O-O*smirks*

It’s here…at long last…for the few people who have been waiting for it…the first chapter of the direct sequel to Birth of a Prince, my very first fan fiction!! This fic takes place three months after the end of BOAP!!! Hopefully the rest of the chapters will go smoother than the first…YEESH!!! I had a HELL of a time with Videl, since I can’t STAND the canon character, and after First Heat, well I can’t even stand MY Videl!!! But I digress…

Disclaimers: Sage is mine. He would like to inform everyone that this entire story is a lie, and he was NEVER a baby. *snickers* Yeah, whatever brat. The rest of the bunch don’t belong to me…mores the pity.

Warnings: Overall NC17 for Vegeta/Goku goodness!!! Don’t look for it in every chapter though…this IS a family fic…

With thanks to my beta’er bakayaro onna. *smooches danglemate* And straight from her brain is the title page for Princeling:

http://www.ourwitzend.com/animeart/tailride4/tailride_c1/tailride_c1.html

Dedications: First and always to my beloved twin, Dasia. *ravishravishtwincestravish*

But also to everyone who wrote and begged me for the sequel and suggested titles at the end of BOAP…everyone who loves Sage even if they hate original characters…Princeling is for you.

Enjoy…and don’t forget to feed the muses.

Princeling

Direct Sequel to Birth of a Prince

By Talon

Part 1

Babysat

Vegeta fumed as he regarded the mother of his children. “Onna, I am NOT going and THAT is final!” As though to echo his father’s statement, six-month-old Sage added in his sibilant chibi voice, “NO GO, NO GO, TOU’TAN!!!” He wrapped a long blue-black tail tightly around his Tou’tan’s arm and glared at his Kassan with startlingly deep dark eyes.

Bulma sighed. “I really don’t think I am asking that much, Vegeta. This banquet is to honor my father on his birthday. Yes, it is formal. I would think a prince would be used to such goings on. I really want you to go with me. It would mean so much to my father to have you there, Vegeta, you know he adores you.”

Vegeta shifted Sage in his arms. “NO, Bulma. Besides, I couldn’t go if I wanted to.” He looked pointedly at Sage.

Bulma knew that dodge. “Oh no, you don’t. I know perfectly well Sage will stay with Goku just as easily as with you.”

Vegeta snorted. “Onna, if I were to come to the damn banquet, I sure as hell wouldn’t be your date. The only way you could get me to come is if I were to take my mate.”

To his surprise, Bulma smiled. “I thought you might say that, Vegeta, that’s why Gohan has volunteered to watch the chibis for us.”

Trapped. Shit. “But there is no way he can manage all three at once by himself,” he argued.

Vegeta could have sworn Bulma’s grin widened just a little bit. “He won’t have to. I’ve already called a babysitter. She came highly recommended by several of my friends. I figured if Gohan could keep a handle on Sage, then Videl, that’s her name, could manage the other two. That is…as long as you and Goku put the fear of Kami in them before we leave.” She smiled sweetly.

He simply stared at her. He couldn’t believe he had been cornered like that.

“Well, Vegeta?”

He mumbled some sort of answer and left the room to find his mate. “Sage, where is your Baka?” he asked the baby in his arms. The child stuck his thumb in his mouth and appeared to think hard for a moment. Then, with an audible pop, the thumb was removed, a chubby finger pointed unerringly and a confident voice said, “Dere…Baka.” He grinned faintly and rubbed Sage’s wild hair. Sage purred and leaned into his father’s hand, his eyes half-closing in pleasure.

What on earth was Bulma thinking? Sure, Gohan might be able to handle Sage, but Goten and Trunks too? Vegeta shook his head. He didn’t like leaving his youngest for any reason…they were too closely bonded and Sage far too young for it to be comfortable.

Vegeta reflected briefly on the past three months. Three months since he and Kakkarott had bonded…three months since the day Chichi had snapped and tried to cut off her sons' tails. Three months, and they had become a family - Kakkarott, Bulma, Gohan, Trunks, Goten, Sage and himself. Three months, and hopefully in just a few more weeks Kakkarott’s divorce would be final, the custody hearings would be over and they could truly begin their lives together. He shook his head. He did NOT want to go to this banquet.

He walked into the kitchen…figures, he thought…and sure enough there was Kakkarott. Sage never missed, thought Vegeta absently as he sat down at the table, setting Sage on the tabletop to crawl over to his bond-father.

