Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ You're What?! ❯ Entering the Home Stretch ( Chapter 17 )

You're What?! Chapter 17: Entering the Home Stretch

Trunks pulled on a hooded Capsule Corp. sweatshirt over his training clothes as he dressed to fly on over to Goten's house. Normally, Trunks wouldn't bother with such articles of clothing for a flight; however, this year was witness to an unusually chilling winter. Today was a brisk forty-two degrees outside, and thus, Trunks was not a happy camper. It almost never dropped below fifty degrees in the city, and to someone who was as acclimated to warm weather as Trunks, anything under the said norm was freezing. He couldn't comprehend why anyone would live in a place where snow and below-zero days were a regular occurrence during winter. Shuddering at the thought of being somewhere so cold, Trunks pulled up his hood and tied it close.

Exiting his room, Trunks went on over to his parents' bedroom to collect his father whom was accompanying him on his visit to the Son residence. The door was closed and the boy promptly rapped on the door three times. He then stood back and waited for an answer while he pulled on some gloves. After his leather gloves covered both hands, Trunks frowned as he found himself still was staring at a closed door. Deciding that his parents must not have heard him, Trunks knocked again. Yet, with his gloved hands the resulting knocks were not very loud. Hence, the young Saiyan Prince tried a different approach.

"Mom! Dad! Are you in there?" The boy yelled at the top of his lungs. Once again, no answer was received. This time the boy tried the door only to find it locked. Huffing in annoyance, Trunks crossed his arms across his chest as he thought of what he could do. They had to be in there, otherwise there was no reason for the door to be locked. Slowly, the lavender-haired menace put his ear to the door, trying to find any sign of life within the chambers. From inside he could hear his mother's muffled voice and some low moans, which he assumed were coming from his father. Standing up, satisfied that his parents were inside the bedroom, Trunks decided to call for his mother and father again.

"Hello! I know you are in there. I can hear you." Trunks called out, cupping his hands around his mouth for extra projection. Immediately, the boy jumped back from the door when a guttural growl carried through the door. That was not a good sign. That meant Trunks was interrupting on something he shouldn't.

"Boy, if you don't leave now, I will personally make your next training session with me a living hell. I'll be down in ten minutes." Vegeta yelled from within the bedroom, his voice sounding slightly distracted.

"Alright, all ready. You don't have to get your panties in a bunch." Trunks responded insolently. Right as the words left his mouth, Trunks felt like smacking himself. Provoking his father was probably not the smartest thing to do at that moment.

"TRUNKS!" His father bellowed, his voice beyond irritated. With a screech of surprise, Trunks turned and ran back down the hall to his room.

"I'll just be in my room," the troublemaker called as he booked it on down the hall to the sanctity of his room. Sliding the door shut as quickly as possible, Trunks slid down to the floor of his room, his back propped up against the door. The boy pulled his knees up and rested his arms across the joints so that he could lay his head on his arms. When would he learn to keep his big mouth shut? All he ever did was get himself into trouble. Oh well, nothing he could do about it now. All was said and done. At least he didn't have to train with his father today; he was training with Goku. That gave his dad a full day to cool off over the incident, although the Saiyan heir knew his father would have a few choice words to say to him on their flight to the Son residence.

Trunks sat that way for a few minutes and was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't even feel the presence coming toward his room. Before he could prepare himself, the door to Trunks' room slid open causing the slightly distraught boy to fall backwards out into the hall. Blinking in surprise, Trunks looked up and saw two pajama clad legs and a swollen stomach covered in a huge nightshirt. Finally, off to the side of her huge belly, Bulma looked down at her sprawled son with a smile.

"Hey sweetie. I take it you are all ready for your visit with Goten today?" Bulma asked as her son finally got up from his position on the floor. Trunks nodded absently as he looked around his mother, no doubt searching out his father. "That's good," she replied to her son's nod before addressing his obvious interest, and perhaps dread, about where his father was. "Well, your father should be out in a little bit, he is getting cleaned up a bit."

"He isn't too mad at me, is he?" Trunks asked curiously, trying to gauge how much trouble he would be in. His mother's mood was heartening, since if his mother wasn't mad about his interruption, she probably had settled Vegeta down considerably.

"Oh no. You're father just wasn't expecting the disturbance." Bulma stated kindly, ushering her son out of his room and toward the stairs.

