The Nature of Tears

Part 2

Vegeta touched down on the warm sand of the island, paying little attention to the tropical beauty of Master Roshi's chosen domicile. The fury surrounding him was tangible; he did not like being kept in the dark ever. When it came to his mate, his distaste of mystery grew even more.

The force of the enraged Saiyan Prince's ki had drawn out the inhabitants of the little house. Eighteen's fists clenched as she stood protectively in front of her young daughter. She had no idea why Vegeta was there or what had cause his current tantrum but she wouldn't let the arrogant prince get away with disturbing the tranquility of her home. The wind whipped her blond hair into her face as she prepared a scathing retort but her husband's hand on her shoulder kept her silent.

"It's okay hun." Krillin smiled reassuringly at her. "I'm sure Vegeta's just here to talk." The former monk exchanged a knowing glance with Master Roshi and nodded. Seeing this, Vegeta's temper exploded.

"Baldie! What the hell is going on here?!"

Eighteen tensed again but Krillin's calm voice assuaged her. He responded dryly to Vegeta's rage-filled interrogative. "In case you didn't notice Vegeta, I have a full head of hair now. Just relax and we can chat."

Vegeta forcibly pushed down his fury. He wouldn't discover anything in that state. Instead an icy calm settled upon him. "Fine."

Krillin nodded at the Saiyan. "Hun, take Marron inside please. Master Roshi, you can head in too – I can handle this on my own. Eighteen hesitated but Master Roshi hooked his arm around hers and pulled her into the house, already babbling about some perverted nonsense.

Outside, the two men faced off. The Saiyan Prince's frosty demeanor shook the short warrior somewhat but Krillin stood his ground.

"So Vegeta, what's up? What did you need to see me about?"

Vegeta's words were crisp and clear, lowered so that they could only be heard by himself and Krillin. "Kakarot. He's pregnant. But you already knew that, didn't you?"

Krillin sighed, nodding his head in a strange sorrow as he stepped off the porch towards Vegeta. "Yeah… What exactly has Goku told you Vegeta?"

Vegeta's temper flared, only to be shoved back once again. "He hasn't told me anything monk!" The words were hissed out. "I had to figure it out on my own!" A dark thought crossed his mind. What if Kakarot hadn't said anything because the child wasn't…? "No," Vegeta dismissed the though outloud. "Kakarot and I are bonded. I would know if his feelings changed, if he –"

Krillin followed his trail of thought and interrupted. "The baby's yours Vegeta. It's defiantly yours. Goku is truly and deeply in love with you. He can't imagined being without you." Krillin heaved another sigh, sitting himself down on a rock by the shore and staring into the sea. "That's part of the problem," he finished.

Vegeta was now thoroughly confused by the short fighter's words. "He loves me. He is bearing our child, conceived out of our love for each other. So why hasn't he said anything to me?!"

That was the closest Krillin had ever heard Vegeta publicly announce that he loved Goku. "He hasn't told anyone anything Vegeta. Well, except for Master Roshi, Bulma, and myself. And that was mainly out of necessity. You know –" he continued, cutting off the Saiyan's reply, "I was the one he came to about your relationship in the very beginning. He'd never felt about anyone the way he was feeling about you Vegeta. He wasn't sure what to do or where to turn. So he went to his best friend. He went to me." Krillin's smile lit up his face here. Vegeta noted that his reaction was as if Goku had bequeathed upon him that title, with all of its privileges and responsibilities, like it was a priceless treasure. Which it was, he mused.

"Anyways," Krillin continued, "I was the one he entrusted the secret too and asked advice from. I could tell that he was in love so I asked who the lucky girl was. He finally admitted to me that it wasn't a girl, it was a man. So then I asked him if he really loved this man. When he said yes, I told him that nothing else mattered. You should have seen the look on his face Vegeta! It was like this huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders and everything was right with the world!"

Vegeta slowly nodded his assent. He remembered that day. Goku had returned to him free of the inner turmoil that had marred the early start of their relationship. What was more, he began to view this human in a different way. Before Vegeta had seen Krillin as an annoying weakling. Now he perceived the man to whom his friends and family were everything, who would give up his life and more to protect them. The man who had proved himself worthy of being Goku's best friend.

"Then tell me why?" The entreaty emerged more plaintively then intended but Krillin just shook his head.

