Whose Baby? Part Two
Saiyan Princess
The days that followed her baby's abduction were agony for Bulma. She sat at Capsule Corporation's control panel for hours, trying to contact or trace Vegeta's space pod. All her friends participated in the attempt to support the Briefs. Yamcha completed some of Bulma's work for her so she could rest. Gohan ran their errands. Chi-Chi cooked for them, but felt uncomfortable with Bulma's envious eyes on her pregnant belly. Everyone sent flowers and words of sympathy and hope.
Vegeta, while better off than Bulma, was still in poor shape. His arm was suffering greatly, and he wasn't getting any sleep at all. Trunks cried incessantly, and was so upset that Vegeta had to try to force feed him. The prince had never taken care of a baby before, and was clueless.
"Eat, dammit!" he howled, thrusting a spoon of baby food at his son's mouth.
Trunks knocked the jar, spilling mushed carrots all over himself, and cried harder. Vegeta tried to pick him up, and was promptly kicked in his left arm. He yelled as loud as Trunks, collapsed to the floor, and curled up protectively around his arm.
The first days were nearly identical. Vegeta's arm wasn't healing properly, and his son's characteristic plumpness was disappearing. One day, Vegeta looked down at his slimmer, dirty son who was wearing freshly spilled strained liver. Sighing, he warmed a large bowl of water.
"Let's try to give you a bath," Vegeta suggested wearily.
He removed the liver-coated clothes and sat the bawling Trunks in the bowl. Being as gentle as possible, Vegeta dunked the baby underwater to get his pale lavender hair clean. He expected Trunks to cry more, but instead, he giggled. Vegeta had never heard anything more euphonious. Smiling with relief, he scrubbed the baby clean and let him splash happily. When that was completed, he wrapped Trunks in a soft towel and began the feeding process again. To his pleasure, Trunks was eager to eat and consumed all the strained carrots, liver, and applesauce he could. Vegeta's success continued when he recalled how Bulma had burped their son. Finally, he dressed the baby in his pajamas. Vegeta carried Trunks to his bed and enveloped them both in the blankets. Trunks snuggled close to his father and the two had a long nap.
After that, life fell into place for the two princes. Trunks no longer cried all day and returned to his original adorable state. Vegeta watched with relief as the baby once again became chubby. Although he was pleased with his son's health, Vegeta was worried for his own well-being. The arm he'd fallen on when Bulma had made the gravity machine more powerful without telling him needed proper medical care. The limb was slightly crooked and the bones that were healing weren't doing so correctly.
"Raising a baby single and singlehandedly," he murmured one day. "Bulma would be shocked to see how well we're doing."
He glanced down at Trunks, who he had placed on a blanket. Vegeta had given the baby a glove and an empty toothpaste tube to play with. Trunks was enthralled. He shoved the tube into the glove's opening, and felt his father's eyes on him. Carefully, the little half-saiyan got to his feet, and abruptly fell. Vegeta knelt beside his wailing son.
"You want to walk today, hmm?"
He extended his finger and Trunks latched on to it, and began to get up again. When he had steadied himself, Vegeta gently pulled his good hand forward. Grasping his father's hand for balance, Trunks stumbled a few steps. Vegeta took his hand away, and the baby continued his success for several more feet. Vegeta caught him and placed him upright again.
Within a few "earth"days, Trunks walked with his father all around the ship daily, clasping the white-gloved hand.
Back on Earth, Goten was born.
"Chi-Chi, of course I'll come to help you with the baby," Bulma insisted.
On the other end of the line, Chi-Chi chewed her lip nervously.
"Bulma, please don't bother yourself. I have Gohan to help me."
"Please," Bulma begged, "it's been so long since I've held a baby, cared for a baby, Chi-Chi."
"Well...alright. If you're sure you're up to it."
"I am, Chi-Chi."
Gathering up all her courage, Bulma lifted the tiny bundle in her arms.
"What a cutie you are! Are you a cute little thing?" Bulma asked Goten tenderly.
The baby cooed pleasantly in reply. Sitting on the couch, she rocked Chi-Chi's youngest son in her arms. The baby fell asleep quickly.
"Why don't you go take a nap, Chi-Chi?" Bulma suggested, "he's asleep now."
As she stared into the child's angelic visage, tears pricked Bulma's eyes.
Was her baby as contented? How was he being treated? Was he walking? These questions haunted Bulma daily, hourly. Always.
Trunks, exhausted from a long day of exploring the space pod, curled up next to Vegeta on the bed. The older prince smiled faintly at his child. They were approaching the planet Ayuda, where he could get medical attention for his arm. Re-setting the bones will no doubt be a long and painful process, but it will be worth it, Vegeta thought, trying to make the limb comfortable on a pile of pillows. More food could be bought on Ayuda, and the fuel and water tanks could be refilled. Another necessity he wanted to purchase sometime was a nurse for Trunks. Once his arm was healed, he would require a caretaker to tend to Trunks while he trained in the gravity machine part of the ship. Vegeta brushed the sleeping boy's fair hair out of his face. The nurse would have to be someone he could trust with Trunks. If anyone hurts my boy... Vegeta shook his head, trying to rid the thought.
