Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ You're What?! ❯ Preparations ( Chapter 18 )

You're What?! Chapter 18: Preparations

Bulma reached over to the stand that stood next to her hospital bed and grabbed the glass of water that sat there. It had been about fifty minutes since Goku had transported Vegeta and her to the hospital. Already she was clothed in her not so flattering hospital gown and was waiting in her birthing room, a rather homey looking room. Instead of the usual stark white walls normally found in a hospital room, the walls surrounding the soon to be mother were a calming, warm beige. An abstract border that looked like random brushstrokes of different colored paints ran around the room right where the wall and the ceiling meet. Two high-backed, wooden chairs sat opposite the hospital bed, sandwiched in-between was a round table. Each chair was cushioned with what appeared to be cranberry polyester. A few plants were positioned in the room for extra coloring. Taking a sip of the water, Bulma thought that somehow the room wouldn't seem so calming when she was in full-blown labor. Despite its attempts to do otherwise, somehow the blue-haired beauty couldn't forget the fact that she was in a hospital about to give birth. It was a nice attempt though.

Bulma put her water down and leaned back on the elevated bed. As of now, she was the only one in the room. Her contractions were still rather far apart and she was only dilated about 4 centimeters, so she still had time. She had kicked Vegeta out of the room about five minutes ago to go and meet her parents, who had just arrived at the hospital with Trunks. In the frantic rush to get to the hospital, despite Bulma's assurance that there was no reason to hurry, Trunks was left behind to alert her parents. They had just called Bulma's cell phone, which she had instructed Vegeta to grab before they left, and Vegeta was going down to meet them.

"Oh fuck!" Bulma exclaimed to the empty room as a contraction suddenly ripped through her frame. She twisted her fists in the blanket covering the lower half of her body. Trying desperately to remember her breathing, Bulma's whole body tensed as she rode out the pain. Letting out a shuddering breath, Bulma's body relaxed bit by bit. The mother to be unclenched her fists and repeatedly ran her hands over the blanket, smoothing it out. "Wow, I forgot how much this sucked," Bulma stated dryly once the pain was over for the time being. Bulma was once again reaching for her water when the door to her room opened and in walked her scrub-clad obstetrician, Dr. Chu.

"Hello Bulma, how are you doing today, aside from being in labor?" The young doctor asked with a smile, knowing first hand what the woman before her was going through. She walked on over to the mother to be, looking at the files on her clipboard. Bulma let out a small laugh at her OB's comment.

"All things considered doctor, things are going quite well." Bulma replied to the doctor that had seen her through Trunks birth and subsequent appointments through out the years. The tall and lanky woman had taken over for Bulma's old obstetrician when he retired right before her pregnancy with Trunks. Ever since that time, Bulma had put her trust in the black-haired woman. Doctor Chu put her clipboard down on Bulma's bed and pulled a rolling stool on over to the foot of the bed. Before sitting down, Dr. Chu pulled out the stirrups.

"You know the drill Bulma. I need you to put your feet in the stirrups so I can monitor your dilation." Dr. Chu instructed. Bulma pulled aside her blanket and immediately followed the doctor's orders. Taking a seat in-between her legs, Dr. Chu performed a quick examination of the scientist's progress. "Ok Bulma, you can get comfortable again. You've dilated about another centimeter, maybe a little more." The OB explained as she tucked the stool under the end of the bed, knowing that she would need to use it again soon. "How are those contractions coming? They still about five to seven minutes apart?"

"I'd say they are definitely closer to five minutes apart now. I'd actually just gotten through one right before you came in." Bulma calmly informed. Dr. Chu just nodded her head and promptly scribbled something down in the files she had retrieved from Bulma's bed. Taking her eyes off of her files, the fellow mother intently studied Bulma.

"Well, before I go, I just want to ask you one more time: are you sure you want to attempt a VBAC?" The doctor asked seriously, eyeing the mother to be for any hesitation.

