Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Crossing the Boundaries ❯ Heart to Heart ( Chapter 9 )

*~*~*~*~*~*

'Pregnancy?' the word echoed repeatedly in my mind. That's what Goku had said. I was certain of it. But...but...surely he wasn't implying that I...

My heart was pounding painfully in my chest, and my legs felt unsteady beneath me. I pressed my hands against the door trying to stablize myself. Surely I must have misunderstood something. How could they know if I was carrying Trunks' child this soon, and if they knew...did Trunks as well? Is that why he left? Did he walk out because he knew that our latest intimacy had resulted in the conception of a child?

The very thought only served to bolster my growing spite for the young prince. If my assumptions were correct then I was soon to be the single mother of child unlike anything this world had ever seen. Granted, the infant would only inherit a quarter of its father's Saiya-jin genes, but that was more than enough to make the child stand out in this mundane world.

" Does he have any idea what he's done? "

Goku's sharp words caught me drawing my attention back to the present. The air around me was so heavy that I could scarcely breath, and I felt instantly faint. Of all the skirmishes that had occurred during their stay, this one was promising to be the worst yet. Never had I felt the kind of energy that now radiated from the two men.

Vegeta seemed to have no answer responding instead with a viscous strike that caught Goku square in the jaw. My stomach turned as the anticipated brawl ensued. Goku managed to stave off Vegeta's next two punches and retaliated with a kick that struck his opponant directly in the stomach, actually taking the shorter man off his feet and driving him back several yards.

I could feel Goten's energy level raising slightly as well as he watched his father and Vegeta exchanging blows that would have killed a mortal man. My mind reeled watching them - I was terrified yet strangely fascinated. How was it that they kept coming back again and again to take the brutal beating that the other lashed out? The punishment their bodies endured was mind boggling.

Vegeta jumped back and fell into a familiar stance. The next few seconds seemed to play out in slow motion as the Saiya-jin drew his hands together at the wrist; his open fingers curled in slightly. A look of utter concentration etched his dark features. The grim expression was further accentuated by a single drop of crimson that trailed slowly from his brow.

The energy all around us seemed to condense and settle around him - shifting and swelling until it formed a visible ball of electricity between his cupped hands. The faint bluish energy sparked and crackled as it continued to grow larger.

" Damn it, Vegeta! " shouted Goku the moment he realized what the other was attempting to do. He flew at Vegeta with an obvious desperation, but it wasn't fast enough to stop him from launching the ki attack.

I couldn't really say for certain how the events played out at that point, but the energy ball shot upwards towards the sky and exploded with an ear shattering blast. The next thing I knew, Goku had Vegeta pinned on the ground trying to subdue any further attacks. Harsh words were exchanged between the two, then Vegeta threw Goku off him and stood once more.

" If you make any attempt to harm my grandchild, I will kill you, " Vegeta growled before stalking off.

My hand subconsciously moved to rest protectively over my lower abdomen as I fought back a barrage of conflicting emotions. The conviction in Vegeta's voice had banished any lingering doubt regarding my state, and now it was just a matter of how I would handle this...alone.

I jumped when I felt Goku's hand on my shoulder, and with great trepidation I raised my eyes to meet his. That was the first time I truly caught a glimpse of the somewhat naive, warm hearted hero portrayed in the series. The anger and disappointment I initially expected to find were completely nonexistant, but rather, his eyes were filled something I could only describe as a mixture of fear and sadness.

" We have a lot to talk about, " he said softly.

*~*~*~*~*~*

" You have to believe that I'm not trying to scare you, but I gotta be honest with you about this situation. "

I nodded vacantly staring at the reflection of the sunset on the lake. Beautiful streaks of pink and gold rippled over the surface of the water that trembled slightly as the brisk evening breeze gently stirred it. Trees swayed on the distant shore; the murmur of rustling leaves filling the uncomfortable silence that followed his statement.

Goku had brought me to a nearby park so that we could talk without interruption, but I wasn't sure if I was ready to hear what he had to say.

" There is so much I should have told you when we first arrived, but, damn it, I thought I had control. Then, after that first night, I still believed that I could stop anything from happening, but there is so much I didn't know. If I had any idea Trunks would get out of hand like this, I never would have agreed to staying in your home. Now it's too late. "

I shifted my gaze from the water to the man sitting across the picnic table, " It's not your fault, " I sighed. It was hard to bear hearing the guilt in his voice, but I couldn't muster the focus for a pep talk. I didn't think anything that I said just then would convince him of his innocence anyhow.

