A/N: Yeeee, I'm glad you guys like this so far. :) I really want to do one alongside it. Goku/Bulla is my favorite pairing evar but I want to put him with other characters. It's so much fun thinking this stuff up, hehe. Chi-Chi may be next. I only stay away from her because there's no secret factor to their relationship, which is why I love pairing Goku with Bulla/Marron. Maybe I can think of a good plotline, something modern-day.

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z or anything affiliated with it.

-MalRev


My Own Being

2) Aching

The silence on Mt. Paozu was deafening for a woman from the city. I'd wandered through it when I was a girl before I met Goku and never liked how eerily quiet it was, only broken by the softly swaying tree branches under a gentle breeze. Twigs cracked underfoot as I made my way through the thick trees toward the faintly flickering power source on my radar. There weren't any squirrels watching me curiously or toads leaping out of my path in the nick of time. I was all alone.

The leaves were beginning to change color, bathing the entire mountain in beautiful sunset hues that made it all the more foreboding. I remembered talking to Goku during our adventures and asking him about life in the deepest parts of the mountain. He'd shrug and say it was fine. My textbooks told me another story; that it was a dangerous place only fit for wild animals.

Wind howled through the canopy of trees and I shivered as I drew my sweater more tightly around myself. Fear had become an emotion I didn't bother with after everything that happened on Namek. I'd watched an entire planet be blown to bits and numerous people die for no reason. I scowled, neatly stepping over a big fallen log. Vegeta was one of Frieza's cronies. His hands were tainted just as green with the blood of the Namekians, children and adults alike.

There was no way I'd have a baby with a coldblooded killer. He'd probably give me a swift kick to the gut when I finally told him what was going on. I shook my head rapidly to dispel the thoughts, still clinging to my delusions that the test had been wrong. I'd buy a few more to make sure.

Why couldn't everything settle down again? Goku had been able to get off the planet before it was destroyed and came home to his wife and son. The Namekians got their new planet. Frieza was gone along with his crew and all of our friends had been brought back to life. I thought my life would settle into a rhythm when I came back, too. I wanted to meet a nice guy and get my own place.

Then again, Capsule Corp. sort of ran in the family. I had to stay around because I technically worked with dad as a partner instead of blatantly mooching off him and mom. They were getting older, though. Mom kept talking about moving down south for retirement and dad heartily agreed. I'd have to run the corporation by myself and walk around the huge, empty building without any company.

My hand fell to my abdomen. Well, maybe I would have company. It wouldn't be so bad raising my own kid with so many resources at my fingertips. He'd be happy and spoiled to death. The only problem was the man I had sort of created said baby with. He was nothing but a thorn in my side.

"Woman, where is my dinner?!"

Vegeta was sitting at the table with his arms crossed angrily over his chest. His stupid spiked hair was damp from the shower he took in my bedroom not even five minutes ago, using up half my shampoo in the process. There were some bruises across his biceps from a particularly intense training session with Goku that I hoped hurt like a bitch.

I whirled around and slammed my hands down on the table but it didn't faze him in the least. Most guys were scared of me when I got too intense. I didn't like when my authority was challenged, especially when it was some jerk like Vegeta. What an asshole, calling himself a "prince."

"Make your own damn dinner," I snapped. "I'm going to work on your ridiculous space ship so you can get the hell out of my house and back home."

The Saiyan scoffed. "What use will it be if I'm dead from lack of sustenance? Feed me before I destroy your home with your precious parents still inside. Chop-chop!"

We'd been living together for a few months at that point and every day was a battle. I tore open the cabinet above the stove and hurled a box of cereal across the room at his head that he narrowly dodged. It spilled across the floor and Vegeta stood up so fast that his chair collapsed to the ground with a clatter. I grabbed another box to throw at him but he was suddenly there, pinning me to the counter by my wrists, eyes glowering with rage.

"What do you think you're doing?" I hissed. "I'll call the police if you don't get out. Better yet, I'll call Goku and have him come over here and kick your ass like he did before! You're not even a man. You're so pathetic that you can't even take care of yourself. 'Bulma, make me food!' 'Bulma, do my laundry!' 'Bulma, give me money!' 'Bulma, Bulma, Bulma!'"

"You invited me into your home, woman. I didn't demand anything from you that wasn't offered. Go ahead and call Kakarot—I'd love to pummel him in front of his family again."

We were close together but I was too furious to notice. It was a typical shouting match between the two of us but they usually stopped when we got in each other's faces. I struggled under his grasp, trying to weasel my wrists free and screamed when he refused to let go.

I writhed, beginning to notice Vegeta's body pressing against mine. "Get off me, you fat bastard! Get out and live in a cardboard box like all the other—"

Vegeta curled his lip in a snarl and seconds later, his lips captured mine in a bruising kiss. I immediately drew back and slammed my head against the cupboard in the process. Stars danced in my eyes as I woozily kissed the Saiyan back and felt my anger slowly morphing into something else. He deepened the kiss, ramming me into the counter so it sank uncomfortably into my back.

