"Hello?"

Bulma thought about hanging up the moment the other woman answered. Her hand even started to reach out to click down with the receiver.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" The voice sounded nice, if a bit irritated.

"It's Bulma, Chi Chi." The turquoise-haired young woman said, committing herself to the phone call.

"Oh! Hello there." Chi Chi answered a bit snippy. "Goku's not here right now. Neither is Gohan. They're all out doing 'important' things and can't be bothered to stay here and help me out. Or study! Oh, those boys! I just know Gohan will be behind in school once vacation is over!"

Bulma shrugged helplessly, even if the other woman couldn't see her. "Is there something you need help with?" She asked, more to avoid the reason she was calling in the first place.

Chi Chi laughed a bit sadly somewhat. "No. I just ...well, it would be nice if we had a car. I'm so tired of being the only one around here without a vehicle, and walking back and forth from the house for fresh food all the time? Goku doesn't even seem to notice! And Piccolo is always here, so I'm having to cook extra ...which means carrying extra food every time I go shopping too!"

Bulma smiled at Chi Chi's small rant as she leaned against the wall. Finally, an easy problem to solve. Unlike her own. "Make Goku get a car. Simple." She suggested.

The other woman sighed sadly. "But he doesn't have a driver's license."

Dr. Briefs' daughter shrugged and blithely made a suggestion that would complicate her friend Goku's life. "Send him to driving school."

There was a long pause and then Bulma could almost hear the smile on Chi Chi's face. "I'll send them BOTH to driving school! Thank you!"

Both? Oh. Piccolo. Bulma smiled at the very idea.

"Did you want to leave a message for Goku, dear?" Chi Chi asked.

Bulma shook her head and then took a deep breath. "Actually, I called to talk to you."

"Oh?" Goku's wife sounded a bit surprised. "How nice, and how are you?"

Pregnant. Maybe. Bulma bit her tongue. Then finally forced out her question. "Look, all my friends are either single or don't have children, so I can't ask them."

Chi Chi nearly cooed. "Oh my dear, are you and Yamcha going to get married and finally start a family!"

She sounded so excited that Bulma hated to tell her no. "Uhm, not exactly. We broke up."

"Again?" Chi Chi blew off the answer. "You two always make up!"

"Not this time." Bulma said dryly, not mentioning her connection with a certain Saiyan Prince. After all, Vegeta had tried to kill Goku and Gohan. Chi Chi probably didn't like him much right now.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that. He's a nice young man." Chi Chi said comfortingly.

Bulma nodded. "Yes, yes he is." But not an exciting one, not compared to Vegeta. She blushed, what an awful thing to say, even in the privacy of her own mind. "But, a friend of mine wants to ...I mean, how did you find out you were pregnant? And how long did you carry Gohan?"

Chi Chi fell silent on the other end of the telephone. "Bulma? Are you pregnant? Is that why Yamcha left? Why that bastard!" She roared and suddenly Bulma remembered that the other woman was more than just a wife and a mother, but also a fighting force to be reckoned with all on her own.

Her eyes went huge. "NO! No, I'm not pregnant!" She hoped. "And Yamcha wouldn't have done that!"

"No, no, of course not." Chi Chi settled down, the fires of righteous fury banking back downwards. Then she took a deep, steadying breath. "But I don't know that I can answer any questions for you. The usual amount of time for a pregnancy is nine months, of course. But Gohan was late! After ten months they went ahead with a C-section."

Ten months? Bulma nodded, relieved. Not too bad.

"But my precious baby boy still looked a bit small, as if he wasn't quite ready yet! Of course I didn't know Goku was a Saiyan at the time. If we ever have another baby, I won't be letting them talk me into a C-section so early. Who knows how long it takes a Saiyan to grow? Goku has no clue of course." She paused thoughtfully. "Perhaps that awful Vegeta would know. He's staying out around your place, isn't he?"

Bulma squeaked out a whispered, "yes."

