A/N: Nine hundred reviews! Thanks so much, everyone! You've been so kind and supportive and I feel terrible for having taken so long to update! I was actually caught up in both the VegeBul smutfest and GoChi Week 2017, but alas, I make my return, with an extra-long and super-fun chapter.
Secondly, I've got some wonderful news. I posted the uncensored version of the story to my ArchiveOfOurOwn profile (Ao3), so you can easily access it there (linked directly on my profile page). Other than that, I've added little summaries for censored areas in the previous chapters, as per the advice of a reader, ML7 (thanks so much).
Lastly, I drew some really hilarious fan-art for this chapter, which you can check out on my DeviantArt or Tumblr! That said, let us begin and enjoy the arrival of precious little baby, Trunks! :D
Chapter 51: The little baby and the big baby
As the weeks passed by, a certain half-Saiyan entity continued to grow, within the warm, cosy receptacle of Bulma's swelling womb. Despite her ceaseless nagging and futile attempts at wheedling the neglectful father-to-be, the heiress was unable to drag him along to the radiology department of the CC medical wing, whenever she'd undergo her weekly ultrasounds. The stubborn Prince insisted that he hadn't any time to spare, for 'foolish distractions' and so had no qualms about missing out on the early stages of the baby's development. His withdrawal really hurt Bulma, eating at her from the inside. She just didn't understand how someone who cared about her so deeply, saw their child as nothing more than a 'distraction'? Why couldn't he feel the same love and adoration that she felt for the precious little thing? She asked herself that question, over and over again.
Around the middle of her second trimester, she received a very unexpected visit, during the middle of the day. She was in her office, down at the main headquarters, collecting a number of documents from the fax machine, when a loud, familiar voice made her squeak and jump, in sudden fright.
"Hey, Bulma!"
"Goku, what the hell?!" The heiress whirled around, seething at her best friend and barely resisting the urge to clock him. "How many times have I told you not to do that?!"
"Uh- sorry, I just came to check if-" Goku stopped short, eyes bulging as he noticed the slight protrusion in Bulma's midsection. Taking a moment to confirm the presence of the minute Ki signal, the pure-hearted Saiyan looked at her, with a gigantic, feverish grin. "Oh my God, Bulma, you're pregnant! That's wonderful!"
"Uh- yeah, thanks." The heiress blushed a little, thereafter thinking to herself. 'Well, at least someone's happy.' Why was it that everyone, besides Vegeta, were thrilled at the news of her pregnancy? Not that many people were aware of the situation, but even then, it irked her. As the father of the child, he ought to have been more supportive and excited than the lot of them, yet his reactions were entirely nonchalant. Sure, he rarely displayed his emotions out in the open, but this ought to have been one of the exceptions. She let out a dejected sigh, but suddenly looked down in bewilderment, as a kneeling Goku pressed his ear up, against the swell of her belly.
"Hey there, little fella, can you hear me?" The Saiyan asked, in a babyish voice. "It's your Uncle Goku."
"Goku, what're you doing?" Bulma mirthfully giggled. "Cut it out, you big weirdo."
"Shhh, can't you see we're talking here?" Goku looked up at her, with a mock pout, before returning to his original position. "Sorry about that. Your mother just gets a little suspicious when we Saiyans, talk in private hehe. Isn't that right, little Tr- ow!"
The goofy Saiyan was abruptly hurled on his rear, prompting a hearty chuckle, from the heiress.
"Man, that kid, packs quite a kick." Goku remarked, rubbing his soar, right cheek. "Definitely not much of a conversationalist, either. Well, you know what they say: like father like son hehehe."
"Like father, like son, huh?" Bulma asked, raising an amused eyebrow, as she placed a hand on her belly. "And just how do you know, it's a boy and not a girl?"
"Uh- w-well, I- um- I- it's just a guess?" Goku tried weakly, earning a wary frown from Bulma, much to his dismay. He sifted through his mind for a hasty cover-up. Oh crap, come to think of it, he was awfully close to spilling the baby's name. In a way, that timely kick, closed a can of worms that he'd almost opened.