"What were you guys doing in there anyway?" Trunks inquired, wondering what he had interrupted that was so important. Bulma abruptly stopped at the top of the stairs and glanced down at her son, obviously at a loss of what to say. Trunks tilted his head to one side, his eyes looking up at his mother expectantly. Bulma opened her mouth to speak, though no sound came out, her right hand circling in the air as though trying to conjure up the correct words to speak. Finally, the brilliant scientist got an idea.

"I was just helping your father relieve some stress before he went to spar with Goku." She then held up her hands and wriggled her fingers in the air. "These fingers work magic." Trunks let out an "ah" of understanding as he turned to walk downstairs. Bulma sighed and looked skyward. Luckily for her, the sexual innuendo was lost on the young boy. She knew he though she was talking about giving her mate a message. That brought a slight smile to her lips. Technically, she hadn't lied to the boy, she just hadn't stated where she was "massaging" her husband.

Deciding to follow her son on downstairs to see him and her mate off, Bulma started to waddle on down the stairs, taking the steps one at a time. Once at the bottom, Bulma stopped and caught her breath. It was hard work carrying around this not-so-little buddle of joy. She was just a couple of days into her eighth month of pregnancy and was unquestionably as big as a whale: at least that was what Bulma thought she looked like. As the days wore on, the mother-to-be was becoming more and more self-conscious about her size and her looks. She felt totally unattractive, although everyone, Vegeta included, told her otherwise. Hence, such incidents as the one that had just occurred in the bedroom were definitely beneficial in helping the depressed woman keep her spirits up. At least Vegeta was still aroused by her caresses and he wasn't so repulsed by her appearance to turn away from her.

Bulma walked into the living room as best she could and smiled at the sight of her son buddle up on the couch. His purple mane was completely concealed by the hood of his sweatshirt, drawing all the more attention to the fact that his facial features were the exact replica of Vegeta's. She couldn't help but chuckle when her baby boy started to fan himself with his gloved hand; there was no doubt that he was getting hot just sitting around in the amply heated house. Granted, he hadn't expected on waiting so long to leave, but never had it dawned on the child to just remove the heat trapping articles he wore. At the sound of his mother's laugh, the prince looked up at his mother and he rushed over to his her side when he noticed her start to shuffle on into the living room, her hands clasped under her stomach.

"Mom, you aren't supposed to be moving around!" Trunks scolded, helping his mother over to one of the couches. Bulma let out a small grunt of annoyance. This over-protectiveness that had engulfed the residents of Capsule Corporation after her false labor was grating on the genius' last nerve. She wasn't going to break! She was just pregnant. Women had been giving birth to children for millennia, Bulma was quite sure she could handle the experience, especially since she had already done it once before.

"Trunks, you really don't have to worry about me. I'm not an invalid. Since you and your father are going to be gone for the day, I really don't feel like being cooped up in my bedroom. Besides, some exercise is good for me." Bulma stated as a rebuttal.

"But the doctor said that you should be in bed as much as possible. You know how much trouble you have carrying the baby." Trunks reasoned. "If you wanted to come downstairs you should have let Dad carry you. He won't be happy that you walked down the stairs by yourself."

"Oh whatever," Bulma said dismissively, throwing her right hand up as though in an attempt to swat her son's words away. "You guys are acting like I am made of glass, and frankly, I appreciate your concern, but I am sick and tired of not being able to do anything by myself." The mother-to-be said a little more harshly than she would have liked, especially with her son. She sighed when she saw the flash of hurt in Trunks eyes. "Sweetie, I'm not trying to hurt you. I do appreciate how much you are caring for me. You're love means the world to me; however, I don't want to be treated like I am a helpless child. Would you?" Bulma asked, placing her hand upon her son's knee.

"No. I like being able to do things on my own." Trunks responded solemnly. "I'm sorry mom."

"Oh, don't be sorry! I still wouldn't mind the help every once in awhile, just don't act like I can't do anything." The pregnant scientist replied, pulling her son into a very awkward hug, her belly getting in the way from holding the boy too close. Trunks, for his part, agreed to pull back on his protectiveness and hug his mother back.

"Is that all you two ever do?" Vegeta's rough voice shattered the precious moment between mother and son, his voice dripping with disdain as he inquired about the embrace the two were locked in. Immediately, the two occupants on the couch separated and stared at the man before them. It was Bulma that had the first thing to say, a smirk that could rival her husband's gracing her lips.

