She cried out in pain as a tree branch snagged her hair, but didn't stop running, opting to rip the branch off the tree as she went

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z or any of the characters used in this story. I am not making any profit off of this story, aside from the compliments I receive.

Author's Note: Okee dokee! I know this is late, but I didn't actually get a decent idea for this fic until 2 days before Labor Day…and they were a very busy 2 days. Sorry! But anyway, I tried my best to get it out asap, so here it is, I hope you like it!

Special thanks to Vegetababe, Eric Jacobson, and Bulma Peacecraft for beta-ing!

A Labor Day Labor

"Phew…talk about labor…" Bulma panted, rolling over to face her Saiyan lover.

"Feh…You didn't even do any work." Vegeta snorted. "All you did was lay there!"

"Oh shut up!" She huffed, a bright red staining her already flushed cheeks as she gave him a playful little slap on the arm.

"Make me." The Saiyan no Ouji purred, a devilish smirk spreading across his face as he pulled the Human woman into his arms.

"Gladly." She whispered back, pressing her lips to his, in a kiss to which he eagerly responded.

Vegeta pushed his woman down onto the bed as the kiss grew in intensity, covering her tiny body with his own muscular one. Everything was a battle between the two, but lovemaking was the fiercest competition known to them, while each tried to gain the upper hand, and the dominant position. The Saiyan no Ouji, definitely the more passionate of the two, ended up winning most of the time, but occasionally, he graciously allowed his weak little Human female the victory, just for variety.

He found it amusing that she loved with a passion that nearly rivaled his own, and completely arousing that she would dare to try and force him on to his back. Vegeta had always liked strong women…but who would have thought he could find a spirit so fierce within the weak body of a Human?

"Vegeta…please?" Bulma begged, bucking her hips up.

"So quickly woman? Not in the mood for foreplay this time?" He teased, grinding his pelvis down against her in response.

"No…I…I…ah…ah…" she stuttered, sighing and closing her eyes.

"If you say so." Vegeta chuckled quietly, blowing gently into her ear as he eased himself into her.

Bulma crowed with delight and wrapped her arms around his neck, and her legs about his waist, clutching him tight as he began his thrusts, slow and powerful, and so very deep. It was hard for her to even stay coherent as the mind numbing pleasure began to overtake her once again. It was quick, and as she was still so sensitive after her previous release, the pleasure came easily.

*** 3 and a Half Weeks Later ***

"Oh Kami…" Bulma muttered, clutching the small tube in a shaky hand. Her period hadn't come on schedule this month, and her fears were confirmed as she held the positive home pregnancy test in her grasp. "How accurate are these things? Maybe it's just some sort of weird girl thing…shit."

All of a sudden, there came a knock at the door. "Bulma? Are you in there? I have to use the washroom, honey." It was Mr. Briefs.

"Huh? Oh yeah, sorry Dad. I'll be out in a minute!" She quickly wrapped the pregnancy test in a bit of toilet paper and tossed it in the garbage can, ensuring that it was covered so that nobody could see it…unless, of course, they happened to go digging about in the trash can. Then she flushed the toilet, washed her hands, and skittered out of the bathroom, and down the hallway to her own room.

"Oh Kami…what am I going to tell Vegeta?" Bulma sighed, sitting on her bed with her face in her hands, trying not to cry.

"What are you going to tell me about what?" a gruff voice broke into her thoughts, and she looked up to see the Saiyan no Ouji, arms crossed, feet shoulder width apart, onyx eyes staring down at her.

"Um…well, you see…I…well…" she muttered, wiping at her face with the heel of one hand.

"Out with it, Woman. I don't have all day, you know. Some of us have important things to do." Vegeta growled, tapping one booted foot impatiently.

"Well…Vegeta, you see…I'm…well…" she sighed, and her shoulders slumped down, her eyes suddenly very interested in the fibers of the soft plush carpet. "I'm pregnant…"

"And you're sure it's mine?" Vegeta asked, and Bulma almost became quite livid with him. But then she remembered that their first union had been rather unexpected…it made sense that he could suspect the child to be Yamcha's.

