Syndrome
DISCLAIMER: I do *not* own DBZ (Hee hee…. Yet… *thinks about plan to take over FUNimation and grins*) or any other licensed stuff (Pop-tarts, the Weather Channel, etc.). Think about it: If I owned it, I'd be too busy counting my money than to write useless stories about an animated TV show! So DON'T SUE ME!
. : : Chapter 2 : An Interesting Christmas : : .
"Brian, Brian! Wake up!" Jamie shook his older cousin. "C'mon, Brian! It's Christmas!" Suddenly, Brian sat up in bed.
"Christmas?" He paused while the thought registered in his mind. "IT'S CHRISTMAS!" He threw back the covers and rushed to his sister's bed. "Rienna, Rienna, it's Christmas!" Rienna groaned.
"Not now…"
"But don't you want your presents?" Brian asked. Rienna sat up.
"Presents?"
"Yeah! It's Christmas, Ri!"
"Christmas!!!!" Rienna hopped out of bed and rushed out of the room.
"Wait for me!" Brian ran out after her.
"Hold on, I have to wake up Leah!" Jamie told them. "Huh?" Leah's bed was empty. "Hey, where is she?"
"Ha, beat you, Brian!" Rienna stuck out her tongue at her brother.
"Only because you got a head start!" Brian said, crossing his arms.
"But I beat both of you," someone said.
"Huh?" Rienna and Brian turned around to find Leah standing behind them, her arms crossed.
"Did you really think you could beat me?" Leah asked. "I'm granddaughter of the Speed Demon!" she declared.
"We thought you were still asleep!" Leah shook her head.
"Nope."
"Leah, there you are!" Jamie was heading down the stairs.
"Yep, I'm right here!" she said, grinning.
"She's 'granddaughter of the Speed Demon'," Brian said in a sassy tone.
"You say that like it's a bad thing," someone behind them said. Brian jumped, and all four kids whirled around.
"Merry Christmas, Mommy!" Leah said, giving her mother a hug.
"Merry Christmas to you too!"
"Ooh, ooh, Mommy, merry Christmas!" Jamie said, rushing up to his mother.
"Merry Christmas, Aunt Adrienne!" Brian and Rienna said at the same time.
"Merry Christmas," she answered.
"Mom, Mom, can we open the presents now?" Leah asked.
"Yeah, can we? Huh? Huh???" Jamie pleaded.
"Not right now," Adrienne said.
"Awwww…!" the four children whined.
"You have to wait until everybody wakes up!" Adrienne said.
"But that'll take forever!" Brian said.
"Yeah! Daddy sleeps like a log!" Rienna exclaimed.
"And Grandpa doesn't wake up until he smells FOOD," Jamie said miserably.
"Which is why we're going to make PANCAKES," Adrienne said with a smile.
"PANCAKES?!" all of them exclaimed.
"I wanna help!" Rienna said, jumping up and down.
"Me too!" Leah said.
"Me too, me too!" Jamie exclaimed, waving his arm around.
"And I'm gonna eat 'em!" Brian said happily. Adrienne laughed.
"Alright, you can all help. But let's not make a mess, okay?"
"OKAY!"
"Jamie, look at this!" Brian was stirring the pancake batter in a big, yellow, plastic pitcher. He pulled the spoon out of the batter and held it over the pitcher, letting the batter drip off into it. "Isn't it disgusting?" he asked with a grin. Jamie laughed.
"It looks like yellow mud!"
"Brian, quit playing in it and stir the batter!" Adrienne scolded. Brian quickly dropped the spoon back into the pitcher and began to stir.
"Hey Jamie, I wonder how fast I can stir it!" he said suddenly.
"I dunno, Brian…" Jamie said warily. "My mom said not to make a mess…"
"Don't worry about it! I won't spill a drop!" Brian began to stir the batter faster and faster. "What could go wrong?" Suddenly the spoon flew out of his hands and into the sink in front of Adrienne, making her jump backwards.
"Brian Alexander!"
"Uh oh," he said. Brian ran and "hid" under the table. Adrienne walked over to the table and bent over to look at him. Brian backed up against one of the chair legs and shielded his face.
"What's going on?" Trunks walked into the kitchen, still in his pajamas, and rubbed his eyes sleepily. Adrienne stood up, calmly walked over to the sink, picked up the spoon, and with it, pointed to the pitcher, which had been over-turned, the batter spilt all over the counter.
"Brian?" Adrienne nodded. "…Well he had good intentions, I'm sure." Adrienne sighed and threw the spoon back into the sink in frustration. Brian stuck his head through the legs of the chair and looked around for his aunt. Suddenly, someone picked up the chair and grabbed the back of his shirt, making him squeak in surprise. Trunks held his son up so he could look him in the eye.
"Heh," Brian said. "Hi Dad!"
"Brian, I am tired, and I want to go back to bed. I am not in a good mood. Listen to your aunt. Understand?" Brian nodded quickly. Trunks set him down. "I don't want to hear about any more trouble-making from you." Brian nodded again. Trunks yawned. "Good. Well, I'm off to bed."
"But Dad," Rienna said, "if you go back to sleep we'll have to wait even longer to open our presents!" Trunks smiled.