"It sounds to me like someone is jealous." Bulma stated in a singsong voice, arching of one of her delicate eyebrows. Her smirk widened into a grin of amusement at her mate's flustered appearance; however, his usual façade was back in place within seconds. Inwardly, Bulma couldn't help but smile to herself. More and more, it was becoming easier to bear witness to Vegeta's emotions. The mask of indifference he had worn his whole life was finally starting to crack and fall away. When he had first moved to Capsule Corp., it took Bulma nearly a year to figure out the brooding prince's feelings. They were so fleeting, that if you blinked you could miss a telltale sign of what he was feeling. At that point in his life, Vegeta's mask was almost impenetrable. Only the blink of an eye, the twitch of his lips, or the flash of his eyes would show what he was feeling. Now, Bulma was pleased to say that, she no longer had to look so deeply to see his emotions. They were being displayed more frequently, even though his old mask always won out in the end.

"I am not jealous." Vegeta objected sternly. "Why would I want to participate in such a weak display of emotion?" The Saiyan Prince questioned, reverting to his old tactic of acting like he didn't care.

"Why would you want to participate?" Bulma repeated cheekily. At her husband's nod, Bulma continued. "Because you love us."

"I most certainly do not!" Vegeta replied as though nothing repulsed him more. Bulma struggled to stand up and started to walk toward her mate, whom was standing at the entrance to the living room, apparently ready to leave for his spar with Goku.

"Someone is in a grumpy mood all of a sudden." Bulma said softly as she came to stand in front of her prince. She then turned to Trunks, who was starting to catch on to what his mother was doing, and gave him a wink. "I think I know what you need." Then, before he had time to react, Bulma flung her arms around Vegeta's neck, hugging him with all she was worth. Just a half a second later, Vegeta felt another set of arms encircle his waist, as his son followed his mother's lead. Vegeta stood ramrod straight, looking for all the world like a fish out of water.

"What…what do you think you are doing?" The sandwiched prince sputtered in shock. He was never comfortable with such shows of affection, even in the comfort of his own home. Granted, he had spent a lot of time in Bulma's arms, but that was in the throes of passion, never outside the bedroom.

"What does it look like, you big dork?" He heard Bulma whisper into his ear lovingly, her intended insult rolling off her tongue like it was a treasured term of endearment.

"Well, stop already," Vegeta commanded, his voice going harsh. He gently started to push his mate away, and he kicked out his leg to get his son off of him. Trunks went stumbling back a few steps due to the light kick he had received from his father, while Bulma reluctantly backed up. Both mother and son stood beaming up at Vegeta, quite proud of themselves for being able to catch the prince in an embrace. "Stop looking at me like that, or I shall have to wipe those smiles off of your faces." He stated, trying to sound threatening but failing miserably. Why he even tried to threaten his family with violence was beyond Vegeta. They both knew he would never do anything to hurt them: ever. The Saiyan monarch just figured it was his defense mechanism that would never go away.

"Let's go son. I've had enough with all this foolishness. We are going to be late." Vegeta addressed his son, while tuning on his heel toward the main entrance to the building. Trunks looked up at his mother and rolled his eyes.

"Isn't he the reason why we are running late," the boy said in a low voice, trying not to be heard by his father. Bulma couldn't help but laugh when the voice of her mate came echoing back down the hall. Trunks' head snapped in the direction of his father's voice, his eyes wide with disbelief at being heard.

"I heard that! Now hurry up or I'll leave you behind!"

"You heard your father." Bulma said as she pushed her boy on out into the long hallway. "Have a good time. Be careful, do you hear me Trunks?"

"I hear you Mom. I'll be careful. Goodbye Mom!" Her son shouted over his shoulder as he sprinted down the hall to catch up with his father.

"Goodbye Trunks! Goodbye Vegeta!" She called out. No replies were heard and Bulma sighed in relief. Finally, she would have some time to herself.

Goku was literally flipping head over heels when he slammed into the side of one of the many rocky cliffs adorning the Saiyan's designated training area. The tall savior of Earth blinked as he finally got his bearings back, just moments after impacting. He was embedded in the side of the cliff, hanging upside down. Hovering in the air above him, his arms crossed across his chest, was the prince of his people. Slowly, but surely, Goku peeled himself out of the rock that he was encased in. Flipping right side up, Goku flew on back over to Vegeta. Both men looked pretty beat up, bruises and cuts covered their bodies, their training clothes were torn, and their breathing was heavy.

