AN:

Was anyone else surprised at Vegeta's demeanor during the pregnancy announcement? I have had fun exploring this version of him. We all know that in canon he and Bulma didn't always get along and had to work through some undisclosed issues. While I started planning his personality for this story I truly felt that, in many ways, he would be much less hostile with her than they were in canon. The main reason primarily being that there is no Goku to compete with, no resentment that Goku was able to put up a better fight against Frieza, no feelings of being usurped, or any of that.

This version of events shows a side to him that could have developed had he never met Goku, because as we know by now Raditz never reached his destination. Vegeta only went to Earth because he was specifically scoping out planets to consider retreating to for whenever he finally would be able to overthrow Frieza. It was because he specifically wanted to go, and not by necessity or by means of revenge.

In this version he has had a few extra years at failed attempts of defeating Frieza, has lost Raditz to a random explosion (where IS Nappa, by the way?) This version of Vegeta had gotten to a point where he was still trying to overthrow Frieza, but basically accepted that he might not ever overthrow accomplish this. Regardless of that, he still believed that he was going to die scorned and alone.

This is when he met Bulma. They came together because he saw her as useful at the time, but it was still essentially his choice. No harbored feeling about Goku, no jealousy or payback to keep him distracted. From the start she has been helpful to him, and he has felt responsible for her. That alone left him more open to developing feelings for her, and I think any repercussion of those feelings are easier for him to accept because he was so much more open to it.

Different circumstances = different Vegeta = different reactions to life events. It's clear he's got it in for her, even though it's unspoken on his part... and he doesn't seem to want to actually tell her that anytime soon…

"I swear, we've been down here for like five hours already…" Bulma's stomach was growling, and she was starting to feel cranky.

No more commotion could be heard from the ledge where the two were still sitting, but Vegeta hadn't yet announced the "okay" that it was safe to leave. She rearranged herself against the saiyan prince, letting out a small groan as she did so. They hadn't stopped holding each other that entire time, and she was now starting to get a cramp in her neck.

Bulma had spent most of her time zoning in and out of anxious thoughts about a growing child. Images of a small watermelon seed, vines slowly creeping from its shell as it grew, kept flashing across her mind. She was trying to make sense of everything - how far along was she likely to be? She was pretty sure that it couldn't be any more than two and half weeks, at the most... Had there been any potential symptoms that she had just overlooked at this point? Was it really even possible for her to be pregnant so soon? How long had Vegeta actually known? From the way he described it, he had been aware for weeks. Had he been able to sense the baby since Day 1?

He hadn't told her very much, other than the fact that he'd never wanted kids. He'd been rather calm about it, though, and it was obvious that he had already reached some sort of resolve on the matter… but what had his conclusion actually been? What did he truly feel about it, even in that moment?

What had his first thought been when he'd learned about this? For some reason she wished she could have shared the moment with him when he found out, and the fact that she hadn't felt like a loss…

It was all she could think about in between the small conversations she'd been having with Vegeta. The saiyan hadn't been speaking very much, but when he did open his mouth it would be to say something unusual that was sure to peak the Bluehead's interests. The most notable thing he had told her was of something he said had been plaguing his mind lately - a tale which he simply referred to as "the legendary super saiyan".

He had described a super saiyan to her as a saiyan who had reached a power so high that they needed another physical form just to contain the energy. He'd told her that it was a tale from his home planet - one that everyone knew. Apparently, the last reports of actually encountering a super saiyan were over a thousand years old, which was so far back in history that the concept was regarded as a mere legend…

Despite his descriptions, it was hard for Bulma to completely grasp the idea of what he was explaining to her. All she could picture, when Vegeta had described the concept of changing form, was the Oozaru transformation that she had seen so many times before. She didn't completely understand what set a super saiyan apart from the Great Ape, especially with no imagery or further theories to go off of. The Bluehead had asked why this was so prevalent on his mind, but Vegeta had refused to answer…

Now they had been silent again for another immeasurable amount of time, and Bulma's mind was creeping back to what was growing in her womb…

"Hey, Vegeta?" Her question abruptly broke the silence between them, her cheek grazing his chest as she spoke.