Goku grinned at the tiny boy navigating his way across the large food-cluttered table. “What’s up, Vegeta?” he asked taking a huge bite out of the monster sandwich he held in his hands.

Vegeta looked for a moment at the man who was his mate…a fact that still never failed to amaze him. He had been somewhat surprised at the ease with which Kakkarott had shrugged off his old life in favor of the new one, even considering Chichi’s insane actions. But as Kakkarott had explained, he had never really been in love with the onna. She had tricked him into marrying him, and while he had never regretted it, having found some sort of happiness with her and in their two sons, when his tail regenerated, he simply out-grew her. Besides the fact the bitch wouldn’t sleep with him unless he got rid of the newly re-grown limb, he found she just wasn’t enough anymore. And the fact she had attacked his sons, drugging Gohan and throwing the four-year-old Goten into the wall and beating him black and blue had merely clinched the deal. He had fulfilled his obligation, his promise to give their marriage one final honest chance, and she had blown it. She was still in the mental hospital, but was nonetheless petitioning for joint custody and visitation. Hell would freeze over and Frieza would be ice dancing with Cell before Vegeta would allow that to occur!!

He smiled to himself as Sage was swept into strong arms and nuzzled by his bond-father. That brat of his had made the entire thing easier by claiming the baka as his bond-father, biting him and joining them together through blood…making it simple for Vegeta to partially bond with the younger Saiyjin through his own strong bond with his child. He abruptly slammed a lid on his reminiscing, remembering what he had sought his lover out for.

“Bulma wants us to go to some Kami-damned banquet for her father tonight,” he said shortly, sitting down at the table and helping himself to part of his mate’s sandwich.

Goku, who had been jouncing a jubilant Sage paused, then said, “We ought to go then. Isn’t it in honor of Dr. Briefs? Today is his birthday.” Sage screeched with laughter and his lovely treble voice shrieked, “MORE, BAKA, MORE MORE MORE!!!” Goku laughed and complied, tossing the chibi up in the air so he nearly touched the ceiling, his beautiful blue-and-black-tail streaming out behind him, almost shimmering in the late afternoon sunlight.

“Baka,” said Vegeta irritably. “You’re not supposed to agree with her…do you really want to leave the children with Gohan for who knows how long? You want to wear those ridiculous tuxedoes she bought for us?”

Goku caught the chattering Sage, who was clambering for “More up, Baka, more up up up!!” and turned to his mate. “I think,” he said slowly, “if Bulma went through the trouble to ask us to do this for her it probably means a lot to her. I think she doesn’t ask us to do much for HER…most of the things she asks us to do are for the family as a whole. And yes, I think we should go. Besides,” and here he flashed a melting Son smile at Vegeta. “There is bound to be some awesome food, Vegeta…it’ll be like a date!”

Vegeta was finding it difficult to maintain his irritation at the onna in the face of Goku’s obvious delight at the thought of going on a date with him and sighed, effectively giving in to the inevitable. “Bulma has hired some babysitter to help Gohan out. Before we leave we’ll need to have a talk with the brats if we want a house to come home to.”

Goku nodded his agreement, nearly dislodging Sage who had climbed up into his hair and giggled as his Baka’s head movement slid him around in the spiky midnight mass. A look passed between the two Saiyjins, the thought in both their minds plain on their faces. Talking with the three older boys…all fine and good…but who was going to explain things to Sage?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A few hours later, the house was filled with ear-splitting screams and shrieks. This was Videl’s first impression of the Capsule Corp house when Bulma opened the door.

“Sorry about the noise,” said the blue-haired woman loudly. “But they just told Sage they were both leaving for the evening. He’s taking it rather well.”

Videl’s eyes widened. She knew Sage was the baby…and if that was taking it rather well, she didn’t want to think of what he would be like if he were truly upset.

Seeing the look on the teenager’s face, Bulma hastened to explain. “Don’t worry, Gohan will handle Sage. You only need to look after the two older ones. You probably know Gohan, you go to the same school.”

Videl squinted in thought…Gohan…the name sounded familiar…she blinked as a tall black-haired teenager walked into the entryway hall.

“How is he, Gohan,” asked Bulma.

Gohan shrugged, and Videl noticed suddenly he had earplugs in his ears. “The same…completely pissed off.” Quite suddenly, the wordless shrieks changed to a chorus of “NO NO NO GO, NO GO, BAKA!!!! NO NO NO GO, TOU’TAN, NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

Bulma grimaced. “Are you SURE you can handle this, Gohan?” she asked.

