Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Birth of a Prince ❯ The Visit ( Chapter 19 )

Part 19 The Visit

The two Saiyjins stared in horror as Chichi paused in the doorway, and then flung herself at Goku.

"Oh my sweet Goku, you're hurt," she shrieked, causing both men to wince as her shrill voice split their sensitive eardrums.

Goku flinched, but managed a shadow of a smile as he said "'M ok Chichi….honest." Of its own accord, his tail softly caressed her cheek. Chichi frowned, and then seeing what he was doing, slapped it away. Goku winced in pain as Chichi screamed at him to "put that thing away."

Vegeta found his voice. "Woman, leave this room at once." His best spoiled do-as-I -say-now-or-else-royal voice had nearly no effect on the irritating woman.

"Vegeta that is no way to talk to a guest in your house."

Vegeta growled. "I didn't invite you, bakayaro onna. If you are looking for Bulma, she's in her lab. This gravity room is off limits."

Chichi harrumphed. "Come on Goku, let's go see Bulma."

Goku winced. "Uh…Chichi…I…um….."

"The only place Kakkarott is going is upstairs to have a senzu and to wash," said Vegeta. He glared at Chichi. "You can leave….NOW."

Chichi scowled at the man who held her husband's head in his lap. She was so angry at not only being treated the way she was, but that Goku had actually touched her with that disgusting tail of his, she failed to take in the strangeness of the scene in front of her.

She stood up. "Fine," she said. "Fine. Where are my sons Vegeta? Can you answer me that before I leave your precious gravity room?"

Vegeta glowered at her. "As you may already know, Gohan is staying with Piccolo. Goten is somewhere around here no doubt playing with Trunks." He stared pointedly at the door.

Chichi huffed herself out. Vegeta stared at her retreating figure, wondering how on earth Kakkarott managed to live with that harpy for any length of time, let alone to sire two children on her. A groan from the region of his lap reminded him that Kakkarott needed a senzu. From the looks of things, he thought bitterly you'll need that senzu more than I thought. He sighed. "Come on Kakkarott, up you get." He stood up, pulling the younger man up with him. Kakkarott stood for a moment, Vegeta supporting him, then his legs gave way and he nearly crumpled to the floor as the prince caught him.

"Sorry Vegeta," said Goku through gritted teeth, sweat running down his face. "My legs feel like water."

Vegeta grunted, and picked the injured man up in his arms. He hadn't been kidding. The man felt like so much dead weight…as though he were boneless. He headed for the upstairs, noticing the pained look on Kakkarott's face, the tension that managed to make itself known through the injured body. This wasn't going to be pretty, thought Vegeta.

He was right.

Vegeta carried Goku upstairs to his bedroom where he had a stash of senzu beans in a box on his dresser. He sat Goku down on his bed as he rummaged around and came up with one. He handed it to Kakkarott, who crunched it down without comment, sighing in relief as the bean healed his wounds.

"Go ahead and use my bathroom, Kakkarott. There's towels in there, and the shower is designed for Saiyjins. It runs hotter longer than the rest of the house. I'll get you a change of clothes, and use the shower in Bulma's room."

Goku stared at the prince, who avoided his gaze. "Uh…sure Vegeta. Thank you."

Vegeta waved away the thanks with an impatient gesture. "Just get moving Kakkarott. I don't intend for you or your son to deal with that banshee alone." With that, he stalked out of the room.

Vegeta was furious, as he strode to the guest bedroom where Kakkarott was staying. How dare she come here, he though venomously. The urge to Final Flash her straight to hell was almost overwhelming. He rummaged through the bag at the end of the guest bed, coming up with a pair of faded jeans and a dark green button up shirt that had to be one of the softest things Vegeta had ever felt in his life. He paused for a moment, and then brought it up to his face and inhaled deeply. There it was…that maddening, intoxicating spicy sent that was Kakkarott. He simply stood there for a moment, not thinking, just being…with that magnificent scent. He shook himself briefly, and turning sharply on his heel, he walked back to his room, opening the door enough to hear the shower running as he tossed the clothes on the bed for Kakkarott to find. He had spare clothes of his own in Bulma's closet, so he headed off for his own shower, wondering for the first time what might have happened, had Chichi not chosen that moment to burst into the gravity room.

Trunks and Goten were playing a complicated game involving rocks, leaves and dirt, and the occasional whacking of each other with two large sticks (by the way completely ignoring Trunks' large selection of toys), when Goten suddenly stopped, the color draining from his face. He gulped visibly.

Trunks stared at his best friend. "Hey Goten, what's the matter?"

"She's here," whispered Goten. "I just heard her. But Daddy said that we weren't going to go home for a couple of days yet. I don't wanna go home without Gohan," said the chibi as he burst into tears.

Trunks wrapped his arms and tail around Goten. "Don't worry," he said confidently. "Papa will fix it. You won't haffta go if you don't wanna."

