Part II…
CW: Birth
Time Frame: March 7th-8th, Age 804 (Pan's still 9 months pregnant and counting)
Summary: The Stork has landed! Baby Son-Vegeta Briefs makes their grand entrance.
*~*S* Friday, March 7th: 6 am *S*~*
Damn… if I didn't have that meeting today, I'd call in again.
Trunks leaned over to kiss Pan's cheek, smiling fondly when she hugged a pillow to her chest and settled into deeper sleep. He lamented over the fact that he didn't have time to cook breakfast, but couldn't afford to be late since he had that meeting later in the morning.
"You better still be in there when I get home," he whispered, leaning down to kiss Pan's belly, "see you two later. I love you."
Trunks stopped at the mirror to check and make sure his tie was straight and his clothing wasn't rumpled, and gave his sleeping Pan-chan one last fond look before leaving the room.
*~*S*~*S*~*
A particularly grumpy quarter saiyan woke up a little after 9, bleary and aching, having not slept very well the night before.
Pan pushed her pillows away and rolled over to lay on her back, staring at the ceiling blankly. She looked down at her belly with a tired smile, "gumdrop, I think we need to stage an intervention here. Please," she pleaded, "Mama is tired of you squishing the hell out of my b—" she hissed softly as a burst of pain rippled through her lower back and abdomen, her muscles clenching involuntarily.
All the pain and discomfort she'd been experiencing, increasing in intensity as the days went by, the crap sleep she'd gotten the night before, trying and failing to get comfortable… All precursors to labor.
Pan sighed deeply, "so this is what's it like to have pregnancy brain," cringing as the pain carried on, counting the seconds in her head. At just over a minute, the pain eased, and she rolled over, scooting to the edge of the bed to get up and search for a pen and paper to keep track of the contractions.
It could Braxton Hicks, she thought, Kami knows I've had plenty of those… Of course, those contractions paled in comparison to the one she'd just experienced. All the instances where she'd had false contractions, she'd barely noticed them, chalking it up to run-of-the-mill labor pains.
"Alright," Pan muttered to herself, "so you could be in labor. Trunks is in that big shareholder's meeting, don't wanna bother him with a false alarm. We're gonna pretend like it's a normal day, go through our usual morning routine, and if these contractions regulate and the pain worsens, we'll call Maz and go from there."
Pan nodded to herself as if to reaffirm her decision and waddled out of the room to find that pen and paper.
*~*S*~*S*~*
The notebook and pen she'd found lay off to the side on the counter as Pan cracked about six eggs into a bowl. It'd been almost twenty minutes since the first contraction had come. As she reached across the counter for the pepper grinder, she felt the stabbing pain in her lower back as well as the clench in her lower abdomen hit. She regulated her breathing, recalling the exercises from the birthing class they'd attended last month, and let the pain run its course.
About 18 minutes to come, and a minute and 10 seconds to go.
Pan scribbled the times down in the notebook, under the first entry, and glanced at her cell phone, mulling over calling Marron now in her head. The contractions appeared to be pretty regulated… so why was she hesitant?
First babies tend to come the quickest, she reminded herself, but that's not always the case.
She could be in labor for days. The thought made Pan cringe in distaste and mild horror. It was an unfortunate factor that some women ended up laboring longer than others, she'd had plenty of patients who labored for multiple days, the longest she'd seen and been directly responsible for had gone for 3, before their baby was born.
Pan picked up her phone and checked the time. It was almost 10 am, she remembered Trunks telling her that his meeting started at 10… so she'd hold off on calling him for a while. She scrolled down to Marron's number and dialed. The phone rang twice before her blonde friend answered jovially.
"Hey missy, are we having a baby today?"
"Looks like it," Pan snickered, "take your time getting over here, things haven't really started progressing just yet."
"Alright. How're you and Trunks holding up? I know you guys are excited."
"Well, I'm…" she trailed off, realizing she didn't really know how she felt about the labor itself, "I dunno about me, ask me again in a few hours. Trunks is in a big meeting at work, I'll call him later on. I'm still in the latent phase."
"If you think it's best," Marron conceded, "how's your pain?"
"Manageable. I think I'm gonna have some gnarly back labor, though," she rambled nervously, "my back's been giving me hell all month. I know they say you can't really tell if back labor'll happen or not, but I'm thinking it will."
"Oof," the blonde flinched, "Well, I'll start getting my things together and head your way half past eleven. That alright?"
"Sounds kosher. Let me go so I can call my parents and Aunt Bulma and Vegeta." The quarter saiyan cringed at how reedy and thin her voice sounded. I've been begging for this day to finally come and now it's here and I'm NERVOUS.
"Breathe, Panny," Marron admonished gently, "you're just having a baby. Everything's gonna be fine." Pan took a deep breath as directed, banishing the nerves, and ended the call.
Kami, I hope so.
*~*S* March 7th, around 2:15 pm *S*~*
"Capsule Corp, this is Mr. Trunks Briefs secretary Erina Nakiri speaking, how may I help you?"
"Hi Erina, this is Pan," Pan spoke politely into the phone, "I called Trunks but he's in a meeting, could you do me a favor and pull him out and tell him the baby's on the way."
"Sure, whatever," Erina replied blandly, "I'll tell him, Mrs. Briefs. Goodbye."
Pan pulled the phone away from her ear when she heard the dial tone. She growled lowly, making a note to let Trunks know about the girl's rude behavior, and levered herself up off of the bed.
Marron entered the room, clad in neutral tone scrubs and toting a stack of towels, "did you get ahold of Trunks yet?"
"Nope," Pan shook her head, "I got his voicemail and then his secretary." She stripped out of her lounge clothing and put on the clothing she'd picked out to labor in. One of Trunks' softest t-shirts that smelled like him, no matter how many times it went through the wash, and a black sports bra. As an afterthought, she donned a pair of black swim shorts, even though she'd have to lose them once she got in the birthing tub.
"Alright, mama," Marron came out of the bathroom, "I got the incense, some soft music, and I turned the lights down low. We'll wait until things progress a bit further before we think about filling the tub."
