TITLE:  The Late Pregnancy Blues
AUTHOR: The Archaeopteryx, who wishes that the Muses in charge of handing out pen names would have let me have a short one that everyone could spell. ;)
PAIRING: Bulma/Vegeta
RATING: PG
WARNINGS: None
DISCLAIMER: I have nothing to do with the ownership of Dragonball, and alas, never shall. I merely pay homage.
SUMMARY: Here's a take on what the latter stages of pregnancy might be like for Bulma. Oh, yes, Vegeta's in the story, too. ;) I guess this might be considered a little angsty.

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The Late Pregnancy Blues

Bulma was fuming. She was also in an exceptional amount of pain, and it was mostly Vegeta's fault. Stupid jerk! If he had just run in the other direction the night they first were together, she wouldn't be having terrible back cramps and seriously rearranged insides to deal with. She adjusted the heated massage pad behind her slightly, and tried to get comfortable on her bed. It wasn't helping much. This hadn't been the easiest of pregnancies on the whole, and when you added to that the fact that a Saiyan child was much stronger when it kicked than a human fetus would be, she'd had to handle more than her share of discomfort. Almost a month and a half to go....forever.

Vegeta had been about as helpful as a horse in giving her any knowledge of how to deal with being pregnant with a super-strong alien's baby. He had spent very little time around women who weren't attached to the Palace Guard, and so he knew nothing that would be useful in understanding any difficulties she might experience during gestation. Nor would it have fallen within his field of expertise, anyway. She'd been thankful not to have all that much in the way of morning sickness. Mostly, she'd felt...strange when she awakened, as though something else - a very hungry something else - was impinging upon her consciousness. It usually wanted raw steak with strawberries, or other equally repulsive food combinations. Sometimes an extreme feeling of dizziness would overtake her as well, and she'd have to stay in bed until it passed. At least Vegeta was able to explain that one, though he hadn't been too tactful about it, telling her that her brat's ki was far stronger than her own pathetic one, and so was throwing off her balance.

Her brat. *Well, you get involved with someone who knows how to care for others about as much as a moon rock would, and that's what happens, Bulma. Someday he'll acknowledge this child as "ours," if I have to borrow ChiChi's frying pan and beat his precious skull out of shape to make him do it.*

The baby kicked again, and Bulma let out a pained gasp. He - she knew it was a boy, and Vegeta had confirmed this also - didn't like it when she was upset. Last month, the snarly Saiyan had wandered though the living room shortly after they'd gotten into a huge fight about his immediate need for more replacement bots to blow up in his training. She was nearly crying from the physical discomfort caused by the extremely active baby, her own frustration with Vegeta, and the sense of misery from a mind that was young, and unformed, and not her own, but that was letting her know it was unhappy with her level of distress.

Vegeta had taken one look at her, and shaken his head. "Fool woman, you've upset the brat with your temper tantrums. If you want him to stop, you'll have to calm your mind."

"How can I calm my mind, you idiot, when you keep insulting me? Fix your own bots, then!" She'd glared at him, and then crumpled over.

She had been surprised when he came over to her quickly, and put his hand on her stomach. "Close your eyes. Think of something that gives you peace."

Bulma had looked at him blank-eyed for half a minute, and then complied. It wasn't so simple to take herself away from the physical-emotional torment, but when she started to think about the fuzzy blue rabbit toy she'd had as a child, and the happy way snuggling up with Super Genius Like Me Bunny had made her feel, she began to relax. Vegeta had been using his ki, because she still remembered the delightful warmth that spread from her belly button, and all the way through her body. The pain drained away, and the sense of hurt radiating from the other awareness subsided. Who would have thought such a selfish being as the Prince could use his energy to heal?

It had been a nice, unexpected "family" moment, but it had never been repeated. As soon as Vegeta sensed that she'd recovered, he stepped back, and walked out of the room without saying anything more.

