Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z or the characters.

AN: Okay, got that out of the way. I want to thank my beta reader, niteryde, for looking this over for me. This is my first attempt at a Vegeta/Trunks family story. Let me know how I did. I hope everyone enjoys this tale.

The lab was silent with the exception of a small rattling sound emanating from a small rectangle play pen sitting in the center of the room. Surrounded by a variety of stuffed animals and other instruments of excitement sat not only the heir to the building that housed him, but the prince to a vanquished race.

Trunks had a perplexed look on his face while he sucked furiously on the small white pacifier in his mouth. His blue eyes were attentive on a small red and white square box that sat between his small legs. He had seen many of the same boxes on different days and each time he was granted a surprise from inside - a clown, bear or other animal emerging once he turned the small lever on the right side of the device.

He glanced at the handle he held in the palm of his right hand. He had turned it a couple of times and yet nothing happened. He couldn't understand what was wrong. Picking up the box, he shook it back and forth. The rattling sound echoed off the laboratory walls. There was something in the box, he knew there was.

Setting the box down, he once again took the handle into his hand and began turning it slowly. A light jingle emitted from the box bringing his anticipation level up. He waited eagerly for his surprise to greet him face to face just like all the others.

But nothing happened.

The young Saiyan frowned as he fell onto his back and rolled over so that he was now positioned on all fours. He stood up, steadied his balance and turned back toward his toy. Bending down, he took it into his hands and just as quick tossed it over the edge of his playpen.

He laughed with delight as the toy smashed against the marble floor and released the small dog that sat dormant inside the box. A small smirk fell across his face as if he had secured his victory over the stubborn inanimate object.

Peering over the top of the mesh prison that encased him, he watched his mother work frivolously over one of her many inventions. He was perceptive, even at his young age, to his mother's routine. He watched as she smiled, fussed and occasionally swore at whatever new project she indulged herself in. This time, however she was silent which caught his curiosity. He turned his head from left to right in an attempt to get a better look at whatever had completely captured his mother's attention.

His vision was obscured by Bulma as she walked around the table she was working from. Trunks scrunched his nose and twisted the corner of his lips into a scowl. He was not going to be deterred from viewing what he hoped was a new toy for him to play with. Tightening his grip on the edge of the playpen, he struggled to pull himself over the top. As he pushed off with his legs his fingers slipped, causing the little miscreant to fall back on his diapered behind. His scowl deepened as he tried again.

Down he went for a second time. He huffed in frustration and stared blankly at his hands as if to wonder why they weren't helping him with his break out. He latched onto the edge of the playpen again but paused as a loud voice startled him. A voice he had become very much accustomed to.

"WOMAN! Woman, where are you?"

Trunks smiled at the sound of his father's voice. Despite the tone, the only thing on his mind was his immediate release from the four walls that kept him from looking at his new toy. He watched as the laboratory door swung open and his father stood before him with an angry look in his eyes. The young Saiyan hastily rushed over to the south end of his playpen and extended his arms upward. His little legs bounced happily as he watched his father approach him.

Vegeta's eyes never swayed away from his wife as he made his way toward her. Stepping to the side he bypassed the obstruction with his son inside and continued toward the source of his anger. He stopped and paused as he eyed the vision before him, taking a special interest in her ass as she bent over the table in front of her to reach something she needed on the other side. It took every will within his body to restrain himself. He had bigger issues to contest.

"Do you not hear me calling you, woman?"

Tightening her grip on the open-end wrench in her left hand, Bulma slowly turned toward her husband.

"Vegeta, I don't have time to argue with you right now. Can't you see I'm busy?"

"What I see is no breakfast on the table and it's already past ten o'clock. You like to invent things, right? So invent yourself a watch to remind you of when you're supposed to have food on the table." Vegeta glanced at the weapon in Bulma's hand. "What are you going to do with that?"

"You'll find out if you don't leave me alone," Bulma stated as serious as possible. "I really need to finish this in the next two hours."

Vegeta threw his head back with a smug look on his face. "You know if you tried to attack me I'd stop you before you even began."

