Disclaimer: I don't own DB/Z/GT.

Bra Briefs' Mom has Got it Going On

Epilogue: The Apple Don't Fall Far

"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be." – Douglas Adams

Bra casually flipped through her notebook to the page containing her heart doodles. She aimlessly traced the scarlet ink lines with her fingers. The paper felt cool against her skin. It was kind of relaxing in an unexpected way.

"I didn't mean to drag Goku into all of this. To be perfectly honest, I kind of like the guy." Bra smiled knowingly, "No really, I do. It's a big compliment for me to say that about just anybody. Anyway, how was I to know he'd remember things? I would have never guessed he'd take matters into his own hands."

Bra traced her fingertip atop Goten's inscribed name. "It even surprised me how much I enjoyed making him suffer, seriously, it did! I guess a part of me wanted to stick it to my Mom. Another part of me wanted to make Goku atone for his injustice against my Daddy. Whether or not Daddy admits it, he thinks of Goku as his friend… possibly the closest friend he has ever had. So, you have to understand why I felt the need to hurt him. I really wanted to deck him in the face, but I'm no match for Goku when it comes to brawn. I had to use what was at my disposal."

Continuation of the Day After Bra Returned from Pelican Isle:

Goku frowned upon Bra. He had frowned at her many times upon his arrival today, but this frown was different; it chiseled away at Bra's nerves. It made her angry. It had a sanctimonious feel to it. She disliked how morally upright he usually was. In fact, the characteristics she liked about him were his little flaws that nobody else seemed to notice. His faults reminded her that everyone is capable of becoming the same, imperfect being when it comes down to it – this was comforting to her. But his overwhelming goodness – to her – was just sickening.

"Oh stop giving me that holier-than-thou look. You are far from innocent," Bra finally snapped.

Goku ignored her bout of anger. "If you think that recording is going to prevent me from telling the truth, then you're just delusional," he stated as calmly as he could muster.

"Oh really? I think you're bluffing," Bra replied with a dry laugh. "You see, I know a lot more than I put on. I know all about you and my Mother. I know that a couple decades ago, the two of you had a fling. I don't know how often you cheated, and I really don't care. The fact is, you did it, and I have proof of it on the recording I took. You clearly admit on it that the two of you have had sex before."

Goku blanched and his eyebrows furrowed together in frustration. He was under the pretense that Bra only knew that he was attracted to Bulma. He thought she was trying to get him to admit his feelings. He had no clue she actually knew they'd hooked up before.

Goku gulped before replying, "I suppose it's a sign then."

Bra irritatedly stomped her foot on the ground. There was a crisp edge to her voice when she said, "You're damn right it is! I've got you cornered you numbskull!"

Goku shook his head solemnly and said, "No… you don't understand. It's a sign that I need to come out with the truth – the full truth."

Bra let out an unladylike growl of displeasure. "Come on!" she shouted with obvious frustration, "you have got to be kidding me! No! You are not going to utter a word of this!"

Goku quirked an eyebrow in amusement despite his situation. "I don't take orders from spoiled little girls. Bulma and Vegeta deserve to know about what you've been up to as well. I know that I am in no position to talk, but I have to say, Bra, that I'm very disappointed in you! The way you've been acting… is completely ridiculous!"

There was nothing that annoyed Bra more than to be treated like a child! As far as she was concerned, she had reached adulthood long ago. Her body had just recently caught up with her mind. She was 18 now, a bona fide adult. She was not going to put up with this any longer!

Bra's facial expression became very serious. "Alright, Goku, enough with this nonsense. I'm going to tell you exactly why you are going to keep your trap shut! You will not tell a soul about any of this because if you do, ChiChi will hate you. She will leave you. She's a tough bitch. She won't put up with this!"

"Don't you ever call ChiChi a bitch!" Goku shouted.

"I'll call her whatever I damn-well-please!" Bra argued, crossing her arms indignantly.

"Gohan… Goten… Pan… they will all resent you for the rest of your life! The sad part is: you'll outlive them, so you will have one miserable life." Bra smiled, her mood began to uplift itself almost instantly. "Vegeta will hate your guts! You've worked so hard to form a bond with him and then you just went and screwed the pooch like it was nothing! He will never forgive you! None of your friends will ever look at you the same!"

Goku just gazed at her forlornly. "And I'd deserve it too," he stated bluntly.

Bra's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. 'Nothing gets through his thick skull, does it?' she thought angrily. "You would be betraying Bulma's trust. She would go through exactly what you'd be going through… only… it would be worse for her! You see, she would be frowned upon even more than you because you eventually came out with the truth. She was just going to let it sit and fester for the rest of her accursed life!"

Bra laughed giddily. She could actually see Goku's resolve crumbling into a pretend pile on the floor. She was suddenly elated. She was winning! She had one last card to pull out of her deck, her trump card, so to speak.

