Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Count Down From Ten ❯ Is It So ( Chapter 8 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Chapter Eight

(Bulma's POV)

I woke up the next day feeling better than I had felt in months. When I sat up in bed my stomach didn't lurch and I gladly decided to get out of bed for once. After a quick trip to the bathroom I had decided I should try and walk around the capsule corps backyard this morning. With a smile on my face I dressed myself for the day. I chose a nice wool cowl that was a wonderful shade of peach. I easily matched them with some black leggings. Even though it was February the air was still cool and I wanted to dress appropriately, I brushed my unkempt hair and smiled at my reflection in the mirror. Today was going to be a good day. I strode through the halls and towards the kitchen to make myself a cup of decaffeinated tea to keep me warm. I waited impatiently for the kettle to whistle; I desperately wanted to feel the cold air nipping at the tip of my nose. I glanced around the kitchen for something quick to eat while I waited. A tray of muffins caught my attention. They looked freshly baked and it made me wonder where my mother was.

I practically skipped over to the tray and picked two out of the batch. I needed to keep my body nourished, everybody knew how much a pregnancy can demand from the body. I couldn't help but smile as I settled myself down at the kitchen bar. I was beyond excited for this baby, at least I know I'll have a person that never has to wonder if I love them. Surely the baby will know how much they mean to me, I will give them the world. I enjoyed my first muffin in peace. I was savoring my last bite when the kettle whistled, I happily made my way over to the stove to pull it off; making sure the burner was off before turning back around.

I promptly poured the scorching water into my cup and turned back to walk towards the stove. After placing the kettle back in its place I strolled back to where I left my muffin at the kitchen bar. As I settled myself down I looked out the glass doors as while digging into my second muffin, the morning sun streamed across the yawn and I yearned to be outside. I looked over at my cup and back towards the door, I just needed to let the leaves steep for just a bit longer. I finished the rest of the muffin, tossing a glance back at the tray, maybe one more muffin.

I was walking back to the barstool when my parents sauntered into the kitchen together. My mother flashed me a bright smile, "Why, you're up bright and early! You are glowing this morning my dear!" She complimented enthusiastically as ushered towards me, leaving my father behind.

I nodded my head and flashed her a lopsided smile, "Early birds catch the juiciest worms." I jibbed back as I waved the muffin in my hand around.

She giggled at my response and leaned in to peck my forehead before she rushed past me to no doubt start preparing my fathers' pot of coffee. I settled myself at the kitchen bar and motioned for my father to join me. He moseyed over, a grin curving his lips upwards as he sat down on the empty barstool next to me.

I flashed him a smile, "Is it too early to discuss business old man?" I jested earnestly before taking my first bit of my third muffin.

My father grabbed his glasses off his face and cleaned the lens with the bottom of his cotton shirt, a light chuckle leaving his chest. "My mind is always prepared to discuss business darling, are you curious about the projects you are set to lead at the beginning of the month?" He coaxed playfully as he replaced his glasses on his face.

I shook my head enthusiastically as an affirmative, my mouth full of muffin. My father chuckled at my gesture as my mother sauntered over to place my cup of tea in front of me. I swallowed my mouthful and flashed her a polite smile as I took my first sip of tea, "Lay it on me Pops!" I eagerly urged my father and I brazenly met his eye.

After a very stimulating morning conversation with my father I finally walked outside with a bright smile on my face. I relished the chilly air was a nice contrast to the heat from the sun. I rub my belly as I make my way to the chair on the porch. Most of the tray of muffins seemed to disappear before I managed to make my way outside. I settled down in the chair, careful not to spill my second cup of tea; my mind pondering what is to come in my life. To put it simply I am ready for whatever is to come. I sigh and relax once more, closing my eyes, pleased with the cool air nipping at my nose; reminding myself that I am Bulma Briefs and nothing will put me down completely.

I thought over all the information my father had given me this morning. I couldn't help but anticipate the workload for the upcoming projects. I knew taking the lead on these projects would be a welcome change of pace for me. I was already checking through my mental list of workers. I knew exactly which engineer I was going to assign as my co-captain to the new line of cleaning robots but I was stuck between two candidates to co-captain the newest capsule homes. I was glad I had a couple of weeks to prepare myself. I was going to try and give the most attention to the biggest project of the three, the print my father gave me last night was the company's biggest concern. The newest cargo plane, the design came easily to my mind as I had spent the majority of my afternoon yesterday with it in front of me.

I took a careful sip of my tea as I recalled the design. I was trying to make a game plan when I felt a shadow cover the warm sun in front of me. I barely opened an eye, gripping my mug tightly with both hands when I instantly recognized the man in front of me.

"Yamcha, what are you doing here?" I asked plainly.

I opened my eyes to look at his slightly shocked expression, "I have been trying to get a hold of you for months, every time I come over your mom tells me you're busy doing something." He explained wildly before he gestured towards my stomach, "What the hell is that, is it mine?" He impassionedly asked.

I couldn't help but laugh at his question, I wiped a single tear from my eye before I finally composed myself to speak. "No it is not yours Yamcha, I don't even know why you would think that!" I responded hastily.

His expression quickly soured, "You're having a child with the man who killed me aren't you!" He questioned bitterly. I rubbed over my right temple with one hand. 

The stinging anger I felt welling up inside instantaneously turned to just annoyance. I did not want to deal with a headache later. 

"Let me remind you that you got killed by a little green thing that sprung out from the ground. Who are you to come and judge me for the choices I've made when you have made nothing but terrible choices regarding our past relations." I explained confidently and before he could choke out a reply I finished my statement, "So what if I am having Vegeta's baby." I state without reserve, my nose tipped to the sky.

Yamcha just sneered at me, "He is a maniac Bulma. Where is he anyway?" He questioned sternly.

I rolled my eyes at him taking a sip of my decaffeinated tea to calm my already fried nerves, "That is none of your concern Yamcha." I replied flatly.

Yamcha crossed his arms, "Oh so he knocked you up and left, is that it?" He hinted mockingly.

I glared daggers at the scar-faced man, "Why don't you just leave, go play some baseball; maybe beat up some dinosaurs or something." I yelled harshly, ignoring his rude comment all together; it would not ruin my near perfect day.