"Perhaps you can ask him how long Saiyan's carry their children." Suddenly Chi Chi laughed. "What am I saying? You don't need to know THAT! No need to go anywhere near that villain! Here I am, rambling on and on. The answer to your question about your friend is nine months."

"Thank you." The turquoise-haired woman said weakly.

Chi Chi laughed. "You don't need to know about my experiences, trust me. Oh the fuss those doctors made about a simple tail!"

Tail. Tail? TAIL? Bulma's mouth dropped open as Chi Chi continued her tale. Tale? Blue eyes closed in desperation. How bad was it when you felt like crying over your own bad puns?

.III

"The party is tonight!" Bulma's mother spun in a circle, her beautiful dress spinning delicately around her like a cloud. "I do love a party!"

Dr. Briefs paused and looked up from his work to blink at his pretty wife. "Dear? It's hours before we need to leave. You're ready too soon." He blinked suddenly and looked over at his clock, then frowned. "No, I didn't lose track of the time. It really is too early."

"But I can't wait!" Cooed the blonde as she pointed to the hanging tuxedo on the hook behind the door. "And you will look so handsome in that!"

The good doctor shook his head. "This party is nothing more than a nuisance."

His wife frowned slightly, but frowning was generally foreign to her and it faded immediately. "It's to announce the marriage between Vegeta and our lovely Bulma!"

Dr. Briefs nodded and silently rubbed the head of the little black kitty clinging to his shoulder. Finally he shook his head. "Bulma doesn't seem excited. She says it's just a way her rival is looking to humiliate her in public. Said something about putting Saiyan table manners on display?"

Bulma's mother shrugged and twirled again in her floaty dress. "It's still a party!"

.III

Three of them. Bulma stared at all three pregnancy tests. All negative. Still. One hand moved to her abdomen and she sighed.

All of these tests worked on human physiology. But if what she suspected were true? She was carrying a hybrid of both the Saiyan and Human races.

Possibly with a tail.

Tears filled her blue eyes and she quickly wiped them away. So much for birth control pills. Bulma shook her head helplessly. Again, something formulated to keep a human from pregnancy. But they were not 100% effective. And did they really work against Saiyan sperm? Or did pills work on her and not him? Thinking about it was enough to make her head hurt.

Was this an accident? Or fate?

Cravings. Bulma made a face. Salt and fish. Together if she could. But anything with salt or fish. And suddenly? She couldn't stand the thought, smell or taste of coffee. Gone.

Then there was the unmistakable missed period.

Yep. The three negative tests be damned. She'd gotten herself knocked up.

Bulma felt the tears trail down her cheek. Seven months. Seven months of being 'mated' to her Saiyan Prince. The warrior was going to be so pleased.

Grabbing a tissue, Bulma wiped her face clean. A baby. Was a baby so bad? A beautiful little girl, no matter what Vegeta said about wanting a son. Still, a boy would be good too. The tail still worried her a bit though. Yet ...

The only real problem right now?

Vegeta.

She was losing him. She could feel it, down deep inside. He trained for hours, some times days on end. He'd come back, pick a fight, and then they'd have mind-blowing sex and then he'd sneak out of their bed to go back to training. Seven months like that.

She was something to do. Bulma frowned sharply. "Stupid man probably has a list. Train. Take shower. Eat. Have sex. I'm last on the list!"

.III

Vegeta scowled sharply. He was training at the room maximum of 450x Earth gravity. He'd gained tremendously over the past months. Power, speed, strength and agility. All great strides.

But not a Super Saiyan.

The warrior reached for a towel to wipe the sweat out of his eyes. The cloth was already saturated. Vegeta looked at the clock and cursed under his breath. He'd been in here all night and all day. Soon his idiotic mate would be sending him a message to come out and take a break.

His mate.

Vegeta paused as he allowed his mind to linger over the softness of her features. His fingers actually twitched as if wanting to touch her creamy skin. He scowled as his temper rose alarmingly fast and energy built up in his hands.

Without thought he released the energy and half the control console turned into a smoking ruin.

"GREAT!"

