Twists And Turns

Chapter 20

About a month passed, and things got better. Vegeta stayed in my house during that time, and I was glad. I never wanted him to leave my side again. I never felt more loved or accepted than when I was in his presence; and the monster was quieter, more manageable, when he was near.

As those weeks went by, I watched the curve of my mate's belly become more pronounced over time, and a warm feeling of pride would descend on me to see him and the child he carried healthy and strong. Vegeta himself seemed worried though, and I wondered if there was something I'd overlooked... maybe something was wrong that I hadn't seen. I asked him about it, and he said he didn't know what to expect; the changes taking place in him were something he'd never experienced before and they scared him. I was so relieved I actually laughed, at least there was nothing physcially wrong; but I wanted to ease my mate's uncertainty still. I told him not to worry, that it wasn't a big deal, and other such consolations; but I could tell he wasn't quite convinced. I wasn't surprised, Vegeta held a high regard for his own princely appearance, and the change must have made him unsure of himself.

A few days later he mentioned that his back had been hurting him, and I sensed the discomfort as if it were my own, a rush of sympathy filling me. I explained to him that the pressure from his belly would put a strain on his lower back, I remembered ChiChi experiencing much the same thing. I wished I could make it all easier on him, but there was nothing I could do.

I didn't see anyone else but my mate for the entire month, but I was more than happy with that. I took the time as an opportunity to soak up his presence like a sponge, trying to memorize everything about him that I could, simply reveling in feeling so complete. Something I hadn't felt in a very long time. I didn't have to fight myself as much anymore, and it was a huge relief; that I could allow myself to just be with him. To just love him and be loved, so wholly and completely that nothing else mattered.

In that month, I never slept alone, and instead of the carefully controlled forebearance and uncertainty I'd kept up when I'd slept in the same bed as the prince before, there was a sense of trust and companionship. With my mate snuggled up next to me at night, I fell right asleep, and no nightmares disturbed either of us, to be so relaxed in one another's presence.

Since I had the time on my hands, though, I started thinking about what would happen now. Without the conflict of forcing myself to stay away from Vegeta and not give in to the desire I couldn't deny, I was able to think of other things. If all went well, we would be parents again... and though both of us had raised children before to an extent... neither of us had been completely devoted to it right from the start, or had participated much at all.

ChiChi had been controlling, obsessed with perfection and doing most everything herself. I don't think she trusted me with something as fragile or complicated as a child, and she always seemed disapproving when I tried to lend a hand in anything to do with the upbringing of Gohan and Goten. She hated my disinterest with schooling, and my lack of any real education of my own. ...And a lot of the time she confused me. She was so willing and eager to marry me, and then she complained about every single thing I did. She allowed me to do nothing to help her raise our children, and then ranted that she had to do everything herself.

Vegeta had, perhaps, even less experience than I did. He wasn't present on the day of Trunks's birth, or before, while Bulma had been pregnant. He'd thrown himself into his training as soon as he knew I had returned from those three years in space; and he hadn't really changed much after that. Even when he decided to stay with Bulma after the whole Cell thing, he was never really a participant in Trunks's childhood. Even after Buu, he seemed to only treat his son as someone who happened to share his blood and had just walked into his home; someone who was not really his concern. I doubted he even knew what school his son went to.

So then... with our combined experience of almost nil... would we be able to pull off the task together, without any convenient woman to take control and tell us how even simple, everyday things were done? Neither of us had ever filled a bottle, changed a diaper, rocked a baby to sleep... and I could scarcely picture either of us doing things like that anyway.

In a lot of ways, this child would be our first.

.

.

One of these nights, we were lying awake together, just watching the stars out the window, and something occurred to me.

"What do you know of Saiyan names?" I asked Vegeta, linking our fingers together absently and looking at him.

He blinked, "What do you want to know?"

I took that to mean he at least knew something. I didn't remember anything about Saiyan heritage at all thanks to a certain incident of falling down a gorge, but I assumed Vegeta had at least retained some of the language that used to be his.

But I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted to ask.

"Like... what does my name mean?"

He bit his lip contemplatively, "Well," he said slowly, "Your Earth-name is not Saiyan, but from what I gather it means 'enlightened one' or something in one of the many human languages…. Kakarot means…" He paused a moment, "How do humans say it..? 'Diamond in the rough'? …'More than meets the eye'? Basically… 'unique'."

I smiled, tracing the Saiyan name with my lips without saying it, tasting the new definition.

After a few seconds I asked, "What does yours mean?"

He didn't hesitate, "Vegeta means 'royalty'. It literally means 'prince'."

There was a short stretch of silence as we both thought about this.