He scoffed before he did just that, he turned his back to me and flew off. I allowed myself to settle down, leaning back in the chair. I took another gulp of my tea before I set it down on the glass table next to me. I leaned back in the chair and soaked in the warming February sunlight. It felt great to yell at somebody, I rested my hands on my belly once more feeling the baby kick around. I closed my eyes and continued my previous train of thought. It was easy to get lost in my mental agenda. My life felt normal again and I slowly drifted off.

I woke up to a cool breeze right as the sun was setting, I yawned and stretched out my limbs. I stood up and took a second to steady myself on my feet, grabbing the mug of forgotten tea before I made my way inside. So much for walking around the compound. I waved at my mother as she worked over the stove on my way to put my mug down in the sink. My stomach growled as my nostrils assessed the wonderful aromas that filled the kitchen.

"What are you making, it smells delicious in here!" I question hungrily.

My mother giggled as she refocused on the pans in front of her, "Teriyaki chicken, black quinoa, and sesame seasoned broccoli with carrots." She announced cheerily.

I smacked my lips in anticipation before happily setting myself down at the table. It wasn't long until the meal was complete, my mother sent a worker not to go and grab my father. The three of us sat and enjoyed the dinner together, there was minimal conversation as we all stuffed ourselves with my mothers wonderful cooking. I helped my mother clear the table before wishing everyone a good evening.

I wandered up the stairs and made my way up to my 'room'. As soon as I entered the room I sighed wishing that Vegeta would have never left, I laid down in the bed that he had left me in. I knew he would have enjoyed the meal like everyone else had. I allowed my mind to drift as I stared at the black walls in the dark room, I had no intention of moving into this room; it was just where I felt the most comfortable. I tossed and turned, settling myself amongst the sheets before drawing the body pillow to my chest. Next week I will move back into my own room, I repeated the statement multiple times to myself eventually falling back asleep.

~

The past month and a half had been a chaotic breath of fresh air. It had been second nature to lead those projects for my father, it hadn't necessarily been a cake walk but I, Bulma Briefs, can handle anything. I hand selected each and everyone one of the workers that I wanted to have underneath my lead. There were some nights where I got little sleep and there were some days where my mother would urge me to take a day off but my team worked diligently underneath my calculated control. Just last week we finished building the final series of cargo jets, thus completing all three projects. My parents had thrown the team's and I a bash for our achievement. With nothing else to hold my attention I had spent the majority of my morning organizing my own mess of a room. I hadn't spent a lot of time here the past couple of months but it was nice to re-organize my childhood room. I had taken that excitement from my completed projects and used it to keep myself busy with what I considered baby preparations.

Vegeta has been gone for almost eight full months now and the baby was going to be here in a little over a month. I wanted to be angered by the fact the father of my child was still wandering through space but I had accepted the fact that Vegeta had a goal to achieve. I couldn't deny the fact I have still been using his room as my main sleeping area. I stayed focused on my excitement to start a new chapter in my life and began organizing. I couldn't deny the gnat of anxiety still pricking at my mind.

I never expected motherhood to hit me at such a hard point, but with this new life coming into the world I needed to make sure I could be the best mother that there ever was. I had yet to pick out a room for the baby, I knew it would be one of the open rooms in my shared hall of course. Halfway through sorting through my abundance of clothes my mom had interrupted me, inviting me to our new routine of yoga sessions. On our way down to the garden she offered for me to join her for lunch afterwards.

After a better half of an hour of amateur yoga and relaxing music we settled at the kitchen table to eat. We were talking casually when she pestered me about the gender of the baby, I talked with my mom casually as I explained to her that I wanted to wait to learn the baby's gender at birth. She had clapped her hands glad that she had free-range for clothes shopping. I on the other hand was only buying unisex baby clothes, not too many pinks and not too many blues but plenty of purple.

I believe all babies should be dressed in colorful clothing; there should be no gender norms to baby clothes; they rely on the parents' fashion sense anyways. I remembered the day I gave Vegeta the collared pink shirt, he hated it but he did look tantalizing in it. I sighed at the memory but tried not to dwell on it. While my mom kept gushing about her excitement towards becoming a grandmother my mind flip-flopped between the conversation at hand and to the saiyan prince. He wasn't here, but I wondered where he was; I couldn't expect much from him. I hardly expect him to participate in this child's life too much anyway.

My mother and I ended up spending the rest of the afternoon sun-bathing by the pool. She urged me to join her even after I tried to convince her I needed to finish cleaning my room. She was not having that excuse. She went as far as lecturing me that working too hard wasn't good on a pregnant mother. As the afternoon wore on my mother and I decided that it was time to get to the kitchen and start prepping dinner. We both opted to wear our bathing-suit covers instead of going upstairs to change our clothes.

When my father walked into the kitchen he seemed a little antsy. When he noticed my mother and I's outfits he let out a laugh. "I had no clue we were leaving for South city tonight." He joked lightly.

My mother giggled and looked at him confused, "When are we going to South city dad?" I asked puzzledly.

He gave me a smile as he sat down at the kitchen table with me, "Well I have a convention to go to, I asked you last month if you wanted to go but you declined remember?" he explained earnestly. "We leave early in the morning." He finished.

I gave him a smile, I had completely forgotten about that whole ordeal; I had been so consumed in those projects. "Thanks for the reminder papa, I would have woken up tomorrow really confused." I responded gratefully. "Do you have any updates on Vegeta, I figured he would almost be out of fuel by now." I questioned teasingly, he had mentioned the man at the celebration bash last week and I couldn't hold my honest curiosity about the subject.

My father scratched his head, "Well he should still have about a week's supply left, darling. He might come back to Earth soon though." He replied nervously.

I raised a questioning eyebrow as I felt a thrill of anticipation crawl up my spine, "Really, how close is he Papa?" I pushed excitedly

He gave me a nervous chuckle, "Well the spatial positioning system kinda stopped working, I'm only basing my knowledge of his last two pinged locations; both coordinates showed he was traveling closer to earth coordinates rather than further away. By my estimate he should be here next Monday." My father explained with forced confidence.

I nervously smiled back at my father and my mother giddily walked up to the table setting down a platter of steamed vegetables, "Oh I cannot wait for Vegeta to get home! I'll plan out a feast." My mother gushed wildly.

My father chuckled at her comment, "Do as you wish dear." He replied back to her; he met my eye and tossed me a wink and a thumbs up.