Bra hopped lightly onto her feet and walked up to Goku. She tiptoed to come closer to reaching his height and rested the palms of her hands on his shoulders. She smirked as she felt him shudder when they made contact. Her face was now not even an inch away from his own. She could detect the faint tang of ginger lingering on his breath as it traveled up her nostrils.

Her devilish grin parted and she spoke softly, "There's one last thing I've failed to mention. You will break Goten's heart, you see, he's madly in love with me. Oh… wait, I have something else to say…" She brought her lips up to his ear in an almost tantalizing way. She could feel his hands reach up to claw her hold off of his shoulders.

Before he could shove her away, she had already managed to whisper something significant into his ear. He took pause. His mouth hung agape. She took advantage of his lapse in defense, and she finished what she had to say. She pulled back from him. She looked into his eyes. They were glazed over in shock.

"Oh, don't look so glum," she said teasingly. "You should be happy for us."

Goku's lips trembled as he asked, "Why? Why Bra? Why did you do this?"

Bra feigned a look of surprise. "Why? For Goten, silly. I love him! I would do anything for him!"

Goku narrowed his eyes as the pieces of the puzzle formed together in his head. He could finally see the whole picture now. "Right," he muttered, "it sounds more like you would do anything to have him all to yourself."

Bra didn't like to be corrected. Besides, she'd never actually said otherwise. She placed her hands on her hips. "You're damn right!" she replied.

Goku took on a genuinely worried expression, and despite all that she had done, he begged for her own well-being, "Please, Bra… reconsider! No boy is worth all of this, and I have a feeling this won't end well for you," he warned.

Bra rolled her eyes at him. "You've lost; I've won. Accept defeat. Just leave, Goku."

~End Flashback~

Bulma Briefs' POV-

The Night Before the Z-Fighter's Reunion:

Bulma could hear a commotion echoing upstairs from the front foyer. She had told herself she was going to lead a new life now. She had told herself that she would finally be free. She would not allow herself to even so much as think of Goku. In the meantime, cutting ties with Goten had been easy; she didn't even miss a beat when he came over to visit Trunks.

They would pass each other in the hallway and she would smile and say, "Hi Goten."

Goten would smile that lovely smile of his and would reply, "Hi!"

"So… how's your Mother doing?" she would continue. It was as if there had been zero history between the two of them.

The only problem was that Bulma could not stop thinking about Vegeta. She chalked it up to missed opportunities to think about him – all of the times she had been thinking of someone else. As of late, Bulma had been holed up in either her bedroom or her laboratory. When she was alone, her thoughts always returned to him. Where was he right now? Would he ever come back? Did he hate her? Her children had no-doubt noticed her long absences by now. She didn't think that Bra cared much. Bra never really paid her any mind to begin with.

Bulma stood at the foot of the stairs, wondering if she should venture out of obscurity. She knew that she'd been brooding over her mistakes long enough. She knew that Bra wouldn't care, and – being vanished and all – Vegeta wouldn't care. The only person who would care would be Trunks. She decided to move forward, for Trunks' sake. Their family needed some bit of normalcy, didn't it?

Bulma jogged down the stairs and into the front entrance. Whoever had made the commotion had moved. The clamor was now coming from the parlor. As Bulma walked through the entrance, she called out, "Hey Trunks, what's going - " Bulma's breath instantaneously hitched in her throat. She froze midstride.

Bra was standing in the center of the room with her arms locked around Vegeta in a loving embrace and was now turning toward Bulma, appraising her reaction with an arched eyebrow. Vegeta turned toward Bulma with an unreadable expression. The embrace broke apart, and Vegeta immediately took to crossing his arms. Bra ignored Bulma and imitated Vegeta's actions. Bulma could only think of one thing. 'Vegeta came home!'

Bra huffed and said, "So, Daddy… a few weeks, eh? It sure didn't seem like a few weeks to me!"

Vegeta looked taken aback. There was something about Bra that never ceased to blindside him. Whenever she was blunt, or tempestuous, or snarky, or rough, or just plain mean – he was caught off guard. In his mind, Bra was his sweet little girl. His Bra didn't have an attitude like her Mother. She didn't make snarky comments. She didn't have his discourteous mannerisms. His Bra was more akin to a saint or an angel.

So, when she said what she said with a sardonic and annoyed sounding voice, Vegeta just assumed that it was his fault. "I'm sorry Bra," he said genuinely. It wasn't over the top, but he meant it.

Bulma had to double-take what she had just witnessed. In all her years of living with Vegeta, she could not once remember him apologizing. It surprised her how easy it came to him when he was apologizing to Bra. Her heart melted and she thought, 'He has to be her Father!'

Bra pointed an accusatory finger at Vegeta. "You better not do that to me again!" she commanded. "I missed you, and I was worried!"

"I won't," he replied calmly.

Bra finally warmed up. She smiled and said, "Good!"

