Chapter 2: Happy Years
"18 I'd like to ask you something." Trunks said when she opened the door. "It's really important and I thought I'd talk to you first before I did it."
"Well come in." She responded motioning him in the door and looking at him funny. "What is it? Is something wrong?" They sat down at the kitchen island.
"Nothing's wrong at all. It's just well Marron and I have been dating for two years now and well..." He pulled a jewelry box out of his pocket and 18's eyes widened. "I'd like your permission to marry her..." He looked up at her hopefully. 18's features eased into a smile.
"Of course you can marry her... You made her so happy after Krillin died and I wouldn't dream of standing between you two."
"THANK-YOU SO MUCH!!!" He exclaimed happily as he hugged her tightly.
"Well let's see the ring." She mused smiling.
"Oh of course!" He smiled and let go then opened up the box to reveal a dazzling sparkle.
---------- ---------- ----------
"Ma'am." The doctor started as he addressed 18. "You are now the proud Grandmother of Mari Briefs." He announced to everyone. "A happy, healthy baby girl." The Z gang cheered happily but Vegeta grumbled something about another girl in the family. Bra proceed to smack him playfully which caused him to laugh more at he weakness than the fact that he thought it was funny.
Three Years Later:
"Well I have some good new and some bad news for you this time Mrs. 18." The doctor started in a serious tone. "The good news, both mother and baby are stable. They've named him Kaden. The bad news is Kaden has a rare disorder which causes him to have weak neural connections between his brain and his heart. This has become an increasingly common problem and right now there's nothing we can do about it."
"What does all that mean?" She questioned.
"It means your grandson will be prone to pass out, have seizures, and if over-worked, he could die. He'll have to be carefully watched at all times because if the neural connections give out his heart could stop at anytime. Your daughter and son-in-law have decided to wait until e's a year old at which point he'll be fitted with a pacemaker to help alleviate the problem." The doctor explained. Everyone looked around at each other in sadness. Vegeta was particularly struck down by the comments.
---------- ---------- ----------
"GRAMMA!" Kaden beamed as he ran out the front door as fast as a 2 year old could.
"Careful Kaden!" 18 warned. "Wouldn't want to trip and fall!" She called as she jogged towards the little tike. She picked him up and spun him around slowly a few times. "How's my big boy today?"
"I'm otay how's Gramma?" He asked with a beaming smile.
"Wonderful where's Mari?"
"In da house... Are you gonna stay for dinner Gramma?"
"If it's ok with your Momma and Daddy."
"Yea!!!" He did a little dance in his Grandma's arms for she sat him down and he bounded back into the house. 18 followed keeping an ever watchful eye on him. She did end up staying for dinner and afterwards and a long conversation with Marron and Trunks about life.
"So how has Mari been doing in school?" She asked watching Mari swing back and forth on the monkey bars.
"She's been doing great. You had conferences last week and her teacher said she was bright and a pleasure to have in class." Marron beamed.
"Yeah she got cast in the play to so she excited about that." Trunks added with equal pride.
"Are you going to talk to her about training?" 18 looked at Trunks.
"I figure if it ever interests her then I'll train her but I'm not going to push it to much." 18 just nodded and smiled when Kaden ran up and took Mari's shoe as she hung from the monkey bars for a third time. She dropped down and chased after him a little miffed.
"How's Kaden been?" She asked cautiously.
"I'm worried about him Mom." Marron confessed. "He passed out twice last week alone."
"I notice he's been getting weaker everyday. Before he could climb up and down the playset steps like they were nothing. But he's gotten slower and slower and you can tell he has to put effort into it now." Trunks commented quietly bowing his head sadly. "I just don't know if he's going to be around much longer..."
"Hand in ther you two I'm sure they'll come up with a cure soon don't worry. Just cherish him while you can in case you do lose him..." 18 said moving him and hugging them both.
"You're right Mom." Marron said strongly as she wiped a tear from her eye.
"Yeah. We need to be strong and be there for him. Let him know that we care and that we love him." Trunks added with equal strength. 18 smiled and nodded.
"He can beat this you just have to have faith that he's inherited that fighting instinct."