"Goku?" The blue-haired woman gave him a demanding look that made him flinch. "Anything you wanna tell me?"
"Um- well, no, not at all, I mean- if it kicks that hard, then it's gotta be a boy, right?"
"Okay, now that's just plain sexist." Bulma folded her arms indignantly, forgetting her earlier suspicions. Goku hardly knew if he should've been relieved or terror-stricken at the fresh ire, directed towards him. Either way, he felt that he'd overstayed his welcome.
"Well, anyway gotta run." He laughed uneasily, before pressing his fingers to his forehead. "Have a healthy baby. Oh, and tell Vegeta I said hi."
He promptly disappeared.
'Same old Goku.' Bulma rolled her eyes, sniggering to herself. Somehow his short visit made her feel so much better. He always seemed to have that effect, what with his innocent, childlike giddiness. Still, he was acting somewhat strange towards the end and she couldn't help but wonder, what that was all about.
XXXX
"By the look on your face, I take it, the deed's done." Piccolo assumed.
"Hehehe Yep, he's here alright." Goku gave him a toothy grin. "I know it's him, for sure. Man, this is so amazing! I can't wait until he's finally here!"
"Mind explaining the bruise?" The Namekian asked, observing the bluish-red hue mottled on his right cheek.
"Well- I got a little too close to the kid and I suppose at this point, he's somewhat irritable hehehe."
"Hmph, why am I not surprised?" The giant warrior shook his head wryly. "So- uh- you gonna tell anyone?"
"Nah, it's better if I keep it a surprise."
"Good, I could do without all the noise."
XXXX
Approximately four months into the pregnancy, the heiress finally garnered Vegeta's attention, after half-heartedly informing his royal highness that the proceeding ultrasound, would determine the gender of the unborn child. The Prince immediately stood to attention and to her surprise and utmost delight, he agreed to attend the next session, by her side.
"Well, it appears you're going to have a baby boy." Dr. Lorenz informed, after closely examining the screen.
"Did you hear that Vegeta?" Bulma gushed, as she lay on the bed. "A boy! We're gonna have a little boy!"
Vegeta could hardly prevent a smirk from lighting his face at the revelation, barely noticing as Bulma took hold of his hand, mid-sentence. This is exactly what he'd been hoping for: a powerful son, who'd carry on his legacy, through the ages. For the longest time he'd been sure that he would be the last member of the royal bloodline, but no longer was it the case. He frowned at the thought that over the coming generations, Saiyan blood would inevitably dilute and his descendants would eventually be more or less human. There was nothing he could do about that, though. The Prince hoped, above all that they retained their Saiyan strength and a sense of awareness, regarding their great heritage.
Later that day, the heiress informed her lover about the hilarious incident involving Goku and their child. Though initially ticked off at the idea of his rival getting too familiar with Bulma, a strong surge of pride, soared through him, upon learning that his unborn had managed to bruise the mighty buffoon.
"Well, he is your son after all." Bulma laughed, glad to see Vegeta in such high spirits, despite his detached behavior, as of late. Perhaps this brief recount would make him see the child in a new light. "Where else do you think he gets his amazing strength from, not to mention that short fuse?"
"The strength is definitely mine, but his short fuse is entirely yours." The Prince smirked.
"What?!" Bulma growled indignantly. "Are you kidding me?! You've got a much shorter fuse than me and you know it!"
"Wrong."
"Right!"
"Yes, right that you're wrong."
"That's it!" Bulma immediately pounced and grabbed him, in a side headlock.
"You're just proving my point." Vegeta chortled at her expense, not even bothering to defend himself, from her pathetically weak grip.
"I am not!" She objected, squeezing even harder, far too irate to register just how much her actions belied her words.
That incident had inadvertently brought the odd pair closer together. It had been quite a while since they fought in such a manner and even though it was a lopsided victory for the Saiyan Prince, Bulma was more than happy that she'd finally managed to get through to him. Sure, he continued spending almost every waking hour training, but he often attended weekly ultrasounds and though very much silent, his presence and marginally increased willingness to pay ear to her inane chatter, evinced his growing attachment towards her and the child.
