Vegeta felt twitchy and nervous. He frowned sharply at the sensors within the gravity chamber. He told himself to get over it and to keep training. He'd only been in the chamber about 14 hours. It was too soon to quit!

Fourteen hours at times-450 of Earth's gravity. He should feel awesome about this achievement. He was moving much better in the increased gravity, and without collapsing after only a few moments. But the lack of turning Super Saiyan was pulling on him. Nagging at him.

And thinking of nagging ...

Vegeta grunted. Even when his mate wasn't around, she was nagging at him! She was four months into the pregnancy now and with each day that passed, he felt a little bit more ...uneasy. The need to check on his mate and her condition, well ...there was that word again ...nagged at him. And the Saiyan warrior didn't like it one little bit.

He could not afford to split his concentration. He'd wanted a son, but what if that very child was what was keeping him from achieving Super Saiyan? He needed to focus fully on training!

Vegeta ground his teeth together and grimaced. He knew what he needed to do.

Leave.

But ...his mate was pregnant. Unwanted, a picture formed in his head of his gorgeous mate. Bulma. Beautiful, but complicated. Not straight forward like a Saiyan female would be.

Vegeta sighed and reached for the console. He frowned slightly at the heat pouring out of the control mechanisms. Then again, like him they had been working for the past fourteen hours straight. A bead of sweat trailed down into his left eye, and he ignored the small sting as he wiped his face.

Perhaps a small break? To allow the gravity chamber to rest? Not that he needed one, not in the slightest. But he could use a bite to eat. Vegeta grunted in disgust. He wasn't even fooling himself. He wanted to see if Bulma was alright. And he didn't want to want that!

So he gritted his teeth and just to be perverse, he ignored the desire to see her and turned on the gravity chamber again.

.III

Nineteen hours now. Not that she was counting. Bulma scowled down at the catalog she was flipping through. Stupid Vegeta. Of course she was counting!

Bulma's mother hurried into the room with another magazine, then stopped as she saw her daughter sitting there. "G ...good morning, darling!" She smiled brightly, if a bit on the plastic side as she moved the magazine she was holding behind her back.

Her daughter didn't notice as she tossed the parenting catalog she was reading on a pile. "If Vegeta would only agree to let us announce the pregnancy, then I could be like any normal woman and have a baby shower!"

Dr. Briefs bustled into the room, and he too stopped when he saw his daughter, her back to her parents. He looked at his wife and then down at the brightly colored magazine she was holding. He made waving motions with his hands.

"All of my friends will be so shocked when I just turn up with a baby one day!" Bulma didn't look at her parents as she vented. "They'll be so hurt that I didn't inform anyone! And I know we can afford it all, but it would be really nice to have a baby shower! I love opening gifts." She sounded wistful.

After looking around the room frantically, Bulma's mother finally lifted up a crystal vase and put the magazine under it. Then frowned. You could still see the magazine. She snatched it back and Dr. Briefs had to make a small leap to catch the vase before it crashed to the ground. He missed.

The good doctor winced and closed his eyes, only to not hear a crash.

He opened his eyes to see Vegeta frowning as he put the vase he'd arrived just in time to catch, back on the table. "Oh, Oh! Good, you're done training!"

"I'm not done. I'm no where near done." Vegeta snapped out the words, still irritated with himself for coming inside in the first place. "Not until I reach Super Saiyan and surpass Kakarot!"

"No. No of course not." Bulma faked a yawn. "And I'm sure you're so busy training you can't help pick out all the stuff for the baby!" Her voice was snide and cutting.

Vegeta glared at his mate. "It's a baby. It needs food, drink and a place to sleep."

Bulma shook her head. "Newborn clothing, clothing for inside, outside, pictures and stuff. Nursing pads. Diapers! Oh my goodness the diapers! We're going with cloth, of course. Not that you ever were interested in discussing the matter. And then sleeping pads. They have to be safe and comfortable. Furniture too! Crib, dresser, changing table. Do we go with a pacifier or not? Clippers for the nails. Shampoos and soaps and a bath tub of course. Thermometer and baby books and all sorts of little gadgets! Breast pump. Bottles, oh don't get me started on all the different kinds of bottles!" She threw up her hands in disgust.

