Kyuuri had wanted a child ever since she had been one herself. She hadn't cared who the father was, what gender it was, she didn't even care what race it was! The child inside her could be a namek for all she cared! He'd still be hers. Vegeta. Her husband had also insisted on calling the child that, too. Kyuuri had suggested something a bit more original, but he wouldn't hear of it. He never listened. Oh well. Kyuuri didn't mind that much. Like I said, he was still her baby. Vegeta could pick the name if he liked. Actually, maybe calling the child that was better. Already he was brimming with pride because of that name, so maybe he'd be proud of his new son from the moment he was born. He'd train him... tell him all the stories fathers told their sons. And Kyuuri would take care of him. Give him everything he could ever wish for.
She chuckled. If she wasn't careful, her child would become spoiled!
Little Vegeta's room was all ready for him. He had pale blue walls, toys, and a nice cot with a mobile over it. All he had to do now was come out and sleep in it. Kyuuri was excited, but not impatient. Just knowing she'd have a child made her happy enough.
She smiled at her stomach. She hadn't really thought of it as her stomach, though. Whenever she looked in the mirror or at herself she always thought of it as her baby.
"Vegeta..." she whispered. Everything was so perfect. She started to hum a song she'd picked up somewhere. It was probably from her very early childhood, but she wasn't sure. Kyuuri started to sing to Vegeta in that beautiful voice of hers. She knew he could hear her.
"I'll love you forever
I'll like you for always
As long as I'm living
My baby you'll be."
"Kyuuri!" King Vegeta called. He entered the room. "Oh, you're here."
"Mm." Kyuuri smiled at him. She put her hand on her stomach. "Not long now."
"I know." Vegeta gave a small smile. Kyuuri continued to sing Vegeta rolled his eyes.
"You don't honestly believe he can hear you?" he said. "He's not even born yet!"
"He can hear me." Kyuuri told him.
"Even if he was born he wouldn't understand it." Vegeta replied.
"He understands, too."
"Okay." Vegeta gave in. "If you say so."
"Come here." Kyuuri motioned for him to sit on the couch next to her. Vegeta sat down. He pulled her up against him and rested his head on hers.
"Are you excited?" Kyuuri asked him.
"Kyuuri..." Vegeta mumbled.
"Don't be so cold. I know you're excited." Kyuuri scolded.
"So why'd you ask?" Vegeta replied. Kyuuri giggled. Vegeta smirked, and kissed her.
"Things are going so well." Kyuuri smiled.
"Yeah." Vegeta said. "They are."
*two weeks later*
Kyuuri stopped dead in the corridor as a great pain suddenly shot through her body. She gasped, and crouched down.
"Vegeta...!" she cried though gritted teeth.
"Are you alright, miss?!" a servant rushed over to her.
"I think the baby's on it's way. Tell my hus - OW - band!" Kyuuri closed her eyes tightly through the pain. "And get a doctor!"
"Yes your majesty!" the servant ran off, yelling orders about everywhere.
"Vegeta, sweetie, you're gonna have to wait a b - Ow! Or you can come now. Great." Kyuuri mumbled. She clenched her fists. Was it supposed to hurt like this? Yes. Of course it's supposed to. They're just contractions. But why so close together? Was the baby okay?
"Arrr!" she screamed in agony. No... this isn't right. She started to feel faint. "Oh God..." she tried to focus on the floor, but it began to floor. She looked around, trying to stay focused on anything. No. She began to feel dizzy as the pain in her stomach increased.
"Please..." she gasped. "Vegeta, baby... are you alright?" her head started to spin. In a matter of seconds, she collapsed.
~~~
"Your majesty..." the voice seemed so distant, and it echoed.
"Can she hear us?" that one was closer. Each word seemed closer. It echoed less.
"I bloody hope so, we don't have much time left!"
"Hm...?" Kyuuri opened her eyes. She stared up at the tiled ceiling. She was in hospital, on a bed surrounded by three doctors. Two men and a woman. She felt horrible. Her stomach was hurting a lot less, but it still stung a little. There were machines everywhere. One to measure her heart rate, she didn't know what the other was for.
"What happened...?" she asked.
"You passed out." one of the male doctors told her.
"The baby?!" Kyuuri gasped. "Is he alright?!"
"....." all three doctors were silent. Kyuuri's eyes began to glisten.
"Please tell me I didn't lose my baby."
"No, your baby's still alive." the other male assured her.