Bulma sighed. "You know I would not try to hit you with this wrench, Vegeta, it's just that I have to finish this prototype."

Taking his eyes off his wife since the first time he entered the lab, Vegeta glanced behind her at the item that had taken her away from performing her wifely duties, at least in his eyes. He contemplated blasting it to pieces.

"What the hell are you working on that is more important than preparing my breakfast?"

Bulma smiled and extended her arm over her invention as if she were presenting a prize to a contestant on a game show.

"This is a revolutionary invention that is going to change the way we travel from point A to point B. Allow me to introduce you to Capsule Corporations first electric running car."

Vegeta looked over the small car that sat in the center of the table. "That's nothing more than one of the toys the boy plays with. Stop wasting time and fix my breakfast."

Bulma immediately place her hands on her hips, her smile long gone. "It is not a toy, it's a prototype."

"Same shit," Vegeta replied while shrugging his indifference. "What are you going to do with that thing? Put your fingers inside and drive it down the street?" He smiled at his witty remark. "I'd like to see that. The brilliant Bulma reduced to nothing more than an utter buffoon."

"Oh, really?" Bulma smirked. "You think I'm brilliant?"

Vegeta blinked, recalling the words he used. He frowned immediately. "Stop stalling and get upstairs and fix me something to eat. I've been training all morning and now I'm hungry so get going."

Trunks watched the exchange between his parents with an unpleasant look on his face. His desire to view his potential new toy was thwarted by his parents disregard for his immediate release. He slowly walked toward the north end of the playpen, the side closest to his parents. Removing the pacifier in his mouth, Trunks cried out softly to gain his parents attention.

He huffed as his attempt failed.

Pushing the pacifier back into his mouth, Trunks pondered his next alternative move. He grinned as the gums in his mouth kept his pacifier from falling out. Keeping his hold on the edge of the playpen, he widened his stance and bent his knees. With his eyes focused on his parents, he scrunched his face in an attempt to release the one thing he knew would grant him his freedom.

Walking around the table, Vegeta carefully eyed the device on the table. Taking in into his hand, he blinked then looked at his wife.

"What are you wasting your time on this thing for?"

"I am not wasting my time, Vegeta," Bulma stated. "This invention will change the world. If we all used up less gas then we could eliminate pollutants in the air over the next few years. That's only a shell of the actual car but I was able to apply the wheels to the outside as well as the seats and steering wheel on the inside."

"Hn," Vegeta huffed as he carelessly tossed the small car toward Bulma, smiling as she frantically attempted to capture the item in her hands. "Still looks like a waste of time."

"Fine, Vegeta, but you'll see one day. I'm going to present this to the scientific convention tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be able to attract some buyers right away. This will put Capsule Corporations further on the map."

"Whatever, just hurry up and fix me my breakfast," Vegeta's demeanor changed as his nose tilted upward. He cautiously sniffed the air then paused before pinching the ends of his nose. "What is that fucking smell?"

"Hm?" Looking around, Bulma turned and looked at her son who looked back at her with a smile on his face. She giggled as she watched her son's expression resemble that of a pleasant reaction. She knew what that meant. "It looks like Trunks had an accident."

Vegeta groaned as he watched Bulma walk toward their son and remove him from his playpen.

"Trunks did you have an accident? Did you make a stink?" Bulma cooed as she rubbed her son's back soothingly.

"Make a stink, he does stink! Whatever you are feeding him, don't give that to me," Vegeta complained.

"Stop it, Vegeta," Bulma warned. "You'll hurt his feelings and besides, you don't smell that good either after training all morning. Maybe you need someone to clean you up as well."

"My smell is from training hard to ensure someone doesn't come to this planet to kill you. His smell is to kill us all. He's too old to smell that bad."

"He's only twenty two months old, Vegeta. He's bound to have accidents," Bulma replied as she turned and carried their son out of the laboratory.

Vegeta quickly gave chase after them. "Twenty-two months old is too damn old to shit on yourself. Doesn't he know how to use the fucking bathroom? That is disgusting."

Glancing over her shoulder, Bulma rolled her eyes at the angry prince.