"Yes," Bulma said immediately, not pausing at all, "I truly want to have a natural birth if I can. Why is there a problem? I thought you told me that, despite the severity of my false labor, I shouldn't have to worry about my actual delivery being as extreme. Do you foresee a reason why I should not attempt a vaginal birth?" Bulma asked suddenly worried, not liking the way the doctor was studying her. Sensing her patient's uneasiness, the young doctor smiled reassuringly.

"No Bulma. I don't see any problems so far. I just wanted to make sure that you were not having any second thoughts. I know you've had a hard time carrying this little one and were worried about your ability to deliver her. Also, as you know, it is not unheard of for there to be complications in a Vaginal Birth After Cesarean. However, I don't think we will see any here. In case anything should arise, I do have an operating room on reserve for a C-section if needed. You know me; I like having all my bases covered." Bulma nodded with a smile, knowing exactly what Dr. Chu was talking about. It was the good doctor's attention to detail and need to be prepared for any situation that had cemented Bulma's loyalty. "Well, I'm going to leave you alone then. I passed some visitors on my way in. I'll let them in when I leave. For the time being you can have as many visitors as you'd like, but once it's go time I'm kicking them all out!" The doctor said with a laugh and a wink. "I figure you have anywhere from thirty minutes to a few hours before that baby decides to come out. I'll be checking up on you periodically. If anything should happen, such as a sudden increase in your contractions, don't be afraid to buzz."

"You better believe I will doc. Thanks for everything." Bulma said as the doctor left the room. Before the door had a chance to close, it flung back open and in strode her family. Mrs. Briefs made a beeline for her daughter's bedside, her husband just a step behind her. Trunks ran around his grandparents and went to stand next to his mother on the opposite side of her bed. Vegeta gave a small grunt of annoyance and then walked completely past the bed to sit in one of the chairs situated on the far side of the room. Plopping down in the chair, Vegeta crossed his arms over his chest and sat brooding. There was no way he was going to let anyone think he was the least bit concerned about this birth. Mrs. Briefs grabbed her daughter's hand and smiled.

"How are you feeling, honey?" She asked, her voice laced with excitement.

"I'm having a baby Mom, do you truly have to ask?" Bulma retorted with a smirk. That sarcastic reply had both her parents laughing. It was good to see their daughter in such high spirits. Dr. Briefs was about to make a comment when Trunks beat him to the punch.

"Mom, how are they going to get the baby out?" Trunks inquired, his knowledge on the birthing process a woman goes though sorely lacking. He knew all about how a baby was made, that had been easy to learn, especially when your father was as brutally honest with his answers to such questions as Vegeta was; however, Trunks never really thought about how the baby came out. It was something he would never have to go through personally, hence, no need to ask about the details. Now he was extremely curious.

Bulma blinked at the question, her surprise evident. Not sure of how she should approach the question, Bulma glanced over at her parents. They both looked equally unsure of what to say. How do you phrase something like childbirth to a child without getting graphic? She knew Trunks wasn't innocent, he knew what sex was and the difference between men and women, but still, Bulma like to pretend her son was naïve to such things.

"She'll push the brat on out." Vegeta solved the problem by throwing in his two cents. Trunks spun around to look at his father, slight confusion clouding his crystal blue eyes.

"Push her out?" Trunks repeated his father's explanation. "From where?"

"Don't say a word Vegeta!" Bulma practically screeched when she saw Vegeta open his mouth. She knew Vegeta was not exactly politically correct when giving explanations; in fact he was down right blunt. Bulma didn't even want to know what his response to the boy was going to be.

"Why Bulma, you insult me," Vegeta replied with a wicked smirk. "I was just going to tell the boy that the baby was going to be violently expelled from your…"

"VEGETA!" Bulma, Mrs. Briefs, and Dr. Briefs all exclaimed, effectively cutting Vegeta off and causing him to wince at the sudden explosion of sound resonating throughout the hospital room. Quickly recovering, Vegeta smirked again and let out a low chuckle. It was so easy to bait the woman and her entire family. Humans and their modesty, it was downright hilarious. Seeing her husband was done causing a ruckus, for now, Bulma turned her attention back to her little boy. "Trunks, in response to your question, I'll be pushing the baby from here," Bulma responded by placing both of her hands on the blanket covering the junction between her legs. Instead of understanding coming over the boy's face, his face seemed to become even more confused.