He shook his head, " It was my responsibility, and I failed, " He raised a hand to halt my argument. " The important thing now is figuring out how to handle this. You are aware of the potential danger if you carry this child. "

" Danger? " I repeated the word with confusion. " Chi Chi and Bulma were both human, and they carried Saiya-jin children safely. "

" You're forgetting, they're from our world. We have no idea what kind of boundaries seperate this dimension and ours, or what happened to allow us to get here. It wasn't something that was done intentionally. There's a chance, however slight, that you won't be able to sustain the baby or it might be too much for your body to handle. "

I looked away so that Goku couldn't see the tears forming in my eyes. Such a cruel realization, yet one of many I would have to face in the days ahead.

" You could...end the pregnancy, " he suggested almost inaudibly.

" No! " I cried and whipped around to face him fully. " How could you even suggest such a thing? Kill my child? I'd sooner die! "

I think the force of my reaction frightened Goku, and he quickly tried to console me, " It was just a suggestion, honest. I just - you just - have to consider all of the options. "

" It's not an option. "

Goku took a deep breath. This wasn't easy for him; I could tell. " What will you do when we return home? "

The question struck me like a slap in the face, but I couldn't deny that he made a good point. They had appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the night. It was plausible they could vanish the same way. Of course, at this point, I'd be raising the child alone anyhow.

" I'll manage, " I replied with a defiant tone. " I won't be the first single mother to raise a child. "

" It's not that easy. As the child grows older, its strength will increase. How will you handle it? Better yet, how will you hide it? You've already said that the scientists here would love to get their hands on us. Can you protect this child? "

I faltered; my voice failing me as I sought to find a suitable rebuttle. There wasn't one, of course, and that fact crumbled what little resolve I had maintained. " No, " I admitted through the tears, " I can't. I can't. I can't! "

A moment later I felt Goku wrap a strong arm around my shoulders as I sobbed into my hands. He didn't say anything. How could he when there was nothing comforting to be said? For a long time he merely stood beside me as I cried and came to terms with the truth of the matter.

When the tears subsided, Goku crouched beside me, never moving his arm away, and quietly asked, " You love him, don't you? "

With a shuddering breath, I looked down at the grass, " I - think - I might. I - don't know " I hadn't admitted it out loud...never even really said the words inside my own head. It was too big of a concept and too scary to accept, especially considering that he'd abandoned me.

" You have to talk to him. He'll already know that you're carrying his baby, so there's no sense trying to hide it. "

" It won't do any good, " I whispered hoarsely. " I tried last night, but he - he - walked out on me and never came back. I think that says all I need to hear. " It hurt to be reminded of it, and it was also embarassing to admit it.

Goku didn't say anything at first, and I couldn't bring myself to look in his direction. It was impossible to imagine what was going through his head.

It was late summer, and as the sun slipped below the treeline, the temperature continued to fall. I shivered and watched the pale blue sky begin to darken in the east. The encroaching night slipped silently over the sky stealing away the remaining light, as a deep sense of remorse settled in my heart.

" Do you want me to talk to him? " he offered after a while.

" No. "

He sat down on the bench next to me, " Listen, I can't imagine what you're going through right now, and I won't pretend that I do. Trunks is a lot like his father, and he's not always the easiest person to deal with. I've known him since he was born, and, once you get through those natural defenses, he's really not a bad guy. It's just going to take some time, for both of you, to get used to this. "

" But why, Goku? Why did he do this? " I said quietly. It was the one question that had plagued me more than anything since Trunks had first touched me.

" It could be a lot of things. You have to know by now that Saiya-jin are very instictive beings, and those feelings can be overwhelming at times. Rational thought goes right out the window, and we can't help it. The way he approached this may seem wrong, but it's in his blood. "

" Was it the same way for you and Chi Chi? " The question was out of my mouth before I could stop it, and I could feel the color rising in my cheeks. It was such a personal inquiry, but I had to know. Somehow I had to figure out where I stood with the father of my child.

" Ah, " he chuckled nervously one hand moving to the back of his head in classic Goku-esque fashion. " Not exactly. I knew Chi Chi for most of my life, and I had pretty good idea that I wanted to be with her before..um...well...before instinct had a chance to take over. We got married pretty young.

