Surviving Together: A New Legacy

Chapter 18 - A New Legacy

"They're not here." Bulma frowned as she and her newfound mate entered the private dining room.

"I suppose we took too long." Vegeta smirked as he crept up behind his mate, wrapping his arms around her waist. "However, it makes no difference as I did have better things in mind..." He purred, lightly nipping at her soft, exposed neck.

"Vegeta." Bulma protested weakly. "You know I want the same thing as well, but as a parent, children must come first."

Vegeta stopped dead in his tracks as he listened to his new title. Parent. He had to admit; he never truly thought much of being a father. For the greater part of his life he had ignored his own mortality, and therefore never took the need for an heir to heart. But now… Now he was a father with a nearly grown son. A boy who could already walk, talk, think, fend, and fight for himself. The boy at the age of nine was almost completely autonomous, a fine warrior in his own right and Vegeta had had absolutely no hand in refining those talents. That thought brought an unfamiliar sense of regret to him. "Why would he need me now?" Vegeta unconsciously whispered aloud, invoking a pained expression upon Bulma's face.

"Vegeta." Bulma frowned as she turned in his arms to face him. Sliding her hand up his chest and neck, stopping as she reached his face, she gently caressed his cheek. "This is why I thought telling Trunks right away was best. If you could only see how badly that child has longed for his father, you would know exactly how much he needs you. Not for the material things in life, but on an emotional level I know there is so much need you can fill." Bulma stopped momentarily as though to suppress a cry as her eyes drifted away from her mate's face. "I know because I have spent so long trying to ignore that need. Vegeta, you just can't imagine what it has been like for Trunks to have to watch other little boys with their fathers. Not that I helped the situation, but… But I know our son, and when he finds out the truth, he will never want to leave your side." Bulma's expression softened as she looked back at Vegeta, slowly bringing her lips to his. "Just like his mother." She met his lips with an impassioned kiss.

Vegeta met her act with equal passion as he pressed his beloved tightly against his chest, almost as though daring fate to try and separate them again. "You are mine Bulma. Nothing will ever take you from me." He broke from her kiss only to whisper his binding commitment. "Nothing."

Bulma's lips curled upwards as she heard the use of her name. She always knew how serious his words were by the title he adorned her with. As silly as it sounded, nothing melted her heart more than the sound of her name spoken from his lips. In the resonance of those two syllables, she knew what harmony truly felt like, at least before it was interrupted.

"Mom?"

Quickly, the pair broke from one another with a shared look of embarrassment. "Trunks." Bulma almost squeaked his name as she watched Garock enter the room.

"Are we interrupting?" Garock cleared his throat, mortified that he had disturbed his King. His counterpart, however, seemed to be taking the scene in stride as he covered his mouth in a pathetic attempt to hide his giggling. "Trunks said he felt your ki sir. We were just in the Chouriba getting a bite to eat; we are very sorry… Um… We can come back later… Come Trunks." Garock placed his hand on the boy's back as though to direct the still snickering boy out of the room.

"Wait, you don't have to leave. Vegeta and I were coming to look for you anyway."

Trunks blinked, halting his laughter as he listened to his mother's announcement. "Who's Vegeta?" Trunks raised an eyebrow as he removed himself from Garock's grasp and turned to face his mother. Having never heard the Emperor by his proper name, his confusion was not surprising.

"That's the emperor's birth name." Garock whispered to the confused boy. "You're never supposed to use it, remember what we talked about… propriety."

"Yeah… But my Mom just called him by his name. Why can't I?" Trunks demanded loudly.

"Because there is a more appropriate title that you should use in regards to your King." Vegeta broke the silence he had maintained since his son walked into the room. His son. Vegeta had been rather numb since Trunks graced them with his presence. He had become too entranced in the sight of his own flesh and blood standing before him to do much more than stare. Yes, he had seen the boy before, but he had never looked upon him as his son, the heir to his title, the boy that would continue Vegeta's lineage.

That thought suddenly overwhelmed Vegeta with more pride than he had felt in such a long time, the chance of a pedigree without the scars of a life in bondage, without the hopelessness of never achieving that which he was meant for; and, most liberating of all, without the torture of a life lived being unable to save those he loved. Yes, for the first time Vegeta looked upon the boy before him as what he rightfully was.

