Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Princess' Arrival ❯ The Ugly Truth ( Chapter 2 )

Author's Note: Hello everyone! To remind my readers this is an Alternate Universe/Out-of-character (I guess) story. And as always if you can please review! Thanks to Meliza Mac for beta reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ. Only this two-bit computer. Don't sue!

The Princess' Arrival

Chapter Two - The Ugly Truth

Written by Gokusgirl

Bulma yawned as she stretched her arms over her head slowly, staring at the computer screen with sleepy eyes. She shook her head and shut the computer down, pulling her slippers on her feet that were under her desk. After ten… time for bed… Bulma thought as she pulled herself up to stand, taking special care of her very distended belly that seemed to weigh her down lately. She looked down at herself, a hand rubbing her swollen belly lightly as she sighed. This was her usual routine lately; sleeping all morning, spending time with Trunks in the afternoons and then working in the lab until late… she already had everything ready for the new baby, nursery completed, wardrobe already filled with baby clothes until the baby was eight years of age. There really wasn't anything else Bulma needed to do in preparation for the new arrival. Well, there was one little thing…

It seemed like Vegeta never was in the equation when it came down to the baby business. Yes, he was an important figure in the making department; but he never involved himself in what he called 'petty matters'. Not that he didn't want the baby; he just felt that it was the woman's job to take care of those kinds of things. So she just stopped asking him altogether to help out, not wanting to feel the disappointment of her husband's behavior. But tonight, she had a request, and she wasn't taking no for an answer.

As Bulma entered the dark bedroom, she stopped as she felt a small kick in her stomach. She rubbed her stomach lovingly as she felt the little kicks flutter form one side to another.

"So… you're awake little one?" Bulma said lightly. "Mommy's going to bed now… so no more kicks, okay?"

"Talking to your stomach again?" A voice spoke from the darkness. It startled Bulma for just a moment, but then she sighed, knowing it could only be Vegeta.

"You're out of the gravity room early tonight… I'm surprised." Bulma muttered as she flipped the lights on. Vegeta laid in their bed, the sheet draped around his waist as he was sitting up.

"I'm glad you're here… I have s big favor to ask you."

"Does it involve sex?" Vegeta said folding his arms behind his head.

"No, it doesn't," Bulma said dryly. "The community center is giving a Lamaze class on Friday, and I need you to come with me."

"What's Lamaze?"

"Well, it's a course on how to relax and focus when I go into labor, and it teaches me how to breathe when I have contractions, and all that good stuff."

"And why do I need to come?"

"To be my coach… to help and support me when I do go into labor."

"And what will I be getting out of this woman," Vegeta smirked.

"You'll get a baby, okay? That's what you'll get out of it." Bulma said as she pulled down the blankets on her side of the bed and got in.

"You really haven't been very generous lately woman. It's been over two months and I haven't gotten so much as a blowjob from you. And now you want to order me around like I'm your slave?"

"I haven't been generous lately because I'm eight months pregnant! And I don't do blowjobs… at least I damn well don't call them that. Can't you just do this little itty bitty favor for me?"

"I got you pregnant. Isn't that enough?"

Bulma frowned. She was about to curse him out, but instead she clamed herself, and smiled. "What do I have to do, your royal highness to convince you to go with me?" Vegeta looked at her devilishly, licking his lips with anticipation. Bulma frowned. "Anything but that."

"Why not? The doctor didn't say you couldn't." Vegeta complained.

"Look at me!" Bulma squealed as she threw back the comforter, revealing her swollen belly. "I look like a beached whale!"

"No, you don't… that's just baby. I told you once before that your appearance doesn't bother me."

"What do you mean, my appearance doesn't bother you? Are you saying that it should?" Bulma snapped back, her words tinged with anger.

"Woman…I didn't mean it that way…" Vegeta groaned with agitation. He hated it when she twisted the words around in his mouth.

"Vegeta… it would mean a lot to me if you go," Bulma said in a playful tone as she trailed her fingers along his shoulders, making him shiver at her touch. "And I promise… to be extra good to you after the baby comes."

Bulma could see his left eyebrow twitch, knowing her antics would wear the Saiyan down easily. He frowned as he flopped back onto his pillow, throwing the sheets up over himself as he turned over.

"Alright then… but make good of your promise, woman." Vegeta said gruffly. Bulma smiled happily as she climbed into bed, snuggling close to her husband in thanks as they both quickly fell asleep for the evening.

****

Vegeta frowned in disgust as he and Bulma walked into the community center at Satan City noticing that all the women were as pregnant as Bulma was. Bulma held his hand nervously, and Vegeta noticed the sweaty grip she had on him.

"Surely you're not nervous," Vegeta snorted.

"A little… aren't you?" Bulma asked.

"Why should I be? I'm not the one who has to push that baby out!"

Bulma sighed and rolled her eyes as they sat down with a small group in the classroom. "Keep your comments to yourself and try to look like you're happy to be here, okay?"

