large scope of water. The two had long since left behind any kind of civilization. For miles around, the only thing to see was ocean and more ocean, sparkling in the sunlight; even islands had vanished beneath them altogether. In spite of this, it made Juuhachi-gou all that more curious about what her husband was up to.
Her blue eyes shifted in his direction.
"How far are we going, Vegeta?" she asked, voicing her impatient. "Just where are you taking me all of a sudden?"
"Be patient," he told her without looking. "We'll be there soon enough."
Juuhachi-gou made an irritated noise at his evasive answer, though she decided not to press the issue. As long as she had been with him, she knew he wouldn't explain things to her until they were good and ready. While she was still intrigued about the situation, presently it was making things difficult for her. She had something she really needed to get off her chest. A part of her was really considering just spitting it out now that he was going to be a father again; regardless, she ultimately thought doing that while they were flying high up in the air would be improper. She would wait.
*What exactly is so interesting out here?* she mused. Right after that thought left her mind, another one came to her. Could it be that the place they were going to was there? To that secret place of his he had been going to whenever he wasn't home?
Juuhachi-gou had just become even more interested about this. She often wondered where he went to whenever he was gone, but had never bothered to ask since she figured he would just give her some tart response that would only lead to another argument between them. She could hardly believe he was actually taking her there. Juuhachi-gou understood why Vegeta would take Koji to that place. With Koji being his son, it was probably a very suitable place for educating him in his Saiyajin heritage and also teaching him fighting techniques he couldn't teach him at home. Though for him to bring her there, his reason had to be very important.
Slowly, finally, land started to rise back into view up ahead of them in the form of a chain of islands. Vegeta surveyed one in particular.
"See that big island up ahead?" Vegeta pointed, and Juuhachi-gou followed the direction his finger was indicating.
They were still some distance away, but Juuhachi-gou could easily see the island he was signaling. It was massive, located at the end of the other islands. She could even see a volcano on the far side of the isle.
"That's the place, huh?" she said.
A nod in reply.
Juuhachi-gou wondered if it was her hormones acting up again, because suddenly a strange feeling of playfulness overcame her.
She leaned over to his ear and whispered, "Care to liven things up with a little race?"
"Hmm?"
Vegeta only saw the mischievous smile on her face before she abruptly took off in a burst of speed, laughing. Vegeta paused midair, a faint look of stupor on his face as he watched his mate's form sped closer and closer towards their destination. Then, that trademark smile flitted across his face.
"Challenge accepted."
The two had reached the island in no time (also at the same time, despite Juuhachi-gou's head-start, thanks to the boost in speed Super Saiyajin bestowed upon Vegeta). After a brief navigation through the jungle, their journey finally came to an end at the mouth of a cavern.
"This is where you stay when you're here?" Juuhachi-gou inquired, turning to Vegeta. He nodded.
He walked on inside. Juuhachi-gou shrugged and followed him. She barely stepped in when Vegeta held out a hand in front of her, wordlessly telling his mate to stop. Then, with his other hand, he snapped his fingers. Something happened. The darkness of the cave dispersed within an instant, swallowed up by candlelight…from a wooden chandelier hanging from the ceiling of the cave, clutching five candles. It was made from the same material as the archway Juuhachi-gou just now noticed they were standing under. She gaped.
"What is all-"
The rest of her question faded away when she took a glance at the cave's interior, stunned into silence. When they first entered, Juuhachi-gou had naturally been expecting this to be like any ordinary cave, but definitely not what she was looking at. Beyond the entrance, the ground inside had been entirely replaced by an actual floor, made from the very wood as the archway and chandelier were. So was the coffee-style table that was perched in the middle of the room and the cabinet standing against the wall at the far end of the room. Across from the table, lay a futon made out of leaves, and at the end of it some type of covering was even neatly rolled up.
Slowly, she ventured fully inside, still staring at it all. Behind her, Vegeta observed her reaction in amusement. It took a lot to easily impress his woman. At length, she turned to face him with a wide-eyed look, as if she was seeing him in a new light.