"Wow Vegeta, that was a pretty good series. I don't know how you can be so fast!" Goku said in an awed voice, thoroughly enjoying the chance to spar with someone that was a challenge. Vegeta narrowed his eyes at his one time rival.

"Stop playing around, Kakarrot. I know you can be ten times faster than me." Vegeta bit out. Goku almost sighed, but held it in. Why couldn't Vegeta ever take a compliment?

"I'm not playing around. Unless I was Super Saiyan Three, I could never keep up with you. In speed and agility, you have me beat hands down." Goku replied in all honesty.

"And there is the key, isn't it? I'm not a Super Saiyan Three, and therefore, despite your efforts to convince me otherwise, you are technically faster than I am." Vegeta responded icily as he felt a flash of the old hatred he used to hold for the third-class idiot before him. Power had always come so effortlessly for the younger man, and that, no matter what changed between them, would always irk Vegeta.

"Yeah, but when you reach Super Saiyan Three, I'll be sunk." Goku said in a serious voice. Finally, Vegeta's anger started to subside. He had to remember whom he was dealing with. This was Kakarrot, the savior of the Earth and believer in all that is good. Vegeta had to remind himself that no matter how it might seem, the taller Saiyan was not trying to say anything to insult Vegeta. He was trying to be encouraging, and besides, apparently the fool had no doubts about him reaching the next stage of Super Saiyan.

"Just keep that in mind Kakarrot. Your days are numbered." The Saiyan Prince said with a smirk, signaling to his sparring partner that he wasn't all that angry anymore. "Now, we should probably head on back. It's getting pretty late, and I for one am starving." Almost as if on cue, Goku's stomach answered to Vegeta's comment by emitting a deafening growl. Goku laughed sheepishly, putting one hand behind his head in trademark fashion.

"I think my stomach agrees that it is time to eat." Goku replied while giving his belly a rub.

"Kakarrot, that black hole you like to call a stomach always thinks that it is time to eat. There is no way, Saiyan or not, that you should be able to eat as much as you do. It's disgusting." Vegeta shot back, his voice reiterating his abhorrence of his fellow Saiyan's eating habits. Goku let out another embarrassed laugh. Both men started a slow decent down to the ground in mutual agreement to walk back to the Son residence. It would be a good warm down from their rather strenuous workout.

"I can't help it," the taller warrior practically whined. "Food is my one downfall. I've done some pretty stupid things in the past just for the chance of getting some food."

"Like marrying the harpy," Vegeta said under his breath even though he knew his sparing partner would be able to hear it.

"Hey!" Goku exclaimed in objection. "I love Chi-chi." He protested.

"Maybe now you do, but you can't mean to tell me that you loved her when you got married. Bulma has told me the whole story on your coupling. You only got married because you thought marriage was some type of food." Vegeta retaliated, an evil smirk lighting up his face. For once in his life, Goku had nothing to say in return. Instead, he just crossed his arms across his chest and let out a small huff; his whole posture practically screaming that he was pouting. Now, it was Vegeta's turn to let out a small laugh, although his was condescending. "Come now, Kakarrot. There is no reason to pout like a child over your own stupidity."

"Why do you always have to be so mean to me?" Goku asked, his voice still holding that slightly whiny quality it takes on from time to time. Vegeta once again smirked evilly at his one remaining subject.

"Well, I have to get my kicks somehow," was the simple reply that the Saiyan Prince gave. "Don't be so thin skinned," Vegeta continued with a light punch to Goku's arm, almost as though punctuating his point. Goku looked over at his fellow Saiyan dejectedly. Vegeta let out a low growl at the look and rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Stop moping about Kakarrot, I was only trying to get a rise out of you. I swear, you couldn't be any less Saiyan if you tried. Normally, a Saiyan would not tolerate his choice of mate being questioned. I don't know why I even bother hanging around you, you are so un-Saiyan like."

"Whatever Vegeta. It doesn't bother you to be among non-Saiyans. You like Bulma, don't you?" Goku replied, his voice gaining back some of its normal ambiance. The two Saiyans continued their walk back to the Goku's house, finally leaving the barren wasteland behind them and crossing over into the luscious grasslands and woods surrounding his house.

"True, Bulma may be a human, but she acts more like a Saiyan than you do. That was why I was attracted to her." Vegeta admitted.

"What do you mean she acts like a Saiyan? She can't do any of the things that we can." Goku objected in confusion, not understanding what his prince was getting at.