Vegeta's gaze returned to Bulma. His face seemed impassive, but she knew him better than that. She knew that Vegeta could be at his most lethal when his expression was deadpan.

"I need to speak to your Mother," he said bluntly.

Bra glanced over at Bulma with her eyebrows drawn together in curiosity. She narrowed her eyes at her Mother speculatively, as if to say, "Oh, what have you done now?"

Nevertheless, Bra recognized Vegeta's implication, and she left the room. Her eyes bore into Bulma as she approached the door and Bulma's heart was startled by the cool wall of air that hammered into her body as Bra briskly walked by. A shiver raked through her being.

Vegeta appeared instantly in front of her. She hadn't seen him move an inch. He was just suddenly there. His arm extended toward her. Her heart palpitated in her chest. His hand came close to her face and she shut her eyes with nervous anticipation. She heard a clicking sound and realized instantly that he had merely reached over her shoulder to shut the door. She opened her eyes just in time to witness his arm retracting back to his side.

"You came back," she muttered dumbly.

He regarded her with a cool expression. "Obviously."

"I'm glad that you came back for them. You're a good Father, Vegeta," she replied sincerely.

"I came back for a number of reasons," he replied.

Bulma furrowed her eyebrows together in befuddlement. "Such as…?"

Vegeta scowled at her. When he didn't want to speak, it was like talking to a brick wall.

"Vegeta… please tell me," she begged.

Vegeta grunted and glanced off to the side. "I will never forgive you," he hissed between clenched teeth.

Bulma felt as if something was clawing a hole through her ribcage, it was squeezing her heart. It felt as if it might burst at any second. She didn't know if she was ready to hear this again. "I understand," she replied.

"I don't understand you," he said, as if this explained it all. "I've tried countless times."

"I don't understand myself half the time," she replied truthfully.

Vegeta turned to look her in the eyes again. "I even began making up excuses for you. Me! Making up excuses for you! How pathetic is that?"

Bulma didn't even remember thinking about her next words, they simply flew out of her mouth. "Then don't! I don't have an excuse!"

Vegeta ignored her. "I could not get the thoughts of you out of my accursed mind!" he suddenly shouted. "I couldn't bring it upon myself to hate you… to even dislike you!"

"You couldn't?" Bulma mouthed silently in astonishment.

"Why should I force myself to hate you anyway? After all, I've done way worse than you have," Vegeta muttered more to himself than to her.

"What do you mean?" Bulma asked dumbfoundedly.

Vegeta glared at Bulma bitterly. "Oh, don't play dumb! I can never atone for the atrocities I've dealt! Why should I judge you for cheating on me when I killed your bandit boyfriend, when I threatened to destroy every person you knew and loved? Hell, I even tried to kill your lover!"

Bulma winced as he said the word 'lover'. She felt as if she had been branded.

Vegeta shook his head in disbelief. "Then there was that time that I let Babidi control my mind. I killed more innocent people. I nearly killed you as well! I did it all without even blinking an eye! I cared more about surpassing Kakarrot than I did your safety! And you… you didn't even get angry, you didn't even question me about it! You just let it slide, as if nothing had happened at all!"

"I forgive you for that," Bulma said softly.

"I didn't ask for forgiveness!" Vegeta suddenly roared. "So why should I forgive you? Why should you go scot free?" Vegeta shook his head vehemently. "No, I will not forgive you!"

Bulma struggled to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. "I'm not asking for forgiveness anymore."

Vegeta ran the palm of his hand over his face with apparent agitation. He combed his calloused fingers through his spiky hair. "You're going to tell everyone the truth."

Bulma shuddered. She'd been half-expecting this. She was afraid of this. She had no choice but to say, "Alright."

"You will tell them tomorrow at the reunion," he commanded.

Bulma's lips trembled and she whispered, "Okay."

"And I…" Vegeta muttered gutturally. He clenched his fist and his aura began to burst into existence. The look of rage on his face was insurmountable. He could barely contain himself. "I will kill Kakarrot for what he has done!"

Bulma gasped and the tears finally escaped her glossy eyes. "No!" she shouted, grabbing a hold of Vegeta's arm. He shoved her away and she fell flat on her butt. Her hands tingled. They felt as if they'd been burned. "Please, don't! He didn't know what he was doing! It was my fault!"

Vegeta gritted his teeth and his aura exploded even more. It began to turn golden. He was on the cusp of turning Super Saiyan. "Like hell he didn't know what he was going! He knew how you felt! He took advantage you!"

"No… it's the other way around… he would never…" Bulma blubbered.

"He did!" Vegeta spat. "He will pay! Who do you want, me or him?"

"Y – you!" she clamored. "You don't need to do this!"

"Oh, but I do," he hissed. "You are mine damn-it! He will not have you anymore! I will see to it personally."