"You did all of this?" Juuhachi-gou asked. "I don't know what to say."
"You're speechless?" Vegeta replied dryly. "I should have brought you here a long time ago, then."
"Dumbass, I'm serious!" Juuhachi-gou replied sharply, scowling. As she turned her gaze back to her surroundings, though, the scowl vanished. "I never would've imagined in a billion years you were capable of something like this."
"There are other islands I've claimed as my own besides this," Vegeta added, almost like an afterthought. "But this is the only one I bothered to fix to my liking."
"Aren't you worry that wild animals might wander in and destroy the place while you're away?" Juuhachi-gou queried.
"Hmph! The animals on this island naturally fear me," he told her, both looking and sounding proud of that fact. "They wouldn't dare invade my territory, whether I'm here or not."
Walking over to the table, the Saiyajin knelt down to open up the small compartment on its side. Reaching inside, he pulled out two Hoi Poi capsules, though Juuhachi was certain she saw some more inside before he shoved the small drawer closed. Juuhachi-gou quietly observed him, inquisitive about what he was about to do. Taking one of the capsules, he released it and immediately tossed it onto the table, almost carelessly. When the ball of diminished, it was revealed to be a portable TV with a remote. Juuhachi-gou raised a pale brow. Turning, he released the other capsule and tossed it down on the empty floor space in front of them, a refrigerator left behind this time. Kicking it lightly, it smoothly slid across the room into place against the wall by the cabinet with a light bump.
"Now I understand why you stay gone for so long," Juuhachi-gou opined. "You live pretty comfortably out here, don't you?"
As she looked away to marvel the room some more, she didn't seem to notice the gaze directed towards her, evaluating her. Nonetheless, she did notice when Vegeta spun on his heels and headed towards the exit.
"Where are you going?" she called after him.
"There's something I have to do right now," he answered. "I'll be back. There're food and drink in the fridge."
Nothing else to say, Vegeta left. Juuhachi-gou stared, and then swore. So overtaken with astonishment from seeing the prince's impressive ability in craftsmanship, she had forgotten her important announcement she had to make.
"I'll just have to do it when he gets back," she said resignedly.
Taking her mind off it, Juuhachi-gou returned to admiring Vegeta's- she guessed the appropriate description would be "second home". Truthfully, it wouldn't be anything too astounding in the eyes of many, what made it all impressive to the cyborg woman was that this living space was created by Vegeta himself. Despite seeing it with her own eyes, it was still hard for her advanced mind to get around this. The Saiyajin Prince and manual labor just didn't go together. It took seven years just to get him to take out the trash. She conjectured just how long it took for him to fix it up? Was it like this even before they got together?
Her rumination was cut off when her stomach softly rumbled. Recalling Vegeta telling her that there was food, she made her way over to the refrigerator. Opening the door, her eyes widened when she saw that the fridge was full of various foods and drinks. Her reaction was mainly because all of it were the same items that vanished from the house some time ago, which caused her to accuse her son since he was the only one around and his father was away. Normally, she would have been peeved at Vegeta, only letting it slide because it had been quite a while since she ate and she was actually starving.
After taking what she wanted, she shut the fridge door with a snap.
In the interim, Vegeta was on the prowl. Stealthily, he made his way through the jungle, searching for good game. Though he enjoyed having someone prepare his meals for him, it was still very thrilling to search for his own every now and then. Pausing by a gap through the trees to his right, the Saiyajin no Ouji noticed how low the sun was getting. He scowled.
*I have to hurry,* he thought pressingly. *It'll nearly be time soon.*
As interesting as she found Vegeta's "second home", Juuhachi-gou found herself wanting to step out and explore the island. Especially if she had to stay there alone. So after she finished eating, the Jinzouningen struck out on her own. She didn't see too much when they first arrived, so she was kind of looking forward to exploring the isle that charmed her surly lover.