"Idiot," Vegeta mumbled under his breath at the companion at his side. He then stopped in his aggravation. "Kakarrot, I am not talking about the physical attributes of a Saiyan. I am talking about the attitude of a Saiyan. Bulma has a fiery spirit. She does not back down from a battle, even when she knows she is clearly at a disadvantage. She has a temper that easily rivals my own. Plus, she has her intelligence. Bulma keeps her wits about her even when she is provoked into a blinding rage." Vegeta paused in his tirade, not truly aware of the warrior standing next to him. For his part, Goku held in the smile that was threatening to overcome his face. To think, Vegeta always said that he never cared about Bulma! A slight scowl graced the prince's face as a thought popped into his head at the discussion of his mate. "And she is stubborn to a fault." Vegeta growled more to himself than to his partner.

"What's wrong? Did you and Bulma have a fight?" Goku asked curiously in regards Vegeta's last statement. He was quick to notice how swiftly the prince had become slightly annoyed and reflective when he mentioned Bulma's stubbornness. It was almost as though Vegeta was recalling a recent even between the two of them. Vegeta snapped out of his distracted state and glared up at his once rival.

"Nothing is wrong." The Saiyan monarch snapped harshly.

"You can tell me Vegeta. It always helps to get things off of your chest." Goku responded helpfully, his voice earnest as the two started walking again. It looked like Vegeta was going to refuse, but suddenly he let out a disgruntled sigh and some of the tension he didn't even know he was holding in, left his frame.

"It is about the brat." Vegeta said simply, his voice still holding a hard edge.

"Trunks?"

"No, the girl." The father-to-be said, his voice softening just a bit at the mention of his daughter. Goku immediately looked panicked.

"Is everything alright? Is she ok?" Goku asked in a hurry, worried about the fate of his friends' unborn baby, as well as Bulma's health.

"Everything is perfect." Vegeta replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. The taller Saiyan's face briefly shone with relief, but then quickly became confused again.

"Um, if everything is ok, then what could possibly be wrong?"

"Bulma finally decided on a name." Vegeta's face twisted into a viscous frown, his voice not holding back any of his displeasure.

"I take it you do not agree with her choice?" Goku stated the obvious. Vegeta simply stared at the Saiyan next to him in disbelief. He truly hadn't asked such a stupid question had he? Deciding it was best to ignore the inquiry, Vegeta continued with his story.

"She decided on Bra, perhaps the most un-Saiyan name ever invented!" Vegeta ranted. "And to make matters worse, it was my own heir that came up with the accursed name!"

"Aw, Bra is a lovely name," Goku said with a grin, oblivious to Vegeta's outrage.

"Lovely?" Vegeta asked rhetorically, his voice raising in his rage. "Lovely? A Saiyan is not supposed to be lovely!"

"But Vegeta, she is a girl. You can't expect her to have a warrior's name, especially here on Earth, do you?" Goku asked; surprised by how upset Vegeta was over the name of his daughter.

"Why shouldn't she have a Saiyan name? Bulma got to name the boy Trunks, perhaps the second most un-Saiyan like name there is. I believe I should have some say in this matter." Vegeta clipped out through clenched teeth.

"I agree with you there. Why don't you just talk to Bulma and let her know how much you truly don't like the name Bra?"

"Don't you think I have tried?" Vegeta responded back incredulously. "As I said earlier, Bulma is extremely stubborn. She has her mind set and there is nothing I can do to change it."

"There has to be something you can do if you feel that strongly against it." Goku tried to reason and keep Vegeta's spirits up.

"There is nothing I can do now," the Saiyan Prince said in a slightly defeated tone.

"Huh? Why not?"

"I sort of agreed to the name this morning." Vegeta mumbled under his breath. Goku's mouth dropped in shock, confusion written clearly across his face. Not waiting for Goku to ask the obvious question of why Vegeta would have agreed to a name he hated, Vegeta decided to elaborate. "The woman sprung it on me at an inopportune time; the conniving, little minx." He said the last part with the barest hint of pride coloring his words.

"How'd she manage that?" The naive warrior asked.

"She had me preoccupied when she asked me about the name." Vegeta explained without getting into graphic details. Goku looked at his prince, clearly not following what Vegeta was trying to convey. "In the bedroom." Vegeta stated in an attempt to get his fellow Saiyan to understand what he was talking about. Still, Goku looked at the smaller man before him uncomprehending. "Nevermind," Vegeta exclaimed in frustration. "All you need to know is that I agreed to the name due to Bulma's underhanded tactics."

