Chapter 15

2 Months later…

"Oh my Kami, how much longer are you planning on staying in there?" Bulma spoke in a teasing manner to the large bump on her abdomen, patting it gently with a soft smile on her face.

"I don't really get why you're surprised Bulma. When you think about who his father is, it's no big shock he intends to take his own time making his way into the world." Yamcha joked with a grin on his face, which he tried to swallow when she sent him a small glare.

For the past two months, Yamcha had been coming by occasionally to visit Bulma and her parents. Ever since that day they had buried the hatchet, it had been smooth sailing between them. Whenever he wasn't around, he was in the desert training as hard as he could. He'd made a tremendous leap in his training and was significantly stronger than when Frieza had arrived on Earth. Bulma was extremely proud of him and his achievements, though she always felt a smidgeon of guilt when she thought about the driving force of his training. His anger towards her and Vegeta had played a huge role in his quest to become stronger. It was a bittersweet moment. Their friendship had been restored and now that they were no longer romantically involved, it was stronger than ever before.

Right now, they were sitting on the balcony in Capsule Corp, soaking in the warm afternoon sun. It was a beautiful day and they were taking full advantage of it.

But…

For a few hours, Bulma had been feeling slightly uncomfortable with the occasional cramp on her lower back. In the beginning she didn't think too much of it since for the past couple of days, she'd experienced a good number of false alarms. Eventually she'd just stopped paying attention to them and as she had expected, they'd gone away as soon as they came. Today, however, they were more persistent and they were a bit more intense than usual. Still, she was taking them all in stride.

The heiress narrowed her eyes with mock animosity at the bandit and pointed her finger at him, "Yeah yeah, yuck it up while you still can. I bet that in three years, you won't have the same bravado when Trunks is busy kicking your ass." Bulma giggled at the mental image of her baby boy raising his pudgy little fists at Yamcha, challenging him to a tiny sparring match. It would be the cutest thing she'd ever witness, she just knew it.

Yamcha shook his head at her, a small chuckle escaping him at that comment. He wasn't planning on arguing that point because it might just be the truth. That kid would be a real force to be reckoned with. With Vegeta as his father, there wasn't a chance in hell that he would end up the same way Gohan was when he first met him all those years ago. He fell silent, thinking back to when the saiyans had first made themselves known to the group.

'Has it really been that long since Goku's brother came to the Earth? That long since we trained for the arrival of Vegeta and his partner? That long since some of us had died and then were brought back to life?'

"Yo, Earth to Yamcha? Hello?" Bulma waved her hand in front of Yamcha's face, snapping him out of his reviere. He'd been quiet for a while and could tell he was spaced out, which wasn't unusual for him. It was the look on his face that caught her attention. He looked almost...nostalgic. But it was more of a melancholic type of nostalgia. It worried her a little bit.

"Sorry Bulma, I was just thinking about something. A lot of things actually." He looked over at her with a small frown on his face. "Can you believe how fast time has passed since Goku's brother came to Earth and how much has gone down since then? It feels like just yesterday since we were training to save the world from Vegeta and his lackey."

Bulma laid her head on her hand, a faraway look in her eyes as she thought back to those times.

"Well, now that you mention it...gosh it really doesn't feel like we went to Namek to search for the dragon balls all that long ago. And then Frieza showed up two years ago looking for Goku. Plus that mysterious kid came from the future to tell us that a couple of killer androids are on their way."

"Mm-hm. But there's something that's been bothering me for a while now." He looked at her with an uneasy expression. "I can't help but wonder...what if Goku doesn't recover from the virus? What if he ends up dying just like that kid said?" Yamcha raised his hand to stop Bulma from arguing.

"Come on, let's be real for a second. You know Goku as well as I do. He hates relying on anything to better himself or his condition and we all know that doesn't fall on training alone. He may just decide to not take that medicine if he doesn't feel like he's getting sick."

She had to admit that he made a solid point. That damn Goku was just as prideful as Vegeta, always thinking of something that's meant to help him as some sort of crutch. It was an admirable quality as much as it was infuriating.

