The Worlds Smartest

This Is The Enforcer Speaking,

This is the Epilogue as promised in the previous chapter. I hope you enjoy it. Final notes are at the end.

Now, one last time…On To The Story!

Sunset

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

"Trunks get your butt in here and get ready for your party," Bulma yelled from the balcony doors.

Two bright flashes of ki shot past her before turning to collide in a burst of energy.

"Trunk! Gohan! Don't make me come out there."

The pair changed course and raced toward her, drawing up just short of the balcony, they hovered somewhat reluctantly in front of her, their ki shimmering out of site.

"Sorry, mom." Trunks didn't look the least bit sorry as he tossed his hair out of his eyes.

"No, you're not but I suppose I can give you a pass on it this time. It's not every day a boy turns eleven. Now go to your room and get ready. You too Gohan. Everyone will be here soon."

Gohan smiled brightly at her. "Can we spar some more after the party?"

"We'll see how late it goes but maybe. Now off you get. Chi Chi will be done with the food soon."

The pair did a quick knuckle punch before Gohan took off presumably to his own home and her own son bolted toward his room. It amazed her just how much the boys enjoyed sparring and training with each other. No matter how hard they were pressed they always surpassed expectation and wanted more. They were both so powerful that it was suspected to be the combination of genetics, that their mixed heritage actually unlocked more potential rather than less.

Drifting into their closet Bulma went to the back where Trunks present was hidden away, tucked in behind her black kimono and hakama. A gift which had been hiding there for years.

She paused as she shuffled the sets out of the way. How long had it been since she'd last worn them? When had they been washed, and pressed, and hung here to be forgotten? She wasn't sure but she knew she wasn't the same girl who wore them before and her responsibilities were far greater now, far different.

They were a reminder of who she once was and just how much she'd changed.

Ghosts from her past.

Yet they did not define her.

With a wistful smile Bulma smoothed her hand down the long sleeve of the kimono before grabbing Trunks' gift and turning away. She'd chosen a different path.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

His son torn through the brightly colored paper covering his birthday present with a frightening amount of glee before giving a victory cry at whatever it revealed.

"Yes! Thank you!" he shouted before running over and giving both of his human grandsires an overly enthusiastic hug. They both winced just slightly before he let go. "You always give me the best presents. Gohan look! New training clothes."

Trunks held up a pile of black and yellow fabric. Vegeta had to hold back a wince. The colors were atrocious, but the boy always seemed to enjoy the clothes he was given by the older couple.

"Now my boy, these aren't just any old training clothes, these are special. I've made them from an extra durable material and those wristbands and shoes there can be activated to add resistance to your training. Think of them as adjustable weights." Bulma's father rocked back and forth on his heels as he spoke and smiled out from behind his huge mustache.

His son gave another whoop before immediately putting the new wristbands on and fiddling with the dials. Piccolo even deigned to lean in and admire the new technology.

Groaning he leaned closer to his mate and whispered, "Why did it have to be yellow?"

"Because they like yellow and thought it'd be cute," she whispered back.

Cute? His son had no need for cuteness but one look at the glare on Bulma's face and he kept his thoughts to himself. One of the hardest lessons he had learned over the years with his mate was that some fights were not worth the effort. Some fights he would lose no matter his argument and then Bulma would be angry for days. This was clearly one of those situations.

Instead, he turned his focus back on his son's enthusiastic gift opening as his mate quietly but with many thanks opened hers. At first Bulma fought against the gifts she would receive on Trunks' birthday, but it was the Saiyan tradition. Why would the young's mother not receive some special recognition for surviving the birthing? For raising the young? He thought it a better honor than the Earthling tradition of single a day a year that celebrated all mothers. Vegeta felt a female should be celebrated for each young she safely birthed not just once a year if she had multiple young. The birthing day celebrations were actually very similar to the Earthling traditions. Usually, it was a large feast with gifts given to both the young and the mother. Bulma added the introduction of the 'Birthday Cake' and that rapidly became a trend across the planet. The wildly colorful wrapping paper however, had not become such a popular trend. He eyed the rapidly rising pile of crumpled up multicolored wrappings.

Everyone talked excitedly over the various gifts and eyed the feast Chi Chi was laying out, but there was one more gift left to give before everyone could eat.

Bulma stood and retrieved the fabric wrapped bundle from a back room.

"Trunks, we've got one more gift for you before we cut the cake. We've been holding onto this for you for years. It's very special and you've been doing so well in your training I think it's time for you to have it. Wear it with pride. Wield it with honor."

She handed the gift over to the boy who slowly unwrapped the white fabric to reveal one of the pair of swords gifted to them by the Namekians. The one she'd chosen for Trunks had a red sheath and blue strap. It was large for the boy, but he would grow into it.

"Thank you." Trunks voice was unusually solemn as he pulled the blade free. The rooms light reflected off of the gleaming metal. It was not the first live blade he had wielded. His mother spent many hours training him and Kakarot's brat in swordsmanship, but this weapon was special. Resheathing the sword Trunks slung it across his chest with the hilt over his right shoulder.

Coming over to them Trunks wrapped his arms first around Bulma and then around himself. Vegeta pat the boy briefly on the back before he broke free. The affection was something his mate insisted upon. He could train the boy as hard as he liked but he was to show some degree of affection. Like hugs.

It took some getting used to, but he learned that the occasional display of affection was not such a bad thing and thankfully Trunks was not overly fond of the hugging. In that respect the boy took after him.

With the last gift given the feast commenced.