I ate my meal in silence, my mother chatted idly about what she needed to put on a grocery list. For the first time in a while I couldn't finish my plate. I felt like a ball of nerves as I walked up the stairs. I took a deep, steady breath as I walked into the bedroom, my heart hampering in my chest. I casually looked around the room I had made my own these past few months, if Vegtea was going to be back by next week I guess I better officially move myself back into my room. My mind worked on auto pilot as I stripped my suncover and bathing suit off, I pulled out a plain white shirt and comfortable cotton panties. I barely glanced at my reflection in the bathroom mirror as I brushed my teeth, I was too busy tallying up what I needed to move from this room to my own.

I sighed in relief as I curled into the bed, I dragged the body pillow to my chest before pulling the blanket atop of me. It took me forever to finally get my mind to sleep.

I woke up suddenly to a weird feeling of an overpoweringly calm energy surrounding me; when I opened my eyes I swear I saw a goldish glow. I felt confused as I wiped my sleep heavy eyes. I squinted toward the end of the bed, I couldn't stop my mouth from dropping in sheer awe, tears welling up in my eyes. "Vegeta is..is that you." I gasped out breathlessly.

(Vegeta's POV)

I have achieved the goal I had been desperate to complete; I have become legendary. I am a Super Saiyan. The ability to say it with full confidence puffed my chest with pride. That moment had been weeks ago and since that point I have been wandering through the brutality of space. I have been testing my newly acquired power. At the moment I have the auto-pilot programmed for one last planet, I need to stop and stock up on some sort of food source before I set the coordinates for Earth. In total I would estimate that I've been wandering through space for a little over seven months. If everything went according to plan I should be back on Earth in two and a half weeks; which still gives me a little over a year before the androids are predicted to appear.

There was still plenty of time to fully prepare myself for the battle. I relaxed slightly against the cot mattress, those androids shouldn't be a big deal. I knew with my hardened warrior mentality I'll take them down with ease. With thoughts of the androids came flashes of that mysterious saiyan half-breed, there seemed to be a couple of them apparently. I easily remembered how he had defeated Frieza, that boy may have achieved this legendary power but there was no doubt he lacked a decent training regime. It seems the brat lacked decent manners as he didn't even give anybody his name, nevertheless I will never forget his face. I was no longer peeved by his transformation, nor was I threatened by Kakarot. Now that I have obtained this legendary power I will prove to everyone that I, Vegeta, Prince of the Saiyans, am the strongest warrior in the universe.

I couldn't help but reminisce about my time in space. I had been training like a maniac for six months facing very little success. I was obviously angered by my lack of progress since leaving that blasted mud-ball. I had been meditating trying to dig deep within myself for the reason for my lack of progression when the woman had called. I only occasionally thought about the bluenette but after the news of her pregnancy she was constantly in the back of my mind. I had been disoriented by the news only fueling my chaotic decision to land on that alien moon. Achieving my goal was no easy feat, I put myself in the middle of an advantageous asteroid storm.

I fought for hours, blasting through humongous asteroids; treating the situation as if it would be my last battle. I was at a point where I was fully exhausted, I was somewhat delusional; Frezia's sick laughter ringing in my ears. I was close to utterly blacking out when I noticed another sizable asteroid. It wasn't heading towards my position, instead it was hurling towards the ship. I knew without the ship I was done for. I remember feeling undeniably defeated. My arrogant anger and aggression had fueled most of this frivolous endeavor and had diminished completely.

At that moment I didn't care about Frezia's laughter haunting my mind, I didn't care about Kakarot; I didn't even care about super saiyan. I only cared for my own selfish survival. Within an instant the power rushed through me, instinctively I latched on and embraced it. Thanks to my newfound energy I easily destroyed that asteroid as well as the next handful that pelted towards me. I racked my brain trying to remember the rest of the endeavor but past the initial transformation I only remembered bits and pieces.

I do indeed remember waking up on the floor of the ship and when I checked the controls the auto-pilot was heading towards the coordinates I had set prior to the woman calling. In the weeks since, training has been tedious; I spent the majority of my time recalling 'that' feeling that triggered my transformation. I literally had to put myself in imaginary survival scenarios. Making absolute sure I was fooling myself to the point where all I can think about is my need to persevere. Even though it has taken longer than expected to achieve my goal it couldn't have come at a better time. I knew that I could now immediately force myself into transformation. It was only a matter of time before I will completely hone in on all its capabilities. With this acquired legendary power I knew I could be unstoppable.

I wouldn't say I was eager to return to Earth but I was anticipating a decent meal and comfy bed when I arrived. The scrapes I had salvaged along my journey were nothing compared to the meals that the planet Earth had to offer. I didn't know what I'd find upon my return. I figured I would have to demand an upgrade for the gravity training facility; since achieving super saiyan my base power could easily withstand the strain of seven-hundred and fifty times earth's natural gravity. I needed droids as well, they had all fallen victim to my strenuous tests. Thankfully the gravity was still a welcome use of my time. I continue to push myself through different routines during these periods with nothing else to do.

I knew there was a decent chance that I would have good training facilities when I returned to the compound but more thoughts of the woman filtered through my mind. I worked hard to ignore her through most of this journey but I couldn't help the stray moments where I wondered about her. I convinced myself the only reason I was going back to Earth was to wait out the rest of the time for the Androids. I was only there to prove my strength to the rest of those pitiful warriors and to have my revenge fight with Kakarot. I had to keep the moments I spent with the woman to a minimal amount; I couldn't allow her to become a worse weakness. I wouldn't let anyone see how she affects me, I have to treat her and my child as if they are dirt. The androids won't be able to use them against me because they mean absolutely nothing.

~

Everything had gone according to plan the past two weeks, it was an easy feat to collect a decent protein source from that selected planet. Instead of taking the seventy-two hours I had anticipated, the journey from the last planet to earth only took me forty-four hours; the flight to earth had been uneventful. Aside from the unfortunate event of my ship burning through the rest of its fuel as I entered the atmosphere.

In turn I ended up crash-landing my training ship in some random dense forest. I was slightly frustrated as I searched through the singed trees analyzing the wrecked remains for anything scavengable. My attempt was fruitless so I made my way back to Capsule Corp, it was an easy task with-in itself. All I had to do was focus on Bulma's ki, it has changed since I left but it was still obviously her; it was just mingled with a strangely strong smaller energy. 