"Kami, it actually bugs me how right you are about that." Bulma chewed on her thumb as her mind wandered for a second before shaking those thoughts away.

"But I don't think it'll come to that. Even if it does, everyone's been training to their limit and even further. I'm confident that we can overcome this and prevent our future from going in the same direction as that kid's. We will win this and it'll all be over, Yamcha."

"Yeah but that's the thing." The desert bandit turned to face Bulma fully, his face unusually serious. "What if it doesn't end there? For the past five or so years, it's been fight after fight. The saiyans, Frieza and his goons, Garlic Jr, Frieza again and now in about a year's time, the androids. What if after this, someone even worse than the androids comes along? We won't come out the winning side forever."

Bulma reached across the table and held onto his hands, her face marred with anxiety. "Yamcha, come on, don't talk like that."

"I'm just saying, one day it might not matter how much we train, it may not be enough to help us. It's worth considering, don't you think?"

"Yes, but that's for another day. Our main priority right now is defeating the androids. That's more than enough for now. Look Yamcha, our future has already changed thanks to that young boy. I refuse to believe that he came here for nought. We can get through this and all live to tell the tale. Once that's over then we can worry about the future." She squeezed his hands and gave him a bright smile.

"For now, let's not waste this gorgeous day with matters that aren't in our control. We can worry about it when the time comes. Okay?"

"Okay." He gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry I got all heavy there for a minute. It was just some things that I'd been wondering about lately."

"Eh, don't sweat it. It's alright."

They carried on talking for a while before deciding to go back into the compound. Bulma began to get up but a painful contraction hit her and she hissed in pain. She grabbed onto the edge of the table and waited for it to pass.

"Hey, you alright B?" Yamcha walked around slowly towards her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She breathed out, panting through the pain. "This has been happening for a few days, it's nothing new." Bulma let out a sigh of relief when it passed and stood at her full height.

POP!

The heiress stood still for a second before slowly looking down. Her eyes widened when she saw the small puddle around her slipper-clad feet.

"Uh...oh.."

"What's the prob..oh sick!" The martial artist quickly stepped back when he saw the puddle around Bulma's feet. "Couldn't you hold it until we got inside?!"

Bulma looked up sharply at the clueless man in front of her and growled her indignation at his assumption.

"You idiot! I didn't pee on myself, my water broke! I'm about to give birth!"

"What?! Are you sure?!" He asked, his face wrought with panic.

"Yes, I'm sure!" She took a deep breath to try and calm herself down. "Look, all this shouting isn't helping me right now. Help me to the infirmary, we'll take it from there."

"Okay." Before she could say anything, Yamcha lifted her into his arms and quickly made his way to the medical wing, passing Mrs Briefs on the way there.

"Hey Mom, my water broke! Call the doctor!" Bulma speedily told her mother before she was out of sight. Once they got infirmary, he gently placed her onto one of the beds.

"Hopefully Mom heard me when I spoke at the speed of sound and called the doctor. She's probably so excited that she's a nervous ball of energy right now." Bulma giggled at the thought and placed her hand on her abdomen.

"Well, looks like you answered my question from earlier. Today's the day we get to meet you after all."

Yamcha looked at Bulma speaking to her bump in silence, a little smile on his face. It was good to see her looking so happy to meet her son, even if the man who gave him to her wasn't here to witness the birth.

'Not that it matters either way. If he was here, he probably would've cooped himself in the gravity room anyway.'

Some time later, Bunny and Dr Briefs entered the room with Dr Himiko close behind them.

"Oh how wonderful! My baby is about to have a baby of her own! This is so exciting!" Bunny rushed to Bulma's side and fussed over her, rearranging her pillows to make sure she was as comfortable as possible.

"Mom, I'm okay. Stop fussing." Bulma smiled at her mother's antics. Honestly the woman looked more nervous than her.

"How are you feeling, dear?" Her father came up to her, Kitty sitting on his shoulder.

"I'm kinda nervous but mainly, really anxious to meet my son." Bulma wrung her hands on her lap, trying to get them to stop shaking.