Wandering through the wilderness, Juuhachi-gou discovered it was just like any other jungle, full of trees-some teeming with fruits- and wild vegetation. On one occasion, she had come across vegetation so dense that it blocked her pathway, which gave her no choice to blast it out of her way so she could keep going. Another thing Juuhachi-gou found out was that Vegeta had been right when he told her the animals on this island were afraid. More than once, out of her peripheral vision did she see shapes shying away into the shadows after she had passed by. She figured they probably smelled Vegeta's scent on her, and therefore they were afraid of her, too. That was more than fine with her, as the blonde woman was far from an animal lover.
The path she was on started to gradually turn into an incline, and within moments, Juuhachi-gou was pushing her way through some bushes and stepping out onto a wide cliff. She stopped near the edge and was presented with a magnificent view of most of the island and the sea; below, water crashed against the side of the rock before retreating. Just as she had noticed prior to her and Vegeta landing, there was a volcano tucked away on the far side of the island, standing like some ancient sentinel. She could tell it hadn't been active in a long time.
While she much preferred living in a city, Juuhachi-gou had to admit there was a certain appeal to this island that even she could appreciate. She could see why someone like Vegeta would like it there. Another thing, it was relaxing and peaceful there. With no one there to irritate him (including herself, she admitted amusedly), it was probably another reason why he stayed away whenever he left home. Come to think of it, whenever he stayed away for a while before returning home, Vegeta always did seem a lot more at peace. Like he had defeated whatever demons he had been plaguing him…until they returned. When she thought about it, after they moved out of Capsule Corp, the reason they lasted even a year together was probably because he was always gone so much, leaving her and Koji alone a lot. People of her and Vegeta's temperament certainly needed some space from each other every once and a while, after all.
It then occurred to Juuhachi-gou how late it was getting.
*This day has sure flown by.* She frowned. Briefly, she searched for Vegeta's ki and was mildly surprised to discover it wasn't too far from where she was. *Just what is Vegeta doing out here that's taking him so long?*
Despite how impatient she was getting. Juuhachi-gou was momentarily reminded of that look Vegeta had given her before he left. For years now, she had caught him doing that, stealing glances from her when he thought she wasn't looking. He had even been doing that on their way to the island. The cyborg woman had become so accustomed to it that it hardly bothered her these days. Nevertheless, there was a time that those secret looks really annoyed her; whenever she questioned him about it, he would always say nothing and walk off. Other times, the way he stared at her as if he was trying to see right through her alarmed her.
She and Vegeta may seem like a dysfunctional couple as ever to others, underneath that their relationship had improved a lot after the Buu ordeal. Still, it was hard for her to figure her husband out at times. By now, Juuhachi-gou thought she knew the real Vegeta, but she was beginning to wonder if that was actually the case. The cocky, ruthless, cynical Vegeta, the one she humbled in battle so long ago- that one she could deal with very well. Juuhachi-gou was definitely used to the perverted Vegeta. There was the Vegeta that had both taught her how to sense ki like a human and about his home world. There was the one who raced with her to get to the island, and also the one who lowered himself to take their son to the amusement park. Then there was another side, the one who had sacrificed his life for her and their son… There were just so many layers to him, and she was nowhere near close to figuring out which of those sides of him was the real one.
*I'm not exactly a see-through mirror myself,* Juuhachi-gou granted. As good as their relationship was, as much as she cared about him now, she still couldn't completely let him into her heart. Something, something she couldn't name, always kept holding her back. *Well, that's a matter for a different time. No need to think about it now.*
In the next space of time, a bestial growl ripped through the air behind her, followed by another one. The noises had been so sudden that it actually startled Juuhachi-gou. Turning, she could still hear the growls coming from somewhere in the forest, and the commotion wasn't too far off either. Her eyes narrowing, the Jinzouningen took off, following after the sounds. When she drew closer and closer, one of the growls slowly began to fade until it was one, and then that one dwindled to nothing. She arrived at the source of the disturbance. She stopped, staring at the scene she had arrived on.
Vegeta stood in front of her with his back turned, breathing heavily from adrenaline. He was staring down at something. Juuhachi-gou looked down as well, and because Vegeta was in the way, she couldn't see all of it, though she was sure that the creature was the bloody remains of an antelope.