"Yeah, Trunks," Adrienne said with a grin. "Your kids tell me you sleep like a log." Trunks stared at his sister, his smile gone, then looked at his kids. They both grinned back up at him sheepishly.
"C'mon, Dad, you can help us make pancakes!" Brian said, tugging on his father's sleeve. "That way you can keep an eye on me!" Adrienne raised an eyebrow at Trunks.
"He has a point," she said. Trunks sighed.
"Alright…"
"YAY!" Brian and Rienna cheered. Brian winked at his aunt, and she winked back.
"But let's take it easy, okay?" Trunks asked.
"Okay!"
Bulma awoke to the smell of pancakes cooking. Oh, that was nice. Adrienne was cooking breakfast. Bulma lay back down and closed her eyes. Suddenly, it clicked. Adrienne was cooking!! Bulma wrapped her robe around her body and rushed down the stairs.
"Adrienne!" she yelled, running into the kitchen. "You're cooking! I told you not to cook!" Everyone stopped what they were doing: Adrienne and the girls stopped stirring, Brian stopped running around the table, and Jamie stopped flipping the pancakes. The pancake he had just flipped landed with a splat on the grill. Trunks was sleeping with his head on the table and didn't stir. "I told you I was going to do all of the cooking today!"
"Mommy, are you in trouble?" Jamie asked, looking at his mother. Adrienne didn't answer. Bulma smiled at Jamie.
"Why don't you kids go in the other room? This might get ugly," she said.
"Ok." The four children walked out into the living room to see what was on TV.
"Don't hurt her, ok, Grandma?" Jamie asked before leaving.
"Oh, he knows me well…" Bulma walked over to her daughter with a glare. "I told you not to cook today!"
"But Mom, the kids-"
"Oh, blame the children!" Bulma said sarcastically. "It would work any other time!"
"But-"
"No buts!" Bulma snatched the spoon Adrienne was holding: "Gimme that!" Bulma took the pitcher and turned her back on her daughter, occasionally looking over her shoulder to make sure Adrienne wasn't trying to take it away from her. Adrienne made a grab for the spoon, but Bulma kept it out of reach. Adrienne sighed.
"Well, if I can't stir the batter, then can I at least flip the pan-"
"No!" Bulma shouted, cutting her off.
"Well what about the-"
"NO!"
"Then how about-"
"NO NO NO!"
"But the-"
"ADRIENNE!" Bulma, finally fed-up with her daughter's pestering ways, threw the spoon into the pitcher angrily and walked over to Adrienne. With a small groan on her part, Bulma picked her up and carried her out of the kitchen over her shoulder.
"What? Mom! Put me down!" Adrienne cried. Bulma burst out of the kitchen and briskly walked over to the couch. "MOM!" Bulma bent over and let Adrienne slide onto the couch over her shoulder. Brian, Jamie, Leah, and Rienna stood behind the couch, peeking over at the scene Bulma was making. They started to laugh.
"Now you sit there and think about what you've done!" Bulma ordered, shaking a finger at her full-grown daughter. Then she turned on her heel and stormed back into the kitchen. Adrienne just stared after her in amazement.
"Mommy, are you in trouble?" Jamie repeated again.
"Is she allowed to *do* that?" Brian asked, scratching his head.
"I didn't know Grandma was so strong…" Rienna said in awe.
"Me either…" Leah whispered.
"Me either," Adrienne said, cocking her head at the kitchen door, which was still swinging on its hinges. Inside the kitchen, Bulma began to calm down and was soon happily finishing the meal when Trunks yawned and sat up, stretching his arms. He looked around the kitchen to find it almost empty.
"Oh, hi, Mom," he said, yawning in-between words. He looked around again. "Where are Adrienne and the kids?" Bulma used the spatula in her right hand to point out the door.
"In there. I banished Adrienne from the kitchen for today."
"What?" Trunks scratched the back of his head. "Why?"
"I told her last night I was going to take care of the cooking," she said matter-of-factly. She turned around and looked at her son. "Say, you weren't helping her, were you?"
"Well, I wasn't at first," Trunks said, "but they woke me up and I came down to see what was going on. That's when the kids talked me into helping, but I guess I fell asleep…" Trunks stared at the table for a minute, then back up at his mother. "Why?"
"I told her she wasn't supposed to cook, that's why!" Bulma said, her face turning red. "Doesn't anyone listen to me anymore?!"
"Dad does." Bulma rolled her eyes.
"Sure, your father listens to me all the time," she said sarcastically.
"Well, Brian begged me to stay, so-" Bulma shot Trunks a look that made him jump.
"You all make me sick." She walked behind him, pulled his chair away from the table ("Hey! Mom, what are you-") and pulled Trunks to his feet with her free hand. "OUT!"
"What did I do?!"
"As her accomplice I also ban you from the kitchen!" Bulma declared, giving her son a small push. "Now OUT!"
"But Mom, I-"
"OUT!" Bulma said, throwing the soggy dishrag at him. Trunks squeaked in surprise, ducked, and ran out the door, causing the rag to splat against the wall.
"Oh, hi Dad," Brian said cheerfully. He was trying to crawl over the back of the couch.
"She's after you, too, eh, Trunks?" Adrienne asked glumly.