"Well maybe while you look after him this week you can teach him how to use the potty upstairs. Consider it a way to bond with your son."

Vegeta stopped walking and stared at Bulma with a confused look on his face. "Who says I'm looking after him for a week? That is your son."

"Our son," Bulma corrected him. "I thought you'd forget if I told you a week in advance but I was hoping you would remember something that was important to me. I'm going with my parents to the science convention over in North City and I asked that you watch Trunks while I was away."

Vegeta shook his head and the three of them packed into the elevator to transmit them to the top floor.

"You never asked me because if you did I would have remembered telling you no. I'm not watching him. Just take him with you."

"I can't do that. I'll be in meetings all week. It will be too hectic for an infant and I would ask Chi-Chi to watch him but she already has Goten to take care of. I don't want to add another child for her to care for," Bulma explained.

Vegeta scoffed and folded his arms against his chest. "She can look after one more because I'm not watching him, Bulma. What made you think I would agree to that?"

"Hm? Well let's see-" Bulma looked upward as if to consider the reason for her request. "-because he's your son, and you need to spend time with him. I can't always take him with me everywhere I go. Do you want him to become a momma's boy?"

Stepping off the elevator, Vegeta watched as Bulma walked by him then he quickly followed.

"Momma's boy?"

Bulma nodded as she proceeded up the stairs toward Trunks room. "Yes, it is what you call a child who is always around his mother. Following her around and always holding on to her. They never leave their mother's side."

Vegeta chuckled. "You mean like Kakarot's oldest brat?"

"Cut it out, Vegeta. That's not nice."

Pushing open the door to Trunks room, Bulma quickly laid him on the changing table on the right side of the room. Slowly she unbuttoned his pants and began slipping his legs out one by one.

"Look Vegeta, I never ask you for a favor but I really need one this time. With both my parents coming with me I can't depend on them to help me out."

Leaning against the wall beside the table, Vegeta watched as Bulma continued to undress their son.

"I can see why your father is going but what is your mother going for? What can she do except get in the way?"

Unfastening Trunks' diaper, Bulma glanced at Vegeta. "She's going for support. Since my father retired, they've decided they want to do everything together, and that includes going to this convention. Maybe one day you and I will do everything together without a big argument."

"Doubt it," Vegeta replied as he continued to watch Bulma's actions with their son. His eyes enlarged as he watched Bulma lower his diaper and reveal the contents inside. He swiftly turned his head aside and pinched his nose. "Ugh, that boy is repulsive. There is food in there. Doesn't he know how to chew? Disgusting."

Bulma sighed as she removed the diaper and set it aside. She immediately grabbed some wipes from a nearby tin and began cleaning her son's lower region. She glanced at her husband as he refused to turn around and finish watching her clean their son.

"Stop acting so childish. Teach him how to use the potty while I'm gone." Setting the wipes aside, Bulma paused and looked at her son who was staring at her with a smile on his face. "You want to learn how to use the potty, right Trunks?"

Trunks kicked his legs and laughed but did not respond. Bulma smiled and brought her fingers under his chin, tickling him playfully.

"Quit playing and finish cleaning him so you can throw out that filthy shit over there," Vegeta spoke as he turned back toward the two.

His mouth gaped open as the feeling of warm liquid fell against his leg. Looking down he growled at the sight of urine hitting his clothes.

"What the fuck? Woman!"

Looking back at her husband, Bulma held her laughter as she quickly grabbed a clean diaper and held it over her son. She studied her husband's face as he shook immensely in anger. She couldn't hold her laughter anymore and threw her head back as it echoed throughout the room.

"You…You made him do that on purpose. That little brat!" Vegeta yelled angrily.

"Stop yelling, Vegeta. You know he's sorry for doing that," Bulma turned toward Trunks. "Aren't you?"

Trunks laughed which only angered Vegeta more. "You expect me to watch him after that? You can forget it."

Vegeta couldn't leave the room fast enough as he stripped his clothes off with every step he took. The thought of remaining in clothing soaked in his son's urine made his skin crawl. Stepping into the bathroom, Vegeta cut the water on and waited until steam engulfed him. He stood beneath the water as it covered his body completely.

