CHAPTER 2
LIVING ON
Vegeta stood, letting the icy wind dry the sweat to his exhausted body. He didn't notice the icy wind as he watched the stars appear in the night sky. He didn't mind being alone, and this planet had many places to offer where none had been before. A loud growl erupted from his stomach and he scowled at the weakness that was his hunger. He knew that soon he would have to go back to the Capsule Corporation for food and rest. He also knew that they would be waiting.
***
Bulma gazed at the stars through the open nursery window. In her arms was cradled the bundle of blankets that held her tiny son. She was still amazed at how quickly Vegeta had become a regular part of their lives, even if he did leave often. He loved her, though, and that knowledge was all she needed to know. That and the fact that he would always return to her. A soft gurgle drew her eyes away from the scene beyond the window, and she looked down at the angelic face of the baby she held in her arms. His marvelous blue eyes were open, watching her. She smiled at him and rocked him slowly, humming the lullaby her mother used to sing to her when she was a baby. Closing his eyes, he drifted off to sleep to dream of pleasant things. "Trunks" Bulma murmured the name softly as she laid him in his crib.
***
"NO! Absolutely NOT!" His voice echoed throughout the house as he stared at the tall, dark-haired man standing before him. "Aww, come on Vegeta, it's only for a couple of days…" Goku was feeling more than a little out of his element, but Chichi had told him – well, more like ordered him – to invite and convince Vegeta and family to come on the camping holiday. Inviting was one thing, but convincing, well that was the hard part. The only way to convince Vegeta was to get to Bulma, so that was where Goku aimed his 'convincing'.
"Come on Bulma, it'll be just like old times again. Krillen and 18 will be there, and so will Tien and Yumcha and Lunch and…" It seemed to be working. Bulma was smiling to herself and nodding in anticipation. Vegeta, however, seemed to notice this and scowled at Goku menacingly. "I will NOT be dragged out on a ridiculous camping trip. I refuse to be…" Whatever it was that he refused to be was lost in a screaming cry coming from the adjoining room. Bulma raced in to see what was wrong while Goku watched her with a puzzled look. Vegeta scowled again. He mumbled something under his breath as Bulma came back into the room, carrying Trunks in her arms. He was sobbing into her shoulder as she gently patted his back, making soothing noises into his hair. Goku grinned as Bulma stood next to him and glared at Vegeta. "I don't know why you don't want to come, Vegeta." She said, "You're the one who keeps on complaining about there being nothing to do. At least this will be fun, and it's been ages since I last saw Lunch and Tien. I wonder how they're doing?" Vegeta growled, he knew what was coming and he didn't like it. "Anyway, it'll give you a chance to get some more sparring in. You might even learn how to catch fish." Vegeta didn't seem too impressed with that idea, his scowl deepening.
"Well, Goku," She hurried on as she herded the bemused man out the way he came, "I'll see you to the front door. Of course we'll be there. Tell Chichi to ring me and we'll work out all the details." With that she closed the door and turned to go to the kitchen. Vegeta blocked her path. He didn't look happy. "I think we need to talk…" he growled and Bulma suddenly felt nervous.
* * *
Two weeks had passed since then and the Son family were gathered around an old picnic table loaded with food. Chichi, as usual, had outdone herself. There were tons of rice, chicken, rice, vegetables, beef, rice, pork and, of course, rice. Goku looked as though his eyes were about to leave his head with one good knock, and Gohan was following in his father's suit. "Wow Chichi. This looks so good. I don't know where to start!" Chichi glanced over at her husband, checking to see if the food was where she had left it. "Now Goku" she warned, frowning in his direction. "You can't have any until the others arrive. It's not just there for you, you know." Goku looked up at her, pouting. She laughed and turned to face Gohan. "Gohan, I would like you to take your father and keep a lookout for the others."
Behind her back, Goku had grabbed a chicken leg, quickly shoving it into his mouth. "Goku! Didn't I tell you NO FOOD?" Chichi, wielding a wooden spoon, rounded on him angrily. "Awww, but Chichi, you know I love your food. I was just…"
"Gohan! Take your father NOW, before I decide NOT to feed him." On hearing the threat of possible starvation, Goku quickly grabbed Gohan and ran. "Humph! Much better!" Chichi mumbled as she went about adding the finishing touches.
"Hey! Goku! Gohan! Over here!" Krillin leant out of the window of the capsule car that 18 was driving to flag his two friends. 18 didn't slow down until they came even to the sparring warriors. "Hey!" Gohan yelled out, waving madly at the car "Android 18! Krillin! What's up?" Goku stopped the kick he was about to deliver to Gohan's unprotected side as the car pulled over. Krillin leapt out of the front seat and ran to the driver's side. Pulling the door open for 18, he bowed her out of the car. She stepped out lightly, corn-silk hair blowing in the slight breeze. "Gee 18, I didn't know you had your license." Goku looked at her, puzzlement spread across his features. "Yes, well…" She answered in a soft, guarded voice. "Hey! You know, it took me heaps of tries to get mine. Chichi begged for them to give me another chance and all." 18 rolled her eyes as she stalked off. "I'm going to the campsite. Are you coming, Krillin?" Krillin grinned at his friends and followed the disgruntled android into the bushes. "See you, guys." He called back. Gohan looked up to his father, "Gee dad. I don't think she's in a good mood." Goku smiled at his son. "Well, let's talk about that later. I want to spar!" With that, Gohan took a defensive position, as his father attacked in force.
