"Bulma, what's this about? I mean, you call me up all panicked, and...and...are you okay?"

Bulma was pacing back and forth when Kale entered the room, and smiled only briefly when she looked up to reply, "I guess...I guess you could say I am."

"Did something happen?"

"Kale, I just...look, I..."

"Calm down, Bulma. Tell me what happened."

"I...I, uh...well, you know how I've been seeing Vegeta a while, right?"

"...yeah...?"

Bulma fidgeted slightly, and glanced briefly around, before taking a deep breath. "I'm...I'm pregnant."

"You are?!"

"Yes, I am. Ha, and after I was saying I wasn't ready for children, too. One just drops right into my lap..."

"Among other things," Kale replied with a slight smile, "Vegeta's, right?"

"R-right. Vegeta's. That's what scares me."

"Look, if you need someone to be there when you tell him, I can do it. I doubt that he'll react that badly though. Probably be like a lot of men on this planet, and not particularly care about it."

"You really don't think he'll care?" Bulma looked up hopefully.

"I can't say for sure about that, really, but I'm pretty sure he's not going to freak out. Like I said, I'll...I'll go with you when you tell him, if that makes you feel any better." she paused, and then asked, "So...when do you think it happened?"

"It's hard to say. We kind of...well, hooked up on New Years, and since then..."

"You kept it up. And up and up and up."

"What can I say...he's..." Bulma giggled, "He's just..."

"Just what?"

"Such a man. He knows exactly what he wants, and doesn't hesitate in getting it, and boy is it-"

"I think I understand," Kale said quickly. "Congratulations, by the way."

"Yeah...I guess congratulations are in order..." Bulma laughed nervously, before quickly changing the subject, "I hear you and Borea are doing well again. What prompted that?"

"We...we finally talked it out."

"I...I'm sorry..."

"Don't be. Hey, hey, don't cry, it's alright."

"But...I just...you don't understand, I wanted to..." Kale curled up at his side, still feeling utterly wrecked by the fact that she couldn't...why couldn't she just...?

"Look," he said, "It's alright. We don't have to."

"B-but Krillin, I..." she took a deep breath and looked up at him. It had gone horribly, this attempt to be anything close to intimate with him. They'd come back to her place after a date, and she'd felt...well, something she hadn't honestly felt since before Frieza. She'd actually found herself desiring Krillin in that way. But they'd barely started when she found herself having yet another flashback.

...the very idea that she'd ever approached him with anything even remotely close to desire...

It just...it wasn't fair...

"It's okay," he kept saying, holding her softly, "You just...you just tried a bit too quickly, that's all. Moved a bit too fast."

"I should've been able to get through it instead of bursting into tears," she said, not meeting his eyes, "I've done it before. Why not now, when I actually want to do it?"

"Because you wanted to. Your mind got used to being forced, and..."

"And it's going nuts for some reason," she shook her head when he hugged her.

"Do you want me to leave?"

She hid her face in his neck, shaking. "No."

"It's alright."

She couldn't help but start crying again, albeit silently this time, hating herself for expecting him to leave at any minute. To get impatient and leave her there, sobbing in bed, to not care about her grief in the slightest. But...but he did. He did care, and as much as it puzzled her, as much as she disliked doubting it, she was incredibly grateful that he remained patient with her. He was just so...

...so...

A few days later Bulma announced her pregnancy to the rest of the group, and a week after that, Chi-Chi insisted on having a surprise baby shower for her, a request with which Kale complied quickly. She smiled briefly at the thought of buying anything before the baby's gender was discovered, but she was pretty sure that in the end it wouldn't matter anyway. The big day came, and the pile of gifts, well...more accurately than saying one table, it took up several.

Bulma sat opening the gifts one after another, and while she was doing that Kale saw Vegeta standing across the room in a corner, shaking his head.

Of course.

She walked over. "You haven't brought anything, have you?"

"I shouldn't have to."

"That is your child," she said, crossing her arms, "I think you ought to treat this a little more seriously than you are. Or at least act like you like the idea."

"What business is it of yours?"

"Well Bulma's too afraid of you to ask, so I have to," Kale said quickly, "Do you understand that? She was afraid of you."

Vegeta went quiet.

"She shouldn't have to be, but she is," she clenched her fist, "And if you-"

"I haven't given her any reason to be!"

"No? But you haven't been making it any better, either. I want to let you know, that if you do hurt her, in any way..."

"Are you threatening me?"

"No," she said, "I'm making a promise."

He huffed and left the room.

Sighing, Kale turned back and was heading over to the group gathered around Bulma when she noticed Krillin wasn't in it. Looking around, she found him standing just a short bit away talking to Ginyu, although she couldn't make out what either of them were saying.

Krillin was sweating, and Ginyu looked rather animated, although keeping a stony expression on his face.

Krillin shrugged and gestured, talking quickly.

Ginyu paused.

And then the stoniness passed, and he patted Krillin on the shoulder before walking away.

She sighed and walked over to him, "Hey...what was that about?"

"Oh...nothing," Krillin replied sheepishly, "Guy talk, that's all."