Vegeta's left eye twitched. A small sound had him looking over at Bulma's mother who had just hidden something under the desk calendar. But the magazine was too thick and the calendar no longer laid flat. He looked over at Dr. Briefs who was making shooing motions with his hands.

"And books! Music! And socks!" Bulma stopped and sniffed, suddenly teary-eyed. "Socks ... they are so adorable and little."

Vegeta stirred, he did not want to be here if she started weeping. Again. "The baby does not need all of that. And we're not having a party, you can forget it. No one needs to know about our baby."

Bulma's mother turned, her face going red. She snatched the magazine she'd been trying vainly to hide and ran from the room. As she passed Vegeta, however, he reached out and took it from her hands. The blonde was out the door and half-way down the hall before she realized the magazine was no longer in her hands. She hurried back into the room and reached for the magazine, which Vegeta held out of her reach.

"More presents for the baby?" He sneered. "And what's a breast pump?"

Dr. Brief's smiled nervously and tried to take the magazine from the Saiyan. It didn't work any better for him than it had for his pretty wife.

"What's that?" Bulma saw the magazine for the first time. She peered at the cover. "Oh, that's a scientific publication. Nothing to do with the baby. It's geared toward industries like Capsule Corps."

"Nothing to do with the baby!" Bulma's mother sounded strange as she grabbed hold of the magazine and tried to pull it out of Vegeta's grasp. When it didn't work, she tried with both hands.

The Saiyan warrior didn't even strain. His dark eyes stared with bemusement at the curly-haired blonde who was putting her all into taking the magazine from him. She was leaning back so much that if he let go now, she'd fall.

He looked at Bulma, a question in his eyes.

The turquoise-haired woman shrugged. She didn't know what was going on either.

"That's mine." Dr. Briefs tried to diffuse the situation. "Dry, boring articles." He chuckled nervously. "Nothing of interest, I assure you!"

Bulma's mother lost her balance, trying to tug the magazine free and landed on her rear end. Her hands flew to cover her mouth in distress. "Oh dear!"

"Mom?" Bulma rushed to help her mother up. "Are you alright? Vegeta, what are you thinking you big brute!"

"I did nothing." The Saiyan flipped through the magazine and then stopped on a page. His gaze sharpened.

"You could have really hurt mother." Bulma scolded, helping her mom straighten her clothing.

Dr. Briefs looked at the Saiyan over the shoulders of the two women, where they couldn't see him shaking his head in a clear indication to not say a word.

Vegeta frowned, ignoring the man. He kept reading, then frowned. "What is moral turpitude?"

Bulma gave him a small smile. "Morals. Something you lacked when you decided to invade Earth."

"I know about morals." Vegeta sneered. "And I was ordered here. Frieza."

"Moral turpitude is an outlandishly outdated legal term." Dr. Briefs shook his head, looking extremely nervous. "It's never really brought up in court anymore."

"Oh, you liked conquering and destruction. Admit it." Bulma crossed her arms and stared at her personal Saiyan warrior.

Vegeta shrugged. "I've never denied it." Then he paused. "Why would anyone bring charges of moral turpitude against you?" He sounded genuinely puzzled.

Bulma's mother swayed and Dr. Briefs had to catch her before she fell again.

The turquoise-haired woman stopped and stared at the father of her child. "What?"

Vegeta turned the magazine article so she could see the picture of him entering the Briefs' residence. It was a picture of him in training gear. Meaning, a pair of skin-tight black shorts that outlined his thigh muscles beautifully. He'd been bare-chested and carrying a towel.

Bulma snatched the magazine out of his hands.

"Oh dear, oh dear!" Bulma's mother fanned herself with her hand.

"It's nothing dear, don't even bother with this nonsense!" Dr. Briefs tried to look stern and failed miserably. "The board of Capsule Corps has complete and utter confidence in you and your position. This is nothing more than malicious gossip!"

Bulma's face looked pasty as she continued to read. Vegeta felt himself rising to battle readiness.

"Malicious gossip with a legal precedent behind it." She said slowly as she continued to read.

"An outdated and un-used legal precedent!" Dr. Briefs hurried to reply.

Vegeta actually growled. "Is this an attack?" He demanded, his fists clenching.

"Yes." Dr. Briefs turned to look at his daughter's mate and paused as he considered whom he was addressing. He didn't need Vegeta flying off to attack a magazine editor. Or bring down the entire building. "I mean no. Not a physical one. Not even a legal one, not yet. A stupid article printing vicious rumors."