The days continued to roll by. Yamcha and Mirai got married and despite Bulma's persistence, Vegeta refused to attend the wedding, to her utmost chagrin, saying that he held no interest in the 'scar-faced weakling's petty affairs'. Yamcha didn't particularly care though and was glad that the rest of the Z-gang attended, showering the newly weds with a cornucopia of gifts, hugs and good wishes. Soon afterwards, the emerald-haired artist, was with child, just like Bulma and felt more jubilant than she ever had, since the untimely demise of her previous family (A/N: Refer to Chapter 42). She prayed that this time around, with Yamcha at her side, the tide would be much smoother. Mirai still held onto the precious family heirloom left behind by her late ex-husband, Shozo, a simple scroll parchment that read, 家先, the Kanji for "Family first". She would honor her first love and their deceased little son, Shizu, by preserving it and passing it along the generations.
Fortunately for Bulma, Yamcha's wedding had taken place, while she was still able to conceal her pregnancy, preferring to keep it a surprise, for now. After all, not everyone was as intuitive as Goku and her happy-go-lucky best friend was good at keeping secrets. He told her that Piccolo was the only one he'd informed about the situation and gave his word that he wouldn't be telling anyone else.
Time passed and the heiress was in her seventh month. It began to show, more and more. One tranquil night, Vegeta looked upon her belly, as she lay supine on their queen-sized bed, fast asleep. Moments after he was born, the crown Prince was widely acclaimed as the Super Saiyan, reincarnated, with a whopping power level that surpassed all Saiyans before him, for over a thousand years. And now, this fragile human by his side was gestating a half-Saiyan child, whose power already exceeded his own, at birth.
'Amazing.' Vegeta thought in awe, before looking back up at the slumbering female, beside him. Gods, she exhibited such a warm, ethereal glow right now, unlike any other. The Prince stared at her, in pure wonder. There was something so eerily breathtaking about the motherly aura, resonating around her. He gently skimmed his rough hand, along her aquamarine hair, reveling in the smooth, streamlined feel of those soft, silky tresses.
"Mmm." Bulma's lips curled up, in a small smile and the Prince's heart thudded hard, against his chest. He couldn't help it, as he placed a tender kiss on her temple, lips lingering there for a moment, before his hand ventured downwards, and settled on her swelling midriff. He shut his eyes, familiarizing himself with the Ki signal of his unborn son, so pure and innocent, everything he wasn't.
"Caught you." The heiress' weary voice suddenly wedged through his thoughts and Vegeta looked at her, like a child caught with his hand in the cookie-jar. Suddenly, he felt her fingers interlacing with his. She gave him a sleepy smile, her big cerulean eyes half-lidded and radiating with affection, reflecting the celestial glimmer of the crescent moon.
"I- I thought you were asleep." The Prince hissed, irked, not only at his foolish sentimentality, but at the fact that he'd been discovered in such a vulnerable moment.
"Mmm, I was, but someone decided to wake me up." She said sluggishly, before shifting forward and kissing the tip of his nose, much to his annoyance. Bulma giggled. "You know, I like seeing this other side of you." The heiress murmured, promptly capturing his lips with her own, before he could deny having 'another side'. She smiled, cherishing the serene, sanguine moment, with her introversive Saiyan. Bulma slipped her tongue inside, roving along the entrancing crevices of his mouth, as she intoxicated herself with his raw, virile taste.
Just over two months later, Bulma finally reached her due date. Vegeta begrudgingly sat by her, as she lay on the hospital bed, while Mrs. Brief was seated on the other side, placing a loving hand on her daughter's forehead. The Prince would've preferred steering clear of all this mess, but other than Kakarot and the Namek, he was the only person on this planet that was privy to the situation and at the same time, strong enough to handle the heiress. After all, her power level was well above most humans and despite being negligible compared to his own, he could feel the intense pressure on his hand, as she squeezed, with all her might. Had he left her crazy mother to deal with the situation, she'd surely crush every bone in her hand.