LIVING ON
Vegeta stood, letting the icy wind dry the sweat to his exhausted body. He didn't notice the icy wind as he watched the stars appear in the night sky. He didn't mind being alone, and this planet had many places to offer where none had been before. A loud growl erupted from his stomach and he scowled at the weakness that was his hunger. He knew that soon he would have to go back to the Capsule Corporation for food and rest. He also knew that they would be waiting.
***
Bulma gazed at the stars through the open nursery window. In her arms was cradled the bundle of blankets that held her tiny son. She was still amazed at how quickly Vegeta had become a regular part of their lives, even if he did leave often. He loved her, though, and that knowledge was all she needed to know. That and the fact that he would always return to her. A soft gurgle drew her eyes away from the scene beyond the window, and she looked down at the angelic face of the baby she held in her arms. His marvelous blue eyes were open, watching her. She smiled at him and rocked him slowly, humming the lullaby her mother used to sing to her when she was a baby. Closing his eyes, he drifted off to sleep to dream of pleasant things. "Trunks" Bulma murmured the name softly as she laid him in his crib.
***
"NO! Absolutely NOT!" His voice echoed throughout the house as he stared at the tall, dark-haired man standing before him. "Aww, come on Vegeta, it's only for a couple of days…" Goku was feeling more than a little out of his element, but Chichi had told him – well, more like ordered him – to invite and convince Vegeta and family to come on the camping holiday. Inviting was one thing, but convincing, well that was the hard part. The only way to convince Vegeta was to get to Bulma, so that was where Goku aimed his 'convincing'.
"Come on Bulma, it'll be just like old times again. Krillen and 18 will be there, and so will Tien and Yumcha and Lunch and…" It seemed to be working. Bulma was smiling to herself and nodding in anticipation. Vegeta, however, seemed to notice this and scowled at Goku menacingly. "I will NOT be dragged out on a ridiculous camping trip. I refuse to be…" Whatever it was that he refused to be was lost in a screaming cry coming from the adjoining room. Bulma raced in to see what was wrong while Goku watched her with a puzzled look. Vegeta scowled again. He mumbled something under his breath as Bulma came back into the room, carrying Trunks in her arms. He was sobbing into her shoulder as she gently patted his back, making soothing noises into his hair. Goku grinned as Bulma stood next to him and glared at Vegeta. "I don't know why you don't want to come, Vegeta." She said, "You're the one who keeps on complaining about there being nothing to do. At least this will be fun, and it's been ages since I last saw Lunch and Tien. I wonder how they're doing?" Vegeta growled, he knew what was coming and he didn't like it. "Anyway, it'll give you a chance to get some more sparring in. You might even learn how to catch fish." Vegeta didn't seem too impressed with that idea, his scowl deepening.
"Well, Goku," She hurried on as she herded the bemused man out the way he came, "I'll see you to the front door. Of course we'll be there. Tell Chichi to ring me and we'll work out all the details." With that she closed the door and turned to go to the kitchen. Vegeta blocked her path. He didn't look happy. "I think we need to talk…" he growled and Bulma suddenly felt nervous.
* * *
Two weeks had passed since then and the Son family were gathered around an old picnic table loaded with food. Chichi, as usual, had outdone herself. There were tons of rice, chicken, rice, vegetables, beef, rice, pork and, of course, rice. Goku looked as though his eyes were about to leave his head with one good knock, and Gohan was following in his father's suit. "Wow Chichi. This looks so good. I don't know where to start!" Chichi glanced over at her husband, checking to see if the food was where she had left it. "Now Goku" she warned, frowning in his direction. "You can't have any until the others arrive. It's not just there for you, you know." Goku looked up at her, pouting. She laughed and turned to face Gohan. "Gohan, I would like you to take your father and keep a lookout for the others."
Behind her back, Goku had grabbed a chicken leg, quickly shoving it into his mouth. "Goku! Didn't I tell you NO FOOD?" Chichi, wielding a wooden spoon, rounded on him angrily. "Awww, but Chichi, you know I love your food. I was just…"
"Gohan! Take your father NOW, before I decide NOT to feed him." On hearing the threat of possible starvation, Goku quickly grabbed Gohan and ran. "Humph! Much better!" Chichi mumbled as she went about adding the finishing touches.
"Hey! Goku! Gohan! Over here!" Krillin leant out of the window of the capsule car that 18 was driving to flag his two friends. 18 didn't slow down until they came even to the sparring warriors. "Hey!" Gohan yelled out, waving madly at the car "Android 18! Krillin! What's up?" Goku stopped the kick he was about to deliver to Gohan's unprotected side as the car pulled over. Krillin leapt out of the front seat and ran to the driver's side. Pulling the door open for 18, he bowed her out of the car. She stepped out lightly, corn-silk hair blowing in the slight breeze. "Gee 18, I didn't know you had your license." Goku looked at her, puzzlement spread across his features. "Yes, well…" She answered in a soft, guarded voice. "Hey! You know, it took me heaps of tries to get mine. Chichi begged for them to give me another chance and all." 18 rolled her eyes as she stalked off. "I'm going to the campsite. Are you coming, Krillin?" Krillin grinned at his friends and followed the disgruntled android into the bushes. "See you, guys." He called back. Gohan looked up to his father, "Gee dad. I don't think she's in a good mood." Goku smiled at his son. "Well, let's talk about that later. I want to spar!" With that, Gohan took a defensive position, as his father attacked in force.