"Vegeta?" she called uncertainly.
The Saiyajin no Ouji whirled to face her at once. His expression was completely savage, his muscles tense as if he was still ready to spring. Both his hands and the middle of his shirt were covered in blood. Juuhachi-gou didn't know what to make of it. A frozen minute passed between them. Then, Vegeta reached down to pick up his kill and walked off, passing by his mate without so much as one word. Juuhachi-gou watched him leave, dumbfounded.
"What the hell is his problem?" she growled peevishly.
Full night had settled in some time ago; the island would have nearly been completely dark if not from the bright light of the stars or the lights coming from inside a certain cave. Lying on her side on the futon, using her hand to prop her head up, Juuhachi-gou watched TV. The movie that was on appeared to be from the action and romance genre, though the blonde-woman hardly paid attention to the actual story. Her mind was still on that encounter she had had with her husband out in the jungle, left a bit conflicted it because of it. She was still deciding whether she should be angry or not at Vegeta for ignoring her like he did.
That had been over an hour ago, however. Vegeta still had yet to return.
*He's not still out there hunting, is he?" Juuhachi-gou asked herself. She glanced over at the portable fridge Vegeta had released from its capsule before he left. *Why is he even hunting when he already has a lot of food here?...Or is this just a Saiyajin thing?"
She thought back to his savage visage when he looked her way after his kill, and then subsequently walking by her without speaking. She frowned. This whole situation was starting to become more than just a little vexing to her. She was already aggravated over her atypical nervousness to tell Vegeta she was pregnant again, and his secrecy wasn't making things any better. He had been acting weird (weirder than normal) since she returned from her visit with her brother. There was still the matter about why he decided to bring her to his private place so out of the blue like he did. It was obvious to her that he didn't do this just to be alone with her. For one thing, with Koji gone this weekend, they would've easily had the house to themselves back there. Also, Vegeta hasn't tried anything with her since they got there, which was somewhat unusual for her when he wasn't training and no one was around.
A new comprehension suddenly came to her, one that surprised her. *Could it be that he already knows?*
The idea wasn't impossible, considering he knew about their son days before she did. Now that she thought about it, Vegeta leaving behind access to food for her was very suspicious. He knew that she normally didn't require food like humans. Her eyes widened and she gasped sharply.
*So, Vegeta does-*
Before she could finish forming that notion, footsteps approaching the cave interrupted her. Looking around, she had turned just in time to see the man in question finally return. Apparently, he had cleaned himself off during the time after they met and before he came back. Fleetingly, Vegeta glanced in her direction and then looked away as he fully walked inside the cave. At once, Juuhachi-gou noticed that in his right hand he was holding the leg of what seemed to be the animal she had found at his feet when she came across him in the jungle. While the carcass was cleaned off and ready for consumption, it left behind a faint trail of blood on the floor as Vegeta dragged it along. She found herself feeling queasy, and it was definitely not because of the child.
In defiance of herself, she sarcastically asked aloud, "I take it that's your dinner?"
"No, it's our dinner," Vegeta corrected her, without even bothering to look her way. He dumped his catch on the floor by the fridge.
"Our dinner?" Juuhachi-gou repeated. It shocked her that he actually thought she would eat that. She remembered the blood leaking from it and it disgusted her all over again. "Like I would! Thanks but no thanks!"
Following those words, Juuhachi-gou turned her head and focused her attention on the TV, even turning up the volume some. She could still feel Vegeta's dark gaze on her, nevertheless, she steadfastly refuted to look back. Apparently, he returned the gesture as Juuhachi-gou could soon hear him moving about behind her, most likely preparing his meal; her mate's appetite was disturbing in general, she'd rather not see him devouring an uncooked animal.
She had no idea how long she had been sitting there watching TV before she felt a very familiar presence standing over her. She looked up to see what he wanted. He was holding out a plate towards her, occupied by a piece of the carcass of the animal he had caught. She looked at him disgustedly.
"What do you want?"
"Here. This is yours," he told her.