"Then what - ARG!"
"Your majesty!!" the doctor gasped.
"Wh - What's going on?!" Kyuuri cried through the pain. No answer. They were all too panicked. "TELL ME!!"
"Oh, I'll do it then if you two won't!" the woman scolded.
Kyuuri looked at her. The pain increased but she ignored it as she tried to listen.
"What?" she asked.
"Your majesty, you have a very rare condition -"
"No time for details!" one of the males protested. The woman frowned at him, and looked back at Kyuuri.
"Your body is in a bad way now and neither you nor the baby are taking it well." she said.
"If we act now we could save you, but it'll mean losing your baby."
"Can't you save Vegeta?!" Kyuuri gasped, tears of panic and fear escaping her eyes.
"We can, but that'll mean sacrificing you."
"You mean... I'll never get to see him?" Kyuuri couldn't believe it. The woman looked at her sadly.
"That's right, miss. You won't."
"No..." Kyuuri said quietly. This couldn't be real! She'd wake up! She had to wake up!
"Arrrgh!" the pain increased and she knew this was happened.
"Then save him!" she screamed.
"Are you sure?"
"YES! Just do it!!"
"I'll inform his majesty -"
"No!" Kyuuri cried. The male doctor stopped near the door, and looked at her.
"If you tell him he'll try to stop you. Tell him when you've finished!" Kyuuri gasped through the pain. The doctor stared at her.
"Y... Yes, your majesty."
"ARRR!!"
"Okay, come on! Hurry!"
~~~
King Vegeta ran his hands through his hair. What was happening in that room? Nobody would tell him. Was Kyuuri alright? And the baby? What about him?
"Sir," one of the male doctors appeared.
"Oh, finally!" Vegeta growled. "Do you mind telling me what's going on?!"
"... Sir, you have a healthy baby boy." the doctor told him. "He'll need to be monitored for a few days but he seems to be coping well."
"Ah good." Vegeta smiled. "And of my wife?"
"...." the doctor looked at the ground. Vegeta's smile faded.
"Yes?" he looked at the man. "What about my wife?"
".... There were complications..." the doctor mumbled. "We could only save one of them."
"What?!?!" Vegeta jumped up off his seat. "You mean...?"
"Yes, sir." the doctor looked at him. "Your wife died in childbirth."
"No!" Vegeta shook his head. "She couldn't - - Why didn't you help her?!"
"In these cases it's the mother's life at risk." the doctor told him. "Your wife wanted to save the baby, and as doctors my colleagues and I had to respect her wishes."
"But how does she know what she wants you might as well ask the baby himself!!" Vegeta ran past the doctor, into the operating theater. "KYUURI!!"
~~~
Vegeta just sat there. She'd been taking away, and he'd gone to sit in the waiting room. He hadn't even see the baby, who was in another part of the hospital. He'd been told which part.
"Kyuuri..." he said softly. "... Sorry..." he stood up.
"Sir, don't you want to see your baby?" a nurse asked him.
"Maybe tomorrow." Vegeta mumbled. "How long is he staying here?"
"About five days." the nurse answered.
"That's fine." Vegeta walked away. The nurse watched him leave, and sighed.
*5 days later*
Vegeta sighed. He still hadn't seen his son. One of the servants had gone to get him from the hospital.
"I'm back!" she called. Vegeta didn't respond.
"Here we are." the servant smiled as she entered the room, carrying Prince Vegeta. "He's a little cutie ~*~"
Vegeta didn't raised his head. He could hear the baby start to cry.
"Sir? Do you want to hold him?" the servant asked.
"Put him in his cot." Vegeta ordered.
"Aren't you at least going to look at him?"
"Didn't you hear me?" Vegeta threatened.
"..... Yes sir. " the servant left the room and went upstairs.
She came down in a few minutes, she approached the king.
"Sir... I know how you must feel... we all do. We all liked her, too..." she said. "But you can't distance yourself from your son because of that. It's not his fault. It's just nature."
"Did I ask for your opinion?" Vegeta turned his head to look at her. She stared up at him. His eyes were so cold. Fair enough, he wasn't the kindest of people, but she'd never seen him like this before. She was afraid.
"No sir..." she replied quietly.
"Then get back to work." Vegeta ordered.
"Yes sir." she left him alone.
~~~
Vegeta went upstairs. He just wanted to have rest, but he ended up passing the baby's room on the way to his. He stopped outside it. He could hear his son crying from behind the door. He groaned.
