Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Confessions Of A Believer: II ❯ The Time Chamber ( Chapter 2 )

Trembling, I tore open the package, extracting the plastic stick-like test from within and crumpling up the wrapper in my fist. Unbuttoning my jeans, I lowered them as well as my dark blue star-covered panties and held the tip of the pregnancy test under myself as I waited for the flow of urine to touch the extended bar on the end of the stick.

Pulling it away from me, I placed it on the top of the dresser and began to refasten my pant's buttons, pulling my sea-foam green sweater from the waistband and flushing the toilet. I lowered the lid and sat down on it, my heart beating wildly in my chest as I stole glances at the working test, praying under my breath for it to show me only one pink line, twisting the plastic wrapper around in my hands.

The allotted amount of time passed slowly, if there had been a clock in the bathroom I would have imagined it's ticking to be as loud as an elephant's stomping. Finally, when I knew that it was time and I couldn't wait any longer, I stood up and took the step over to the dresser, fear in my throat as I looked down at the test.

Two bright pink lines, nearly red, stared back at me.

I forced my mind to shut down, not wanting to deal with this right now. I guess a part of me thought that maybe, just maybe, if I ignored it long enough it would resolve itself. I picked up the test, stuffed it, along with the wrapper, inside the empty box it came in and shoved everything back inside the plastic bag from the store. I carried it back through the kitchen and into the living room where Shawn was still asleep on the sofa, outside and down the street where I left it in one of our neighbor's trash bins on the sidewalk.

The rest of the day until Shawn left for work passed in agonizing slowness for me. I struggled in my mind with what I was going to do, how was I going to break it to Vegeta, what would Shawn say...do...when I told him? I know he wouldn't believe me if I told him it was an anime character's. No, he really would not buy that! I couldn't eat anything, every time I even smelled food I was violently ill. I told Shawn I thought I'd gotten the flu and he seemed to accept that.

After he'd left for work, I lay on the couch, the TV on and a tape of some old Dragonball Z episode I had recorded, playing upon the screen. I saw Vegeta as he threw ki blasts at an enemy off screen, screaming as he did so with rage. I realized that I would never be able to watch the show and see his face without thinking about what I've been doing. I closed my eyes and felt the tears stinging them.

What was I going to do?

The episode came to an end and the tape began to rewind itself. I had just pressed the button to stop the tape and eject it when I felt the recognizable flutter of air that told me he'd arrived, flying headlong through the mirror to land on the floor next to the end of the sofa by the front door. Part of me had hoped he'd show tonight and yet, part of had been dreading it. Like the proverbial bird, I tended to stick my head deep into the sand.

"Ami?" He said, by way of greeting, seeing my pale features, darkened eyes and chapped, dehydrated lips, "You look sick."

"I have something I need to tell you," I took a ragged breath and stood looking down at his shorter form. He looked up at me and waited, arms folded across his chest, wearing his pink 'badman' shirt with a pair of light blue jeans that showed off his narrow pelvis. Not knowing how to break it to him gently, I just blurted it out; "Vegeta, I'm pregnant."

"What?!" He cried, eyes wide, arms falling to his sides, "But...that's...not possible!"

"Oh, it's very possible," I laughed, bitterly, as the fear welled up inside me, "I don't know what to do." I added in a smaller, quaking voice. Stepping towards me, Vegeta took ahold of my shoulders and forced me to look at him, his face took on an expression of seriousness I've often seen on him, yet only within the square of my television screen.

"Your coming with me." He said, in a tone that broke no room for arguments. I knew that if I tried to refuse, he would just force me. But, I knew I couldn't let anyone know I was gone. I mentioned this and he explained what I had forgotten in my emotional state; that time runs differently in the anime world than it does here. Several months may pass in the anime world, while only a few days will go by in the real world. "If another saiyan, even a half-saiyan, is to be born," He finished, as he held the small orange orb towards the mirror, it's surface shimmering, "I want it to be born in my world."

He shoved me though the mirror and I gasped at the sensations the sudden movement into the anime world made me feel. My skin tingled all over and when I looked down at myself, I saw that I was no longer flesh and blood, but a series of lines and color. I touched my arm, pinching the skin hard enough to hurt and realized that to the touch my flesh felt just as real as it always had and felt pain just as intensely.

I felt my hair blowing around my face in a more exaggerated manner and, when I turned and caught my reflection in the mirror above the large vanity we'd came through, I noticed that my eyes looked wider, more liquid and my body, though still carrying the bit of extra weight I'd always struggled with, didn't look too bad, maybe it was the way the lines were drawn, but I thought I actually looked kinda cute. If only my breasts didn't remind me Jessica Rabbit's, I thought, as I turned from the mirror to look about the room.