"Look! I said I didn't want any-"
Juuhachi-gou's words came to a halt when she met Vegeta's immeasurable stare. Juuhachi-gou glanced down at the meat on her plate, which was steaming slightly, then back at Vegeta again. For some reason, she began to get the impression that taking his offer was of the utmost importance and if she didn't, she would fail some kind of critical test. She sighed.
"Why not," Juuhachi-gou said, relenting grudgingly. "This is most likely the first and only time YOU'LL ever fix dinner for me."
Vegeta gave her a half-smile.
Turning the TV off with a click of a button and setting said remote down beside the futon, Juuhachi-gou sat up and took the plate. For a long moment, she regarded the meat dubiously. Then, slowly, she reached out and pinched off an experimental piece and ate it. After she had swallowed it, Juuhachi-gou realized she had been hungrier than she thought, before she knew it she was eating more and more of it, and it bigger pieces. Without even asking, Vegeta had handed her another piece. Beside her, while eating his own meal, Vegeta observed her the whole time. The couple ate in companionable silence, both entangled in their own thoughts as they prepared themselves for what they each had to do after this was over with. She finished first.
"Other than the blood and it being a bit too salty," she opined, setting her plate down on the floor. "I guess it wasn't completely awful. But still not something I plan to eat on a regular basis."
Vegeta had put down his own empty plate down and turned back to Juuhachi-gou. He frowned upon noticing something.
"Blood…"
"Huh?" Juuhachi-gou asked.
"You have some blood on your mouth," he informed.
As soon as she heard that, Juuhachi-gou tried to waste no time and clear the blood away with the back of her arm. Though before she could, Vegeta stopped her.
"I'll do it."
In an unexpected move, Vegeta grabbed both sides of her face and leaned forward to give her a not-quite-so kiss, using his lips to gently brush the blood away. As he pulled away, Juuhachi-gou was left with a dazed expression on her face. Vegeta had kissed her numerous times, but never like that. Abruptly, her face contorted into something cold, and then she shoved him away.
"Enough of this, Vegeta!" she erupted. "First you bring me out here when you never have in the past! Then you leave me alone all day to go hunting and brush me off! And now this! Just what is all of this about!? How long will you continue to keep me in the dark?"
Vegeta stared back at her long and hard. He sighed in acceptance.
"I suppose you're right," he admitted. "It's time I told you what's going on. Otherwise, this problem will continue to haunt me, and it's becoming quite annoying."
"Problem?" Juuhachi-gou echoed, confused.
Vegeta didn't answer right away. Standing up, he walked over towards the entrance, his back turned to Juuhachi. She observed him quietly, patiently waiting for his answer. She could tell whatever he had to say would be significant, though at the same time difficult for him to put into words. It was after a lengthy moment or two had passed did he finally turn around to face her again.
"Do you remember that night we first claimed each others mates?"
Juuhachi-gou nodded. How could she not forget that night? She had just got out of the shower when she discovered Vegeta inside her room, whom had ran off days earlier after she announced her first pregnancy to him. The blonde-haired woman had been so furious at the sight of him that she had thrown everything at him that she could get her hands on. She had nearly even thrown her TV at him.
"There were two more details that I left out..." he divulged. "Deliberately."
Pale brows rose inquiringly. "What do you mean?"
He went on. "When a Saiyajin claims a mate, they must go through a three-step ritual. Even though you and I are bonded together, what we actually have now would be known as a 'loose-bond'. We may have chosen one another, but we still haven't completely given ourselves to each other. That is the second step."
"What? A hundred or so rolls in the hay isn't enough?" Juuhachi-gou replied sardonically.
"If only it was that simple," he replied. "However, the second part isn't about just giving each other our bodies, I mean everything. Our minds and our spirits as well. One of the reasons why I brought you to this island is because this ritual required for both partners to do a hunt together during the night and share the meal afterwards."
"So, that's what this is," Juuhachi-gou said, recognition sinking in as she recalled their meeting in the jungle. She didn't know what to immediately think of finding out after all these years their relationship wasn't official- well, according to Saiyajin law. As far as she was concerned, they were; with everything they've been through, how could they not be? Still, she was starting to ponder if maybe the reason she could never fully drop her guard around Vegeta was that she instinctively knew things weren't completely real between them.