Saiyan Princess
The days that followed her baby's abduction were agony for Bulma. She sat at Capsule Corporation's control panel for hours, trying to contact or trace Vegeta's space pod. All her friends participated in the attempt to support the Briefs. Yamcha completed some of Bulma's work for her so she could rest. Gohan ran their errands. Chi-Chi cooked for them, but felt uncomfortable with Bulma's envious eyes on her pregnant belly. Everyone sent flowers and words of sympathy and hope.
Vegeta, while better off than Bulma, was still in poor shape. His arm was suffering greatly, and he wasn't getting any sleep at all. Trunks cried incessantly, and was so upset that Vegeta had to try to force feed him. The prince had never taken care of a baby before, and was clueless.
"Eat, dammit!" he howled, thrusting a spoon of baby food at his son's mouth.
Trunks knocked the jar, spilling mushed carrots all over himself, and cried harder. Vegeta tried to pick him up, and was promptly kicked in his left arm. He yelled as loud as Trunks, collapsed to the floor, and curled up protectively around his arm.
The first days were nearly identical. Vegeta's arm wasn't healing properly, and his son's characteristic plumpness was disappearing. One day, Vegeta looked down at his slimmer, dirty son who was wearing freshly spilled strained liver. Sighing, he warmed a large bowl of water.
"Let's try to give you a bath," Vegeta suggested wearily.
He removed the liver-coated clothes and sat the bawling Trunks in the bowl. Being as gentle as possible, Vegeta dunked the baby underwater to get his pale lavender hair clean. He expected Trunks to cry more, but instead, he giggled. Vegeta had never heard anything more euphonious. Smiling with relief, he scrubbed the baby clean and let him splash happily. When that was completed, he wrapped Trunks in a soft towel and began the feeding process again. To his pleasure, Trunks was eager to eat and consumed all the strained carrots, liver, and applesauce he could. Vegeta's success continued when he recalled how Bulma had burped their son. Finally, he dressed the baby in his pajamas. Vegeta carried Trunks to his bed and enveloped them both in the blankets. Trunks snuggled close to his father and the two had a long nap.
After that, life fell into place for the two princes. Trunks no longer cried all day and returned to his original adorable state. Vegeta watched with relief as the baby once again became chubby. Although he was pleased with his son's health, Vegeta was worried for his own well-being. The arm he'd fallen on when Bulma had made the gravity machine more powerful without telling him needed proper medical care. The limb was slightly crooked and the bones that were healing weren't doing so correctly.
"Raising a baby single and singlehandedly," he murmured one day. "Bulma would be shocked to see how well we're doing."
He glanced down at Trunks, who he had placed on a blanket. Vegeta had given the baby a glove and an empty toothpaste tube to play with. Trunks was enthralled. He shoved the tube into the glove's opening, and felt his father's eyes on him. Carefully, the little half-saiyan got to his feet, and abruptly fell. Vegeta knelt beside his wailing son.
"You want to walk today, hmm?"
He extended his finger and Trunks latched on to it, and began to get up again. When he had steadied himself, Vegeta gently pulled his good hand forward. Grasping his father's hand for balance, Trunks stumbled a few steps. Vegeta took his hand away, and the baby continued his success for several more feet. Vegeta caught him and placed him upright again.
Within a few "earth"days, Trunks walked with his father all around the ship daily, clasping the white-gloved hand.
Back on Earth, Goten was born.
"Chi-Chi, of course I'll come to help you with the baby," Bulma insisted.
On the other end of the line, Chi-Chi chewed her lip nervously.
"Bulma, please don't bother yourself. I have Gohan to help me."
"Please," Bulma begged, "it's been so long since I've held a baby, cared for a baby, Chi-Chi."
"Well...alright. If you're sure you're up to it."
"I am, Chi-Chi."
Gathering up all her courage, Bulma lifted the tiny bundle in her arms.
"What a cutie you are! Are you a cute little thing?" Bulma asked Goten tenderly.
The baby cooed pleasantly in reply. Sitting on the couch, she rocked Chi-Chi's youngest son in her arms. The baby fell asleep quickly.
"Why don't you go take a nap, Chi-Chi?" Bulma suggested, "he's asleep now."
As she stared into the child's angelic visage, tears pricked Bulma's eyes.
Was her baby as contented? How was he being treated? Was he walking? These questions haunted Bulma daily, hourly. Always.
Trunks, exhausted from a long day of exploring the space pod, curled up next to Vegeta on the bed. The older prince smiled faintly at his child. They were approaching the planet Ayuda, where he could get medical attention for his arm. Re-setting the bones will no doubt be a long and painful process, but it will be worth it, Vegeta thought, trying to make the limb comfortable on a pile of pillows. More food could be bought on Ayuda, and the fuel and water tanks could be refilled. Another necessity he wanted to purchase sometime was a nurse for Trunks. Once his arm was healed, he would require a caretaker to tend to Trunks while he trained in the gravity machine part of the ship. Vegeta brushed the sleeping boy's fair hair out of his face. The nurse would have to be someone he could trust with Trunks. If anyone hurts my boy... Vegeta shook his head, trying to rid the thought.