AN: This took a while. That infernal writer's block has reared its ugly head once again. 'course it doesn't help that one's regular routine is thrown completely out of whack by this damned global pandemic.

Anyways, here's the (apologetically late) next chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z, Super or GT or any of the associated characters that appear in this fanfic.

Chapter 6: A Brief Discussion

She took deep steadying breaths, as she watched the microchip slowly move towards its designated slot through the magnifying glass.

Closer.

Just a little more…

"Need some help?"

She screamed, jumped, and the little chip went flying from the pincers of her tweezers. It was small enough that she didn't even hear it land. Her bewildered eyes rose to meet the near identical wide blue gaze of her future daughter's.

She wouldn't get upset. She decided, taking a deep calming breath, even though frustration was burning in her gut at the interruption. It wasn't like the young hybrid to seek her out. This was an opportunity, the chance she'd been waiting for to pick the brain of her future progeny. So, taking another cleansing breath, Bulma pushed the forfeited chip from her mind and turned her attention to Bra.

"Uhm… sorry about that." The girl said, smiling sheepishly.

"It's okay Sweetie. I'll just program another one."

"What are you working on?"

"Battlebots. I found the schematic on that disk you brought me."

"Sweet," Bra cheered, "that would really accelerate our training progress."

"The functionality of these bots are quite extensive." Bulma mused.

"I would think so. Mama has been building and improving on the original model for years at the request of Papa, as he trained and improved himself."

"Speaking of training. Why aren't you?" Bulma noted curiously.

Bra suddenly looked away, a slight blush forming on her cheeks as she chewed on her bottom lip. A lip that remarkably resembled a certain Saiyan prince's - plump and full while the top lip was slightly narrower. Something she probably only noticed because of how often she fantasized about those lips. Bulma sat back and studied the girl, trying to find and catalog other traces of the Saiyan prince in her makeup. For, while it's true the girl looked a hell of a lot like herself when she was that age, there were certain features that she now could definitely classify as coming from Vegeta. Like the shape of her jaw… and those ears peeking out from behind her blue tresses. Those were definitely not from her.

"He kicked me out." Bra answered finally, clearing her throat awkwardly and Bulma snorted. "He said he needed to focus on his own training." she continued.

"Typical," Bulma said. "He's such a grouch." she complained.

"But a cute grouch, right?" Bra teased. Now it was Bulma's turn to blush as she tried, but failed to stop the heat from rising to her cheeks.

"Yeah, well his looks is the only thing he has going for him" Bulma dismissed, attempting nonchalance.

Bra giggled, the sound tinkling and happy like wind chimes in the summer. "You know, I could argue with you, but that's just something you'll have to figure out for yourself."

Bulma remained quiet. It was rather strange speaking to her daughter like this, especially about Vegeta knowing what became of them in her timeline.

"Was he… very different? The Vegeta in your time?" She asked tentatively, and watched the brief flash of pain in Bra's blue eyes before it vanished as she drew a deep breath and a sad nostalgic smile settled on her face.

"Dad was… well he was dad. He wasn't very expressive when it comes to putting his emotions into words, not like some of the other dads I saw - those living in the bunkers at Capsule Corp. But you could tell by his actions. Words, he once told me, were just another type of weapon that people can use to manipulate you with. To rile you up, to intimidate you, to deceive and trick you into making a mistake. If you want to know someone's character you should judge them by their deeds."

"Wow… that's actually quite profound." Bulma said, a bit awed.

"Yeah, well it was an important lesson for me then, since I almost blew my cover reacting to the Androids taunts on that particular day. My point is," she continued, "That comparatively, the Vegeta in this time can be said to be quite an asshole."

Bulma snorted.

"But I've learned to look past the taunting barbs, the megalomaniac bluster and empty threats. I expect that Dad has long since learned to use the weapon of words effectively to hide the person that I know my father will become by the time I am born… If I will still be born in this timeline. It's his defense mechanism, but I think it'll fade with time as he learns to trust those around him not to bite down when he shows you his throat."