A new legacy.

The legacy that was his birthright. Not as lap dog prince that murdered, raped, and pillaged for the 'almighty Lord Freeza.' The boy before him would continue his true birthright. With the Saiya-jin blood that flows through his veins Trunks will continue Vegeta's legacy. With his untainted soul, the boy before him had the chance to do what Vegeta never had the chance to accomplish. Live. Live the life meant for Vegeta since day one, a life of fearlessness and supremacy. In an all too surreal moment Vegeta's eyes met those of his son, and his mind reacted with a second of clarity that allowed him the ability to see the truth. To see exactly what Freeza deprived him of for so long. 'My son.'

"Garock, would you mind giving us a moment alone." Bulma broke the long silence, as father and son seemed locked in a staring match.

"Of course." Garock nodded as he quickly made his exit, leaving the trio to whatever truths he had sensed were about to be revealed.

As soon as the door closed behind Garock, Bulma took a seat at the dining table. "Trunks come here." She called, lifting the small boy into her lap and tightly wrapping her arms around him.

"Mom…" Trunks blushed, a little embarrassed at being treated like such a little kid in front of the Emperor.

"You hush, I don't care if you're nine or ninety you will always be my little boy." Bulma spoke proudly as she gave her son a big sloppy kiss on the forehead to further her point. "Now Trunks I have something very important I need to talk to you about. I know you are probably going to be a little confused and quite shocked, but I need you to trust me."

"Um… OK." Trunks nodded, absolutely clueless as to why his mother was being this serious. "But Mom," Trunks moved his lips to his mothers ear, and placed his hand in front of his mouth to try and cover what he was about to say from 'Vegeta'. "If this is about you and the Emperor, you don't have to worry. I am totally ok with it." Trunks whispered to his mother happily before pulling away from her.

Bulma smiled as she shook her head. "Yeah, I'm sure you are ok with 'it' since you orchestrated this little dinner in the first place," Bulma watched rather amused as Trunks eyes widened in guilt. "But that isn't exactly what I wanted to talk to you about."

"It's not?" Trunks furrowed his brow. "What then?"

Bulma took a long breath and glanced up at Vegeta, hoping to gather some kind of emotional support to help her unveil the biggest shock her son would ever experience. In response, Vegeta gave a sympathetic nod of approval, standing stationary with his arms crossed over his chest, granting the pair plenty of space. Trunks needed to hear the truth from the person he was closest too, and Vegeta was not going to interfere with that moment.

With Vegeta's silent reassurance Bulma started to speak. "I want to talk to you about your father, Trunks."

The half Saiya-jin's eyes widened in utter disbelief as his mother spoke. His father? Not once in all of his life had she ever, ever uttered one word about his father! Why now? "My Father?" Trunks repeated. "But I thought… I thought that… You never said anything before, I didn't think… I mean…"

"Why don't you let me explain." Bulma's statement stopped his stuttering. "I think the only way for you to understand your father is if I start from the very beginning. First, let me tell you about my home, my birth home, a planet called Earth."

"Earth? I thought you were Mer-"

"I know what you thought Trunks," Bulma stopped him. "But now I am telling you the truth, and I think when I finish you will understand why I let you believe differently. So will you let me tell you the whole story?"

Trunks took a long breath before nodding in understanding. He was finally getting the chance to hear the truth about his father and his mother's past. He was not about to do anything to lose that chance.

Seeing her son's compliance, Bulma continued with her explanation. "So as I said, I was born on a planet called Earth. I lived there the first sixteen years of my life before I was taken from my home. Freeza had my home destroyed, but spared my life so I could… work for him."

"You mean as a scientist, like Cooler wanted you to work for him?" Trunks concluded the only thing his adolescent mind could comprehend.

"Some thing like that." Bulma decided to allow the boy's misinterpretation considering the reality was certainly not something the child was ready to hear. "But you see, Freeza had originally wanted me to work for him personally, but when he realized how young I was, he decided that I should work for somebody more my age. So, he gave me to your father."

Trunks frowned as his listened to his mother's words. "You were my father's slave?"

"No, Trunks." Bulma protested quickly. "You're father was as much a slave to Freeza as I was. You see he had a similar experience in his adolescence. His planet had been destroyed, but he was spared to work for Freeza as well."