Downstairs, the sensor on the front door chimed as someone entered the house. Pan focused on their ki's and smiled brightly, "that's my parents, wonder why they didn't bring the girls…"
"Same reason they waited till later to come over, probably to give you some breathing space. Come on, I'll spot you on the stairs," Marron offered kindly, "you can do some walking around to help things progress."
"First babies always come the fastest, Maz-chan."
"You know damn well that isn't always the case," the blonde chided, raising a critical brow, "come on, let's go."
*~*S* March 7th, around 3:30 pm *S*~*
Trunks saw the very last shareholder out of the boardroom before turning the lights out and exiting himself, headed back towards his office. He smiled jovially as he approached his secretary's desk, "Did I get any calls or messages, Ms. Nakiri? I know that meeting ran a little long." As the young woman perused the messages, the saiyan Prince's mind began to wander.
I hope Pan's doing okay, he focused his ki and frowned when sensed her parents and Marron at their home with her, and his own parents approaching, what's going on there… Trunks realized, belatedly, that Erina was speaking to him and tuned back in.
"… a few of the shareholders that couldn't make today's meeting called to apologize, Bexel Corp wants to set up a meeting soon, something about a possible merger, your wife called to say she was having a baby, and Mirax Tech also wants to meet about a possible merger…"
"Alright, I'll listen to the messages at my… desk… wait a minute," he paused as he walked past Erina's desk to enter his office, "did… did you just say that my wife called to say that," he swallowed back a swell of vicious rage, "that she's having our baby?"
No wonder his in-laws and parents were at his home with Pan, hell, they were probably wondering why he wasn't there! Trunks pulled his cellphone out of his pocket, cursing himself for turning on DND when Pan was past her due date, and found missed calls from his wife, mother, mother in-law, father in-law, and Marron, all with accompanying voicemails.
Kami, they're all gonna KILL me…
"Yessir," the secretary replied blithely, not realizing that she was about to lose her job, "I told her you were in a meeting and that I'd tell you when it was over."
"Why the hell didn't you pull me out of the damn meeting?" Trunks hissed, voice dropping to a dangerously low octave, "I told you, verbatim, that if Pan or any of my family called and told you that the baby was coming, provided they couldn't reach me, you were to tell me immediately. No matter what. I sent that memo to you in an email a month ago. You responded that you'd received it and understood."
"But Sir, the shareholders—"
"The shareholders can burn in hell for all I care," he growled, "report to HR and collect your last paycheck Ms. Nakiri, you're fired." Ignoring her spluttered pleas for an explanation, as if she needed one when it was obvious what she'd done to earn termination, Trunks entered his office and took flight from his secret window, headed directly for home.
I'm coming, Panny…
*~* At the Son-Vegeta Briefs Abode *~*
"About time the brat started heading this way," Vegeta rumbled, eyes going blank as he sensed his son's ki approaching, "he feels like someone pissed him off."
"Probably that damn secretary of his," Pan groused as she waddled past the Prince, "she probably waited until he got out of that meeting to tell him I called."
"she wouldn't," Marron looked scandalized, "didn't you tell her you were in labor?"
"Yeah, I did, and she definitely would," the quarter saiyan made a circuit, coming back into the living room through the front hallway, "she always does this. Last month she told him my ultrasound appointment had been moved back an hour."
"So that's why he wasn't there…"
The front door burst open, allowing a windblown and harried Trunks entry. He stopped just inside the door, blue eyes darting about until they landed on his wife. His, thankfully, still pregnant Pan-chan. She blinked owlishly at him, mildly concerned.
"Trunks-kun…?"
He could hear his parents rebuking him, asking why he hadn't answered his phone, but he only had eyes for the beautiful quarter saiyan standing in the living room wearing his shirt.
"Oh thank Dende," he breathed, "I'm sorry about Erina, she won't be a problem anymore." As he approached his wife, her face pinched up a bit and her hand moved to her lower back. Confused and concerned, Trunks hurried over to her side.
"That's 11 minutes." Marron spoke up, "that's good, you're progressing steadily. Your water's will probably start breaking before the sun sets. Oh," she smiled at the confused look on Trunks' face, "your wife has been in the latent phase since around 11 last night and didn't realize it. She thought it was regular back pain."
"Pregnancy brain's been kicking my ass," Pan groused in response once the contraction abated, "that one lasted a little over a minute." She smoothed a hand over her concerned husband's cheeks, "you haven't missed much, relax honey."
"Alright, lemme check you and see how far you've dilated now." Marron grasped her hand, leading her up the stairs to the bedroom. Numbly, Trunks followed.
In the bedroom, Pan dropped the pair of swimshorts she wore, "starting to feel gross down there," and laid on the bed, spreading her legs so Marron could examine her. The blonde snapped on a pair of gloves and carefully examined her friend. Despite her care, Pan twitched and hissed softly.
"You're closing in on three centimeters," she said jovially, "maybe you're right and this'll be a quick labor, Panny."
If only Marron had known how wrong she'd be…
*~*S* 11:47 am, March 8th*S*~*
Pan was starting to think that her water was never going to break. She was dilated to a 6, and her contractions were down to 6 minutes apart and lasting 45 seconds to a whole minute. She'd managed to get a little bit of sleep the night before, did a ton of walking around the house, crawling, squatting, all sorts of things to no avail. The only thing that progressed was the amount of pain she felt with each contraction and how much she'd dilated.
At the moment, she was sitting at the breakfast nook, eating a few pieces of fruit Trunks had cut up for her. Marron had warned her to keep the eating light, so she was being good. Pan popped a strawberry into her mouth and bit into it. As the juice flooded her taste buds, she felt something else flooding… down below.
Mildly alarmed but mostly relieved, Pan quickly stood up, letting the fluid trickle down her legs in a seemingly endless flow. Trunks turned away from the stove, a plate of pancakes in hand, only to stop short. His nostrils flared as he scented the air, "Panny, did you just…"
"No, honey," she groused, "my waters finally started breaking."