Gohan grinned. “Sure, Bulma-san…it is no problem. He’ll settle down once Dad and Vegeta-sama leave…and I bribe him.”

Bulma chuckled, then remembered the babysitter standing shyly behind her. “Oh, Gohan, I almost forgot. This is Videl, she’s going to help you out tonight.” Videl stepped forward, and bowed slightly, as Gohan politely returned the bow.

“I’ve seen you at school,” Gohan commented.

Videl nodded mutely.

Gohan grinned. “Don’t worry about Sage, no one expects you to handle him…besides…he bites. Here.” And he handed her a pair of earplugs. “Trust me…he’ll get louder.” She took the plugs with an expression of gratitude and followed his example and pushed them into her ears. Ah….that cut the sound dramatically. Gohan gestured to both Bulma and Videl, and they followed him into a strangely round room. When he closed the door, there was utter silence.

“Good idea, Gohan,” said Bulma approvingly. “Now we can discuss this evening.”

Gohan smirked and removed his ear plugs. He gestured for Videl to do the same, and she complied…more than a little confused.

“Now, we’ll be at the main banquet hall at Capsule Corp Central, and we’ll all have our cell phones,” she began, “So if they get really out of hand you can contact us. Gohan, you can order whatever you want for dinner…but make sure Sage takes at least two bottles…he can’t really digest as much solid food as he thinks he can yet. Your fathers plan on feeding him before they leave, but if he won’t eat, push the bottles even more. Videl…you will be mainly responsible for the older two boys, Trunks and Goten. They are five and four and get into trouble about every five seconds. If you need help with them, don’t hesitate to ask Gohan. Gohan, if you can’t handle Sage, don’t hesitate to call your fathers.” She stopped to take a few deep breaths.

“Bulma-san, calm down.” Gohan’s easy voice carried effortlessly through the echoing chamber. “We will all be fine. It is only one evening, and while I am aware Sage could conceivably scream the entire time, chances are he won’t.”

Bulma eyed the teenager. “Is he still?”

“Yes. But Dad and Vegeta-sama are making some headway…I think.”

Bulma sighed. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea…but it meant so much to Dad….”

“Bulma,” the boy’s voice held a tinge of firm authority, and Videl watched bemusedly as Gohan gathered the woman into his arms. “We will be fine. Sage will be fine. And he won’t hold it against you if that’s what you’re afraid of. Neither Dad nor Vegeta-sama told Sage this was your idea. I won’t either. You just enjoy Grandpa’s birthday celebration, ne? Let me handle the chibis.”

Bulma smiled at her eldest. “Thank you, Gohan…this does mean a lot to me as well.” She turned to Videl. “Do you have any questions?”

A veritable cascade of questions tumbled through Videl’s brain, but none made their way out of her mouth. Gohan grinned.

“Don’t worry…if you have any questions, just ask me. They’re my brothers after all…I know pretty much all there is to know about the brats.” His head jerked up suddenly…”C’mon,” he said, replacing his earplugs. “They’re coming downstairs.”

They left the soundproof room, and Videl remembered why she needed the earplugs. She winced as two men came into the kitchen. Then she got a good look at them, and her jaw dropped noticeably.

They both sported impossible, spiky hairdos of deep raven hair. The smaller one was dressed sharply in a well-fitted tuxedo that outlined, from what Videl could tell, a perfect body. His face was regal, and he seemed not to be distressed in the least by the screams of the child the taller man next to him held in his arms.

The larger man matched the smaller perfectly, his own black tuxedo conforming to an impressive form. His face was open, cheery, and Videl, looking closer could see hints of Gohan in that beautiful face.

The chibi screaming his head off was a miniature carbon copy of the shorter man. He looked much too small, much too young to be talking so clearly, but even through the earplugs, Videl could hear, “NO GO, PLEASE NO GO, BAKA, TOU’TAN!!!!”

A thick, bushed-out blue-black tail waved forcefully through the air, and Videl watched it for nearly half a minute before she registered it. A TAIL??? She blinked rapidly and looked again. Yes…it was still there. And not only that…but a dark brown tail was softly stroking a wailing chibi cheek. She looked around somewhat wildly, and saw for the first time, a striking auburn tail waving behind the smaller man, and as she watched, Gohan’s fuzzy brown belt unwrapped itself from around his waist and joined his father’s in trying to comfort the inconsolable chibi.