"Why? What are you thinking so hard about?" Vegeta inquired.

"Can you teach me? About Saiyan words, I mean?"

"Why?" he asked.

I wasn't sure what I wanted to say. Unsure if I should reveal what I had discovered... "I want to share my son's culture."

"Or daughter," the prince added, like I thought he would.

I shook my head slowly and meaningfully.

His hand shot up to cover his mouth disbelievingly.

"It is a son?"

I nodded, "I'm pretty sure. Based on the ki signal... as far as I can sense..."

I wasn't completely certain, but the tiny ki I could sense in the prince felt... Male. Familiar. It was difficult to explain how I knew.

"How can you tell so early?" Vegeta asked in a hushed voice, "The woman's ultrasound machine can't pick it up yet, and I don't have a clue."

I shrugged, "I just know."

X

It was sunny and warm for much of the week, and I decided to take advantage of that and use the fair weather to train. It had been awhile since I'd released the tension in my muscles that way, and it had been even longer since my head was clear enough to enjoy it. Vegeta seemed raring to go, but I asked him to sit out for his own sake, remembering how he'd lost his ki and nearly killed himself if he exerted himself too much. He was disappointed, of course, but he did as I said. I wondered if he realized how much he was going to have to do the same thing in the not-so-distant future. Yield and give up his own wants for the benefit of the child.

The exercise did a lot for my mind and body alike, relaxing my nerves and the lingering agitated, caged feeling I hadn't been able to shake. When it got hot under the glare of the sun, I took off my shirt before continuing my workout, and I got the feeling that got a pleased reaction out of my mate watching below.

My thoughts returned to what I had asked Vegeta before, and I paused in the middle of a kata and glanced at him.

"How about Tetzu?" I suggested, remembering some of what he'd told me about Saiyan words.

"'Honesty and strength'?" he asked, wrinkling his nose a little, "I don't know... I like it, but it just... doesn't fit."

"Okay then," I tried, "...Kaleto? 'Strong of heart'?"

"That one's better," he said slowly, "...But it doesn't ...sound right."

I snapped my fingers in frustration, "Gods, you're a tough one to please."

I had to admit, as I jumped back into my shadow-spar, that none of the names I'd brought up had clicked for me either, but I had to test them on Vegeta before I decided anything. He was careful to refuse the suggestions politely, but he was stubborn, and I could tell he downright disapproved of most of the names I selected. I hoped the right one would present itself at the right time...

I sensed as I worked that Goten had showed up and was talking to Vegeta, but my mate's ki and mood remained calm and stable, so I assumed nothing serious had happened. It was a little surprising how quickly Goten had welcomed Vegeta as a member of the family – didn't need an explanation or excuse, he was more than happy to approve of the prince. He also seemed to have a pretty good understanding of the status quo. He knew Vegeta was pregnant, and he was alright with it. Of course, he was a kid, he probably didn't know or guess all of the why's and how's of the situation... but as far as he was concerned, his family as a whole was happy, so he was happy.

There's something to be learned from a child's unquestioning acceptance.

After a while, though, I sensed Vegeta's mood change drastically, irritation and introversion filtering through to cover up his earlier calm compliance. It couldn't have been something Goten said, the kid was a little bundle of energy and cheerfulness that was damn near contagious. It was probably a mood swing, but I could sense Vegeta didn't want to unleash the kind of sharp-tongued retorts that kind of mood could inspire from him on the young demi-Saiyan.

I decided to rescue him from the socially awkward situation, and dropped out of the sky to land next to my mate.

"Sorry Goten, Vegeta's a little tired right now." I said, "Why don't you and Trunks go play?"

Goten blinked at me, "How did you know he was tired, Dad?"

"I can sense everything he feels," I explained patiently, "Remember when I told you how Vegeta and I are together now?"

"Like when you and Mom were together?" he asked.

I hid a wince, "Not quite like that, son. You'll understand when you're older."

Goten pouted, "Why can't I be older now?"

He looked so adorable that I had to laugh, "Don't worry. You'll be older before you know it."

Goten brightened almost instantly and shrugged, giving Vegeta and me a parting wave before running off to find Trunks.

I sighed, I was fine with talking with Goten, answering quesitions and explaining things... guiding him... but it was times like this that I was grimly reminded that I'd only known him for a short time; I wasn't there for much of his childhood, and was more a hero brought back from the dead to him than a father. He looked at Gohan with trust and admiration, like he would to a father figure... and to me, he looked all starry-eyed with the kind of idolization a person gave a rock star. It should have been gratifying, and it would have been, if he was anyone but my son.

TBC