Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ A Friend in Need ❯ Chapter 8

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

A/N: I felt that this story needed another chapter or two to properly wrap things up. Here's the first one.

FYI, I don't quite know what Marron's age should be (nor am I inclined to look up when she was born) and for the purposes of this story, none of the kids' ages should be taken as canon. It's not critical- they're just little kids here. :)

I want to thank everyone for all of your reviews. Don't forget to let me know what you think, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own it, not making even half a cent on it. You get the drill.


Vegeta sat down on a patio chair with a beer and watched the children as they ran through the yard, screeching excitedly as they played and chased each other around. Goku's children were present, the youngest playing with his son Trunks, as well as Krillin's daughter Marron, who was playing with Aubergine. He chuckled in amusement at their antics, glad that they were able to have carefree, happy childhoods.

His good mood was short-lived, however, and he held in a sigh as his unwelcome guest sat down in the chair across from him. "Hey Vegeta. How's it going?"

"Fine." Vegeta didn't bother to look at Yamcha. He hadn't been invited to this barbecue, but had heard about it from Krillin and invited himself along. Vegeta didn't want to cause a scene or even worse upset his wife, who was heavily pregnant and would be giving birth to their daughter within the next couple of weeks.

"Nice day, huh?" Yamcha tried again.

This time Vegeta turned his head to look at him. "What do you want, fool?" For some reason he couldn't fathom, Bulma tolerated the worm's presence here today, probably because in the eyes of her friends, it would be strange if she had suddenly decided to dismiss him completely from her life after breaking up with him five years prior.

Yamcha ignored the dig. "Actually, I'm looking forward to a nice juicy hamburger for lunch." He too eyed the children. "They're cute."

Vegeta grunted an assent, wishing that the man would just go away.

"It's funny, Aubergine doesn't really look like either of you," Yamcha commented casually, inwardly preening when he noticed Vegeta tense up a little. "Maybe a bit of Bulma, but I don't see much of you at all. In fact-"

"And just what are you implying?" Vegeta snarled defensively, hoping that the other man hadn't made the connection. "Many children complement one parent over the other. Look at Trunks. He favors my looks much more so than Bulma's, with the exception of his coloring. Aubergine simply favors her mother."

A sneer crept over Yamcha's lips. "I still say she doesn't look a thing like you."

Before Vegeta could respond, Aubergine ran across the lawn and up the patio stairs, propelling herself onto his lap. "Daddy!" she squealed excitedly.

Vegeta let out a little grunt as she landed heavily onto his diaphragm. "Oof, you're getting big, princess," he murmured softly, placing the five-year-old a little more comfortably on his lap. "You're going to squish me as flat as a pancake someday."

Aubergine giggled at her beloved father's joke. "Oh Daddy, you're so silly," she told him, wrapping her arms around his neck and placing a kiss on his cheek.

He chuckled, returning the embrace. This little girl constantly tugged at his heartstrings, easily melting him like butter even when he was in a bad mood. She definitely had him wrapped around her little finger, and may the gods have mercy on him when her sister was born. If Bra was even half as darling as her sister, he had no chance whatsoever.

"Hi, Aubergine."

Aubergine sat up straight, her attention turned to the man who had addressed her. "Hi, Mr. Yamcha," she said shyly. She didn't know him very well as he didn't come around Capsule Corp very often. She wasn't sure whether or not he was a nice person, because she considered her daddy to be the smartest person in the whole wide world, and he didn't seem to like him very much.

"Your dress is very pretty," Yamcha continued in an attempt to further the conversation.

"Gram helped me pick it out," the girl told him, suddenly warming up to him. "I like pink."

"It looks nice," Yamcha agreed, noticing Vegeta's look of displeasure.

The little girl beamed at him. "Thanks Mr. Yamcha."

"You're welcome." Yamcha couldn't miss the soft brown eyes that smiled back at him. They were most definitely not Vegeta's.

They were his.

"Hey, Aubie!" Marron yelled, making Aubergine turn her head in response. "Come see this big fat frog I found!"

Aubergine wrinkled her nose in response. "Eew, frogs are icky!"

"Come on!" Marron urged impatiently.