Bulma breathed hard and hurled a litany of unhealthy curses, hoping that these damned contractions would finally come to end. She really wanted this demon-spawn out of her, as soon as possible! No textbook or documentary could possibly render the true extent of pain associated with cervical dilation! Hours later, the contractions finally came to a halt and it was time to deliver Lucifer's lovechild. Bulma couldn't repress the tiny laugh that escaped her at the thought, but it only made her yowl in pain.
"Dammit, quit laughing and concentrate, you fool." Vegeta chided.
"Shut up, jerk!" Bulma snapped, squeezing his hand even tighter if it were possible. The Saiyan flinched. "You're not the one who's had to carry this little hell-spawn, for the last nine months! Do you even know how hard it's been?! Arrrggghhh!"
"Easy there, Miss Brief." Dr. Yasmin soothed. "And you." She looked pointedly at Vegeta. "Stop agitating her. She's in a very unstable condition, right now."
"Don't you tell me what to-"
"Vegeta!" Panchy glared at the Prince so hard that he instantly closed his mouth, more out of shock, than anything else. She'd never looked at him, in such a terrifying manner. The flaxen-haired female returned her attention, to her bedridden daughter, tenderly stroking her forehead. "It's okay baby, just stay calm. Mama's here."
"Oh mom, I can feel him!" Bulma panted. "He's trying to force his way out! Dammit, just get him out of me! It hurts so much!"
"I need you to calm down first, Miss Brief." The obstetrician encouraged. "Take a few deep breaths. It'll make this much easier, believe me."
"Okay." The heiress nodded, following through.
"Good." The doctor smiled. "Now tuck your chin beneath your chest, tighten your muscles and when I say push, push as hard as you can, got it?"
"Got it." The blue-haired woman strained.
"Here, bite down on this." Vegeta, now a little more sympathetic, placed a wooden object in front of her face. "I infused my own Ki into it, so it won't break."
Bulma did as instructed.
"Okay ready and- push!" Dr. Yasmin urged.
Vegeta groaned, as the heiress' grip tightened two-fold. Despite the excruciating agony she was in, the soon-to-be mother was really thankful, for the stick in her mouth. Were it not for that, she was afraid she'd bite her own tongue off.
Roughly twenty, nightmarish minutes later, the child was finally out and its umbilical cord was snipped off, soon afterwards.
"Congratulations, Miss Brief." The doctor smiled beatifically. "Here's your boy, tail and all." She placed the bawling baby on her belly. Before the delivery, the elder Briefs had informed the doctors of the child's ancillary appendage, with corresponding ultrasound scans in hand, so that despite the overwhelming shock, they'd at least know what to expect.
"Aw, just look at it." A teary-eyed Mrs. Brief gushed. "Such such a cutie."
"Hey there, baby." Bulma cooed softly between breaths, a wide, yet weary smile of relief, spreading across her face, as she stroked his tiny head. "You've caused your mommy a lot of trouble, you know that?"
As mother and son bonded, the Prince looked on, from the side, in what could only be described as pure wonder. The scene before him was so surreal, so dreamlike, almost- magical. After all the horrors and atrocities he'd committed throughout his life, who would ever imagine that he could create such blissful peace and happiness, such- innocence. It was everything he wasn't.
"Come on Vegeta, meet your son." The heiress encouraged.
The Saiyan's eye twitched a little, before he hesitantly leaned forward and touched the newborn's hair, then pulled back, as though they were barbs.
"You wanna hold him?" The heiress asked, gripping her lover's hand once again, albeit gently.
The Prince grunted and shook his head, a resounding 'no'.
"Oh come on." She prodded, but to no avail. The last child Vegeta held was Kakarot's brat and that was by the neck, as he pounded the living crap out of him (A/N: Refer to Chapter 1). He obviously wasn't built for this sort of thing. He preferred keeping his distance, for a good while, at least.
Once the placenta was delivered, the baby was cleaned and wrapped in a shawl. Once Bulma's father was admitted inside, the Briefs were practically huddled together, as they tended to the newborn. With a little help, Bulma sat up and held the baby closely, caressing his little tummy. The infant's tiny tail, wound itself around its mother's index finger.
"Oh, that is so adorable." Mrs. Brief enthused, tears streaming down her face.