We were in a bedroom, from the makeup scattered about on the dresser and vanity, a few bottles knocked over when we'd come through, and the many outfits in pastel colors laying on the wide bed and hanging in the closet, I knew that we'd ended up in his and Bulma's bedroom. I felt Vegeta step up beside me and wrap one hand around my upper arm, firm but not hard enough to hurt, and led me out of the room and down the hall.

We were stopped by the blue haired lady of the house herself. Stepping out of a room directly in our path, large blue eyes covered by thick blasting goggles, wearing a pink jumpsuit with a tool belt about a waist that had seen better days, she gaped at me for half a second before she screamed at Vegeta; "Who is this?!"

I didn't say anything, not knowing what, exactly to say; "Hi, My name's Ami and I'm from the real world and I've been fucking your husband for the past month and how are you and would you like to exchange makeup tips?" ?! Yeah, right! Like that would really go over well.

"Get out of my way, woman." Vegeta said to her, shoving her aside easily, and walking me past the living room and out the door, amid Bulma's shrieks; "Vegeta! You get back here! Do you hear me! Just what in the name of Dende is going on here!? Vegeta!"

Vegeta ignored her and, once we'd stepped outside the complex, braced one arm under my knees and knocked me off balance so fast I no time to catch myself, grabbing instinctively for his neck and shoulders as he lifted us both upwards into the blue of the cloud-patched sky.

My stomach fell into my feet as we rose, swiftly, leaving the colorful expanse of the anime ground far, far below. My grip tightened around his neck and I buried my face in his shoulder, my eyes squeezed tight. Having always been afraid of heights, I knew that if I looked down now I would regret it. I knew he could feel my heart hammering away in my chest and my breath coming out in small gasps as I held him. His chest moved as he chuckled at my discomfort.

"You don't have to hold me so tight, Ami," He said, "You have nothing to fear."

"If you lose your grip on me," I said, my voice muffled by his shoulder, "You'll find out just how tightly I can hold on!"

"Don't worry," He said, his voice like a low rumble, "We're almost there. Besides, do you honestly think I'd bring you this far just to drop you?!"

We flew on in silence for awhile, I was still clinging to his neck and shoulders, my mind believing what he said about not letting me fall, just not my body, I felt the air become thinner and it became harder to breath, Vertigo threatened to seize me as I felt the solid ground beneath his feet as our landing jerked me out of whatever state of silent panic I'd retreated into. He let me slide from his arms and I gained my footing quickly, looking around at what I recognized to be Kami's Lookout.

My breath caught in my throat at the sheer size of the place. I have never been anywhere so huge! A shroud of misty clouds surrounded it and I could not see anything beyond the edges of the rounded surface. Turning around in an awed circle, I didn't hear anything but the pounding of my own heart in my ears. Suddenly, a hand was on my shoulder and I started, turning around to look into the eyes of a kindly old namekian. "Are you all right?"

"Um, Yes, thank you..." Suddenly shy, for this being was a God here, I didn't know what to say or do. Kami smiled, lowered his gaze to my stomach, which had not yet begun to push outward in any sign of my situation, "Hmm, I see."

"This is Ami," Vegeta introduced me, "I need you to keep her here until the child is born."

Vegeta didn't wait for a response, but went on, arms akimbo, "Have someone take her into the time chamber, set it for however long it takes the baby to be brought into the world and have them stay with her in there." I gaped at him, realizing what he was saying, that he wasn't going to stay with me even though he was one of main causes of this whole mess!

My anger and hurt must have flashed in my dark eyes because, when he looked at me, his anime features softened just a bit; "It has to be this way, Ami," He said, "Your not a fighter and I can't be watching over you every minute of the day, making sure nothing happens to you. Here, at least, you'll be safe and within the time chamber, even though it will seem like the normal amount of time for a gestation period had gone by, out here only one night will have passed."

"W-who's going to stay with me?" I asked in a low voice, I didn't want to stuck away for months on end, growing big with child, in a room that's often driven people insane after awhile, "If you aren't?"

Instead of answering me, he turned away for a moment.

The air went still and I waited, hoping he wasn't going to stick me with someone like Goku, who would probably drive me nuts before the chamber did, and said, as he turned back to me; "He's on his way."