"Yeah…" Trunks rubbed the back of his neck and looked back to the kitchen door. "I don't even know what I did…"
"Mom always blows things out of proportion."
"Yep." Trunks sat down next to his sister and sighed.
"WHOA!" Brian tumbled into his father's lap. He sat up, shook his head, and grinned at his dad. "Merry Christmas, Dad!" he said. Trunks smiled.
"Merry Christmas."
Soon everyone slowly began to wake up, and the pancakes were almost ready. Gohan rushed down the stairs, the smell of pancakes flaring in his mind.
"Pancakes! I smell pancakes!" Gohan said excitedly. Trunks sighed and pointed to the kitchen without even opening an eye. He had been trying to catch up on some sleep, but every time he started to nod off, someone else came down the stairs.
"Thanks!" Gohan ran into the kitchen.
"Daddy, Daddy, it's snowing!" Rienna said, shaking her father's shoulder. "Come see!" Trunks groaned and opened one eye to look at her.
"Not right now, Ri, Daddy's tired."
"Awww…" Rienna whined. She shuffled back to the window where the other three children were crowded around the pane. "Daddy's tired," she told them.
"I know how to get him up!" Brian declared. He walked over to the couch and shook his father. "Dad, Dad! Get up!" Trunks just groaned and turned over to face the couch back.
Brian frowned and stood there for a moment, staring at Trunks. Then he got an awful idea. Brian walked around to the back of the couch and peeked over it at his father's face.
"Hee hee hee…!" With a little bit of grunting and groaning, he finally climbed onto the top. He reached down and began to tickle Trunks' neck. Trunks laughed in his sleep and jerked away. Brian grinned. He tickled his father again. Again, Trunks laughed and shifted out of Brian's reach. Brian scooted across the back and reached down to tickle his father again when he fell onto Trunks' stomach. Trunks opened his eyes and stared at his son.
"Brian? What are you doing?" Brian just laughed and began to tickle Trunks again. "No! Brian!" Trunks said in-between laughs. "Cut it out!"
Brian went for his stomach, causing Trunks to laugh harder.
"No! Brian!! Leave me alone!" Soon, Rienna, Leah, and Jamie left their spot at the window and crowded around the couch to watch. "Brian!" Trunks pleaded. "PLEASE!" He tried to turn away, or to flip Brian off, but Brian hung on and started laughing. This was way too much fun!
"I've gotcha now, Dad!" he said with glee.
"Stop! Please!" Trunks now had tears flowing down his cheeks. "I can't take it anymore!" Trunks flipped on his side in a final attempt to break free and fell off the edge of the couch. "WHOA!" Jamie and the girls squealed and scattered as Trunks hit the floor where they had been standing. Brian was lying on his back on the couch, wide-eyed.
Chloe, who had been standing in the doorway until now, started laughing. She began to clap. "Bravo!" she said. "Excellent performance! Could you do the 'pitiful cries for mercy' part again?"
"Chloe!" Trunks gave her a crooked smile. "H-hi!"
"Hi Mommy!" Rienna said, giving her mother a hug. "Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas to you, too!" Chloe said cheerfully. Trunks, using the couch for support, stood up and brushed himself off. "And merry Christmas to you, you pathetic idiot," she said, walking over to her husband and kissing him gently.
"Ewwww!" Jamie and Brian groaned.
"Mushy stuff!" Brian said. Both of them shielded their eyes in horror. Rienna and Leah laughed at their brothers' antics. Trunks' face went red and he cleared his throat.
"Yes, well…" Trunks searched his mind for a change of subject. "Anyone for pancakes?"
"These are really good, Grandma!" Bulma beamed with pride.
"Thank you, Brian!" Adrienne cleared her throat. Bulma glared at her daughter. "Your aunt helped." Adrienne grinned.
"You helped too, remember?" she asked her nephew.
"Oh yeah…" Trunks laughed.
"Then we were all banished from the kitchen!" Jamie said.
"Yeah, since Mom wasn't supposed to be cooking in the first place…" Leah said. Adrienne sweat-dropped.
"Right…" she said quietly.
"But these are good, Sis," Trunks said, finishing his pancakes. "Pass the pancakes, will ya, Gohan?"
"Sure." Just as Gohan was about to pick up the plate of pancakes, Vegeta walked into the room.
"Morning, Vegeta," Bulma said cheerfully.
"Hey…" He was obviously drowsy. He shuffled across the kitchen and stopped at the table. He looked down and stared for a moment. Then it hit him: "Pancakes!"
"His mind never did work well in the mornings," Bulma whispered to Chloe. Vegeta pulled up a chair and sat down next to Leah.
"Morning, Grandpa!" she said, hugging him around his neck.
"Morning, Leah," he said. Vegeta smiled at his granddaughter. "Pass the pancakes, please!" Trunks gasped.
"Dad said please!"
"It's a miracle!" Bulma cried. She got down on her knees and bowed down low. "Thank you!" Everyone laughed- except Vegeta. The grouchy Saiyan merely crossed his arms and glared at his wife, who was laughing as she sat back down in her seat. Her eyes finally met his. "Oh, calm down, Vegeta, I was only joking!" she said, giving him one of those unbelieving looks.
"Yeah, Dad, chill out!" Trunks told him.