"Yeah…Yamcha and I…well…let's just say that a lack of sex life was one of the biggest reasons for our break up…there's no way it could be his."

She looked up at him then, to see him watching the carpet as well, silent. He didn't move, didn't even bat an eyelash, but she could see the uncertainty in his eyes. He didn't know what to do at all.

"Alright…" he said, wondering exactly what one is supposed to say in such a situation.

"Is that all you have to say?" Bulma's voice was meek and hesitant, as if afraid of what he would say. As if she feared he would reject the child, and deny his hand in creating it.

"I don't know." Vegeta scowled at her, watching as her azure eyes lit up with frustration.

"You don't know? What do you mean, you don't know?" she hissed, jumping up off the bed.

"Well Woman, how should I know what to say?" he growled back. "It's not as if I've ever impregnated a woman before? I don't know what I'm supposed to do now!"

Bulma blinked. Then she blinked again, her eyes wide at Vegeta's words. He didn't know what to do? How could he not know what to do? But then a thought struck her. This is Vegeta…he's probably never been around a pregnant woman…I mean; there probably weren't many of them in Frieza's army…

"Well," she started, knowing that she would have to be very patient with him. "You stick around and help me raise it. That's how things are done here, when a woman gets pregnant, the man helps her raise the child. You'll be a daddy." She smiled hesitantly, and he snorted.

"A daddy I am not. A father, yes. But definitely not a daddy." He crossed his arms, and she smiled wider, nodding her head.

"Fine, father it is."

"How long are Human pregnancies?"

"Well…I'll make a doctor's appointment to find out exactly how pregnant I am, and roughly nine months from the date of conception, I'll be ready to give birth."

"Alright." Vegeta nodded his head, contemplating this new development in the strange relationship he had with this woman. A father…he was going to have a little brat of his own…well, it would be Bulma's too…but he was going to be a father…amazing.

"You mean…you're okay with this?" Bulma took a timid step toward the Saiyan, hoping that it wasn't too good to be true. "You'll stay with me and help take care of it?"

"Of course, Woman." He scoffed. "What do you take me for? To leave now would be completely dishonorable." What he didn't want to tell her was that the thought of leaving his woman and child to fend for themselves made him sick to his stomach. She didn't have to know how exactly how he felt, as long as she knew he was staying.

"Thank you Vegeta…thank you so much!" she cried, jumping up to wrap her arms around him, and almost knocking him off balance at the same time.

"For what? Quit being so crazy, Woman." He growled, but did not try to extricate himself from her grasp.

"For staying. For being okay with this…I was worried you'd get mad and leave me alone…"

"Don't be stupid." He chided her, but wrapped his arms around her back in a comforting gesture. Why would he be mad about producing a brat? It's not as if they had taken any precautions to avoid conception anyway. If they had, and she still became pregnant, then he would have a reason to be upset…besides, how hard could being a father really be?

*** 7 Months and Three Days Later ***

"Good Kami…" Bulma moaned, looking at her distended belly in the bathroom mirror. "I'm huge…" she sighed and ran a cool hand over the bulge. The baby would arrive in about a month, unless he decided to come early, or maybe to stay in a bit longer. "A boy…" she smiled into the mirror, remembering the day she had her ultrasound taken. "A little baby boy…a son…and heir to the throne." She giggled, remembering how Vegeta had reacted to the news of the sex of his child.

He had looked so proud when she told him they were having a boy. He had puffed up his chest and straightened his already perfect posture, and told her that it was only natural that the first child should be a boy, an heir to the Saiyan legacy. A little Prince…

"Eight months pregnant…who would have ever thought I would be eight months pregnant with Vegeta's baby?" she marveled, running her hand over her belly again, feeling the tiny life form kick in response. "Oooff…Hey there baby…don't you start using me as a training room. Your daddy will train you when you're out…don't be so eager to fight…"

Before now, she had never really understood Chi Chi's desire to keep Gohan off the battlefield. It was only when she began to feel her baby move inside her, that she realized she would go crazy if he ever died in battle. But with Vegeta for a father, the child would fight no matter what she said.