The Saiyan shook his head. "It says I live here. That's true."

Bulma's mother reached the couch and slid down into a half-faint. "My poor darling!"

But the darling didn't look devastated. Instead, Bulma took a deep breath and tossed the magazine neatly into the waste basket. "I'll bet Guma Shinten is behind this."

Vegeta paused and thought of the woman with a fake figure. He sneered in disgust. Bulma gifted him with a small smile. "What does this mean? Moral turpitude? And how does it attack you?"

Bulma shook her head, her soft curls bouncing slightly. "It's an old-fashioned law no one even uses anymore, but it's still on the books. It deals with conduct that is considered contrary to the social morals and standards."

Looking confused, Vegeta stared at her. "What conduct?"

"You." She gave him a weak smile. "It says that I've called off the wedding and that we're living together outside of marriage and that my conduct is not good enough for my position within father's company. Capsule Corps."

"We are married." He said plainly.

"They don't know that, you won't let us tell anyone." Bulma shrugged. "And we're not married by Earth customs."

Vegeta scowled. "That is not my fault! You would not tell the man 'yes' when he asked!"

The young woman smiled sadly. "I know." She looked up and shrugged. "Wait until those busy bodies realize that I'm pregnant. Then they'll really start gossiping. The article at least doesn't mention me being pregnant."

"But we ARE mated!" Vegeta protested.

Dr. Briefs gave his daughter an approving nod. "We just didn't want our daughter to see this as she doesn't need to get upset while pregnant. But the gossip can't hurt her. Not really."

"Don't worry, this kind of attack is without teeth. They can't use this against me. The board of Capsule Corps are all close friends and relatives. This is nothing more than an annoyance."

"Well it worked." Vegeta snapped. "I'm annoyed!"

Bulma chuckled softly.

"I mean it!" The Saiyan roared.

His mate gave him a soft smile. "Oh? And what are you going to do about it now that you're annoyed? We don't even know for sure where those rumors started." Although she had a good idea where to look, she didn't share that with her Saiyan mate. Oh, wait. She had mentioned Guma Shinten. Oh boy.

Vegeta growled again, looking furious.

Bulma shrugged deliberately. "There's absolutely nothing you can do."

.III

Vegeta stared up at the stars, looking supremely annoyed.

Bulma stood next to him, trying not to laugh. Finally she spoke, breaking the silence. "You didn't even bother to change out of your training clothing. Just threw on a shirt."

He grunted.

"Not that how we were dressed would have made that much of a difference." She admitted. "Still, I wish you'd showered before trying to marry me."

Vegeta scowled and looked away from her.

"Don't get mad at me. I would have said yes this time. But he didn't ask." Bulma couldn't help smiling just a little.

No reaction from her Saiyan.

"You can't blame the man too much. Last time we were here you threatened to kill someone, burn down the church and ...well, that was pretty bad."

Vegeta finally gave her a small glare. "I only threatened him a little. The man was weak!"

Bulma shrugged. "Yes. Don't worry, I don't need a piece of paper here on Earth. I know we are husband and wife in the Saiyan traditions."

The warrior looked cross. "What about Earth traditions? You used to put a lot of stock in them. And what about moral turpitude?"

The young woman shrugged. "Bring it on, I can take that down with the Capsule Corps lawyers any day of the week."

But Vegeta wasn't done. "The man said he would marry us after we took some tests. How long will the tests take?" He knew customs were different on many planets. "And why did he not mention those tests the first time we were here?"

Bulma couldn't bring herself to tell the Prince that his behavior the first time they'd tried to get married had made the tests necessary. "We don't need to do this." She said plainly. "We're good."

"I can pass any test!" Vegeta straightened up. "It's just another challenge, and I don't hide from those. I shall complete this test and you will tell the man 'yes' when he asks and we will be done with it!"

Uh oh. Bulma blinked rapidly as she steadied herself for an argument. "I don't think so."

"Why not?" He turned intense dark eyes on her and she stepped back. "I never lose a challenge!"

"Vegeta. He said to get a marriage license ..." She paused and then took a deep breath. "That after you threatened him and told him you were from another planet ..."

"I am." He said simply.