"Woah. Uhm… that's quite the analogy." Bulma stuttered and saw her shrug indifferently. "So you're getting along then?" Bulma asked.

"I think so. I think he might actually like me when I'm not being a pain in his ass - his words by the way. Papa - my Papa - told me that I am very Saiyan in my mannerisms. More so than Gohan used to be."

"I can believe that," Bulma said with a smile, "but I wonder whether that is because of the adversity of your timeline that shaped your character or if you just come by it honestly." she said, tapping her lip in contemplation.

"The age old nature versus nurture?" Bra asked skeptically, before a sly very familiar grin split her face. "There's just one way to find out, isn't there? You'll have to make me in this timeline. After you have my brother, that is."

"Hah!" Bulma laughed, "Cheeky brat"

"What do you mean?" Bra asked with feigned innocence, "This would be purely for science, Mother."

"Science… right." Bulma drawled with an eye roll.

"Think about it. You'll be able to test the theories of fate and destiny. Will the exact same child be born if you leave the conception date up to chance? Is his soul destined to exist? Is mine? Does my interference with the timeline make any difference to that particular outcome?"

"Vegeta and I don't have that kind of a relationship!" Bulma gasped, a bit scandalized at the turn of the conversation.

"Yet." Bra countered.

"Kami save me!" Bulma said, exasperated. "I don't really think this is an appropriate conversation to be having with you. Shouldn't you be worried about more age appropriate things than your own conception?"

"Mom, I'm fourteen, not four. Besides, you already gave me 'the talk' when I had my first period a year ago. Not that it would matter, seeing as there aren't a lot of people my age left in my time, and they'd have to get past Pap-" she froze, eyes widening in before they became glassy with tears, her face crumpling in anguish.

In a panic, Bulma did the only thing she could think of as she grabbed the young girl and pulled her towards her chest just as the first body racking sob tore from her throat.

Bulma stood helpless as the young girl wept in her arms. Her stomach in knots as she once again considered the severity of the threat they were all facing. When she tried to imagine that far away dystopia, a future where only a handful of the human population survives, being terrorized and steadily culled while time ticks by… her brain drew a blank. It was so ridiculous that she couldn't even imagine it. Imagine a time where they didn't succeed in protecting the planet? Not possible. Goku had always been the hope of their planet. With him on their side, failure was never an option. She guessed that it was the reason her future counterpart sent Bra back with the vaccination. Goku was always the lynch-pin in the equation. For some unfathomable reason, he is the difference between success and failure. If Goku survived, she was almost sure that the world would survive as well.

Still, to have in her arms the symbol of that failure. To see what was at stake in the form of her grieving daughter. It was heartbreaking to think about and Bulma felt her own eyes get blurry. She also felt the roiling knots in her stomach harden in resolve. She would do everything in her power to assure that that future would not come to pass. And right now, that power included equipping the defending warriors of this planet with all they needed to be ready when the time comes.

"Oh gods, I'm so sorry." Bra hiccuped and pulled away, wiping at her face. "I usually have it under control." she sniffed and took a deep steadying breath. "It's just… I sometimes forget. It sometimes feels as if he's… not gone anymore because he's here - in this time. And then I remember that I'm going back to a time where there's no more Papa and it doesn't matter what I do, there will never be a Papa for me again." Her breath hitched and Bulma rubbed a comforting hand over her trembling shoulder.

Still at a loss of what to do or say, Bulma just silently kept stroking her shoulder while she composed herself.

"It's good. I'm good." Bra reiterated. "Warriors are not supposed to cry." she stated firmly and rubbed another hand over her now splotchy face.

"Another one of future-Vegeta's pearls of wisdom?" Bulma inquired.

"Yes" Bra answered with a teary smile.

"Hah! Hypocrite. I take it he never told you about his death on Namek." Bulma snorted.

