'Please!' Goku begged Eighteen. 'I won't tell Vegan!'

He's been bugging her about the gender of the baby for weeks now.

Goku couldn't hold water, much less a secret.

'It's a surprise.'

'Please?!'

'What part of surprise don't you understand?!'

'Please?!'

'You'll find out at the gender reveal.'

'Why can't we have both parties together?'

'Because I don't want anyone to ruin Vegan's gender reveal.' Eighteen said quietly. 'I just know Bloomer is going to do something to mess it up!'

'Oh.' He said. 'He has been a bit of a jerk lately.'

'Exactly! I don't want him ruining the baby's party.'

'I don't either... but I don't want him ruining her party either.'

'Yeah, I know what you mean...' she sighed.

Eighteen rubbed her temples as Goku looked to the sky.

'Vegan wants you to take care of the baby if something happens to her.'

'She's mentioned a few hundred times.' Eighteen muttered.

'What she does die?' He choked. 'I'd be lost...'

'Krillin and I will be there for you. And I bet Chi Chi will-'

'She said she wouldn't help me raise another woman's child.'

'Oh. Well,... I'll help you, and besides, we both know Vegan's too stubborn to die.'

'I don't think I can do this without her.'

'When was the last time you saw the boys?'

'I saw Gohan last night...' he said quietly. 'He's sneaked by when his mother and brother are asleep.'

'How is he?'

'Gohan never tells me when he's having problems...' Goku said quietly as he looked away. 'He just holds it all in.'

Eighteen sighed and looked at the cake she baked, double chocolate chip with fudge icing strawberry glaze drizzle. Goku watched Vegan and Trunks as they chatted out outside.

'Things will get better.' Eighteen muttered.

'I know, but they usually get worse first...'

Trunks watched his mother as she rubbed her stomach with a pained expression.

'Does it hurt?' He asked quietly.

If having this baby is causing her pain, why have it?

'A little.' She glanced over at the boy and smiled. 'Do you want to feel?'

Trunks' eyes widened as he stared at his mother's face.

'Feel? Feel what?'

'The baby move.'

'It... moves?'

'Yes.'

'Did... did I move?'

'All the time.' She said as she took his hand. 'You kicked like crazy whenever my heart was pounding.'

'What made your heart beat faster?'

'Whenever your father would talk to you.' She said quietly, looking away.

'Do you miss dad?'

'It's pointless to miss someone who doesn't care.' She said dismissively as she turned back to him. 'No, I don't, not anymore.'

'Do you miss grandma and grandpa?'

'Yes, I missed them.'

'Did you miss me?'

'Is that a real question?'

'I missed you.' He cried almost frantically.

'Of course, I missed you.' She said, annoyed. 'Why do you constantly doubt my affection for you?'

'You left me.' He challenged, snatching his hand away.

'After you proclaimed that you hated me.' She countered, her eyes burrowing into him.

Trunks felt his lips quiver.

Is that why she left? He wondered. Does she believe that he hated her?

'If I didn't care about you, you wouldn't be here today.' She rubbed her stomach.

'What's wrong?'

'The pain is worse when I'm upset.'

Trunks looked away from her; he was making her upset.

'Do you want to feel or not?'

Trunks nodded slowly and reached out his hand, placing it on his mother's stomach. It felt like she had butterflies in her stomach; he looked up at her.

'What are you having?'

'We don't know what yet.'

'What do you guys want?'

'I just want to have a healthy baby.'

'Are you in love with Goku?

'What?'

'Are you in love with Goku?' Trunks repeated. 'Is that why you want to have his baby?'

'No.'

'Then why can't you live with us at Capsule Corp?'

'I'm a third wheel there.'

'Not to me.'

Vegan smiled and ruffled his hair. 'It's better for the baby if I stay with Kakarotto.'

'What about me?' Trunks whined. 'Aren't I your baby?'

'Trunks, you're behaving like a baby.'

He glanced up at her; she was rubbing her temples.

'I could ask grandpa to look at you.' He said.

'Kakarotto and I can't afford grandpa.'

'Grandpa won't care.' He said quickly.

'It's just a little headache.'

'Grandpa worries about you.'

'Has he been taking his blood pressure medication?'

'I don't know.'

'Have your father and grandma remind him.'

'Ok.' He said quietly. 'I wouldn't be mad at you.'

'You wouldn't be mad at me for what?'

'If you did love Goku...'

Vegan sighed and rubbed her stomach. 'Trunks, it-'

'You love him more than me?'

'What a stupid question! You and the baby are the good things going in my life.' She looked at him. 'Stop doubting my affection for you! Is someone telling you this?!'

'Kids in my class read the paper...'

'Your grandma mentioned a fight you had with a classmate.' She sighed. 'Trunks, fuck the other children, didn't you tell me that they're always jealous? Your father and I love you. You're the only thing we did right.'

Trunks wished that they could try to be together again.

'Besides, your father is much happier with Yamcha. I mean, why else would he want to marry her-'

'What? What are you talking about?' He asked.

She looked confused for a split second, then shook her head.

'You didn't know...'

'But... what about you? What about our family?'

Vegan sighed and took his beautiful face in their hands.

'We're family; we'll always be family, it's just a little bigger.'

'I don't want to share you.'

'Because you're a spoiled brat.' Vegan said with a laugh.

'It's yours and dad's fault.' He said with a sob. 'Did dad tell you?'

'Eighteen did, but I can't say I'm surprised.'

'Why can't you?'

'Because... of the ring you found last year.'