"Can't you shut up?" he growled as he opened the door. The baby still cried.
"Shut up!" Vegeta ordered, marching over to his cot. He glared down at the screaming infant. Brat he thought. It's because of you that she isn't here anymore.
It was so strange. Just the day before his birth Vegeta had been proudly and excitedly awaiting the arrival of his son. But now... all that pride was gone. He felt nothing for the child, and he wasn't sure if he ever would.
"Oh, shut up!" he growled. He reached into the cot and pulled out Prince Vegeta. he looked at the baby. What was he supposed to do? How would he cope with this? Kyuuri was going to feed him and stop him crying. King Vegeta didn't know anything about babies! How could he raise this one?
"What's wrong with you?" he demanded. "Wondering where your mother is?" he frowned. "Wouldn't you like to know."
Vegeta continued to cry. King Vegeta sighed, and started rocking him.
"Just stop it, will you?" he said angrily. "You'd better not make a habit of this crying."
"..." Vegeta's cries started to get softer, until eventually he wasn't crying at all.
"Good stay like that." King Vegeta said.
He looked around. Wasn't there a dummy around here somewhere? He looked into the cot. There is was. He shifted Vegeta into one arm, and reached in to pull out the dummy.
"Here." he shoved the dummy into the baby's mouth. Vegeta sucked on it, staring up at his father as he did so. He made soft little baby noises and gurgled a little.
"What does that mean?" King Vegeta was rocking the baby without realising it. Just like his tone was a lot softer without him noticing. He smiled as he gazed down at his son.
"You look kind of like her, y'know." he said. "You've got my eyes, though."
The baby looked up at him as he spoke and sucked on his dummy quietly, as if listening. King Vegeta chuckled.
"I guess I'll manage." he said, and smirked. "Just as long as you cut down on the crying."
~~~
Kyuuri looked down at them. She smiled.
"My baby..." she said. "Don't worry. My spirit lives on forever. But you'll be safe without me for now. You be a good boy for your daddy, okay?" she was a little worried at first when Vegeta was ignoring their child, but now they seemed alright. Perfect.
As she smiled down at them, Kyuuri started to sing that song again.
"I'll love you forever
I'll like you for always
As long as I'm living
My baby you'll be."
*5 years later*
"Nappa?" Vegeta whispered. "Raditz?" he was greeted by snores. He looked around the room. He'd been in this place for a week now. Nappa had been ordered by Frieza to train him. Vegeta didn't mind that. Nappa was just a fellow saiyan. But some of the creatures he saw here looked so weird. Some of them scared him a little.
But... this place in general made him a little afraid. Well, not really. He was too proud to be scared. Or at least... too proud to know he was scared. He didn't even realize that at the bottom of his little heart he was homesick, and crying.
"Daddy..." he said quietly. Why had his father sent him here? He remembered what his father had said.
"Vegeta, you're going to stay with Frieza for a while. Do as he says, alright?"
"But why?"
"Just do it."
"Yes, daddy. But when will I come home?"
"... I don't know..."
Vegeta remembered the look on his father's face. A look he'd never seen on his father before. He'd looked kind of sad. But if he didn't want him to leave, why did he send him here in the first place? Vegeta just wished somebody would tell him. But the only two people who knew were King Vegeta and Frieza. And neither were likely to tell, although he wouldn't even ask Frieza.
Vegeta closed his eyes. Stop thinking. You need to wake up early tomorrow... he forced himself to go to sleep.
~~~
"My poor baby..." Kyuuri watched her son lie there in that awful place. "Don't worry... I'm still here." she assured him. "I'll watch over you. I won't leave you." she promised. A tear escaped her eye.
"I'll love you forever
I'll like you for always
As long as I'm living
My baby you'll be."
*2 years later*
Frieza's cold laughter was still so fresh in Vegeta's memory. Frieza had said it was a meteor, but rumor told if differently. And Frieza had confessed to the murder of King Vegeta. Vegeta couldn't sleep. As always, Nappa and Raditz were snoring away. How could they sleep so easily? Did they even care? They'd been gutted when they'd found out about Planet Vegeta, but they still managed to start snoring within five minutes of getting into bed. Vegeta couldn't bare it anymore. He'd never felt alone before. For the past two years he'd always told himself that some day his father would come and save him. But that wasn't going to happen now. There was no planet to go to, and no body to take him there. All he had was his pride, but he was still just a child. His pride couldn't protect him from the pain that ate away at his heart. He closed his eyes, and cried himself to sleep. Nobody heard his tears.