Then she grasped exactly what Vegeta just said. "But wait, if this ritual says we're both supposed to do hunt, why didn't you say anything to me about it until now?"
Vegeta chuckled. "Like you would actually agree to it," he answered, his lips curling into a mocking smile. "I knew you wouldn't, so I took it upon myself to modify the ritual some. So be grateful."
"And just how do you know that!?" Juuhachi-gou snapped again, her voice lashing out like a whip. Vegeta was surprised into silence. "How do you know if I would have agreed or not!? You didn't even give me a chance!... Just because we've been together for thirteen years doesn't mean that you really know me!"
"I suppose you're right," he agreed softly.
"I understand what's going on now…" Juuhachi-gou began after a long pause. "What I don't get is…why? Why after all these years are you bothering to do this?" she wanted to know. "It's not like I'm forcing you to. It doesn't matter to me if we have a 'loose-bond' or whatever you call it." Turning away, feeling a bit awkward, she murmured, "I think things are fine like they are."
"Hmph! Because this whole thing is a pain in the ass and I would like to be done with it!" Vegeta answered. He then said something even more unexpected. "Besides…don't you think we've hidden behind walls long enough?"
Juuhachi-gou gasped softly in shock at his words, immediately realizing what he was trying to say to her. She looked back his way and saw those unfathomable eyes locked on her, knowing he was absolutely serious. It was the same stare she had gotten from him over their years together when he thought she wasn't looking. Only this time, she didn't flinch under his stare like she always had. Somehow, the look didn't unnerve her like it usually did.
Walking over to her, Vegeta kneeled down in front of her.
"You don't have to do this," he told her.
The choice was actually considered. Juuhachi-gou laughed after only a few seconds, realizing there wasn't anything to really think about. She shook her head.
"I think if I haven't kicked someone like you to curb by now," she told him, tucking her hair behind an ear, "we might as well make things official."
Vegeta's mouth curled again, this time into a real smile; it was akin to affectionate.
"Then give me both your hands and close your eyes," he instructed, holding out his own hands as his own eyes slid shut.
Juuhachi-gou complied. Something happened instantaneously. She lurched forward, literally pulled into Vegeta's mind; it felt like being dragged along through the currents of a raging sea, with Vegeta's hands as her only anchor. She felt every emotion he's ever felt, as vividly as if they were her own, and saw everything he had gone through to reach this point in his life. The most notable of his memories to her was his short life on his namesake planet, his days of serving the very being who had taken everything from him, his tearful speech to Goku on Nameksei before he was struck down by Furiiza, the first time he achieved Super Saiyajin, and finally his decision to forfeit his life for his family. It all made her grasp that she really didn't know Vegeta as well as she thought did. She finally reached the core of him, the true Vegeta. He was as bare to her as an open book, and what she found shocked her. Under everything that made Vegeta who he was, he was just like any other man. He had been alone for far too long, even in the company of people who were supposed to his allies. Like anyone else, he wanted to belong somewhere…he wanted to be needed…And he had gotten all of that and more from the unlikeliest of women. He enjoyed knowing he had a real home to go to, he enjoyed having a warm body to fall asleep to at night, he enjoyed knowing that his legacy would continue through his son when it was truly his time to leave this world. Most of all he enjoyed being with her, someone who always challenged him and never backed down from him, even an inch. Until now, he was always unable to express all of that, as it wasn't in his nature to say such things.