Now he'd broken the damned thing. Again. He would have to take a break while the chamber was being repaired.

And it was all Bulma's fault. Damn her! Vegeta felt his stomach tighten as he realized how much he was looking forward to seeing her again. THIS WAS NOT THE WAY A SAIYAN WAS SUPPOSED TO BEHAVE!

She was a distraction from his training. His need to see her, touch her, have her ...was taking away from his training. If he were to ever achieve Super Saiyan status ...

He was going to have to leave his mate.

.III

Bulma stared at herself in the mirror. She didn't look pregnant. Her chin tilted up and she smiled as she tweaked a line in her form fitting dress. Maybe she'd gained a pound, but it looked good on her.

In the mirror's reflection, the door to the bedroom opened without announcement and she watched her Saiyan mate enter. Still looking at the mirror, she saw the moment he looked up and caught sight of her.

Pain. Longing. Fear?

Confused, Bulma looked away. What had she just seen on his face? Perhaps she had him read all wrong.

"Woman? Why are you dressed up?" Vegeta tossed his sweat soaked towel on the floor near the hamper. He didn't even look at her as he headed in toward the shower.

But Bulma wasn't hurt, not this time. She'd seen his face. He was not indifferent.

"The party that Guma Shinten is throwing for us. Industry event no matter what she says the reason is really. The 'official' reason is ..." Bulma tried to keep her tone light.

Vegeta came to the door of the bathroom and glared at her. "I don't like that person." He interrupted her brusquely.

"Me neither." Bulma admitted. "But it's required."

Giving his mate a long look, Vegeta shook his head. "Why do I have to go?"

"Think of it as this month's date that you promised me." Bulma said quietly. "Just hurry up and eat so you can get dressed."

Vegeta looked confused. "Why should I eat before we go to this party I have no interest in? Won't there be dinner there?"

Bulma smiled weakly. Yes. That was what Guma was counting on, actually. That Vegeta would eat like he had that night at the restaurant. This party was an effort to humiliate her.

"The food is better here." She finally said with a lop-sided smile.

Vegeta grunted and headed back into the bathroom.

.III

Bulma watched the dancing couples with envy, even as she acted indifferent. She explained to anyone who asked, that her husband didn't care for men and women dancing together. He was old fashioned that way.

Since the two genders dancing in close proximity to each other was relatively new in their country, perhaps about fifty years old, most understood.

"He doesn't like the food?" An older matron asked, the wife of a friend of her father's.

Bulma shrugged delicately. "Vegeta was working hard all day, perhaps the heat spoiled his appetite."

The Saiyan next to her pressed his lips together as the woman went on to speak with Dr. Briefs and his smiling wife.

"You made me eat before we came. What you told that woman wasn't true." Vegeta wasn't sure what was going on. He just knew he hated being here, on display. "Can we exit now?"

"Can you touch me, now?" Hissed Bulma. Her Saiyan had been avoiding touching her for the entire evening. A night meant to celebrate their marriage and all anyone could see were the two of them standing very stiffly next to one another.

Vegeta frowned. "I'll touch you later." He promised with a leer.

Bulma gritted her teeth. "So. Is this a Saiyan thing? That you don't touch your mate in public?' She taunted him with deep sarcasm.

"Yes."

The young woman stopped, her anger retreating as she stared at her mate in shock. "Yes?"

Vegeta looked at her and gave a gruff nod. "I'm glad you understand."

Bulma nodded back, not understanding at all. So. He wasn't being rude by not dancing? Not touching? Not paying attention to her from the moment they arrived at the party? "Well." She shifted uncomfortably. "You'll have to touch me when they announce our marriage."

Dark eyes went wide. "WHAT?"

Several heads turned and there were a few frowns. Bulma shushed him quickly. "What? What's the matter? You touch me all the time!" She blushed prettily.

But Vegeta was horrified. "You are announcing our marriage? To anyone? To everyone?"

"That's what this party is all ab...VEGETA?" Bulma gasped as he grabbed her hand and led her out of the room so quickly she was actually feeling a dizzy. Her stomach rolled alarmingly.