As he water cascaded down Vegeta's body he contemplated his wife's request. It was out of the question, his son or not. His days were just that, his, and he was not looking to add an unneeded distraction. He had made it his sole mission to increase his power and strength; he had to. After witnessing the son of his rival kill one of the vilest creatures Earth had ever seen, he took it as a personal sign that he wasn't up to par. His level of contingent was mediocre at best, especially if he gets bested by a mere child.

Glancing at the bathroom door, he could hear the sound of heels moving against the floor. An obvious sign that his wife was approaching. He frowned. She always seemed to interrupt him during his personal moments. He waited for the door to swing open and the angry creature that always took over his wife when she couldn't get her way right away to appear.

He waited for what seemed like an eternity but the door never opened. He looked puzzled for a moment as he heard the same footsteps from earlier begin to fade away. He smiled once he was sure she had left him on peace. His thoughts however had shifted back toward Bulma's request.

He just wouldn't do it and that was final. The boy was her responsibility, not his. As he saw it, he only had one responsibility and that was to train and improve his skills. His desires did not include looking after a baby who still couldn't control his bowels. In the end, he concluded the boy was better off with his mother. There was no way he was going to be stuck with him for an entire week.

Shutting the water off, Vegeta reached for the nearest towel but felt his hand on an empty bar. He frowned and stuck his head out from behind the shower curtain to see there were no spare towels in the room.

"That damn woman..." he muttered beneath his breath as he emerged from the shower dripping wet.

He rambled on about the laziness of Earth women as he grabbed the knob to the bathroom door and pulled it back. His attempt to leave was stalled by the image of Bulma as she stood in front of the door with a large white towel hanging loosely from her arm.

"I'm sorry, the laundry isn't back from being cleaned but I was able to find a towel for you to use," she said.

Vegeta hesitated as he stared at the towel then at his wife. Mumbling beneath his breath he took the towel and proceeded to wrap it around his waist.

"I'm still not watching the boy," he stated matter-of-factly.

Bulma nodded. "I know and it's okay. I called Yamcha and he agreed to look after him the week."

The heat within Vegeta's body began to rise causing the drops of water that sat on his skin to dry up and dissipate.

"You will not allow that idiot to look after him. I won't allow it and it is not up for discussion."

Bulma stared at her husband momentarily before sighing. "Alright Vegeta, I'll just take him with me, okay?" Turning away from him, Bulma walked towards the bedroom door then stopped. "Your breakfast is on the table downstairs. Hurry up and eat it before it gets cold."

Vegeta stood dumbfounded in front of the bathroom as the image of his wife disappeared. He waited for her to return and complain about his lack of desire to watch their son but she never came back. Had he seriously gotten his way without an argument? A part of him was satisfied that Bulma was learning to leave him alone, while the other half was disappointed she didn't argue with him further. He couldn't deny the heat that pulsed through his body when they did. If he had it his way he would have taken her bent over the bathroom sink just from the moment she began to dispute his response.

Chuckling softly, he kept the image of his needs toward the back of his mind and decided for now he would concentrate on feeding his hunger and then he would concern himself with his sexual desires.

Pulling a white t-shirt and black shorts from his drawer, Vegeta dressed in haste and left the room without a second thought. His steps were steady as he walked down the stairs and toward the kitchen to engulf his meal. He stopped in the doorway and watched as his son sat in his high-chair playfully slapping the palm of his hand against a now flatten array of syrup and pancakes.

Vegeta mused as he sat down on the opposite end of the table and stared at the stack of pancakes sitting before him. He smiled and began eating as quickly as he could; his long overdue hunger slowly began to subside.

"How is it?" Bulma questioned as she walked into the room.

Vegeta glanced at her through the corner of his eye as he continued to shovel remnants of his breakfast into his mouth. He watched as she struggled with the small prototype she was working on, as well as a couple of blueprints that were tucked beneath her arm. He snorted and placed his attention back on the true matter at hand.

"It's fine." He smiled. "A little dry though."

