The sunlight filtered through the window pane, bathing the room in a warm glow. I stirred, feeling more comfortable than ever before, and squinted against the bright light. A muscular arm encircled my waist protectively and I smiled to myself, last night's activities coming back to me. Oh, boy, who knew that crazy Saiya-jin had so much energy?
I twisted on my other side. Vegeta was fast asleep, his expression placid. I traced the angular shape of his face with my fingers.
"Wake up, my Prince," I called softly, kissing those irresistibly soft lips.
He moaned something unintelligent, twitching a little, then lay still.
"Well," I said in this ear. "I'm gonna go fix you the biggest mound of pancakes you've ever had." I squirmed out of his arms and sat up. A hand shot out and grabbed my wrist.
"I am awake," Vegeta murmured, eyes only half open and clouded with sleep. "Don't go."
"You'll never get any breakfast," I scowled lightly.
"Let's just lay here."
I sighed and allowed him to pull me back under the covers. My breath was taken away as bare skin met bare skin. It was going to be hard getting used to Vegeta's deliciously contrasting hard muscles and soft skin. If any man had affected me with a mere touch, it was Vegeta. And now we were married.
"Vegeta?"
"Mmm?"
"I- I don't know how to live with a Saiya-jin."
He opened an eye. "And I do not know how to live with a human so I suppose we will have to learn together."
He snuggled against me and soon we were both asleep.
* * *
Two years later.
I hesitated outside the closed door of Vegeta's gravity room, my hand paused just above the button that would open it. What if he didn't want to hear my news and grew angry? Our fights had never been few and far between and sometimes we'd even had to separate ourselves for weeks. But this was important, could be a turning point in both our lives and I felt the immense need for my husband to have the same joy in this news that I did.
I clenched the paper in my other hand and pressed the button. Immediately, the gravity level zoomed to zero and the door hissed as it opened.
"ALLY!!"
I winced, hearing that furious tone, and stepped timidly into the chamber. Vegeta faced me, sweat-covered from his training. His arms were crossed, a deep scowl on his face.
"You are not supposed to bother me while I am in the gravity room, woman!" he snapped.
Normally, I would have spat back an insolent reply but today I was eager to please and apologized.
"I have some news," I said.
"News?! I was in the middle of a new attack when you nearly caused me to bump my head on the ceiling by turning off the gravity and all you have is news?!"
"Yes, Vegeta." I realized my hand was cramping and loosened my tight grip on the paper. "You know I went to the doctor today."
"What for? You aren't ill."
I smiled wanly. "I went to get a few tests taken."
"That's it? That's what you bothered me for?" He turned away.
"I'm pregnant, Vegeta," I blurted.
He spun around, pure shock enveloping his face. "Pregnant?"
"Yes, Vegeta. As in- nine months from now I'll have a baby. That is . . . if you want to keep it."
He swallowed. "Male or female?"
I stared down at my hands. "I was amazed at how advanced the equipment is here . . . they say it will be a boy."
His eyes were unfocused, unseeing, mouth slack.
"Vegeta," I said quietly. "Say something . . . "
He blinked slowly and looked at me. "You're pregnant?"
I nodded.
A smile gradually formed and broke out into a wide grin. "A boy?"
"Yes, yes," I replied, relief flooding over me. There were tears in my eyes that flew into the air when Vegeta ran to me and danced us around the room.
* * *
Six years later.
"All right, you two," I fused, fixing the little boy's tiny bow-tie for the millionth time and retying his younger sister's hair beret. "Be on your best behavior, ok? These are Mommy's best friends in the whole world and most of them have never seen you before." I straightened, knocked on the door, and took their hands.
The door opened and we were blasted with music and laugher.
"Ally!"
"Krillin!" I cried, giving my old friend a big hug. "Long time no see! How's it going?"
"I'm great!" He bent down, ruffling the little boy's hair. "How is my favorite godson?"
The boy beamed. "Krilly!"
"And who is this pretty young lady with you?"
"My daughter," I told him.
The bald monk's eyes widened. "You had another baby?"
I grinned. "Are you going to let us in or what?"
"Oh, right." He stood aside. "Hey everyone! Ally's here with the kids!"
The music was turned down and we were greeted with warm "hellos" from the crowd.
"Two kids now, Ally?" asked Yamucha who had his arms wrapped around Bulma.
"Well, most of you know Trilku and saw him five years ago at the last reunion. He's six now. The girl is Bapa and she's two."
ChiChi heard me talking and bounded over. "There are my precious grandbabies!" She smacked a kiss on both their cheeks. Trilku, always the rebel, wiped it off sulkily while Bapa only giggled.
"Come on, buddy," Krillin said to Trilku, winking at me. "Let's go get a soda."
Trilku brightened and followed him into the kitchen. ChiChi took Bapa from me, showing her off to everyone. Waving at me from across the room, Gokou came over and hugged me.
"Hi, Dad."
"Where's Vegeta?" he asked, peering over my shoulder.
"Out in the hover car. You know how he hates parties."
"Hmm. I'll go say hi to him."
I shook my head at him as he left me alone again. Silly men, I mused. Seeking out someone to talk to, I spotted Piccolo in a corner. I started over to him but a tall guy bumped into me.
"Sorry, sis."
I did a double-take. "Gohan? Hey! You're . . . you've grown up!"
He grinned, adjusting his glasses. "A little."
"A little?" I cried. "Look at you! You've become drop-dead gorgeous man!"
