Hi everyone! So, before we get started with the story, I wanted to make a quick announcement about something that's unrelated to fanfiction but has been on my mind. It is a matter that means a lot to me.

As you may have seen in the news, there has been at least 109 people killed and 200 people missing in the wake of the volcano eruption in Guatemala. Even as I type this, new evacuations have been prompted as lava continues to flow. It's been said that the area may remain uninhabitable for years. If you have been following the news as it has been happening, you may be wondering how you can help amid everything. I wanted to share an exert from a message that I received from a reader who happens to live in Guatemala.

"There's a lot of rescuers working hard to help the people that lost not only their houses but family. It is very difficult to know but as far as the conred in Guatemala says the area won't be livable for years. The lava mixed with mud is still hot so it's difficult for them to do stuff. Until now there's been 2 eruptions so it's not the best situation to work with.

The government is not helping at all with other countries that are trying to give food and medicine. I would say cruz roja Guatemala is the best place to donate, they are constantly sending out donations to the affected. On Facebook you can look for Cruz Roja Guatemalteca and they have a recent post with information on how to donate internationally and there's also a go fund me page: /guatevolcano2018

All the funds will go to the Red Cross here in Guatemala."

The red cross not only assists in rescue efforts, but in medical necessities as well. There is no doubt that any contributions would be both incredibly useful and greatly appreciated. Please feel free to share the information with anyone you may know and help spread the word on how we can help Guatemala!

And now, on to the story…

Bulma had grown quite used to Chi-Chi's screams since she'd started taking care of her, but this time things were different. Her yells waved through the hallways with such remorse that it made the Bluehead's spine curl with a dreaded sense of forbidding. And if this hadn't been enough to put her on edge, the look on Vegeta's face had certainly done it. Chi-Chi was on the floor when the couple barged in the room. Screaming hysterically as tears flushed her angry cheeks, the expectant mother didn't protest at all as Bulma and Vegeta hoisted her back to her feet. In reality, Vegeta could have done the task entirely by himself, but the Bluehead was too upset to just stand by without helping. "It hurts!" Chi-Chi was crying, sitting back on the bed as she held her stomach.

"Of course it hurts, you dumb Woman! You fell out of bed!" Vegeta growled. Kakarot's wife had required such high maintenance during her short stay, and he couldn't even leave her alone for a mere few minutes without something happening! He was feeling resentful – the last thing he wanted to do was physically handle Kakarot's wife, and now he'd been forced to. His hands! His poor hands! They felt so violated! Bulma gave him a sharp jab with her elbow before kneeling down beside the crying widow. "What happened?" She breathed, the sinking ache of worry building in her throat. It wasn't safe for a pregnant woman to fall – and especially not on her stomach.

"I just wanted to get up!" Chi-Chi groaned, her cries sounding more pained now than angry. "I was hungry! And I needed to move!"

"You know you're supposed to stay in bed…" Bulma sighed, her blue eyebrows raising with concern as she studied Chi-Chi's agonized face. "This is why we didn't want you to be so mobile, don't you understand? We wanted to avoid things like this happening…"

"I know – I know! I don't need to hear anymore! This is punishment enough, okay?!" Chi-Chi was holding still holding her stomach, and she was now rocking back and forth as burning jolts ran up and down her spine. Her cheeks had paled, her face dropping to look down at her throbbing belly. Bulma followed her lead to see what she was looking at, and her eyes widened when she saw the color that was building around Chi-Chi's trembling thighs. There were no words as she gasped.

Chi-Chi was bleeding.

Vegeta had noted the smell of iron in the room, which seemed to be growing stronger as the seconds passed. It was enough to take his mind off his degraded ego. He could sense it. The spike of Bulma's ki as her heart began to beat faster. The quivering energy of Kakarot's wife as she sobbed. The unrecognizable ki that he'd sensed back in the kitchen, which had been strikingly high but was now dimming with every moment that went by.

"Stay here!" Bulma suddenly snapped, jumping up to race for the phone. She didn't speak another word before she was gone, leaving the two alone. Vegeta watched Chi-Chi from where he stood, now able to see the growing pool of blood she was sitting in, which Bulma's body had previously blocked from his view.

'Well, fuck.' He thought with a gulp.

.

"You have to get here!" Bulma yelled at the phone. "Bring all of your equipment. It's urgent!"

"Well, it's only been a day!" Dr. Plocks replied. "You lot are quite the handful, aren't you?"

"I'm serious! She fell – it's bad. She's in a lot of pain, there's a lot of blood – oh – this isn't going to end well. You need to get here right now!" Bulma screamed. Dr. Plocks didn't even say anything back. He simply grunted in agreement and hung up the phone.