Seeing that it was her turn, concentrating, she opened herself up as well and without hesitation. The Saiyajin bared his teeth upon entry, feeling as if he had been sucked in by a fierce hurricane, though just like he did for her, Juuhachi acted as his support. Her memories appeared before him gradually. At first, they were just vague patches of unrecognizable shapes and sounds; some were so vague that he wondered if she herself could tell what they were. That's when he got the notion that perhaps those were bits of her leftover memories from her human days. The memories thankfully started to become much clearer and sharper. He saw her being awaken by Dr. Gero for the very first time, feeling her intense hatred for him that was matched by her fear of being permanently deactivated. More images appeared, some familiar: like their battle so long ago (it was amazing how little the outcome of the fight bothered him now). Next came a memory that he knew very well, a memory that was as painful to him as he knew it was to her because of the shame it brought-it was the memory of him turning Cell on her to absorb her so that he could reach his Perfect form. The next memory was unfamiliar to him, it was of her singing beautifully to their son as a baby while rocking him to sleep. At last, Vegeta crossed that final distance to where the real Juuhachi-gou was, unprotected by her pride or any walls. It awed him to see just how vulnerable this usually mighty woman was. More than that, it hit Vegeta just how much of a kindred spirit he had found in her. And how did she feel about him? It was true that she cared for him- she cared for him a lot. He had helped her see that Gero hadn't taken away all of her humanity and gave her a family. He had forfeited his life for her, which more than told her how he felt. In the face of all of that, though, she still couldn't give herself to him absolutely. Not just because she couldn't say things like that to him, but also because, deep down, she was afraid that if she fully gave her heart to him, he would only hurt her.
Instantly, a powerful feeling of assurance was sent at Juuhachi-gou, nearly overcoming her. It told her that she had nothing to fear, that her heart would be safe with him, even at the cost of his life-as sworn by the Prince of the Saiyajin. Had he told her that on that night years ago, not only wouldn't she have believed him, she would have laughed in his face. Nevertheless, she knew he meant every word, so she sent the same message back to him, which was accepted in return…
…and then both Vegeta and Juuhachi-gou broke apart. Both were gasping heavily for breath as they recovered from their experience. Juuhachi was still on her knees, holding her hand across her chest where her heart was as it was still pounding, sweating. Taking the back of her arm, she wiped her face off. With her being a Jinzouningen, it didn't take her very long to revive. Subsequently, the full understanding of what just happened hit Juuhachi-gou, and she gave herself a quick look over. It was almost as if she expected to discover she had gone through some kind of metamorphosis after the whole thing, though all she saw was that she hadn't changed at all. She was still her same self.
She turned towards Vegeta. He had fallen to his hands and knees, his head lowered. Juuhachi-gou got the feeling that it had taken a lot of him.
"Vegeta…" she called, sounding concerned.
The Saiyajin no Ouji slowly raised his head to meet her gaze. They were like that for a long time. Then…
"You bastard!" Juuhachi-gou barked unexpectedly, her face scrunching up into a scowl. "I saw it in your memories! So you did know I was pregnant the whole time! And to think I was actually nervous about telling you!"
"Idiot, of course I did!" Vegeta told her, sitting back up. "I sensed it from the very first moment. It was just like with the boy, who also knows, by the way."
"WHAT!?"
"Did you really think we wouldn't notice that ki inside of you?" Vegeta asked mockingly. "It also explains why your appetite as of late almost matches mine and Koji's."
"Shut up!" Juuhachi-gou growled, blushing furiously. "I should kick your butt all over this cave for putting me through that!"
Vegeta chuckled. "No matter what that contemptible old man turned you into, underneath it all, you really are still just another silly human woman."
Juuhachi-gou lost her scowl, hit by the impact of her husband's words just then.
"Perhaps you're right," she agreed, smiling.
A great relief washed over them both. Despite there being no more walls to hide from each other behind, nothing had changed. Everything was always as they had been between them, yet they felt closer than they've ever been. They felt complete.
"Now what happens?" Juuhachi-gou asked. "Didn't you say there was a third part to this?"
Vegeta nodded. "That will be much simpler. In fact, it's not much different from what happens after those insipid ceremonies like the one Kakarott's son took part in last year."
"You mean…?"
A slow, smile spread across the Prince's face, confirming Juuhachi-gou's thoughts more loudly than words could.
"Oh, so that's why you've kept your hands to yourself ever since we got here," she replied. Her blue eyes gleamed with a different kind of mischief. "This should be quite the honeymoon."
From outside the cave, the lights could soon be seen going out.
The End