"What?"

"About the stuff you told me earlier... you know, my... condition..."

"What of it?"

"Well I messed up my arm pretty bad when you threw me earlier..." Bulma paused to search for words, knowing that there wasn't a good way to ask what she was wondering.

They had been loosely holding one another, and when she said this his muscles tightened around her. It was as if it irritated Vegeta to remember such a thing, even though it hadn't occurred very long ago. "What about it?" He replied, and even his voice was now sour.

"Well, do you think it's okay after all that? The baby, I mean-"

"I have not detected any change in its ki, no." It was clear that this was the last thing he wanted to discuss.

Bulma found herself wondering if it was the thought of the baby being hurt that was putting him in this mood, or if it just was the memory of the fight that did it. "To be fair, its ki hasn't been very strong to begin with. It is still very early on, you know. But there has been no change, so I have no reason to believe that it isn't alright."

"Okay." She breathed. There was a relief inside in knowing this, and she sighed as she adjusted her posture again. Now there was a cramp in her right glute! She was getting tired of sitting, but with nowhere to go there wasn't any point in trying to stand.

"You keep squirming." Vegeta grumped, biting the inside of her cheek as her arm accidentally slapped against his face. "It's maddening."

"I can't help it. I'm really uncomfortable!"

"So am I, and it still smells like shit in here." The saiyan growled. Vegeta had been in a terrible mood the entire time they'd been sitting together, though he had tried to hold back on taking it out on the Bluehead beside him. Even in that moment, as they spoke of his unborn kin, he was still fuming from the earlier fight with Eighteen...

… Even after Bulma had rattled her with that electric net, she still had been impossible to take down! He'd had to reduce himself to fleeing once Seventeen showed up, and he hated it! Vegeta had been focused on this the entire time they'd been sitting on that sewer ledge, and still he couldn't come up with any ideas on what he was supposed to do to destroy those cyborgs. He'd tried it all, everything he had learned in all his years, and the two still laughed in his face as if it had all been nothing more than a joke...

"What are we going to do?" Bulma groaned. "This is worse than having to sit in the capsule house all day while you train. At least then I was able to look out the window and get sunlight! At least then I was able to take a bath!"

"Get ahold of yourself, it hasn't been that long!" Vegeta hissed, but he could understand why she would be feeling so antsy. In the back of his mind he'd been pretty excited to go home and take a shower, himself... Trying to think of something to take their thoughts away from this foul place they were sitting in, he settled on speaking the only thing that would come to his mind. "Hey..."

"Yeah?"

"What do you think of the legend I told you about?" He was now shifting his weight just as Bulma had been. "Do you believe that a super saiyan can exist?"

"Well..." She mumbled, scratching a small bug off her arm. Wait - was that an ant? She didn't know there were ants in sewers! What other gross creatures were lurking down here?! Bulma took a deep breath, trying not to let her mind trail so dramatically. "It's…" She turned to Vegeta, and she dragged her fingertip down his bicep. "It's been over a thousand years since one was supposedly seen, so I honestly think the story is a bit farfetched."

"Oh?" Vegeta raised an eyebrow, trying not to smirk. If only Bulma knew that he had come face-to-face with one just a day prior. If only she knew that it had even been the half-breed son of Kakarot...

"Yeah, but those stories were obviously based off something, so I wouldn't exactly call it impossible." She leaned forward to give him a quick peck on the cheek. He raised his eyebrows and looked at her, noting how soft her face looked as it lit up with a smile. "You know, you're pretty amazing." She continued. "I think if anyone could achieve something like that, it would definitely be you."

"Good answer." Vegeta smirked. And then his hold around Bulma tightened, pulling her against his body as he leaned back. She wrapped her arms around his torso, letting herself fall against the firm of his chest. She lay in his arms, looking up at his dim face in the darkness, and watched his chiseled features as he stared straight ahead…

.