Taking a moment to look over the group Vegeta was amazed out how so many different individuals could come together to form what could only be described as family. Even Krillin had finally pulled it together and managed to mate Eighteen the human doctor who saved Bulma's life after her battle with Raditz. The pair sat feeding each other cake. Toma and Zuc all but wrestled over the egg rolls. The pair were some of Bulma's closest friends after all this time and while they were not the strongest of his guard, they were unquestioningly loyal to his mate. In fact, Vegeta found he trusted everyone at the gather except one person.

Yamcha.

Vegeta was not at all sure why his mate forgave the fool for…well…existing, but Vegeta still disliked the male. Thankfully the idiot brought a human female with him on this trip to keep him occupied instead of continuing to mope about losing Bulma and he would be returning back to Earth shortly because of some useless sporting event he was participating in.

Growling slightly to himself Vegeta tore his gaze away from the human to scan over the rest of the family who were doing enough talking that he was able to avoid the necessity and focus on eating instead. He was mid bite of some sort of savory beef noodle dish and doing his best to avoid the food shrapnel that Kakarot slung when his parents rose and drew the rooms attention to them.

The former king and queen still held a natural commanded and the room drew silent as attention shifted to them.

"We have a bit of an announcement to make and thought that now would be the best time as we have everyone here together today, if that is fine with you?" His father directed the question at his mate and son, both of home gave a nod of affirmation.

His mother took a deep breath and smiled before saying, "I am with young."

Vegeta choked on his food.

Bulma leapt up and actually hugged his mother before the rest of the room broke out in a round of congratulations.

Kakarot slapped him on the back and cried, "That's awesome! You're gonna be a big brother!"

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

"You could cease with the laughing now, woman," Vegeta growled as he yanked off his armor.

Shaking her head Bulma giggled, "You had noodles coming out of your nose."

"I did not."

"Did too."

"Did not."

Rolling her eyes Bulma turned to him and lay her hands on his now bare chest. "Okay big guy, whatever makes you feel better about yourself."

Frowning Vegeta said, "I would just rather not think of my parents performing the acts necessary for creating spawn."

Looking up into her mates face she could see the feint blush across his cheeks, and it warmed her heart. This, the universes strongest male, her mate, blushing at the thought of his parents having sex. "You're cute when you blush."

"I do not blush."

"Mm hum," she murmured before kissing him on the cheek. "But it did get me to thinking."

"About what?" he asked.

"Well," Bulma drew the word out, suddenly nervous. "Trunks has gotten so big, and I know Chi Chi's thinking about having another baby. And I was thinking, it's been so nice having the boys grow up together so…" her voice trailed off as Vegeta drew his brows together. Luckily, she could sense only confusion coming from him so far. Confusion she could work with. "I miss having a baby around and was hoping you might, you know, want to have another one?" His eyes went wide so she quickly went on. "It'd be good timing and I think I made it through the first pregnancy okay and I'm stronger now than I was then."

Not knowing what else to say Bulma stopped talking and switched to silently berating herself. She'd been thinking about this for a while but she'd just word vomited the question to Vegeta instead of using any of the dozen carefully thought-out speeches she'd come up with over the last few months.

Crap.

Frowning harder at her Vegeta didn't say anything for a minute before he said, "As you wish."

Bulma's mouth fell open, "Really? That easy?"

"Yes, woman. Young are a gift. I have simply been waiting for you to decide if you wanted another. I took away your choice the first time and did not want to do so again. So, if you desire more young, you may have them."

Her heart soared at the thought of another baby with Vegeta. Of once again holding such a tiny life in her arms and getting to see both of them in the face of a new little life that they'd made together.

Leaping up she wrapped her legs around his waist and said, "Well then, let's get started."

Chuckling Vegeta carried her to their bed.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

The sunset golden upon the sea before them. His mate stood nestled in his arms as they watched the day creep to an end. Her scent, fresh and clean, wrapped around him. More comforting than anything else in his life. It warmed the heart he reluctantly admitted he had.

Off in the distance his son flew across the ocean, kicking up a wild spray of water around him, before turning and shooting far off into the distance, Kakarot's young following closely behind.

Vegeta marveled at the turn his life had taken. He remembered his mother words, words he hadn't thought of in years. Words she'd spoken to sooth him in his terror at finding himself mated to an Earthling.

"My mother told me something once," Vegeta said, breaking the peaceful silence. "She told me that in every timeline we always find each other. Sometimes sooner, sometimes later, but always."

"And would you change that if you could?"

He didn't need to think about his answer, he already knew it, and it was a simple answer to a complex question. An answer that came with surprising ease. He might rail at the will of the gods under most circumstances, but in this instance, he had to agree with them.

"No. Would you?"

Bulma turned in his arms and looked up at him with a smile that could rival the setting of the sun. "Never."

Cupping Bulma's face in his hand, he felt a rare smile creeping across his face. "I love you."

"And I love you. Now kiss me."

He pressed his lips to hers and knew his soul was complete.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Final Author's Note: Wow. Somehow, I never thought I'd get here, and I had a surprisingly difficult time finding this ending because of course I could try to just keeping going and going but no. This had to find it completion. I hope I've done it justice and I hope I've done right by you, all my wonderful, constant readers. We've come so far together. I'm on my second marriage and fifteen years into my military career compared to where I was when I started and all of you have traveled that path with me in some ways big and small. This story has been written in the United States (many of them), overseas, on island, in Asia, on ships and planes and hotel rooms. Though so many, many, moves. Through tears and struggles, through life and death. And here we find ourselves. At the end. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading this, for sticking with me, for living a bit of my life with me. I hope once more that this did not disappoint. Thank you, thank you, thank.

~The Enforcer

*Fin*