Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Heartless ❯ So It Had to Be ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z.

Heartless

Chapter 4: So It Had To Be

The group crowded around the glass wall in anticipation of seeing the baby. All other distractions were forgotten.

"When are they going to bring it out?" Chichi demanded impatiently.

No sooner were her words out when Yamcha stormed by. He stared at the others, looking for a hint of who might have known. All faces registered confusion, except…

Yamcha glared at his friend Goku, whose look of pity had given him away. "Why didn't you tell me, Goku?" he demanded with a voice full of hurt. He didn't wait for an answer.

The others looked even more bewildered. "What's he talking about, Goku?" Krillen said.

Goku didn't answer. He simply stared at the baby that had been slipped in unnoticed through Yamcha's outburst. One look at the child answered a host of questions.

Krillen looked once more at his friend, dread mixed in his features. "Goku, you didn't…"

Goku was not so naïve to miss the meaning of all the looks he was getting. "You know it wasn't me."

"But it had to be a Saiyan!" Chichi burst out.

"And I don't even know what anyone's talking about," Gohan added.

So it had to be…

*****

"Ms. Briefs, I still need one more name for the birth certificate."

Bulma simply stared at the ceiling, tears flowing down her face. She'd known. Somehow she'd known all along. And now she had no one. How could anyone respect her after this? When they all knew she… and that monster…

"Bulma."

Bulma looked up, and there were her friends. Her closest friends. And the instant she looked at Goku, and Chichi, and Krillen, she knew they would support her.

"Ms. Briefs-"

"Yes, doctor," she interrupted. The child would have a father, if only in name. "The father's name is Vegeta. I-don't think he has a last name." Then she looked over at her friends. "I named him Trunks. Isn't he wonderful?" Her voice broke. The doctor was about to respectfully step outside. "Wait." The doctor halted. "I want the tail removed." The doctor nodded and stepped outside. Bulma laughed slightly. "Well, I can't have Trunks change into a giant monkey every time he sees the full moon, now can I?"

At the feel of Goku's comforting hand on her shoulder, Bulma broke down. And she cried her heart out.

*****

Somewhere in a nearby solar system, Vegeta became aware of a great joy and a great sorrow. Confused and frustrated by the distraction, he pushed it from his mind and continued to train.

*****

Krillen uneasily edged toward his grieving friend. This was perhaps harder than seeing Bulma. Bulma at least had the child. Yamcha had nothing.

"What do you want, Krillen?"

Krillen gulped. He wasn't good with confrontations. They often led him to do or say something stupid, and make things worse. But this had to be done.

"Yamcha, I know this is hard…"

"You don't know, Krillen. I was ready. I had the ring bought and everything. I planned it for when she got out of the hospital. And now to find out-I should have known. But I loved her."

"You can still love her. She needs you now more than ever. And she does love you."

"OK, Krillen, why don't you get a date and then you can give me advice." Yamcha's tone was bitter and sarcastic, and it stung Krillen to the core.

"Yamcha, don't take your anger out on me. I'm just a friend trying to help."

Yamcha turned his back. "Do me a favor and don't help."

With one last glare, Krillen left his bitter friend alone.