"I suppose it's only fair to let you fight little one." She cooed at her stomach. "With Saiyan blood running through you like it is, it's only natural, isn't it?" The baby kicked again, as if to confirm her statement, and she laughed lightly.

"What are you doing still up?"

"Huh? Oh! Vegeta, it's you." She turned and met his eyes in the mirror. He was shirtless and sweaty, obviously having just finished training for the night. Bulma smiled at him, and he wrapped his arms around her from behind, his chin resting on her shoulder as he rubbed her belly with his palms.

"You should be in bed, asleep." He murmured, kissing her neck lightly. Vegeta had been incredibly affectionate as of late, and incredibly protective. He was always watching her; to make sure she ate enough, slept enough, and rested enough.

"I should, shouldn't I?"

Vegeta snorted and picked his mate up, carrying her over toward their bed, where he set her down gently, making sure she was comfortable. Then he crawled in beside her and pulled up the covers.

"So, how's your training been going?" she asked, trying to make conversation as she snuggled close to him. He only shrugged, and grunted. "Tell me…is something wrong?"

"I find it hard to train, feeling your ki, and the brat's ki constantly. It's too much of a distraction." He murmured, hoping that, in her pregnant, mood swingy state, she wouldn't take that the wrong way.

"So now I'm just a distraction, am I?" she cried, wrenching herself out of his grasp.

Damn…

"Woman, calm down, will you?" The Saiyan no Ouji growled. "You know full well that's not what I meant."

"Oh? Then what did you mean? Did you mean that you regret this baby? That you regret settling down with me?" she hugged her stomach, hot tears coming to her eyes.

"Na…Nani? Why the hell would you think that?"

"Don't swear around the baby!"

"He can't hear us!" Vegeta yelled angrily. What in seven hells had gotten into her?

"Don't yell at me!" she screeched, clutching her stomach tighter.

"Fine." Vegeta growled. "I'm going to sleep somewhere else." He pushed himself up off the bed and stalked out of the door, heading toward his old room. The bed was still there, as it had been a guest room before he moved in.

Crawling into the cold bed, Vegeta thought about the strange way his mate had been acting lately. She had so many mood swings, and took everything so personally. These little episodes were getting more and more frequent as of late as well. She would suddenly blow up over nothing, start screaming at him, then burst into tears and babble about how he didn't love her…

"What a crock of shit." The Saiyan rolled over; trying to get comfortable in the bed he had not slept in for so long. He was used to curling up with Bulma, in the big soft bed in their room.

Tomorrow morning, they would probably have another fight, about how he 'deserted' her or something equally stupid…and he would be forced to try and placate her, so that her emotional upheaval would not upset the baby inside of her.

"Damn baka human woman…" he sighed, staring up at the ceiling. He honestly didn't know how much more of this he could take. He had tried being nice to her, had even started coming in early from training when she asked him to, so that they could 'snuggle' before she fell asleep. But no, she still had to harp on him, for every little thing he said or did...

Oh well…maybe tomorrow she'll be in a better mood.

*** The Next Morning ***

No such luck…Vegeta thought to himself, as he sat down at the kitchen table the next morning, across from a very angry looking Bulma.

"Where did you go last night?" she asked, bitterness in her voice.

"I went to my old room, Woman. Did you even check before you decided to get angry at me?"

"Quit being such an asshole Vegeta." Bulma drummed her fingers on the table in irritation. She knew he was right, and she hated it.

"ME? With all due respect," the Prince hissed, trying desperately to keep calm. "If I had stayed, there would be a reason for us to fight this morning. I can't stand these stupid little outbursts you keep having, Woman! You are driving my absolutely insane with your constant mood swings!"

"Mood swings? You want to see mood swings, Vegeta? I'll show you mood swings!" she yelled back, jumping up from the table.

"Just calm down…you'll upset the brat." His eyes pleaded with her, but she ignored the piercing black orbs.

"He is NOT a brat Vegeta! Can't you understand that?" she placed protective hands over her swollen abdomen.

