((Gods, my updates have been absolutely pathetic lately. Barely once a week, and the content hasn't been that great either. You all deserve better, and I have no excuse for putting off writing when I have enough time on my hands to complain about boredom. I apologize and I'll try to do better.

Love you all, thanks for reviewing and being patient with me...

-Shinsun))

Twists And Turns

Chapter 21

The first trimester of Vegeta's pregnancy ended, and Bulma summoned us to Capsule Corp so she could give him a physical examination again. When we got there... she started ranting at both of us for "disappearing for a month and making her worry her hair out". Neither of us were able to get a word in edgewise as her rapid, shrieking tirade poured over us; and by silent agreement, we just did as she said, and I trailed after my mate and the hot-tempered woman to the laboratory with a resigned sigh.

Bulma paced, muttering under her breath and clearing off various cluttered shelves, and Vegeta cautiously sat down on the stainless white examination table, everything about his posture screaming wariness and penitence. I took a seat next directly next to him, a protective instinct compelling me to shield him from Bulma's rage.

Bulma's railing about the inattentive nature of Saiyans was interrupted when Vegeta spoke up bravely.

"Woman, it's no big deal," he said, a little irritably, "It's only been a month since..."

"No big deal?" Bulma cut in, practically screaming, "No big deal?!"

I saw my mate wince, partially at the volume and pitch so close to his sensitive ears – I was inclined to do much the same – and partially at the impending lecture we both knew was coming.

"Do you even realize what could happen to you and the baby if something this unheard of goes unchecked for so long?" the woman screeched, pointing menacingly at Vegeta, who – surprisingly – seemed to shrink away from her wrath.

He straightened after a moment, "No, woman, how could I?" he muttered through gritted teeth.

"You could both die!" Bulma retorted furiously, glaring blue daggers.

Vegeta visibly wavered, and I couldn't help but wince as well. Eventually, my prince slumped, a furrow of regret between his eyebrows.

"...Sorry," he sighed, slipping off his shirt at the woman's prompting glance. Despite the circumstances, I couldn't help a warm feeling of pride to look at him; powerful and vibrant with good health, the swell of his abdomen promising new life. My role as a protector and a provider showed itself in the wellbeing of my mate, and it did me good to see my efforts paying off.

Bulma wasn't finished with chewing Vegeta out; though she didn't sound as angry as before, "What have you even been doing that you could forget? You haven't been here in a long time..."

I caught the glance Vegeta shot at me, and apparently Bulma did too. She looked surprised as she blinked at me; she must have been so wrapped up in shouting at Vegeta – purely out of worry for his and the unborn child's safety, of course -that she hadn't even noticed I was here.

"Goku...? What are you doing here? Aren't you... still mad at Vegeta?"

I held her gaze uncertainly. How to explain all that had happened in the last month? There weren't words to describe the utter transformation our unstable relationship had gone through.

Actions speak louder than words, I suppose...

I lowered the collar of my shirt, exposing my right shoulder and the mark Vegeta's teeth had placed there. I didn't know if she knew what it meant entirely, but I remembered Vegeta saying that he'd explained some of it to her when she asked about his own bite mark a while back. Of course... a human that had never experienced something as indescribable as mating couldn't possibly understand the full extent of what the mark stood for, but I assumed she'd get the hint.

Her eyebrows rose slowly, and she turned and looked back at Vegeta, comprehension dawning.

"He let you claim him?" she asked.

Vegeta nodded, but he was silent. There wasn't a lot either of us could say, it wasn't a matter that could be easily explained...

Bulma's gaze lingered on Vegeta's left shoulder, taking in the corresponding mark there, before traveling back to me.

"Why? What changed?" she sounded a little sad, but also a little curious. Always the scientist, calm and collected.

"I..." I began, faltering a little; I wasn't ashamed of how in felt for my mate, but this would be my first time saying it out loud to anyone but him, "I realized... I love him."

My eyes bored into hers, refusing to back down. If she doubted my conviction, I wouldn't hesitate to defend my words.

Bulma said nothing, but I could see in her eyes conflict... and a flash of what looked like jealousy. Did she blame me for taking her one-time lover away from her? Did she think there was a chance she could win him back? I almost growled at the mere thought, but grit my teeth to silence the impulse. It wouldn't do any good to start a fight against someone who wasn't my enemy. But if she thought she could lay a finger on my mate... she was sorely mistaken.

After a moment Bulma started setting up her equipment, her eyes on her own hands and the wires and plugs she was setting up. I knew she was trying to figure out what she'd been told; it was rare for her to be stumped by anything like this, but I can't say I hadn't seen that look in her eye before.

I glanced sidelong at Vegeta, wondering how he was taking all of this. His gaze was following the blue-haired woman bustling around the room, and it was understanding somewhat. He'd seen her like this before too. The atmosphere was a little awkward, I had to admit.

"So..." Vegeta broke the silence tentatively, "Any more name suggestions, Kakarot?"

I fidgeted; it was an uncommon occurrence for me to actually fidget...

"Um... no," I muttered, "I haven't really been thinking about it."