"Yes he did. Frieza killed him. Then Kakarot - I mean Goku - defeated Frieza and father was wished back to life. He was still bitter about it in our time. The fact that he didn't get a chance to repay the blood-debt when Frieza came back to Earth in that mechanical monstrosity of a body. I took great pleasure in dismembering that evil lizard so at least now he can rest in peace knowing that debt has been property paid by his blood."

"You do realize that your father is probably in hell."

"Meh, heaven is for pussies."

"Bra! Languish!"

"What? It's true. I mean, there would probably be no fighting in heaven. Papa would be absolutely miserable without anyone to fight."

"You're right there, but I digress. We were discussing your father's hypocrisy in lecturing you that warriors don't cry. I'm assuming he didn't tell you how he balled when he begged Goku to avenge the Saiyan race, just before Frieza killed him."

Bra just looked at her in stunned silence. "He did?" she whispered, bug-eyed.

"Yep," Bulma continued, "like a baby."

"No way!"

"Way. Gohan told me. He also told me how they ended up allying with him against the Ginyu Force and Frieza. It's actually what made me take a chance and invite him to the compound. I figured he can't be all that irredeemably evil if he can grieve for his race in that way. Plus the whole child soldier scenario really tugged at my heartstrings, and the fact that he ended up not killing us after he was wished back to Earth with us. I mean, he had the clear power advantage because Goku was galaxies away at the time… and I thought he looked kinda cute standing all broody-like against that tree." Bulma realized that she'd been talking quite fast for the last few sentences and that her face felt inflamed. Bra was smiling, but her grin had an edge of mischief to it, and Bulma felt the sudden need to explain herself. "So, I have a thing for bad boys. Sue me."

"I didn't say anything." Bra replied innocently.

"Whatever! The point is, crying is not a weakness. Emotions and emotional vulnerability aren't weaknesses. If anything, they can be the source of great strength."

"Like when I turned Super Saiyan for the first time?"

"Exactly"

"Present father will have a hard time accepting that."

"Vegeta has years of conditioning to overcome. Your existence is proof that he will get there… eventually."

"I don't know." she said, chewing her lip, a habit that she seemed to have inherited from Bulma herself. "He was caught off-guard in my timeline. What if he decides that he doesn't want that this time around. I mean, like you said, family and emotional vulnerability are synonymous. Something he's conditioned to avoid like the plague. I can't see Papa - as he is now - willingly subjecting himself to that."

"Hah! He can't out-stubborn me. He's going down. Even if I have to use every dirty trick in the book to make it so."

Bra regarded her silently for a long moment, before: "He doesn't stand a chance, does he?"

"I have the advantage here, my dearest Bra. He knows my name is Bulma Briefs, but he has no idea what that actually means yet. He'll find out soon enough, though."

"I don't know If I should be grossed out, or happy that my mother is confiding in me about her plans to seduce my father, since my possible conception will be the result of said plans."

"Don't get all squeamish on me now, girl. You're surprisingly mature for someone your age and thus easy to talk to." Bulma noted.

"I had to grow up fast." she answered with a nonchalant shrug. "Our family is seen as the leaders of what remains of the human race. We control the resources so the people turned to us for governing as well. It's a lot of responsibility. I hated it most of the time. I didn't take it seriously either. You and Father did most of the heavy lifting. When father died, however. I had to step into the role of protector and enforcer, being the strongest in the group. It was a steep learning curve in the beginning. People don't respect you as an authority when you're half their size and their age, and a girl to boot. I'm not as fond of being the 'bad guy' as dad used to be. Not as good as it either. Let's just say that it took a while for them to accept that I'm the new big bad that you had to cross when you stepped out of line. It's not all brute force either, I had to get very good at emotional manipulation. Luckily, I had the two best teachers in the world."

"As sad as that sounds, I don't think you're worse off because of it. You might even have more wisdom than me. Let's just say I've been rampaging through life with the recklessness that comes from knowing that there'll always be dragonballs available if stuff goes sideways. It's scary to consider a future where that is no longer the case."