"Indeed, it is." Dr. Brief took off his glasses and had to dab his own watery eyes.
"Tch, you people are all soft." Vegeta churlishly remarked. "You're going to spoil the brat." He shook his head. "I'm out of here."
Without another word, he exited the hospital, afraid of the uncanny feelings, festering inside him. It was just too much, being was surrounded by an atmosphere of such ravishing peace and happiness.
"Well, can't say I'm surprised." Bulma chuckled. "I'm glad he stayed here as long as he did. So- uh- what're we gonna name the little rascal?"
"Oh, I know!" Mrs. Brief clasped her hands together. "Why don't we name him Vegeta?"
"Hm, I think that's a little unoriginal." Dr. Brief rapped his forehead.
"I gotta agree with dad." The heiress rolled her eyes. "I think one Vegeta's, more than enough haha. Besides, all his ancestors were called Vegeta and so was his planet, so yeah, definitely not original."
"Okay, how about Trunks?" Panchy suggested. "I think that sounds wonderful."
"Hm, sounds okay to me." The good doctor assented.
"Trunks it is!" Bulma nodded, as she sat up and pulled the infant to her chest. "Aw, is someone hungry?" She cooed, as she noticed the babe sucking its lips.
Dr. Yasmin and the elders left their daughter, to breastfeed little Trunks. Over two hours passed, before it was finally over and Bulma, was an exhausted mess. This darn baby had a bottomless stomach, just like his father.
A few days later, the rest of the Z-Fighters came to know of the child's existence and readily rushed over to Capsule Corporation, delivering a whole range of gifts and congratulations.
And just like that, another three months passed. A certain Saiyan Prince, was extremely unhappy. With his daughter on maternity leave, Dr. Brief had little time to spare for Vegeta's ceaseless demands, regarding upgraded training equipment. As for Bulma, Trunks was occupying the entirety of her day. Even between breaks, she was so worn out that she could hardly concentrate on anything, besides the most basic activities. It was on one night that Vegeta decided he'd had enough.
Trunks woke up in a fit of tears, immediately alerting his mother, via baby monitor.
"Oh God, not again." Bulma sighed wearily, as she bookmarked the novel before her and left the room, so she could tend to Devil Junior. The heiress was on her way to Trunks' room, when the voice of her fuming lover, stopped her.
"Woman, I command you to build me new training bots, stronger and faster than the ones before!" He seethed. "It's been months!"
"Dammit, I can't!" Bulma tilted her head towards him, with a peevish glower. "Your little demon-child needs me!"
"No, I refuse to wait any longer!" The Prince growled, clenching his fists. "This is complete bullshit! Ever since that brat came into this world, you've been spending all your time with him! What about me?! I need to get stronger or did you forget about that?!"
The heiress whirled around, staring incredulously at her surly Saiyan. Is- is that what had him in such a foul, bitter mood?!
"Vegeta, are- are you jealous of Trunks?" She asked, scarcely believing it herself.
"Wh-What?!" He stammered, looking deeply affronted. "Don't be ridiculous! All I want is-"
"Oh my God, you are jealous!" Bulma interrupted him mid-sentence, nearly falling over, in a volcanic eruption of laughter. "That is so freaking adorable!"
"Stop laughing woman!" Vegeta snarled, grabbing her by the shoulders, as she buried her face in his chest, barely able to hold herself together. "And quit spouting such meaningless drivel! I don't care where your attention lies, as long as I get my training equipment, understand?! Have you forgotten that the Androids will be here, in less than a year?!"
Finally able to regain some degree of balance, Bulma took a deep breath, before cupping Vegeta's cheeks in her palms.
"You're right, Vegeta, I'm sorry." She smiled with a mischievous glint in her eyes, earning her a suspicious look from the flame-haired Saiyan. "I've been absolutely horrible. I've been spending so much time with my little baby, that I totally forgot about my big baby."
Vegeta's reaction to her 'apology', was completely priceless. He could only garble, as the heiress continued patronizing him.
"But from now on, I promise that I'll make time for both my babies." She planted a condescending kiss on his cheek.