Goten shivered slightly, and hoped his friend was right.

In her lab, Bulma was working on the computer, typing around the snoozing bulge in the carry-pouch that was her youngest son. Hmmm, thought the blue-haired scientist in amusement, it's not unlike being pregnant again. There was a knock at the door, and she turned in her chair to beckon the person in. Her welcoming smile froze on her face as she recognized her friend, Chichi.

Regaining her composure, she hastily pressed a finger to her lips in a mute entreaty for the woman to stay quiet so as not to awaken the sleeping prince. Thankfully Chichi seemed to understand, and didn't launch into a tirade as soon as she approached Bulma.

"What is THAT?" asked Chichi, quietly for her, and pointing to the carry-pouch.

"It's a Saiyjin carry-pouch," Bulma explained. "Vegeta made it. Sage really likes it, and it makes it easier to keep an eye on him now that he's gone mobile on us."

Chichi's eyebrows disappeared. "He's crawling already?" she asked in amazement.

Bulma chuckled, relieved that Chichi seemed to be in a fairly good mood. "He's not exactly crawling. It's more like slithering. He uses his fists and elbows and kind of….combat creeps. He's torn up his forearms doing it too. They're covered in carpet burns."

Sage stirred sleepily inside the pouch. He was confused for a moment….where was Papa? He was in the pouch, but not with Papa. Then he realized it was Mama. He sighed. That was…acceptable he supposed. He opened midnight eyes and struggled to sit up, poking his head out of the pouch, and immediately wished he hadn't.

Bulma and Chichi were chatting companiably, when Sage's head emerged from the carry pouch. Chichi immediately went into spasms of delight over the tiny chibi. Bulma started to smile, and then snatched Chichi's hand away as the woman made to touch Sage's coarse velvet spikes. Chichi looked hurt.

"Nothing personal Chichi," said Bulma in apology. "But Sage….bites." She held up her bandaged hand in mute explanation.

To her surprise, Chichi laughed. "Oh, is that all," she giggled. "Gohan bit me once, but I cured him of that pretty quickly."

"You did? How," wondered Bulma, curious despite herself.

"I washed his mouth out with soap," replied Chichi serenely. "It worked. He never tried to bite anyone ever again. You ought to try that with Sage."

Bulma winced. Right, she thought to herself, picturing what Vegeta would do to her should she even entertain the thought of washing their baby's mouth out with soap for biting. It wasn't pretty. "Thanks Chichi," replied Bulma sweetly, "But I don't think Vegeta would go for that solution."

Chichi looked nonplussed. "What does Vegeta have to do with it?"

Before Bulma could formulate an answer, she was startled by a hissing growl coming from the carry pouch. She looked down. Sage was snarling, his tail bushed out to three times its normal size. She tried in vain to calm the vicious chibi down; suddenly, Sage's throat erupted in what was an unmistakable howl.

"Sage what is the MATTER with you," shouted a bewildered Bulma as she struggled to contain her son. It was obvious that Sage was reacting to Chichi, and Bulma was afraid of what would happen if Sage actually got loose.

Sage howled again, and the door to the lab crashed open. Bulma almost cried in relief as she saw Vegeta hurrying across the room. In less time than it takes to tell of it, the still wet Saiyjin had lifted the hissing, spitting chibi from the carry pouch and calmed him down, speaking rapidly in quiet Saiyjino. Sage whimpered and curled his still bushed out tail around his father's arm.

"Vegeta," gasped Bulma. "Thank Kami. He just woke up, and when he poked his head out of the carry pouch, he went berserk!!"

"Woman, what happened to my child?" spat Vegeta.

Bulma felt her temper rise. "I just TOLD you Vegeta. Nothing happened to OUR child, he just woke up and…."

Vegeta cut her off. "He's more than upset, onna, he's scared. Look at his tail. Somebody must have done or said something…" His voice trailed off as he really noticed for the first time who else was in the lab. His eyes narrowed, but before he could say anything, Goku bolted through the lab door.

"Vegeta," he gasped. "What's going on, was that Sage? I could feel it go right up my spine…" His voice faded as he saw his wife, her face incredulous and staring straight at him. His hand automatically went to the back of his head and that idiot grin Vegeta so despised was plastered all over his face.

"Uh…Hi Chichi…it's good to see you again," he said with false cheerfulness. He was spared from saying anything else as a chibi tornado nearly knocked him over from behind.

"Tousan," shouted Trunks, "Is Sage hurt? What's the matter, I felt him howl…he's scared," said the boy, eying Sage's wild tail. He reached up to stroke the blue-black tail gently, murmuring to his little brother, "It's ok Sage….don't worry."

Goten had hidden himself and his tail behind his father. Goku, sensing the boy's apprehension, picked him up and held him close. Goten's tail wrapped itself nearly three times around his father's arm so tightly that Goku suppressed a yelp.