Bra was just opening her mouth to reply when a thundering sound suddenly rocked through the compound, making the ground tremble and sending the loose items on the desks flying every which way. At an instant, Bra was at her side, steadying her. Bulma was about to thank her when she noted the expression on the young girl's face. A sort of far away look that suddenly morphed into panicked grimace.

"Father!" Bra suddenly yelled and she was gone so fast Bulma didn't see her leave.

It took a few milliseconds for Bulma's brain to catch on what had likely just happened before she too was running out the door towards where the Gravity Room stood.

When Bulma arrived at the scene, Bra was already digging through the smoking rubble. Bulma's heart was galloping in her chest as she considered the remains of what had once been the Gravity Trainer and the state that Vegeta must be in beneath it. The cold feeling in the pit of her stomach that bloomed at the thought of him possibly not even being alive jolted her into awareness and she rushed to assist the young girl in excavating the Saiyan Prince.

A hand suddenly burst out in front of them, causing Bulma to yell and fall back on her rump. Something pointy dug painfully into her rump, but she found that she really didn't care. He was alive. Thank Kami, she thought, hand to her chest as she watched him drag himself from the rubble with the help of Bra. The relief was short lived, and was suddenly replaced by anger.

"What the hell, Vetega?!" she shouted, getting to her feet. "You could have killed yourself! You could have destroyed part of my building if the ship was parked any closer." for the wall adjacent to where the GT stood was indeed blackened by the explosion.

"Don't blame me for your faulty machinery. This is all due to your incompetence." Vegeta replied in a raspy voice, as Bra hoisted him out of the rubble. He winced and let out a barely audible grunt as he emerged.

"Uh, mom…" Bra's voice wavered in uncertainty. Bulma's eyes were suddenly drawn to his midsection and widened in horror..

"Oh my Kami!" she gasped as she caught sight of the piece of rebar protruding from his abdomen just above his right hip. Vegeta followed her gaze and his eyes widened too.

"Shit" He hissed and moved to grip the pole.

"No!" Bulma yelled and rushed to his side, putting her hand over his to stop him. "Don't pull it out, this thing is likely the only thing keeping the blood in your body you insufferable jerk."

"For fuck's sakes Woman, I won't bleed out from this tiny little stick. I'm Saiyan." He grunted, and gripped the pole tighter.

"You're flesh and blood is what you are. Poke a hole in you and you'll leak like everyone else."

"Eh. I've had worse." he quipped.

"Oh Har-har. Seriously. Now is not the time to reveal the fact that you have a sense of humor, Vegeta. Otherwise I might just think you're actually dying" She said and moved to steady him when he swayed.

To Bra she said, "Come on, we need to get him to the hospital. This has to be surgically removed."

She looked at Vegeta worriedly. His eyelids were starting to droop and she was steadily taking more of his weight. She examined him more closely and noted that beside the pole impaling him, he also had a few contusions, small cuts all over his torso and legs, a purple bruise on his upper left abdomen that could indicate internal bleeding and a large gash across his back that was steadily dripping blood "I think it'll be better if you flew him. I'll follow in my jet. Do you know the way?"

"Yes." Bra answered sternly, then cracked a small grin. "The General Hospital 5 miles to the north, yes? We used to go there often to scavenge supplies. Of course, it was mostly a pile of rubble, like all the other buildings in the vicinity, but we could still access the sublevels."

Bra looked at the rebar again. The piece that impaled him was nearly three feet long. Before Bulma could protest, the girl's hand suddenly shone with power and she sliced the piece of metal cleanly just an inch from where it poked from his abdomen. She did the same with the piece through his back then gently lifted the now unconscious prince into her arms.

"See you at the hospital" she said, then flew off.

AN: Thanks for all the reviews you folks have left during my long absence. I really appreciated it and it motivated me to continue. Hopefully I can start writing regularly again. So until next time…