"How is it going to fit?" Trunks asked brusquely. His eyebrows knitted together as he puzzled over this new information. Just as he asked the question, another contraction began its assault on Bulma's body. Tensing visibly, and letting out a low groan of pain, Bulma's free hand twisted in the blanket while the other squeezed her mother's hand unmercifully. Trunks watched helplessly as he saw his mother battle with her pain.

"Mom, are you ok?" The lavender-haired boy asked, a slight quiver detected in his voice. Bulma slowly moved her head to look at her son, her eyes a little wild.

"I'm just peachy." She hissed out between clenched teeth, causing Trunks to pull back visibly. He hadn't expected his mother to snap at him. After all, he was only making sure she was ok. Moments after biting her son's head off, the pain subsided. Relaxing again, Bulma took a deep breath and closed her eyes. When she opened them she looked at her son.

"I'm sorry baby. I didn't mean to snap at you." The blue-haired beauty said tiredly, the sincerity of her apology heard nevertheless. She then smiled lightly at the worried boy. "Does that answer your question though? The baby doesn't exactly 'fit', she'll come out very painfully."

"Oh." Trunks replied solemnly, not liking the idea of his mother in pain. "I'm sorry that you are hurting Mom."

"Aw, sweetie," Bulma replied, her eyes tearing up at her son's concern. "I'm fine. I've done this all before. Believe me, all this pain is worth it! Thank you for your concern though." She then held out her free hand, signaling for Trunks to hold it. Not able to refuse his mother, Trunks scooted back toward the bed and took his mother's offered appendage. Gently squeezing the small hand that was entwined in her own, Bulma turned her attention to her father. "Daddy, I saw you look at your pocket watch when I had that last contraction. I would greatly appreciate it if you could clock me for the time being. I wasn't truly paying attention to what time it was when that one came on."

"I'm sure I can handle the task of timing your contractions. I know looking at a watch is not exactly first and foremost on your mind right now." Dr. Briefs replied with a small laugh.

"Thank you Dad."

"So, what do we do now?" Trunks asked, already fidgeting at his mother's side. It was easy to forget that Trunks was still just a child, and as such there came the fact that he had the short attention span that children are notorious for showing.

"Now we just wait for the baby," Mrs. Briefs answered happily. Bulma nodded her assent. Trunks' face immediately fell, that was not what he wanted to hear.

"How long will that take?" He practically whined, wishing that he had grabbed his Gameboy. At least that would have given him something to do.

"It depends on the baby. Probably not for a while yet, honey." Bulma responded, her voice conveying her understanding of the boy's situation. Trunks took his hand from his mother and made his way over to the chair sitting opposite his father.

"Man, this sucks!" The young boy stated in annoyance, flopping down in the chair unceremoniously. Vegeta glanced at the boy out of the corner of his eye and gave a grunt of agreement. Heartened by the fact that his father shared his opinion of the situation, Trunks let out a small huff. Then, placing his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands, the soon-to-be big brother settled in for the wait ahead of him. Noticing the dilemma her grandson was in, Mrs. Briefs gently took her hand back from Bulma and went over to her pride and joy.

"I know this isn't terribly exciting right now, how about we run down to the cafeteria and get an ice cream cone or something?" The blonde-haired woman asked the young boy, knowing full well that the best way to the boy's heart was through his stomach. That caught Trunks' attention as his head snapped up to look at his grandmother before nodding his head vigorously. Mrs. Briefs smiled warmly at the boy, glad that she was able to snap him out of his melancholy mood. "Well, let's get going then. I don't think the cafeteria will be open too much longer." Trunks didn't need to be told twice. With a quick goodbye shouted over his shoulder, the half Saiyan booked it on out the door, not even waiting for his grandmother. "Ice cream works every time!" Bulma's mother said with a laugh, her voice taking on its normal ditz-like quality. "We'll be back in a little bit. Stay strong Bulma." With that being said, the bubbly blonde left in pursuit of the purple terror known as Trunks, and left the remaining occupants of the room to wait.