"18 I'd like to ask you something." Trunks said when she opened the door. "It's really important and I thought I'd talk to you first before I did it."
"Well come in." She responded motioning him in the door and looking at him funny. "What is it? Is something wrong?" They sat down at the kitchen island.
"Nothing's wrong at all. It's just well Marron and I have been dating for two years now and well..." He pulled a jewelry box out of his pocket and 18's eyes widened. "I'd like your permission to marry her..." He looked up at her hopefully. 18's features eased into a smile.
"Of course you can marry her... You made her so happy after Krillin died and I wouldn't dream of standing between you two."
"THANK-YOU SO MUCH!!!" He exclaimed happily as he hugged her tightly.
"Well let's see the ring." She mused smiling.
"Oh of course!" He smiled and let go then opened up the box to reveal a dazzling sparkle.
---------- ---------- ----------
"Ma'am." The doctor started as he addressed 18. "You are now the proud Grandmother of Mari Briefs." He announced to everyone. "A happy, healthy baby girl." The Z gang cheered happily but Vegeta grumbled something about another girl in the family. Bra proceed to smack him playfully which caused him to laugh more at he weakness than the fact that he thought it was funny.
Three Years Later:
"Well I have some good new and some bad news for you this time Mrs. 18." The doctor started in a serious tone. "The good news, both mother and baby are stable. They've named him Kaden. The bad news is Kaden has a rare disorder which causes him to have weak neural connections between his brain and his heart. This has become an increasingly common problem and right now there's nothing we can do about it."
"What does all that mean?" She questioned.
"It means your grandson will be prone to pass out, have seizures, and if over-worked, he could die. He'll have to be carefully watched at all times because if the neural connections give out his heart could stop at anytime. Your daughter and son-in-law have decided to wait until e's a year old at which point he'll be fitted with a pacemaker to help alleviate the problem." The doctor explained. Everyone looked around at each other in sadness. Vegeta was particularly struck down by the comments.
---------- ---------- ----------
"GRAMMA!" Kaden beamed as he ran out the front door as fast as a 2 year old could.
"Careful Kaden!" 18 warned. "Wouldn't want to trip and fall!" She called as she jogged towards the little tike. She picked him up and spun him around slowly a few times. "How's my big boy today?"
"I'm otay how's Gramma?" He asked with a beaming smile.
"Wonderful where's Mari?"
"In da house... Are you gonna stay for dinner Gramma?"
"If it's ok with your Momma and Daddy."
"Yea!!!" He did a little dance in his Grandma's arms for she sat him down and he bounded back into the house. 18 followed keeping an ever watchful eye on him. She did end up staying for dinner and afterwards and a long conversation with Marron and Trunks about life.
"So how has Mari been doing in school?" She asked watching Mari swing back and forth on the monkey bars.
"She's been doing great. You had conferences last week and her teacher said she was bright and a pleasure to have in class." Marron beamed.
"Yeah she got cast in the play to so she excited about that." Trunks added with equal pride.
"Are you going to talk to her about training?" 18 looked at Trunks.
"I figure if it ever interests her then I'll train her but I'm not going to push it to much." 18 just nodded and smiled when Kaden ran up and took Mari's shoe as she hung from the monkey bars for a third time. She dropped down and chased after him a little miffed.
"How's Kaden been?" She asked cautiously.
"I'm worried about him Mom." Marron confessed. "He passed out twice last week alone."
"I notice he's been getting weaker everyday. Before he could climb up and down the playset steps like they were nothing. But he's gotten slower and slower and you can tell he has to put effort into it now." Trunks commented quietly bowing his head sadly. "I just don't know if he's going to be around much longer..."
"Hand in ther you two I'm sure they'll come up with a cure soon don't worry. Just cherish him while you can in case you do lose him..." 18 said moving him and hugging them both.
"You're right Mom." Marron said strongly as she wiped a tear from her eye.
"Yeah. We need to be strong and be there for him. Let him know that we care and that we love him." Trunks added with equal strength. 18 smiled and nodded.
"He can beat this you just have to have faith that he's inherited that fighting instinct."