"Ah," the saiyan Prince raised his head and yelled, "Marron!" Pan snorted in amusement and waddled into the laundry room to grab a towel. When she returned, Marron was waiting for her. As she crossed the room, a mother of a contraction hit her, stopping her in her tracks. The pain was so strong it brought tears to her eyes and made her knees wobble like jelly.
The contractions always get worse once the waters break, Pan, you KNOW this.
The agony spread, starting from her lower back before stabbing deep into her lower abdomen like menstrual cramps on steroids… which is, essentially, what they were. It felt like someone was wringing her poor cervix out like a wet rag.
When Pan finally came out of the haze, Marron was on one side of her and Trunks the other, holding her by her elbows. She panted harshly, "I thought... they didn't get… that bad.. that quickly…"
"It's different for everyone, Pan-chan."
As the trio started to make their way upstairs for another dilation check, the front door opened as Bra, Goten, Chichi, and Goku arrived. Pan inwardly sighed when the blue haired harridan she called her best friend zeroed in on her.
Trunks, sensing her unease, moved to intercept the heat seeking missile he called a little sister before she could reach Pan, "Hey, Bra."
"Hi, big brother, move around, you're not the one having a baby, let me see Panny." she spit out, almost faster than he could understand, but he stood firm, "Marron needs to check Panny out, her waters just started breaking. After that, then you can get on her nerves."
"I'd rather she kept her distance," Pan called down the stairs, "not in the best frame of mind to deal with her high energy. I'm sorry, Blue."
Bra pouted in reply, and Goten soothed her gently, "you can see Panny after she has the baby, B-chan, it's okay."
*~*S* 2 pm, March 8th*S*~*
Pan curled into the fetal position on her side, struggling to maintain her breathing as a contraction tore her asunder. Trunks crouched next to her, one hand trapped in a death grip, heart wrenching in his chest but unwilling to let it show openly. He murmured gentle comforts as he counted the seconds in his head, smoothing his free hand over the expanse of her back. Videl crouched on her other side, a cool towel on hand to sponge away sweat.
After a tense 65 seconds, Pan's scrunched face relaxed and she shuddered as the pain lessened. She looked up at Trunks' worried face, "okay, that one was bad."
"How long was that one, Trunks?"
"A minute and 5 seconds," the lavender haired demi saiyan responded absently, smoothing a hand over Pan's fevered brow, "you ready for the tub yet, love?"
"N-not yet," she stuttered, "maybe after the next one. I wanna try walking a bit more."
"Sweetheart, you almost fell when that one hit," Videl chided gently, "are you sure?"
"You guys won't let me fall," Pan whispered hoarsely, smiling at her mother and husband wanly, "I wanna walk."
Trunks stooped down and scooped his wife up, gently settling her on her feet. Pan's legs trembled a bit as she got her balance back, and she grabbed onto her husband's arm as a precaution.
"Squeeze my arm when you feel the next one coming, okay?"
"Kay." Pan whispered, letting him lead her at a sedate pace. They made their way downstairs to do a few circuits, as it was a bit more open. Along the way, they conversed with the few family members and close friends that they'd wanted present for the birth.
Pan was talking softly with her father when she felt the punch in her lower stomach, the burning pain lancing through her so suddenly she choked on her words. Gohan grabbed her at the waist before her knees could give out, and she pressed her face into his chest, panting harshly as the contraction soldered on.
"Breathe, Panny," he soothed, "just breathe with it."
Pan mewled into her father's shirt as she felt him moving, faster than the speed of light. She was suddenly being deposited on her bed, but she couldn't get her hands to release the hold they had on her father's upper arms. The pain had her entire focus in its grip.
After several eternities, the agony finally let up.
"Tub time?"
Pan nodded, swallowing roughly, "tub time."
Gohan smoothed a hand over her sweaty hair and kissed her forehead before he left the room. Trunks held her steady while Marron and Videl worked together to get the pair of swim shorts she wore off, leaving her bare below the waist. Once that was done, Pan tugged at the oversized t-shirt she wore, trying to get it over her head with her tired arms.
"Off," she groused, "I want it all off."
"Even the bra?"
"Especially the bra," Pan hissed, "it's squeezing the crap out of my boobs." She fidgeted as Trunks pulled the t-shirt over her head. When he hesitated once he got to the bra, she growled at him, "just rip it off, honey, it hurts."
Trunks tore the black spandex away with a flick of his wrist, frowning at the angry red lines it'd etched into Pan's soft skin. The quarter saiyan sighed roughly, relief evident and completely unbothered by her nudity. The demi saiyan tossed the torture device aside and took her hands, "let's get you in the water."
"It's still nice and warm," Marron poked her head out of the bathroom, "bring her on in."
*~*S* Around 4 pm, March 8th *S*~*
Trunks knelt beside the oblong birthing tub, letting Pan squeeze the hell out of his hands as she labored to bring their baby into the world. Marron had just checked her out, and she was dilated to an 8, meaning it wouldn't be too much longer. Harsh guttural moans filled the room, drowning out the soft music Pan had wanted to play in the background.
Videl knelt at the side of the tub as well, repeatedly filling a plastic pitcher with the warm water and letting it sluice over her daughter's back.
"You're doing so good, sweet girl," Pan's mother soothed, "so good, just a little longer."
Pan released a particularly ragged cry, a cross between a sob and a wail, the noise tearing at Trunks' heartstrings. He knew it'd be painful for her; Kami knew she, and others, had warned him plenty of times, but being in the moment and feeling utterly useless as she gave her all to bring their child into the world was way different than hearing about it second hand…
"You're going to feel absolutely useless," Gohan told him gravely, "and guilty as all get out; there's no getting around it. Just take it in stride."
"Pan-chan's not like Bra, chances are she won't do much crying and screaming but assume it's a given going in. Bra-chan said the pain from childbirth is just "different" from other kinds of pain," Goten shuddered in memory, "it's gonna tear you up inside to hear but you're gonna have to tough it out. The last thing she needs to see while she's going through hell is her main source of support falling to pieces."