"If that doctor doesn't get in here in five seconds I swear I'll find some way to cause her bodily harm!" Bulma wailed as her most recent contraction ripped through her frame. It had been approximately an hour and a half since Trunks and Mrs. Briefs' excursion to get some ice cream. While they were gone they had also stopped at the hospital gift shop to pick up some crossword puzzles and a Mad Libs book to help keep Trunks busy for the long night ahead. The said boy was now residing in the waiting room of the maternity ward with his grandfather. As Bulma's contractions started to become more and more regular, her language was becoming increasingly colorful. Plus, everyone present, excluding Vegeta that is, thought it would be best if the boy were not around to witness his mother in pain.

"Bulma dear, remember to breathe. I'm sure the doctor is coming as fast as humanly possible." Mrs. Briefs tried to reason while desperately trying to remove her hand from the death hold her daughter held her in. Vegeta stood on the other side of the bed, his hand likewise held in a vise like grip; however, to the Saiyan Prince the pressure on his hand barely passed for unpleasant. He stood stoic, watching the interaction between mother and daughter impassively.

"I am breathing mother, hence why I am still alive!" Bulma retorted sarcastically, her voice laced with pain. Just as that quip was out of her mouth, Dr. Chu waltzed into the room a disarming smile on her face. Years of dealing with women in labor had prepared the good doctor for the torrent of emotions that she would be faced with upon entering the room, especially the hostility many soon-to-be mothers expressed about being in their current situation. Therefore, it was no surprise when Bulma practically jumped down her throat when she entered the room.

"Finally!" The mother-to-be shouted when she saw the doctor enter the room. "Where have you been?" Bulma demanded in a raised voice, not realizing that it had been less than two minutes since she rang the buzzer to her room requesting assistance. To her, the time she had spent waiting felt like an eternity. Dr. Chu studied the woman before her before answering. It was clear that Bulma's contractions were very close together: perspiration was seen clearly on her forehead, a few beads running down her flushed face; her eyes held both determination and pain; and lastly, her breathing was slightly erratic as she tried to control the pain she was feeling.

"I'm sorry Bulma," Dr. Chu began, not phased by the insistent question in the least. Women in labor were not known for being polite. "I got here as fast as I could. My job would be so much easier if I could teleport." The obstetrician joked as she came over to the foot of the bed, once again pulling out the stirrups.

"I suppose I can forgive you on one condition: give me drugs and I'll call us even. I know I said I wanted a completely natural birth, but I lied." Bulma replied with a half-hearted joke of her own, the pain of her latest contraction subsiding. Without even being told, Bulma put her legs into the stirrups to get examined.

"I'll see what I can do Bulma. How far apart are the contractions?" Dr. Chu asked those present as she positioned herself between Bulma's legs.

"They are about a minute, minute and a half apart," Vegeta finally spoke, knowing full well that Bulma was not keeping specific track. Dr. Chu gave a nod at this information as she continued her examination of Bulma's progress.

"I thought as much," the doctor replied while standing up. She then looked down at her patient. "I hate to tell you this Bulma, but it's a little too late for those drugs. You are just about 10 centimeters dilated."

"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" Bulma whined, another contraction coming on. Once again, she squeezed the two hands caught in her grasp. She looked up at the doctor, her face twisting into a contorted mixture of pain and anger. It was definitely one of those times that if looks could kill Dr. Chu would no longer be among the living.

"I'm sorry again Bulma, but there is nothing I can do." The fellow mother stated sympathetically. She knew first hand the joys of delivering a baby without the aid of medication. "I am going to go get sterilized. I'll have to ask you to leave Mrs. Briefs." The doctor addressed the blonde-haired woman. She distractedly nodded her head for most of her attention was in trying to remove her hand once again from her daughter's. "As for you Vegeta, you can follow me and we'll get you all suited up."

