Chapter 10: The Pressure Begins
Being pregnant isn't easy. It isn't easy if you're rich with a wonderful family, it isn't easy if your middle-class with just the father at your side, and it isn't easy if you're poor and alone. No matter what your lot in life, no matter the family and friends you have, no matter the manner the baby came to be, being pregnant isn't easy.
Bulma's pregnancy was easier in some aspects than other women's, but it was harder on others. Yes, she had all the money she could ever need, but with it came the price of privacy. Yes, she had the best medical team money could buy, but it couldn't buy assurance that no one would find out that her baby wasn't normal. Yes, she had a wonderful family that gave her more support and love than she could ask for, yet she didn't have the father of her baby by her side.
Needless to say, it was not ideal.
She was relieved that Yamcha seemed to be the only one of her friends that knew about her baby, yet at the same time it was rather unsettling that none of them had bothered to check up on her lately. Yeah, they had to train for the androids, but she had Vegeta under her roof. None of them liked the idea that he was around. He was even responsible for the deaths of some of her friends, yet they didn't even bother to call her to make sure Vegeta hadn't killed them all yet.
Bulma didn't know why she didn't want her friends to know. She wasn't really ashamed. In fact, she was rather proud of the fact that she had been the one to crack through Vegeta's tough shell...but at the same time, she didn't need them to look down upon her. She knew that that is what would happen. They offer to kill Vegeta for raping her, and when she told them that she voluntarily went to his bed, their looks of rage would turn to disgust, and then she would loose what little friends she had. It was for the best to wait until the baby was born for them to find out. After all, who could hate a baby?
The morning after Vegeta left, Bulma rose with a splitting headache. Her eyes were sore and poofy, and her nose was congested. She had spent the majority of the night crying, and it took all her strength to pull her body out of bed and head to the shower. She had to be ready soon, she had three interviews today, and it was already 9:30. After calling her mother to her room for assistance, Bulma had managed to make herself look normal. She had chosen a nice dusty rose-colored ensemble. It had a nice wide collar that hugged the middle of her shoulders, a fitted chest, and a little room around the middle for her growing tummy. The skirt reached her knees, with a slight slit in the back for movement's sake. Her hair had been pulled into an elegant knot at the back of her neck, and she adorned herself with pink pearl earrings and a matching necklace. Her makeup would be done at the studio.
Bulma stood and admired herself in the mirror. She wasn't really showing that much yet, but the outfit she had chosen defiantly brought out what little bit of tummy she had. It was perfect. She looked poised, refined, dignified, and pregnant. Just what she was going for.
Mrs. Briefs called for a car to be brought around the back, hoping to get her daughter inside and behind tinted windows as quickly as possible. The two women quickly exited the house, trying their best to appear calm and poised. Once inside, the driver was given instructions to the studio for Focus on Japan.
Once at the studio, they had to steady themselves. There were paparazzi everywhere, all with camera's flashing and microphones pointed to the car. The bodyguards exited first, clearing a path for the Briefs women to exit. Bernard, Bulma's personal bodyguard, opened the doors, first helping Mrs. Briefs followed by Bulma.
As soon as they saw her, shouted questions assaulted her and camera flashes clouded her vision. She felt the reassuring hand of her mother guiding her to the doors. Little by little they made their way to the studio, Bernard clearing the path all the way.
Bulma refused to speak, only smiling and waving to them, all the while hoping that she would be inside the studio soon. After what seemed like an eternity, Bulma found herself in a makeup chair, her mother smiling at her side. Soon after, she was ushered into a studio and sat in front of the most respected journalist in Japan, Ukari Moto.
The interview went nicely. All the expected questions were asked, all of which seemed innocent. In fact, Bulma would be surprised if they could make her look bad, even with creative editing, but all good things must come to an end. Before she knew what hit her, Ukari started shooting out the tough questions, and Bulma felt like a dear in the headlights.
"Ms. Briefs, it was reported that your conception happened very shortly after your break-up with long time boyfriend, Yamcha, how do you respond to these accusations?"
"Yamcha and I had a good breakup, if there is such a thing," she said with a little laugh. "I remember him saying that he wanted me to be happy, and that's why we couldn't be together. At the time, we felt the relationship wasn't going anywhere, so we ended it. Yamcha and I were together for over a decade. I felt that it was time to move on with my life. I've always wanted a child, and a friend volunteered to help. Yes, Yamcha not being there was a factor, but I can assure you, I am overjoyed to be having this baby, and Yamcha and I are still friends, despite rumors." Bulma finished, hoping she was careful enough.
"It was also speculated that you were not artificially inseminated, that you were in fact having an affair with a man named Vegeta. Is this true?" Ukari inquired, pleasant face in tact, yet her eyes glittered like a cat that had caught a mouse.