Vegeta sighed, looking up at Bulma across the room, "Pity. They were getting so much better the more creative you got."

I tried to think of something else to say, when Bulma slammed something down on a table with a resounding bang, whipping around to glare at us both.

"Uh-oh," I whispered to my mate, "Here she goes..."

He nodded, knowing full-well that Bulma was about to start lecturing again.

"So you were gone for a month because you and Goku got back together..." she said levelly; beneath the calm facade I could hear mounting anger that could easily surface if either one of us said the wrong thing.

I nodded, a little unnerved, fighting the temptation to cover my ears as a precaution in case the woman started shrieking again. I'd never been able to stand ChiChi's shrill pitch, and Bulma's wasn't much easier to handle. It was a wonder Vegeta and I hadn't gone deaf over the years of enduring such screechy women.

Bulma looked at us for a second, "And did you...?" she made a vague gesture with her hands that I really only understood because of the carnal knowledge Roshi had unwittingly transferred to me when I was younger.

Vegeta seemed to understand it too, "Just once." he said quickly, attempting to meet my eye without success.

"So you weren't just playing around the whole time?" Bulma snapped, sparks leaping from her eyes.

I'll admit I had thought about it. Spending so much unrestrained, unrestricted time around my mate, with the new connections between us so awake and alive, had definitely clued me to the possibility of just making love constantly until we dropped. I didn't want to push Vegeta though, and while I knew that he desired me just as much as I did him, I wanted him to rest for the benefit of the child.

"No." Vegeta answered the woman steadily, chuckling a little, "Saiyans have endurance, woman, but even we have limits."

Her eyes narrowed for a moment, but then she just inclined her head absently and returned to her work, plugging in the monitor next to the table on which Vegeta sat.

"Hold still," she said briskly, spreading clear gel across the prince's midsection. Vegeta grimaced, and I sensed through the bond connecting us that the sensation of the cold wet substance was as uncomfortable for him as it was disgusting.

I tried to divert the subject from his discomfort as he lay back obediently, "It's almost the four month mark, what do you suppose the baby looks like now?"

A contemplative look crossed his face, and we both turned our attention to the screen beside him as Bulma gradually swept the scanner thing across his skin.

Where before the image that had appeared had been smudgy and illegible, a little, indistinct blob as the only sign of what was going on within the prince... now it was very obvious that there was a life taking form in him; a very Saiyan life, if the thin, developing string of a tail was any indication.

Another difference from the first time I'd seen the unborn child – my child; as much as it was Vegeta's – was that last time I had resented it, glared upon it and bordered on hating it. Now... with my acceptance of my mate and the infant he carried, it felt very different to lay eyes on it.

Something else struck me as my eyes roved over the image, "...I was right," I murmured, pleased that my prediction of the baby being male was proven correct.

A son... I was looking at my new son... I glanced at Vegeta, and was startled to see a tear slip between his eyelashes and trace down his cheek; his gaze riveted on the flickering picture on the screen.

"Vegeta..." I said softly, "Why are you crying?"

He touched his cheek distantly, seeming to come out of a trance.

"I don't know." he responded waveringly.

I rested a hand on his shoulder gently, understanding that the complex emotions he wasn't used to feeling didn't mix well with the confused hormones that had been running rampant in his body for over three months. I couldn't seem to take my eyes off the image of the baby though, much as my thoughts remained loyally on my mate.

Eventually, though, my gaze was drawn by Bulma tapping the tip of a pen she'd been taking notes with against her lower lip with her free hand – her other occupied with the scanner she held to Vegeta's stomach. She was scrutinizing the fetus in the way I'd seen her study several projects, inventions, and labrats... things that puzzled her that she wanted to investigate further.

I glared at her, my upper lip lifting in a snarl; a strong rush of protectiveness rising in my chest. It took me a moment to notice Vegeta snarling subtly as well.

"E-everything seems about as normal as it can be, given the circumstances," Bulma stammered, looking unnerved to be faced with two nearly identical pairs of smoldering black eyes and bared teeth. I almost smirked... Serves her right for daring to look at my son like something to be dissected.

X

I guided Vegeta into my bedroom, shutting the door behind us and locking it behind my back. I felt hot with irritation I couldn't explain, and the monster had roused from its sleep and was whispering things again, most of which I tried to ignore.

Panting in an attempt to cool my body down, I shoved my mate against the wall and assaulted his mouth, drowning out the nagging of the monster with his addicting taste and scent.

At the first available breath, Vegeta broke away briefly, "What's the occasion?" he murmured against my neck, eliciting a shiver that strangely only heated my blood more.

A rolling growl escaped my throat and I kissed him again, "Do I need a reason?"

Well... there was a reason. Beneath the monster, there was a trigger that had caused the anger thrumming in my veins. Bulma's behavior today had raised my hackles as well as the possessive impulses I had a hard time reining in. Vegeta was an outlet, and reinstating my claim on him seemed to quell some of the bubbling ire beneath my skin.

Where before I had been gentle and careful, now I ached with the need to dominate; and my teeth raked across the prince's lower lip until I drew blood, my tongue flicking out to lick the beads of sweet red copper away.