His calloused hands moved to my shirt to push it up and he greedily felt my flat stomach while I tangled my fingers in his hair to push him closer. It was a blur. It happened so fast I could hardly believe it. At the same time, it made a lot of sense. Vegeta and I were both kind of spoiled brats. We resented on another so much that the feeling took on a life of its own and turned into something more.

Soon we were upstairs in my bedroom. It became a race to see who could undress the other person first and Vegeta won by cheating: my torn clothes fluttered into a messy pile on the floor. My pulse was pounding with excitement and pure hatred. He was a killer, not someone I wanted to share my body with. What if he turned on me one day and I became more blood on his hands?

Using a condom didn't strike me as important. I thought I was protected by the sheer fact that I couldn't stand being around Vegeta most of the time. He groaned loudly, grunting deep in his chest when I told him to be quiet so we wouldn't catch my parent's attention. I was kind of surprised at how good he was in bed: it was a nice change from my vanilla sex with Yamcha.

But Vegeta didn't cuddle. Not that I wanted him to. When we were both satisfied he left the room and I lit a cigarette, basking in the afterglow by myself. I'd considered starting a friends with benefits type relationship with him because he really was a good lay. Smoke curled to my ceiling.

Thinking of that night made me grimace. I'd been so careless and stupid sleeping with Vegeta like that. It had been three or so weeks ago and I'd missed my period, which prompted me to take a test. God, I had severely screwed myself this time. Even Krillen would've been better than fucking Vegeta.

The radar finally led me out of the woods into a big clearing with a pond in the middle, surrounded by a flock of geese. I hung back around the edge of the trees to squint at the screen and wondered if it was already broken. It said Goku's power level was right near me… was he trying to hide himself or—

"Hey there, Bulma!"

I shrieked in terror and tripped backwards over a branch, falling clumsily to my behind on the hardening ground. While I blushed furiously with embarrassment and rubbed my injured behind I saw a familiar face hanging upside down from a tree branch, head cocked curiously. His spiky hair had leaves and twigs stuck in it and a bird was settled comfortably on his chin. He grinned and shooed it away.

Goku was in his element. I'd never been able to imagine him settling down with a family, even when we were kids and he was playing pranks with Krillen. Now he was a bit of six feet tall but still a child at heart; an endearing combination that gave him unyielding charisma. His orange training uniform was stained with dirt and there were several holes torn in the chest.

"Typical Goku welcome," I grumbled, grabbing a tree to try to pull myself up. "I've been sent by Chi-Chi to bring you home for dinner and I have a favor to ask."

The Saiyan's brow furrowed and he dropped from the tree, quickly flipping over on his stomach and popping to his feet like it was nothing. He arched his back until it cracked. "Huh? Chi already made dinner? Wow, I wasn't expecting it this early." He continued doing stretches casually.

"A little help would be nice." My backside really hurt from the fall and I was having a tough time pulling myself to my feet.

"Oh, sorry about that!"

Goku leaned down and scooped me up bridal style in his arms before gently setting me on my feet. I yelped when pain jolted down my thighs and he quickly caught me as I swayed on the spot. He threw one of my arms around his neck and used an arm to support me around the waist.

I winced. "Ah, I must've pulled something the wrong way."

"No worries, I can carry you home. You're much lighter than Chi-Chi."

"Goku!" I admonished, laughing. "You can't say that about your wife. You're supposed to tell her she's thin and pretty and doesn't weigh a pound.'

My friend's furrowed brow indented even more and he scooped me up once again, carrying me bridal style. "Eh? But it's the truth. She's got a lotta muscle, like me!" He smirked down at me as we proceeded down the mountain. "You're kind of a lightweight, just like Vegeta."

I huffed. "Well, that's what I need to talk to you about. That jerk is still living in my house, demanding stuff from me and generally being intolerable. Can you convince him to leave?"

It struck me as odd that Goku wasn't using instant transmission but he probably preferred the walk to brace himself for the chewing-out he'd get back home. He raised an eyebrow, easily avoiding every obstacle without having to look. I pouted my lower lip and fluttered my eyelashes. It had never worked on Goku before but hey, a girl had to try what she had to try.

"Is he hurting you?" Goku asked. Now he was frowning, which was rare.

"Well, I mean, we get in a ton of fights because our personalities clash so much." I lolled back in his arms, picking at leaves as we walked. My back was killing me. "It's no big deal. I'm just used to having a guy like Yamcha who kind of does what I want. I can handle him just fine."

"But… but he's stronger than you. Even when I fight Chi-Chi I'm careful to make sure I don't hurt her badly. I don't like when she yells at me. Vegeta is way stronger than you are so that isn't a fair fight."

"We aren't doing the type of fighting you're thinking of," I said. "But that's okay. I'd prefer that you live in your world of sunshine and good old fashioned brawls."

Goku scratched his head. "There are other kinds of fighting? Chi-Chi just yells at me a lot and sometimes throws pans at my head but neither of us put our hands on one another. I don't get mad very easily, though. I'd rather let her win the arguments so we can sleep peacefully at night."