I maneuvered my way through different terrains, having to fly past a vast sea and over mountains. I managed to arrive in the city right as the sun set and I was at the facility just past twilight.

My first order of business was to find Bulma's father and get him started on a new gravity chamber. An easy man to locate, he has a strange energy around him but I don't bother pondering on that thought. I quickly maneuver my way through the building and down to the private lab. As I rounded the corner I noticed the laboratory door open. I casually strolled in and just like I expected the older scientist was nose deep in some blueprints. He must have heard my approaching footsteps as he looked up and pasted the frames of his glasses; smoke arose from the cigarette dangling from his grinning lips.

"Well Vegeta! I'm surprised to see you here, I wasn't expecting you back for at least another week my boy!" He greeted with his scratchy excitement.

"Enough with the pleasantries old man. That blasted ship lost fuel as I entered the atmosphere. It crashed and I will need another gravity room stat, it's a necessity to keep up my training regime." I abruptly stated.

The man leaned back in his chair and grabbed the tobacco stick from his mouth, blowing the smoke up in crude circles before he spoke.

"I had a feeling that would happen, I'll have to send a team out to retrieve the wreckage. Only have one planet to call home and I do my due diligence to keep it clean." The man casually stated while tossing me a crooked grin.

I rolled my eyes at the old man's blabbering, "Have the new room ready by sunrise old man, and it better be able to sustain over eight-hundred times earth's gravity. I've been gone long enough you should have that figured out." I replied passively. I had learned in previous encounters that aggressively demanding things from the old man was useless, he was one of the only individuals that had earned my respect.

"Why of course I've kept up with equipment, gravity is my speciality. The room I have prepared can sustain up to eight-hundred and fifty times the planet's gravity. Now the previous algorithms that were installed on the ship won't be programmed in and I only have four training droids, they're not as fancy as my daughters." He bemused as he stubbed his cigarette into the overflowing glass tray on his desk.

I was only slightly agitated by the restrictions to my training but I had something else to ask the older scientist, "They'll have to do, tell me old man, can you make an energy cloaking device?" I inquired impartially.

He pondered over the question while scratching his chin, "An energy cloaking device you say, sounds interesting but that may be a question for my daughter. She's the one who made the dragon-ball radar and it functions by detecting a specific energy wave that the orbs give off, I'm sure she could easily figure it out." He finished matter of factly.

I gave the man a curt nod. I knew he was being honest, as much as I didn't want to ask for anything from the woman it was obvious her intelligence was needed. I turned and exited the lab without another word, I calmly made my way through the house once again; this time I wasn't interested in training. My second order of business was some much needed sleep on a decent mattress. 

I had barely had any sleep my entire triad through space. The ship's cot was highly uncomfortable, my back ached and I found sleep highly unlikely especially on the last strides of my journey. Out of the several months I had spent training in space I had slept less than seventy two hours. The only rest I truly received was when I would pass out from exhaustion. Even then I would awake with a crick in my neck and stiffness in my shoulders.

As I rounded the last steps I gazed down the hallway leading to my room, if it was still there. I could tell Bulma was in there, she might have decided she liked that room better than her own. I casually made my way to the door, opening it slightly to peer inside. The sheets that were on the bed were different and the figure of the woman was curled on the mattress; I noted the rather large pillow she had snuggled to her chest. I felt my heart skip a beat but I ignored it. I didn't understand why she was in the room they designated for me.

I argued with myself for a moment; there are plenty of other vacant rooms in the compound, I should just choose one of them. I looked down the hallway at the other obviously vacant rooms before I stared back at the woman's sleeping figure when a reasonable idea came to mind. I'll just give the woman a little scare.

I strutted into the room, closing the door silently behind me. I walked up to the foot of the bed where the woman lay asleep, I started to concentrate on my energy; disregarding the flood of emotion I felt. Instead I honed in on my feelings of resentment, not allowing my full power to show but forcing enough through my person to allow a partial transformation.

(Bulma's POV)

I woke up to a weird feeling of energy surrounding me; when I opened my eyes I swear I saw a strange goldish glow. I looked to the end of the bed and my mouth dropped open in sheer awe. The air was sucked straight from my lung as tears welled up in my eyes; my body shot up giving me a better view of the slightly glowing man. "Vegeta is..is that you."

Even though the man was giving me a menacing glare I wanted to jump out of the bed to throw my arms around him but all I could do was turn my head to follow his steps; I was awestruck as small bolts of yellow flared through the man's ki. "You finally did it, Vegeta." I could barely make out my own voice, I didn't know how to feel; unexpectedly I was overwhelmed with the rawest emotions.

I was convinced this was all a figment of my imagination until I heard his chuckle; I didn't realize how much I had missed his voice until I felt the tears fall down my cheeks, before I could even move he was by my side.

I reached for his face and he leaned into my touch, his eyes closed as I allowed my fingers to caress his cheek. Small bolts of energy shocked my fingertip as I felt his rugged skin. I couldn't deny that the energy flowing from him was awe-inspiring. He said no words to me, we were just there in the moment, two souls trapped in a room together. I let my eyes travel down his body, through my blurred vision due to my tears, I could make out his torn armor and several new scars littered amongst healing gashes.

He looked rough but I was just happy he was back; dare I say home.

I let my hand slowly fall from his face, I was burned out, and nonchalantly I laid back down. Right before closing my eyes I looked up at the strong saiyan, giving him a soft smile, "Now that you've got what you've wanted, will you please come to bed with me; I've missed you." My voice was soft and my throat felt raw.

He didn't respond to me so I just sighed. I allowed my eyes to close as I pulled the body pillow back against my chest; it was easy to drift asleep. His presence in the room seemed to calm me enough.

When I stirred awake a second time, I had my head on a solid surface that definitely wasn't the soft cushion of my body pillow. Without opening my eyes I buried my face into the saiyans' chest and sighed in relief. He was actually back; my mind starts to wander and I start to feel a little anxious.

Would he stay after the battle with the androids?

Will he be here for the baby and I?

All these questions kept persisting, obviously it was hard to keep track of my train of relentless thought. Everything was blown out the window when I felt his arm slowly wrap around me. I couldn't help but sigh yet again, his departure to space caused me immense pain, he left without a goodbye. Yet here he is back from his excursion, stronger than ever, joining little old me in bed; this meager moment spoke to me for a lifetime. I had told myself that when he returned I was going to scream at him until my throat was raw but I now knew that it wouldn't be necessary.