"Was he a scientist too?" Trunks asked misguidedly.

"No, his strength is what Freeza wanted."

"So he was a warrior, like me?" Trunks eyes lit up at the thought.

"Yes, you get your strength from him." Bulma admitted with pride.

"I think I kinda already knew that; I mean I am a whole lot stronger than you." Trunks blushed a little at his immodesty. "So what happened when you met Dad?" Trunks was quick to get back to the main subject at hand. "Did you two hit it off right away?"

"Not exactly." Bulma allowed herself a short chuckle. "We sorta hated each other at first, but only because your Dad was as stubborn and headstrong as I was. But, your father was a good man to me. He protected me and showed me more kindness and respect than any other man on that ship. And if it hadn't been for him…" Bulma paused momentarily as though to hold back tears. "I wouldn't have survived the year I had to live on that ship."

Trunks reacted to his mother's display of emotion by wrapping his arms around her waist and giving her a gentle hug in support. "So you two eventually fell in love?" Trunks offered a very simple conclusion to the very complicated story.

"Yes, we did." Bulma agreed. "But Freeza's ship wasn't a safe place for love to exist. You see Freeza didn't like that your father had feelings for me, so he wanted to punish him by hurting me."

Trunks eyes narrowed as he looked into his mothers blue pools. "Freeza hurt you?"

Bulma shook her head quickly. "He never had the chance. Your father asked your Aunt Zarra to help me escape. And we managed to, before anything bad happened to me."

"Why didn't my father come with you?"

"I wish he could have." Bulma sighed truthfully. "But Freeza would have never given up looking for us if your father had come with us. You see, he was very important to Freeza, much more than I was; your father stayed behind so your aunt and I could be safe."

Trunks frown deepened, as the pieces all seemed to come together for him. "That's why you moved to Merigh and changed your names, right? And that's why I never met my father. You were already pregnant with me when you left, weren't you? And how my birthday was the same day Freeza was finally defeated! That's why I never saw my father; he was killed when Freeza's ship was destroyed! That's it, isn't it?" Tears finally began flowing from Trunks eyes, as his conclusion was the most logical one his overly emotional mind could conclude. "And if he was killed when Freeza was then--" Trunks froze as the bitter conclusion hit him. With a most deadly glare the boy turned his attention to the proud man who had stood silently during the entire recount of his past. "Then you killed him!" Trunks screamed as he flew out of Bulma's arms before the woman had even a chance to react.

Completely caught off guard, Vegeta was sent flying through the wall behind him as Trunks unleashed a vicious attack upon the man he believed killed his father. "You took my father from me!" Trunks screamed while continuing to unleash his rage. "It's your fault my mom is alone! I HATE YOU!"

"No you won't!" Vegeta broke his long-standing silence as he refocused enough to begin blocking the boy's attacks. "I will not be hated by my own son!" Vegeta roared at the child as he finally dematerialized and rematerialized behind the boy, quickly locking his son's arms in a similar hold he had used on Bulma just a few hours ago.

"Son?" Trunks suddenly stopped his thrashing as his mind finally registered the words his father had spoken. "No! You're trying to fool me! I don't believe you!"

"Well you should!" Bulma objected as she finally managed to catch up to the fast moving pair. With her stern 'motherly' look, Bulma stepped in front of her son with her arms crossed over her chest and a scowl upon her face. "You should have let me finish before flying off the handle, Trunks." Bulma noted disappointedly. "Let him go." Bulma asked apologetically as she looked upon her disheartened mate. This certainly wasn't how she wanted things to happen.

As soon as Vegeta loosened his grip Trunks jerked away from him. "Why did he call me his son, Mom!" Trunks demanded angrily.

"Because Trunks you--" Bulma paused as she dropped to her knees, gathering her son's frustrated face within her palms. "Trunks your father didn't die when Freeza was killed; I had assumed what you did for the last ten years, but I was wrong Trunks, just like you are. Your father didn't die with the rest of Freeza's men; your father was the one who defeated Freeza, Trunks. The Emperor-Vegeta is your father."

Time froze for the young boy as the truth finally graced his ears. Not only did he now have a father but also the man he had dreamed of meeting, of speaking to, of being a part in his life, was in fact standing right behind him. In what felt like slow motion for Trunks, he turned around and looked up at the man he had just attacked with restrained tears. "Dad?" The boy stuttered the alien word hesitantly.