"I smell pancakes!" someone yelled. Adrienne smiled.
"Here comes Goten…" she said.
"About time!" Gohan said. "It normally doesn't take him this long!" Immediately, Goten ran into the kitchen.
"Hi guys!" he said cheerfully. "Are there any left?"
"Sure, Daddy!" Jamie said, holding up the huge plate of pancakes.
"Thanks, Jamie!" Goten said, taking the plate of pancakes from his son and sitting down next to him. "Don't mind if I do!" Trunks and Vegeta gaped at Goten. The nerve! They had asked for the pancakes first!
"I get 'em after Uncle Goten!" Brian said, claiming his own share in the pancakes.
"Now wait just a minute-" Trunks started.
"Hold on, now-" Vegeta said. They both looked at each other and glared. Trunks crossed his arms.
"Well I got up first, and I asked first, so I get them after Brian!" he declared.
"But you've already had some, so I should get them!"
"Thank you, Brian!"
"HUH?" Trunks and Vegeta turned in their seats to find Chloe now had the plate of pancakes.
"Chloe!" Trunks whined.
"Those are mine!" Vegeta groaned.
"Not anymore!" Chloe said. "You two should learn to be patient!" She handed the pancakes to her daughter. "Here you go, Rienna!"
"Thanks Mommy!" Vegeta and Trunks both gaped as Rienna took another pancake… and another… Trunks began to whimper in his seat. Rienna finished piling on the pancakes and passed the plate to her grandfather. "Here ya go, Grandpa! Daddy's already had some, so you can have the last three!"
"Thank you, Ri," Vegeta said in a sweet tone. "You're such a sweet little girl, you know that?" Trunks glared at his father as he took the plate from Rienna and took the last three pancakes. Vegeta set the empty plate in front of Trunks just to rub it in. Trunks' face began to turn red, and he narrowed his eyes. Vegeta stuck his tongue out at him. Bulma slapped her husband in the back of the head, and Chloe did the same.
"Ow!"
"Hey!"
"Stop being so childish!" Bulma said. "You two should be ashamed of yourselves! There are plenty more on the grill!" She stood up and took the plate to fill it back up.
"Boys…" Chloe said. Beside her, Rienna started giggling, and the other children did the same.
"Oh be quiet," Trunks said, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. "It's not funny…"
"Yeah!" Gohan laughed.
"Actually, it kinda is!" he said.
"Yeah, like the time you got a CARROT STUCK UP YOUR NOSE!" Gohan was silent for a few minutes.
"You just HAVE to keep going on about that, don't you?"
"Of course!" Trunks said, happy to have at least some revenge.
"Well what about One-Eyed Barf?" Goten asked.
"Who's One-Eyed Barf?" Brian asked. Goten opened his mouth to explain, but Trunks stood up, rushed behind his best friend, and clapped his hand over his mouth.
"Aw, Dad…!" Brian said, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair to pout. "You always have to spoil everything!"
"One-Eyed Barf is a story for later," Bulma said, sitting back down with a fresh plate of pancakes.
"Yeah," Vegeta said, his mouth full. "Like when I'm not eating!"
"Vegeta, chew with your mouth closed," Bulma said calmly.
"Make me, woman," Vegeta replied. So she did: Bulma hit him over the head with a wooden spoon. Vegeta rubbed his sore head and muttered something under his breath.
"You asked for it," Bulma said. Vegeta mumbled something else.
"Well, you did, Dad," Adrienne said.
"Is Leah the only one on my side anymore?" Vegeta asked in desperation.
"I'm on your side! I'm on your side!" Jamie cheered. "I'm on *everybody's* side!" Vegeta stared at his grandson.
"Any other takers?" he asked. Adrienne glared at him angrily.
"Dad!"
"Hey everybody!" Goku walked into the kitchen. "Hey, pancakes!"
"Yeah, and they're all mine!" Brian said, taking the plate.
"Hey, can't we share?" Goku asked, a bit put-down.
"Just kidding!" Brian said, handing him the plate of pancakes. This seemed to cheer him up a lot.
"Thanks, Brian!" Goku began to pile the pancakes onto his plate. Vegeta watched in amazement.
"So, did you sleep well, Goten?" Adrienne asked him. Goten laughed a bit nervously.
"How long had you guys been cooking these before I got up?" he asked.
"About an hour," Bulma said.
"Really?" Goten frowned. "Normally doesn't take me that long…"
"Told ya," Gohan said.
"I wasn't asleep this whole time," Goku said. He was still piling on the pancakes. "I was busy doing stuff!" Gohan began to choke on his pancake, and Goten rushed to help his older brother. "Hey, you ok, Gohan?"
Vegeta watched as Goku forked another pancake. "Are you quite finished or are you going to eat all of the pancakes?" he asked sourly.
"Huh?" Goku looked at his plate. "Oh!" He laughed. "Sorry." Goku handed the plate to Vegeta, who snatched it away from his Saiyan rival defensively.
Gohan finally stopped coughing and Goten sat back down, relieved. "Don't scare me like that!"
"Sorry… I just got these… ideas…." Gohan's face went red. Chloe thought back over his words, trying to figure out what he meant. Suddenly, she burst out laughing. Soon all the adults, excepting Goku, were laughing. Brian, Leah, and Rienna began to laugh because some of the adults (namely their parents) looked so funny when they laughed. Jamie looked at Goku, who was looking back at Jamie.