~End Flashback~

The Day of the Z-Fighter's Reunion:

The day Bulma had met Vegeta for the first time, she knew instantly that he was a dangerous man. He had power. He had anger. He had hate, and scorn, and impudence. His birth-name should have been 'toxic', because that's what he was back then. Bulma was driven to men that could hurt her in some way or another. She couldn't hold back from them. She loved Yamcha, the scruffy desert bandit – the cheater. She loved Goku, the taken man. She loved Vegeta, the ruthless Saiyan warrior. It was like she was cursed to have difficult, if not, impossible relationships.

Over the years, Vegeta had molded himself to fit into her world. It had taken him time – as was expected, but he became what she needed him to be. He became the loving husband and the devoted Father. He behaved himself, but she never forgot what was buried beneath. She knew what he could be if provoked. She had no one to blame but herself. She had wrought this upon herself.

The reunion was held on Mt. Paozu near the Son homes. She traveled to the reunion by airplane. Bra had come with her, while Trunks decided to fly to it himself with Vegeta no-doubt.

"So," began Bra, "what were you and Dad fighting about?"

"Nothing important," Bulma replied. 'She's going to find out soon enough anyway.'

Bra crossed her arms and huffed. She gazed out the window, lost in her own thoughts.

When Bulma and Bra got out of the plane and it was capsulized, the first thing Bulma did was search for him – Goku.

'I will not let Vegeta kill him,' she thought as she scoped out the crowd. Her eyes detected him by the table with all of the food, of course. She rushed through the crowd of her friends, not even bothering to return their greetings and smiles.

Goku saw her coming and he glanced around his perimeter as if to make sure she was really approaching him. "Hi Bulma," he said with a smile and wave.

Bulma frowned. Why did it always seem so easy for him? She looked him straight in the eyes and said, "You need to get out of here, now!"

Goku laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. "What?"

"Vegeta knows. You need to leave!" Bulma continued with a stern voice.

"Wh – what?" he mumbled, his face becoming very pallid. His eyes glanced beyond her shoulder and they widened in shock. His whole body tensed.

Bulma was roughly grabbed by the shoulder and dragged backward. She stumbled. If that someone hadn't been holding her arm steadily, she would have taken a fall. She looked up to see who the intruder was and she suddenly felt nauseous with fright. It was Vegeta. His fingers were digging into her arm, holding her back. He was standing in front of her like a barrier of muscle between herself and Goku.

"Kakarrot, you and I have a score to settle," he hissed.

"Alright," Goku replied levelheadedly, "but not right here, Vegeta. I don't want to scare anyone."

The tension clung to the air like static on a rug. Vegeta's ki began to waver. Bulma couldn't feel it for herself, but by the look on his face, she knew that he was losing control. She clutched his arm with her free hand.

"Please don't," she whispered.

She could feel the tendons in his forearm contract. His muscles bulged. "No Kakarrot, right here, right now, I am going to teach you what happens when you dare to touch my woman."

Bra unexpectedly appeared between the two men. She had cut the tension like a knife on butter. "Hey, Goku, Daddy, I know you guys are itching for a spar and all, but Goten has an important announcement to make!"

"It will have to wait," Vegeta replied.

Bra flippantly waved her hand at him. "Oh no you don't! You owe me one, remember?"

He'd never actually admitted to owing her for leaving longer than he'd anticipated, but she had a point. He also loved her dearly and didn't want to upset her anymore than he was already about to do in a moment or so. Bulma held her breath. What was Bra up to? Her intervention was perfectly timed, as if she had been watching at the sidelines. Had she heard what Vegeta had said?

Bra smiled knowingly at Goku and stressed her point: "It's really important!"

Vegeta sighed heavily and grumbled, "Alright."

Bulma suddenly had a really bad feeling about all of this. Bra met with Goten in the center of the crowd. He smiled at her and she smiled back. She rubbed his bicep to give him courage, and then she picked up an empty wineglass and a spoon. She clanked it on the glass three times.

This caught everyone's attention. Bulma inched her way to the front of the crowd. She halted directly in Bra's line of sight. She could feel Vegeta standing close behind her. His body heat radiated off of his chest and onto her back. It was like a constant reminder that he had his eye on her.

"Goten has something really important to say," Bra announced. She then glanced expectantly at Goten.

Goten cleared his throat. "Hi everybody!" he said, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. "I have some really important news to announce!"

"Stop beating around the bush!" Krillin hollered out. "Let's hear it already!"

Goten laughed nervously and his face flushed as red as a beet. "You see, Bra and I are in love and we are going to get married."

Bulma couldn't believe her ears; they must not have been functioning correctly. She could have sworn she had just heard Goten say that he and her daughter were tying the knot! Apparently, she wasn't the only one who couldn't believe what their senses were telling them. There was a litter of gasps and utterances of shock throughout the entire group.