"You- how dare you call me that?!" The Prince seethed, a profuse blush reddening his cheeks, as he pulled away from her, teeth grit. "I'm training so that I'm strong enough to defeat the Androids and you have the nerve to equate me, with that snivelling brat?!"
"Regardless, you're always nagging me for attention." She retorted, with a teasing grin. The fact that he took her words so seriously, made it all the more laughable. "I mean, just think about it. Trunks always breaks his toys and cries, until I get him some new ones. You do the exact same thing, except in your case, it's with training bots, so how're you all that different?"
"I never cry!" He shot back, only to curse himself, mere seconds later. With such a bleak reply, he'd inadvertently ratified the veracity of all her other claims and comparisons.
After that incident, Vegeta avoided Bulma like the plague, for an entire week. When he did rejoin her, on their queen-sized bed, he had his back turned the other way. The heiress immediately figured out his game. He wanted her to beg him for attention, so that he could reciprocate her claims, from their last conversation and ordinarily, she would have. After all, she had womanly needs that had to be satisfied. However, there were other ways to remedy her primal urges.
"You know Vegeta, I've just thought of the perfect present, for your birthday."
'Does she even know my birthday?' The Prince thought to himself, apparently paying her no mind.
"A large, pink pacifier." She grinned, whereby his jaw fell open. "I mean, I know how much you love the color pink and Trunks has a blue one, so I guess it's only fitting, don't you think so, Vegeta?"
The Prince grit his teeth, muscles tensing in barely repressed rage. He had a growing urge to smite her, at this very moment. This is not what he expected- unless- oh crap, she knew his game, didn't she? Despite the monumental stress of motherhood, Bulma still had her wits about her. Darn it, he hadn't planned for this. All he could do now was ignore her, but that wasn't so easy.
"Hey, Vegeta?" Bulma asked, only to receive no reply. She childishly continued to jab him, her merriment burgeoning, as she observed his trapezius muscles tighten, further and further. "Vegeta? Vegeta? Vegeta? Vegeta? Vegeta? Vegeta? Vege-"
"WHAT?!" The apoplectic Prince finally barked.
"Shut up." She replied.
"Damn woman!" That did it! Now well past his melting point, the hotheaded Saiyan pushed her over and straddled her hips, as he placed his hands around her throat, only he couldn't find it in himself to squeeze. He was suddenly consumed by a different impulse altogether.
Fifteen minutes later…
"Wow, that felt amazing!" Bulma effervesced, more complacent than ever. "Gotta admit, when you're upset, you're a whole different beast hahaha."
"I hate you." The miserable Saiyan grumbled, facing the other direction.
"I know." The heiress smiled in triumph, as she inhaled the sweet aroma of sex, mingled with victory.
Around three weeks later, Mirai gave birth to a beautiful, green-haired baby girl, named Natsumi. The family often visited Capsule Corporation and around four months had passed. Trunks and Natsumi became good friends, often petting each others cowlicks and laughing together, as they indulged themselves in the playpen.
"Gosh, I can't wait until they're married." Mrs. Brief gushed.
"Mom, what is wrong with you?!" Bulma hissed. "They're just babies!"
"We were all babies at one point." The ditzy woman shrugged, placing a tray of freshly-baked cookies, in front of her guests.
"What about Vegeta?" Yamcha commented. "He was probably fighting, ever since he left the womb, so you could hardly consider him a baby."
"On the contrary, Vegeta's always been a baby." Bulma replied, with a chuckle. "In fact, he still is. A big, spoiled, attention-seeking baby hahahaha."
Everyone laughed at the expense of the proud Prince.
"Oh stop it, all of you." Mrs. Brief glared at the lot of them, arms akimbo. "That sweet boy's training so hard, day in and day out, so he can keep us all safe and here you are, backbiting him, like silly little children."
"Oh mom, come on, we were just kidding." The heiress insisted.
"I wasn't kidding." Yamcha mumbled, receiving a punch on either arm, from Bulma and Mirai and an even meaner stare, from Panchy. "Um- On seconds thoughts, yes, I was kidding hehehe."