"Pan will be feeding off of the energy you put out, so make sure you're not giving off any negative vibes," his father in-law expanded, "I was a nervous wreck when Videl gave birth to Pan and she chewed me out more than once for it. Try to keep the freaking out to a bare minimum, or just avoid it entirely until after the baby's arrived."
"So… I just need to be happy-go-lucky, sunshine and roses inside and out while she's in labor?"
"Kami, no," Goten shook his head, "just be there, man. Just be yourself, that's more than enough."
Pan released the death grip she had on her husband's hands as the contraction abated, letting her sweaty forehead rest against her forearms on the side of the tub. Tears slid down her cheeks unbidden, borne from the agony, her damned hormones, and emotions simply running high during this prolonged pivotal moment. She sobbed quietly, wanting a million different things in that moment but unable to voice them. She just wanted it all to be done already, wanted to hold her baby and not hurt. She was so damn tired.
Marron passed a cup of ice chips to Trunks, who gently nudged at his wife, "honey, you wanna chew on a few ice chips?"
Pan raised her head blearily, still crying a bit, and opened her mouth at once. Her husband spooned a few chips in and wiped her tears away with his thumbs while she crunched them down.
"'m so tired," she whispered hoarsely, "I didn't realize how fucking hard this would be." She opened her mouth for another spoonful of ice chips, which Trunks fed her readily.
Her mother rubbed her palm over her shoulder blades soothingly, "you're not the first person to underestimate how bad labor can be and you won't be the last, hon. Just relax and breathe, the next wave will be coming quicker than you think."
"How long has it been?"
"Since your contractions got consistent?"
"Yeah, sure, since then."
"You started contracting regularly at around 11 yesterday morning, so… almost 18 hours, but you've been active since 8 last night and "technically" active since 11 this morning when your waters broke so that knocks off quite a few hours."
Pan sighed and buried her face in the crook of Trunks' neck, whimpering softly from the achiness still plaguing her body. She was in pain even when she wasn't contracting, this was the true definition of hell. Trunks smoothed a hand over her bare back, staying quiet instead of murmuring meaningless platitudes.
Sensible man…
*~*S* Just Past 6 pm, March 8th*S*~*
"Honey," Marron bit her lip, eyeing her watch critically, "you've been stalled out at 8 centimeters for the past four hours and you've been in active labor since around 8 pm yesterday. We might need to go to the hospital—"
"No," Pan shook her head, "no hospitals." She knew, logically, that the chances of her baby getting taken the way the twins had been would never happen, not now that they knew to be vigilant, but the thought of delivering at the hospital still filled her with an icy fear.
"Pan," Marron's voice was firm, "you know the risks, at this point you're in prolonged labor."
"Panny…" Trunks bit his lip. He knew his wife had harbored a deep fear of something happening to their child if she gave birth at the hospital but, on the other hand, he didn't know how much longer he could watch her suffer.
"Trunks, please," she whimpered, tears dribbling down her cheeks, "I can do it here, please don't make me—" she tensed up as a contraction tore through her body, drawing a hoarse cry from her lips. He grasped her hands, letting her squeeze as much and as hard as she wished.
Over Pan's trembling back, Trunks met Videl's teary periwinkle eyes. He knew that she was the only who could get through to his wife.
A tense 75 seconds later, Pan's body relaxed as the pain ebbed away and she slumped down into the warm water, sobbing softly. Trunks gently helped her to shift into a more comfortable position, frowning at how lethargic she seemed. He took the cool towel his mother in-law offered and began wiping Pan's face gently.
"Pan-chan?"
"No," Pan shook her head vehemently, "Mama no, I know what you're gonna say, and the answer is no. I'm not going."
"Panchaia," Videl's voice was barely a whisper but sharp as a blade, "this isn't about you, it's about what's best for your child—"
"You really think I'd be fighting it this hard if I wasn't sure I could do it?" Pan looked incredulous, "give me another hour. Just one more hour. If… if things don't progress any further by then, we'll go to the hospital."
"Is it even safe to move her when she's progressed so far?" Trunks inquired, looking up at Marron.
"It's generally not but we might not have a choice if things keep on like this," she pressed a hand against Pan's belly, "if I couldn't sense the baby's ki and feel that they aren't in distress, I'd be carting her off now. Alright," she sighed sharply, "one hour on the dot, Pan. If you're still dilated 8 cm and contracting every five minutes, we're going. No arguments."
"Thank you, Maz."
"Don't thank me yet," the blonde smacked her hands against her thighs, "Trunks, get her out of the tub, we're gonna get her moving around a bit. We need to get these contractions rolling in faster if we want this baby to come anytime soon."
*~*S*~*S*~*
Videl rubbed a hand over her face, taking a moment to sit on the bed to get her jumbled thoughts back into order. Trunks was helping Pan walk the length of the hallway outside of their bedroom, she could hear him whispering soft encouragements to her as they passed. A few seconds later, the door pushed open and Gohan edged into the room.
"You look stressed." The demi Saiyan murmured, drawing his wife in close.
"I thought I was stubborn but your daughter's taking the cake right now," Videl mumbled, pressing her face into Gohan's chest, "she's dilated to an 8 and her contractions are still 5 minutes apart. It's been like that for almost 4 and half hours, and she doesn't want to go to the hospital. I didn't realize she was so afraid."
"We'd never let that happen again, she knows that, but fear tends to make people irrational and the fact that's she in so much pain isn't helping," Gohan murmured, glancing worriedly towards the door, "so what's happening now?"
"Marron's taking her to the hospital kicking and screaming in the next 15 or so minutes if nothing changes. That's why Trunks is helping her walk up and down the hall." Videl furrowed her brow, "hopefully moving around a bit more will get things moving. I know Panny really wanted to give birth at home."
The door flew open suddenly, and Trunks entered, carrying a tense, gasping Pan in his arms, a wild grin on his face, "4 and a half minutes. It's not much but it's something."
Marron gestured towards the bed, "lay her down so I can check her out, maybe she's dilated a bit more."