"Suited up?" Vegeta questioned, totally confused as to what the doctor was trying to tell him. He'd never seen a doctor in scrubs before today and wasn't aware of the fact that he was going to be required to wear similar gear if he wanted to witness the birth of his daughter.

"Don't ask questions you miserable monkey! Just do as you are told, and if you don't I will personally cut off your balls and feed them to you on a silver platter!" Bulma screamed at her husband, her pain at its peak. Vegeta's eyes widened in shock momentarily before his face clouded over in rage.

"What the fuck is your problem?" Vegeta inquired angrily.

"Oh I don't know, what could possibly be my problem? Perhaps the fact that I am about to squeeze something the size of a watermelon through a hole the size of a lemon!" Bulma retorted, her voice going somewhat shrill. Vegeta looked like he was about to reply when Doctor Chu decided to step in.

"Ok you two, you'll have enough time to scream at each other later. Right now we have to get everything prepped for this delivery. If you'll follow me Vegeta and Mrs. Briefs, we can get the ball rolling so to speak. We'll be back shortly Bulma." With that, Dr. Chu led the two family members out of the room. Mrs. Briefs wished Vegeta good luck before heading off towards the waiting room and asked to be informed the minute that baby was born. With her gone, the doctor and Saiyan left to go get their scrubs.

"About your wife Vegeta," Dr. Chu began conversationally while escorting Vegeta to the supply room, "I know this is your first time witnessing a birth and being around a pregnant woman. You have to know that how Bulma is reacting is absolutely normal. She is in an unbelievable amount of pain and is going to lash out at anyone she feels is to blame, namely you. You just have to understand that it is just an outlet and she doesn't truly mean anything she may say to you. Most importantly, no matter how tempting it may be, you cannot argue with her or get upset at her verbal jabs. She just needs your support." When it looked like Vegeta was going to object, Dr. Chu continued on. "You can yell at her all you want once she recovers from the birth." The doctor said with a small smirk. Vegeta gave a small smirk of his own. Damn right he wasn't going to stand for being degraded by his wife. He would take the doctor's advice into consideration, but he wouldn't guarantee anything. Childbirth or not, his wife had not right to degrade him verbally. She should just feel privileged that he was even there! Heaven help him if Bulma, or any other woman, found out about his thoughts.

"Well, here we are," the doctor announced as they entered a small rectangular and sterile room. Arranged on various shelves were various supplies and scrubs for the doctors. She handed Vegeta a set of the generic, light sea green hospital scrubs, complete with surgical cap and shoe covers. Vegeta looked down at the unattractive clothing laying across his arms in barely concealed disgust. Dr. Chu, her back turned to Vegeta was putting on her surgical cap, careful to make sure all of her hair was covered. She then went over to one of the many sinks lining the far wall and started to vigorously wash her hands. While drying her hands she turned around and saw Vegeta, who was still staring at the scrubs in his hands. Dr. Chu couldn't help but chuckle.

"Vegeta, you have to put those on over your clothes and put the cap on to cover your hair." She instructed while tying a surgical mast around her neck, letting it rest on her chest for the moment. Vegeta shot a glare at the doctor.

"And if I refuse?" Vegeta asked coolly, totally opposed to wearing something that looked completely silly in his eyes.

"Then I can't allow you in the delivery room," Dr. Chu responded matter of factly. "It's hospital regulation. Besides, it is for the safety of Bulma and the baby."

"This is ridiculous!" Vegeta exclaimed. He was about to protest and state the fact that there was little they could do to stop him from being in his mate's delivery room; however, he knew he didn't want to draw unwanted attention to himself. Plus, he knew Bulma would be pissed, and knowing her, should would find some way to make good on the threat she had issued just minutes ago. Letting out a low growl of defeat, Vegeta placed the scrubs on the counter and picked up the hat. "Fine. I'll wear the stupid things," he grumbled as he fought to get the wild flame of his hair under the surgical cap, too bad for him the cap was winning. After fumbling for a few more moments, Vegeta glared over at the doctor in exasperation, the cap resting at the peak of his hair. "This is impossible. There is no way this cap is going over my hair."