Bulma gave a weak smile. "Vegeta, he says he won't issue us a marriage license unless you take a psychiatric evaluation."

Vegeta shrugged dismissively. "No problem."

"Big problem!" Bulma countered, losing her smile. "A psychiatric evaluation is to determine if you are well balanced and ...well, sane!"

"Of course I am woman!" Vegeta snarled.

Bulma reached out and took his arm. "I know you are, dear. I know you are."

Vegeta shook his head, looking determined. "I can pass any test they throw at me!"

The turquoise-haired woman nodded sagely. "Okay, let's try some sample questions, shall we? What will you answer when they ask you where you are from?"

"Planet Vegeta."

"A planet named after you?" She asked softly, already knowing the answer.

"No. I was named after the planet, in the royal traditions of my race." He said proudly.

"Your race?" Bulma asked what she knew the psychiatric people would ask.

Vegeta nodded and without a qualm answered truthfully. "The Saiyans. A warrior race of conquerors and fighters! A fine, strong people! The very best! And I am the Prince of all Saiyans!"

Bulma nodded. "And you are the last of your race, and living on Earth? And you are royalty?"

"Woman. You know all this already." He looked down at her.

Bulma smiled up at him and spoke with utter certainty. "There is no way I'm letting you take that test."

Vegeta frowned, unsure. Her response was not what he would have thought. "Why not?"

"Because I don't want the Capsule Corps lawyers trying to get you out of murder charges after you kill the psychiatrists for wanting to lock you up." Bulma patted his hand.

"But everything I said is true." The Saiyan's frown deepened.

"I know, I know." Bulma said soothingly. "There is still no way I will let you take that test."

Vegeta shook his head. "What about moral turpitude?"

Bulma shrugged. "That can't hurt me. Besides, I thought we were keeping news of our marriage a secret. Once I tell the man 'yes' then everyone will know."

That made Vegeta stop and think for a moment.

Bulma nodded and patted his upper arm. "We'll tell the man 'yes' another time." She assured her mate. Not telling him that they'd simply go to another prefecture ...and to another church.

Vegeta nodded slowly. "Perhaps that is best."

"Now lets go home, I'm hungry." Bulma wrinkled her nose. "And after nineteen hours of training, you need a shower."

The Saiyan gave a small sneer of a smile. "Perhaps that is best too."

"Good." Bulma was glad to be going home finally.

"But I still say I could pass any test they threw at me." He stated with supreme confidence.

The turquoise-haired woman nodded, then spoke in a fake nasally voice to mimic a psychiatrist. "Now Mr. Vegeta, how did you get here today? Bus or car?"

"I flew, of course." Vegeta stated in utter seriousness.

"In a plane?" She countered, still in a fake voice.

"With my body." He looked down at Bulma, unsure. "This isn't the right answer?"

His mate smiled up at him. "It's a wonderful body." She said reassuringly. "But no, you still can't take that test."

.III

Vegeta stared up the ceiling, his mate next to him in the bed. He'd been so caught up in what had happened today, that he hadn't mentioned to her yet that he needed to leave. Leave Earth. Leave her.

Soon though. He needed to leave soon. Get away from the distractions keeping him from reaching Super Saiyan. And she was the biggest distraction of them all. But he hated to leave her open to vicious gossip.

He stirred.

"Can't sleep?" Her soft voice tugged at him. Vegeta turned to look at her, but she still had her eyes closed, lying on her side. His eyes traced the line of her cheek and something in him softened at how vulnerable she looked. He couldn't leave her unprotected.

"Tell me what you want me to say on this test. I can lie." He assured her.

Without opening her eyes, Bulma smiled. "Lie sure, but you can't deny who you are."

Vegeta grunted. "I can do what is necessary."

"Can you tell the man you are a human male without a job, living with a woman, and that you let her do all the driving because you don't have a driver's license?"

Vegeta scowled, deeply disturbed by the very idea. "I am a Prince of my people and I live with my rightful mate and she drives because she can't fly like I can."

"Job?" She asked gently.

"Defending Earth against killer androids that will destroy the people of this planet."

Bulma nodded, still not opening her eyes. "And you were warned about the androids by a mysterious youth from the future?"

"That's right." Vegeta stopped and gave a grimace. "Woman, it is the truth."

"I know dear, I know." Bulma yawned. "Now go to sleep."

.III