"It's nothing that you've done Vegeta. But I can't tell you anything more than I have." Krillin scrambled upright as the dark prince shoved a fist glowing with ki into his face. "Vegeta, I swore to him a long time ago to keep his secret! Would you have me break that vow?"

Growling, Vegeta lowered his fist. Krillin straightened his shirt in relief. The Saiyan Prince could not force him to break a vow of honor but – "I need to know."

Krillin looked away, his eyes haunted. "Bulma knows too Vegeta. Ask her. I can't tell you. I can't." He held up his hands helplessly, dropping them when the Saiyan speed away through the air. For Goku's sake, he prayed Kami would help Vegeta understand.

**** **** ****

at Capsule Corp

**** **** ****

The sound of Bulma's machine whirred loudly in Goku's sensitive ears. He tried to concentrate solely on the noise and ignore the discomfort that being in the med lab caused him. His fist opened and closed, the only outward sign of his inner unease. The whirring stopped abruptly and the hard plastic slab began to slide out of the observation tube. As soon as he was free of the restrictive tube, Goku sat up and twisted so that his feet were hanging free of the table. Instinctively, he caught the shirt that the blue-green haired scientist flung at him.

"Well?" he questioned, pulling the dark blue shirt over his head.

Bulma raised an eyebrow. "Well what?"

The tall Saiyan narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "Well how are things progressing? I've got a little life growing inside of me Bulma – you'll forgive me for being concerned with its well-being."

"I'm sorry Goku." One slim hand lifted to remove reading glasses from her wearied face. "I was just trying to lighten the mood. Well then, down to the business at hand. How are your symptoms?"

The younger man grinned at her, abashed by her tone. "Hmm. My back's killing me. And I've had a few bouts of morning sickness. Not just in the morning either!"

Bulma laughed at that. "Sometimes it's like that! Now Goku, you're what, about two months pregnant? Yes, then your symptoms are progressing normally. I've programmed the gravity chamber for five times Earth's gravity. That and a slightly higher temperature should equate to Vegeta-sai's norms. I'm hoping that you'll be able to relax more comfortable in there." Goku shoot her a look of gratitude for her foresight. "You've gained only a little weight so far. Given the typical six month Saiyan pregnancy, I'd say that you'll start gaining more in a little over a week. You should start showing around the same time. You know," she continued as he stood and began pacing, his arm cradling his stomach in a subconscious, protective motion, "it's a damn good thing we found those old files of Vegeta's. I'll admit the idea of male pregnancy threw me for a loop at first. Even if it's only carried in certain bloodlines!" she finished.

"Believe me, no one could have been more surprised than myself!" Goku laughed falsely as he leaned against a wall. He had winced at the casual mention of Vegeta's name. Now Bulma's grave face informed him that his quick cover-up had not concealed his slip. Dreading what was to come, he closed his eyes and slid down the wall till his rump hit the cold floor.

"You still haven't told him." The soft accusation echoed in the still med lab.

"No." Goku's reply emerged to reverberate with guilt through the room.

Bulma massaged little circles into her temples. "Goku, you know how much I love you both.." No answer was forthcoming so she continued. "It's his child too – Vegeta deserves to know."

Goku's eyes flickered open to stare dully at the grey floor. "I know. But I can't." His head rose sharply, black pools of anguish pleading desperately with her, though he knew that there was nothing she could do. "I just can't! You know why – there's just.. I.." Goku choked on the words, unable to finish his sentence. Bulma's heart ached for her oldest friend. He had come to her because he knew she was the only one with the knowledge to provide medical care and with enough of his trust to not betray his secret. Secrets. But she wished she could do more to help both him and Vegeta.

Suddenly, Goku's head shot straight up. His eyes widened in fear. "He's on his way here!" He could sense his mate's ki as he sped towards Capsule Corp. "Bulma!" The exclamation was both a question and a plea. Vegeta would want to know what he had been doing and Goku wasn't ready to face his mate yet.

Bulma exhaled the breath she didn't realize she had been holding. "Goku, go in the gravity chamber. I'll talk with Vegeta." As Goku bobbed his head and left she turned her chair towards the other doorway and readied herself for the coming confrontation. She didn't have to wait long. The Saiyan prince's figure soon appeared in the doorframe. Bulma indicated for him to pull up a seat as she spoke. "Vegeta."