"He is my son, so he is a brat." The Saiyan no Ouji growled back in irritation. He was honestly near the end of his rope with her.

"If that's what you think, maybe you should leave." Bulma muttered, her eyes downcast.

"Na…Nani?"

"You heard me. I said leave. You obviously don't care about me or the baby."

That was just the last straw for the alien prince. She knew damn well that he cared for her and the brat more than anything, yet she continued to accuse him otherwise. Perhaps it was she who did not care, who wanted to get rid of him, and with that thought, his face twisted into a hateful little snarl.

"If that's what you want, then I'll leave." Vegeta hissed, his chair scraping the floor as he stood. "But I'll be back to see my son." With that, he turned and walked away, leaving a stunned Bulma standing in the middle of the kitchen. The door slammed heavily behind him, causing a picture to fall off the wall, the glass shattering upon impact with the floor.

"Ve…Vegeta…" she croaked, tears coming to her eyes as she sank to the floor. "Vegeta…I…I didn't actually want you to leave…"

*** Meanwhile… ***

Stupid Woman…thinks I don't care…if I didn't care, I would have blasted her pretty little head off long ago…Baka thinks that just because she's carrying my child, she has the right to bitch at me. Nobody bitches at the Saiyan no Ouji. Nobody. Not mate, nor future child. Not anybody.

*** Back with Bulma… ***

"Moshi Moshi?"

"Chi Chi? Uh…it's me, Bulma."

"Bulma? You sound awful honey! What's wrong?"

"I think I just did something really bad…and now Vegeta's gone…and I don't know where he is, or if he's even going to come back." The pregnant woman whimpered, almost dropping the phone, her hands were shaking so badly.

"Don't say another word. I'll be right over." And the Ox Princess hung up, then set off on her way to Capsule Corporation.

"I'm in the living room, Chi…" Bulma called out, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue as she heard the front door open.

"Bulma…oh Bulma, what happened?" Chi Chi murmured, coming into the living room to sit beside her friend on the couch.

"It's…It's Vegeta…"

"What did that bastard do to you?!?" Chi Chi jumped up, fire in her eyes.

"I…I told him to leave…and he did…" Bulma sobbed into her crumpled, used up tissue. "I…I…oh god…what am I going to do?"

"Wait a minute here…start from the beginning."

"We…we got into a fight last night, and he left to go sleep in his old room…" She blew her nose. "And then this morning…I got mad at him again…and then I told him to leave…I…I didn't think he'd…I thought he'd just sigh and reassure me…like usual…I didn't think he'd leave." A fresh burst of tears sprung forth, and soon the pregnant woman's body was wracking with sobs. "Oh Kami Chi Chi…what will I do if he doesn't come back…I mean, he said he would be back to see his son…but only to see his son…and what if he was lying?"

"Come now Bulma. As much as I hate to admit it, Vegeta's got his honor, and he's not the type to lie about something so big." She rubbed a hand gently over her friend's shaking back, trying to soothe her.

"But…but I wanted him to be around when the baby is born. I want him to come back to see me too…" More tears.

"I'm sure he'll be back, Bulma. You know how Vegeta is. He'll be back."

"Okay…okay…I'll be fine. He knows the baby is due in a month, and he'll be back…I trust him…He'll be back." Bulma sniffled, a little more confidently. "Thanks, Chi Chi."

Chi Chi only smiled at her friend, and nodded her head slightly. For her sake, Vegeta, you had better be back in time for this baby…

*** Two Weeks Later ***

"Oh Kami no! Please, not yet! Vegeta's not here, baby! Stay in there just a little longer!" Bulma cried out, feeling her inner muscles cramp in a contraction.

"I'm sorry Miss Briefs, but your water has broken, and there's no turning back now. This baby is coming out, whether you like it or not." Doctor Fujiyama squeezed her hand, trying to comfort the crying woman.

"But he's too early! Please! I'm not due for another two weeks!"

"Well, that's guys for ya!" The doctor chuckled. "They come early, and want to get out fast!"