"I love you Vegeta," My whisper muffled into his chest, even though I know he'll never say such a thing back to me. The way his arm tightened around me helped soothe my inner turmoil.

(Vegeta's POV)

As soon as Bulma asked me to lay in bed with her I gave up my hard composure, I couldn't lie to myself. To say that I didn't think about this alluring creature who forced her affection would be a blatant lie. She may have been the reason I left the planet but with every short moment we happen to share I can't help but reassess my life. I convinced myself it was due to my lack of sleep. 

I peeled my battered armor off my body, leaving only my tattered shorts on. I stared down at the sleeping woman before I leaned over to pull the outrageously sized pillow from her grasp. I tossed the material to the far side of the room before I laid down next to the woman. As if it was second nature I pulled her body closer to my own. She quickly adjusted herself even though she was half asleep. Once she settled I relaxed, crossing my arms behind my head. I stared up at the dark ceiling.

All the barbarous things I have done feel as if they were nothing; as if everything was a dream and this was my reality.

Did I want this to be my reality?

I was content laying with her head to my chest, and my arms tucked behind my head. I did come back to this back-water planet with the intention of fighting her comrades. The long haunting dream of mine came to the forefront of my mind. I couldn't help but count every breath she took even though I know she is far from death. Something about her brings this urge to protect, and I am stuck; constantly battling this confusion day in and out.

This blue-haired woman has given me a piece of sanity that I never knew I was capable of receiving much less accepting. As my mind continued on this subject I felt Bulma stir slightly, immediately before I was even aware of my actions I had removed my arms from being crossed to having both wrapped around her. I barely heard her soft voice as she muttered against my chest, "I love you Vegeta."

I ignore the silly statement in turn choosing to close my eyes. I focus on my breath, Bulma's breathing is heavier than my own; an observation I absentmindedly made. I enjoy the darkness that surrounds me, it eases the confusion of my inner turmoil. My past has determined my future, my craving for power, and my quest to vanquish anyone who tries to stop my carnage.

I want to believe the swell of emotion that Bulma brought forth has been nothing but interference, yet despite how I felt towards the situation I have obtained the ultimate power that I sought to begin with. I had done the impossible without even solving what I had considered to be an influential problem between the woman and myself. I don't believe I will ever understand why she dares to say she "loves" me. She has barely come face to face with my gruesome past, yet she obviously doesn't fear me, instead she tries to include herself.

Why did she want to include me in her amicable life?

My mind wouldn't clear itself and I couldn't stop myself from thinking things over. So in an attempt to rid myself of the pestering thought I focused all my attention on the rhythmic breathing of the blue-haired anomaly; seemingly it was the right thing to do.

(Bulma's POV)

I woke up to a stream of sunlight in my eyes, I felt snug and secure in Vegeta's arms.

I tried not to move around too much but my body was awake and the baby was kicking. I shifted my head so that I could look up at Vegeta. I had never seen his face this relaxed, even after the gravity room incident it seemed he always had a frown plastered on his face. I relished the seemingly tranquil moment, I analyzed his sleeping features and enjoyed the simple movements of his chest as he breathed. As heavenly as the moment was, my bladder was full and I was becoming very uncomfortable. I didn't want to but I managed to slither my way out of Vegeta's grip.

I stepped out of bed and did some small stretches allowing my body to shake the sleep away. The whole time I kept my eyes on Vegeta. I couldn't believe that he was actually home. It was truly surprising since last night papa said he wasn't supposed to be here until next week. The events of the evening came rushing back to me and it truly felt like a fever dream but now that it is morning and I am definitely well rested- I know it was real.

I walked to the adjoined bathroom and emptied my bladder. Then I washed my hands and eagerly brushed my teeth, I couldn't stand the taste of my own morning breath. After thoroughly brushing and rinsing my mouth I turned to open the medicine cabinet, pulling out my prenatal vitamins; I took two of them and placed them safely back on the shelf. Being pregnant with a saiyan baby has taken quite some strain on my body, not only was I trying to keep up with the baby's nutrition but also my own. I grabbed my robe that was hung on the back of the bathroom door and slid it onto my bodice. I kept glancing back at Vegeta in the bed, I was still star-struck.

Before I left the room I leaned down and kissed his forehead. I was content with the scenario, a girl could get used to this.

When I got down to the kitchen I noticed a rather large note on the fridge. The scribbled mess of letters was obviously my father's scrawled handwriting. The note was more than just a simple reminder that he and my mother would be away for a week due to the science convention happening in South City. The note also explained that a wreckage task force would be delivering some scrapes at some point during the week. The note concluded with a description of where my father had left the capsules for Vegetas' new gravity room and training bots. I couldn't help but chuckle as I strolled over to the coffee pot. The last time he commandeered the ship he crashed in the yard. I don't know how he managed to but the saiyan could practically destroy anything; I should have expected the ship wouldn't make it back safely.

I started to brew a small cup of the caffeinated liquid and while I waited, I put some bread in the toaster. I blankly stared out the window in the kitchen. The sky was blue and I couldn't see any clouds, if today was anything like yesterday it would be a good day to sunbathe a little. The beep of the toaster brought me out of my thoughts. I buttered up my toast before I poured a gracious amount of creamer in my cup. I enjoyed my toast and sipped lightly on the hot liquid while I gazed out the window at the empty patch of grass; I couldn't deny my excitement towards having the gravity chamber back in its casual place.

I glanced over at the time displayed on the stove and tried to stifle my building excitement. Vegeta should be waking up soon, he never throws away the opportunity to train. I started to wonder about Vegeta's training regime in space, I wish I had called him more but when I think about it I realize that me leaving him alone was probably for the best. He didn't have to know how I felt when he left. I wanted him under the impression that I was perfectly unaffected by his absence. As I finished my toast I decided a few more pieces couldn't hurt, I popped another two pieces of bread into the toaster.