Bulma felt hands rest on her shoulders, and she was suddenly reminded of Vegeta's presence. He brought his mouth up to her ear and he whispered, "Did you know about this?"

She was surprised by the level of calm he was presenting. She would have guessed that upon hearing such news, he would sprout fangs and go straight for Goten's jugular, but instead he was so collected. But then again, he had nothing to worry about. She was about to drop a brick on all of their heads. She had to tell the truth, and then there would certainly be no marriage after the truth was known.

"Of course not!" she replied.

"Daddy?" Bra suddenly spoke up. "You're being so quiet. Is something the matter?"

"Yes, Bra," he said, "your Mother has something she needs to say."

Bulma's face became ashen and sickly looking. She realized that she wasn't ready for this! She didn't think that she could do this! She turned to look back at Vegeta. Her eyes begged him to stop. She looked frantic. "I – I can't!" she whispered.

Vegeta narrowed his eyes at her. "You will."

"Wait! We aren't finished yet. We still have something to tell you guys," Bra piped in.

"What is it?" Bulma asked, silently thinking, 'Does she know about me and Goten? No… that's impossible!'

Bra smiled and said, "Goten and I are going to be parents."

Vegeta suddenly lost his cool. "What!" he roared.

"I'm pregnant," she said.

Vegeta lifted Bulma up and set her aside like an inanimate object. He stomped over to where Goten and Bra were standing.

"Why you little son of a – " Vegeta shouted, raising his fist as he spoke.

Bra's eyes widened in alarm and she abruptly moved between her Father and Goten. She held her arms out at her sides as a protective shield.

"No, Daddy! Don't be this way! I love Goten with all of my heart! I know it seems sudden, but we're happy together! We're ready to become a family. I know it's hard to let go, but I'm ready to grow up. Please don't hurt him, Daddy. He makes me happy!"

Vegeta's scowl softened and he muttered, "He makes you… happy?" as if he didn't understand the possibility of such a thing.

Bra held Vegeta's hands in hers and she smiled the most gorgeous smile. Her eyes glistened as tears of happiness made their descent down her rosy cheeks. "He makes me happier than I've ever been," she whispered. "Please, give us your blessing!"

Vegeta had a troubled expression on his face. Bulma could tell that he was flustered. This was a lot to take in by itself, let alone everything else he had to worry about.

Vegeta finally yielded. "You have my blessing," he said. He pointed at Goten and narrowed his eyes while he warned, "If you ever do anything to hurt her, I will deal you a slow and torturous death! Do you understand?"

Goten gulped and nodded his head vigorously. "Y – yes, sir!"

A part of Bulma felt really proud of Vegeta. He cared more about Bra's feelings than his own ego, and that was saying something. She knew it must be killing him to think that Bra was going to marry Goten – Goten, the man his wife had laid with, the son of Goku.

Bulma glanced at Bra and was startled to see her staring back at her expectantly. Bra's gaze was critical despite the fact that Vegeta had just given his blessing to her. It was as if she was searching for something and couldn't find it. She was staring straight at Bulma. Bulma was disconcerted. A firestorm of conflicting emotions burst forth in her mind. Didn't Vegeta want her to tell the truth? Why would he give Goten his blessing when he knew there was a possibility that Goten was Bra's half-brother? Bulma felt sick to her stomach. This was all her fault after all, wasn't it?

Bulma didn't know what to do or say. Bra was still staring at her with that inscrutable gaze. Bulma forced herself to crack a smile. She walked up to Bra saying, "I'm so happy for you honey!"

Bulma outstretched her arms to give her daughter a hug. She was startled to see Bra raising a quizzical eyebrow at her. She looked confused and oddly disappointed. 'What was she expecting…" Bulma thought momentarily, "a different reaction?"

Bra blinked and suddenly, it was as if she was a totally new person. Her lips tugged upward into a grin, even her eyes were smiling. It was all happening so quickly, Bulma couldn't help but wonder if Bra was being fake. Bra pulled her dumbstruck Mother into her embrace. It didn't feel like the hugs she received from her son. It wasn't warm. Bra's entire body was tense as if she were on edge about something. Her head was turned away from Bulma's as if she smelled something rancid. 'Does she really hate me?' Bulma thought.

"I am so happy for you," Bulma said earnestly. "I love you, baby girl. I wish you and Goten the best."

Bra didn't even smile.

After the commotion had winded down, Bulma detected Vegeta approaching Goku again. She didn't understand what he was up to. Was he still planning on confronting Goku? If he was, this could turn ugly really fast! This could ruin it for Bra and Goten. 'What are you thinking, Vegeta?'

She watched the two men make a silent exchange, and she observed them slink away from the rest of the crowd and into the forestation of Mt. Paozu. She glanced around anxiously to make sure that nobody was watching her, and she disappeared after them. Once she was within the barrier of the woods, she sprinted into a dead-run.

