The entire month has come and gone swiftly. So many of the days have come like a blur. Bulma has returned to working in her the science department with her father. Bunny is enjoying her new grandson, whom Bulma has named Trunks Vegeta Briefs. The household has gone back to normal since Trunks has arrived…Everyone that is except Vegeta.
Bulma leaves the lab and walks back to the house. Her breasts are feeling full and achy, so she knows it is time to feed her little Trunks. She smiles. Thinking of her son always put a smile on her face. He is the cutest little baby. A combination of her and Vegeta. He is a good baby! Barely cries, and sleeps silently. You can't even tell he is a saiyain, until she begins his feedings. That kid can eat! She always ends up with very sore nipples, but the effects of breastfeeding are great. She has gone back done to her original size with no problems. She is even a little curvier than before she got pregnant. Before she walks in the house, she looks over at the gravity machine on the other side of the lawn. The small, constant humming sound lets her know it is occupied. Bulma sighs. She hasn't really spoken to Vegeta since the third day after Trunks's birth. After the baby was born, Vegeta was very attentive to her. He cleaned her, changed the sheets, helped her feed the baby and made sure she was comfortable. He never left her side that night or the next day. Even when Bulma had private doctors come to check hers and the baby's health, he watched them like a hawk. He almost blew a fuse when they began suturing the tears to her perineum. When she slept she could feel him holding her close to him as if she would slip away at any moment. Bulma tried getting him to talk to her about his feelings about the birth, but he wouldn't talk about it. She saw something in his eyes that wasn't there before. It was new. Vegeta tried to hide those eyes from her so that she couldn't see what lies in their depths, but she did see. He looked at her like she was the most important thing to his entire existence. But then it was replaced by its usual coldness. Bulma would watch him as he held Trunks. Just looking at him. She caught him smirking a few times. He had removed Trunks's tail a few hours after he was born. That had been a surprise because she thought as much as Vegeta bragged about his saiyain heritage he would have allowed him to keep it. There wasn't even a moon anymore, but he made the choice. By the third day when her parents had returned early from their trip to be there with her, he just up and left. Left and shut himself in that gravity room without so much as a word. That night before he left she could see a change in his attitude. He had become withdrawn. Brooding almost. It was like he was struggling with his thoughts. He just became cold. Then that morning he left her side. She had wanted to run after him, but she had been too sore. Her mother and father had taken over the nursing duties, but Bulma had still wanted to know what had possessed Vegeta to leave like that.
Bulma tries to forget about Vegeta and hers complicated relationship. Right now caring for her son was more important than anything else. She walks in Trunks nursery and finds her mother sitting the rocking chair holding the baby in arms. She is humming a little tune she used to hum to Bulma when she was a little girl.
"Hi mom! It's Trunks feeding time!" Bulma announces walking into the room.
Bunny looks up at Bulma and smiles.
"Okay! I'm just enjoying myself with this handsome little devil!" Bunny stands up and hands Trunks to Bulma gently.
Bulma sits down in the little wooden chair. Trunks is looking at her with an alertness that most human infants don't have. Even with her blue eyes, Bulma see's how much her son resembles his father. She sighs softly and unbuttons her blouse. She places Trunks to her swollen breast and just rocks back and forth in the chair as he sucks greedily from her. Bunny is looking a Bulma endearingly.
"You look so tired, honey. Do you want me to fix you a little snack?" Bunny asks.
"No, I'm fine. Just doing a lot of late night projects with dad." Bulma says.
"Okay. Trunks is such a sweet baby. I was thinking that maybe you should take him to get pictures. Like those pretty ones that are professionally done. That would be lovely."
"That would be nice mom."
Bunny smiles and exits the room to give her daughter some privacy. Bulma runs her index finger softly down the side of Trunks's face. His little blue eyes are watching her intently.
"Hey, kiddo. Mommy loves you so much. Your daddy is being a jerk, but so what? It doesn't bother me like it would have a year ago." Bulma whispers to Trunks. She met it too.
Whatever is going on with Vegeta is his problem. She is getting sick and tired of dealing with a man who has to fight with himself to love her. She doesn't have any time to try to figure out what is going on in Vegeta's mind. Her world did not revolve around him and his moods. She deserves better than that and so does Trunks. She loves Vegeta; is in love with him, but not enough to keep being punished every time his pride comes into play. As if loving her and their son is so awful. The suckling stops. Bulma casts her eyes downward to find her baby sound asleep. She smiles. This is all that matters to her now. If Vegeta wants a life with her, she is here and available. If not, then perhaps it is time he packs up and leaves. But will she be okay with him leaving?
