Bardock was having a bad day. He was having a bad week really and it was all that woman's fault. His infant son was crying, and they both smelled like shit. He was at a loss of what to do. The boy's bearer had taken off on a mission, she'd given him instructions but he couldn't remember them as he'd been half asleep.
Meanwhile Raditz continued wailing. He wasn't hungry, his bearer had obtained a milk substitute for him while she was gone. He did smell like crap but Bardock was trying to delay the humiliation of changing a diaper. He needed a drink, maybe the kid did too. He didn't particularly want to go to a bar, he was the laughingstock of the slums. His sister might help him, or she'd laugh even harder than everyone else, besides that he was pretty sure she was on a mission too.
Maybe Toma? No, his kids all stayed in their pods like they were supposed to. Toma wasn't a nursery medic he wouldn't know anything about making brats shut up.
Bardock drummed his head against the wall trying to drown out the incessant crying. He couldn't think he couldn't sleep, his ears were ringing and his head hurt. How mad would his mate be if he dropped their son off the roof? She'd kill him, and if she didn't King Vegeta would have him run through. The kid was scheduled for an important suicide mission after all.
Damn it, didn't brats get tired of their own wailing?
"Bardock!"
He was starting to hear things within the crying, was he going crazy?
"Bardock, open up!"
What was that banging noise? Was that his head pounding like that? No wait, maybe that was the door.
Bardock rushed to open the door. It was Borgos, he was holding his ears as he ducked his head to step through the doorway. Bardock just stared at him incredulously, why would he want to come in when Bardock really wanted to go out, maybe he could still leave? Was Borgos talking to him, he wasn't paying attention.
"-quiet. Everyone is complaining about him," Borgos was saying.
Bardock snorted, that wasn't helpful at all. If the neighbors all wanted to complain so much then one of them should come help keep the brat quiet. He should have given the brat back to that med-nanny when he had the chance. Wait, that's a brilliant idea.
Ignoring Borgos' suspicious looks at his manic grin he strode over to the nest on the floor where the brat had been rolling around. He pick the child up under the arms as he'd seen his bearer do but he was so wiggly that Bardock nearly dropped him.
"What are gonna do?" asked Borgos as he moved over to the pair.
"Give him back to that nosy nanny alien," said Bardock as the baby slipped through his fingers and plopped back down on the floor. Bardock frowned at him but the infant just cried more. It couldn't have hurt that bad.
Borgos stepped around him and scooped the baby up with ease.
"I'll carry him, you lead the way," said Borgos but Bardock was transfix to the spot. The brat had quieted the minute Borgos had lifted him up. He was still whimpering, but it seemed he was frightened by the big behemoth. 'Serves him right' thought Bardock as he led Borgos out the door.
Bardock barely remembered where the nursery was but he eventually found it. The suicide mission babies, well the one that was still here, were in their own separate room and sure enough there was to purple alien. He was hovering over the other brat while pressing buttons on his pod. A particularly loud whimper from Raditz bought his attention to the three saiyans crowding his doorway.
"Oh, Bardock and my former charge I see. Since his companion here will be shipping out in two days, I've been wanting to bring him in for an examination," said alien
"Good he's all yours," said Bardock, motioning Borgos to hand the kid over. The alien frowned, "You will of course pick him up when I'm done, after all it was your decision to raise the boy yourself," he said as he accepted the babe into his arms. Raditz clung to his caretaker, seemingly grateful to be away from Borgos. "It should only take a few hours,"
Bardock glared at the med-nanny. He was crazy if he thought Bardock was actually coming back for that wailing brat. He fully intended to gather up what remain of his crew, since Shugush took that solo mission, and find a good week long mission to complete. Barring that he would find a good bar off world to hang around for a few days.
The alien had turned around and laid Raditz on the table, to prepare for his exam. Bardock didn't bother to respond he just left with Borgos in tow. They had to find Toma and Fasha, and then they were out of here.
When Bardock returned home three days later it was to a blissfully quiet apartment. He almost missed that wailing little monster, only almost. He walked into his one room abode only to find the brat was there sleeping on his bed and his bearer was pissed. He could tell she was pissed because she was smiling at him, the same smile from when the first met as children, right before she'd yanked his tail clean off. It took two days for it grow back, and he was too old for it grow back now.
"Bardock, you'll never guess what happened. I got back from my mission and was summoned by the King's Advisor," she started, Bardock gulped. "He ordered me to take care of Raditz since you seemed to have run off,"
"I," started Bardock.
"You promised me you'd look after our son," she said forcibly interrupting him
"Yeah, but," he tried again
"I gave you specific instructions," she inserted, balling up her fist.
"Maybe specific for you," he snorted
"Tyrian said that he was starved, wet, and hoarse when he was brought to him," she said rising carefully from her position beside the baby.
"Who?" said Bardock dumbly right before he was punched in the jaw, it was strong enough to knock him to the floor. He looked up and his mate was standing that with that sadistic smile still on her face.
"Tyrian is Raditz's caretaker; he's in charge of all the babies in Raditz's group," she said like it was a play group not two babies destined to die on a cold unforgiving planet right after going into a full moon inspired rage.
"Look you knew I had no experience with stuff like that, what did you really expect me do?" shot Bardock as he stood up from the floor. She glared at him. "I expected you to try, not to abandon him the minute it got hard," she shot back
"What does it matter if we abandon him now are later, he's getting into that Attack Pod in three months and no matter how much you want him too he's not going to come back. He's as good as dead, you're wasting both our time," spat Bardock enraged. The smile was gone there were tears now, unshed ones but they were there glistening in her eyes. Bardock felt bad but he quashed the feeling down viciously, she bought this on herself, he was always covering for her, comforting her. She had to start acting like the saiyan that she was, not just the act she put on the outside, but on the inside too.
The brat started to whimper and she went over to him immediately. Her touch was enough to sooth him and she laid down curled around him, with her back facing Bardock. He headed for the shower, when he got back the two appeared to have cried themselves to sleep. Bardock stamped on the well of guilt that tried rush through him. He wasn't going to apologize, not in to morning, not ever. He slid into bed behind his mate, the bed too small to do anything but hold her close. Her usually comforting scent was just aggravating now, but he wasn't about to sleep on the floor. In the morning she and the brat could go stay in her apartment, he was done with them both.
The next morning Bardock was woken up by being shoved to the floor. The brat was whining, but that was soon muffled into his bearer's chest. When Bardock chanced to rise up enough to look at the pair, he could see she was still crying. She couldn't go out looking like she'd been crying, he guessed they were stuck here for a while. He watched his son nurse for a while before his mate seemed to notice.
"Go away you pervert," she said.
"Go where, you're in my place and there's only one room," pointed out Bardock. She just glared at him in response, turning her back to him.
"Look, Parz, I'm sorry," he said. His anger was gone, he stood by what he said, she was wasting both their time on the brat but he never wanted to hurt her and couldn't stand by and do nothing while she was hurting. She didn't respond, he heard the brat burp as he finished his meal.
"You're not sorry, Dock, and I don't forgive you. My baby is going to die because his father couldn't help but mouth off to some idiot elite. This is your fault and I'll never let you forget it," she said without turning and looking at him. Her voice was cold, ruthless even, every bit the saiyan he pushed her to be and yet it made him feel cold inside.