"That wasn't in the agreement, you asked me to come, and I'm here."

"Okay everyone, can I have your attention?" A short blonde woman said as she stood in front of the classroom. "Good evening, I'm Mrs. Watson with the Satan City Community Center. I'm going to be your instructor, or guide on the art of Lamaze. We will only be meeting tonight, this Saturday and Next Wednesday, okay? So it's important that you attend all classes. Now if everyone can sign up on this list at the desk and pay your registration fee, we can all go into the gym and get started."

After everyone paid, they went into the gym and sat down on the floor while the instructor explained stages of labor, and the how contractions build and thresholds for pain. Then she explained about 'pressure points' in the body that can help deflect the pain of the contraction, and so on. Vegeta kept yawning, gaining the other couples attention as the class continued. The classed ended with the breathing techniques, where the mother sits back into the coach's lap, and the coach count while the mother breathes.

"This is so stupid," Vegeta mumbled into Bulma's ear. "Like you're really going to remember all this shit when you do go into labor."

"Vegeta, please." Bulma fumed lowly, not wanting to shout while the others were concentrating. "Help me breathe and quit complaining."

"Whatever."

"Okay… five… four… three… two… one, breathe… five… four… three… two… one, breathe… Vegeta, you're not rubbing my stomach when you count!"

Vegeta sucked his teeth and began rubbing her belly with both hands, wishing he was back at home training. What an idiotic class, Vegeta thought to himself.

*****

"So how was the class dear?" Bulma's Mom said happily as she greeted them at the door that evening.

"It was great Mom. Vegeta was really sweet, weren't you dear?" Bulma said as they walked into the living room.

"Like sugar," Vegeta grumbled as he walked into the kitchen. Bulma and her Mom looked at each other, and Bulma shrugged.

"Where's Trunks?" Bulma asked sitting down on the couch.

"He's asleep. He stayed up as long as he could… but he has a cold, so I gave him some medicine and put him to bed around 9:30."

"Oh, poor thing. I'm going up to see him. Thanks for watching him tonight." Bulma said pulling herself up.

"Anytime honey. Alrighty then… I'm going to bed myself. Good night dear." Bulma's Mom gave her a peck on the cheek and walked down the hallway to her and husbands' bedroom. Bulma made it slowly upstairs, pausing for a moment as she peered into the kitchen to see Vegeta raid the refrigerator. She sighed and continued up, and silently crept into her son's room. Trunks was fast asleep, his covers thrown off him, crumpled to the floor. Bulma couldn't help but smile at her little boy that had grown so fast, and was looking more and more like his father everyday. She placed the covers back over him, and he stirred awake, smiling up at his mother lovingly.

"Mom!" Trunks whispered as he sat up rubbing his eyes.

"Hey you," Bulma said sitting down on the bed, giving him a hug. "Grandma said you have a cold."

"Just the sniffles… you know how Grandma tends to over dramatize things."

Bulma chuckled, running her fingers through Trunks' lavender hair. "Oh yeah."

"So… how did it go?"

"It went well. He was a bit bored with it… but at least he came."

"That's good. Hey Mom… can I ask you a question?"

"What's up?"

"How exactly did Dad put that baby in your belly?"

Bulma blinked, baffled with her son's question. She bit her lip, trying to think up the right way of telling him colorfully how these things go… she smiled, hugging him tighter.

"Well… Trunks your Dad loves me so much that one day he gave me a present. And guess what that was?"

"What?"

"It was you silly! And now he's given me another one. So you see, your Dad is really a… giving person when he wants to be."

"I understand that he gave you the baby… but how did he put it in your belly?"

Bulma frowned. Well, he was bound to ask one day or another… she thought. "Well, Trunks… when a guy likes a girl… let me take that back, when he loves a girl…"

*****

"I thought you were in the lab," Vegeta said turning over as he watched Bulma exit the bathroom from her shower. "Where have you been?"

"I've been in your son's room, explaining to him how people have sex." Bulma muttered as she sat down on the bed. "And it wasn't pretty."

"What?" Vegeta said with a laugh. "Why they hell are you telling him that?"

"Because he asked dammit."

"How come the boy never comes to me about these things?"

"Probably because you never really make him feel welcome in your presence."

"Whatever. Now do we really have to go to that class on Saturday? I have training to do."

"Vegeta! You train everyday, all day. This class isn't but two measly hours of your time."

"That I don't have. I can't believe you paid those fools 1,100 zenni to tell you how to breathe!"

Bulma's jaw clenched with anger as she walked over to his side of the bed, her hands on her hips. "This is important to me like your training is important to you, Vegeta. It's the least you can do!"

"The least I can do?" Vegeta said sitting up. "The least I can do? You asked me to stay and train the boy, and I did. You asked me to impregnate you, and I did. You are asking quite a lot from me but I'm getting nothing in return!"

"So, that's what this is about?" Bulma hollered. She jumped down on the bed lying on her back and closed her eyes, her arms stretched. "Go ahead Vegeta… screw me!"