My mind continued to whittle away at the multitude of things while I butter my toast. I settled myself at the kitchen bar, my mug and my toast accompanied me. I enjoyed the tranquil morning as I finished the last sips of my first cup of coffee. I debated preparing my second but I convinced myself to save it for later. I set my used mug in the sink and made myself a cup of orange juice instead. With my drink in hand I made my way down to the lab. I walked over to my father's workstation to search for the capsules containing the saiyans training equipment. Even though my father stated in the note that they were in the top drawer on the left side of his desk they were in fact hidden under several different blueprints scattered atop his desk. One of which had been my original idea.

With the capsules safely placed in my robe pocket I walked over to my desk which was in even more disarray than my father's. I hadn't really come down here much to work since Vegeta had left for space; thinking back on it I barely did anything down here while Vegeta was in space. Sure I spent plenty of time in the bigger laboratory working on those products for the company. The time seemed to have escaped me when he was gone, what little work I did complete was insignificant to what I was capable of.

I take a sip of my juice to ground myself, I had spent so many days lost in a daze that I barely recall the small moments I spent outside by the pool. I looked down at the blueprints I had started the day before the saiyan had left. I had planned to make better training bots for Vegeta but after he fled to space it completely slipped my mind. I stared blankly at the print, I wanted to start working on these projects again but as I moved one hand down my stomach I knew I was limited in what projects I could actually accomplish. I decided to take a seat at my desk, I shuffled through the different papers and fished out my note-book full of ideas pertaining to the gravity room. I might as well refresh my memory on what upgrades I had planned out, I might not be able to install most of the upgrades but I couldn't deny my innate need to assist in any way possible.

(Vegeta's POV)

I woke up to an empty bed and a mind swarming with egregious thoughts.

I ignored almost everything and made my way to the bathroom. I needed a shower, I didn't even bother to look at myself in the mirror, I knew I looked like a mess. I had completely trashed my armor leading to the several wounds that scattered my flesh. I turned the water to the hottest setting, I wanted to get rid of all the grime that I built up trying to achieve my goal. I stripped off what remained of my shorts and stepped into the stream of falling water. My aching muscles thanked me and I couldn't help but sigh in relief. There was no such luxury like this in space. My time spent practically enslaved by Frezia the only source of cleaning came from the healing tanks or random pools of water on assigned planets. The ship provided by the briefs scientist didn't have such accommodation. After the gravity explosion Dr. Briefs had gotten rid of the shower to give the training area more circumference. Through my most recent journey in space I would occasionally stumble across a hot spring on some different back-water planets but it was nothing compared to the tempered spray of these showers.

I looked around the small cube and noticed products that hadn't been there before. That means the woman really did move into my room. I started to think about why she would move to this room, her room was very spacious and it had a balcony. The perfect room for a spoiled princess, I couldn't help but chuckle at the thought as I started scrubbing my body with the substance they called soap.

Stepping out of the shower I was quick to dry my body by powering up with enough ki to rid myself of all the water. I strutted out the bathroom, taking a moment to look around the room; the only difference I noticed is the screen they call a TV. Everything else looked untouched. I searched in the dresser to find some of the training clothing that had been purchased for me when I first arrived here. I selected a white shirt and a pair of loose-fitting shorts.

I take a moment and focus on the energies around me, the only energy I sense is the blue-haired woman. Confusion hit me as I distinctly remember the conversation with the older scientist pertaining to my training regime. I let the annoyance I felt subside as a rumble roared from my stomach; I needed food.

Walking down to the kitchen I rummaged through the cabinets, I found two loaves of bread and ate them quickly, a small snack to stifle my ravenous appetite. I started to think about all the food the blonde woman would make, I had become well accustomed to something prepared for me no matter the time. I wondered where the other two humans had gone. Then I thought about the sandwiches Bulma had made for me on many occasions, they were delicious and the more I thought about food the more I wanted to eat. I wasn't the best in the kitchen so I decided to do what I had become habitual, make hellacious demands towards the blue-haired woman.

I navigated the massive complex and made my way down to the private lab. I stormed into the room instantly noticing the woman sitting at her desk rummaging through different papers. I took notice of her hair bundled atop her head, it may have looked chaotic but the few loose aqua strands that strayed from the mess were an attractive contrast to her seemling glowing skin. I steadily made my way towards her, I cleared my throat when I was a few steps in front of her desk. She jumped in her chair slightly, obviously startled by my appearance, so she was still very unaware of her surroundings. She glared up at me with pursed lips, her cheeks slightly inflamed and a fire wickedly flaring in her eyes; she was a beautiful specimen. I know I had spent a decent amount of time away from the woman but it made no sense to me how enticing her presence was to me. I scowled back at her trying to clear my rapidly declining thought process.

"I am here to request some hot food, I had the bare minimum to eat while I was away training and my body requires better sustenance." I announced before she could say anything, I tried to come off as annoyed.

I watched the fire in her eyes flare wickedly as she reached over her desk for a glass that was half-full of some orange liquid. She took a careful sip before she set the glass down and smacked her lips. "You would have had plenty of hot food to eat if you would have just stayed here to train. But since you asked me so politely, I guess I can make you some eggs and bacon." She replied calmly, her burning stare and bright smile definitely held malice to them. I had expected somewhat more of a reaction from the woman but I simply nodded my head in response.

Something had changed about the woman and I couldn't quite put my finger on it, her sarcastic retort had definitely thrown me for a loop. I crossed my arms to my chest and stared back at the bluenette, waiting for her to lead the way to the kitchen. I might have come down here expecting too much attitude; I watched as she gathered some of the papers off the desk. I was so used to the woman raising her voice and dishing out some very well thought out remarks but the comment had been mild. I was somewhat unimpressed, I had grown accustomed to the woman's flaring attitude.

I analyzed the woman as she stood from her seated position. She has definitely gained some more weight since I had last seen her on the video call months ago. It was way less than I expected. It was a rare thing in my culture for women to carry children full term; most females were also fighters so when the fetus was at a viable age it would be transferred to an incubation pod in order to allow the mothers to go back to battle. Hell, I hardly remember who my own mother was. The woman brushed past me with a glass in one hand and a notebook in the other, I turned to follow her. I'll admit, I've never seen a woman who was pregnant, I figured since there was a whole child growing inside the blue-haired woman she would look different. There was some change in the bluenette's body but she was still admittedly attractive.

Her hips still swayed with grace and I couldn't help but lose myself in her ass, she has a nice ass. The languid walk to the kitchen had me wishing I would bend the goddess over and have my way with her but I quickly refocused my mind, hastily reprimanded myself. I had to keep myself centered, I knew she was a distraction but I forgot how good of a distraction she was. 