.III

Her back was chilled. Bulma came out of slumber groggily and then turned, her hand moving behind her. She was alone in bed. Again.

Bulma frowned and sat up, peering at the clock as she yawned so big that her jaws creaked and protested.

"Three in the morning?" Drat that man.

Snagging her nearby robe, Bulma got up and padded over to the window. Looking out at the gravity chamber, she stopped. It was dark.

Okay, if her Saiyan lover wasn't in bed and wasn't training ...

"What are you doing up? You should be asleep."

Bulma squeaked and spun around. She hadn't even realized that Vegeta was there. Sitting in the dark.

"You never answered my questions about tonight." She stared at him, but his face was cast in shadows and she could not read his expressions.

The Saiyan frowned at her. "I would have, but you got sick."

Bulma blushed and hugged herself as she watched him. "You made me dizzy, pulling me away like that." She was not going to apologize for her earlier nausea. "I thought you'd gotten up to train."

"The control console needs repairing." Vegeta didn't tell her he'd blasted the crap out of it. "I ...woman, I ...need to train some more. A lot more. I am not yet at the level I need to be."

"A Super Saiyan." She guessed bitterly.

Vegeta nodded in the darkness. "Indeed." He needed to tell her that he was leaving. For an extended time. Into space. And away from the distraction of her beauty and warmth. He needed cold and hard to help him achieve his goals.

"You did it, you know." Bulma felt the words form in her mouth and she couldn't stop them, not in the inky darkness of her room.

"What did I do? Make you sick?" Vegeta scowled, stepping away from the words he didn't really want to say to her. "I tried to tell you, Saiyans don't call attention to their mates in public. Who knows what enemy may be watching? Are you trying to tell me that by not touching you I made you sick? Nonsense, woman. It's not my fault you are so weak."

She gave a rueful laugh. "This time it is."

"Woman!" The word was a warning. "I did not make you sick!"

"Yes, yes you did."

Vegeta growled and she grinned, even if that smile was more than a bit melancholy.

"I'm pregnant."

Absolute silence. Then a certain Saiyan was on his feet and roaring his approval, his head thrown back in unholy glee as Bulma watched with wide eyes, her hands over her ears. Suddenly, he pounced, grabbing his wife and tossing her in the air as she squealed.

Vegeta caught her and spun her in a circle as she put one hand over her mouth.

"Stop! You're making me sick again!" Bulma breathed heavily and winced as she fought to keep her gorge down.

Vegea whooped and put her back on her feet. "I didn't know giving me a son would make you sick!" He couldn't stop grinning.

Bulma shook her head and gave a weak smile as her stomach decided to keep from coming back up after all. "It's not that uncommon for woman to be nauseated right now."

Vegeta nodded, though he didn't really understand. Then again, this was not an area he was familiar with. "A son." He said the words in a deep, rich voice and with complete satisfaction.

The young woman smiled cheekily. "Or a daughter."

"Bite your tongue, woman." But he was too happy to put any heat in his words. "It's a son, I know it." In his head, Vegeta adjusted his timetable. He wouldn't leave for space until he could see his child. Then he'd make himself train until he became a Super Saiyan.

Suddenly, he paused. "How long before I can actually see the child?"

Bulma laughed and leaned in against him, he opened his arms automatically and gave her a hard squeeze to show her how pleased he was right now. "Gentle!" She protested, though still smiling as he loosened his hold only slightly. "And well, I need to ask you that same question. I don't know about Saiyan babies. How long are they carried?"

Vegeta shrugged. "We walk within a year, I know that much at least. Before that, I supposed the babies have to be carried. Now, when can I see him?"

Choking on her amusement, Bulma leaned back to look him in the face. The moon was shining in the window and she could finally see his pleased expression. Feeling warm and happy with his reactions, she smiled up at him. "When he's born, Vegeta."

The Saiyan's arms went slack as he stepped back, staring at his mate with uncertainty. "Born?"

