Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations I put them in. Everything else belongs to someone else so no suing poor me. Thanks for reading and please review because I'd love to hear from you!

From Caring to Ohhing

Walking into the store Bulma smiled over at Vegeta, overflowing with good will since he'd not only let her keep her grip on his arm but hadn't bolted at the door so that she'd had to drag him back. "Doesn't it smell wonderful in here?"

It smelled girlie, Vegeta decided, not finding anything appealing about that. It was too sweet and pink somehow. How anything could smell like a color he wasn't sure but it was what sprung to mind. "Lets just get this over with." He stated, not wanting to stay in this showroom full of expecting mothers longer than he had to. What if one went into labor or wanted to talk about the whole bloody process? He'd rather have his head shaved bald like Goku's idiot side kick.

"You're such a shopaholic." Was her dry response, her amusement plain.

"Ms. Briefs! Oh, Ms Briefs, welcome back!" The supervisor gushed as she came over, a motherly looking woman in her early fifties with the sort of smile that had Vegeta wondering if she was taking anything to smile so widely. No one could possibly be that happy working around women who could pop out a baby at any moment. A person would have to be on something to work here.

"Hello, Tandy." Smiling back Bulma could literally feel her former lover recoil from the supervisor blinding smile. Vegeta had a very, very low tolerance for perky people. The sooner she got these two away from each other the better. For Tandy. "I just brought Vegeta to see that cradle to get his opinion, I'm under strict orders not to even look at anything else."

"Like that's ever stopped you before."

Giving Vegeta dark look Bulma's eyes plainly threatened retribution if he went into lecture mode about her spending habits. Like he was one to talk after all. She paid for everything he owed! If it weren't for her he'd have nothing in his closet but training outfits for Christ sakes.

"Oh! Is this your young man?" The older woman asked, her curiosity plain as she looked the scolding man over. Well he certainly was well built, she thought, and handsome in a rugged, almost harsh way. He must be a sweetie underneath though, to come and take Bulma cradle shopping. So few men today took an active interest in their special someone, too busy with their work and own pursuits to participate in this special time. It just went to show that you couldn't judge a book by its cover. This young man looked like a cold hearted warrior but had come to a baby store to look at furniture to please the mother of his child, she thought with a gooey sigh. Her own husband had only cared about the price of her purchases, she thought darkly.

"He's the baby's father, yes." Bulma answered before Vegeta opened his mouth and said something that would cause her to be obligated to hit him. That would just end painfully for the both of them. "Is the cradle still on display?"

"Of course, it's one of our best sellers." Tandy agreed, already turning to lead the way. This would be quite the commission and if she'd brought the father than obvious she was serious about this one. Which just happened to be the most expensive one in the store, bless her soul. "So has the baby started kicking very hard yet, Ms. Briefs?" Tandy asked, slipping into sell mode.

"A couple of times but baby is still being pretty good about not playing kick ball with mommy's tummy just yet. Either that or baby inherited a certain someone's stubbornness about doing what mommy wants." Was Bulma's sly response which widened as that someone sent her a dark look.

Following because he didn't have much of a choice as they chattered on about things he'd rather not think about it didn't take him long to notice that he was the only male in the whole room. Dammit, he was surrounded by females with no rational individuals in sight. Pregnant women were emotional time bombs just waiting to go off at the slightest thing, Vegeta thought darkly, recalling vividly the night before when Bulma had started balling over a baby diaper commercial. If anyone started crying he was going to be out of there so fast their heads would spin. It was everyone for themselves when it came to tears and babies combine.

Arriving at the cradle display area Bulma tugged him over to a beautiful oak cradle polished a high gleam as it spun around slowly on its podium. "So, what do you think?"

"It looks like the second cradle you got and sent back." In fact, he couldn't really see the difference between the two. God but her hormones had made her screwy in the head. There had been nothing wrong with either cradle and this just proved his point. She'd gone buggy thanks to the baby and had lost what little common sense she'd had in the first place.

"You think so?" Chewing on her bottom lip Bulma considered the cradle she'd been so hyped about before but was now rethinking, much to Tandy's horror. "But this is oak instead of walnut."

"And do you really think the sort of wood used is going to effect whether or not it's a good cradle?" Vegeta pointed out, rolling his eyes at her stupidity. "You should be considering the features anyway, rather than the color of the thing." At least that's what made the most sense to him. Some of the ugliest space ships he'd ever been in had been light years better than the sleek beauties others turned out by the dozens. When it came down to it what was under the hood was a lot more important then what the hood looked like. A hood that was liable to get banged to hell anyway if used. He had no idea what made a good cradle but the woman had been reading about every subject remotely related to babies so she had to have some idea.

