I don't own DBZ. Sniff. Ok, I know they probably don't
celebrate Christmas, but as a point of reference, I'll keep it in. If you
prefer, you can just think of it as winter solstice. And no, Vegeta is still
ooc. I'm trying, really I am! * Sob*
Chapter 9:Guess what Vegeta's getting for Christmas
Well, he didn't lie about one thing. Nothing had changed between them. At least not during the day or in front of everybody else. He still spent the majority of his time training. He was still his same rude and insulting self. But on the nights he deemed to grace her with his presence, he made her feel like the most special person in the world.
It went on this way for several weeks. It was December now, just a few days until Christmas, and Capsule Corp. looked like a decoration store had thrown-up on it. Mrs. Briefs loved this holiday and decorated anything that wasn't nailed down.
Bulma drug into the kitchen, crinkling her nose at the smell of her mother's holiday confections. Normally, she would have been down early to help, but she had really been feeling tired the last few mornings, and she couldn't quite seem to get her appetite until around noon.
"Morning dear!" her mother crooned.
"Hey mom." She sat down at the table, pushing aside a huge plate of cakes. Her stomach turned slightly.
"Not hungry again? You need to start eating breakfast dear or your going to get sick."
"I know. I just can't stand anything in the mornings anymore. It just makes me feel queasy." She yawned.
"Oh?" her mother turned and gave her an appraising look. "Are you getting enough sleep dear?"
"That seems to be all I want to do lately. Maybe my bloods low or something."
"Hmmm. That's funny. You know, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were pregnant. Yes, I had those exact symptoms." She stopped when she saw the horrified look on her daughters face. "Oh, Bulma!"
She just stared at the floor. 'No! Oh Kami, no.' her mind reeled at the thought.
"I'll call the doctor and see if he can take you today." Mrs. Briefs was already talking to the nurse before the words made there way into Bulma's shocked brain. "Good, we'll be right over."
She was counting back. It had been so busy the last few weeks, with everybody getting ready for holiday vacations, she hadn't even missed her regular cycle. But, there it was. It had been at least seven weeks. 'Ok, don't panic. Maybe its just stress.'
"He can see you right now if we hurry dear. Come on and I'll drive you." She led her to the car and they took off to the doctors office.
Mrs. Briefs drove her distraught daughter home. She had been ecstatic when the doctor had told Bulma the test results were positive, but her only child had broken down into tears.
"He'll hate me, mother."
She hadn't been the slightest bit shocked to find out Vegeta was the father. "Oh now, what makes you say that?"
"He'll just consider it to be an unwanted burden. Or worse, that I'm trying to trap him in some way. And I promised him I wouldn't say anything when it came time for him to leave. That he could just walk away, no strings attached." She sniffed. "But then it may not matter to him at all. I'm sure if he could turn his back on me, a baby wouldn't make much difference."
"Now dear, you don't actually believe that Vegeta would abandon you or his child, do you? I think he has way to much honor for that."
"Please don't tell anybody mother. I can't face this right now. Maybe after the holidays are over. Dad's gonna kill me!" she wailed, bursting into another round of tears. She wasn't sure why she thought her father would be so upset with her. She was in her early thirties after all.
Her mother laughed. "Don't be silly. He'll be just as happy as I am. Why, to hear the pitter-patter of little feet again. And all those cute baby clothes!"
Bulma cheered a little at the thought. Being a mother scared her witless, but she warmed to the thought. Now she would never be alone again. She would have her family, even if it were just her and her baby.
Christmas Eve
Vegeta sat through dinner, a curious look plastered on his face. He could tell something wasn't quite right with his mate. She had been unusually quiet the last few days. Even her father had noticed and commented on it. The fact that her mother had jumped to her rescue by relating a story she had read in the paper hadn't escaped his notice. He wondered if it had something to do with the strange and erratic patterns her ki had been taking lately. Maybe she was coming down with something. She had been sleeping a lot lately. That wasn't like her either. Even when all of Capsule Corp.'s employees were sent home for the holiday breaks, she usually helped her father on some hair brained scheme of his. Or maybe it was this particularly odd holiday. It seemed to make every one of these humans act weirder than usual. He had even been forced to abandon his training when Dr. Briefs shut down the gravity room. He had said no one would be allowed to work during the festival. So he had been made to suffer the 'holiday cheer' and stupid television programs with everyone else. The fat guy in the red suit that broke into people's houses and left things was the strangest yet. Why would they allow this kind of invasion to go on?
His musings were interrupted as a familiar voice yelled from the living room. He gritted his teeth.
"Merry Christmas, guys!" Yamcha shouted as he dumped an armload of presents under the tree. He was glad Bulma had forgiven him and let him back into her life as a friend. It just wouldn't have seemed right to not share part of the holiday with the Briefs. Even if Vegeta was included.
Puar floated in behind him. "Hi everyone!" her squeaky little voice chirped.