Vegeta patted the little girl's leg, glad for the change in topic of conversation. Yamcha's interest in his daughter was beginning to creep him out. "Go on and play, princess," he told her. "That frog won't hurt you." In fact, he almost felt sorry for Ginyu, trapped in a frog's body and struggling in vain to free himself from Marron's iron grasp. Almost. Why Ginyu hadn't hopped away a long time ago was still a mystery to him.

"Okay, Daddy." Aubergine hopped down from Vegeta's lap and favored him with a bright smile before running off to join her friend.

Yamcha watched her as she ran over to Marron. "Someone ought to tell Aubergine, you know."

Vegeta felt his stomach do a flip-flop. ~He knows.~ "Tell her what?"

Yamcha looked at Vegeta, rolling his eyes dramatically. "Oh please. I know you're stupid, but you're not that stupid," he taunted, preening when Vegeta looked away and steeled his jaw. "You've been lying to her from day one, haven't you... Daddy?"

Vegeta let out his breath slowly. There was no getting out of this one. "Bulma and I have discussed this in length," he began, leaning over with his elbows on his thighs and hands between his knees. His eyes were trained on the child he'd raised as his own cherished daughter. "We do not wish to upset her and were waiting to tell her when she is old enough to understand."

"Tell her what?" Yamcha asked irritably. "That she's not your daughter, or that I'm her real father? And for that matter, don't you think I deserved to know the truth?"

Vegeta felt his heart sink, unable to dispute what the smug man sitting nearby was accusing him of. "We will tell her when she's mature enough to understand," he reiterated, avoiding the question.

"Coward." Yamcha rose from his chair.

"Wait." Vegeta rose from his chair as well. Yamcha might mock him for his behavior now, but he didn't care what he thought. All that truly mattered was Aubergine's happiness. "Don't break my baby girl's heart."

Yamcha snorted. "Your baby girl?" he asked sarcastically.

Whatever Vegeta was about to say was interrupted by the patio door opening. "Vegeta, the food is ready to grill," Bulma announced. "Want me to bring it out for you?

"No, I will come in and collect it," he told her. "You need to rest."

"Okay." Vegeta looked a little odd, but she didn't want to ask if he was okay in front of Yamcha. She knew he despised Yamcha for what he had done to her and she couldn't blame him. She personally only tolerated him to keep him and the others in the dark about Aubergine. If she put up a fuss about not wanting him around, people would wonder why.

Vegeta gave Yamcha a warning look that clearly meant the discussion wasn't over as he walked through the door after Bulma and slid it shut.

"Vegeta?" Bulma asked, taking his arm gently. "Is everything all right?"

Vegeta sighed. "No."

She frowned. Her husband rarely admitted to a problem he couldn't solve. "What's wrong?" Her eyes widened when she noticed his eyes watching Yamcha, who was strolling over to where the children were playing. "Oh, no. You're not saying..."

Vegeta returned his gaze to his wife and nodded. "He knows."

Bulma's eyes teared up. She knew how manipulative her ex could be. She had experienced that first hand. "What did he say?"

"He said that someone ought to tell Aubergine the truth and was angry that we did not tell him," Vegeta told her in a tired sounding voice.

"You get the food, I'll try to head him off," Bulma told him, squeezing her swollen feet into a pair of sandals by the door.

"All right," Vegeta agreed. What else could they do without making it obvious that they didn't want Yamcha near Aubergine? Then unquestionably everyone would wonder why that was, and he had no doubt that Yamcha would not hesitate to spout his mouth off.

"I know what I'll do. No way can I get there before he opens his big fat mouth." Bulma scooted out the door. "Kids, come get some soda!" she called out, making the children jump up and run toward the house excitedly.

Vegeta chuckled and kissed her on the cheek. "You're going to have a bunch of hyperactive children on your hands, you know. Remember the time Trunks drank that whole bottle of Coke?"

Bulma smiled at him. "That's okay, as long as everyone is happy at the end of the day."

"I married a truly remarkable woman," Vegeta commented, curling an arm around her and kissing her soundly. He gave her a lopsided smirk and grabbed the heavily laden tray of meats and vegetable skewers, making it out the door just before the kids swarmed the house.

Neither of them saw Yamcha glaring at them from across the lawn. Vegeta was right. This wasn't over, not by a long shot.

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