"You've got a point." As much as she hated to admit it. Letting go of Vegeta's arm she walked over to the cradle, fisting her hand as she slid it through the bars. "Depending on how big the baby's head is it could get stuck between these bars." She said with a frown, ignoring Tandy's breathy sales pitch. "And wood is a really hard material, we'd have to pad it really well since the baby's bound to be extremely active like his daddy. I liked this one because he could grow up in it and it would last a while but now I'm not so sure. What do you think, Vegeta?"

"I think you should just make one."

"What?" Surprised Bulma turned her head to look at him questioningly, her mind already whirling with possibilities as his words sank in.

"Well you've found fault with almost every cradle and piece of baby furniture you've looked at so far. Why don't you just build the furniture to your specifications. Anything we have at home that you don't like you remodel." He pointed out logically, only surprised that she hadn't thought of it early. "It would give you something to do, designing the things, and if you aren't able your father and I can put it together."

Bulma wasn't sure which shocked her more, him calling their house home or that such an awesome idea had come out of his battle obsessed mind. Smiling hugely she hurried over and pulled the surprised Saiyan into a big hug. "That's a wonderful idea, Vegeta! I can't believe I didn't think of it before. Thank you!"

Tolerating the hug he was glad she was happy, even if she had hugged him in public in front of everyone. She seemed to feel like hugging everyone lately. "Whatever. Can we go now?"

Laughing Bulma grinned up at him, leaning forward to startle him with a quick kiss on the cheek. "Yeah, we can definitely go now. I won't even make you take me shoe shopping like I'd planned."

"Thank the Gods."

As soon as they got home Bulma started her plans which kept her busy for the rest of the week since she kept throwing out her old designs and starting new ones. She was a woman on a mission and Vegeta couldn't have been happier. She wasn't asking to go shopping, she wasn't crying around him, she wasn't around period. Life was good. Oh she popped in occasionally to get his opinion but usually she had the sense not to and left him alone. Today was not one of those days though, Vegeta thought as he lowered himself to the ground once he'd caught sight of her coming into his training room with several rolled up pieces of paper under her arm. "What do you want?" He asked, not that he didn't already know. Hopefully this would be about actually building the thing rather than critiquing another one of her creations. If any of them had clowns on them he was going to rip it up, even if it made her cry again. No son of his was going to sleep in a giant clown. Over his dead body.

"I want to show you my top three sketches." Bulma explained as she held the first one out to him. "I'm getting everyone's vote and which ever one gets the most voted is the one I'll get you and Daddy to make for me."

Taking the first on Vegeta unrolled it and scanned it before holding it back out to her to take back. Rolling her eyes at him she did so, handing him her favorite as she waited to see if it would get the same treatment. Unrolling it Vegeta scanned then paused, considering. It was the best she'd done so far, calling for a lot of decorative carving on the sides. It was old fashioned, sturdy and wouldn't be easy for the baby, half Saiyan or not to break. At least not for the first couple of months. Handing that one back he took a look at the third, giving it the same treatment as the first. "The second one."

Taking it back Bulma knew better than to tell him she agreed with him. He'd probably change his answer just to annoy her. "I figure you and Daddy can put it together and than I'll do the carving on the sides. I can sit down to do that part." Thankfully. God, if this baby got much bigger she was going to bed while she was still able to move without people thinking they were under attack by either Godzilla or an earthquake.

"Whatever." He didn't really want to make the damn thing but it was light-years better than taking the woman shopping. Even when he made her make a list she deviated from it. How hard was it to read a list and stick with those items, for Christ sakes.

"I really appreciate you helping, Vegeta. Years from now, when the baby grows up and has children of his own he'll use this cradle and tell the baby all about how grandpa made it for him." Bulma could see that Vegeta didn't find that idea nearly as appealing as she did. She knew that he was probably only helping her to get out of future shopping trips but she'd decided not to care about that. What mattered was that she and Vegeta would be making this together, a heirloom for their baby to treasure and maybe some day use for his own child. She liked that idea. That maybe generations from now it would be a family keepsake that she and Vegeta had built with their own hands. Plus, she could always lie to their child and say Vegeta had wanted to make it. He had after all, just not for the usual reasons.

Trying to imagine himself as a grandfather Vegeta decided he didn't want to think about that until he had to. Grandchildren would mean the further dilution of the Saiyan race and it was hard enough knowing that all that remained of his once glorious race was Goku, Gohan, himself and this child of theirs. How utterly depressing was that?