"W-what?!!?" Vegeta said looking at her like she went crazy.

"Screw me… since you're not getting anything out of this, like you said. Sex seems to be the only thing you think about, and the only thing I'm good for with you. Other than that, you don't give a damn about me!"

"Don't presume to know what I think about," Vegeta scoffed. "And get up off the bed like that!"

"I thought things would be different this time," Bulma said as she rolled over on her side, her back to Vegeta. "I thought you came home… to be with us. That you wanted to be a father to our children, a husband to your wife. I guess I was wrong, wasn't I?"

A long silence fell across the room, and for once Vegeta didn't know what to say. He just didn't know what Bulma was asking of him…

"I've heard enough of this," Vegeta said jumping out of the bed. He snatched up his pillows and grabbed a cover off the bed quickly exiting the room before he heard Bulma sob uncontrollably. He fumed as he walked downstairs, and he laid down on the couch and covered up. He was almost asleep when he heard the voice of Bulma's mother enter the living room.

"Vegeta… is that you?" Mrs. Briefs questioned.

"No, it's a very huge lump on your couch," Vegeta muttered irritably.

"Oh my… you kids arguing again? Well let me get you an extra blanket…"

"Leave me," Vegeta hissed, raising his head up to look up at the chirpy blonde. "I am fine. Go to bed."

"Well I know you two are getting a little nervous about the arrival and all…" Mrs. Briefs totally ignored Vegeta's request as she sat down in the chair beside the couch with her teacup. "… It is to be expected. But can you believe it? I'm going to be a Grandmother all over again!"

"What part of 'leave me' do you not understand?" Vegeta said with a growl.

"I know you're sleepy Vegeta… but I just have to tell you about this one little thing before you go to sleep, something for you to 'reflect' on if you will…"

"I don't want to hear it."

"Oh but you will hear it," Mrs. Briefs snapped, not sounding like her usual pleasant self. Vegeta raised his head up again, looking at her as she stared back with a stern look on her face. Vegeta raised an eyebrow, sensing that the woman was quite serious. She sighed and smiled again, like she was tying to calm herself down. "This is about Bulma… when she had Trunks. Now of course you were gone when this all came about, and her father and I did all we could for her. Well, she wasn't due until May 9th, so her father and I decided to take a short cruise around Saint Croix. We left that Friday with Bulma here, alone… knowing she wasn't due for another ten days… but Trunks had other plans. That Saturday, Bulma's water broke. She was in labor at the house for five hours before she tried calling for help; Chichi was at her father's far away, and Yamcha was gone on one of those trips with his baseball team… and we were in the Bahamas."

Vegeta looked away from her, a nauseating feeling fill him as he realized what the woman was saying. Mrs. Briefs stood and walked over to the siding glass door in the living room, looking out into the star-lit sky. As she began to speak again, her voice sounded shaky.

"She made it to the hospital… barely. And she gave birth to Trunks… all alone. No family members there… no one close to her to support her… just some nurse she never met before, who held her hand… she was so afraid, my little girl, twelve hours of labor… going through that all alone… for several months after she had the baby I blamed myself for her going through what she did. I should have stayed at home, there were so many things I could have done to make it better… but now I blame it all on you."

Vegeta sat up, enraged at her last comment. Before he could utter a syllable, Mrs. Briefs turned around to face him.

"Yes I blame you. Because you could have been here for her as well Vegeta, but your priorities had you out in space. It is always my job to be here from my daughter, but it was your job as a husband to be here when she gave birth! We let her down… and I could hear it in her voice for weeks… I resented you for sometime after that. For getting my daughter pregnant, for leaving like it meant nothing to you… and then you came back after all the hard work was done! Now please don't get me wrong… I've forgiven you Vegeta… I think that you and Bulma are a perfect pair. But do not put her on this emotional roller coaster like you did before… she needs you with her. And even though she may not come right out and say these things… she reaches out to you in so many other ways and you constantly push her away. I have tired to remain silent about this, but she is my daughter, and I love her too much for her to go through that again."

Vegeta dropped his head, taking in all that was said to him. He nodded, knowing that she was right. "I love her too." He whispered.

"Then show her," Mrs. Briefs said walking over to him. She patted him on the shoulder. "I know your past was terrible… filled with things that make it hard for you to understand… but as someone taught you how to hate… maybe she can teach you how to love." She slowly walked out of the living room, heading back to her bedroom.

Vegeta laid back, his arms behind his head as thoughts of Bulma flashed in his mind… giving birth to his child, alone… it was too much to imagine. What puzzled him more was that Bulma never told him. Why? He was certain that in his very absence the woman's friends and family would take care of her. But he guessed she always did hope for him to return, right at the nick of time, her dark knight in shinning armor to ease her pain. It didn't happen… and the worse single experience happened to her that would now haunt the Saiyan Prince forever. Suddenly feeling all too guilty, Vegeta turned over and tried to go sleep, but it never came.