Bulma nodded her head stiffly and walked around the table. She smiled as she looked at her son who returned her glance with a huge grin on his face. Syrup dripped along his cheeks and chin as his lips smacked together.

"Mommy!" he called out with joy.

Watching the interaction between the two, Vegeta couldn't help but keep his eyes solely on his wife. For the second time she had refused to engage him in conversation when he obviously had insulted her food. The fork in his hand clattered against his plate as he sat back against his chair. Something wasn't right but he couldn't quite put his finger on the situation. He couldn't help but wonder what his wife was up to. She wasn't acting like herself.

Wiping her son's mouth with a napkin she retrieved from the table, Bulma cleaned Trunks' face.

"I have to get going. I told my parents I would meet them at the hotel a little early so we can look over the blueprints for the presentations we'll be giving this week." She turned and looked at Vegeta. "I've made extra food but I didn't have time to make enough to last the week. I'm sorry but you know where all the credit cards are in case you want to order something to eat."

Vegeta didn't reply. He just stared at Bulma, continuing to wonder what was wrong with her. This wasn't like her, not at all. She wasn't arguing with him and she even apologized, something he was sure she didn't know how to do in the years he'd known her.

Bulma smiled as she struggled to shift the items in her arm to one side while attempting to lift her son up from beneath his left arm.

"C'mon Trunks. You get to see North City and stay in a hotel. How does that sound?" she questioned.

Trunks laughed with delight as Bulma continued to struggle to pull him up so she could support him against her waist.

Vegeta sat uncomfortably in his seat as he continued to watch Bulma try to keep everything in her arms and support their son at the same time. He couldn't explain it but a sudden fear was pulsating through his body. Where the feeling was coming from, he wasn't sure, but the sight before him was making him feel very uneasy.

"I'll be back a week from today. Make sure you don't break the gravity chamber while I'm gone. I won't be able to fix it for you while I'm gone. Have a good week."

Vegeta was silent as he watched his wife and son slowly stagger toward the entry way of the kitchen. Trunks was oblivious to the situation in its entirety but he knew Bulma had to have more common sense than she was showing. There was no way she would be able to make it out of the house without dropping something from her arms, and if something were to fall, it had better not be his son.

He refused to take the risk and before he could contest his feelings, he found himself standing behind the blue heiress with a hand on her shoulder. He glanced at his son who looked back at him with the same smile on his face. He shook his head. The situation was nothing to smile about.

"Give him to me," he spoke as he took Trunks away from Bulma and held him in his arms. "I will not have you drop him because you're too lazy to make more than one trip back inside to get him."

"Thank you."

Bulma balanced the remaining items under her arms and walked toward the front door with Vegeta and Trunks following close behind.

"You're leaving now?" Vegeta questioned as he followed his wife outside. He watched as she placed the blueprints and prototype on the grass and reached into her pocket.

"Yes," Bulma retrieved two capsules. Pressing down on capsule #25 and #31, she tossed them to the side to reveal her helicopter and two suitcases, one larger than the other. "Why?"

Moving closer to his wife, Vegeta held Trunks to the side and brushed his lips against his wife's ear.

"You can't leave until I take you upstairs and plow you through the bed."

Bulma smiled as she turned her head and pressed her lips against his cheek. "I'll owe you one when I return. I have to go now."

Picking up her suitcases, she placed them in the backseat of the helicopter then went back for her blueprints.

"I love you, Vegeta. Thank you for being so understanding about me having to go away for a week."

She placed the blueprints inside the helicopter then walked back toward her family. Snaking her hand around her husband's waist, she brought her head against his chest.

"I'm going to miss you so much."

Glancing at his wife, Vegeta smiled as he pressed his hips closer to hers. "Something on me will miss you too. Why don't you go make him happy before you leave?"

Smiling, Bulma lifted her head and pressed her lips against his, kissing him softly. She pulled away and blew him a kiss. Turning away, her smile increased imitating a sinister smirk. Climbing into the helicopter, she waved to Vegeta as she blew him another kiss and closed the window to seal herself inside.