"That's my cue," Gohan pressed a kiss to Videl's forehead, "I'll be out in the hall if you need me."
*~*S*~*S*~*
"9 cm," Marron crowed happily, "and I can feel the baby coming down the canal. You'll be crowning soon." She smiled brightly at Pan, "congratulations honey, no hospital for you. I'm gonna refresh the water in the tub and then you can get back in."
Pan smiled tiredly, "just get this baby out of me, Maz." She turned to look at Trunks, "I want you in the tub with me. Please?"
"Anything you want," he responded, "let me change and then we'll get in, okay?" Pan nodded her acquiescence and Trunks hurriedly dug a pair of swim shorts out of the bureau and went down the hall to another bathroom to change into them, seeing as Marron was refreshing the water in the tub in theirs.
When Trunks returned, Gohan was at Pan's bedside, holding her hands and coaching her through a contraction. He took a seat on her other side and placed a comforting hand on her hip, letting her know he was back. She turned her face into the pillow and cried out sharply, breathing stuttering and stalling as the pain persisted.
"Get your breathing back," Videl instructed gently, "I know it's hard but it'll get you through this, baby."
Marron emerged from the bathroom, "the tub's ready when this contraction stops. At this rate, she'll be pushing in no time."
*~*S* Just Past 8 pm, March 8th*S*~*
Pan growled as Marron counted back from ten, urging her to push. The pain was indescribable; she knew it'd be painful, but this was unreal. It was all-consuming and she was barely aware of her surroundings. Trunks was a comforting presence at her back, holding both of her hands and murmuring soothing epithets.
Bulma and Videl hovered on either side of the tub, silently observing and lending comfort through their presence.
"Alright," Marron settled back on her heels, "this isn't working. Trunks, help her into a squatting position, I think it'll be better for her."
The water sloshed against the sides of the tub as Trunks helped his exhausted wife into a squatting position at the center of the tub. The Prince got on his knees behind her and placed his hands on her hips to help her keep her balance.
"Alright, Panny," Marron brushed a few damp strands out of Pan's face, "I know you're tired, but you're almost there. Next contraction, just start pushing."
"T-Trunks…" Pan whispered hoarsely, reaching down for his hands. Trunks kept one at her waist and let her hold the other, "you're almost there, Pan-chan," he kissed her damp, bare back lovingly, "just a little longer and then you can rest."
The next contraction swept through her body then, drawing all of Pan's focus back to the muscles currently working to bring their child into the world. With a guttural moan, she bore down again and felt the baby shift further down as gravity did its work.
"There we go," Marron breathed, "they're coming, Panny, keep pushing. Kami, that's a lot of hair…"
So that's why the heartburn was so bad…
Tears streamed down Pan's cheeks as she pushed against the blazing agony, squeezing Trunks' hand hard enough to break a few of the bones. Something, most likely the shoulders, got snagged on the way out, and she cried out sharply and pushed harder still. She could feel Marron's hands down there, trying to help ease the baby out.
Just when Pan thought she'd have to push through yet another contraction, the shoulders came free and, with a rush of blood-tinged fluid, the baby slid from the warmth of her body and into the water.
Trunks helped his wife ease back down into a reclining position against his chest as Marron brought their baby above water and began suctioning their nose, mouth, and ears. Pan sobbed softly, clinging to the arm he'd wrapped around her torso as they waited with bated breath for that first cry.
Marron pulled the suction back as tiny pink lips parted and a wail pierced through the tense air. A glowing grin spread over the blonde's face as she shuffled towards the new parents on her knees, "she's beautiful, you guys."
Trunks helped Pan position her tired, almost rubbery arms as Marron settled their baby girl in their hold, essentially holding her as one. He pressed a rough kiss against the top her head, throat tight with emotion as he looked over Pan's shoulder at their little girl.
She was a little smaller than Ayame had been when she was born, skin ruddy pink and streaked with afterbirth, with a headful of dark, wet hair. So much hair. Her eyes were still clenched tightly shut and her little fists waved about in tight circles as she bawled in earnest.
"Hi gorgeous," Pan whispered, voice shaky and hoarse from her cries, "nice to finally meet you, sweet pea." She smoothed her thumb over the baby's round cheek, swiping some water away. The baby settled at her touch and her angry little face smoothed out.
"She's beautiful, Pan-chan," Trunks whispered, hugging both his wife and daughter a little closer, "so beautiful."
Pan gently guided her newborn's lips to her breast to suckle while Marron tied off the slowly pulsing umbilical cord. It took a few tries, but soon the little one latched on successfully and began suckling away. The quarter saiyan groaned softly as her uterus began to contract again from the feeding and passed the placenta with another burst of blood tinged fluid.
"I was getting ready to start massaging your uterus," Marron chuckled, "luckily the breastfeeding took care of that. Trunks," she addressed the new father, "you'll have to massage her lower belly to help everything close back up a little faster. No retained placenta, by the way. We're all good on that front."
The blonde midwife stepped out of the birthing tub, "once she's done feeding, we'll get you two bathed and in bed to rest."
*~*S*~*S*~*
"I'll take her and get her cleaned up," Marron gently extricated the baby from Pan's arms, soothing her soft whine, "you need some time to get cleaned up, Pan-chan. I won't keep you separated for long, don't worry."
"It's alright, Panny," Trunks nuzzled her wet hair, "I'll help you shower so you can get done quicker." He was loathe to let their newborn daughter out of his sight for even a moment, but he knew Pan would feel much better once she was showered and tucked into bed to rest.
"Okay," Pan's voice wavered, "okay, I'm sorry, it's just… I don't wanna let her go."
"I know, honey," Marron murmured, "all those emotions, huh? I'll be quick, don't worry. I'll get her weighed and measured, that way you guys only have to worry about giving me her name. The birth certificate's mostly filled out."
Their blonde friend left the room with their baby girl, and Pan's shoulders shook as she sobbed softly, clinging to the arm Trunks had wrapped around her middle. Trunks carefully extricated himself and stood up, climbing carefully over the side of the inflated tub. His wife turned to look at him in alarm, bloodshot eyes shiny with tears.