During the time the Bluehead had spent with Chi-Chi, it seemed that all she did was either cry or scream. Regardless of which course of action she chose to communicate with, she was always hysterical. It had taken all the energy Bulma could muster to patiently tolerate this, digging into the depths of her core to remember how hard the expectant mother's situation truly was. It was ironic, then, that the Bluehead was now filled with dread when she hung up her phone and realized that Chi-Chi's cries had abruptly stopped. She should have been happy for this rare moment of silence, but the eerie calm that was now wafting through the air was anything but pleasant.

Why wasn't Chi-Chi crying anymore?

Frantic, Bulma darted back for the bedroom, wondering in horror what had happened in the few moments she'd been on the phone. Could it be that Chi-Chi had passed out? Had she bled out? Why wasn't Vegeta helping in any of this?! Shouldn't he have been calling for her – or doing something - if Chi-Chi was so hurt? Her heart in her throat now, Bulma stopped at the door and looked into the room, her mouth dropping open at what she saw.

Chi-Chi, still holding her stomach, had her eyes closed. She didn't appear to be awake, but it seemed that she had merely fallen asleep rather than fallen unconscious. Her face soft, no more wrinkles of pain, she almost seemed peaceful as she dozed. It wasn't just Chi-Chi that had caught Bulma's eyes – it was also Vegeta. The saiyan stood beside the ailed mother, his palm digging into her slumbering shoulder. A soft humming sound could be heard as he stood, his body so still that it was almost as if the Bluehead was staring at a couple of mannequins instead. Much like the moment Bulma and Vegeta had shared after their encounter under the waterfall, Vegeta's eyes were closed in what looked like lazy concentration. The two were surrounded by a glowing orb of golden light, and Bulma knew from experience how warm it felt to be on the inside of it. Whatever his goal in this act was, the Bluehead had no doubt that the sensation was comforting enough to ease Chi-Chi to sleep. Her heart warmed as she caught her breath, realizing that Vegeta had been helping after all…

..

The door to the gravity room could be heard as Gohan stepped into the main hall. Little Trunks was teetering behind him, feeling uneasy by how tense his friend had suddenly become. The adolescent had felt the same ki that Vegeta had – he'd heard his mother's cries. What on Earth was going on?

"Miss Bulma." Gohan gulped, seeing the Bluehead as she stood in the entryway of his mother's room. The Bluehead turned around, and the adolescent could see from the look on her face that something was wrong. She tried to smile at him, but it did nothing to clear her skin from lines of worry under her eyes. "Gohan." She breathed.

"Is everything alright?" He replied, and the forced smile on her face suddenly dropped. "Your mother had… an accident. She… well, the doctor is on his way… she'll be okay."

"What?" Gohan brushed past Bulma so he could walk into the room, gulping at he saw Vegeta standing with his mom. The saiyan prince still had his eyes closed in concentration, but when he felt the boy enter he looked up. "Come here." The adolescent obliged, stepping carefully towards the golden sphere that was engulfing his mother and Vegeta. "Put your hand on her stomach. She needs your energy."

"I… What?" Gohan asked, looking up at Vegeta with the same timid expression that always seemed to irritate him.

"It is similar to powering up, but you are focusing your power through your hand rather than your entire body. Just concentrate, boy, and do it. Now."

With a gulp the adolescent did as he was told, placing his shocked right hand over his mother's belly. He looked back up to Vegeta for more guidance, but he had already closed his eyes once more. 'Just concentrate…' Gohan thought, and he closed his own eyes, feeling the cloth of his mother's shirt through his hand. He began to raise his ki, subtly to keep control. As he felt the pounding of his heart with the boost of adrenaline, he began to focus solely on his hand. 'Go to her.' He thought, imagining each vein that made up his body, trying to will all of his blood to the fingers on his right hand. He could feel as his chest seemed to fall cold, a warmth radiating in his palm instead…

…How… fascinating…

He was doing it! He was actually supplying energy! Gohan heard a clatter going on around him, but none of it was enough to concern him. He was far too amazed by his own actions. It wasn't until he felt a palm on his own shoulder that he looked up to see Bulma trying to pull him away. "Gohan, honey... The doctor's here. Let's give him some room to work." Still in disbelief, the boy let go of his mother and walked back out into the living room with the Bluehead following behind.

Vegeta was already sitting on a couch, his eyes shut as Trunks hugged his leg. He could hear as Kakarot's son approached, and he opened his eyes just as Gohan began to take a seat on the couch across from him. "You did good."