"I don't get it," they said together. Chi-Chi walked into the kitchen.
"Hey, what's so funny?" This caused everyone (except Goku and Chi-Chi) to laugh even harder, which made the kids (except Jamie) laugh harder. "C'mon, what's so funny!?" Vegeta tipped his chair over backward and continued laughing.
"Grandpa, I really don't get it," Jamie said.
"Neither do I, Jamie. Neither do I." Videl finally made her way to the kitchen.
"What's going on?" she asked. Goku, Jamie, and Chi-Chi shrugged.
"We don't know," Chi-Chi said.
"They won't tell us!" Jamie exclaimed.
"Something Gohan said…" Goku said thoughtfully. He looked at his oldest son, who was pounding the table and laughing uncontrollably. His face started to turn red as he was beginning to run out of breath. Videl rushed to his side.
"Gohan! Gohan, honey, breathe!" He took a deep breath and his face went back to normal.
"Thanks, Videl," he said, sighing.
"It's what I'm here for!" Slowly, everyone started to calm down. Vegeta was the last to do so.
"Well, now that everyone has gotten a grip," Chi-Chi said, shooting a look at Vegeta, "would someone tell me what's going on?" Vegeta began to snicker.
"Dad was 'doing stuff'!" Gohan declared. He fell to the ground with laughter and Vegeta ran from the room for fear of Bulma throwing something at him.
"Oh, smart man," Bulma said, shaking her head. Videl rolled her eyes.
"Presents, presents! Time to open presents!" Jamie said, skipping into the living room, with everyone close behind.
"Me first!" Brian ran off after him.
"Hold on, guys," Goten said. "Wait for us!"
"You're too slow!" Brian said with a laugh.
"Brian Alexander-"
"Just kidding, Mom!"
"Better be," Chloe said warningly.
"C'mon, Chloe, he was just joking," Trunks said, putting his arm around her shoulders. "I would too!"
"Just like his father!" Bulma said.
"Would you guys stop? He isn't just like me, and I'll prove it!"
"This I gotta see," Vegeta said.
"Yeah, me too," Goten agreed. Trunks crossed his arms and began to pout. Chloe laughed.
"You're doing a good job, too," she said sarcastically. "C'mon, let's just open the presents."
"Yeah!" Brian agreed.
"Ooh! Ooh! Me first!" Jamie stated.
"This one's mine!" Brian exclaimed, holding up a big red package.
"Hold on, now!" Goten said.
"Let me get my camera!" Bulma cried. She ran up the stairs as best she could to retrieve her precious piece of technology.
"Mom…!" Trunks whined.
"Grandma…!" Brian said at the same time. Both of them looked at each other and laughed.
"So much for proving us wrong," Adrienne said.
"Yep…" Goten and Adrienne hung their heads and sighed.
"It could be worse," Goku whispered, leaning over their shoulders to get between them. "He could be trying to prove how much unlike his mother he is…"
"Good point."
"Daddy, this one's yours!" Jamie said, bringing a huge package over to his father.
"Really?" Goten took it from his son excitedly, his eyes gleaming.
"Hold on, Goten," Adrienne said, taking the box from him. Goten watched her, open-mouthed.
"But-"
"Mom has to go get her camera first."
"Awww….!"
"Got it!" Bulma appeared at the top of the stairs waving her digital around. She ran down the stairs and suddenly tripped about halfway. "Whoa!" Bulma almost flew down the rest of the stairs and right into Vegeta's open arms. She looked up at him and blushed.
"You shouldn't run around like that," Vegeta said. Bulma nodded and blushed a bit more. "You're getting too old for it," he added with a smirk. Bulma gasped and hit him upside the head angrily. "HEY!" Bulma glared at him fiercely. Vegeta just scoffed ("Fine then.") and dropped her on the floor.
"Ow!" Vegeta walked off into the living room. "Ooooh….! That man!" Bulma shook her fist at her husband's retreating figure. "I'm going to kill you, Vegeta, if it's the last thing I do!"
"Now, Bulma," Goku warned, shaking a finger at her, "it is Christmas."
"Darn right it's Christmas!" Bulma said, standing up and brushing off her dress. "And I'm going to give him a present he'll never forget!" She stormed off towards the living room and was almost on top of Vegeta, who was sitting calmly on the couch, when Goku and Gohan rushed over to stop her from doing anything drastic. "Let me go! I'm going to hurt him!"
"We know," father and son said at the same time.
"Goku if you don't let me go this instant I'm going to-"
"Going to what?" Vegeta asked with a superior tone in his voice. "You don't seem to have a free hand."
"Oooh, that does it, Vegeta!" Bulma fought in vain against the two men's strong grip. "Let me go!"
"Come, now, Bulma, we'll get him later," Chi-Chi said, putting her hand on the other woman's shoulder. "When the children aren't around to hear the screams," she added with a devilish grin.
"Do you mean that or are you just trying to bribe me into calming down?"