"I was not impregnated by human means, but yes, Vegeta is the father, or rather, donor. The baby will know who his or her father is, but we have yet to decided how much contact the baby will have with Vegeta." Bulma answered with a polite smile, delighted in the shocked expression on Ukari's face.
"So where Vegeta now?" Ukari fired away, clearly not expecting to get any information about the father out of Bulma.
"I'm not sure where he is, just that he left yesterday on a personal assignment."
"What is your relationship with him?"
"He's a friend and a house guest."
"What's his full name?"
"I prefer not to say"
"What does he do?"
"He has a military background for his home country"
"Where is he from?"
"Far away. I hope you understand, but part of my agreement with Vegeta is that I wouldn't be giving out his personal information." Bulma said with another sugary smile and a light laugh.
"Understood. Alright Ms. Briefs, I believe we have all we need, Thank You for coming today." Ukari spoke, fake pleasantries radiating of her.
"Thank you for your time, Ms. Moto." Bulma said.
The interview with Celebrity Chic was similar, yet very different. Instead of focusing on Bulma and Vegeta, they wanted the info on Yamcha. It seemed that a poll they conducted showed that sixty-eight percent of the public thought Yamcha had been out of line. By the time they were done, Bulma was promised a tasteful piece done on her and Yamcha to help smooth over the public image of them both, in exchange for a donation to the magazine. Of course, Bulma agreed, only if she was guaranteed that nothing negative would ever be printed about her, her friends, or her family in their magazine, ever.
Needless to say, she was exhausted, and she still had the worst of them all to face. The Red Beacon, the interview that had started it all. However, Bulma wasn't one to sit down and take abuse. She had gone through too much in her life to let a little man with a pen scare her. She had a plan, and The Red Beacon will have wished they had never printed that story on her.
Next Chapter: Bulma's Beacon
I think I've lost my muse when it comes to this fic. I hate this chapter, so I'm going to try to move the story a long a lot more in the next. It's haven't reached the climax yet, but it's coming soon, then I'll begin to wrap it up. There may be a sequel, but I'm going to work on my inuyasha fic next. It's been sitting there since before I started this fic, and I'd really like to get it going again.
Well, read and review, and hopefully by Wednesday, I'll have the next chapter out, that one will have vegeta in it, I promise.
Kanjizai
Being pregnant isn't easy. It isn't easy if you're rich with a wonderful family, it isn't easy if your middle-class with just the father at your side, and it isn't easy if you're poor and alone. No matter what your lot in life, no matter the family and friends you have, no matter the manner the baby came to be, being pregnant isn't easy.
Bulma's pregnancy was easier in some aspects than other women's, but it was harder on others. Yes, she had all the money she could ever need, but with it came the price of privacy. Yes, she had the best medical team money could buy, but it couldn't buy assurance that no one would find out that her baby wasn't normal. Yes, she had a wonderful family that gave her more support and love than she could ask for, yet she didn't have the father of her baby by her side.
Needless to say, it was not ideal.
She was relieved that Yamcha seemed to be the only one of her friends that knew about her baby, yet at the same time it was rather unsettling that none of them had bothered to check up on her lately. Yeah, they had to train for the androids, but she had Vegeta under her roof. None of them liked the idea that he was around. He was even responsible for the deaths of some of her friends, yet they didn't even bother to call her to make sure Vegeta hadn't killed them all yet.
Bulma didn't know why she didn't want her friends to know. She wasn't really ashamed. In fact, she was rather proud of the fact that she had been the one to crack through Vegeta's tough shell...but at the same time, she didn't need them to look down upon her. She knew that that is what would happen. They offer to kill Vegeta for raping her, and when she told them that she voluntarily went to his bed, their looks of rage would turn to disgust, and then she would loose what little friends she had. It was for the best to wait until the baby was born for them to find out. After all, who could hate a baby?
The morning after Vegeta left, Bulma rose with a splitting headache. Her eyes were sore and poofy, and her nose was congested. She had spent the majority of the night crying, and it took all her strength to pull her body out of bed and head to the shower. She had to be ready soon, she had three interviews today, and it was already 9:30. After calling her mother to her room for assistance, Bulma had managed to make herself look normal. She had chosen a nice dusty rose-colored ensemble. It had a nice wide collar that hugged the middle of her shoulders, a fitted chest, and a little room around the middle for her growing tummy. The skirt reached her knees, with a slight slit in the back for movement's sake. Her hair had been pulled into an elegant knot at the back of her neck, and she adorned herself with pink pearl earrings and a matching necklace. Her makeup would be done at the studio.