Puzzled, Bulma nodded. "What's the matter?"

"No, I heard wrong." He whispered hoarsely. "When can the pod be safely opened for us to see our child develop?"

Pod? Bulma watched him, unsure of what he was saying. "What pod?"

Now Vegeta was starting to feel a bit queasy. "Tell me, woman. That you have removed our child to the safety of a birthing pod. And that the location is safe and secure."

Bulma's hands went automatically to her abdomen and Vegeta's heart skipped a few beats. "We don't have birthing pods." She said, hesitantly.

The Saiyan's eyes dropped to her belly, not wanting to ask the next question. "Where is my son?"

The young woman shook her head. "I'm pregnant, Vegeta. He ...or she ...is right here."

Absolute silence again.

Then Vegeta started shaking his head back and forth. "No, no, no, NO!"

Bulma watched him and felt helpless. "Vegeta, that's how babies are born here."

"It's not safe!"

"It's been safe for untold generations!" Bulma retorted.

Vegeta stalked over and turned on the lights in the room, staring at his mate the whole time. He looked at her top to bottom. She watched him, wondering why he looked so green when she was the one fighting nausea.

"Make a pod." He finally said, then grunted with satisfaction. "You made a gravity chamber, make a birthing pod. We will secure it more safely than anything else on this backward planet."

Bulma shook her head emphatically. "No."

"WOMAN!" Another roar, but this one wasn't in triumph, but in frustration.

"NO!" She yelled right back at him. "I am not experimenting with a birthing pod with my unborn child! Who knows what could go wrong?"

Vegeta looked lost, and a bit unnerved. "It's not the Saiyan way." He protested.

Taking pity on him, Bulma reached for his hand. He let her take his palm in her hand and only balked when she tried to get him to touch her belly. "No ..."

"You won't hurt me by touching me." She promised.

Vegeta blanched. "I threw you in the air!"

"I'm fine." Bulma tried to reassure him.

He scowled. "I made you dizzy and sick!" Vegeta looked like he'd just lost a fight. Miserable.

Bulma tried to put them back on better ground. "I suppose we need to get married. And I will say 'yes' to the man this time."

Vegeta nodded, but still looked dazed.

"We'll need marriage AND baby announcements." She pondered the thought, then squealed as Vegeta growled low and mean.

"No! Absolutely not! Tell no one! Your safety and the safety of the baby depend on it!" The Saiyan was now in full Prince mode.

"Our safety?" Bulma gave a weak laugh. "Vegeta, what enemies do you think are watching to see if you have a wife and a child? You are not out in space anymore. This is Earth."

But Vegeta wasn't hearing of it. "What if the Red Ribbon Army we were warned about is watching? What if it's another enemy? No. No! Tell no one of our union or our child! In this we WILL follow Saiyan tradition!"

He sounded so determined that Bulma found herself agreeing. "Can I tell our friends? Goku or Chi Chi or someone?"

"NO!" Vegeta nearly looked panicked, so she backed off. "Alright. It'll be a big surprise when we show up as a couple with a baby, though. She patted her belly gently and Vegeta grabbed her hand, shocked.

"Don't do that! What if you shake the baby up or something!"

Bulma shook her head at him. "I'm fine. The baby is fine."

"But ..."

"I promise." The young woman shook her head sadly. It looked like she was going to be dealing with a severely freaked out Saiyan mate for a while. But for how long a while? "How long ...before pods were used ...did Saiyan women carry a pregnancy?"

Vegeta looked up at her, his dark eyes anxious. It was clear he didn't know.

Bulma sighed and gave a weak smile. "This will be new for both of us."

The Saiyan groaned and looked back down at her belly. "Pods are comfortable they say."

"No." Bulma took a deep breath. "Our child is happy and growing where he is."

"Growing?" Vegeta actually took a step back in horror. "Will that hurt you?"

Bulma watched her mate and shrugged helplessly. It was going to be a long nine months. And she prayed it would only BE nine months.

.III

Yes, I know it's not completely cannon ...bad me! LOL! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!