Gohan was so unused to Vegeta offering praise that the sentence didn't seem to register. "What was that?" He asked dumbly, listening as the doctor in the other room was giving orders to his assistants.

"The infant is dying." Vegeta growled. "And it was taking your mother down with it. Her body was overexerting its energy supply in order to keep the child alive. I was able to sustain them both on my own, but you focusing your ki directly to the infant was enough of a boost that it might survive without us in there – if those physicians don't screw it all up."

Letting out a sharp sigh of worry, Gohan slid from the couch and onto the floor, dropping his head into his hands. Suddenly feeling as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders, the adolescent groaned. How on Earth had he ended up in a situation like this? Where was his father – why couldn't his Dad be there to help at a time like this? What was he to do?! He'd already lost his father. He didn't need to lose his mother – and unborn brother – too…

Trunks had never seen his best friend look as upset as he did in that moment. He didn't know what to do other than scoot over to Gohan and place a pudgy hand on his arm. "Go-ahn." The tot offered, as if this would be all the reassurance he would need. It seemed that the loud lady was upsetting poor Gohan. That lady sure was irritating, but Trunks still didn't want anything bad to happen to her. Not only would that be scary, but it would cause Gohan pain. Daddy had said it was the infant. That infant seemed to be the cause of all of this, and little Trunks lamented it! It was causing so much trouble, and it wasn't fair! He'd teach that infant a lesson if he had to!

…What was an infant, anyway?

..

If Dr. Plocks hadn't already been desensitized to strange happenings when it came to the Briefs family, he would have been beside himself to see his patient coffined in a golden bubble as two strange boys hovered around her. But, then again, this was the Briefs family, after all! Bulma had given birth to a boy with a tail! So he simply shrugged away his shock after they had left the room, and began to set up his equipment. He'd seen the pool of blood that Chi-Chi was sleeping in, and he understood fully well that the situation was just as urgent as Bulma had insisted.

"We need to induce birth." He announced to his assistant after checking the patient's vitals and running a sonogram.

"But, doctor. She's still a couple months early!" The assistant replied. "Is this really the necessary course of action? There's nothing else we can do?"

"The child has far exceeded the natural staging of development. The baby has a chance to survive outside the womb. We need to deliver, and we're going to need to do it surgically. If she attempts a natural birth, they both will likely die."

The assistant nodded, running into the living room to announce the situation. Bulma, who hadn't been in earshot when Vegeta told Gohan the news about Chi-Chi's condition, was now sitting beside the saiyan on the couch. He had purposely abstained from informing her, knowing perfectly well that it was beyond her control. He'd decided the best course of action was to spare her from the stress of it – at least, for as long as possible. The Bluehead was in such shock to hear the news from the assistant that she nearly fainted. She let out a groan, her eyes rolling as she fell against the saiyan, who nudged her back to reality. "Now isn't the time to grow weak, Woman!" He growled in her ear. "Don't lose your grip."

"The name's Bulma!" She hissed back, snapping out of her dizziness. "I thought we agreed you'd start calling me that!"

"Stay conscious, and I shall."

"Excuse me." The assistant interrupted. "We need to start the surgery now. We can only allow one other person to be in the room during the procedure. Please decide quickly and come with me."

"I need to go!" Gohan shouted, jumping to his feet. "I need to be with my mom!"

The assistant seemed taken aback by his age, and she looked to the couple for approval. Bulma was nodding while Vegeta crossed his arms. "The boy should go. It's his duty, and he will take care of her should anything go wrong. Remember what I told you, boy. Should they need your ki, you will be there to provide." It was an incredibly odd thing to say, but there was no time to ask this disturbingly muscular man what the hell he was talking about, so the assistant turned and ushered Gohan out of the room as she went.

"Go! Go! Go-ahn!" Trunks called, by means of encouragement, but the adolescent didn't respond as he ran.

The two now alone with Trunks at their feet, Bulma sank into Vegeta's form as she let out a deep breath. "This is all so terrible." She breathed. "It's happening so fast! I just-"

"Gohan is in there. She'll be fine."

The Bluehead looked up. "You really think so?"

"Am I known to be a liar?"

.

It only took a couple of minutes before the baby came out. Gohan, having never witnessed a surgery before – let alone the delivery of a child – had expected it to take much longer. He stood by his mother's head, trying not to look at gaping hole in her stomach as she continued to sleep without any knowledge of what was going on. He had his hand on his mother's arm, prepared to offer her ki if she needed it - just as Vegeta had shown him to do. He stood patiently, focusing on her expressionless face as he waited for the sound of a baby's cries to indicate that the procedure was over. Such a noise never came, though, and the only thing that alerted him of the delivery was gasping that squeaked out of one of the assistants.