An excruciating cry drew everyone's attention towards the playpen and Bulma gasped, upon seeing a bewildered Natsumi, grasping Trunks' little tail.
"Oh no, Trunks!" Bulma rushed over and picked up her lavender-haired infant, as he wailed against her chest. "Oh hush now, it's okay baby." She cooed, but to no avail.
Moments after being separated from Trunks, Natsumi also burst into tears and Mirai quickly grabbed her, eventually able to calm her down. Her demi-Saiyan counterpart, however, was a different story. Soon afterwards, Vegeta entered the scene, prowling for a meal.
"What's with all the ruckus?!" He demanded.
"It's Trunks." Bulma replied, solicitously. "Natsu grabbed his tail and now he won't stop crying."
"What?!" Vegeta growled. "He was defeated by that weak human brat?!"
"Hey!" Yamcha exclaimed, taking offence.
"Now's not the time, you idiot!" The heiress hissed. "Look, if you're not gonna be of any help, just go!"
"Tch, pathetic!" The Prince clenched his teeth, glaring accusingly at the blue-haired mother. "This is all your fault! You've been spoiling the child, rotten, making him all soft and weak!"
Yamcha groaned to himself. Trust Vegeta to be more concerned about his machismo than his own son.
"He's just a baby, you moron!" The heiress riposted. "And besides, they weren't fighting. She just grabbed his tail, alright? I'm sure it won't happen again."
"Your damn right it won't!" Vegeta walked over and forcibly snatched the babe, from it's mother.
"Vegeta, what're you doing?!" A horrified Bulma demanded. "Give him back!"
Without a word, the Prince absconded the premises, squalling baby in hand.
"Oh my God!" Bulma gasped, pressing a palm to her hammering heart. "Trunks." She whispered, wondering what on Earth Vegeta was planning to do, with her sweet little child.
"I-I should call Goku." An astounded Yamcha suggested, weakly. Bulma stood there in complete panic and disbelief, wondering what on Earth just happened. Her baby had just been kidnapped right in front of her.
"Oh there, there, Bulma." Mrs. Brief held her daughter around the shoulders. "Vegeta's not gonna hurt Trunks. You know him better than that."
A few seconds later, Earth's hero appeared on scene. As soon as he learned about the predicament at hand, he pinpointed Vegeta's energy signal and vanished.
XXXX
"Kakarot, move out of my way!" The Prince demanded, midair, as he held a blubbering Trunks, around the stomach.
"Vegeta, come on, you can't just steal the baby like that." Goku objected, shoulders slumping in disappointment. "Even I know that's wrong. Could you at least tell me me what you're planning?"
After a little back-and-forth, the Prince decided to give an answer.
"Grrr, fine!" He begrudgingly relented. "Tell Bulma that I'm showing him how to protect his tail, alright? That way no one can grab it."
"Oh, er- okay, but why couldn't you tell her that?"
"Because she'd keep hounding me over it and I don't have time for that." He growled back. "I need to do this somewhere secluded, without distractions and I want to get it over with quickly, so it never happens again."
"Ohhh." Goku nodded in understanding. "Well, good luck."
With that, he teleported back to CC.
XXXX
Bulma nearly throttled her best friend for taking the situation so lightly.
"You're stupid Saiyans are all the same!" She spat. "My baby just got kidnapped! Doesn't that mean anything to you?!"
"Come on Bulma, you know Vegeta's not gonna hurt him." Goku insisted.
"I don't care, he has no right to take him from me!" The fiery heiress replied. "If he wants to spend time with him, fine, I'm more than happy! But he can't just pinch him from me and then run off!"
"I know, I know, but hey, I'm sure he won't be long." The Saiyan said, encouragingly.
"That's not the point, moron!"
XXXX
"Oh God, just shut up already, I'm not going to eat you!" Vegeta demanded, as Trunks sat on the rocky terrain, ceaselessly wailing. "QUIET!"
Trunks only cried louder.