… Somehow, despite the humid fumes of sewer waste, and in the aftermath of their rocky day, Bulma had fallen asleep. She woke up when Vegeta started carrying her out of the sewer, but she was groggy until the wind was hitting her in the face during their flight home.

It was night by the time they made it back to the capsule house. The exact hour was uncertain, but Gohan had already fallen asleep on the couch when Vegeta and Bulma walked in.

The Bluehead was so excited to be home, though, and she could hardly care about whether or not she might bother the boy. Taking in a big breath to swallow the fresh aroma of the capsule home, Bulma kicked her shoes off and immediately made a dart for the bathroom.

"Oh, no you don't!" She heard Vegeta say, and she nearly lost her balance when he appeared right in front of her. He had his back to her, blocking the Bluehead from entering the tiled room. "You stay here." He ordered. "I'm taking a shower first!"

"Hey!" Bulma started, but she quickly stopped. She could hear Gohan groaning as he rolled over on the couch. The Bluehead chased the saiyan into the bathroom, both struggling to make it through the door at the same time. "This is my house!" She snapped hoarsely, shutting the door so the two could have more privacy during this dispute.

"I've been sitting near Earthling shit for nearly 20 hours." Vegeta said back, rather matter of factly. "I won't wait another minute to clean the fumes from my skin."

Truth be told, Bulma was taken aback at how urgent Vegeta was to get cleaned up. She assumed he would have been desensitized to nearly everything at this point in his life. But, then again, he was a prince. Perhaps the need for pampering was so deeply engrained within that even a lifetime as a callous beast couldn't take away the repulsion of being near so much fecal waste…

Her thoughts were cut short, though, when she noticed that the saiyan was already starting to pull his shirt off.

"Not fair!" She jumped. "I've been looking forward to this all day! I want to shower right now so I can go lay down! Vegeta! Listen to me!"

But he was starting to slide his pants off now, and the Bluehead was quickly realizing that he had no intention of reconsidering his actions. Taking advantage of the fact that he was still in the middle of getting undressed, Bulma ran around him to launch herself into the tub. She let out a silent cheer of victory, pulling the shower curtain closed around her as she did so.

"Woman..." Vegeta cracked from the other side of the curtain.

"No! This is my shower! Mine!" In one swift movement Bulma pulled both her shirt and bra up over her head. She threw them over the curtain to emphasize her point. And, as if to mark her territory, she was already turning on the tap while she simultaneously began to unbutton her shorts.

"I don't care what is yours, I shall not wait any longer!" His voice grouched, and then the curtain flew open.

Bulma stood, somehow both stunned and pissed, as the naked saiyan stepped in and pulled the curtain shut again. "Hey!"

"Oh, don't start getting all conservative about needing privacy with me again. You're carrying my damned child, Bulma! It's not like there's anything left to hide!" Vegeta grabbed a bar of soap from the side shelf. "Now turn that shower on, before I lose my patience for sharing and kick you out altogether!"

Biting her lip to stifle a curse, the Bluehead finished removing her remaining clothes before throwing them over the curtain to join her shirt. She turned another nob, triggering the water to start streaming from the shower head instead of the bath faucet. In an instant the two were soaked, Bulma's shoulder length hair suddenly growing even longer from the saturation.

"There. Wasn't so hard, was it?" The prince cracked, and Bulma turned around to get a good look at him for the first time.

Fist shaped bruises were lining his stomach, clearly from where Eighteen had been pelting him. There was a gaping hole in his shoulder, a rip in his abdomen. Dried blood was melting off his body as he massaged the soap into his skin, a pool of rust-colored water forming at their feet. "Jeez," She began, her face crinkling from the sight. "Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" He growled. "Now step aside and let me rinse."

