A/N: Thanks for the feedback for Chapter 3! Enjoy this one!

Thanks goes to my great beta zoraarmorlink, who had a look at my translation stuff.

For my german readers you can also read the fic here, how you like it.

Nothing Like The Holidays

Chapter 4: The present

"How…did you know that..." He stammered as he looked at the little thing in the box. Vegeta hadn't seen the symbol in ages, but he had never forgotten it. Nevertheless, he wondered where she had gotten knowledge of it. Although he had told her of the emblem, he hadn’t given her the detail necessary to replicate it like this.

"Oh, I have my contacts," she grinned and was happy that the gift seemed to please him. Yes, she clearly hit the mark. Vegeta was indeed delighted to get such a unique gift.

It was more personal and not as senseless as the presents before. The blue-haired woman had really thought about that carefully.

"If you really want to know, Whis helped a little bit. He showed me a picture of it. Using that image, I thought to myself that it would be nice to customize a chain for you. I mean, you don't have to wear it, but you can just...keep it. "

Vegeta took the necklace with the Saiyan Royal Family Crest out of the box and touched with his rough fingers over the cold silver. "You and Whis... You two sure talk to each other a lot," said the Saiyan, uncertain if she could hear a spark of jealousy.

"Just lately, because of your gift, but otherwise – Wait, are you..." Her lips formed a broad grin that derided the Prince downright.

Vegeta turned red at her words. Unconsciously he clenched his lips and turned his head away from her. "I'm not jealous, if you're trying to say that!" he argued rather loudly. The black-haired fighter clenched the chain a little more firmly in his hand and ran his fingers loose shortly afterwards. Again he looked at the gift his wife had given him.

"I would never dare to say that," she giggled, as if she wasn't taking him very seriously. "I'm just glad that you have at least a little pleasure. Maybe this present will raise your spirits and let you forget what you've endured today."

His wife's protestations sounded more than honest and Vegeta turned his head to her again, even if he still felt the unpleasant redness in his face.

"I just wanted you to have a piece of your past again. I know that it was long ago, but that's still a part of you, after all. With this gift the whole thing shouldn't appear so far away and... forgotten," she finished in a soft voice while looking at him thoughtfully.

Again, there was a comfortable silence between the couple. Vegeta didn't know what to say about her gift. He was far too surprised about how much she seemed to know him.

"Well... I'll go back inside to the others. You can catch up later, when you think you're ready again." With those words, she turned around. As she was about to open the patio door, Vegeta - without hesitation - approached her and grabbed her arm. He pressed the soft fabric of her coat and pulled her back a few centimeters back to him.

"Wait," he whispered just before her face. Without knowing what he really wanted to do he pulled her close to him until their lips locked. An intense kiss in the cold wind, which meant...


Thank you.




~*~




Later, the Saiyan prince was ready again for the charade that has accompanied him throughout the Christmas Eve. However, after receiving the gift from her, he was clearly in high spirits, the agony from hours before seemingly forgotten. Fortunately nobody approached him considering his brilliant acting performance from before. Everyone was busy with their own gifts.

Vegeta sat in a cozy chair and watched his wife like a hawk as she unwrapped gifts with their son and Goten. Of course she noticed that he watched her, but this time Vegeta didn't get an annoyed look, more like a facial expression that told him something else.

The Saiyan licked his lips and realized that he couldn't wait until the hubbub was over to finally be alone with her. Tomorrow he would leave again with Kakarot, so there was just this one night. At that moment when he had kissed her, he regretted it for a hint of a moment that he trained so far away from her. That he couldn't share a bed with her and that he wasn't able to do other things as well that he preferred here and there. But the fighter had chosen this training and didn't regret it fundamentally. After all, the struggle and the constant improvement and self-realization were things that were nevertheless the most important things to him. Although other things gained importance over the years. In addition, his wife wouldn't run away. When she had chosen him, she knew what was essential in his life and that she had to accept it.

Just before the couple went back to the others, she had advised him that he shouldn't drink too much. After all, the last time he had been at home was four months ago. Vegeta knew what Bulma meant with that. Despite the fact that he had dismissed that as vulgar years ago, he was here and there glad that the woman called a spade a spade.

"Vegeta, you seem...changed," he suddenly heard a voice beside him. The Saiyan drove out of his chair up in fright when he saw that Whis was standing with a cup of tea beside him.

"Whis-sama..." he stammered, completely jolt out of his dreams. "C-changed how?"