Bulma had no clue where her restless feet were carrying her. Her eyes searched for snapped branches and shoe indentations in the dirt and leaves, but she couldn't find any. When Saiyans didn't want to be found, they could be very illusive. Despite how livid Vegeta must feel, he was still being careful, which lead Bulma to believe that he didn't want Bra finding out about this.

With a deal of great luck, Bulma was able to find them. Vegeta was in the middle of a tirade. He was too overwhelmed to have even noticed Bulma's arrival. Goku did, he was facing Bulma. He quickly shot her a concerned look, but glanced away almost instantly, so as not to bring attention toward her.

"Did you seriously think that you could fuck my mate and get away with it?" Vegeta was shouting.

Goku waved the palms of his hands in front of his face like white flags. "Vegeta, you don't understand!"

"Really, Kakarrot? Do you really think so? I understand that you're aware of my mate's feelings for you. I understand that you seduced her and fucked her and then tossed her aside like a ragdoll!" Vegeta spat.

"No! It wasn't like that!" Goku protested. "I would never use Bulma like that! I love Bulma!"

Bulma had inched her way closer to Vegeta without even noticing it herself. She could see the tiny hairs on the back of his neck bristle up. His fists were clenched and the air around his body was becoming turbulent. She couldn't entirely follow what happened next. One moment, she was only a few feet away from Vegeta, the next she was staring at an afterimage. There was a smacking sound that resonated throughout the area like a clap of thunder. She could just barely perceive a grunt, followed a by sickening thump as a large mass hit the earth.

Her eyes flitted over to where Goku had been standing only moments before. Vegeta was now standing in his place. He was towered over Goku, who was currently on the ground, grumbling as he rubbed his soar, bleeding nose. Surely he must have seen it coming, but he didn't move an inch. He just allowed Vegeta to floor him.

Bulma failed at stifling her outcry of shock. Without a doubt Vegeta was aware of her presence by now, but he didn't allude to it.

"Did that make you feel any better?" Goku asked with a slight frown. "If it did, then go ahead and hit me again. Hit me as hard as you can!" Goku pointed at his jaw line. "Hit me, but don't take it out on Bulma."

Vegeta smirked. "As a matter of fact, it did," he replied, swiftly kicking Goku in the face with his boot.

Bulma shrieked as she saw the blood spurt forth from his mouth. "St – stop!"

Goku clenched his bloodied teeth and with great resolve, he withheld himself from uttering a cry of pain. Blood oozed over his lips, slipped down his chin, and dripped onto the dirt. He stared down at the small puddle and shook his head solemnly as if he didn't get it.

Vegeta laughed sardonically and asked, "Was it not enough for you to steal my birthright from me?"

"Vegeta… I thought you'd finally come to terms with that…" Goku muttered with a look of disapproval.

Vegeta's huffed and his nostrils flared. "Come to terms with it? Come to terms with it?" he said in disbelief, the tone of his voice rising in a crescendo of volume. "When have you ever had to come to terms with something, hmm? It's not as fucking easy as it sounds! I am a full-blooded Saiyan Prince! You are a mere joke! You weren't the one who witnessed your rival surpass you in strength! You weren't the one who could never – no matter how fucking hard you trained your body and mind – surpass him! You weren't the one who lost his destiny to a 3rd class piece of scum! Ha! You've even saved my life as if I were a defenseless, fragile child!" Vegeta kicked the dirt with his boot. A cloud of dust wafted into the air and Goku had a sudden coughing fit. "You don't know what it's like to take a blow like that! You don't know what it's like to have your pride and honor stomped on as if it were nothing!"

Goku wiped his mouth with his forearm and he cleared his throat. "So we're back to square one again, is that what you're telling me, Vegeta?" Goku inquired.

Vegeta scowled at Goku with contempt. "That is not what I'm saying at all! I will never be okay with the fact that you are stronger than me! I will never stop trying to surpass you! I accept that you are stronger than me; it doesn't mean that I have to like it! No… I simply want to know why you had to go beyond that."

Goku appeared puzzled. "Beyond?"

"Did you really feel the need to take everything from me, everything I've ever worked for?" Vegeta screamed.

"I don't… understand…" Goku murmured, "Bulma isn't leaving you for me."

"I'm not just talking about Bulma!" Vegeta snapped.

Goku frowned and tilted his head, appearing entirely perplexed. "Then what are you talking about?"

Vegeta's eyebrow twitched. "You don't…" he muttered in disbelief. Vegeta swiftly turned on heel and stomped over to where Bulma was standing. He brought his face in close proximity to hers. "He doesn't know?" he asked with a raspy whisper.

"No," Bulma replied.

Vegeta didn't turn back to Goku, but his next words were thunderously loud and they were directed at him: "I should have killed you." He said this as if it were possible despite having admitted his inability to do so only moments earlier.