Everybody went into the living room. Vegeta hung back, as usual, and leaned against the door facing. He had agreed not to kill the baka human for his mates sake, and endured his presence on occasion.
"Hey, I brought a nice bottle of wine. Its already chilled if someone will get the glasses." He carried on a boisterous conversation with Bulma's parents while she fetched the wine goblets. After pouring everyone a glass, except Vegeta who never touched alcohol, he made a toast.
Bulma was just about to take a sip when her mother shrieked. "Wait, honey you can't drink that!" she looked at the glass and sighed. She had forgotten. Everyone was looking at her.
Yamcha laughed, "What's wrong babe? You expecting or something!"
"Oh, my." Mrs. Briefs covered her mouth with her hand and flushed.
"Expecting what?" Vegeta asked suspiciously.
Her face turned pale as she set the glass down on the coffee table. She looked at the Saiyan, her expression terrified.
"Speak up woman. What's wrong with you that you can't drink some wine?" he didn't like the look on her face, as if she were scared of him or something.
Puar slapped Yamcha in the back of the head to make him stop laughing. He wasn't always the quickest person, but apparently the prince was even denser on some subjects.
"Your pregnant!" Yamcha and Dr. Briefs shouted in unison.
"Oh dear." Mrs. Briefs was looking at Vegeta. He was even paler than Bulma.
So, that explained it. 'How stupid can I be!' he mentally slapped himself. 'Why didn't she tell me?' the question was written on his face.
"How long have you know?" her father was asking Vegeta's unvoiced question.
"I-I just found out yesterday."
"Hmmm." He nodded, draining his glass. "Well, now. This is the best Christmas present I've ever gotten." He hugged her seeing some relief flood into her. Then he turned a not to affectionate eye on the prince. He seemed to be in shock.
Vegeta was staring at her as if trying to figure out a foreign language without a guide. "This doesn't change anything." He finally choked out.
Bulma nodded. "I know. I didn't expect it too." She fought back the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. "Merry Christmas." She half laughed, half sobbed, and took off up the stairs to her room.
"Oh dear." Mrs. Briefs muttered again as she watched the Saiyan leave the room in the opposite direction.
Dr. Briefs sighed and poured himself another glass of wine. "Children these days." He shook his head.
Yamcha was staring after the Saiyan. He wasn't quite sure what to think of the man. He had just found out he was going to be a father and acted like it meant nothing to him. He stomped off after him, ignoring Puar's plea's to come back.
Vegeta was standing out in the backyard, oblivious to the heavy snowfall and ankle deep drifts. He didn't even spare the human a glance as he approached.
"What did you mean by nothing changes, Vegeta?"
"None of your damn business, human." He growled.
"Well, I think it is. I care about Bulma and I don't want to see her used and then tossed aside like common trash."
"Huh, I guess you would know all about that now wouldn't you."
"I made my mistakes with her, I'm not to proud to admit that, but never on a scale like this! For Kami's sake man! You got her pregnant and now all you can say is nothing changes?" he walked in front of the shorter man. "I guess that's what anyone should expect from a jerk like you, though."
Vegeta bared his teeth. "The woman knew what she was getting into from the beginning! I owe her nothing."
Yamcha sneered, "You might as well stop training to be a Super Saiyan right now. It's pretty obvious who the better man is. Goku has more character and strength than a little worm like you could ever hope to have."
"How dare you talk to me like that! I've had it with you! If that woman hadn't begged me not to kill you I wouldn't be having to endure your insolent tongue right now!" he powered up as did the other man.
"Well, who cares! If she doesn't mean anything to you then why bother catering to her wishes? I know I don't stand a chance against you, but I'm not backing down. Bulma means more to me than my life and I'll die to protect her from the likes of you!" he didn't even see the kick that sent him sprawling across the yard.
"You aren't worth my time, baka." He was itching to kill the man, but he had made a promise, albeit a stupid one.
Yamcha inhaled, his lungs hurting with the intake of breath. He would be sore tomorrow. "Well, if you won't take care of her then I will. I'll ask her to marry me and raise her baby like it was mine."
Vegeta was on him and had his feet dangling off the ground before he could blink. "You go near her and I'll ground your worthless hide into the next dimension." He whispered the warning. "No child of mine will be raised by the likes of you." He dropped him on his butt.
"Then you're going to marry her?"
"She's already my mate. Why would I marry her?"
Yamcha stood up and brushed the snow off his clothes. "Because her family and friends won't see it that way. To them, she's just an unwed mother, and on this planet that's not looked upon to highly."
"What do I care what her pathetic family and friends think." He scoffed.
"You wouldn't, but she will. I know Bulma and even though she's tough and doesn't put a lot of stock in what other people think, she'll be ashamed. She'll know what others are thinking about her. They'll call her baby a bastard, because it won't have a legal father, and that will hurt her worse than anything either of us could have done to her."