There was a reason I had left for space in the first place. As we entered the kitchen I had a clear mind.

She continued towards the counter and I stopped at the granite topped island.

"Where are the old scientist and the loud blonde?" I asked as I leaned against the stone surface.

Bulma set her glass and notebook on the counter before she turned to answer me, "There's a science convention in south city, my parents left before sunrise. They're treating it like a vacation." She replied coolly as she checked the cabinet that had once contained the two loaves of bread.

I shook my head and calculated a response. "It's a shame he took the blonde. She does an excellent job at making sure food is provided appropriately." I commented snidely.

The woman shut the cabinet door empty handed and shot me a glare. I could tell my comment aggravated her but she did not take the bait. She seemed to almost ignore me as she continued her task of making me a proper meal. She walked over to the fridge and opened the door. She bent over slightly to grab something to cook I presume and I allowed myself to analyze her tantalizing figure.

(Bulma's POV)

I wasn't surprised that Vegeta had asked me to make him food. I had actually expected it since my parents were away. I was determined to not let his snarky attitude get the best of my temper. I could tell he was just trying to rile me up.

His snide little comments weren't going to work on me; I allowed myself to breathe and just be joyous that the Prince had returned so early. I couldn't deny that I had missed his peculiar companionship. Hell I felt emotionally crippled after he left, I had accepted defeat thinking the saiyan would want nothing to do with me. Yet here I am in the fridge calculating how many packs of bacon and how many cartons of eggs I would need to satisfy the saiyan's appetite. I just grabbed a full 18-pack of eggs and three one pound packs of bacon. I hoped that after my decent portion that there would be enough to satisfy the saiyan prince.

I set the uncooked breakfast items on the counter next to the stove, I quickly gathered a large bowl, two baking sheets, and the largest skillet we owned. I turned the oven on to the temperature it needed to be, as I waited for the oven to preheat I preoccupied myself by setting the bacon slices on the large baking sheets.

After that I washed my hands then I walked over to where I set my glass of juice, I took a decent-sized gulp before walking back over to my cooking area. I put the pans of bacon into the oven and then started on the eggs, the easiest way to make multiple eggs is just scrambling the whole batch.

I cracked all eighteen eggs into the large bowl and whisked them together. I ended up walking back over to the fridge to grab milk. I poured a splash into the bowl of whisked eggs, I mixed them a little more before adding another small splash before I was satisfied. As I walked over to the fridge to put the milk away, I couldn't help but sneak the occasional glance at Vegeta. It was hard to discern what he was thinking,  he just stood there with his arms crossed leaning against the breakfast bar. The same stone hard look on his face; but I did notice how his eyes were fixated on every move I made.

It took me fifteen minutes to scramble the whole batch of eggs but it was perfect timing because the bacon was definitely done cooking as well. I made myself a hefty plate with half the dish covered in eggs and the other stacked with eight pieces of bacon. I set the rest of the eggs into a big bowl and put the rest of the bacon on a plate. I set his plate of bacon on top of the bowl and carried it in one arm, my plate in the other; silverware carefully balanced on top.

I walked all three items over to the table, the whole time I felt Vegeta's gaze on me. "Here is your nice hot breakfast Mr. Prince." I announced jokingly.

The man was quick to walk over from the island to take his seat at the table and he began eating the food I had gleefully prepared for him.

I sat down in the empty chair right next to him and followed suit. I ate at a slow pace; enjoying the food. The comfortable silence was interrupted by Vegeta himself, "Are you going to eat all of that." He asked curiously.

I rolled my eyes at his small comment and chuckled a little, "I am pregnant with your child Vegeta, you'd be surprised how much I need to eat to deal with this." I jokingly explained as I gestured down to my bulging stomach.

His eyes widened just a little and he continued to eat his food. Surprisingly he must have been eating slower than usual because I finished before he did; it normally takes me a while to complete a full meal. I got up to clean my plate; I also took advantage of the free time and washed the pans I used to cook with. When I was done washing the last pan Vegeta set down his plate and bowl right by the sink. Now that was something I didn't expect. I quickly washed the last couple of dishes and dried my hands.

I located my almost empty glass of juice and downed the contents before I took a deep breath. Vegeta was still in the kitchen with me, he was just watching me once again as he leaned against the breakfast bar. To be honest I was just a little suspicious.

I walked over to him with my hand in my pocket. "Give me your hand," I declared as I was close enough to the stoic saiyan, he raised a questioning brow before he extended an open palm to me.

I pulled the capsules from my pocket, carefully encasing them in my fist before I dropped the capsules into his hand. I swiftly deposited my hand back into my pocket. "There you go, mister. These capsules are your new gravity room and some training bots." I carefully explained.

He shook his head and continued to stare at me. I was lost in his eyes and I didn't bother to move. I was enjoying this personal time with him even though it was mainly silence.

(Vegeta's POV)

We stood in silence after she handed me the new gravity room.

Her ocean eyes were truly exquisite, saiyans' never had such vibrant features. There were so many things that I would have liked to have said but there were no words being formulated into sentences; my mind was blank. I glanced down at the capsules in my hand suddenly reminded of the piece of technology I was curious about getting developed. I looked up to meet the woman's gaze once more. "I have a favor to ask a woman." I state plainly.

Her smile widened slightly and she tilted her head, "And what would that be?" She asked coyly, I tried to ignore the glimmer in her eyes.

"Can you create an energy cloaking device for the gravity room?" I asked curiously.

The woman took a moment to think it over, just as her father did the night before. "I have to work out a couple formulas, I've considered something similar before but not to that scale. Give me a couple of days to mess with things and you just might have yourself a concealed gravity room." She confidently declared, beaming me a smile.

I ignored the pang of building admiration in my chest, "What about those algorithms you had developed, would you be able to apply them to this unit." I asked hastily, I had found the programs essential to my training regime.

She took her hand from her pocket and crossed her arms to her chest, she gave me a sly smirk, "Technically yes, your training algorithms can be applied to that gravity room, there is just one small issue. I can't fit under the control panel to install them. You'll have to wait for my father to return from his science convention." She stated matter of factly.