"Hang on, Panna," Trunks soothed, "I'm just getting out first so I can help you out. Do you think you can stand, or do you want me to carry you?"
"I'm still bleeding," she murmured, looking down self-consciously, "it'll get all over the floor."
"That's what mops are for, love," the saiyan prince padded across the room to the shower, reaching in and turning the knobs, "it's okay. Do you think you can stand or not?"
"I don't know," Pan used the sides of the tub to try and lever her exhausted body out of the lukewarm water, "let me…"
"Hang on," Trunks, having gotten the shower nice and hot, returned to the tub to help her, "I've got you, sweetheart."
Pan's knees shook like jelly as her husband helped her to stand up in the tub. She looked down at her body, grimacing at her still swollen belly and pendulous breasts, feeling a strong urge to cover up and hide. A few tears slipped down her cheeks unbidden… she'd never been so self-conscious about her body; the feeling was foreign to her.
As if he'd sensed the train of thought she'd drifted upon, Trunks reached out and used a single finger to nudge her chin, pulling her gaze upwards to meet his.
"None of that, Pan-chan," he whispered, "you're beautiful."
"I look like a partially deflated blimp." Pan mumbled, tightening her grip on Trunks' forearm as her knees began to shake more violently, "baby, can you…?"
"I got you." Trunks knelt down and scooped his wife up into his arms, carrying her over to the open shower and placing her on the shower seat waiting inside. Once Pan was settled, Trunks shed his swim shorts and kicked them to the side before stepping in and closing the frosted glass door.
Pan began to laugh softly as Trunks pawed through the bottles on the shower caddy in search of Pan's shampoo. He turned to look at her in concern, initially suspecting hysteria, but she looked perfectly fine beyond the tears and the laughter.
"I gave birth," she murmured, smiling widely, "I can't believe it." A few more giggles trickled out as Trunks poured a generous amount of shampoo into his hands and began working it into her hair.
"I can," he replied just as softly, "you were absolutely amazing, Panny."
"It hasn't really hit me yet," she mumbled, eyes rolling back as Trunks massaged her scalp, "it feels like just yesterday we found out that I was pregnant."
"Yeah, you fainted at work and damn near gave me a heart attack." The demi saiyan chided gently, "thanks for that, by the way. Tilt your head back so I can rinse…"
*~*S*~*S*~*
"Here you go." Trunks helped Pan place her hands on his shoulders while he knelt to help her get her absorbent underwear on, "just hold onto me, I'll do the rest." He gently helped her slide her feet into the holes and pulled them up before anything could leak.
"I knew I'd be changing my own diapers, but actually experiencing it firsthand is super weird," Pan uttered hoarsely, glancing down at her pendulous breasts, "I need a nursing bra."
"Got it right here." Trunks picked up the soft piece of black fabric, "you need help getting into it or not?"
"I got it," Pan smiled fondly, "thank you though." She slid the bra over her head and pulled it down, carefully fitting her breasts into the cups and adjusting the straps. Once she was comfortable with it, Trunks passed her one of his blended silk button downs and a pair of soft cotton shorts to wear.
"This isn't the 'after ensemble' Bra gave me at the baby shower." Pan jokingly admonished, pleased that her husband knew her so well.
"How do you feel about wearing beaded silk and lace right this second?"
Pan made a face and the Prince snickered, "I thought so. C'mon, I'll put your hair up for you. I can't do much but a bun isn't hard."
*~*S*~*S*~*
Trunks got his wife settled in their bed, sheets freshly changed, courtesy of their mothers, and went to retrieve their newborn daughter from Marron.
He met the midwife halfway down the hallway, and he couldn't help the burst of warmth and love her felt when he spotted his daughter. The baby had been bathed, diapered, and swaddled in a soft white blanket covered in lavender bunnies, a gift from Bra and Goten, and fitted with a small lavender cap.
"Here she is," Marron murmured indulgently, "all cleaned up and cozy," she passed the baby over to her father, who cradled her expertly.
Trunks tore his eyes away from her round, sweet face to look Marron in the eyes, sincerity gleaming from deep within, "Marron… thank you so much." She smiled brightly and waved him along, "it was absolutely nothing, Trunks-kun. Go on, I'm sure Pan-chan's getting anxious to see her."
Trunks cuddled the little one against his chest as he returned to his wife, who eagerly reached for the bundle when he entered the room. He passed her over, enamored by the bright smile that spread over Pan's cheeks once she had their little girl back in her arms.
"One last thing," Marron came over to Pan's bedside, "I just want to show you how to do the abdominal massage, Trunks." she cocked her head at Pan, who rolled her eyes and laid back on the pillow, hoisting her newborn higher to she wouldn't get in Marron's way. Trunks moved a bit closer so he could properly observe.
"Alright," the blonde midwife carefully unbuttoned the bottom few buttons of the shirt Pan wore, "you want to massage here," she placed her hand on Pan's distended belly, just below the line of her underwear, "not too rough," she demonstrated a few times, causing Pan to flinch and mutter a soft expletive, "but pretty firm. The goal is to coax her cervix into closing back up a bit faster. It'll do it on its own if you leave it be, this just helps it along. It hurts, as you can see, but compared to labor... it's nothing Panny can't handle. If you'd like, you could warm your hands with your ki or hot water beforehand to make it a bit more comforting for Pan. She knows how to do this already, if you're ever unsure, she can give you some pointers."
"Talk about me like I'm not even here, why don't you." The quarter saiyan drawled as Marron carefully buttoned her shirt back up. The blonde rolled her eyes and kissed Pan's cheek affectionately, "love you, Pan-chan."
"Love you too," she replied, "and thank you so much for not dragging my stubborn ass to the hospital. Thank you for getting her here safely."
"It was nothing," Marron flushed pink, "you know that. It was a near thing, the hospital mess." she shook her head, "you're lucky I trust your judgement, even when you're half out of your mind with pain."