Four months. Four months and Vegeta still hasn't spoken a word to Bulma. He tends to his son Trunks when she isn't around, but Vegeta has avoided Bulma's presence all together. It is better that way. She has become too dangerously woven into his life. Vegeta fucked up when he started admitting his feelings for her. Try as he might he fought and fought, and is still fighting! Why can't he just despise her? Treat her as nothing but beneath him? Vegeta has made up his mind to totally detach himself from the woman and his son. If he has nothing, he could not lose anything. Vegeta is standing on Bulma's balcony. The midnight shadows concealing his presence. He is watching her as sleeps peacefully in her bed alone. The same bed he was sharing with her some months ago. Vegeta squeezes his fists together until blood courses through his finger tips. He can't erase that memory the night of his son's birth. Watching Bulma die…He had never felt such despair in his entire life. Seeing her lying on that bed, in her own blood, and bile…Vegeta cringed. He heart begins pounding faster. He never wants to experience that again. That pain. No type of beating in battle could ever compare to what he felt that night. Watching her die made him feel vulnerable. He hated that! When he brought her back to life, he was relieved. No, happy! But it didn't change the reality of the situation. She can still possibly die again, and he will feel the pain that comes with it. He will never feel like that again. The time is getting closer and closer to the arrival of the androids and he did not need any hindrances. That is exactly what she and his son are. Why else hasn't he achieved the super saiyain level? If he can cut any and all emotional ties to her and the child, he will never have to mourn them if they die. There will be no feelings of regret. A saiyain moves on. They didn't dwell. Vegeta flies from Bulma's balcony and into the sky with a new look on this entire situation. He has to get away from here. As long as he lives under the roof with this woman and his child, he will see himself woven to her again…but is that such a bad thing?
Bulma is sitting in her lab office going over some paperwork when Vegeta storms into her office. She doesn't even look up. Her face has no expression and her blue eyes are downcast, looking over her work. Vegeta is actually a little taken back by her impassiveness.
"Can I help you with something?" Bulma asks.
"I want you to ready the ship. I'm leaving."
Bulma's eyes actually rise up to meet his black ones. She notices he is dressed in his saiyain battle uniform. She will not react to this. If he wants to leave, fine! She isn't his keeper.
"I'll program it and install the new engine in an hour. I'm pretty swamped but I'll get to it as soon as possible. Okay with you?" Bulma asks.
"No, I want it done now! Right now! Nothing else is acceptable."
Bulma remains stoic and unmoved. He wants a reaction and she is not going to give him one.
"Vegeta…I have work to do here first. If you are patient, I will get to your ship as soon as possible that way you can handle whatever affairs you need to handle. Now please let me work." She said to him as if he were a child.
Vegeta didn't miss the patronizing tone she took when speaking to him. In a sudden fit of anger, he slaps the paper work from her hands. Papers go flying everywhere. Bulma just looks at him as if she was saying, "Are you done", with her eyes. Several of her employees leave the lab. They were scared shitless of Vegeta and knew not to be in the same room as the hostile saiyain when he is in one of his moods.
"Don't fucking talk to me as if I'm some child!"
"You're acting like one! You want me to jump at every one of your little requests? My father is available at the other end of the building! Why are you here bothering me? He is just as capable as getting your precious ship ready!"
"I asked you, not your father!"
Bulma smirks. He is unbelievable.
"You haven't spoken a word to me in four months. You have your nerve to come in here and demand anything! Fuck you! If you want that ship ready, get my father or fix it your damn self!" Bulma shouts angrily at Vegeta, across her desk.
Vegeta walks around the other side of the desk and stands over Bulma. Kami, he loves her. Even in his rage he has to respect her anger. That passion he is always seeking. The way her eyes glowed in her anger. She is beautiful.
"Listen, woman! You'd do well to remember who you are talking to! I asked you to do one fucking thing and you give me shit! What the fuck was I thinking coming down here. You're fucking useless!" Vegeta says to her coldly.
Bulma can feel the tears welling up in her eyes.