Videl jumped about a foot when Bulma’s hand descended on her shoulder. “Don’t let the tails throw you. Just remember this…don’t touch them, ne?”

Videl nodded, dazedly never taking her eyes off the scene in front of her. The smaller man had begun talking, and Bulma said in a low tone to the baby sitter, “That is Vegeta, he’s Trunks’ and Sage’s father. The other is Goku, and he is Gohan and Goten’s father.”

Videl wasn’t listening. All she could hear was the conversation between the three men and the baby.

“Sage, that is enough,” said Vegeta in a calm tone. “We’re not leaving forever, and we’re not even going all that far. You will be able to feel us without a problem. And we’re NOT leaving you alone; we’re leaving you with Gohan.”

“Your Tou’tan’s right.” The taller man’s voice carried easily over the chibi’s now tremulous wailing. “If you really need us we will come home at once, you know that, silly chibi.”

“C’mon, Sage, don’t you want to stay with me? You know we’ll have fun,” Gohan’s voice was softly cajoling. Slowly the chibi wound down, and his furious screaming was reduced to a pitiful sniffling. Vegeta’s auburn tail caressed his son’s plush blue-black length, and the baby rested his dark head against Goku’s broad chest.

“That’s better, chukra,” said Vegeta encouragingly. “Come here to me, brat.” Sage was transferred easily to his Tou’tan’s arms and Videl was left out of the conversation entirely as a completely different language flowed from the flame-haired man’s throat. Rolling vowels and harsh, grating consonants clashed in a strangely musical language Videl had never heard the like of before. Apparently she was the only one in the room who didn’t understand this language, as the two other men smiled and nodded at whatever the regal-looking man was saying. The chibi stood in his father’s arms and wrapped his chubby limbs around his neck, nuzzling his tiny face into the identical flame of hair adorning his sire’s head.

Bulma’s voice was again quiet in her ear. “Vegeta and Goku are bonded-mates…they are married, more or less. Does that bother you?” she asked as Goku gathered the two Vegetas into his strong arms and held them close.

Videl shook her head, finally finding her voice. “No, Bulma-san…it doesn’t bother me. At least, I don’t THINK it bothers me. Well, it doesn’t bother me...much. It is a little strange...ok, a lot strange, but then my family isn’t quite normal either.”

Bulma chuckled. “Well, our little family is quite interesting…speak of the devil…here come the other two brats.”

Two small tornados scurried into the room to be grabbed by the collars by Goku in a movement too quick for Videl’s eyes to follow. Bulma stepped forward.

“Come here, you two, I want you to meet your babysitter for the evening. Trunks, Goten, this is Videl-chan, and she is going to be looking after you. And NONE of that,” she said fiercely, as identical evil grins flickered across their chibi faces. “No trouble from either of you…Gohan will be here and you WILL be on your best behavior.”

Videl could tell the boys weren’t too impressed, that is until their fathers got into the act. Still holding the hiccupping chibi in his arms, Vegeta squatted until he was face level with the two boys.

If I find out Videl or Gohan is dissatisfied with the two of you, there will be hell to pay. Listen well, you two…you are to do what Videl and Gohan tell you, period. There will be NO property damage. Some mess is fine, but I expect you to help clean it up. You will eat whatever Gohan decides to order for dinner, you will take your bath and go to bed when you are told. Gohan will have his hands full with Sage. If you do ANYTHING warranting a call to this cell phone,” and he held up what was obviously his own phone, “then as I said before…there will be hell to pay. And don’t forget, brats…I’ve BEEN there.” He stood, leaving two stunned and potentially well-behaved chibis in his wake.

Goku smiled. “And don’t think you can appeal to me either. What your father said goes for me too.” He leaned over, and said quietly to the two boys, “Don’t forget…I’ve seen hell as well.”

There was a sound in the hallway, and yet another man came into the kitchen, also dressed in a tuxedo. His face was marred with scars, though it was unquestionably handsome. His hair, however….well, it could use a professional touch, though Videl doubted any help could be had for it.

“Yamcha,” said Bulma warmly, as the man ruffled the younger boys' hair, but steered clear of Sage in Vegeta’s arms, punching Goku playfully on the shoulder as he crossed to stand beside Bulma. “Well, we’re just about set,” said Bulma cheerfully. “Gohan, do you have everything?” The teen nodded. “Videl, any last requests?” Goku snickered. She smiled and shook her head. “Well, we’re off then. We should be back before midnight, call if you need bailing out, ne?”