Dr. Chu bit her lip in an attempt to hide the smile that was threatening to spread across her face. Somehow, the pissed off man before her looked very endearing standing there with his arms planted firmly across his chest, a deep frown gracing his face, and a puffy surgical cap hanging off the point of his hair. "Well, let me ask you a question. How does your hair stand up against water? Perhaps if we wet it down and then pull it back in a ponytail we can then tuck it into the cap." Vegeta gave the doctor a look that practically screamed, "Are you nuts?" His frown deepened, if that was possible, and his left eye twitched in barely controlled rage or annoyance, Dr. Chu couldn't tell.

"I suppose that would work." Vegeta finally relented, his voice tight. The doctor nodded and promptly grabbed a couple of rubber bands out of one of the drawers in the room. Vegeta grabbed the cap off his tall, ebony hair and looked at the doctor incredulously. When the doctor did not take the hint, the Saiyan Price finally snapped. "I do not require supervision. You go on ahead and care for my wife. I'm sure I can make it back to the room myself."

"If you say so. Just let a nurse at the desk know when you are done so they can clean up after you." Dr. Chu instructed, her voice finally showing some signs of irritation.

"Woman, would you just leave already?" Vegeta asked rhetorically, his patience finally worn out. The black-haired obstetrician face gave way to a slight scowl at the prince's rudeness. She slapped the rubber bands in her hand down on the countertop running the length of the one wall. Sending a glare of her own to the disgruntled father-to-be, Dr. Chu turned on her heel and left the room without saying another word. Vegeta let out a deep sigh once the doctor was gone. Throwing the cap back down on the counter, Vegeta went to the door of the room and shut it in order to keep any wondering eyes from witnessing this mockery.

"Stupid earthlings and their retarded customs." The Saiyan Prince mumbled as he started over to the sinks. He truly didn't understand the purpose of the flimsy clothes he was supposed to wear over his own garments. It seemed to him that babies were born outside of hospitals all the time and none of them seemed to die just because the people there at the time of the delivery weren't wearing stupid, hideous scrubs, or whatever the humans called these damn things. Not for the first time since coming to Earth, Vegeta let out a low growl and looked upwards towards the heavens. The things he did for his woman.

Vegeta grabbed two of the heavy-duty rubber bands the doctor had left for him and turned towards the wall of sinks. Turning on one of the faucets, Vegeta dipped his head under the faucet and worked at literally soaking his head. Only after his hair was thoroughly drenched did Vegeta turn off the faucet. Flipping his head back, the Saiyan Prince set a spray of water flying all over the room. His hair slapped across his back and stuck. Not truly caring if he was making a mess, Vegeta promptly wrung out some of the excess water all over the floor. He then gathered his hair up at the base of his neck and wrapped the rubber band around his thick mass of hair. Knowing his hair was going to fight with all its might against the constraints of the rubber band, Vegeta wrapped the second band around his impromptu ponytail. Walking back to the countertop where his scrubs awaited him, Vegeta grabbed the cap again. Already, short spikes of hair were shooting up around his head; however, they were still short enough to be contained under the cap.

Finally, with the cap securely placed on his head and all his hair completely concealed, Vegeta quickly put on the rest of the scrubs. As he grabbed the shoe covers, Vegeta saw looked down at the repulsive light greenish color adorning his body and he shuddered. Who designed these things? Couldn't they at least attempt to be someone pleasing to the eye? Too bad the person who invented this ridiculous clothing is probably dead, Vegeta thought bitterly, because then I can't kill him..

The proud Saiyan Prince slipped on the paper light shoe covers over his training boots and stood up. The deed was done. All Vegeta could say was that Bulma better be happy. Here he was, the prince of the Saiyan race, dressed up as some puffy sea cucumber. Not even considering to tell a nurse he was done in the now water logged room, Vegeta left to head on back to his mate's side. As he walked through the halls to Bulma's room, Vegeta officially decided that the entire human race was completely insane and that their insanity was wearing off on him. Luckily, no one was around to see his embarrassment.