"Useless? I'm useless? Hah! If anyone is useless it's you! You're pathetic. Can't even allow yourself to feel! To love and be loved by someone. You think that makes you strong? No, it makes you weak! You know why Goku will always be better than you? Because he feels! He feels! All you do is destroy! When you finally get a chance to love and be loved in return, you run from it! You're the coward! You have to fight with yourself just to feel! You keep playing these little sick games that I want no part of anymore. My child is more important than you. I'm done trying to figure you out. I'm tired of you hurting me! Maybe I should just get back with Yamcha…He's not perfect, but at least I know how he feels about me." Bulma says.
Vegeta can little feel the vein popping out of his forehead. Bulma had a vicious tongue, and he knows when pushed, she will unleash her fury verbally in a way that can crush his pride. She has just really, really pissed him off.
"Get back with him and I'll kill you. I promise you that!" Vegeta threatens her.
Bulma sits back in her large office chair and laughs in Vegeta's face.
"Why? You don't want me. You have made that obviously clear. So go be a super saiyain! Try to defeat Goku. That man will always be undefeated, because he has too many people he loves to protect! All you have is your selfishness and your pride. Funny really! You know, I'd be honored to get that ship ready and blast you into space. A cold, dark, lonely, vast of space. Just like you!" Bulma spits.
Vegeta has just realized how much he has hurt Bulma. This wasn't Bulma. Hateful, and venomous. It is like he is looking at himself when he is verbally attacking her. Is this how hateful he acts towards her? She is hurt emotionally. He has hurt her, but he cannot make her understand. He doesn't understand himself. He can't make her understand why he can no longer love her. She and his son can be used as pawns against him. That would make him vulnerable and weak. She and his son could be hurt. Better for her to hate him and stay alive than perish because of her affiliation with him. He has many enemies. Ones who would love to crush him completely. Vegeta knows he should have gone to Dr. Brief. He just wanted to see Bulma. Even when he knows he should stay away from her he can't. This is all so foreign to him. This is not what he desires. On one hand he wants power. Pure, raw, power. On the other hand, there is a part of him that wants to have a family with Bulma and his son. But thirst for power outweighs everything he feels for her. Her and Trunks's safety is more important than being with her. He turns his back to her and walks away from her office. He won't say anything else.
Bulma feels the tears running down her face. She stands up slowly. How can he turn his back on me?
"We were okay... I really thought you were learning to love me." Bulma whispers.
Vegeta freezes for one second, as his sensitive hearing picks up what she says, before he continues leaving the lab. She is nothing to him. She and her child mean nothing to him. Vegeta repeats this in his head like a mantra. She and his son will be safer that way.
It has been six hours since Vegeta left for space. Bulma sits in the kitchen eating a bowl of strawberry ice cream. Her parents are playing with Trunks in the living room. She is still feeling a little depressed over what happened earlier between her and Vegeta. He didn't say anything before he left for space. Not a word or a gesture. Ungrateful bastard! Bulma shoves another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth. Why is he such an asshole? Another spoonful goes into her mouth. She can see clear as day that he cares for her, but he acts as if it's some great sin. Bulma puts more ice cream into her mouth. The cold, creamy, treat did nothing to cool her anger. Bulma sighs. She is a mother now, so Trunks is her priority. He either wants to be with her or he doesn't. Whatever! She is going to make sure Trunks grows up in a loving and privileged home, with or without a father. Bulma instantly regrets her last thought. Of course he will need his father. A half saiyain child with no one to help harness his power could probably be a disaster waiting to happen.
"Stupid, bastard saiyain! Stupid asshole! Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Bulma whispers to herself.
Just then, the kitchen phone rings. Bulma lazily gets up from her kitchen stool to answer it. She picks up the phone on the third ring.
"Capsule Corporation. Bulma Brief speaking!"
"Hi, Bulma!"
Bulma's face lights up.
"Chichi! How are you? Wow!" Bulma greets excitedly over the phone.
"Me? You're the one whom I should be asking that! How are you enjoying motherhood?" Chichi asks.
"Oh, chichi, it's great. Trunks is such a great baby. I never thought I could love someone so much."
"Being a mommy will do that to you. He's a beautiful little baby. Almost makes me want another one, but I don't think that'll happen anytime soon. How has your health been? I hope you are taking it easy."
"Nope! I'm right back to doing what I do best! I feel great!"
"Okay…oh, how is Vegeta enjoying fatherhood?"
