Chapter 21 – No, You Can't!

Being engaged was… different.

People stopped her as she walked by to congratulate her, to wish her the best. Others asked for details on the wedding and even though Bra could tell they were trying their best not to show their shock when she told them it was strictly private, she could still see it. But she didn't care. This wedding was hers and Goten's. Sure, their families were both going to be there, but other than them and the priest who would be marrying them, that was all.

Marron had stormed over to see her at one point in the past couple of days, demanding to know why she and her family hadn't been invited. Bra felt a little guilty about not inviting them, but had simply shrugged, telling her exactly the same as she told the others. It was extremely private. Besides, Krillin and 18 were her mother's friends. Not hers. If Goten wanted them to be there, all he had to do was ask. It was as much his wedding as it was hers. However Goten didn't care about fancy weddings or about celebrity status' and whatnot. He wanted to marry her. He wanted to make her officially his. He wanted to wake up every morning to see her laying next to him.

It had been almost a whole month since he had proposed to her.

And they had a problem.

Well, Bra had a problem.

During their time together, they had made love several times. Only, they had never used contraception. At the time, Bra had completely forgotten about it, about the talk her mother had once sat her down to have. Oh God she felt like such an idiot!

Her period was late. Bra had never been late or missed a period since she first started. She always started at the end of every month and it was always for five days. No more, no less.

Damn it!

She wasn't ready to be a mother!

Running a hand through her hair, Bra looked around the lab with wide eyes. She was waiting for her mother's arrival. Not even five minutes ago, she had contacted her and told her that there was an emergency, that she had to meet her right here, right now.

By the time Bulma arrived, Bra looked close to a breakdown.

"Bra?" she asked warily, shutting the door behind her as she stepped forward. Due to being connected, she could feel her daughter's emotions, as could Trunks. No doubt he would be making his way over to them soon if Bulma didn't manage to calm her down. "What's wrong? You said it was an emergency."

"It is!" Bra yelled but immediately lowered her voice, her eyes showing her panic as she turned to her mother. "I think I'm pregnant."

All Bulma could do was stare.

She wished more than anything that Bra had given her some warning because, unfortunately for her, Vegeta had heard every single word.

And he was so not happy.

"Pregnant?" Bulma's voice was breathless, like somebody had gone and punched her in the stomach. "Are you sure?"

"I've never missed a period before!"

"Okay, okay! Just try to calm down." Bulma told her seriously, snapping out of her shock as she moved around the lab. "It'll be too soon to actually see anything unless you pee on one of those sticks," her nose scrunched up slightly, like the thought disgusted her for some reason, "but since we're in my lab and going out and actually buying a pregnancy test will cause a stir, we can use one of the machines here. Not only will it tell us if you're pregnant, but it will also check to see if the fetus is healthy, if it is compatible with your body." she paused for a moment, pinning Bra with a serious look. "Bra, not all women are able to carry their children and because of how long it took me to get pregnant, I want to check you out myself, okay?"

Slowly, Bra nodded. "But… I don't think I'm ready to be a mom."

Bulma felt her heart shattering at the look on her daughter's face.

And her head felt like it was throbbing with Vegeta's growing anger as he listened to their conversation.

After many blood tests and examinations, Bra sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers drumming a rhythm against the firm mattress. She had never particularly liked hospital beds, or even the ones in medicals rooms on ships, because they were always uncomfortable. If they weren't lumpy, then they were too thin and if they weren't too thin, they were too firm. Oh and don't even get her started on the scratchy blankets and too–soft pillows. What she preferred were soft blankets, firm pillows and a mattress that you could sink into. Memory foam, she was certain it was called.

Her head snapped up as Bulma once again entered the room, her expression professional and serious. Behind her was Vegeta, who had pretty much burst Bra's eardrums the moment he arrived, calling her foolish and stupid and reckless. Bra rolled her eyes. For a man who didn't show emotion that often, he certainly had a mouth on him. She couldn't blame him for being angry, though, because Bra was angry with herself.

Now, as Bulma walked over to Bra and Vegeta leaned against the wall, his eyes narrowed and deadly and his fists clenched tightly as he folded his arms over his chest, Bra could swear that her heart was going to shoot right out of her chest.

Why was she so nervous? Why was she sweating? Why was her heart racing? And what was that fluttery feeling in her stomach?