"Good lord!" Dr. Plocks breathed. Gohan looked up to see the doctor holding the baby, trying desperately to rip something away from its throat. His eyes widened, realizing exactly what it was. "I thought it was the umbilical cord in the sonogram!" The doctor spat, frantically trying to loosen it enough to allow oxygen to pass through the baby's airway.

It was his tail.

The infant, his face taking on a blue hue with his eyes clamped shut, had somehow managed to coil his tail tightly around its throat during Chi-Chi's fall. He was in physical distress, which only proved to make the tail clench even tighter as the doctor fought to pry it open. "I… if I try to cut it, he'll bleed out!" He growled, trying desperately to force his fingers between the tail and the baby's neck. Gohan ran from his mother, approaching the struggling doctor with determination.

"Stand back!" Dr. Plocks snapped. "This isn't time to intervene, kid!" Gohan ignored him, grabbing the baby and yanking him away with such force that the doctor let go with fear of his arms snapping. The adolescent made it look too easy when he grabbed the tail at its base and ripped. With a loud pop the fuzzy extremity snapped from the infant's rear, the tail consequently loosening from around his throat before falling to the ground with a thud. It took no time at all for the baby to gulp in a lump of air, opening his mouth and letting out an ear rattling scream of relief.

Dr. Plocks, who now sat on the floor, was staring at the tail that had landed beside him. His mouth dropped open, he looked up to see that there wasn't even a drop of blood bubbling from the baby's rear as he screamed. This child – this child that had been born months early and yet appeared to be full term… This child that had just had a tail ripped off! He was now screaming as if to announce his presence in the world after defying all odds.

'Everything I know about anatomy… is turning out the be a lie.' Dr. Plocks thought, his chest trembling. It wasn't until he'd worked with Bulma that he'd ever delivered a baby with a tail – and now he'd seen this! It was too much to comprehend! It wasn't possible!

Who were these people?!

"Don't just sit there!" Gohan snapped. "Sew my mom back together! Finish your job!"

Vegeta, who was listening carefully to the commotion from the other room, smiled when he heard this. The boy certainly had been capable, after all…

.

Thirty minutes later, after Chi-Chi had been stitched up and the baby had been cleaned, she began to stir from her sleep. She felt warmth surrounding her as she opened her eyes, turning to see her sweet Gohan as he offered her his ki. This trick Vegeta had shown him was great! It was certainly proving to be useful!

Dr. Plocks sat in the corner hugging his knees as he watched, shaking his head at the golden orb that was surrounding his patient once again. The first time he'd witnessed it he'd managed to shrug it off. But now, especially after the shock from delivery, he felt he would have a mental breakdown as he looked. How was that pre-teen doing all of this?! He just couldn't understand! It made no sense!

"Look, Mom." Gohan said, pulling his hand away from her shoulder and ceasing with his newly-learned trick. The warmth slowly faded from around them, and Chi-Chi looked over to see that he was holding something in his opposite arm. She smiled. It felt as if her body was rejuvenated – it had required so much for her to carry that child. No longer did it seem as if she were gasping through a dark cloud, all of her strength draining as she helplessly sank. Every bite of food she'd eaten – every suction of oxygen. It had all gone to her baby. Her body had been wasting away just so the boy would grow. And now she was free. No longer was she overwhelmed with the sense of impending doom, as if her body was warning her to prepare for death. No longer did she feel so alone and defenseless. A weight had been lifted from her veins, her bones revitalized and strong. She'd been passed out during the operation, but she knew even before she'd opened her eyes that her baby had been born. She was suddenly able to breathe for herself once again.

The baby, swaddled into a large fuzzy blanket, was sleeping happily as he nuzzled against his big brother's side. "Look who's here." Gohan said, holding him up and placing the infant on his mother's chest.

"He looks just like your father." Chi-Chi breathed. "Just look at that hair!"

"Yeah, you always did say that Dad was a handful." Gohan replied. "Just wait until you hear what happened while you were asleep."

Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing. I enjoyed the reactions from the last chapter, as well as the people who suggested that Vegeta is a Scorpio. It was fun to read up on the signs and see that the characteristics really did fit them well. There are a lot of people in my life who believe in astrology. I do not know much about the zodiac, but now I can at least join in enough to say "I write a fanfiction about the growing pains of a Scorpio and a Leo!" Imagine the looks on their faces! Ha! ^^

There was also a suggestion that Vegeta would rank as an INTJ on the Myer Briggs personality profile. Just like with the zodiac signs, I had to read into that one! I'm amazed – I think it suits him pretty well!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks again! Have a great weekend!