A pause came over the conversation, Vegeta not wanting to talk anymore, and Goku not sure what he should talk about next. The two walked in silence for about a mile when they felt the kis of their sons approaching them. Wondering why the boys would come looking for them, especially when Vegeta had made it clear to Trunks on the flight over that he did not want to see hide nor hair of him during his training, Vegeta levitated up into the air to meet the two rambunctious children. Goku followed Vegeta's lead and launched himself into the sky.

"Dad!" Trunks screamed as he neared the last full-blooded Saiyans, his voice clearly excited. Something was amiss.

"What is it boy? I thought I told you not to disturb our training." Vegeta stated sternly, ignoring the fact that technically he and Goku were no longer training.

"You need to get to Goten's house. Mom is on the phone for you. She said it was urgent." Trunks said all in a rush. Vegeta rolled his eyes. The boy had come all the way out here to tell him that? The woman was probably calling to yell at them for not being home yet. Dinner was probably getting cold. Vegeta looked over at his companion and quirked an eyebrow when the other warrior just stared back at him blankly.

"Well, are you going to use that damned instant transmission to get us back to your house or not?" Vegeta demanded icily. Once again, Goku laughed in embarrassment for not thinking of it sooner and nodded vigorously. Grabbing Vegeta's shoulder, he focused on the sleeping Chi-chi and transported away. Trunks and Goten looked at the spot where their fathers had been just a nanosecond ago.

"He left us!" Trunks exclaimed in disbelief. Just as the words left his mouth, Goku reappeared in front of the boys, his hand behind his head.

"Sorry boys!" Goku apologized as he reached out to grab Goten's arm. Trunks just barely grabbed onto Goten's t-shirt in enough time to be transported as well. In the blink of an eye, the three were now standing in the kitchen of the Son home. Trunks looked up at Goku with a slight frown. The guy may be nice, but he was certainly a few cards short of a full deck. Shaking his head at the thought of Goten's father, Trunks looked over to where his dad stood. He stood next to the wall leading out to the living room, tethered to that particular wall by the short cord of the outdated phone the Son's used.

"Bulma, we just got done, so you will have to wait for us to get home," Vegeta said as soon as the receiver was pressed against his ear.

"Well, hello to you to," Bulma said sarcastically, and slightly out of breath. That gave Vegeta reason to pause; why would his mate be out of breath? She shouldn't be doing anything that requires extreme physical exertion.

"Out with it woman, you dragged me away from my training."

"My water broke. I'm going into labor." Bulma stated simply, as though it didn't bother her in the least. This was not what Vegeta had been expecting to hear. At their last doctor appointment, the obstetrician had said that everything appeared normal and that they should be expecting their newest addition in about one month. This little brat still had 28 days left!

"You're WHAT?!" Vegeta yelled into the phone in shock. Now that the event was upon him, Vegeta had no idea what to do.

"I said, my water broke and I am…"

"I heard you the first time!" Vegeta interrupted. "We'll be right there." Then, without waiting for a reply, Vegeta hung up the phone practically shattering the receiver with the force he used. "Kakarrot, you have to teleport Trunks and me to Bulma right now!"

"Why?" Goku asked in curiosity, not grasping the gravity of the situation.

"Bulma is about to give birth," Vegeta snarled at the younger man.

"To the baby?"

"No, to a litter of kittens. What do you think, you third-class loser? Get me home now!" Vegeta bellowed, effectively waking Chi-chi up from her nap on the couch in the other room. Goku jumped in surprise at Vegeta's venomous outburst and then quickly grabbed Trunks under one arm, grabbed Vegeta with the other and teleported to Capsule Corp. A few moments after, Chi-chi walked into the kitchen, only to find her youngest son standing in the center looking like he was about ready to bust with excitement..

"What was all that racket, Goten? Where is everyone?" The raven-haired mother asked groggily.

"Bulma's having kittens!" Goten said enthusiastically. "I sure hope she'll let me have one!" The boy said dreamily, completely serious. Chi-chi looked at her son strangely, not having a clue about what he was talking about. She decided right then and there that she'd have to start monitoring the time the boy spent around her husband. Goku's extreme naivety was apparently very contagious. Or hereditary. Chi-chi shuddered at that thought. The Ox-princess then gave her son one last worried gaze before leaving the room to allow her son to hum merrily to himself.