"It's perfectly normal to feel nervous, Miss Briefs. I wouldn't worry too much though. I brought my finest team along with me. This might sound a bit cliche but rest assured, you're in good hands." She smiled warmly at Bulma, putting her at ease. "Alright, let's get you ready."

About six hours later, Bulma was lying on the bed after getting the epidural, writhing in pain at the lengthy contractions. It was near unbearable! How did some women do this four times?! Voluntarily!

Dr Himiko checked her once again to gauge how far she was. "Okay Bulma, you're fully dilated. Get ready to start pushing."

Bunny stood at her side, holding her hand the whole time. Bulma felt the next contraption come along and, upon the doctor's instruction, pushed as hard as she could. Ten minutes later, Bulma was sweaty, sore and utterly exhausted. Her mother was stroking her head, whispering sweet words of encouragement.

"Alright Bulma, you're almost there. Just one more push! Give it all you've got!" The good doctor encouraged her heartily.

"Ahhhhh!" Bulma yelled with all her might, using up the last of her strength. She felt an immense pressure and then….

Relief.

"Thank sweet merciful Kami that's over." She fell back onto her pillow, panting heavily for breath. The heiress felt tears prick at her eyes when she heard the sweetest sound in the whole world. The cries of her newborn baby.

"Congratulations Bulma. You've got a beautiful baby boy, tail and all." Dr Himiko smiled in adoration. The Briefs had already informed her about the odd nature of her baby and she had sworn her confidentiality. Only she and her team that was currently with her knew the truth. She handed the newborn to his exhausted mother, who held her arms out eagerly.

"Hi there baby. Mommy's so happy to meet you." Tears of joy were streaming down Bulma's face. She was convinced that there wasn't a more perfect baby than the one she held in her arms at that moment. By then, Yamcha and her father had already made their way into the room and were all gazing at the newest addition to the family with wonder in their eyes.

"Do you have a name for him darling?" Bunny asked her daughter.

"Yeah I do." She smiled down at her son, love and elation shining brightly from her sapphire eyes. "His name is Trunks." Her smile brightened even further when Trunks opened his strikingly identical eyes and looked up at her. His little tail swayed for a moment before wrapping itself around her pinky finger.

"Oh that is so precious." Bunny cooed at the heartwarming sight, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.

"It is indeed." Dr Briefs agreed with his wife, his eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Congratulations, Bulma. He's perfect, just like his mom." Yamcha said to her, a big grin on his face. Although, he couldn't help but feel a small hint of sadness at the sight. Once upon a time, he had wanted the same thing for Bulma and himself: A family of their own. And now, she had a baby with a man who didn't realise how lucky he was to have what he did. He didn't like it but he'd learn to accept it.

Little did he know, Bulma was having similar thoughts. She couldn't help but feel slight resentment towards Vegeta for not being present for the birth of his son, their son. She knew that he was aware she was pregnant, he just didn't give a damn. Loathe as she was to admit it, even to herself, it hurt. It really did.

'It doesn't matter anymore. Trunks is here and that's all that matters.'

The months passed and Bulma was more busy than ever before. In the beginning she'd been spazzed out of her mind. Her son was a bit of a handful. It had been an absolute mission trying to work out a feeding schedule for him. He ate a lot more than the average baby so she had stopped breastfeeding a few days after he was born. She'd started feeding him from the bottle and was surprised when he finished three bottles of formula per day. Bulma shouldn't have been shocked though, considering who his father was. By now, she had worked out a feeding plan and now everyone was happy.

Something else she was thankful for was his sleeping patterns. Trunks usually slept through the whole night, though at times she had her fair share of waking up at two or three in the morning when he let the whole compound know he was awake and needed her. Her mother, bless her soul, had been a tremendous help with him. Sometimes when Bulma went to his nursery to check on him, her mother would be there already tending to him. She took her role as grandma very seriously and Bulma was all the more grateful to have a mother like hers.