She mentally concluded she had to call Chi-Chi when she arrived. She couldn't wait to inform her closest friend that her plan of being quiet and seductive confused the Saiyan prince. It was amazing to see the same thing that worked with her husband work on hers. She kept in mind she could never reveal the truth to him. The world wouldn't be able to stand him finding out he fell for a ploy usually reserved for Goku.

Starting the helicopter, she waved goodbye and took off as quickly as she could.

Hearing a whining sound, Vegeta finally noticed Trunks in his arms. He blinked in disbelief. He could not comprehend what had just transpired. Glancing down, he felt the hands of his son cling tightly to his white t-shirt as a gust of wind encircled them thanks to the chopper's blades. His anger had reached its end. He mentally cursed himself for allowing himself to fall for her kindness. He made a note to himself to never believe a word she said for as long as he allowed her to live.

He shook his head. This was not going to happen. Not while he could still do something about it. Pulling Trunks away from his clothes, Vegeta glared at the baby who suddenly had a look of fright on his face. Without saying a word, the prince moved quickly, so fast in fact that his movement would have been oblivious to the untrained eye. He appeared in front of the helicopter and stared menacing at Bulma.

"I'm in no mood for your games, woman. You are taking this boy with you and that's final."

Lifting the window to her helicopter upward, Bulma smiled innocently at her clearly angry husband.

"It's just for one week, Vegeta. You two could learn so much from each other." she replied.

Vegeta scoffed as he held Trunks out and waited for Bulma to retrieve him. "Save that line of crap for somebody else. Reach out here and take your son."

Bulma narrowed her eyes and glared at Vegeta. She couldn't believe his stubbornness on a simple matter such as this. She wasn't going to back down. Not when she was so close. She paused momentarily then quickly turned the steering wheel toward the right, in an attempt to maneuver away from the sullen prince.

Vegeta was not as easily fooled as he disappeared and materialized in front of the helicopter once again.

"I can do this all day, woman. You're the one who has somewhere to go so keep playing this game if you want."

"Dammit Vegeta."

Bulma fumed as she tried to steer the helicopter to the left but Vegeta appeared once again to block her way. The two continued to maneuver back and forth in a war that neither one was ready to lose. Floating aimlessly in the air, Bulma growled angrily.

"Stop it Vegeta. You're acting like a big baby over this."

"Hn. The only baby here is him, so come get him and go."

Trunks glanced back and forth between his parents. His face contorted as he slowly began to cough. Vegeta raised his eyebrow as he turned his son toward him and looked him over. He hadn't quite gotten used to the many emotions of his child. It confused him.

"Now what's your problem?" he questioned Trunks. "I'm not going to put up with your shit either, got it?"

Trunks responded the only way he could: by releasing a small amount of vomit on his father's shirt. Looking up at Vegeta, the young Saiyan's lips began to quiver as tears started to form against his eyelids.

Holding his son away from his body, Vegeta had a look of horror across his face as he glanced down at his shirt. He was speechless. For the second time in one day his son had desecrated his clothes.

Watching the scene unfold, Bulma smiled and waved goodbye to her husband and son.

"I love you both and I will see you in a week. Oh, and Vegeta, laundry will be dropped off later this afternoon so don't forget to answer the door, okay?"

Blowing her son a kiss, Bulma closed the window to her helicopter and took off as fast as she could to give herself some space between herself and the mess her son had left behind.

Vegeta was oblivious to Bulma's departure as his eyes were fixated on his shirt. He watched as the vomit began to soak against the material, touching his chest and dripping down towards his waist. The sound of his son crying brought him out of his trance. Looking around he cursed loudly, finally noticing he was alone with Trunks, something he tried so hard to avoid.

"I swear I will kill that damn woman when she gets back."

He glared at Trunks who continued to cry in his arms. Vegeta sighed. So far the day was not going his way. There was no denying it. He was in hell and there would be no way out, at least for the next few days.

He watched Trunks as the infant threw his head back and cried harder than before. Vegeta cringed, remembering why he always felt children were nothing more than burdens.

He frowned. Six and a half more days to go...