I copied her stance and crossed my arms to my own chest, "How long will they be gone?" I asked annoyed, I was very limited in what I could do in the training room without those blasted programs.

"They'll be back in about a week, my mom might want to stay a little longer." She replied casually.

I held back my growl of irritation as I glared down at the capsules, "These will have to suffice until then." I bite out grimly. When I looked back up I was met with her foolish smile.

"It's good to have you back Vegeta." She commented light-heartedly.

I stared back at the woman, I was suddenly overwhelmed by her vibrancy so I turned and left out the backdoor of the kitchen without another word. I took a deep breath once outside to clear my mind. I selected one of the capsules in my hand and clicked the top before I gave it a light toss to a cleared area in the huge yard.

Once the smoke dispersed I noticed the unit was bigger than the previous one. I walked up the ramp and punched in the entrance code, when the door opened I sauntered into the newly built gravity room. I glanced around, it looked almost exactly like the one I crash-landed. I clicked the last capsule in my hand and tossed it to the side. I strode over to the control panel noting that the controls were slightly different but they were simple enough. I started up the gravity simulation. 

The max level of the previous gravity room had barely teased my new-found power; while in space I had tested out the transformation as to why I demanded upgrades from the old man. As I slightly powered up I amped up the gravity past seven-hundred and ninety, I welcomed the strain. I maxed the gravity output and stretched my limbs, I was satisfied with the pressure of the new maxim. 

I adjusted it back down to seven-hundred and ninety times earth's natural gravity to start my training. Beginning with a simple warm-up, I continued to stretch my limbs then proceeded to complete five hundred normal push-ups falling in line behind two hundred and fifty one-armed push-ups for each hand.

Once accomplished I squeaked out an even four hundred sit-ups along as four-hundred crunches. After the simple warm up, I walked over to the four training droids on the far side of the ship. I gave them each quick once over before I pressed the small button on the side to activate all four of them. They each floated up and took different positions throughout the unit. I took a deep breath and concentrated my mind, I knew it was risky to fully transform. I didn't want Kakarot to know about my newly obtained power. 

Instead I focused myself and powered up similar to how I had the night prior; I was barely scraping the edge of the legendary transformation but it felt magnificent. With pride swelling my chest I started training once again; this felt too easy. "I'm going to beat the shit out of these stupid androids." I announced out loud.

(Bulma's POV)

I wasn't upset when Vegeta walked away from me, I was expecting it nonetheless. He always focused on training before anything else. I was pleased by the small moment we shared after breakfast. It wasn't often we discussed gravity upgrades without throwing scathing threats back and forth. After Vegeta walked outside I made my way back up the stairs and to his room. As soon as I walked into the room I made my way to the window so I could open up the roller shade. With the natural light streaming into the room I walked to the closet that Vegeta never even bothered using. I had purchased this nice yoga mat years ago and I was putting it to use. I laid out the mat in direct sunlight and turned to the dresser. Vegeta only had two drawers in the nine drawer dresser. I may have moved a decent amount of my clothes over here in the last couple of months.

I pulled out a simple spaghetti strap, black tank top and a thin pair of leggins. Once dressed I began stretching my arms preparing my body for my routine exercise. Even though the pregnancy is a little hard on me I figured if I worked out just a small amount it would help my aches and pains. I was just used to my mother working along with me encouraging me to slow down or to hold certain poses longer.

I only did about 20 minutes of amateur yoga before I called it quits, it was easier than I thought to get back up on my feet on my own; after all, I was 7 months pregnant. Once I put my yoga mat up I took the opportunity to lay back on the bed allowing myself to just relax. I started thinking about what else I should do for the day. I knew I would have to make a huge shopping list to get the pantry restocked for the saiyan, I was suddenly very appreciative of my parents wealth, the saiyan could eat an entire grocery store in a week. I thought about wandering down to the lab so I could start working on that cloaking device but as I gazed out the window I noticed that there were barely any clouds in the sky. The sun looked very inviting; sunbathing sounded like a nice idea, maybe I could swim around a little and just enjoy myself. I watched the sun dance along the carpeted floor, even though it was early May I knew it was warm enough to brave the cool water.

I didn't realize that having Vegeta was back would calm my nerves so much; it has only been a few hours since his return yet I felt immensely better. I rolled out of bed and made my way to the dresser pulling open one of the drawers at the bottom. I pulled out my simple black bikini. I hadn't swam a lot while Vegeta was gone but I was doing enough sun-bathing to have moved some of my swimwear over to this room. I will say as soon as the temperature hit above seventy-five degrees I was in and out of the water. I turned to throw the suit on the bed, I removed my slightly used top and bottoms. I bundled the clothes up in my arms and walked over to the hamper in the far corner of the room. It was another item I had dragged into Vegeta's room, with the clothes deposited in the basket I walked back over to the bed. After I slipped on my bikini I walked over to the bathroom to look over my appearance in the mirror.

I rubbed my stomach, luckily I wasn't huge but I still had a sizable bump. I appreciated the way my hips had filled out, I thought I looked damn good for a pregnant woman. While I was admiring myself I felt a series of kicks, I rubbed and cooed at my stomach, "It's okay calm down." I couldn't help but talk aloud. My coos did little to ease the babies movements and I couldn't help but smirk, "I hope you don't get your dad's temper little one." I still didn't know the gender of my baby but deep down I really hoped it was a girl; who knows how I would handle a little boy. Kami what would I do if it was a boy and he looked exactly like Vegeta. I stared at myself anxiously in the mirror as I imagined a miniature Vegeta in my arms, the thought did make me chuckle. Hopefully that would not be the case, I grabbed the towel hanging in the bathroom and strode out of the room. An afternoon swim was exactly what I desired.

As I made my way through the kitchen I noticed my notebook still on the counter where I left it. I walked over and grabbed the overused spiral-bound book and flipped through the pages. Just like I thought I had some basic schematics drawn up for what appeared to be a wrist watch but it was in fact a ki concealer. After the events on the planet Namek I had multiple small inventions drawn up, this one was supposed to be for personal use. It was something useful that I figured if I was ever to find myself in a compromising position at least I knew I'd be able to hide myself. I closed the notebook with confidence as I looked out the backdoor and chanced a glance towards the gravity room. I decided that after at least an hour in the sun I would order the groceries and while I wait for them to arrive I'll go down to the lab and start on the project for the saiyan.