Goku didn't reply. There was only silence. Vegeta explained himself: "But if I did, it would upset Goten, and that would in-turn make Bra upset. I wouldn't like that."

Vegeta began to walk away. "C'mon woman," he muttered. Bulma was startled for a moment. She glanced back at Goku. His face was all torn up. He could have a concussion. She didn't want to leave him like this…

Vegeta sensed her lack of mobility, turned around, and roughly grabbed her by her bicep, nearly dragging her behind him. "Oh, and Kakarrot, know that if I ever see you anywhere near my family again, you will be a dead man."

Once Vegeta and Bulma were out of earshot, Bulma spoke up, "I thought you wanted me to tell everyone the truth. I get that you don't want me to see Goku ever again, but I just missed my opportunity to tell him the truth."

Vegeta swiftly snapped a tree branch that was in his way. It now hung limply by a few bristles of wood. "I've changed my mind."

"You changed your mind…" she muttered in disbelief.

"What, are you deaf?" Vegeta spat.

"Clarify what you mean by 'you've changed your mind'," Bulma replied.

"You aren't going to tell anybody what happened," he stated plainly.

"Huh?" Bulma exclaimed, losing concentration and tripping over a tree root.

"Nobody can know what happened between you and him because they will be able to draw conclusions. Not everyone is a dolt like him," Vegeta explained in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

"He made connections Vegeta. He asked me if Bra was his daughter when he found out I was pregnant with her. I lied to him. I told him that she wasn't conceived until a week later. I even offered to get an amniocentesis to prove it to him. He trusted me, so he let it go."

"Bra could be his, there's a chance you wouldn't be able to prove it to him anyway," Vegeta said with a grated sounding voice. His anger was beginning to flare again.

"I was going to alter the results if that were the case. It's not as hard as it seems," Bulma replied, feeling as low as the dirt on her shoes. 'When did I ever get that desperate and manipulative?' she thought dismally.

"I guess lying comes easy to you, doesn't it?" Vegeta grumbled.

"I suppose it does," Bulma replied truthfully, ignoring the connotation hidden in his words. "Now, why the change of heart, Vegeta?"

"I am not losing Bra. I am not going to let you wound her like you did me. I don't want her to think differently of you. I don't want to snatch away her happiness. If she really loves that brat, then I am not going to take him from her," Vegeta replied. "I have a lot of reasons."

Bulma frowned. "That's very sweet of you, Vegeta, but if she's is his offspring, then that would make Bra's and Goten's relationship incestuous. That would make their baby inbred."

"And whose fault is that?" Vegeta suddenly snapped. "It is all yours! If you had told the truth from the start, then none of this would have happened! I refuse to make her suffer the consequences of your actions! So what if they're half-siblings? They've already done the worst they could possibly do! She's already pregnant with his brat, woman! What happens happens. If the child is born with 15 eyes and 5 legs, then we know who to blame, don't we?"

"That won't happen, Vegeta," said Bulma. "So, does this mean that you're just going to let this continue on like nothing is out of the ordinary? Shouldn't we at least get a paternity test for Bra so we know the truth? Doesn't she deserve to know the truth?"

Vegeta laughed scathingly. "Didn't she deserve to know the truth 18 years ago when she was born? Didn't I deserve to know the truth when you were pregnant with her?"

"Yes…" Bulma mumbled.

"Right, so we're just going to follow your motto, 'what they don't know won't hurt 'em'," Vegeta said sarcastically.

"Vegeta…" Bulma whispered with worry evident in her voice.

"Now, I myself am a pretty damn good fibber. You're only mediocre. You told me the truth of what happened eventually… you will not slip again, understand?" Vegeta questioned, turning his head to look straight into her eyes. Bulma feebly nodded her head.

" Good, now let's join Bra and Goten and give them our sincere approval," Vegeta said sarcastically, "and to think… I thought I was going to be a bad influence on you! Ha!"

~End Flashback~

Bra Briefs' POV-

Bra drummed her fingers atop her open notebook, appearing absolutely bored. "Remember…" she muttered suddenly, "remember how I told you that there was something that I had left out of the story? Remember how I told you that I was running out of time?"

Bra smiled and laughed a cynical sounding laugh. "Do you also remember how I got interrupted by the doorbell ringing, how I answered it and was met by Goten? Do you remember how he unexpectedly professed his love for me? Well, that problem I was having… I solved it right then and there."

Bra laughed again. "I bet you're really confused right about now. Let me first start off by telling you that karma is a bitch. Secondly, allow me to explain myself:"

Continuation of the Day After Bra Returned from Pelican Isle:

"Please, Bra… reconsider!" Goku pleaded. "No boy is worth all of this, and I have a feeling this won't end well for you,"

Bra rolled her eyes at him. "You've lost; I've won. Accept defeat. Just leave, Goku."

Goku frowned and said, "Not until I've heard the whole truth. Bra, you just told me you're pregnant. How long have you been pregnant?"