"I know my body," Pan shrugged unapologetically, "I just hit a bit of a rough patch, I knew in my gut it wasn't going to last... sort of."
"Uh huh..." Marron rolled her eyes and climbed off of the bed, "that's it from me, guys. I just need the name for the birth certificate."
Pan brushed her lips over the baby's tiny brow, cuddling her close, "you can tell everyone to come in." she looked up at her husband imploringly.
"Are we going with the name we picked out?"
"Yep."
Not wanting to leave the room, lest he let his girls out of his sight, Trunks spiked his ki markedly, knowing everyone sensitive to it would get the gist of it. Within minutes, the Son, Vegeta-Briefs, Chestnut, and Majuubi clan were all assembled around the edges of the bedroom, looking earnestly at the newest member of their family. Marron shuffled over to Uub, who readily enveloped her in his arms.
Trunks crawled onto the bed and wrapped his arms around his new family, kissing both Pan and their baby on the cheek.
"Well?" Bra spoke up eagerly, "what's their name?"
'Do you want to tell them?' Trunks inquired telepathically, raising a brow at his wife. Pan smiled and nodded eagerly.
'Sure, why not?'
"Trunks and I are so thrilled and proud to introduce you to our baby girl, Princess Sosai Miguel Son-Vegeta Briefs," Pan looked pointedly at her mother, whose eyes immediately swam with tears, "she's named for her paternal and maternal great grandmothers."
"Oh, Panny," Videl breathed, tears spilling over, "that's absolutely beautiful." Bulma and Chichi nodded in agreement, awash with their own emotions. Vegeta looked suspiciously misty eyed as he offered a gruff congratulations as well as deeming the name a very strong and great choice.
"Chai-chan, Corrie-chan," Pan looked over at her little sisters, smiling widely, "how'd you like to hold your baby niece?"
To her surprise, Chyna was the first to make a move, edging up to the bed and sitting down at her sister's side. Pan softly instructed her on how to position her arms before carefully passing Sosai over for her to hold. The petite Son was silent as she cradled the newborn, Pan gently moving her arm to better support the baby's head.
"Well?" Pan whispered, smiling gently, "what do you think, Bitsy?"
"She's so pretty." Chyna murmured, so soft as if she were afraid Sosai would vanish if she spoke too loudly. The little saiyan Princess gurgled contently, blinking up at her Auntie with those beautiful baby blue eyes. It was too soon to say who's blue she would end up with at present, only time would tell.
Corra stepped forward, "I wanna hold her."
"In a minute, Corrie-chan," Pan replied gently, "let Chyna have her moment with her. Sit down next to me so I can show you how to hold her first."
*~*S*~*S*~*
Baby Sosai made the rounds, being held by everyone in the room without making so much as a peep. Pan was settled comfortably against Trunks' side, both parents watching everyone interact with the baby with tired eyes and sleepy smiles. Trunks had to force his saiyan-intensified protective fatherly instincts down as he watched their baby get passed about. Repeatedly reminding himself that they were amongst family and friends helped immensely.
Gohan caught his eye and smirked, knowing all too well what the younger demi saiyan was going through. Maybe now he'd understand why he'd been so protective of Pan while they were dating.
Videl padded over to the bed and sat on the edge, reaching out to cup her daughter's face lovingly, "she's absolutely gorgeous, I'm so proud of you two."
"I'm glad she's here… but I'm slightly gladder that the labor's over and done with," she laughed heartily with relief, "I'm not doing that again for at least three years."
"You don't have to tell me twice," Trunks kissed his wife's cheek, "thanks, Videl."
Bra plopped down on the bed on Pan's other side, pushing her brother's legs to make more space for herself, "Oh Pan-chan, she's so beautiful… but just wait till you see the… nursery," she trailed off, looking Pan over, "that's not the outfit I bought you to wear post-birth, Pan."
"You knew the moment you bought that infernal dress I was never going to wear it," she raised a critical brow, "don't even try to lie, you know me."
"… it was worth a shot," the bluenette shrugged unapologetically, "but you'll love the nursery. Give me a call when you crack the seal, okay? Or maybe in the morning once you've had some sleep. I know you're pooped, girlie."
"Yeah, that's one way to put it." Pan felt there were a pair of dumbbells hanging from both of her eyelids, dragging them down. Despite the exhaustion, she was still wired, and her arms itched to hold her little Sosai again.
At the moment, Vegeta was holding her, the look on his face uncharacteristically fond as he examined her little face. Beside him, ever so cheerful, Goku was gushing over the baby, talking about how cute she was and how strong she'd be… and not once did the Prince tell him to shut up, as was his usual MO.
Bra followed Pan's gaze and smiled widely, "Soso's got him by the short and curlies already."
"My baby's name is Sosai, not "Soso"." Trunks corrected sharply, disgruntled with the nickname.
"And mine is Ayame," Bra shot back, "I lasted two months before I caved and started calling her Aya-chan, let's see how long you last."
Pan giggled as the two siblings scowled at each other, "chill out, you two. Trunks-kun, it's okay, she was bound to get a nickname sooner or later."
"She's barely two hours old, Panny!"
Pan shushed him gently, placing a finger over his lips, "if you want to call her Sosai, you can go right ahead. No one's gonna stop you, baby. You can't bully everybody else into submission, though." He won't last three months, I just know it.
*~*S* Later in the Evening *S*~*
Before long, their guests had left for their own homes, and their parents had retired to their guest rooms for the evening, offering their assistance should the new parents need it. Despite their exhaustion, the couple was still awake, too enamored by their baby girl to sleep just yet.
Trunks swayed gently, rocking Sosai in his arms. Pan had just finished feeding and burping her, and now he was taking some time to get a cuddle in with his Princess. Her little brown tail was wrapped tightly around his wrist as she blinked slowly up at him.
"Getting sleepy, baby girl?" he asked softly, "we gotta go see what Auntie Bra did with your nursery, but I think your Momma wants you in here for tonight." He glanced over at Pan, who looked to be fast asleep.
"'m not sleepin'," she babbled, opening one sleepy midnight blue eye, "just resting my eyes."