"What are you thinking?" Bulma wanted to know, catching the glimpse of something similar to pain in his eyes. Had he pulled something while he trained? It certainly wouldn't be the first time. He hated when she asked if he'd hurt himself training, taking offense at the idea that he could be hurt, even though he'd battered his body beyond recognition too many times to count "Do you have a headache?" She asked instead, opting for safer ground. No would could control a bad headache after all, not even a Saiyan.

"No, I simply dislike being reminded that we've been reduced to human females in order to carry on our Saiyan line." Perhaps it was harsh, he saw the flash of hurt in her eyes, but he didn't care. Much. It was the truth after all and she'd asked.

"Well...there are worse women you could have chosen. If you'd picked..a...picked a Namek than your babies would be green!"

Raising an eyebrow Vegeta couldn't help but imagine a green Saiyan, complete with those little antenna things Piccolo had sticking out of his head. His lips twitching it took most of his control not to break out laughing at the mental imagine she'd put in his head.

Seeing the twitch Bulma couldn't resist pushing his buttons just a little more. "Or I could be really ugly and stupid, than you might have ended up with a son that looks and acts like Yajirobe."

"Even with the worst possible mother no son of mine could end up like that useless disgrace of a living being." Just the thought of having a son like that useless piece of garbage was enough to make him ill. He'd rather have no son at all.

"So, you made a pretty good choice after all then." Elbowing him in the side teasingly she grinned at him. She hadn't gotten the laugh or chuckle she'd been hoping for but he looked amused now at least, even if it was at her expense.

Narrowing his eyes Vegeta had the uncomfortable feeling that he'd fallen into another one of her traps. She always got that particular gleam in her eye when she'd successfully gotten him to do something for her without him realizing it before it was too late. He hadn't acknowledged she was better than either a Namek or an ugly and stupid woman. She was of course, not that he'd mention that to her any time soon. So what exactly had she been trying to do?...An idea occurring his eyes narrowed more, watching her simply smile back at him innocently. Had she been trying to make him laugh again?

"So very serious." She said with a mock look of serious that was so exaggerated that his mouth twitched again. "I'd ask what's going on in that pointy head of yours but I probably don't want to know."

"My head is not pointy."

"No, but since your hair only stays down when you've just gotten out of the shower you'd never know that it wasn't as pointy as your hair." She pointed out with a teasing wink. She thought about mentioning how much his hair reminded her of Treasure Trolls but thought better of it. She'd save that one for their next fight. Would he even know what Treasure Trolls were? Not likely, but he'd look it up, he always did when he didn't get her more creative, earth based insults.

"At least I don't constantly feel the need to have my hair styled and cut." Though he had to admit, the current one was a definite improvement over that poofy style she'd worn before, where it was all curly and around her face. He liked it straight and down, the way it had been when they'd first met and he'd tried to blow her up.

"Says the man who never changes his hairstyle even remotely."

"Unlike you my personal appearance isn't my top priority."

"Well duh, you're naturally beautiful. Some of us have to work at it!" Slapping her hand over her mouth as she realized what she'd said Bulma watched Vegeta's mouth actually drop in shock at what she'd said. Opps, she hadn't meant to say that.

"I can't wait until you're not pregnant anymore and your brain starts functioning again." He finally said, stuffing his hands into his pockets roughly. He couldn't believe she'd just called him beautiful. Was she completely insane? He wasn't beautiful, he was a man and a Saiyan, by the gods. Saiyan warriors sure as hell were NOT now or had ever been beautiful. Bulma was beautiful, he was a well oiled killing machine. A bad ass, he assured himself, shaken at the idea that someone, anyone, could even for a minute apply such a girlie word to him.

"There's nothing wrong with my brain." She shot back hotly, her bottom lip sticking out in a pout. He knew how she hated to have her intelligence questioned. She was about to give him hell for suggesting it wasn't when she felt a hard kick to her stomach. The inside of her stomach to be exact. "OH!"

"Oh what?" Vegeta wanted to know, curious as to what had put that expression on her face. Wasn't she supposed to yelling at him right now?

"Feel!" Grabbing his hand before he had time to yank it back she slid the calloused hand under her shirt and placed it over her stomach where the baby had been kicking insistently.

Opening his mouth to ask what the hell she thought she was doing the words died as he felt something bump against his hand. "What the hell?!"

"Say hello to baby, Vegeta."

"Oh."

I