"We're ready with the anesthetic doctor!" A nurse called, and Bulma cringed at the sight of the huge needle. She rolled over slightly, at the insistence of the nurse, and gripped the bed railing as she felt the thin steel tube slide into her spine.

"Oh Kami! Ahh! He's coming out!" she squealed, instinctively pushing.

"Now miss, you'll have to calm yourself. You aren't even close to fully dilated yet!" The nurse cried out in alarm, seeing the state Bulma was in.

"If he doesn't care, why should I?" She yelled back, pushing again.

"Well now, let me just take a peek here and oh my…that's the fastest dilation I've ever seen! He really wants out bad!" Doctor Fujiyama laughed, poking her head under Bulma's gown.

"Just shut up!" Bulma hissed. "And get him OOOUUUUT!" She groaned as a sharp pain shot through her. "Oh Kami…it hurts so much!"

"Okay, well, the baby seems to have decided! He's coming out now!"

"Breath Miss. Come on, now push! 1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8…9…10…and relax. That's a good girl. Now again." The nurse began counting off again, and Bulma pushed with all her might, crying out as she did so. And then she felt something, a hand on her own.

"Breath." Vegeta commanded, wrapping his fingers around her own. "Now push, come on. 1…2…3…" he counted slowly, along with the nurse. "Now relax…"

"Vegeta? Oh Vegeta…" she whimpered, clutching at his hand with a superhuman grip. "It hurts so much…I'm in so much pain…"

"Woman, Pain is my middle name."

"Yeah!" Bulma cried, suddenly angry again. "And your last name is 'In The Ass'!"

"Hmm…Vegeta In The Ass. I bed you'd like that, wouldn't you?" he smirked down at her, the devil dancing in his eyes.

"Damnit! I hate you!" she cried out, pushing again, at the nurse's command.

"Yeah, I knew that."

"The baby is crowning!" the doctor shouted. "Oh, the head is almost out!" And then the sound of a baby's shrill cry broke the air, and Bulma slumped down, exhausted. Tenderly, her Saiyan mate pushed back some of the sweat soaked hair stuck to her forehead with his free hand, and gave her hand a squeeze.

"Congratulations. It's a beautiful, healthy baby boy. All ten fingers and toes are here…err…along with a tail…" the nurse stuttered. "Uhmmm…would you like to cut the umbilical cord?" she turned to Vegeta, nervously handing him a pair of scissors, which he snatched from her grasp. Carefully, he leant in and caught the cord between the blades, and with a quick snip, he severed the connection between mother and son.

Moments later, Bulma was handed the warm little bundle, wrapped contentedly in a soft blue blanket, his downy hair sticking out at odd angles, due to the fact that he was not completely clean of the fluid he had lived in for the last eight and a half months. Angular blue eyes blinked up at her, and she felt her heart melt.

"Wow!" the nurse giggled. "This brings a whole new meaning to Labor Day!"

"Ohhh…" she murmured, awestruck. "Vegeta…he's so beautiful." She cradled the child in her arms, cooing at its little form as chubby little arms reached out toward her. "Hi there. I'm your mommy! And that crabby little man over there is daddy!" she turned the baby's face toward Vegeta, who grunted in objection.

"Father, Woman. We discussed this." His voice was gruff, but mirth danced over his features for a split second. Just long enough for Bulma to see.

"Do you want to hold him?"

"Yeah…sure." Vegeta took the tiny bundle into his massive arms, cradling it the way his mate had, and sat lightly on the edge of her bed.

"So…what do we call him?" Bulma asked, reaching around to play with the child's tuft of lavender hair.

"I dunno…" Vegeta looked down at the child, contemplating names. "Do you still hate me?"

"No…" Bulma smiled. "How about Trunks?"

"Woman, you have got to be kidding me…"

Ohhh!!! That's it! I know, I know…it didn't have a whole helluva lot to do with Labor Day...but that's what you get when I have writer's block, and only come up with a decent idea two days before the actual holiday…And I know…it's not exactly my best work…but it'll have to do.

But anyway, please remember to review! I hope you liked my fic!