"C'mon, Pan-chan," he stood from the bed, and offered her his free hand, "let's go see the nursery."
"I gave birth three hours ago," she retorted, nonetheless pushing the covers back, "my legs feel like limp noodles, you can't carry me and our baby, Trunks-kun."
"I won't let you fall, Pan-chan, you know that," he smiled wryly, "lets "crack the seal" on the nursery or whatever."
Pan rolled her eyes and took his hand, letting him pull her to a standing position. She tucked herself against his side and wrapped an arm around his tapered waist for support. Trunks did the same, and the new little family shuffled quietly down the dark hall to the room just two doors down.
"Alright," Pan grabbed the knob, seeing as she was the only one with a free hand, "let's see what we're dealing with." She turned it and pushed the door open, feeling along the wall for the light switch. The light flickered on and Pan gasped.
"Oh my Dende…"
The walls were painted a deep blue, almost black, and speckled with stars of all sizes and colors, planets, nebulas, and galaxies with the ceiling painted to match. The baby bed, changing table, and other furniture pieces were made of a dark brown, almost black wood and the dressings in the bed were a soft lavender. The carpet was soft and plush, colored a dark indigo.
Over the baby bed hung their custom made mobile, fitted with star, planet, and moon shaped cuts of the clear crystal they'd gotten from the ice planet, glossy black obsidian from a volcanic planetoid they'd come across, and this shimmery white phosphoric crystal they'd found on a water planet.
"Lavender's not neutral…" Pan whispered, limping over to the baby bed, "there's a note." She grabbed the plain white envelope and opened it, pulling out a white square of stationary, "Dear big brother and sister in-love, I'm so sorry. I know you guys wanted the sex to be kept a secret from everyone, including yourselves (reason why I'll ask you to wait till the baby comes to look in here) but I asked Marron and she spilled the beans and swore me to secrecy. Don't kill her, I had to work hard to get her to open up. The lavender would've been a dead giveaway otherwise. Again, I'm sorry and don't kill Marron (or me). Love, Bra. That sneaky devil."
"Well, we can't really be mad at her," Trunks murmured, "she did keep it to herself until the baby came, and she never let on that she knew."
"True," Pan conceded, "and it is lovely." She wandered over to the bureau, finding it full of onesies, bibs, socks, and other baby clothing, all laundered and ready to be worn. She swayed on her feet, feeling lightheaded as her exhaustion made itself known.
"Alright, come on," Trunks strode over to her and wrapped an arm around her waist, "we'll put her in the bassinet in our room for tonight. Let's get you back in the bed, baby momma."
"Sounds like a plan, baby daddy."
The saiyan Prince snickered as they turned the light out and slowly made their way back to their bedroom. Pan popped up on her tiptoes to see Sosai's little face, relaxed in slumber, "I think she's gonna have your eyes."
"Really?"
"Mm."
"I was hoping she'd have yours," Trunks admitted, examining their newborn, "she looks like she'll have your little snub nose and maybe your ears. It's really too soon to tell. She just looks like herself."
The couple entered their bedroom, and Trunks gently helped his wife get situated in the bed before passing the baby over so he could get the bassinet set up. Pan cradled their sleeping newborn, humming softly as she watched Trunks unfold the cradle and set it on her side of the bed.
They breathed a soft, awed sigh once Pan settled the little Princess in the bassinet.
"I can't believe we made her."
"Me neither."
Trunks and Pan exchanged a warm look and shared a quiet laugh. The Prince bit his lip before taking his wife's hand, "I already said it earlier, but… Panny, you were amazing. I know you were in pain and it was taking so much out of you, but what you did… bringing Sosai into this world, it was beyond words. I love you and Sosai so much."
"Trunks-kun," Pan murmured, voice watery with burgeoning tears, "dammit, you're gonna make me cry. Thank you, though," she pressed a hand against his chest, "for being my rock. You were amazing today, baby. I don't think I could've done it without you here. I love you too."
"Sorry my stupid secretary kept me away."
"I told you; you didn't miss much. Also, you did say she wouldn't be a problem anymore…"
"Yeah, I fired her before I came home yesterday."
Pan snorted with laughter, "I know it's not funny because she's out of a job, but… she kinda deserved it. In what world do you find out your boss's wife is having their baby and think "hm, let me wait until he's out of this meeting before I tell him"?"
"This one, apparently," Trunks yawned widely, "come on, Pan-chan. Sosai's sleeping so let's get some rest. We'll need it."
Pan leaned over to brush her lips over the baby's soft brow, "good night, sweet girl. Welcome to the family. Momma and Papa love you so much." Her heart practically sang in her chest just looking at the slumbering baby.
"Good night, Princess," Trunks kissed the baby's cheek, "sleep tight, we love you so much." He rounded the bed to climb in and paused, "how's your pain, love?"
"Too sleepy to feel it," Pan replied, beckoning him, "get in the bed, hon." She turned her back to him so he could spoon in behind her. The saiyan Prince smiled warmly and turned out the lights before climbing under the covers. His wife nestled back against him immediately, practically purring at his warmth.
"Night, Panny."
"Mmph…"
Trunks chuckled softly as Pan's breathing evened out in slumber. He took a moment to peer over her shoulder at their precious baby girl, snoozing away at their bedside, and sighed contently before nuzzling against the nape of his wife's neck and letting her sweet scent carry him off to sleep.
When I tell you this time stamp was a bitch and a half, I mean it. I finished most of the body and the ending long before I got the beginning and the rest of the body done. It just wouldn't come together like I wanted. I'm not a hundred percent happy with it, but I'm glad I managed to complete it.
Sosai is the name we picked out for Vegeta's mom (see ending of The Greatest Gift of All pt. 2), and Miguel is the name given to Videl's mother in official canon, at least according to DBZ Wiki. As for the last name, Trunks and Pan hyphenated when they got married.
(First Finish Date: June 28, 2020 (for this chapter))
(Second Finish Date: July 8, 2020 (for the first half))
*~*CloudSpires1295*~*