Looking down at her stomach, she scowled. Now that she had had time to think about it somewhat calmly, Bra couldn't deny that being a mother didn't sound all too bad. So what if she was only sixteen? So what if she wasn't married yet? But then again… she was a princess. What sort of princess went around doing things like that?

If she was pregnant, then Bra knew for a fact that she would keep the baby. She couldn't abort it. It was something she and Goten had created together. It would take a while to get her head around it and she wasn't even sure what she would tell Goten or how she would tell him, but it surely wouldn't be that bad, right? To be honest, Bra thought that Goten would be a great father! He was a big kid himself. They could train their child to be strong, to be tough and how to protect his or her loved ones. They could love–

"Bra," Bulma said softly, "you're not pregnant."

She was silent.

Why did her heart feel strange, like it was being squeezed? She hadn't even wanted the child!

So why did it feel like she wanted to cry?

"I guess…" Bra frowned, looking down at her legs, "I mean, I'm too young to have a kid right now, but I could always have one when I'm–"

Bulma cut her off, tears filling her eyes. "Bra, I'm so sorry, but you can't!" Her eyes snapped to her mother's, her eyebrows knitting together uncertainly and out of the corner of her eye, she saw her father tense, saw his eyes widen. "You… You're… Bra… You're infertile. I–I'm so sorry. I did the tests so many times! I…"

She could no longer hear her mother as she continued with her explanation, as she continued to go on and on about how she had done everything she could to try and make the stupid results come back saying that she was fertile. For some strange reason, Bra felt numb as she slowly stood up. She was aware of her parents watching her warily as she walked over to the door, as she left the room. Bra ignored Bulma as she called after her. She just… She didn't want to talk to anyone right now.

No, there was something she needed to do.

Unlike every other time when she had walked by, nobody stopped her this time. They seemed to be able to see the dead look in her eyes, how her movements were all sluggish instead of graceful.

When she found Goten, he was sparring with Trunks, but Bra couldn't even see her brother. All she could see was Goten as he stopped, as he turned to face her with a large grin that slipped away at the look on her face. And when she was in front of him, looking up at him, his frown only deepened.

"Bra–"

"I'm calling off the wedding."

Trunks's eyes widened as he looked between Bra, who honestly looked as though she wasn't in the right state of mind, to Goten, who seemed too shocked to even move.

"No." Goten snapped, his eyes suddenly narrowing. "Don't you dare shut me out, Bra."

She simply shook her head. "I'm a dead end."

Once again, shock was written all over their faces. "What?"

Bra shoved him backwards, tears filling her eyes, but it was like she couldn't stop herself. "You can't be with me!" she screamed at him as she continued to shove him. "I can't give you what a woman should be able to!" by now, her tears were falling. "Don't you get it?" her voice was louder now, if that was even possible. "I can't have kids! I can't… I can't…" and then she was falling to the ground, shaking and crying and wailing. "I can't… I can't give you a family! I can never have children. I don't… You should be with somebody who can give you all that."

"I don't care." Goten snapped at her as he dropped down beside her, only vaguely aware of Trunks leaving them so that they could speak in private. Moving forward, he went to wrap his arms around her. "Bra, I–"

"No!" she sobbed, once again shoving him away. "No! Don't touch me!"

Ignoring her thrashing, Goten held her as she cried, as he allowed her to scream obscenities at him, to hit him and wail.

Even after everything that had happened to her, he was certain that he had never seen her in so much emotional pain before. This wasn't like the time when she was brought back from being tortured by Majin Buu. Back then, she had been silently suffering and not allowing anybody to witness her suffering until it finally became too much for her. Now, it was like she couldn't hold it back. It was like she was being overwhelmed by the emotions that were slamming into her.

"I love you." he whispered into her hair. "I'm not leaving you. Not now, not ever."

"But I c–can't…" she hiccuped, her body trembling in his arms. "I can't give you babies."

"We'll find a way. Your mom's a genius, right? And so is Trunks! They'll somehow find a way." Goten wasn't sure if it was even possible but he had to do something, say something, to ease her pain. "Don't call off the wedding. Don't leave me. I don't want to be with anyone other than you."

Sitting up, Bra looked into Goten's eyes, her own bloodshot and filling with even more tears as her lower lip trembled. "I thought that I was pregnant." she told him, her body trembling softly as she held back a sob. "I… I w–wanted to be… I want to be a mom."

Goten couldn't stop his own tears as he once again held her in his arms.