They quickly switched places so he could stand directly under the shower head, his hands balled into fists as the water poured into his wounds. Bulma stood at the back of the tub, shyly rubbing soap onto her shoulders and staring at the chiseled man in front of her as he worked.

It almost seemed as if she was looking into some fictional character's diary as her eyes glossed over the muscle tone in his back. Was this really her life at that moment? Was she really bathing with this man in that moment? He was so stunning as he worked, so breathtakingly fit from head to toe…

The sounds of the cocky taunts he'd made towards Eighteen replayed in her head as she watched this piece of art in front of her, and she couldn't help but feel some heat rushing to her cheeks. The way he had been so protective of her, the way he had willfully allowed the android to beat on him just so he could buy Bulma time to get away…

How was it that she of all people was standing before this man? Quite literally, he could have had anyone in the universe that he wanted. And here he was, with her, and they were even bathing together…

She knew that they were from two separate worlds. She knew that they hadn't met under the greatest circumstances, knew that they might never speak again in just a few months' time, and yet Bulma still felt incredibly lucky. Vegeta looked as if he were modeled after one of the notorious Greek gods, and he seemed just as powerful, too. He was so stoic and calculated in his behavior, and yet he had shown so much tenderness towards her, and on so many occasions. There truly would never be another person like this man, and Bulma promised herself that she wouldn't be taking any of these small moments they shared for granted.

Tired and achey, neither of the two cared to prolong their time under the water. And when the tap got shut off Bulma had been quick to make for the bedroom. She pulled a small silk nightie on and climbed under the blankets, even as Vegeta still ran a towel through his hair in the other room.

And, minutes later when he walked in, he was quick to shut off the light.

Bulma had barely gotten a chance to look at him before everything went dark. And she listened for the sounds of him finding another spot on the floor to sleep on, but she was surprised when she felt the mattress dipping instead.

Now, on top of everything else, he was actually choosing to share a bed with her?

"I spent the entire day laying on soiled concrete. It is right that I should sleep here tonight," He growled, as if he could sense Bulma's surprise.

And then he lay on his side at the very edge of the bed, with his back turned to the Bluehead in silence. It was as if he was trying to be as far away from her as possible, and she was almost offended by that. They'd spent the entire day holding each other, hadn't they?

Why be so distant now?

But, as she lay and listened to his breathing, everything replayed in her head yet again. This time, however, she didn't just remember all that had occurred in the last 24 hours. Bulma thought back to nearly everything - every moment she had shared with the saiyan up until this point.

She remembered the hostility between them when they'd first met, the strange obstacles that had somehow worked to break the ice. Bulma remembered what Vegeta had said to her the night he'd nearly died. How he regretted bringing her into this, how she had the right to her own bed… He made jokes about it, but he really did take giving her privacy into consideration, didn't he?

And, as she stared at where she imagined Vegeta's shoulders to be in the dark, she was hit with everything all over again.

"Don't stay so far from me!" She hissed, though she wasn't being serious. She scooted closer the saiyan under the sheets, until she softly met the flesh of his back.

He didn't reply, and Bulma reached out to wrap her arms around him. His skin was so soft to the touch, and it didn't take long for the Bluehead to realize he hadn't bothered with getting dressed at all. She was spooning him from behind, her body pressing against his own, and when her arms clasped around his chest he put a hand up to settle on her wrist.

She was leaning her forehead into the creases of his upper back, her fingers clinging affectionately to his chest. Vegeta's hand was still holding one of her wrists, and she listened as he let out a deep breath. "Don't get used to this." He muttered groggily, but the Bluehead knew even then that they were going to go to bed like this each night from now on. "I'm taking my couch back from that little twerp tomorrow… I refuse to continue sleeping on the floor. He's the one who should be doing that!"

"I think you did a good job against that android today." Bulma replied, completely rerouting the discussion. "If she'd ever managed to land a finger on me, I wouldn't have stood a small chance. But you gave her hell, and I saw it… You were amazing."

His hold on her wrist tightened when she said this, and he sighed. "I never want to see you that close to her again."