I felt the exact moment when Vegeta surrendered, nearly collapsing as his knees shook. I devoured his mouth hungrily, plunging into the depths with my tongue; one hand slipping under his loose shirt, smoothing over the curve of his belly before rolling one of his nipples between forefinger and thumb, relishing the breathless gasp against my lips. My free hand caressed beneath his muscular thigh, squeezing one perfect ass cheek. I brushed against him, leaning closer and drenching him with my scent so that the whole world would know he belonged to no one but me.

"Kakarot, maybe we should -" Vegeta began unsteadily, glancing over his shoulder at the wall he was pressed against. I could tell it was weakening as well; there were some things a wall just couldn't take, and the pressure of a pair of horny Saiyans leaning against it was probably asking for it to come crumbling down.

I nodded in response to Vegeta's suggestion, unable to give a verbal reply. I was breathing hard, sweating, and I forced myself to back away from the wall, drawing my mate with me, until I felt something solid hit my lower calves. Assuming I'd bumped into the bed on the other end of the room, I turned and threw Vegeta down on the mattress, vaporizing my confining clothes with a surge of ki licking over my skin. I knew I had ascended from the heat and power, but I didn't bother to hold the transformation in check, letting the more wild, primal urges swamp over me.

I dropped onto the bed on all fours, gripping Vegeta's wrists and holding him down, knowing he wouldn't try to escape or anything anyway. My lips locked with his again, and I licked slowly down the side of his neck.

"Mine," I growled softly, "You belong to me."

Vegeta was not a prisoner or a possession, but he was my own in every other sense the word conveyed. Mine to protect, mine to care for... and mine to enjoy.

I removed the prince's clothing quickly, though not destroying it like I had done to my own. This was my house, and he didn't have any clothes of his own here. I would have been all too happy to let him borrow some of mine, but I doubted they would fit.

One thing I knew was that I didn't want to hurt Vegeta. Every inch of my body ached and burned, but I forced myself to hold back, shaking from the effort; enveloping my mate's mouth with my own again. I needed to be near him, with him, in him, as soon as possible; but I wanted him to want it from me, I wanted him to feel safe.

I need you... I want you, I love you... And I promise... you're safe. You'll always be safe with me...

My lips and tongue traveled down his chest slowly, tasting sweat and flame and tracing pale old scars. After a moment I looked up, meeting his eye hesitantly.

He leaned up and touched his lips to my eyelid gently, "I trust you," he murmured, lingering on my eyebrow for a moment with the barest brush of teeth.

A ragged burst of air escaped my lungs, and I kissed him deeply, my fingers skimming through the sweat that had gathered on his chest. I lubricated myself with this, and eased into my prince slowly, hearing the drawn-out groan that fell from his lips.

I waited a moment, savoring the anticipation and overwhelming contact.

"I love you," I whispered, driving into him once, twice, "I love you, I love you, I love you..."

I couldn't promise it enough times, with enough feeling, for the words to carry the weight of the what I felt. With each thrust I repeated the pledge, bracing against the bed as I trembled from the sensory overload. And with each thrust Vegeta raised his hips to meet me, arching his back and moaning, unfiltered, intense bliss and love meshing from him through the bond between us.

I pressed my lips lightly to the cracked scar of the mark on his shoulder, and a low, shuddering sound escaped him. I looked at him, meeting his half-lidded gaze uncertainly, seeking approval. Without hesitation, he nodded twice, gasping for breath as his eyes fluttered closed.

A purr rumbled from my chest and I reopened the mark, my canines sliding beneath the scarred flesh to clench in solid muscle. Warm, rich blood gushed into my mouth, and I echoed Vegeta's groan of appreciation, sucking strongly as my pace increased, thrusting into my mate as the vow I'd been speaking repeated in my mind; I love you... I love you...

Vegeta's breath hitched, "Gods," he gasped, squeezing his eyes shut tight. I faltered, surprised at the sudden flood of ecstasy I could feel transferring from him to me.

"Again," he ordered fervently, his voice wavering a little; he wrapped his arms around my neck to pull me closer, "Do that again!"

I grunted a response and sank into him again, aiming for the same general area. Immediately Vegeta choked, and threw his head back; shouting something that could have been my name as he climaxed. I followed him a second behind, pulling my teeth out of his mark as I groaned my orgasm between my teeth, releasing into his depths. My energy shot through the roof for that brief moment, and then crashed as I let go of my ascended form, collapsing over my mate.

"W-what was that?" Vegeta panted, his eyes still glazed from the raw pleasure a moment ago.

I assumed he meant what had happened before he came. I recognized the reaction he'd exhibited, the change of pitch in his cries and the catch of his breath... and I also recognized the general location of the spot that had caused that delicious reaction.

A shaky laugh escaped me, "I think... it's called... a G-spot."

Roshi was to thank for my knowledge of the name, and ChiChi was to thank for my knowledge of the location. I never thought I'd receive such a response from Vegeta, though.

"Why haven't I h-heard of it before?" the prince stammered.

I looked at him for a moment, amused; ….he honestly doesn't know...

"Because it's usually only found in women."

TBC