As he came to the closed door of his wife's room, Vegeta paused. This was it, the moment they had been waiting for. It was now only a matter of time before he would be the father to a beautiful baby girl. Now that it was a reality, Vegeta realized he was slightly nervous. He wasn't going to be a "father" or "dad", as Trunks referred to him; he was going to be someone's "daddy" or "papa". It was a scary notion to someone like Vegeta. However, before he could dwell on those thoughts any longer, Bulma's muffled voice could be heard through the door.

"Where is that son of a bitch? I swear to Dende that I'm going to rip his head off for doing this to me!"

Vegeta rolled his eyes and let out a low growl. This whole experience was going to be interesting to say the least. Grabbing the door handle, Vegeta braced himself for the assault his ears were going to have to endure.

"I hate you Vegeta! Do you hear me? I hate you for doing this to me!" Yet another muffled cry managed to make its way through the door.

"What have I gotten myself into?" Vegeta asked himself as he opened the door and entered the wonderful world of childbirth.

Hello Everyone! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas (or any other holiday that you may have celebrated) and New Years! I'm sorry about the lack of an update recently. Things got really hectic during the holidays; I'm sure all of you can relate to that problem. Anyway, to make matters worse, I got to tango with the flu as well. That had me running to the bathroom every five minutes for about three days and then had me restricted to bed for another three after that. It was wonderful (that's sarcasm at its fullest, in case anyone couldn't tell.) I tried writing while I was sick, but it just wasn't happening. Between me groaning in pain and sleeping, I just couldn't get into a writing grove. Anyway, I can guarantee that the next chapter won't take nearly as long to come out! I give everyone my word. J

In order to get this chapter up as quickly as possible, I am not going to respond to anyone's reviews at this time. I'm hoping to get those started tomorrow and post them onto my bio by the end of this week. Then, I will probably repost this chapter with the inclusion of my responses. So, please don't think I am being lazy and just abandoning my resolution to mention reviewers at the end of every chapter. I just thought that by doing things this way, everyone can get to read the next chapter and then check back to see if I responded to your review from the last chapter. I'm sorry if this is a bother to anyone.

On a final note, thanks to all of my faithful readers and reviewers! With the completion of this chapter I will have over 400 reviews! I would have never thought this story would become so popular! I'm delighted so many of you are enjoying the story. It truly makes my day to hear back from each and every one of you! All of you are the reason that I have continued with the telling of this tale. Therefore, I wanted to make it official, since I received so much feedback, that I will definitely be making a sequel to this story. As I mentioned before, there will be two more chapters to You're What?! before it's complete. After that, keep your eyes peeled for the yet-to-be named sequel. If anyone as any ideas for a title, I would greatly appreciate the help! On that note, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!

Until Next Time…

UPDATED JAN. 14TH: Review Responses

Without further ado, here are my responses to some of the wonderful reviews I received for chapter 17 of You're What?! Thanks to everyone for their reviews. Once again, I couldn't get to everyone, but don't worry, I am trying to make my rounds and make sure everyone will be mentioned at one point or another! On to the responses:

Pearl3: You are one of my most faithful reviewers, following the story since its humble beginnings. Thanks for sticking with this story. I know I am not always consistent with my updates, so it is nice to know you are still reading. Plus, I'm glad you are finding my tale so humorous!

Ratty: Wow, that was such a long review and it was flattering to boot! I am pleased you like my characterization. I am always so worried about my characters straying into the "out of character zone". I hate stories that have everyone so out of character that they aren't even recognizable, so I try very hard to stay true to the show. I'm also thrilled that you are able to visualize the scenes of my story. That's pretty much how I write them. If it is something I could see happening in the television show then I use it. Anyway, now that my response is almost as long as your review, I'll say my thanks and move on!

yomegagurl01: I'm glad you think I am good at updating. I always feel like I take FOREVER to get my chapters up. However, compared to some authors, I know I do a pretty good job of sticking to a regular updating schedule. If life was perfect, I would be able to write my stories whenever I want to! Anyway, thanks for your constant support!

butterflyV: I just had to comment on your second review. When I first read it I thought you had read my mind! I was going to have a complication with Bra's birth and focus on Vegeta's reaction to almost losing Bulma. I wasn't thinking about Vegeta going Super Saiyan 3, just for the fact that we never see it happen in the show. I truly want to stick to the storyline of the show as much as possible. However, I just wanted to let you know that I truly liked your idea. Who knows, I still have two chapters left in this story…anything can happen!