Bulma hesitates for a second.
"He won't win father of the year, but I guess he was looking in on him when I wasn't around." Bulma admits.
"What? How can you not know? Are you and Vegeta fighting?" Chichi asks.
"Not anymore…He left for outer space. Good riddance."
"So…What happened between you two? I thought having little Trunks would bring you two closer together."
"Chichi, Vegeta stopped talking to me, a few days after Trunks was born. I mean, it was like living with him the first year all over again. At first, he was really attentive to me and Trunks. He was really protective…then the day my parents came home; he totally shut himself off from me. Chichi, that hurt me so bad. Four months! Four months and he doesn't even act like he and I were intimate just months ago."
Chichi sighs over the phone. Bulma can feel herself on the verge of crying again.
"Bulma? Did Vegeta and you talk about the night you went into labor?"
"No, not that I can recall."
"Bulma…I am not too fond of that man but I can understand why you care for him. While you were in labor, Vegeta was totally in tune with you. It was written all over his face and his actions. When he and I thought you were dead, I could see the fear, and hurt in his features. That man almost went crazy trying to bring you back to life. He looked so lost when you stopped breathing. Then the weirdest thing happened."
Bulma perks up at this.
"Eh?"
"When he couldn't get you to wake up using CPR maneuvers, he started transferring energy from himself into you. It was weird because his eyes turned green like Goku's does when his hair is gold."
So Vegeta went super saiyain, without even knowing it? For her? Bulma smiles a genuine smile. So that's why! He is scared of losing her. Vegeta hates any kind of weakness and she technically is his weakness. That is why he is pushing her away, maybe? It all makes sense to Bulma now.
"Chichi, I understand now! Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!" Bulma shouts happily.
"Huh? Uh, you're welcome?" Chichi answers slightly confused.
Bulma hangs up the phone and dashes out of the back door. She runs across the lawn like a mad woman and into the empty gravity chamber that is sitting in the middle of the lawn. Walking into the small space, Bulma rushes for communication monitor. Pushing a series of buttons, the monitor screen powers on. A shocked looking Vegeta appears on the screen. He appears to be sitting. Good!
"Woman?" Vegeta asks confused.
"Look…I won't contact you anymore after this because I know that you're trying to train without any distractions, but I have to say this…I love you. I've loved you for the two years you have been living here. I know that it's hard for you to accept what you feel for me, but I have seen it and felt it for myself. I understand now why you can't fully love Trunks and I. I understand more than you may know, Vegeta. I want you to know I love you more than ever because of it. But I also want you to know that treating me with disdain so that I may be safe is pretty lame. You are the prince of the saiyains and stronger than anyone I know, so I know that our son and I are safer with you than anyone else. I trust your judgment, but don't lose what we had in the process. Well, that's all. Good luck with your training and I can't wait to see you with the blonde hair!" Bulma says before logging off.
Vegeta watches as the monitor goes blank. A genuine smile actually graces his features. Why the foolish woman fancies him is beyond him. Vegeta shakes his head in disbelief. She knew just the right the right things to say to boost his ego. He loves her as well, but her affiliation to him will leave her and their son possible targets.
"You are the prince of saiyains and stronger than anyone I know, so I know that our son and I are safer with you than anyone else."
Vegeta thinks back to the comment Bulma says earlier. He smiles again. He could not risk protecting her when in sight of his enemy…No enemy of his should know that he has a weakness, and he already broke his own rule. She wasn't going anywhere, and Vegeta admitted to himself he wasn't either. If someone tries to harm her or his son, he will tear them to pieces and obliterate the remains. Vegeta chuckles at the thought. He will not disappoint her. When he returns to earth, he will show her his transformation when he has achieved it. He will fight those androids, and once they are dealt with, Kakarott will be next. The ship continues speeding through the black void of space.
Bulma continues standing in the gravity room. She smiles to herself. Vegeta will succeed in achieving his goal of becoming a super saiyain. This she knows for sure. She is going to walk back into the house, and get her little Trunks and read him a story. Maybe even make one up about her and his daddy. Beauty and the Beast, or Cinderella? These were her favorite stories as a little girl. Bulma thinks she can almost feel Vegeta in the room with her. She feels someone touch her on the small of her back. She gasps and turns around. No one is there. She sighs softly and exits the gravity room, shutting off the lights.