"Bribe," Vegeta said immediately. Bulma glared at her husband. Suddenly she got an idea. She leaned back against Gohan and Goku ("Hey, Bulma, what are you-") and jumped up, kicking Vegeta a good one right in the middle of his face. Vegeta screamed in agony and covered his face. "MY NOSE!" he cried. "I think you broke my nose!" Bulma smiled.
"Mom!" Trunks jogged over to the couch, wondering what horror had befallen his unfortunate father.
"I may not have a free hand, but a woman is always strongest in her legs," Bulma said sweetly. "You can let go now, Goku. I feel much better!" Goku and Gohan sighed and let her go. Bulma walked over to an armchair and sat down, picking up a magazine to look through.
"Daddy, is Grandpa's nose broken?" Rienna asked, tugging on her father's pants.
"I'm not sure."
"But why did Grandma break his nose?" Brian asked, cocking his head to the side. Trunks sighed.
"Grandma's just like that, Brian. Always has been, always will be."
"So Grandma's always beaten Grandpa up when she gets mad?" Rienna asked. Trunks sighed again.
"Yep, that's my mom for ya…"
"Let me see it, Vegeta," Chi-Chi coaxed. Vegeta shook his head, hand still covering his nose. "Come on, Vegeta, I need to see if it's broken!" Vegeta shook his head again.
"I'm fine, really! Just a bit sore, that's all!"
"Then what was that sickening crunch I heard a minute ago?" Bulma asked, not looking up from her magazine. Vegeta winced and glared at his wife.
"Can I blast her? Please, just this once?!"
"No, Dad," Adrienne said. "C'mon, let us help you."
"Don't want it, don't need it!" Vegeta declared. Meanwhile, Goku had slipped around the back of the couch and was waiting for his wife's signal. She nodded at him, and Goku brought his hands down on Vegeta's wrists and pulled them away from his face. "NO! Kakarott! What do you think you're doing?! Get off of me!"
"Hold him, Goku!" Chi-Chi said, sitting next to Vegeta and turning his head to face her.
"NO! Get off of me! I'm fine!"
"Wow, that's a lot of blood…" Brian said, staring at his grandfather's sullen face.
"Whoa…" Leah stared.
"Mommy!!" Jamie cried, hiding behind his mother's leg. "Make it go away!"
"Vegeta, you're scaring the children," Bulma said.
"Can I help it?! You're the one that broke my nose in the first place!" Vegeta went cross-eyed and stared down at his bloody face. "My poor nose…" he whined.
"Just hold still a second," Chi-Chi warned him. "Tell me if this hurts…" Chi-Chi gently placed her fingers on the tip of his nose and was about to apply a little bit of pressure when Vegeta squealed and jerked away.
"DON'T TOUCH IT!!" he cried, almost in tears.
"Definitely broken." Goku nodded and let go of Vegeta. Immediately, the injured Saiyan covered his nose.
"Come on, Vegeta, I'm a nurse, I'll bandage it up upstairs in the bathroom," Chloe said gently, placing a hand on her father-in-law's shoulder. Vegeta nodded, stood up, and silently followed her out of the room. The whole living room was quiet for a few minutes.
"Wow… I think you really hurt him this time, Mom," Trunks said thoughtfully.
"Oh, I hope so," Bulma said, looking up from her magazine.
"That was just down-right mean," Goku said, putting his hands on his hips and staring at her.
"I hope you're happy," Chi-Chi said. "Just look at the example you've put on for our grandchildren!" Bulma looked at the four kids staring up at her and sighed.
"I suppose you're right. Maybe I should go apologize."
"Maybe?" Adrienne asked. Bulma threw down the magazine.
"Oh fine! I'll go talk to him!" Bulma stormed out of the room and up the stairs.
"So much for a peaceful Christmas," Videl said.
"Yeah… more like a war…" Gohan said.
"Is Grandpa gonna be ok?" Leah asked her mom anxiously. Adrienne smiled at her daughter.
"Has he ever *not* been ok?" Goten started to cough. She shot him a dirty look, and he smiled a bit nervously.
"Well…. What about the time he fell off the roof and broke his leg?" Leah asked. Adrienne sweat-dropped.
"Well... he got better, didn't he?"
"Yeah. Guess you're right. Thanks, Mom!" Adrienne nodded.
"Sure."
Chloe was just applying some cleansing fluid to Vegeta's nose when Bulma came trudging into the bathroom. Vegeta glared at her, a few tears in his eyes.
"What do you want, woman?" he asked sharply.
"I… I came to…" Vegeta stared at her impatiently.
"I'm sorry, Bulma," Chloe said, "but could you leave for a second? I'm not quite-"
"I came to apologize!" Bulma finally said. Vegeta was shocked.
"What?"
"That's right," Bulma said quietly. "I came to apologize…" Chloe looked from Vegeta to Bulma, then back to Vegeta.
"Maybe I should leave…" She stood up and walked out of the bathroom, but popped her head back in quickly. "And, I'm not trying to be rude, but could you hurry up? I do need to fix that nose…"
"Right," Bulma said. "This'll only take a minute." Chloe nodded and walked into the hall, closing the door behind her.
