A/N: Thank you for your reviews, you guys are amazing! I love talking to DBZ fans, great to see that we still want to keep this epic anime relevant :)

:*: A Bittersweet Christmas :*:

"Hey Mom, it's Trunks. I just wanted to say Merry Christmas... We're all over at Gohan and Videl's for Christmas dinner. Feel free to stop by, we miss you... Anyways, hope you call soon. Love you. Bye."

Bulma remained seated in her leather chair as the message played on her answer machine atop her dark mahogany desk in her home office. Her empty blue eyes never broke their trance from the snow outside her window. Any other person would have been in awe at yet another white Christmas for Satan city. Families were building snowmen in their yards, tossing snowballs at one another, building snow forts for safety.

Outside her home office stood Vegeta, torment tugging at his heart as he heard the message being replayed over and over again. Not once did she look away from the window. Not once did her face break it's stoic features. She was emotionless. Blank. Withdrawn.

Bulma Briefs had checked out.

She wasn't the same since Trunks's return a couple of weeks back. Hell, as Vegeta grew to understand, she wasn't the same since Trunks' departure to the US either. Threatening the Sons, cutting off Bra. Vegeta could not rationalize when his wife's world began to deteriorate.

The fall of her business. An unwanted grandson. Bulma had checked out to escape these obstructions to her pride, these obstructions she blamed for demolishing her foundation to her self-built happiness.

Gazing through the cracked door, Vegeta rested his pained eyes on his beloved wife's pale, motionless figure.

She had checked out, and it killed him not knowing whether or not she was ever coming back.

He wimpily cleared his throat, trying not to startle her as he announced his entrance. "I'm heading over to the Christmas dinner. You sure you don't want to go?"

Bulma lazily slid the answer machine away using her fingertips, her eyes not moving from the falling snowflakes.

A scoff sounded in her throat. "He said he loves me."

It took Vegeta a moment to recognize that she was referring to the message on the machine. "He does. As does your daughter."

"Please." She spat bitterly, mostly to herself. "I made Capsule Corporation the success that it is. I worked long days, came home absolutely exhausted, and still made time to tuck them into bed and read to them. Anything they wanted, mommy got for them. And this is how they repay me?" A sniffle escaped her as emotion began to surface. "He was supposed to be my heir. He was supposed to help me fix what had gone wrong. He had so much potential." She sobbed now, banging her fist against the desk as she emphasized the last three words. "He could have done it! He could have made Gohan sign that chip over to us and save us from bankruptcy. But he chose her. He chose HER over his own mother! Where is the justice in this Vegeta?"

Vegeta's dark eyes brimmed with emotion. It was the first time she had spoken his name in weeks. He could only stare back into her hurt eyes.

"Where is the justice in a mother working day and night to make her children happy, only to have them throw her to the streets for their own happiness? Where is my solace, Vegeta?" She was standing behind her desk, leaning against it palms down pleading for some explanation,

This was the most she had spoken these past two weeks. She was cracking.

Vegeta struggled for words. "Here..." He whispered.

Her eyes furrowed in confusion. "What? What do you mean here?" She asked in annoyance.

"Bulma, through sickness and in health. I'm by your side no matter what-"

"Oh come off it, Vegeta! Is our marriage going to pay for this house? Is our marriage going to pay the bills, the tuition fees? Has our marriage kept my business alive?!"

Vegeta's lips flattened into a stern line. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Her expression held no remorse for the hurtful words pouring from her mouth. "Apparently not. Perhaps you would have been better off without me. Merry Christmas." He slipped his jacket over his arms as he made his exit from her sight.

"UGH!" She cried in frustration as she hurled her pen cup at the office door. She plopped back down into the comfort of her chair, nails tapping against the mahogany as her delirious thoughts raced. "They took away what I treasure most... Now let's see how they like it." Bulma flipped through her not-so-little black book flooded with contacts she has made over the past decades. "Karuben. There you are." She swiveled side to side in her leather chair, her first target in mind. "Goten Son. Hopeful architect, bad reputation in the love department. I don't think Mr. Karuben, district head of architecture, would like to hear about what you alledgedly did to his baby Valese." Her pen scribbled against her pad of paper as she made notes. She smirked as new thoughts continued to pop into her head. "Bulma Briefs, you still got it."

xXxXxXx

Trunks peered at his cell. Still no missed calls or messages, still no word from either of his parents. He could hear laughter erupting from inside as everyone finished up their dinner and moved into the living room for the gift exchange. He took a moment to escape the jolly atmosphere and rested against the railing on the front porch. He had left a voicemail for his mother just an hour or so ago. He had called his father numerous times, but still no luck. Just as he was about to make another attempt, a familiar truck pulled in front of the Son home.