~~~
Kyuuri saw her baby crying. She cried too. For him. She couldn't bare seeing him this sad. This lonely. This afraid. He was just a child, he didn't deserve this. She knew she couldn't reach out and hold him. She knew she couldn't whisper to him and say it'd all be better. But she did know a way in which she could reach him. It was a long shot, and she probably couldn't do it, but she'd have to try.
~~~
Vegeta frowned in his sleep. Was he dreaming? Really dreaming? He never dreamed. If anything at all he had nightmares. But this wasn't a nightmare. He heard something. It was just a blurred voice at first, but the words started to form. It was the most beautiful voice he'd ever heard in his entire life. Strange... he felt like he'd heard this song - and this voice - somewhere before. Somewhere from long ago.
"I'll love you forever
I'll like you for always
As long as I'm living
My baby you'll be."
And that's what he heard. Every time he cried... every time he'd scream into his pillow at night how he wanted his family back, even when all he did was swear to one day take revenge on Frieza. Whenever he needed it, he had that dream.
But he grew colder as he grew older, and pretty soon he became independent. By his teens he was used to working for Frieza and didn't cry. By his mid teens he didn't even mention that he wanted to go home. By the time he was an adult, he even stopped letting out his emotions by say openly that he'd get Frieza. And through each of these stages the dream occurred less and less, until he stopped having it altogether.
*20 years later*
Vegeta used his last ounce of strength to get out a final sentance. His hearing was becoming blurred so he had to trust himself to get the words out right.
"Kakarotto, please... destroy Frieza. He made me what I am. Don't let him do it to anyone else... Whatever it takes... stop him..." he begged. "Please!"
Vegeta knew he was dying now. But as he slipped away with the biggest heartache he'd ever had in his entire life, he heard something he hadn't heard for a long time. Funnily enough, the words weren't blurred, despite his hearing.
"I'll love you forever
I'll like you for always
As long as I'm living
My baby you'll be."
*4 years later*
Vegeta was woken up by a horrible wailing. He groaned.
"Bulma, the baby's crying." he said.
"Bulma?" he repeated. He frowned.
"Bulma! The b -"
"Vegeta, the baby's crying." his wife interrupted him.
"Oh, fine then!" Vegeta snapped. He got out of bed angrily and threw on his dressing gown. As he left the room, he glared at Bulma, who smirked, and went back to sleep.
Vegeta muttered angrily to himself as he made his way to Trunks' room. Why couldn't she go? She was the one who wanted to keep the baby. The kid was totally unplanned.
"Brat." Vegeta addressed his son as he entered the infant's bedroom. He walked over to the cot and glared down at Trunks.
"People are trying to sleep, you know." he growled. The baby ignored him, and continued to cry. Vegeta sighed, and picked him up.
"What is it?" Vegeta asked, rocking the child, and hoping it would shut him up. It helped a little. Trunks was quiet for a few seconds, but then got fed up of rocking. He started to cry again.
"Dammit!" Vegeta growled. He looked at his son. "What is it, baby?" he demanded. Then he stopped. The name "baby" was meant to be just a disrespectful nickname, like when he (not so often now) called Bulma "woman". But this was different. As soon as he said it, it hit him. This was a baby. His baby. The screaming infant in his arms was his baby. He smiled a little.
"Brat." he said playfully. Trunks continued to cry. Vegeta groaned. "What?" he asked angrily. He rocked him. "What do you want me to do?!"
Trunks cried even louder.
"Oh, come on!" Vegeta protested. "Trunks..." he tried softening his tone. It worked. Trunks quieted down a little. Vegeta noticed this.
He began to hum something. He knew he didn't have a brilliant voice, but who'd know? Bulma was asleep and the baby was hardly going to grass him up. Vegeta frowned as he hummed. He knew he knew the words to this song. But it was so long ago since he'd heard it. He'd heard it four years ago, but he knew it was from further back than then. Oh yeah. His childhood. He remembered now. The song that had comforted him during his painful childhood. The song he felt like he'd known his whole life. It was kinda dumb, but he felt like he'd learned it even before he was born. But that was impossible.
He closed his eyes, and started to comfort his crying child with the song that had comforted him.
"I'll love you forever
I'll like you for always
As long as I'm living
My baby you'll be."