"I hope Trunks and I never have to go through this," she said to herself, leaning on her side against the wall a little ways away from the bathroom. She smiled. *No, Trunks isn't that stubborn,* she thought. Chloe sighed. "I wonder how long this is going to take?" Chloe shifted her weight and yawned. Maybe she should go downstairs to play with the kids for a minute or two. She cocked her head and stared at the closed bathroom door. Chloe hated waiting too long for anything. She looked at her watch. It'd only been a minute. She sighed. "Oh well…" Suddenly, Chloe felt something sharp poke the back of her neck. She swatted at what she figured was a bug. "Stupid mosquitoes… I thought they were supposed to die off or go into hiding or something in the winter…"
Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Bulma looked at her husband, then stared at her feet.
"Well? I haven't got all day," Vegeta said. "And this is still bleeding," he added, jabbing a finger at his nose. Bulma nodded and sat down on the edge of the bathtub.
"Vegeta, I'm… I'm sorry," Bulma said finally, looking up at him. "I shouldn't have gotten so mad… After all, it's not the first time you've dropped me." She smiled. Vegeta frowned.
"I suppose you want an apology for that?" Bulma glared at him, but she told herself to calm down.
"It'd be nice."
"Then I'm sorry."
"Do you mean that?" Vegeta stared at his wife in disbelief.
"I said I'm sorry! Can't you take me at my word?" Bulma looked at the ceiling.
"Well…"
"Don't answer that," Vegeta said quickly. Bulma laughed.
"Well, I just wanted to say I'm sorry, that's all…" she said. "I mean, we've put up with each other this long, what's one more Christmas?" Vegeta shrugged.
"One day too many." Bulma frowned. "I'm joking, woman." Bulma gave him a crooked smile.
"Why can't you call me Bulma?"
"Because 'woman' is so much more fun!" Vegeta said with a laugh. "And it makes you so mad." Bulma frowned again. "But you're cute when you're mad." Bulma was stunned.
"I am?"
"Sure." Vegeta crossed his arms and leaned back. "I don't think anyone that didn't think so would be able to stay married to you this long, do you?" Bulma laughed.
"Guess not." Bulma stood up. "Thanks, Vegeta." He shrugged again.
"It's what I'm here for, is it not?" She nodded.
"Ok, time's up!" Chloe said, walking back into the doorway.
"Just leaving," Bulma said with a smile. Vegeta smiled after her. Chloe stared at the odd expression on Vegeta's face.
"Well, I'm glad that's all straightened out!" she said with a smile. "Now let's see about that nose of yours."
Once things were somewhat back to normal, everyone began to excitedly open their Christmas presents.
"Look, look, Dad! It's that chemistry set I was telling you about!" Brian exclaimed, holding it up for everyone to see. "You know, the one with the commercial where the kids blow up the garage?" Trunks laughed.
"Heh, yeah…" He glared at Goten. Goten chuckled and scooted a little closer to Adrienne.
"Mommy, Mommy, lookie!" Rienna held up a new basketball. "It's gray and blue, just like I wanted!" Chloe laughed.
"Santa knows everything, remember?" she asked her.
"Yep!"
"MOMMY, MOMMY!" Jamie cried. Adrienne looked down at her son.
"What is it, Jamie?" In response he held up an enormous chocolate teddy bear.
"Sugar….!" he said, grinning. Adrienne and Goten's faces went pale. Both of them looked at Trunks.
"I did *not* give him that," Trunks said, shaking his head.
"Hey, cool!" Goku said. "Can I have some?"
"NO!" the adults yelled in unison.
"Aw man…"
"Daddy, here's yours!" Leah said, handing him the package Adrienne had taken away a minute ago.
"Thanks, Leah!" He took it from her and began to tear away at the paper eagerly. "What in the-" Goten pulled out the biggest chocolate teddy bear you had ever seen. "…Whoa."
"Yeah…" Trunks said, wide-eyed.
"WHOA!" Jamie exclaimed. "Yours is even bigger than mine!" Adrienne's eyes went wide.
"That means more sugar…!"
"Can I have some? Huh, Uncle Goten?" Brian asked eagerly, his eyes shining with anticipation.
"Well, if it's ok with your mo-"
"NO!!" Chloe shrieked. Goten, Trunks, and both of the boys jumped.
"But Mom-"
"Do as your mother says, Brian," Trunks said quickly, horrified at the thought of Brian and a sugar overload.
"Awww…! You guys never let me have any fun!"
"What have I told you about exaggerating?" Chloe asked, scolding her son.
"Uhhhh…" Brian thought for a second.
"Mom, what's 'exaggerating'?" Rienna asked, confused.
"It's… saying things you don't really mean."
"Like lying?" Chloe took a deep breath.
"Well, not really lying," she said. Trunks couldn't take it anymore.
"It's making things sound bigger or more exciting than they really are," he said calmly.
"Exactly!" Chloe said, grinning.
"Oh… Ok." Rienna went back to playing with her new basketball. Trunks grinned at his wife.
"Oh, go eat your stocking!" Chloe said, shooting him a dirty look. Trunks frowned.
"That wasn't very nice," he said, sticking out his bottom lip and pouting.
"Neither was your little 'look what I did' look."
"What 'look what I did' look?!"
"You know what I'm talking about!"
"If I did I wouldn't be so confused!" Bulma and Vegeta began to laugh.
"What's so funny?" both of them asked at the same time. Rienna started to laugh too.