On the other hand, " he added thoughtfully, " Vegeta and Bulma are a different story altogether. They never got along, then all of a sudden, well, you know the story. "

" True. But there was still a history between them and time for those feelings to develope. I mean, he does love her doesn't he? "

" There are a lot of amazing things I could tell you about Vegeta, but I've promised not to say anything. Let's just say that in desperate situations you really get a good idea of what he's about. I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you that yes he cares about her more than you can imagine. "

I thought about that for some time. I had feelings for Trunks because I had admired him for so long as a character. Silly as the thought may be...I had fallen for the person that the character represented; the qualities that I wanted in a mate had been personified in him. So, when brought face to face with the genuine article, those feelings intensified. Even after the reality of who he was dispelled the fantasy, I still couldn't shake those emotions.

Trunks, on the other hand, hardly knew me. They hadn't been in this world very long, and we really hadn't spoken at all. I wanted to ask Goku if Trunks had given any indication of interest before this started, but that would mean voicing my greatest fear...that I was carrying Trunks' child simply because I'd been conveniently accessible when his mating instincts kicked in. The thought was almost more than I could handle.

I stood and turned away from Goku so that he couldn't see the tears filling my eyes yet again, " I'm kind of tired. We should probably get going. "

" Are you going to be all right? "

" Of course, " I lied glancing back with a forced smile.

The look on his face clearly showed that he knew otherwise, but he said nothing more - only stood and followed as I walked towards the car.

~*~*~*~*~*~

When we arrived back at the house, I was tempted to jump back in the car and leave. Gohan and Goten were sitting on the porch, and their conversation stopped short as we approached. During the ride home I'd managed to get my emotions under control, and I had mistakely believed that I was ready to cope with everything.

I froze at the bottom of the steps, and both of Goku's sons glanced in my direction. They were trying to be casual, but it wasn't working. I also knew why they were so tense. It wasn't just my situation...no...it was the fact that Trunks was sitting on the other side of the door. He could block me out all he wanted, but at this close proximity, he couldn't fully cloak his presence.

If Goku hadn't been standing right behind me there is no doubt in my mind that I would have bolted, but, as it were, there existed no chance of me getting past the man who waited patiently for me to proceed.

One after another I ascended the five steps that lead to the front door, then Goku reached around me open it when I made no move to do it myself. Closing my eyes I stepped inside the house.

The idea to simply rush through the living room and lock myself in the bedroom vanished instantly when I saw that Trunks wasn't the only one sitting there. His father was off the couch before I was actually in the room, and there was no mistaking the rage on his face. I backed right into Goku and tried to keep going, but it was like trying to walk through a brick wall.

Goku rested his hand on my shoulder, but made no other move to shield me from the Prince's advance. I felt like a child standing there, fightened and insecure, and I wanted to be protected from this unforgiving world that I just wasn't ready to face.

A strange sense of unease engulfed me, and I quickly realized that it wasn't my own. This feeling belonged to Trunks who was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room. I didn't have time to think about that though as I felt an iron like grip clamp on my wrist.

A startled cry escaped me when Vegeta yanked me forward almost taking me off my feet. Face to face, he glared at me mercilessly for a long moment before releasing me. I stumbled back, but Goku caught me and kept me from falling out the front door.

" You're lucky, " Vegeta snarled at me before snapping his attention to Goku. " I will not tolerate any further interference from you, Kakarrot. This situation in none of your concern anymore. "

" With the way you handle things, Vegeta, she won't it make through the first week. " Goku stated flatly.

The words were meant to cut deep, and they did. Vegeta's eyes grew very wide for a split second before he growled viscously and shot Goku a look that would have killed if that were possible. He fell quiet then and made no other aggressive moves.

I exhaled shakily as I realized that I'd been holding my breath the entire time. After the display this afternoon, I wasn't ready for another fire fight between the Saiya-jin. It was intriguing, but not when I was the cause of their dispute. And though I lived in a secluded area, ki attacks exploding repeatedly would likely draw suspicion sooner or later.

Goku leaned down and said quietly, " Why don't you try talking to him? "

I peeked over towards Trunks, but he looked away as soon as I met his gaze. A spark of anger flared inside of me at his apparent indifference. If he didn't care about me, the least he could do is show a little concern for his child. It was obvious he'd made no attempt to find me throughout the day, and even now, as I'd stood there, he'd not uttered one word.

I turned towards Trunks and fixed my stare pointedly on him, keeping close to Goku as I did so. " Sorry, Goku, but I have nothing to say to him. "