And now, at almost a year old, Trunks was a little force to be reckoned with. He was quite intelligent for his age.

'Obviously he's a little genius. I am his mother after all.' Bulma thought to herself. He was also quite strong for his age, already trying his best to learn how to walk. It was the most precious thing in the world to watch. Anybody with a working pair of eyes could see that he was the mirror image of his father, especially when he scowled at anybody who didn't give him what he wanted.

"Alright Bulma, I'm going to head out now. We have a big day tomorrow." Yamcha informed her, his face looking slightly grim.

Tomorrow was May 12th, the day the androids were due to arrive. Yamcha had come by after finishing off his training and had decided to hang around for a while. She could tell that he was nervous about tomorrow's fight. Honestly, she was sure everyone was on the edge now, herself included. It was a fight for their lives. Again.

"Before I leave, I need you to promise me you won't be anywhere near the fight tomorrow. Usually nobody minds if you spectate from a distance but now, it's too dangerous. I don't want you to get hurt."

Bulma smiled softly at the concern shining in his dark eyes. "You don't have to worry about me Yamcha. I won't be in the way, I promise. Besides, I'm the technological genius of the group. Dr Gero may be a genius but he's not perfect. I could help you guys by finding a weak point in their design."

The bandit merely sighed at her reasoning, knowing it was no use trying to dissuade her any more. Once she made up her mind, it was impossible to try and change it. Plus, he knew the real reason she wanted to go tomorrow. It had to do with a certain Saiyan Prince, although she'd bite his head off if he voiced his opinion.

"Alright, whatever you say Bulma." He walked to the door with Bulma in tow. He turned around to face her once more.

"I'll check you later, B." He waved at her and flew off into the distance to his home. As he flew, a sense of foreboding came over him, making him feel slightly nauseous.

'I really hope we can make it through this tomorrow. We just have to.'

Later that evening, Bulma was warming up a bottle for Trunks in the kitchen. Her parents had retired to their rooms earlier so it was just her and her son, who was resting on her hip impatiently waiting for his bottle.

"I swear, you're as bad as your daddy when it comes to food, Trunks." She said to him, laughing at the answering scowl he sent her. When it was done, she retrieved it and made her way to Trunks' room. Halfway there, she felt a slight tremor run through the building. She frowned when the force of the tremor increased gradually before suddenly…

BOOM!

Bulma steadied herself against the wall when the compound shook at the sudden violent shake. And just as quickly as it came, it passed.

'That was no earthquake…'

Her heart started racing when she thought about the true cause of that tremor. Could it be….

Trunks' cries broke her out of her stupor and she quickly made her way to his room. "There, there. It's alright sweety." She walked around his room, rubbing his back with comforting circles, trying to calm him down.

"Honey, is everything alright?" Bulma turned at the sound of her mother's voice.

" Yeah, everything's fine mom. Don't worry about it. You can go back to sleep." When Bunny left, Bulma sat on the rocking chair and swayed back and forth in a relaxing manner. Trunks' cries turned into small hiccups. When he had calmed enough, she brought the bottle to his mouth and held it for him as he drank his fill.

"Quite the noisy little brat, isn't he?"

The heiress ceased her movement at the sound of that rich baritone. Had it been anyone else, she would've chewed them out for calling her son a brat.

But this wasn't just anyone.

Bulma stood up and turned to face the source of the voice.

There, leaning against the doorframe, dressed in torn armour and wearing his infuriating, trademark smirk was none other than the Saiyan Prince himself.

"Did you miss me, Woman?"

Vegeta.

Author's Note: Wow, quite a bit happened here, didn't? It was an eventful chapter, that's for sure. Needless to say, It was a real fun chapter to write.

As always, a huge thank you to RoyalBlueRoses and Becky L. Sly for your reviews on the last chapter. Don't forget to check out their fics, Gemini Saga and What If: Namek respectively. They're worth it, I guarantee it.

Stay safe, healthy and happy everyone. Try to smile as much as you can, especially in these dreary times. Please R and R. Peace, love and pixie dust to you all. Until next time my dudes! RR18