Vegeta slowly bowed and raised his head in acknowledgement.

"But… But why didn't you come and look for me and Mom?" Trunks demanded rather angrily. "Why did you wait so long!?"

"I have been a victim of the same assumption your mother has been under for the last ten years. I thought your mother was dead, and I knew nothing of your survival." Vegeta admitted. "But if I had known." He paused for a moment of reflection. "I can assure you, you would not have lived in ignorance of my existence."

Trunks forced down another set of tears as he opened his arms and boldly embraced his father in an affectionate hug. "I'm sorry I attacked you."

Vegeta's immediate shock at the boys' action quickly wore off as he decided to allow the child his moment; after all, there certainly wasn't going to be any more 'hugging' after this. "A Saiya-jin prince should never cry, but I will allow you the courtesy only this once." Vegeta's tone was surprisingly soft as the boy in his hold immediately allowed his restrained emotion to be freed. Sobbing lightly against his father's armor, Trunks allowed the reality to sink in. "So, I really get to have a whole family?" Trunks forced out amongst his sobs. "You, Mom, and me?"

"You've got it little man." Bulma spoke through some of her own tears. "We're together for good this time, and nothing is ever going to come between us again." Bulma lifted her smile to meet Vegeta, who's determined nod promised the same fate. "Nothing."

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"Lord Cooler." The meager intelligence agent bowed before his leader as he entered the captain's private chambers. "I have word from planet Frost. Your undercover operative has sent us some interesting information."

"Is that so?" Cooler raised a skeptical eyebrow. "I didn't spend countless hours planning the strategic failure on Merigh for my health! I did it so my spy could infiltrate Vegeta's command without arousing suspicion! I wanted a report the moment the monkey king returned to my home planet! What the fuck took so long for this information?!"

"Apparently there were various developments that kept my partner from reporting back sooner. But, I think, once you hear what we have learned, you will forgive the wait."

"Well then," Cooler chuckled, "I suppose I shall wait to decide whether to kill you until after I have this information. So… SPIT IT OUT!"

The man shivered upon hearing his commander's violent words. He would have preferred being the agent behind enemy lines. "It seems sir that some strange things have been occurring since Vegeta returned to Frost."

"Such as…" Cooler circled his hand, encouraging the man to speed up the report.

"Such as taking on a pupil. The young boy who attacked you in fact, the son of the science woman, Vegeta has apparently taken it upon himself to train him."

"Bizarre indeed… But I fail to see how this is of any use to me."

"There's more of course, sir." The man cleared his throat. "Vegeta also executed some of his top warriors. Nappa, who was just confirmed dead, and his entire crew were purged after the former elite attempted to rape the science woman."

"Really?" Cooler chuckled. "Well to be honest I can't say I blame Nappa. The female was quite fetching… But I already knew Vegeta lacked the ability to find the bliss in forced sex. His actions aren't terribly shocking. Especially since the woman is so vital to his pathetic technology division. Why is this of importance to me?"

"Because it is not as simple as you might think, sir. When Vegeta rescued this woman, his energy surged. The magnitude of rage that was felt across the entire planet was apparently even stronger than the power he unleashed the day he defeated your brother."

"For this woman?" Cooler spoke disappointedly, clearly showing his lack of faith in his agent.

"Yes, sir." The soldier agreed. "Apparently she had managed to fend off Nappa long enough for Vegeta to find her. I am told her condition was critical, and when Vegeta's energy exploded, he thought the woman to be dead. It was only after his fit that he realized he was wrong, and that she in fact still lived. He placed her in a regeneration tank, his private regeneration tank to be precise, and then went on his purging rage; killing all of Nappa's crew, and even the elite's lesser associates."

"All for this woman?" Cooler repeated, still skeptical of the validity of the man's charge.

"Yes, after his tantrum he apparently stayed by the woman's side until she recovered. And when she did, he gave her his own chambers, and offered her every courtesy and kindness he could offer her for the remainder of her stay. He even told her she didn't have to go back to work until she was ready! Vegeta's war with you wasn't even an afterthought, sir."