Bulma stood and admired herself in the mirror. She wasn't really showing that much yet, but the outfit she had chosen defiantly brought out what little bit of tummy she had. It was perfect. She looked poised, refined, dignified, and pregnant. Just what she was going for.
Mrs. Briefs called for a car to be brought around the back, hoping to get her daughter inside and behind tinted windows as quickly as possible. The two women quickly exited the house, trying their best to appear calm and poised. Once inside, the driver was given instructions to the studio for Focus on Japan.
Once at the studio, they had to steady themselves. There were paparazzi everywhere, all with camera's flashing and microphones pointed to the car. The bodyguards exited first, clearing a path for the Briefs women to exit. Bernard, Bulma's personal bodyguard, opened the doors, first helping Mrs. Briefs followed by Bulma.
As soon as they saw her, shouted questions assaulted her and camera flashes clouded her vision. She felt the reassuring hand of her mother guiding her to the doors. Little by little they made their way to the studio, Bernard clearing the path all the way.
Bulma refused to speak, only smiling and waving to them, all the while hoping that she would be inside the studio soon. After what seemed like an eternity, Bulma found herself in a makeup chair, her mother smiling at her side. Soon after, she was ushered into a studio and sat in front of the most respected journalist in Japan, Ukari Moto.
The interview went nicely. All the expected questions were asked, all of which seemed innocent. In fact, Bulma would be surprised if they could make her look bad, even with creative editing, but all good things must come to an end. Before she knew what hit her, Ukari started shooting out the tough questions, and Bulma felt like a dear in the headlights.
"Ms. Briefs, it was reported that your conception happened very shortly after your break-up with long time boyfriend, Yamcha, how do you respond to these accusations?"
"Yamcha and I had a good breakup, if there is such a thing," she said with a little laugh. "I remember him saying that he wanted me to be happy, and that's why we couldn't be together. At the time, we felt the relationship wasn't going anywhere, so we ended it. Yamcha and I were together for over a decade. I felt that it was time to move on with my life. I've always wanted a child, and a friend volunteered to help. Yes, Yamcha not being there was a factor, but I can assure you, I am overjoyed to be having this baby, and Yamcha and I are still friends, despite rumors." Bulma finished, hoping she was careful enough.
"It was also speculated that you were not artificially inseminated, that you were in fact having an affair with a man named Vegeta. Is this true?" Ukari inquired, pleasant face in tact, yet her eyes glittered like a cat that had caught a mouse.
"I was not impregnated by human means, but yes, Vegeta is the father, or rather, donor. The baby will know who his or her father is, but we have yet to decided how much contact the baby will have with Vegeta." Bulma answered with a polite smile, delighted in the shocked expression on Ukari's face.
"So where Vegeta now?" Ukari fired away, clearly not expecting to get any information about the father out of Bulma.
"I'm not sure where he is, just that he left yesterday on a personal assignment."
"What is your relationship with him?"
"He's a friend and a house guest."
"What's his full name?"
"I prefer not to say"
"What does he do?"
"He has a military background for his home country"
"Where is he from?"
"Far away. I hope you understand, but part of my agreement with Vegeta is that I wouldn't be giving out his personal information." Bulma said with another sugary smile and a light laugh.
"Understood. Alright Ms. Briefs, I believe we have all we need, Thank You for coming today." Ukari spoke, fake pleasantries radiating of her.
"Thank you for your time, Ms. Moto." Bulma said.
The interview with Celebrity Chic was similar, yet very different. Instead of focusing on Bulma and Vegeta, they wanted the info on Yamcha. It seemed that a poll they conducted showed that sixty-eight percent of the public thought Yamcha had been out of line. By the time they were done, Bulma was promised a tasteful piece done on her and Yamcha to help smooth over the public image of them both, in exchange for a donation to the magazine. Of course, Bulma agreed, only if she was guaranteed that nothing negative would ever be printed about her, her friends, or her family in their magazine, ever.
Needless to say, she was exhausted, and she still had the worst of them all to face. The Red Beacon, the interview that had started it all. However, Bulma wasn't one to sit down and take abuse. She had gone through too much in her life to let a little man with a pen scare her. She had a plan, and The Red Beacon will have wished they had never printed that story on her.
Next Chapter: Bulma's Beacon
I think I've lost my muse when it comes to this fic. I hate this chapter, so I'm going to try to move the story a long a lot more in the next. It's haven't reached the climax yet, but it's coming soon, then I'll begin to wrap it up. There may be a sequel, but I'm going to work on my inuyasha fic next. It's been sitting there since before I started this fic, and I'd really like to get it going again.
Well, read and review, and hopefully by Wednesday, I'll have the next chapter out, that one will have vegeta in it, I promise.
Kanjizai