Vegeta watched his face for any sign of exaggeration. There was none. Humans and their stupid need for legalities. They were mated in the only way that mattered, but that still wasn't good enough. "Leave me. I wish to think." He dismissed him.
"Yes your highness." Yamcha blurted out sarcastically and went back into the house.
Puar let out a sigh of relief. "I was afraid he would kill you."
Yamcha rubbed his chest. "He wanted to, that's for sure."
"What did he say, dear?" Mrs. Briefs handed him his wine glass back.
"He said he needed to think. The jerk."
Dr. Briefs patted the little black cat on his shoulder, staring blankly at the tree lights. "Well, I guess that's a good sign for Vegeta. If he's willing to think about something, then it must be of some importance to him."
"Oh, everything will work itself out. I just know it." She sighed.
"I hope you're right." Yamcha wasn't as positive as the blonde woman. She was to naïve where the Saiyan ass was concerned.
Vegeta sat on the balcony rail outside her room. He could hear her racking sobs plainly through the closed doors. He didn't know why he should feel obligated to do anything about this. It wasn't all his fault that the fool woman got pregnant. So what was he supposed to do? She had obviously known what his response would be from her reaction. She hadn't wanted to tell him, that was certain, so then why was she crying about it now? Emotional female. (Uh, hope that made sense.)
He felt her ki, then separated it from the tiny fetus. It wasn't anywhere near developed yet and already it had its own distinct signature. He would be strong. Yes. It was defiantly a boy. He caught himself smiling at the feeling. His son. It was so alien to him, the thought as well as the feeling.
He wondered at the way his life had changed since he had been brought back, even if it had been an accident. His main goal was still to become a Super Saiyan and reclaim his title from that third class idiot, but so many other things had kept cropping up in his life. He was training to save this worthless planet that he had originally meant to destroy, from a pair of androids he had only been told about, by a strange young boy, who didn't look like a Saiyan, but obviously was. One even stronger than Kakarot from the way he had destroyed Freeza and Cold. He had been, to his annoyance, 'adopted' by his hosts, and taken their loud and obnoxious daughter as his mate. And now she was going to have his son. He had planned on none of this.
The balcony door opened. "Vegeta?" she hiccupped. "Get in here before you catch a cold."
He noticed how dull her voice sounded. Shutting the door behind him, he watched her crawl back in the bed, her back to him. He stripped down to his underwear and sat down on his side of the bed. Strange, he had even begun to consider this his room.
They sat in silence for a long time, before he spoke. She started slightly at the sound of his voice. She had been wondering why he'd come back here tonight.
"Do you want this child?" he looked at her, half afraid of her answer.
"Yes."
"Can you take care of him?"
"Yes." She bit her lip, trying not to cry again.
"Does it matter to you that we are not married in your custom?"
She rolled over and gave him a curious look. "Yes."
He sighed. An odd sound as he very rarely did it. "Then I will comply with your ridiculous custom. I will not have our child ridiculed by a culture that does not recognize our bond over its own stupid legalities. But remember, when all is said and done, I have no obligation to you or the brat to stay."
She stared at him for a minute, not sure what to say. It apparently wasn't what he had expected because he actually jumped. "You pompous ass! I guess I'm supposed to lavish you with thanks that you lowered your standards enough to marry me?"
"It would be a start! This is all unnecessary as far as I'm concerned woman, seeing as how you belong to me already! I don't need your stupid laws to make it binding!" he yelled. "I thought you wanted to get married?"
"I do. But not because of what everybody else will think!"
"What other reason is there?!" his voice rose an octave.
"Because you want me, you moron!"
"You knew I wanted you when you agreed to become my mate!"
"And do you want your baby, too?"
"Of course I-" he caught himself. He could see the light dancing in her blue eyes. She had tricked him into a confession. He shut his mouth and stared daggers at her.
"Then my answer is yes. I will marry you. And no, I don't expect any more from you than that." She said in a serious voice, knowing he was furious at her. She leaned over and kissed him, thrilling to the response she always managed to get. His eyes were still emitting a warning, but there was a degree of passion in their black depths. "You won't regret it."
"Humph. Who says I don't regret it already." He pulled her to him and began his assault on her senses.
The crowd down stairs looked back and forth to each other. They had heard enough of the argument to fill in the blanks.
Mrs. Briefs and Puar were smiling.
Mr. Briefs patted his cat and seemed to be deep in thought.
Yamcha just stared down into his glass. He was happy for Bulma, but he couldn't help feel regret as he realized at that moment exactly what he had lost. He drained his glass and looked back up the now quiet stairway. He had no one to blame but himself.
"Merry Christmas, Bulma." He mumbled.
See, I like Yamcha too! Ok, so Vegeta may not have married Bulma, who knows, they left that out too. Maybe it wasn't censored in the Japanese version, but alas, all we have is Funimation. So I say, he married her. I have some morals.^-^ Next chapter will probably jump to just a few weeks before Trunks is born. Please R&R like a responsible viewer!