A few seconds later I blinked as I heard a fluttering and the sound of soft shoes touching down upon the lookout's floor. I watched as a very tall, broad-chested namekian warrior strode with long-legged steps over to us and frowned down at Vegeta and me. Looking up at him, I suddenly realized how Vegeta must feel. "Is this the girl?" He asked, his voice low, like steel over velvet. I moved a little behind Vegeta.

"Yes," Vegeta grabbed me and forced me back out in front of him, "Take care of her, Namek. She carries my child."

Piccolo nodded, seeming more than a little irritated, and said to me; "Come with me."

Shaking, because, even though I thought he was cute and spent a great deal of time writing fan-fiction about him, meeting him in the flesh, so to speak, left me more terrified of him than I'd ever been of Vegeta. It took all my nerve and then some not to run back to Vegeta and beg him to take me with him, not to leave me with the silent, scary namekian, but I didn't want to humiliate myself, so I followed Piccolo's broad, cloaked back up the stairs towards the time chamber.

As I followed him, I began to see the logic in Vegeta's choice of a protector. Piccolo would keep everything under his turban, so to speak, and anything I would need, he could just materialize it from thin air. Plus, I needed someone with me in case the white void area got to me, to make sure I didn't try to walk into it as sometimes happens when you've been shut inside the chamber for too long.

As soon as we entered the room, I noticed that it was split into two halves, one side anime and the other real. I crossed over into the real area and felt my body change back into the flesh and blood I was more in tune with and watched as he sat down on the anime side, folding his legs up under himself and closing his eyes with his hands upon his knees. I turned away and looked around at my half of the room, keeping my eyes from the dazzling whiteness all around me, blocking me in instead of walls and crossed over to the small, twin bed in the corner of the room, suddenly exhausted.

Weeks of struggling with myself and the emotional turmoil, as well as the fatigue a pregnancy will bring all flowed through me at the same time, forcing my body to shut down almost the instant my head touched the pillow.

I woke up to someone shaking me gently. Half-awake, I opened my eyes to see Piccolo's green visage frowning down at me, holding a plate in his hands. I sat up and he shoved the plate of fruit and pancakes at me. "Eat. You need to keep up your strength."

Blinking, I looked down at the food on the plate I now held, he'd obviously materialized it, and wrinkled my nose, the smell making me feel sick. I tried to hand him back the plate, but he stepped back, crossing his arms over his chest and said; "If you don't eat on your own I will force it down your throat."

I ate. Slowly picking at the food, taking bites so small they would have been considered crumblets. I watched Piccolo face as I ate and noticed his expression changed to disgust a few times, as if watching someone eat was unpleasant for him. When he was satisfied that I'd eaten all I could, he took the dish from me and made it disappear, leaving me to go back to his side of the room.

This went on, for the duration I was there. We did not speak much, he spent most of his time in the anime part of the room, me in the real part. He made sure I ate and drank plenty of water and milk, forcing me to exercise at least once a day and gave me books to read and paper and pencils to draw with when I asked as well as changes of clothes, but pretty much left me to my own devices in between. It did not matter to me, I kept to myself and found solace inside my own head, replaying and writing down stories and poetry, working on my drawings to keep myself from going insane.

A month passed, two, three, I began to feel the child growing inside me. Like a warmth centering on my stomach, I could feel the connection we shared, the everlasting link between a mother and her offspring. I also began to feel something else, something that is so hard to explain...I felt somehow stronger each day the child within me grew and I began to notice Piccolo watching me with an odd expression.

One day, I was reading a book he'd given me, sitting in one of the overstuffed chairs, when he crossed over to my side of the room and, without speaking, reached down to touch my now-bulging stomach. I tensed and moved away, but he said, almost to himself;

"Such strong ki..."

"What?" I asked, as he moved away from me, "Are you talking about?"

Before he could answer, the baby kicked and suddenly I was doubled over in pain, clutching my stomach. It felt like someone had punched me in the gut, I couldn't breathe, tears were in my eyes. Piccolo didn't look sympathetic at all. Instead of comforting me, he offered an explanation; "Your child is part saiyan, Ami, this is the reason I told you that you needed to keep up your strength. From what both Chi Chi and Bulma say, carrying a saiyan-blooded child to term isn't a walk in the park."

Great, I thought, bitterly, as he handed me an apple he'd been holding onto, I didn't have the highest threshold for pain as it was and he was telling me that, basically, feeling like I had just been socked as hard a can be in the gut was just the tip of the iceburg? I moaned and turned away, crunching into the red apple and not really tasting it, not hearing him leave me.