A breeze ruffled through his hair and my attention was drawn to it instead of the trees. I braced against his elbow to reach up and pull twigs from his crazy mop, hoping it would lessen Chi-Chi's rage. He smiled and cocked his head toward me to help as I chucked various things on the ground.

It was just a part of who Goku was. It drove me insane when we were younger and trying to find the Dragon Balls but his battle with Frieza reminded me that deep down, Goku knew what was right. He wasn't afraid to put himself on the line to protect others. Who cared if he wanted to go train and fish for the afternoon? He'd saved the entire universe for crying out loud.

I sighed. "Are we getting too old for this? Maybe both of us need to get our lives together."

Always smiling, always radiant, Goku beamed down at me. "Nah, why should we? Everyone is happy and the world looks great to me. The most important thing for me was being able to raise Gohan with Chi-Chi, instead of leaving her alone to do it. I wish she would let him come out with me."

"Guess you're right." I gently held the back of his head as I pried a particularly stubborn twig out. He had such thick hair, even worse than Vegeta's. "As soon as Vegeta's out of my hair I'm sure I'll feel better. I don't know where the hell he's going to go but he can't lurk around Capsule Corp. anymore. He'll probably run like hell when I tell him that I'm pregnant."

We stopped so suddenly that I almost flew out of Goku's arms. I wrapped his hands around his neck to keep from falling and realized I'd let the cat out of the bag as my friend stared down at me in shock. Shit. I didn't want anyone to know until I figured out what I was going to do about it.

"You're pregnant?!" Goku echoed in an elated tone. He immediately hugged me tightly to his chest, making the pain in my back increase tenfold. "Congratulations, Bulma! I'm guessing Vegeta is the daddy, right? Wow, I never pinned him as the type to want kids!"

I managed to pull away from his rock-hard chest to breathe, placing a finger to my lips. "Shh, this is a secret. No one knows except me and you, not even Vegeta."

There was more carefulness in Goku's movements now. He held me at arm's length, gently supporting my back. "Oh, are you going to surprise him? I remember how excited I was when Chi-Chi told me. I talked to Gohan every day and when he was born I even picked out his name. What do you want to name yours? Is it a boy or a girl?"

"I don't know yet," I said. "Relax. If you let this slip, I'll be really upset. I need some time to figure things out and I don't know how excited Vegeta is gonna be when I tell him."

"But… it's his baby." Goku's happiness turned into confusion. He held me close to his body again and I was grateful for the heat. "You two should get married and stuff now. I married Chi-Chi and it's okay. You get used to doing the same stuff over and over, and I want to make sure Gohan is happy. Won't Vegeta want the same thing for you two, even if you don't like each other?"

"It's hard to explain. You got lucky and married for love but that doesn't happen to all of us."

Then we were walking again. Goku had turned quiet, puckering his lips. "Love? Hm. I just did what I promised Chi-Chi, that's all."

We'd all been there the day he proposed to her. I remembered watching from the sidelines as she cried over his broken promise and I saw the panic flash across Goku's face. He looked to us, paralyzed with fear, and Krillen shook his head and hid his face. Even back then I hadn't been totally on board with them getting married but they seemed happy enough now. I smiled and encouraged him.

Goku awkwardly rubbed the back of his head like he always did and kept some silly promise he made as an innocent child. Chi-Chi was elated of course and kissed him over and over but he pulled away, making faces and frowning at her the whole time. He wasn't used to being touched.

Roshi laughed on the way home and said he'd give the marriage ten years before it fell apart. Goku was a free spirit, effervescent as the wind; a force of nature that couldn't be tamed. He was dutiful as a husband but we could all tell the smiles and cheek-kisses were a show. I felt bad for him, in a way. He had been roped into something he didn't understand and had parenthood thrust upon him.

But Goku took his role as a father extremely seriously. He was passionately devoted to Gohan's happiness and wellbeing, but his version of raising him properly differed vastly from his wife's. He wanted his son to grow up the way he had and learn independence and freedom. Chi-Chi technically had a better viewpoint: raising him to be smart and productive, but it was still had watching the two of them tug Gohan back and forth over those kinds of issues.

"Love has nothing to do with it," I said. "It just makes things messy."

"I guess you're right. Chi-Chi isn't all bad. She makes good dinner and sometimes she's in a good enough mood to let me—"

I covered my ears, turning red. "Goku, don't tell me that stuff!"

Soon we were back at the house. Chi-Chi hurried toward us when she me drooping in her husband's arms and she helped me hobble into the house. It was getting dark out. I was set up on the couch with an ice pack that gave me a good view on the yard outside.

Goku was throwing a ball with Gohan, grinning ear-to-ear. They were frighteningly alike. Gohan suddenly ran up and knocked Goku over then straddled his chest and cheered at his victory. Chi-Chi came outside a minute later and stormed over to drag Goku up by the ear, demanding he help her finish fixing dinner. He waved morosely to Gohan as he was pulled inside.

Gohan hung his head and plopped on the grass as crickets began to chirp. He pulled on strings coming loose from the ball when I heard a very rough cough come from him, nearly knocking him on his back. Poor kid had a cold.