"You're much more relaxed than hours earlier. During the Christmas dinner you were as stiff as a poker. What is the reason for this change of mood?" he asked curiously as he lifted his cup and took a sip. "This Jägertee that Bulma gave me is really excellent. Although it's almost a little too alcoholic." (A/N: Jagertee [also Jägertee] is an alcoholic beverage made by mixing overproof rum with black tea, red wine, plum brandy, orange juice and various spices. It is served warm and is typically consumed during winter.)

Vegeta did not have the slightest desire to talk with his master about Bulma's gift, even if he knew what it was. It was too personal and didn't concern anyone except him and his wife. So he gave the blue-skinned alien a long-lasting silence.

His eyes were still fixed on the woman who now held Kakarot's granddaughter in her arms. As she carried the little bundle in her arms, she looked really happy, the Saiyajin Prince observed firmly.

"You don't want to talk about it, although I already know what the reason is. Hmm, sometimes you're more than strange. But it looks as if Bulma has already given you your present", he continued talking on omnisciently. The black-haired fighter groaned and looked on his left to his master.

"One does not simply keep anything from you," he hissed almost a little snidely.

"But it's so wonderful the...thing!" It came out squealing from him.

"Uh, I don't get it." The Saiyan was confused why Whis described his chain as 'wonderful'. Somehow the description didn't entirely fit. Was Whis talking about something completely different?

Suddenly, the blue-skinned alien winced slightly and rolled thoughtfully with his eyes. "Well, I thought...nothing more than..." He quickly closed the topic by taking another sip of the hot drink.

"WHAT?" Vegeta was wondering what the whole thing was about. All the time the Saiyan had the feeling that something was wrong and the strange behavior of his master confirmed his suspicion.

"Whis-san!" Bulma had noticed the strange atmosphere between the guys and had approached them. She still had the small Pan on her arm, who clung to the dress of blue-haired woman. "Whis-san, you know that I gave Vegeta the chain. Is it about that?" She looked intently at the blue-skinned man. The black-haired fighter couldn't help himself, but something was strange. The manner in which she mentioned that his gift was indeed the chain sounded pretty strange.

"That's right. I'm so forgetful," he spoke out, laughing a little bit. The Saiyan frowned when he saw the happy face of the alien.

"Can someone tell me what's going on here?" Vegeta asked urgently.

"Nothing," Bulma tried to calm him down. Now she also had a strange grin on her face.

The prince looked between the two once more back and forth. Somehow...there was something in the air, but neither told him anything. Besides, he didn't want to make a scene in front of the others here and now. Vegeta decided to pursue the matter later. No matter what they concealed before him, he would find out.




~*~




The next morning the Saiyan woke up in a bed in which he had not slept in for a long time. It was much softer than the one on Beerus' planet he could call his own. When he opened his eyes, he looked slightly to the right and realized that his wife was gone, which was still warm from her body. The Saiyan stood up and looked around him. It was still a bit dark, as it often happens at this time of year, but he could see that she was not in the bedroom. Still a little bit drowsy he got up and looked for his clothes, which were scattered all over the floor. It took ages because his tank top was completely separated from his pants. The saiyan prince remembered that it had been a little passionate yesterday, which was no surprise after his long absence. However, Vegeta was slightly puzzled where Bulma was. Usually he was the first one to get up and couldn't lie around for hours. Vegeta still had the feeling that something was going on.

After he had slipped over his cozy clothes, he stepped out of the room and crept down the hall to locate the blue-haired woman. Vegeta dared a quick look into his son's room, where he only saw Trunks and Goten lying in the same bed. The children were still sleeping with their toys in the arms. So the Saiyan Prince decided to go to the bathroom, but she wasn't there either.

Before he could continue searching further, he refreshed himself. As he brushed his teeth and washed his face, he stared thoughtfully at his own mirror image. That feeling that something was wrong wouldn’t leave him and sat heavily on his stomach.

After he was done, he turned again down the corridor and went a floor down, when he suddenly heard familiar voices. They were dull, but Vegeta knew who was chatting in the kitchen. Carefully, he walked a few steps down without drawing someone's attention. The conversation was now clearly audible to him. Bulma and Whis were apparently in the kitchen and seemed to drink coffee or something similar and...

"I don't understand why you didn't tell him. Someday he will know about it anyway. Better now than later."

Vegeta was still on the stairs and didn't dare to come even closer. The risk of being discovered was too high. What the hell were they talking about?

"I wanted to... I really wanted to tell him yesterday. But you saw how he was! If I had told him he would have gotten a heart attack."