STJA: Thanks for your confidence in my ability to write a good story involving Vegeta and Bra's relationship! I appreciate it. In regards to your request for more space between the end of my story and the start of my author's notes, how'd I do in chapter 18? I tried to make it more noticeable. With that said, thanks for your reviews recently. I've enjoyed them.

aleema-darkrose1: Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I'm glad you found it a funny place to leave off, that's definitely what I was attempting to do. I could just envision Goten being so naïve as to believe Bulma was really going to be having kittens. Thank you for the compliment on my writing. I'm glad you like the way I am portraying Vegeta. He is a difficult one to write, but I hope I am finding a good balance in his character. Definitely keep your eyes peeled for my sequel; I will do my best to deliver a story that stays true to the entire Briefs family. Thanks again for your confidence in my writing.

Serene Hope: I'm glad you considered my story good enough to stay up so late finishing the first 16 chapters! That's impressive. It was good to hear that you liked my interaction between Goku and Vegeta. I was a little worried about writing a huge scene revolving around those two characters. It is hard trying to keep them in character. Despite that fact, I like exploring the tentative relationship that forms between the two of them. I think it is interesting how Vegeta still feels like he should hate him, but is slowly starting to realize that he doesn't hate him at all anymore. Anyway, thanks for your reviews recently. They've been so nice!

Fibs: Thanks for your wonderful comments! I was truly flattered. I agree with you and everyone else who have made a comment along the lines that there aren't enough stories set post-Buu. Everyone tends to focus on those "missing three years". However, I agree with you. I was upset that DBZ jumped ahead ten years and didn't show us anything in the way of how any of the character's lives changed due to the experiences of Buu. I was also so surprised when I saw Vegeta's daughter. All I remember thinking was, "and where did she come from?" It would have been nice to see how she came to be…hence, why I decided to write this story and the sequel that will be following it. Once again, thanks for your support and lovely comments. It is reviews like yours that keep me writing!

Lavender the Drama Girl: First and foremost, thanks for the comments. I'm glad you are finding the story to be so funny. Believe it or not, I find it hard to write the comedy in this fic. I'm never sure if anyone else will agree with what I find funny, so it is always nice to hear confirmation that I am doing things right! As I mentioned in response above, I'm glad you like the Vegeta/Goku scenes. I liked how that whole conversation turned out. Lastly, when are you going to update?! I absolutely love your story Vegeta On His Own. Please try and get a new chapter out as soon as possible. I know how hard it is to update on a regular basis, so don't think I am trying to rush you…but do hurry!

discordchick: Thanks for the reviews recently. I'm glad you liked my ending to the chapter. Somehow it just struck me as funny that of all the comebacks Vegeta could have said, he mentioned kittens. It is just something I could see him doing. Anyway, sorry you aren't allowed to have a kitten. If Bulma really were having kittens, I would have given one to you!

The Lost Saiyan: Thank you! You don't know how much your review made me smile. I know what it is like to read a story and smile the entire time; therefore, it is so nice to hear that I have been able to do that for someone else. I'm glad that you enjoy my story that much. As mentioned before, I will be writing a sequel, so keep your eyes open for it! I would greatly appreciate feedback like yours.

All right, I am getting extremely wordy in my responses. That is my cue to quit for now. I'm already working on Chapter 19 for those of you who are wondering, so I hope to have it out maybe by this upcoming weekend (Jan. 16th or so). Thanks again to all of you who have taken the time to read my story, as well as review. I just want everyone to know that I read each and every single comment and take each one to heart! Anyway, I hope you all liked Chapter 18.

Until Next Time…