'If I'd known it was for her, I would have-'

'You would have not!' Vegan snarled. 'Your father has given you nothing but the best; the least you can do is try to be there for him.'

'I thought he was going to propose to you at the tournament.'

If he'd known who that ring was for, he would tell Goten to flush it.

'I don't feel so good.' He said quietly. 'I want to go home.'

'Don't be mad at him.'

'It's not just him.' He sobbed. 'I hate you guys for breaking up.'

'I'm sorry, sweetie.'

'I just want everything to be the way it used to be.' He looked up at her. 'Why can't we just go back to the way it was?'

'Sometimes,' she said tentatively, 'life doesn't go the way we want-'

'If you weren't having Goku's baby then-'

'Then what?!' She flared. 'The demise of my relationship with your father doesn't solely fall on my shoulders. He began his relationship with Yamcha before ours ended!'

'But, it... he would've forgiven-'

'And by then, I wouldn't have cared anymore. I have better things to do than pine after any man, especially your father.'

'Because of Goku?'

'Because I don't want to be with him!' She said finally. 'I learned more about him during those few months after the tournament than I ever did during the seven years we lived together.'

'If you haven't sold your soul to Bobbidi-'

'I did! I did it, and I can't change it! You either forgive or forget me!'

'Because you just want it to be you, the baby and-'

'Goodbye, Trunks.'

She struggled to get to her feet and wadded inside.
****

Trunks stormed upstairs when he arrived home; Vegan probably said something to him.
He tried asking his mother what had happened but said she didn't know.

Maybe he should-

'Boom!' Yamcha cried. 'We need to meet with the florist.'

'What? Why?'

'So we can pick the flowers for our wedding.'

Why did she need flowers?

'Fine, whatever.'

'What's wrong?'

'Tired.'

'Maybe I can you give a massage?'

'No, I'm fine.'

'What's wrong?'

Why can't she just leave him alone?!

'Nothing. I just want to talk to Trunks.'

'Great! We should tell him about us.'

Bloomer paused and turned to her. 'Us?'

'We need to talk to him about us getting married.'

'I... uh... well, I need to talk to Vegan first.'

'Why?' Yamcha flared.

'She is his mother; he might need her.'

'She'll probably try to convince him to protest the engagement.'

'Trunks isn't a mindless idiot; he has his thoughts and opinions about us! And Vegan's not that petty.'

'I don't want her at my wedding.'

'And what happens if she decides that she doesn't want my son at your wedding?!'

'As you said, Trunks has his thoughts and feelings.'

'She's his mother; she needs to start acting like it.'

He stormed to the lab, Yamcha's heels clicking behind him; why did she insist on following him?!'

He dialed Vegan's cell, ringing.

After the 5th ring, Yamcha said quickly, 'Try calling Goku. Chi-Chi said that she's living there now.'

Both his mother and Trunks told him that she was living with Goku, but he still didn't like hearing it.
He begrudgingly dialed Goku's home phone; it rang a few minutes before a sleepy voice yawned, 'Hello?'

'Goku, where's Vegan?'

'She went shopping for the party with Eighteen and Marron.'

Vegan's birthday is tomorrow... he thought bitterly.

'Whatcha want, Bloomer?'

'She's the mother of my child; I don't need to explain myself to you!'

'Well, Bloomer, she's also the mother of my child, so I need an answer!'

Bloomer started to say something, but Yamcha took the phone.

'Goku. Yeah, I haven't seen you in a while either... yeah, Chi-Chi is fine. She misses you, so do the boys. Yeah, I know, but she is right- yeah, I know you were a good husband... okay, OK. No, I agree with you; they're your kids too-'

Bloomer snatched the phone back. 'What happened to Trunks?' He demanded.

'What do you mean?'

'He came home upset-'

'I don't know; he barely speaks to me when he's over. Did you try asking him?'

What a stupid response, but Goku wasn't a bright light.

'He probably doesn't like you two living together.'

'Or maybe it's your wedding he has issues with.'

'You told him?!'

'Vegan did.'

Vegan knew?! Who told her?! He wondered.

'What?!' Bloomer growled.

'What's wrong?' Asked Yamcha.

'You could've at least told your-'

Bloomer hung up and stomped upstairs, with Yamcha running after him, asking him what was wrong. When he reached Trunks' door, he took a deep breath and politely knocked.

'Trunks?' He said, trying to sound neutral. 'Can we talk?'

'I'm tired.' His voice called.

'I need to talk to you. Can I come in?'

'Sure, you'll do what you want anyway...'

'Trunks?' He said as he opened the door. 'Uh...'

'Were you ever going to tell me?'

'I was; I just want to talk to your mother first.'

'She's known for a year.'

'Known for a year?'

Trunks glared at Yamcha's ring. 'Goten and I found her ring when we were training for the tournament. I showed it to her, thinking it was for her.'

'You found it?!' Bloomer choked. 'Wha- what did your mom say?'

'About what?'

'The ring, what did she say?'

'Nothing. She looked sick and told me to put it back. I thought maybe she was just nervous about getting married. And I thought you were going to propose at the tournament...' Bloomer glanced over at the ring, wondering why didn't either of them say anything. 'Maybe she's right not to pine.'

He glanced at his sulking son. 'Why didn't you tell me you found it?'

'I didn't want to ruin the surprise. Boy, was I surprised?'

Bloomer looked at the ring, then turned to him. 'How- who told your mom?'

'Does it matter?' Trunks flopped down or n the bed, not facing them.