Vegeta swallowed when he heard the voice of Bulma. So he had was right after all! He knew that something was going on. However, he couldn't hear exactly what they were exactly talking about.

"Maybe he doesn't care at all, or he hates me... I really don't know how he reacts to it. After all, even I haven't expected... Not after all these years. I mean... I had always been careful," she continued in concern.

Tense, the Saiyan pressed his lips together. Why would he freak out? And what didn't she expect after all these years? Why had she always been careful? Vegeta didn't know how he should interpret what she just said. Somehow it sounded like...

"Tell him, once and for all. Then at least you know where you stand and we can stop pretending. I almost blabbed that thing yesterday," he heard his master again.

At Vegeta's temple throbbed a vein. Oh yes, this conversation didn't bode well for him. He couldn't wait any longer - he had to know what they were talking about. Even if the Saiyan knew he would hate himself for his acting, he couldn't help it anymore. These feelings that rose in him were stronger than his rational thinking and acting. Without wasting even a second thought about the pros and cons he crashed into the kitchen where he saw the two friends sitting at dinner table.

Bulma turned, startled by the noise he had made and looked at him aghast. "Vegeta?!" His wife was dressed with her dressing gown and drank a cup of tea with his master. Thus, they didn't do anything out of the ordinary. However, the Saiyan suspected something terrible, after what he had heard.

"You two...are you kidding me?!" Vegeta blurted out, who pointed his right index finger at them.

"Vegeta, I can explain that," she reassured him.

The Saiyan fighter choked on the word. Now that he was standing in front of them, he couldn't say anything. He was literally blocked. With his mouth half open and his hand raised, he stood in the middle of the kitchen and didn't know what to do next. What was he was expecting after his action? Because of the suspicious conversation of the two friends he had suspected them to have an affair. Yes, the great and mighty Vegeta was thinking that his wife had a fling with his master! But now that he saw the two in front of him, he was ashamed of this ridiculous idea. Probably the two would laugh at him if he would only say that presumption.

"Vegeta..." she tried to get him out of his thoughts. "It is impolite to point the finger at people."

Abruptly, he pulled his hand back and crossed his arms embarrassed. "Tell me at least what's going on. You’re acting weird and talking about me behind my back," he said and looked at the two friends skeptically.

Bulma bit her lower lip and glanced at Whis before turning Vegeta to again. "Actually I wanted to tell you this…thing differently, but..." She wondered how she could formulate her words accordingly. The Saiyan watched the blue-haired woman, as she sighed and grabbed aware at her stomach. "I'm pregnant."

Vegeta swallowed as the words echoed in his head. Once again opened his mouth unconsciously until it was ajar. His gaze was now directed at her stomach, which didn't show any rounding yet. He briefly glanced at Whis and hated himself again for the next idea that grazed him: the silly delusion that they had a fling. Their children would certainly look strange. In his mind, a picture of little brats with blue hair and a blue skin manifested. Now the Saiyan Prince felt truly more than ludicrous.

How was it possible that he didn't recognize her pregnancy? The fact that his wife hadn't taken a single drop of her wine to be made clear that she was expecting. Gradually everything started to make sense. Her irritable behavior and also the fact that Whis had his gift called 'wonderful'. Was this his real Christmas present?

"Vegeta, did you hear me? I said that I am pregnant," she repeated. The prince was still staring with parted lips on her appearance and didn't answer her question. Too many thoughts revolved around him, he just didn't know what to make of her pregnancy.

"When," he snorted. "When did that happen?"

A slight smile played on her lips and she came a few steps toward him. "After Freezer..."

Everything seemed to make sense. Vegeta remembered those nights when she had been there for him after he hadn't been able to destroy that damn lizard. The Prince focused on his wife and was now able to feel the ki of his unborn child. Why hadn't he noticed that before? Apparently he had been too busy with himself and his bad temper to realize that obvious fact.

"Vegeta?" Finally his wife wanted to have an answer from him, but the Saiyan still didn't know what to say. Wordlessly, he pressed his lips together tightly and without worrying about their reaction, he turned away from her and headed for the terrace to soak up the fresh air.

"I think he has to digest that," Vegeta could hear the muffled voice of his master, whom he had accused minutes earlier in his thoughts to have a fling with his wife. How stupid and foolish that idea was! The fighter was annoyed about his behavior and the fact that it was not the others, only himself but who made a fool of him.




~*~




It was unfair towards her to say nothing and to punish her with silence. But he needed time to think through everything. He needed distance from her as quickly as possible. Therefore, he was glad that Whis had decided to leave shortly after their confrontation. Everyone stood in the garden of Capsule Corporation and said goodbye to Whis, Beerus, and the two Saiyans.