Bulma sighed. This was turning into a madhouse. She stood up and grabbed Vegeta's arm, steering him away from the crowd so she could talk to him privately. Trunks left his father's side and went to stand with Goku and Goten, staring fiercely at his best friend's mother.

"Woman," Vegeta began, but Bulma cut him off.

"Look Vegeta, I figured out why Sage is scared and went ballistic. Chichi tried to touch him, but I stopped her, saying that Sage bites. Then she laughed, and said that Gohan had bitten her once but she had cured him of it."

Vegeta's eyes narrowed again. "So Kakkarott told us last night," he reminded her. "So what?"

Bulma lowered her voice as she told him what Chichi had said and done.

A slow, savage snarl filled the room.

Bulma grabbed his arm again. "Vegeta," she hissed. "Stop it. This isn't the time or the place, and you're upsetting Sage again." It was true. Sage's tiny snarl matched his sires as he bared minute fangs.

"That…that…that…." stammered Vegeta furiously. He seemed incapable of getting past his rage to form a coherent curse, let alone sentence.

"Vegeta, please. This is the first time Goku and Goten have seen Chichi since the boys' tails grew back. Let's not make this any more difficult than it already is."

"She's already seen Kakkarott," spat Vegeta. "She came into the gravity room at the end of our spar. The harpy tried to drag Kakkarott away with her to see you."

Bulma's brows contracted. "Why didn't he just come with her?"

Vegeta scowled. "He was hurt too badly," he said shortly. His tone of voice warned her not to question him further about that subject.

"Fine," she sighed. But I think we'd better get back over there. Your son is glaring daggers at Chichi, and Goten hasn't said word one to his mother."

Bulma walked resolutely back to the group of Sons, and her own son. Vegeta glared after her for a moment, then resettling Sage in his arms, followed. He'd be Kami-damned if he'd let that bitch harm hair one on either of the Son's tails.

Chichi was talking to Goku as Bulma joined them. "So, Goku, when are you planning on coming home with our children?" Her tone was innocent enough, but it sent chills up Goku's spine. Never, he wanted to say. Instead, he hemmed and hawed, until Bulma saved him.

"I can't let them go home yet," she said in a cheerful voice. Chichi's head angled to look at her sharply.

"Why not?"

"I need to run some tests on their tails, and I can't do that until Gohan comes back from training with Piccolo."

Chichi's eyes flashed. "My Gohan should be studying, not sparing with that green freak," she spat.

"Chichi, honey, it's important for Gohan to learn to harness the increase in his ki."

"So what, is that more important than his studies," Chichi began, in what promised to be a considerable tirade.

"Of course it is bakayaro onna."

Every head in the room turned to look at Vegeta.

"Look," he said. "We're all dancing around the subject here. You don't like tails. Fine. Then you shouldn't have married a Saiyjin and had Saiyjin hybrids with him." He folded his arms across his chest, Sage sitting up high in the crook of one arm, tail looped loosely around his father's neck.

"Have you even seen your son's tail yet?"

Chichi just stared at the prince. For once her voice failed her.

"Goten, come here," Vegeta directed.

Goku set his son down. Goten looked at his father questioningly, and Goku smiled, and nudged his son towards the prince.

Vegeta put his arm around Goten's shoulders and walked with him to his mother.

"Goten," said Vegeta quietly. "Greet your mother. She has come to visit."

Goten's tail showed his nervousness. It had coiled itself tightly behind him, trying to hide from his mother's penetrating gaze. Vegeta's presence gave him courage however, and he walked forward to his mother and greeted her respectfully.

"Hello kassan. It's nice to see you again." His tail twitched nervously behind him.

Chichi stared at her youngest son for a moment, and then smiled and gathered him into a hug. Goten stiffened, but Chichi didn't seem to notice as she released him.

"It's good to see you again too, Goten," she said. Goten backed away then, back to Vegeta who stood a few feet behind him. The prince rested a hand on Goten's shoulder, squeezing it briefly in approval. The boy was trembling slightly, but for a three year old, his control of his fear was remarkable.

"Well," said Bulma brightly. Everyone in the room turned to stare at her. "Chichi, why don't you stay for dinner?"

Chichi smiled. "Thank you Bulma, I would like that."

Goku and Vegeta both groaned silently. Goten fled for the safety of his best friend and they left the lab at a run.

"WATCH YOUR TAILS," shouted Bulma after them, but not before they all heard a metallic crash.

Sage chirped at his father. "I'm going to go feed Sage," said Vegeta gruffly.

"Uh, I'll help you," volunteered Goku as the three of them vacated the lab.

"Wanna help me with dinner?" offered Bulma weakly.

"Of course," smiled Chichi warmly. "Do you have enough food in this house to feed that lot?"

Bulma grinned as they headed off towards the kitchen. Much as she worried about the other woman accepting the tails of her family, she was the only other person on the planet who knew what a job it was keeping a house stocked to feed a group of Saiyjins.

To be continued….