Disclaimer: I don't own DragonBallZ.
My sincere thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I truly appreciate your supportive feedback, and the motivation you've all given me! I would like to thank Trugeta, Spring Rain of Harusame, animeprincess1452, and Wala for their encouragement! You guys are great!
To Trugeta: I see you're excited! How happy that makes me! I'm always glad to know that people are enjoying my writing. And to answer your question, you will see more of Bra and Goten! And I'm very certain you'll enjoy it! Thank you!
To Spring Rain of Harusame: Thanks so much for the review! Yeah, we'll just have to see how good of a mother Demi will be...it will be a real sight! Anyway, nice to know you're hoping for a girl! Thanks again!
To animeprincess1452: I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you, and I hope my update pace wasn't too terrible. I've been suffering from writer's block, as well as keeping busy in my college classes. College can be so frustrating.
To Wala: Thank you! And what a great way of putting that about Trunks, for you are absolutely right! The worried father in action! We'll just have to see how he does later on. And to answer your question, Demi's other half is Demon (extremely long story that is better than it sounds, believe me!) Thanks! #waves# Come again!
Here is the chapter, then!
Bulma, Chain, and Goten quickly entered the sitting area right outside the delivery room they'd been directed to. Surrounding them were husbands, grandparents, and siblings, all waiting for their new family members to arrive, hence creating even more of an apprehensive impression in the room.
Bulma gazed over to one of the calmer rooms in curiosity, and at that moment, Vegeta walked out, looking very aggravated and slightly contemplative. He grunted when he caught sight of the trio that looked at him expectantly.
"How's she doing?" Bulma asked, clearly in anticipation for a reply and clutching a pastel blue baby blanket and tiny dog plushy in her hands.
"Go and see..." He headed over to an empty row of seats while his wife dragged Chain and Goten along into the room.
The latter protested uncertainly, "Can't I just stay out here, please?" He wasn't as excited as they were to call on a woman having...ahem, contractions.
"What, you can't go in to say 'Hello' to your two friends?" Bulma snapped.
Unwillingly and mutely, he followed them into the delivery room where a midwife met them. "Family?" she whispered, and browsed at the name tags they'd filled out and put on at the hospital desk.
Bulma nodded. "We're here to check on Demi Briefs..."
"Okay, she's over here, but please try to keep a little quiet. She's really stressed," she told them, placing a finger lightly on her lips. She turned to take them to the bed nearby.
Demi, changed into a light blue hospital gown, was leaning into the white pillows, breathing like mad and sweating good-sized beads while allowing her husband to hold her hand steadily.
Trunks was apparently perturbed and uneasy, sweating almost as much as Demi while using his free hand to run his fingers comfortingly through her hair. He gazed up at the others as they approached hesitantly.
They all stared tentatively at the anxious pair. Goten was dumbfounded; never had he seen his best friend so frustrated and fearful. As for Chain, she was quite scared, and held onto her mother's hand in nervousness.
After a while, Bulma slowly set the blanket and toy over on the white table next to the bed, and they all left the room to return to the sitting area, where Bra had arrived and had taken a seat beside Vegeta.
"Well?" she wondered.
"She's having a bit of a time, I think," her mother answered, and released Chain's hand to let her jump up into one of the seats.
About half an hour later, Gohan, Videl, and Pan came through the doors and promptly approached them, each one looking somewhat excited.
"Guys, you actually came?" Goten wondered from where he sat next to Bra.
"Yes we did," his niece answered almost crossly. "Bra called and told us, so we wanted to be here. How are they?"
Bulma responded, "Okay...if you can say that."
Soon after, Goku and Chi-Chi arrived, and the latter eagerly inquired about the expecting couple, receiving an answer similar to what the others had. She sighed half-disappointedly before setting herself in one of the seats beside her husband.
"So, how long can this sort of thing take?" Pan asked her mother.
"Depends," Videl told her simply.
Several minutes later, Demi's doctor came out of the room and caught everyone's attention. "Excuse me; are you two Bulma and Vegeta Briefs?"
"That's us."
"Demi would like to see you," he said, and turned to take them into the room.
Bulma firmly grabbed Vegeta's (who was somewhat annoyed) hand, dragging him along, leaving the others behind in a type of tensed silence.
Demi was seated up straight in the bed, drinking a medium-sized cup of water, her eyes dull and her breathing prolonged into heaving sighs. Trunks still held onto one of her hands as she took infrequent gulps of her drink.
"Are you okay, love?"
"I'm still pretty sore..." she moaned faintly.
"I know, honey..."
They both looked up when they noticed the approaching figures of their mother and father(-in-law). Bulma and Vegeta couldn't help but notice the manner in which Demi appeared to be taking a break, so to speak.
"Hi, guys. How are you feeling now, are you okay? What's going on? You know some of the others have shown up."
Trunks blinked. "Oh, yeah..."
"I slowed down," Demi finally told them, and set her empty cup aside on the bedside table.
"The doctor says that technically she's still in labor, but the baby's decided to slow down, now," her husband explained.
"Oh...So, have you any idea as to how long it might be delayed?" Bulma asked, holding her hands firmly together.
"Not really...By the way, I guess, thanks for..." He lightly motioned to the gifts she'd brought earlier.
"You're welcome. I picked those up out in the hospital...Well, we'll let you two have some time to slow down..." With that, the grandparents-to-be exited the delivery room and rejoined their family and friends, who all gazed up in anticipation.
Bulma notified them of what was going on, and a few frustrated, random moans were heard...
"So how long are they going to be here, then?" a rather saddened Bra inquired.
"It depends on what the baby wants to do..."
As the late evening continued, the friends fell into conversation, each one of them reflecting on what was taking place at this very moment. "Well, Bra," Pan said to her, "are you ready to be an aunt, then?"
"Yeah," she smiled dreamily. "I've been so excited about this for a long time. I'm just so happy that I'll get to have a niece or nephew...I just hope it arrives soon. I really want to see it."
"You'll see it," Goten assured her as he listened in.
But as the night drew on, midnight grew closer, and still the baby wasn't coming; the tired gathering started to long for the comfort of home and their beds...
As for Trunks, he was thinking on too many things at once: Demi was trying to rest, but found it hard because of the pain she was in; the baby obviously wasn't coming anytime soon, and the families and friends were all just waiting (and in vain). As far as the fretful father knew, he and Demi might be here for an exceedingly long time.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt it would be best if everyone headed back home, thus he politely asked the midwife (whose intention it was, anyway, after being informed by the doctor) to let everyone know that they would be here overnight...
Well, I finally got it done! I hope you all liked it, so please let me know what you think, and review!