"Again… All for this woman?" Cooler blinked as he considered the information. Knowing Vegeta, all he was just told seemed impossible. However, Cooler was privy to certain events surrounding Vegeta and a concubine several years back that had infuriated his brother to a hefty degree. With such knowledge he couldn't help but wonder. "I seriously hope you haven't left such open ended questions for me to sort out. I want a solid conclusion."

"I believe I have one sir." The man nodded; relieved his associate had dug a little deeper. "Vegeta has a past with this woman. My partner wasn't certain at first, but is now. The science woman that Vegeta threw caution to the wind to protect, is in fact the concubine your brother gave to Vegeta, the one he helped escape from Zarbon's wrath. And if that truth isn't enough sir, we also have reason to believe that the boy, the one who held enough energy to actually hold his ground against you, is in fact Vegeta's son."

An icy expression crossed Coolers face before the shock and outrage overpowered his sense of rationality. "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN? THIS BITCH AND HER BASTARD SON ARE VEGETA'S KIN!? The whore my brother was foolish enough to let live surely couldn't have survived alone with no other 'protection' than Zarbon's bitch of a sister! But even the chance that she did survive, happened to be a science genius, and was carrying Vegeta's child is too fucking slim to even be considered. Your partner is wrong!"

"I understand your skepticism, sir." The lowly information officer cowered. "But there is further proof, even some that you can attest to. If you recall sir, when you captured the science woman, she was with another female. Green skin, green hair; it was Zarbon's sister."

"Impossible!" Cooler objected. "I would have noticed." He argued, though a nagging feeling clouded his thoughts. He did in fact remember seeing the woman, and for a split second found a familiarity about her he had ignored since he had many other priorities at the time. "What other perceived proof do you have?"

"Aside from her associating with Zarbon's traitor of a sister, she fits the former slave's description perfectly. Blue hair, blue eyes, porcelain skin, flawless body, the only difference is an almost negligible addition of ten years aging. She also proved her identity in her presentation. She introduced herself to everyone under the name of Bra, but my partner was privy to her use of another name--Bulma, the name of the woman from Vegeta's past. Sir, my partner is certain of this conclusion. Having actually made direct contact with the woman, and seeing first hand the reaction of Vegeta to her… I have every belief that this woman is who we believe her to be."

"Hmph." Cooler growled low in his throat. "If what you say is true than I let an invaluable weapon against the monkey king slip through my FUCKING FINGERS!" He roared as he picked up a near by wine glass and throttled it across the room. With little thought Cooler grabbed the trembling informant next to him by the throat and lifted him off the ground. "The boy… Tell me how you know he is Vegeta's brat. Aside from his abnormal strength, what proof do you have? Has Vegeta named him as his heir?"

"Not as of yet, sir. My partner has not gathered any concrete evidence to prove or disprove the child's paternity, but the boy's strength, his age, his attitude, his features, his mother… It all leads back to Vegeta."

"I don't like to hear maybe and possibly!" Cooler roared. "Do you have any idea the kind of trouble that can fall upon me if this brat is in truth Vegeta's son! Half Saiya-jin or not, the brat can still carry the gene to become a Super Saiya-jin! I am having a hard enough time keeping Vegeta at bay; if another Super Saiya-jin emerges I will lose everything!"

"I understand that sir!" The soldier screamed, hoping to regain Coolers attention in an attempt to save his life. "But my partner and I have developed a plan. One that we think, with your approval, will eliminate the science woman, her brat, and the monkey king with little damage to our fleet."

With barely a moment to spare before the death of his soldier, Cooler dropped the man roughly to the floor. "You have exactly five minutes to describe my master plan. And then, if I like what I hear, you may go attend to those nasty bruises on your neck. But," Cooler paused, crouching next to the frightening officer, "if I don't like what I hear, those contusions will be the least of your problems."

With a long gulp, the soldier nodded and slowly began to explain the plan he and his partner had concluded to be a flawless plot to ensure the Saiya-jin king's downfall.

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Author's Note: Well paradise can only last for so long right? Ok, so where does that leave us? Though Bulma, Vegeta and Trunks have now worked out their family confusion, we know now there is a traitor in their mist! Who could it be? What kind of plan do they have in mind to bring Vegeta down? And of course there are still the lingering questions about Durka's vision, and the group of remaining soldiers. Oh, I'm so excited, so much to deal with, yet so few chapters left! Eeekkk! So until the next…