He had a point - a very good one, at that. But still, at that moment she was safe, and even with the severity of the topic, it was hard to feel anything other than cozy against him. Hearing the concern in his voice only made Bulma smile, once again thinking of how amazing it was that he was so protective of her.

"You did good." He continued. "Your quick thinking – and that net you through at her. I never want to see you having to do any of that again, but it was admirable."

"Okay." Bulma replied, still grinning against his shoulder blades.

"I mean it..." He continued, though his voice was fading as if he were drifting to sleep. "I don't like you being on battleground..."

"I know..." She replied, and the smile on her face was fading, along with his voice, as she drifted to sleep at the same time as him…

.

Two weeks later saw Bulma groaning with an ice pack over her forehead. She was laying in bed, the curtains drawn over the window to keep the room dark. It seemed as if she'd had a migraine for three days straight at this point, and the only reason she intentionally got out of bed was to empty her nausea into the toilet.

It was strange that she had felt perfectly fine up until Vegeta had told her that she was pregnant. It seemed as if it was only the next day when the Bluehead started feeling the absolute worst she'd ever had in her life. What a cruel joke it was to be so hungry, yet throw up almost anything she tried to put in her mouth. But that was what the last two weeks had consisted of for her, and it didn't seem as if it was going to end any time soon.

Vegeta had been keeping himself busy with Gohan and Piccolo, the three staying locked in the gravity room for nearly every hour of each day. Bulma had hardly seen any of them at all, except for occasional moments in the evening, when she might run into someone on her way to the bathroom.

If she wasn't bent over the toilet, the Bluehead was most certain to be found laying in bed. She'd tried several times to trick her stomach into digesting food, but she had long ago given up on something like that. Her days flew by as she slept the sun away. And at night she would wake just as Vegeta crawled under the blankets with her, and they would speak briefly for a few minutes before she would fall back asleep.

"What's with you?" Vegeta had asked on one of the first nights, after Bulma had wrapped her pale arms around his chest and he felt how weak they were. "How did you get so debilitated so suddenly?"

"I feel like I have an alien living in my body..." She had groaned mindlessly, not wanting to open her eyes despite the fact that the room was already dark.

"So?" The saiyan replied. "You do…"

One night, Bulma had felt well enough to sit up completely when Vegeta came in. She had reminded him that they needed to resume their search for the dragon balls. "We only need two more, Vegeta. Don't you think we should finish collecting those before you keep training?"

"…And if those androids jump us again while we are out, then what? Will there be another sewer conveniently located nearby for us to hide in?" He'd grumped. "I need to keep training so that I can finally defeat them, and we can continue on with peace."

"But you aren't going to beat them like this, I already told you that. We can collect the dragon balls and at least wish them into being human, don't you think? At least then they wouldn't be invincible, and all your training wouldn't be in vain."

"They aren't invincible, Woman! I just need to adjust my strategy! And like hell am I going to waste my wish on such scum! My wish will be used on myself, and myself only." The saiyan spat, and that was that. Bulma didn't have the energy to get invested in a large argument that had the potential to go on for days. She'd tried to reason with him several times, but he had always been resistant. If she had been feeling more like herself, she might have been more assertive. But her head was chronically killing her, her breaths shallow when she spoke, and she completely didn't have the energy for it.

And now, two full weeks after the encounter with the androids, she remained in bed as the world spun around her. If she could even form thoughts without her brain throbbing in retaliation, Bulma most likely would have been thinking "man, being pregnant sucks…"

...

Vegeta stood with his back against the wall in the gravity room, his eyes shut as he focused on his own ki. Ever since learning of Gohan's ability to transform, the saiyan prince had been trying to dig within himself to find a key to the change.