Bra scoffed at him. "A couple of days."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

'Damn-it!' she thought. 'I knew he was going to bring this up!' "I'm positive. The baby isn't yours, if that's what you're thinking in that little, pea-brain of yours."

"How can I know that you aren't lying to me?" Goku prodded.

Bra crossed her arms and huffed. "Fine! Be that way! I'm telling you right now that I'm 100% positive that the kid isn't yours, but if you refuse to believe me, I can prove it in a couple of months."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"In a couple of months, I can get an amnio. It'll show that Goten is the Father, I'm certain of that. I wasn't going to do it, but if it will shut you up, I will," Bra said.

"Wouldn't that risk harming the baby?" Goku asked with a concerned sounding voice.

Bra laughed. "I guess so, but it's pretty rare that it does."

"Maybe you should wait until it's born," Goku suggested.

"Nah…" Bra replied dismissively, "I want you off my case as soon as possible."

~End Flashback~

"I know what you're thinking," Bra declared. "You're thinking that I lied to Goku. You're thinking that the baby is his. In any case, if you weren't thinking that, you're probably missing a few brain cells. The thing is… my 'alibi' isn't tight. I told Goku that my baby was conceived a few days before his arrival to confront me, but I didn't have sex with Goten until just the day before. I couldn't have known I was pregnant in just one day. So technically, if he were to go and ask Goten, 'So when did you and Bra first hook-up?' I could be royally screwed!" Bra shrugged her shoulders and said, "But I'm not worried about it. I mean, what are the chances of that happening?"

"So yeah, Goku's my baby daddy. How weird does that sound? I told Goten that I was pregnant with his child a few days ago. He was shocked at first, but I think he kind of likes the idea of having a kid with me. He did the admirable thing and asked for my hand." Bra smiled and flipped to a page in her notebook filled with 'Mrs. Goten Son'. "I accepted of course! Then long-story short, we announced it at the reunion. My Daddy had a cow! Oh! I guess that I forgot to mention he came back the night before the reunion. It was really weird. He and my Mom got in a fight about something, but neither of them has said anything about it since then."

Bra rested an index finger on her chin with a thoughtful expression upon her face. "Come to think of it, they've been acting kind of funny lately. My Dad has really been acting out of sorts. He's especially temperamental when Mom leaves the house to go grocery shopping or something. It's almost as if… he knows that she's cheated on him." Bra laughed and shook her head in disbelief. "Nah… my Mom's the ice queen. She would never spill the beans to him! My poor Daddy… I guess he'll never know what a lying, cheating, bitch she really is!"

"Oh, and speaking of the lying, cheating, bitch… I was really disappointed by her reaction to Goten announcing our impending marriage and my pregnancy. She didn't even look like she was paying any attention to what Goten was saying. She totally looked like she was in la-la land the entire time! Then finally, after Daddy's tantrum passed and everything calmed down, she just suddenly snapped out of it and smiled and congratulated me like #1 Mom. She actually looked like she was genuinely happy for me! What's her deal? She didn't even act funny around Goten! It was as if nothing had ever happened between the two of them! How does she do that?"

Bra clenched her fists and scowled. "Some revenge I got," she spat. "I didn't even get to see an itsy bitsy amount of pain in her eyes."

Bra sighed, "Whatever… I got what I wanted the most anyway. Hm… as for Goku, when I saw him at the reunion, it had seemed to me as if he was going to spill the beans to my Mom and Dad, but I intervened. I got Goten to announce our excellent news in front of everyone and that shut him up real good! I'm not worried about him anymore. I'll just get the DNA results, alter them, show him the altered results, and then burn the evidence. Someone smart like my Mother would be able to tell if something like that was tampered with, but Goku certainly won't be able to see the difference!"

Bra gazed out the window and muttered, "If my Daddy knew the truth about what happened between me and him… he would never forgive himself for letting it happen! Oh well, that's what lies are for, right?"

Bra sat quietly for a minute with a grin on her face.

"So, I don't really know what else to tell you anymore," she suddenly said. "I mean, I've accomplished everything I sought out to accomplish. Goten loves me! That's all I've ever wanted! I didn't want a baby, but whatever, I'm rich, and I can hire a Nanny to take care of the little brat… The feeling of success is still really new and foreign to me. It's like it's just becoming real for me! Goten and I are going to be getting married in a few weeks! We're picking out the engagement ring tomorrow! I'm so happy, I might explode!"

Bra laughed and announced, "I know this is going to sound silly, but… Goten and Bra, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in a baby carriage!"

Bra giggled at her inside joke. "And they lived happily ever after!" she concluded.

The End!

A/N: If you have made it this far, I would like to say thank you, thank you for reading my story. I would greatly appreciate it if you could take the time to a drop a note for me describing your final thoughts upon finishing the story in a review!