'Dammit, how do I do this?' The helpless Prince thought to himself. Eventually, he remembered what Bulma told him, a while ago. The brat loved animals, apparently. Recalling that bit of information, Vegeta gathered him in his arms and ventured about, until found a desert hamster. Sitting Trunks down, he brought the puffball creature over and it began sniffing the baby. Almost instantaneously, the half-Saiyan's cries died down and he began squealing and giggling, as the hamster crawled around his little body.
The Prince felt somewhat proud of this small development.
"Alright boy, listen closely."
The baby turned his attention, to the towering figure of his father. Vegeta unwound his tail, from his waist and moved it towards Trunks. The demi-Saiyan made a grab for it, but it was pulled away at the last second, whereby he whimpered in protest.
"You need to learn how to keep this thing tucked away or it can be used as a weakness, against you." The Prince cautioned. "Watch me." He wrapped his tail back around his waist, to demonstrate.
Trunks looked at him confusedly, before reaching out once again. Vegeta grumbled a few curses under his breath, then knelt down and shifted his hand towards the boys tail. The terrified child moved the furry appendage, before it was grabbed.
"Good." Vegeta nodded. "At least you've learned a valuable lesson. That tail's your weak spot, but it won't always be. Once you're old enough, I'll show you how to strengthen it, but until then, you need to keep it out of reach, understood?"
Trunks stared blankly, however, after a number of proceeding demonstrations from his father, the baby finally learned how to gird the hickory appendage around his pudgy waistline.
XXXX
An hour since flitting, Vegeta returned home with a jubilant Trunks, in his arms. The heiress was about to walk up and slap him right in the face, till she saw how happy her child looked, as he played with some sort of wild hamster.
"Here." The Prince delivered the baby to his mother and he was about to take off, until-
"Hold it!" Bulma exclaimed, with an exasperated scowl.
"Oh come on, spare me." Vegeta rolled his eyes, before she could say it. "The boy's fine and now he knows how to protect his weak spot. I just did him a favor. And besides, I even gave him a new playmate." He gestured to the hamster.
"That's all well and good, but if you even think about kidnapping him like that again, so help me, I will rip off all your hair and make you eat it, understand?!" She simmered. "I was sick to my stomach with worry! I'm stressed out enough as it is and I don't need you adding on top of that! So, the next time you wanna spend time with our son, you better tell me first and keep it inside the premises, or else!"
"Whatever." The Prince shook his head and then headed to the kitchen, to grab a meal.
"Gosh, your father's just too much, isn't he?" The blue-haired mother sighed, looking down at her giddy child, relieved that all was well.
In the months that followed, Vegeta slowly began spending a little more time with Trunks and the two developed a sort of father-son bond, much to Bulma's delight.
It was around early April that an international announcement was made. The 24th World Martial-Arts Tournament was to be held on May 2nd, a mere 10 days before the arrival of the Androids. It was also learned that a self-promoted hype-job by the name of Hercule Satan, was the betting favourite to win the competition. Mr. Satan had quickly risen to stardom, after winning the world wrestling championship. He was known to trash-talk his opponents before fights and while that initially earned him a lot of hate, his ability to back it up, led him to where he was today. The moustached fighter had a sweeping fanbase, all across the planet.
When Goku announced his intention to participate, Vegeta immediately followed suite, determined to crush his rival in battle, once and for all, substantiating that he and only he was the single most powerful Saiyan, nay warrior, in the entire Universe. With the exception of Chiaotzu and Yajirobe, the rest of the gang quickly decided that they would sign up and spend this month, training their very hardest, until the time came to test the true depths of their abilities, to lay all cards on the table.
A/N: And so there it is! Trunks is finally here, but every moment that passes, brings us one step closer to judgment day. Before that however, the 24th World Martial-Arts Tournament shall begin! Who will come out victorious? Be sure to leave me your thoughts and hit the review button! And remember to check the fan-art for this chapter, on my DeviantArt hehe. ;)
p.s. I sorta got the tournament idea from the fan-fic, 'A boy's training', by darksupersaiyan, but I'll certainly be taking a much different route, around it, so brace yourselves for the awesome ride ahead. Oh and I'll try and update sooner, this time around. I won't be quite as busy now, just got a little Vegetasei one-shot to complete for my friend, annegoddamn and then I'll be right on it. :D