"Vegeta..." She reminded him once again that she was waiting for a response. "Don't you want to say anything about this? After all, I'm pregnant and you’re leaving again for God knows how long. "

Of course, his departure was not what she wanted. But he had always vowed to himself to continue his training, no matter what happened. Another child wouldn't change this in any way.

"I am sure, he will certainly stop by again," Whis took word for him and Vegeta felt the look of the blue-skinned alien on him. However, he was still stunned by the whole situation that he had nothing to say.

Again Vegeta heard the annoyed sigh of his wife, who thus gave an expression to her displeasure.

"I guess I will never understand you Saiyans..." she finally admitted in defeat. "At least take this." Bulma pulled out an envelope from a side pocket of her jacket and gave it to the prince. Vegeta didn't know what it could be; however, he accepted without a word. "But open it only when you are 'over there'."




~*~




Vegeta sighed with relief when they finally arrived on Beerus' planet. The God and Whis dedicated to the food scraps that Bulma had packed for them, while Goku and Vegeta disappeared to their room, to recover from the exertions.

The Saiyajin Prince sat on his bed as he pulled out the envelope that Bulma gave him and looked at it thoughtfully.

"Congratulations on the baby," said Goku with joyful voice.

"Mind your own business!" Vegeta snorted back. Congratulations from Kakarot was the last thing he needed now.

"Do not be such a sourpuss! That's great news, why can't you be just be happy?" asked his counterpart and lay face down on his bed.

"Tch," he retorted contemptuously and turned his back on his rival. Why wasn't he really happy about it? He didn't know why. Maybe it was the fact that he felt relegated. On that day, when she had announced him Trunks' pregnancy.

He almost hated himself when he thought about his reaction at that time. As he had yelled at her that she should get 'rid' of it. At that time their relationship was completely different in comparison to now. A casual affair that he had with a simple Earth woman. And now? Now this blue-haired beauty was his wife expecting another child without him really wanting it…again. But this time he did not feel outrage as it was then. Vegeta didn't know whether he was glad or not. He could not say it exactly. It was more that he was…afraid. Afraid to show for the second time that he was a lousy father. But perhaps this pregnancy was a kind of second chance that fate had given him. A chance to smooth his mistakes of the past.

Lost in thought, he finally opened the envelope and pulled out a picture and a letter. It was a deduction of an ultrasound image, which showed a fetus. He could see a head, as well as small hands. Vegeta had to swallow, as this child appeared more real in his head. Was that really his second chance? Curious, he unfolded the letter from her, where only a few words were written down. Bulma only said that the image was only a few days old and that she was in the 13th week of pregnancy. However, he caught his breath, as he read her last words.

We are waiting for you.




~*~





"I'll be back in a few hours." Once again Whis made himself ready a short leap to earth. Since Christmas a few weeks had passed and today he was in the mood to taste some food of the blue planet.

"Whis-sama..." Vegeta stepped closer to his master and handed him an envelope with a queasy feeling in his stomach.

"Vegeta-san?" Incredulous, he looked at the envelope that the Saiyan Prince held against him.

"Could you please give that to my wife? A-and without reading it!" he warned, a slight blush apparent.

Again, the blue-skinned alien looked at him curiously, until he finally took the envelope in his hand with a smile. "Of course. Your private affairs do not concern me," he chuckled in amusement. "As mentioned before, I'll be back in a few hours." With these words he said goodbye and turned way from the Saiyan. A moment later Whis was gone and on the way to Earth.

Vegeta looked joyfully in the sky. A slight smirk was on his lips as he thought of what was in the envelope. It was a letter that was intended for his wife and fervently he hoped that Whis keep his promise to not read it. The things he had written were only determined for her eyes only.

The Saiyan still didn't know what to make of this sudden pregnancy. But he was not alone.

His grin widened as he recalled the words of his writing in his memory.




Bulma...


I cannot cancel or pause my training with Whis.
I can't do it.
You're the only one who can persuade him.
You'll find a way to do so, I'm sure of that.
My belated Christmas present to you is therefore ... time.
Time that I have to spend with you to figure out what to make of this new situation.
Time that I would like to make of us... and to not make the same mistakes again.
Time for you. For you and the unborn child.
This time I want to do it right.

A/N: Thank u for reading I hope you enjoyed this little story and with that I wish you all a Merry Christmas! I am so glad to be in this community and I enjoy every day reading and writing comments where we exchange views and so on.