"You sound like Grandma and Grandpa!" she said, pointing at her parents. Trunks and Chloe looked at each other and smiled.
"I wondered why that sounded so familiar," Goku said, scratching his head. Gohan sighed.
"Dad…!"
"I'm sorry, Chloe," Trunks said, taking her hand.
"Me too."
"It's a Kodak moment!" Adrienne cried. "Quick, Mom!" But Bulma was one step ahead of her.
"Mom!" Trunks whined. "Can't we get together just once where you don't snap pictures of every possible embarrassing thing known to mankind?!"
"Sorry, honey, it's a habit."
"Yeah, a bad habit," Vegeta said. Bulma shot a look at her husband. He grinned back. So Bulma snapped a picture. "Hey!"
"There, now I have proof that you do smile!"
"I smile all the time!" Vegeta said, crossing his arms and scowling.
"Like now?"
"Yes!" Vegeta paused. "No! Maybe! I don't know!" Goku started to laugh. "Leave me alone!" Vegeta whined.
"But it's so much fun!" Goku said. He pointed at Vegeta and began to laugh some more. He sat down on the arm of the couch and fell backwards- "Whoa!" – onto Chloe.
"Goku!" Trunks exclaimed. Goku stared up at Chloe and grinned.
"Heheheh… Hi!" Chloe waved back, giving him an awkward smile.
"Get off!" Trunks yelled. He began to push Goku back into a sitting position.
"Hold on a second, I'm trying!" Goku said. He grabbed onto the couch and pulled himself up. "There, that's better!" Vegeta, meanwhile, was laughing his head off. "Oh, what are you laughing at?" Goku asked, offended. He put his hands on his hips and stared at Vegeta, waiting for a response. When he didn't get one, he sighed. Goku turned around. "Heh, sorry about that, Chloe," he said.
"Don't worry about it," Chloe said. "I think it was kinda funny."
"Kinda funny?!" Trunks asked, exasperated. Chloe began to giggle.
"You should have seen your face!" she said, beginning to laugh.
"It was kinda funny, Dad," Brian said. Trunks crossed his arms.
"It was, Trunks," Goten agreed.
"Yeah," Adrienne said, a smirk on her face.
"You look funny when you're mad, Daddy!" Rienna said, pointing at her father and laughing. Trunks' face went red as everyone joined in the laughter.
"It's not that funny," Trunks said quietly. Chloe stifled a giggle.
"You're right, I'm sorry, Hun," she said. "Sit down and open the rest of your presents." Chloe grabbed the back of his pants (Trunks: O_O) and pulled him onto the couch. Trunks just sat there, his cheeks flaring, not daring to look her in the face. "Come on, now." She handed him a small package. "Open it." He nodded and began to rip away the paper. It was a small brown box.
"What the-"
"Just open it." Trunks nodded, obediently opened the box, and stared blankly at its contents.
"What is it, Trunks?" Videl asked. The adults all gathered around the back of the couch and peered over his shoulder. The children tried to push their way to the couch, but with no luck.
"C'mon, I wanna see!" Brian said, jumping up and down.
"Me too!" Leah said.
"…Mistletoe," Trunks said finally.
"Mm hm," Chloe said, nodding. "Guess who from."
"…You… but…" Trunks looked at her. "Why would-" Then it hit him. "Aw, no! Not here! Uh uh!" Trunks shook his head.
"Oh, why not? You have before!" Trunks' face went red again.
"That's not the point!" Trunks closed the box. "You want it, Goten? You could actually use it."
"HEY!" Goten exclaimed defensively. "That's not at all funny!" Adrienne laughed.
"I'll take it, Trunks!" Videl said, reaching for the box. Gohan grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. "Gohan!"
"I want a piece!" Goku said.
"Me too!" Bulma exclaimed.
"No, it's Trunks'," Chloe said, "and I'm gonna get him to use it if it's the last thing I do!"
"Not if I burn it," Trunks said with a grin. Chloe hit him in the head. "Ow!"
"If you won't use it, I will!" Chloe snatched the box away and kissed him before he could react. Trunks, at first surprised and embarrassed, started to struggle, but stopped a few seconds later. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her in.
"Whoo hoo!" Bulma exclaimed, snapping a few pictures. "These'll be even better than the last ones!"
"Go Chloe!" Videl and Chi-Chi cheered.
"Go Trunks!!" Goku yelled happily. Gohan, Goten, and Vegeta winced and began to sneak out of the room in fear that their wives might get ideas.
"What's going on? I can't seeeeeeee!!" Jamie squealed.
"Come on, Jamie," Goten said, picking up his son and carrying out of the room. "Nothing to see here!"
"Uncle Goten, wait for me!" Brian called, racing after his uncle and cousin.
"Wait, where are we going?" Rienna asked, rushing to catch up.
"Wait for me!" Leah called.
"Well, this has certainly been an interesting Christmas," Bulma said, putting her camera away. "Can't wait 'til next year."
Ok, so I promised no more filler. But it's not ALL filler! Something very important to the story happened *this chapter*!!!! The next chapter will be better, I promise! So keep reading, and always be on the lookout for more! ^_^ PS: Please r/r! Thanks a lot! Syndrome couldn't continue without you!