He blushed, clearing his throat. For the first time, I saw the young girl on his arm. I lit up.
"Videl! So nice to finally meet you!"
She looked confused but Gohan only laughed. "Don't ask. Ally here knew all of us before she . . . well, knew us. It's complicated. So, sis, coming to graduation next Sunday?"
"Of course. Wouldn't miss it for the world. Kami! I can't believe it's been ten years already!"
"Time flies when you're having fun, I suppose. We're going to go see those two kids of yours so we'll talk again later, ok?"
"Sure," I said. Something poked at me in the back of my mind. Like what Gohan said had reminded me . . . but I couldn't quite grasp it. Shrugging it off, I made my way to Piccolo.
He smiled as I walked up. "Your children look like you, Ally."
"Is that a compliment?" I joked good-naturedly.
"Actually, Trilku looks more like his father day by day. The hair does at least."
We watched Krillin play with the little boy for a while. Goten, Gokou and ChiChi's second son who was about Trilku's age, and Bulma's son joined them in a game of tag around the other guests.
"Where is he anyway?" Piccolo asked.
"Vegeta? Oh, he's probably still outside wondering which is more dangerous: a room full of overly-happy people or 'that moronic Kakarrot'."
Piccolo chuckled.
"Now Bapa," I said. "Looks more like my mother."
"ChiChi? I fail to see the resemblance . . . "
"No, I meant-" I stopped, realizing what I'd said. I hadn't thought about my riaru parents in more than six years. Piccolo lay a hand on my shoulder, showing a sign of concern.
Embarrassed, I changed the subject. "I came over to ask you a question. You know Vegeta and I asked Krillin to be Trilku's godfather. Well, there's Bapa now and we thought . . . What I'm trying to ask you is that I know you aren't the kind of person to-"
"You were wondering if I would be her godfather?" he finished for me.
"Yeah. Would you Piccolo? She already likes you. Remember t her first birthday and she refused to leave your lap all night until she fell asleep?"
"I remember." He leaned back against the wall, thinking. "How can I say no?"
"Oh, thank you, Piccolo!" I cried, grasping his hand. "I'll go tell Vegeta right now!"
Suddenly the aura of some great being washed over me and I staggered. The room became deathly quiet as everyone else also felt the arrival of that terrible power. We all dashed outside, all except for me. I hung back. I knew who possessed such an awesome power though I had not felt his presence in almost ten years . . .
His long, enormous body cast a shadow over the land, over the Dragon Ball Z fighters crowded beneath him. I moved out to the porch, fear boiling up inside of me. Fear, not of this great beast, but of what he could do to me. I tried to shake off the horrible dread. Hadn't he once said I could never return? I prayed silently to Kami that someone had called the Eternal Dragon, for Shenlong it was.
Almost like a whisper in my ear, I heard Kami sigh. "I am sorry, Ally."
No, no. Shenlong had to be here only to grant a wish. He had to. The front door creaked and Bulma emerged, carrying an inactive Dragonball, a puzzled expression on her face.
"It's not the Dragonballs," she muttered.
Shenlong spoke, low and rumbling in my soles. "I have not come to grant a wish, but to converse with the girl you call Ally."
Instantly, everyone's eyes were on me, who had edged further away.
"What . . . what is it, Shenlong?" I asked in a small voice.
"I fear I have made a grave mistake, young one."
"Mistake?" I squeaked.
"While ten years have passed away here, ten days have passed away in the world you came from."
"So? I- I chose to remain here. The time difference doesn't concern me."
"Oh, but it does," he said sadly. "You see, the memories of your family members and friends were not wiped out as I had thought."
My blood froze. "They . . . remember me?"
He nodded his great head. "To them, you have been missing for ten days."
I stumbled blindly for something to hold onto, found the railing, and collapsed against it. No. It couldn't be. After all this time . . . all the forgetting. My gaze hardened, fierce tears forming in my narrowed eyes.
"You can't make me go back, Shenlong."
He sighed, stirring a warm breeze around us. Despite the heat, I shivered.
"No," he admitted slowly. "I cannot force you to return to the world you were born in. We had a pact, but you also now have the choice."
"I'm staying here."
"After what I tell you next, your decision may alter." He took a breath, seemed to be choosing his words carefully. "You know, Ally, these people standing around you. And you also know what their future would have been without you."
I drew back. "That was only one possible future."
"So you do know what was supposed to happen." He paused thoughtfully. "The oldest son of Gokou almost stirred those memories."
"I don't . . . " I trailed off. Gohan's words suddenly came back to me. Time flies when you're having fun. I looked back up at Shenlong. "It has been too peaceful here, hasn't it?" I struggled to remember what had happened on the Dragon Ball Z cartoon so long ago. "There were . . . supposed to be more battles, weren't there? Horrible battles. So many died."
Shenlong shook his head. "I do not speak of those."
"Then what?" I said desperately. "What am I missing?"
"On the planet Namek, Gokou was supposed to defeat Frieza."
"Yes . . . "
"He defeated Frieza, Ally, but he did not kill him."
"You told me Frieza was gone!"
"Gone, not dead."
Everyone gasped in shock. "I don't understand!" I cried, pounding my fist on the railing. "You say Frieza was not killed when we fought him on Namek just as he survived when Gokou fought him in the alternate future. Did his father not rebuild him then? Why hasn't he come here?" I felt the panic rise as he only gazed at me. "Tell me, Shenlong! Where is Frieza?!"
"In the riaru world, Ally."