Bulma sighed now, and massaged her tummy in the place where a tiny heel was poking up. Thinking about big blue bunny toys just wasn't working tonight. She supposed it was because there were issues that were upsetting her in addition to the pain. She really didn't like to admit it, even to herself, but she was lonely. Vegeta had stopped coming to her bed last week, and as stupid as it was, she felt unsure of herself, and...suddenly, not beautiful.

Heavy, lumpy, and definitely not glowing; that would be the heiress of Capsule Corporation at present. She knew that it was likely her mood was due to hormones, but it didn't help her at the moment. *What's a little awkwardness, Vegeta? The doctor said that we could still be together as long as we were careful, and it didn't hurt. Ooh, sometimes I hate you. I hate me more, though. It should have been easy to fall in love with a nice guy, one who would hold me, and hug me, marry me, and be happy that we were having a child. But I had to go for the bad boys with the bad attitudes, every time. Well, at least my baby won't grow up without someone to care about him. Me.*

The blue-haired woman shuttered her eyes, and tried to concentrate on something peace-inducing, like the scene of a beach at midnight. It didn't work. Baby demi-Saiyan was still displeased, and was continuing to let her know it. She shifted painfully, surprised at hearing the door open.

"Woman, how am I supposed to get any sleep with that brat broadcasting its ki all over the house? Do something about it!" Vegeta was dressed for sleeping as usual, in his beautiful skin, and carrying his semi-permanent scowl. Bulma would have appreciated the sight of him with great relish, if she'd been feeling at all like her usual self.

"Vegeta, I'm trying! I'd like to see you do any better if you were pregnant with a child like this one!"

"Hmph. Such a feeble one." He sauntered up to the bed and sat down next to her. Reaching over her with one hand, he placed it on her back. The other hand rested, splay-fingered, on her belly. She felt the wonderful tingling heat, not unfamiliar from the times when he held her in his arms and shared his ki with her in order to make her strong enough to take him. They stayed like that for a short time, and then Vegeta moved his hands away.

"Don't go," Bulma said quietly.

"Why?" He frowned, and looked momentarily puzzled.

"Maybe you don't want to sleep with me any longer, but there are still...things we could do, now that I'm not hurting."

He frowned harder. Not want to sleep with her? Dumb female. Of course he did, but he wanted her to be around for later, if he decided to stay here, and not go off to find a more interesting place to live. If, that was, he could go anywhere for long, with the strange bond that was not quite a bond that held him here with her. It was dangerous for her, with the brat's ki so active, and the clash between all three of their energies every time he touched her intimately. He didn't bother to tell her everything that was on his mind, naturally.

"It's not safe for you," was all that he said.

"Oh?"

"That's it. Any type of sexual contact isn't safe right now, unless you want to risk dying from an overload of energy." The Saiyan Prince shrugged.

Bulma blanched. "Well, stay anyway, for a while. My back pain might return."

"What, do you think I'm your personal massage slave? You have that heating pad. Besides, I've told you, your bed is too small."

"If it had worked, you wouldn't have had to come and help, would you? And it's a full bed, big enough for a short person like you! Oh, very well, leave. What does it matter to me? If it happens again, I won't be the only one who can't sleep, will I?" She shut her eyes tightly so she wouldn't see him go. *Ten times a jerk.*

She was a little surprised to feel his weight settle next to her, and her eyes blinked back open as Vegeta yanked the covers up over them both, and tossed the heating pad to the floor. He clicked the light off, and lay down. "Turn over."

"Huh?"

"If you want me to 'protect' you against a recurrence of the brat's upsets, turn over."

Bulma slowly rolled to her other side, facing the window, hardly able to believe he was actually willing to do this. Vegeta moved close behind her, so they lay together spoon fashion. She could feel his gentle breath on her neck. And then she was sliding into sleep, with a sense of happiness she knew would be only temporary, but was grateful for nonetheless.

Vegeta, on the other hand, was disgusted with himself. *Weak. She makes me weak. I should have said no to her. But she was right, if it happens again, she would wake me. Of course, with the amount of pink energy I put into her and her brat, they shouldn't be bothering one another for days. But there's always a chance....I'll stay for an hour or two.* His dark orbs closed, and soon, he joined his mate in the land of slumber.