With all he knew about super saiyans, it seemed that the only thing he could do was focus on raising his own power to an unfathomable level. That was what it seemed like the kid was doing, anyway. All that happened when Gohan did it was raise his ki until it reached a certain tipping point that initiated the change…

It was such a simple concept, wasn't it? But, no matter how hard Vegeta tried, he'd never been able to manage such a thing. It was infuriating, it was emasculating, and the saiyan just could figure out what he was doing wrong.

Even at that precise moment, as Vegeta silently focused on elevating his own ki, Gohan was on the other end of the gravity room in his super saiyan state. His hair a flame of yellow, the boy was working through a series of pushups as Piccolo coached him on. "Good." The mentor was saying, slow nods of approval as he counted the boy's reps.

It had taken a lot of time and concentration, but it seemed that Gohan was finally understanding how to transition into a super saiyan without absolutely losing his mind in the process. The threat of getting his tail yanked had been motivation enough to keep a part of himself sober during these times, but it had also been Piccolo's voice.

More specifically, it had been his words. The words that Piccolo had been saying to him ever since they'd met. They were the words that Gohan would remember when he started to feel as if all hope was void.

During the moments when Gohan's skin felt as if it would melt off, and he screamed his way through the explosive transition, he would remind himself of Piccolo's words.

"It will be alright."

Piccolo had told him this so many times since they had started training together, but now more than ever did such a phrase resonate. "Remember what I tell you during the madness, kid." He had said to going Gohan one day, after another failed attempt at becoming super saiyan without also becoming feral. "Remember… Even if it doesn't feel like it, everything is going to be alright."

Even now as Gohan worked, Piccolo was standing over him and muttering words of approval, which only encouraged the boy further.

"You're getting good at this, kid."

Gohan reached the last rep in his set of pushups, and he pushed himself to his back as he gasped. The gravity machine was set to 60, and he was still having a hard time adjusting to the added pressure. "Do you think I can actually do this, Mr. Piccolo? I can barely breathe."

"You'll be alright." Piccolo replied, his arms folded over his chest as he looked over the boy. "Catch your breath, and then I want to see you fly another 200 laps around this room. Try to do it in under 30 seconds this time."

Great. Out of everything they made him do, Gohan was pretty sure the laps were his least favorite. Piccolo and Vegeta said he needed to do it so he could increase his speed, but that didn't make them any more tolerable. Gohan powered down as he groaned through a muscle cramp in his arm, his spikey hair returning to its naturally black state.

"What have we told you?" Vegeta's voice cracked from across the room, making the boy jolt. "Don't do that!"

"But, Mr. Vegetaaa!" The child tried, not bothering to even sit up as he began to argue his case.

"Don't you even attempt your whining with me!" Vegeta snapped. "If my plan is going to work then you must be used to long term exertion in your legendary state. Now power back up and start your laps. Right now."

"But-!"

"NO!" Vegeta barked. Piccolo stepped back as the saiyan prince began to snarl, the green mentor shaking his head.

"Power back up, NOW!" Vegeta shouted. "And as a reward for your lip, you will now fly 250 laps instead. Understand?"

"But-!"

"Would you like to fly 400 laps instead, boy? You're pushing me, and I've never been known to hesitate with punishment."

"No fair!" Gohan screamed, throwing himself up on his feet. "Stop acting like my MOM! You aren't the boss of me!"

But even as he yelled, his hair was starting to transition into a familiar gold hue. All Vegeta did as the boy screamed was smirk. Then, when he was done, Vegeta slowly opened his mouth. "Child, you may have noticed this by now, but I am a man. Just so we're clear, I will never be your mom, nor do I want to."

"AHHH!" Gohan let out another howl of frustration, the ki blowing out around him and nearly knocking Vegeta off his feet.

And then he was starting on his 250 laps around the room, grumbling and screaming to himself as he went.

AN:

If this chapter didn't flow very smoothly compared to others, I'll apologize for that. I wrote this while I was really sick, and I am still getting over it, but I wanted to go ahead and post an update. Thanks for reading and reviewing! I don't write for the reviews, but I'd be lying if I said I don't get excited when I see them.