He couldn't fight the smile on his lips. "Hey, Dad." He greeted the male as he approached the porch.

"What're you doing out here?" He asked, knowing that his son was probably trying to call him again.

"Just about to call you actually. Glad you could make it. How's mom-"

"Don't worry about her." He barked abruptly, his eyes narrowed onto his son's. "From here on out, you will not worry about her. You will not feel bad for what you have done for the Son family. From here on out, you will not feel any ounce of regret for sharing a future with Gohan's brat. You're a man now, Trunks. Your parents are here to raise you. We've done our part. We will continue to look out for you. You look out for your mate and your son."

Trunks deep blue eyes glistened at his father's words. They were so unexpected. Why is he saying this? Where is this coming from?

"Get that dumb look off your face. Merry Christmas, brat. Let's go in. Daddy needs a drink."

The men in the house lit up as their fellow Z member entered the home. For those moments shared among the people Vegeta considered his friends, Christmas actually felt real. For those moments, he was able to forget about his wife bashing their marriage, the pain in her eyes. For those moments, he was able to stop missing his wife, wishing she would come back.

He stole a glance of his his unborn grandson in Pan's large stomach.

He stole a glance of the youngest Son brat sneaking side glances at his daughter during the gift exchange.

He stole a glance of his own strong son, laughing along with Goku at Krillin's gag gift, a mullet-styled wig. The house boomed in laughter as Krillin wore the wig for the remainder of the evening.

This is what Vegeta wanted. He wanted his family and friends to be happy. They didn't deserve the blame his wife was putting on them. They lived their own lives, they weren't her puppets.

"Vegeta? Vegeta?" Goku called him one more time, flicking the seemingly troubled man on the forehead. Vegeta fell from his thoughts, his eyes scowling at the now grinning Goku. "You look like you could use another round. Men to the kitchen!" He announced, pushing a thankful Vegeta into the kitchen, towards the promise of alcohol.

He would never admit it out loud, but if you had to rank his adult relationships at a highschool ranking system, Goku would undoubtedly be his 'best friend'. They knew each other since high school. They may not have liked each other at first, but in time Goku was able to read the man like a book. He pushed his buttons to make him vent his frustrations, he learned to read his body language, and he knew that through that thick head, he was capable of loving a woman like Bulma Briefs. Yes, Vegeta felt indebted to Goku, and if his friendship was what he wanted, then Vegeta would be compliant in filling that role.

"Huh?!" Goku's bewildered eyes steered to the man on his right.

Vegeta glared back. "You fool, I didn't say anything!"

"Oh..." Goku rubbed his chin. He could have sworn he heard the man say 'Thanks Kakarot.'

Vegeta cursed himself for thinking out loud. Yes, you fool. Thanks.

While the men shared another round in the kitchen, the females tidied up the torn christmas wrapping paper and gathered around the coffee table for more gossip and catch-up. Pan couldn't help but reflect to the previous Christmas they had celebrated. It was one year ago today that she had found out about her mother's diagnosis. And here she was, thin and frail in appearance, but still wore that beaming smile of hers. Now there was another mother in trouble.

Vegeta tried to cover it up, but for those who were observant, he would slip out of conversation occasionally with a solemn expression on his face. Bulma hadn't spoken to any of the Z members for weeks now. They were all worried about her, but were too afraid to ask Vegeta how they could help.

The Briefs family seemed to thrive off of pride. Perhaps that weak foundation is what caused Bulma to crumble. Pride is built off of others opinion of you. Reputation. True happiness comes from within, and until any of the Briefs can be happy, they would have to learn that valuable lesson.

Trunks still racked his mind for ways to save his mother. He would often talk in his sleep about it, leaving Pan to console his distressed, unconscious body.

Bra didn't go out to parties as much anymore. Living off of her wages and what her father was able to spare, she decided she had to grow up and be frugal with her finances. She stopped the routine manicures and pedicures. Shopping was at a hault. She picked up hours at work just to hide the real reason why she didn't want to go out with Ryo, Marron, and Takashi: She was embarrassed of her appearance. She wasn't the glamour girl she once was, and to her the world could tell. Until Christmas eve, the world's opinion meant everything to her. Until she donned that silver bow and arrow necklace around her neck, she could feel herself falling helplessly again. The only worldly opinion that mattered to her anymore seemed to be that of Goten Son's.

A lot had happened since last Christmas, and now it was almost a new year. Everyone looked forward to seeing the new baby in the upcoming year and Gohan's imminent project fortune. However, there was also an upcoming life/death surgery, and the unforseen future of Capsule Corporation and it's heiress, Bulma Briefs. Christmas was definitely proving to be bittersweet as these factors weighted on the minds of many of the Z members.