We all knew it had to happen sooner or later; Bra is about to be born! Alas, this means the story is starting to draw to a close. I figure about three more chapters and the story will be wrapped up. However, if there is any interest, I am considering making a sequel dedicated to showing how Bra changes the everyday lives of everyone at Capsule Corp. I think it would be fun to witness what happens in the Vegeta-Briefs home while raising the little princess. More importantly, we all know there would be some very good Vegeta/Bra interactions! Anyway, as I mentioned before, I'll only make the sequel if there is ample interest. Anyway, about this chapter, let me know what you think! As always, I love hearing from all of you!

Now, as I stated in my Bio (if anyone actually reads it), I would like to take this time to respond personally to a few of the reviews I have received recently. I am hoping to respond to a few at the end of every chapter, but please don't be disappointed if I don't respond to your review in this chapter. I am going to try and get everyone in at some point or another! And no matter what, remember that I appreciate all of your feedback. Everyone has been so supportive and generous in his or her reviews. That being said, let's get down to the responses!

butterflyV: First off, thanks so much for reviewing all the time! Don't think it has gone unnoticed. I know you were wondering if my last chapter was a combination of the two drafts I had been talking about. The answer is no. The chapter that I finally decided to post was totally different than the first draft I wrote. In fact, I deleted the first draft entirely and decided to start from scratch. Hence, why I had such a long update time. And, in regards to your other comment, I agree full heartedly with your suggestion about Bra and her training. I find it hard to believe that Bra does not train at all, considering whom her father is. Granted, she may not be pushed as hard as Trunks was, but to assume she doesn't even know the basics about fighting is ridiculous. If I write a sequel, you could bet your bottom dollar that Bra will be trained to some extent!

trunksvegetafrodo: Only two words accompany your reviews; however, it makes my day to see that you have thought that every chapter I have written has been good enough for you to, "LOVE IT!" Thanks for the support!

Hel: I was so glad to hear from you! I'm glad that you are still enjoying the story, and don't worry about not having time to review. I know the feeling all too well! I am glad that you think I am depicting such a realistic view of the Bulma, Vegeta, and Trunks' lives. I have read so many stories where Bulma and Vegeta (Trunks too) are so predictable and false. I've wanted to make them appear as living beings, not all that different from the rest of us in the way that they live. It is nice to see someone understand what I am trying to accomplish with this story. Thanks for all of your kind words through out this journey!

VegetaGirlOne: Sorry to hear about your computer! I'm glad you are still reading the story, I was worried you had lost interest! Thanks for the support, and get to work on your next chapter. I can't wait to see what you write.

Loraliant Angelisa Snape: Although your name changed, I have certainly noticed your dedication in reviewing! I am trying my best in updating as quick as humanly possible. I'll try not to keep you waiting for the next one! ;)

Colhan3000: As you can see from this chapter, Vegeta was not all that pleased about Bulma's choice for the baby's name. Therefore, I believe your idea is right on track with mine. Vegeta will get the choice for Bra's middle name. I believe we all know what he will pick, don't we?

kotetamer: Yet another loyal reviewer! I'm glad you like how I am allowing Vegeta to be more forthcoming about his concern for Bulma. Many people think I am making a little out of character; however, I like to think I am striking a good balance (call it my over-inflated ego!). Thanks for your constant support!

DBZ-fan-JESS: Another constant reviewer! Thanks so much for always taking the time to review! I appreciate the support. I'm happy that someone is understanding about how I am trying to portray Vegeta. I think the show did a pretty good job of showing his progression from a cold-hearted killer to family man, if that is really the right word for him! Therefore, I don't think I am taking any liberties with his character in showing his "caring" side. I'm glad you feel the same way!

Briememory: I'm glad you liked my false labor plot twist. I really was hoping to make Bulma's pregnancy seem real. Thanks for the constant reviews. I notice them every chapter!

manga: Thanks for your vote of confidence! I was glad to have someone tell me that they thought my rendition of Bulma's pregnancy was realistic. I agree with your opinion that too many of the stories out there are rather cookie-cutter interpretations. I likewise have no experience with pregnancy; therefore, I've put a lot of research into this project to make everything as authentic as possible. Thanks for noticing! J

Ok, I think that is all I am going to do for this chapter. It is getting incredibly huge! Thanks again to everyone. I hope you like the chapter. I look forward to hearing from all of you!

Until Next Time…