“Hai,” they both replied.

The family walked together to the front doors, Videl trailing uncertainly behind them as goodbyes were said all around. Goku grabbed up each boy and kissed their faces soundly, even Gohan’s, and to Videl’s surprise, the teen didn’t look the slightest bit embarrassed. He fussed over the baby in Vegeta's arms for a few minutes, murmuring words in the child’s ear too soft for her to hear, then kissed him tenderly, stroking that wild upswept hair. Vegeta was glomped by the two younger boys, who climbed him like a tree, disregarding Sage who squawked indignantly as they demanded hugs from the smaller man, who complied readily, shifting Sage to perch for a moment on his shoulder, small blue-black tail winding around his neck as his arms filled with Truten. He put them down, smirking slightly as Sage slid from his shoulder to the curve of his arm as soon as they were empty. He clasped Gohan’s shoulder briefly, and nodded at him, then, kissing his youngest, and saying something again in that strange tongue, he handed the baby to Gohan while Bulma said her goodbyes to the older two.

Sage teared up, even as Gohan held him close, his small tail wrapping tightly around the teen’s arm as he choked out, “Bye-bye, Tou’tan, bye-bye, Baka.” Two fat tears trickled down round cheeks as the chibi made an obvious brave face. The tears were wiped softly away by Gohan’s dark brown tail as the group left the house.

Sage’s lower lip quivered as the door closed, but the imminent wail was stopped by the sudden attentions of the younger two.

“Don’t worry, Sage, Papa will be back soon, you’ll see!” said Trunks cheerfully as Goten nodded enthusiastically. “And you’ll have “your Gohan” all to yourself tonight, WE get stuck with the babysitter.” added the youngest Son.

Sage’s thick black brows drew together comically. “Mine Gohan?” he said quizzically? “All mine, Gohan?” he asked the older boy this time, taking Gohan’s face in his small hands.

“Yes, Sage,” replied Gohan, grinning. “YOUR Gohan. Now just let me deal with the terrible twosome, and we can discuss this, ne?”

Videl watched, still slightly stunned as the chibi wrapped his tail around his hand and stuck his thumb in his mouth. Gohan’s tail slipped around Sage’s waist, and before her eyes, the baby was suddenly floating, very happily it seemed, safely ensconced in a loop of Gohan’s tail. Gohan paid him no mind for a moment as he addressed his younger brothers.

“Look, brats, this isn’t an ideal situation for any of us, but Kami knows Dad and Vegeta-sama haven’t had any time away from all of us since they bonded. Dad really wants this time out with Vegeta-sama, and even though he won’t admit it, Vegeta-sama likes the idea as well. So here’s the deal. Behave and I’ll order whatever you want for dinner. Go play outside while it’s still light and give me some time to get Sage used to this; you know he is going to be very unhappy. I’ll order dinner after a little while and show Videl around. Just stay in your yard and one of us will come get you for dinner, ne?”

They nodded in unison, the warnings of their fathers still ringing in their ears as they ran outside, tails streaming out behind them.

Gohan sighed. “Well, that will keep them busy for awhile. Dad and Vegeta-sama’s warnings will only last so long, but they should be good 'till at least dinner. C’mon, I’ll show you around.”

He turned to go back to the main part of the house, then noticed Videl hadn’t moved. He looked confusedly at her for a moment. “Are you all right?”

Videl blinked at him. She opened her mouth to say something, but could only manage to choke out one word.

“Tails.”

Gohan grinned. “Yeah, I’m sure they take some getting used to. He walked back over to her and took her arm gently. “C’mon,” he said again. “I’ll show you around, and explain things to you. If you can survive this encounter, you could make a lot of money babysitting here. Of course, after tonight, you may not WANT to baby-sit here again, but I’m getting ahead of myself.”

He stopped in the living room, wondering for a moment where to begin. He took a deep breath, let it out, and waved Sage around in the air a bit before starting.

“Okay…first things first. You MAY have guessed…we’re not completely human.” He glanced her way, and she nodded, slightly hesitantly. “Our fathers, Goku and Vegeta are Saiyjin. Our mothers are human; hence the four of us are what we call demi-Saiyjins. I’m telling you this because you will actually need to know. The brats are strong…stronger than you, even with your fairly impressive ki.” He looked at her appraisingly. “You’re a fighter, ne?”

“Yes,” she replied, wondering how he had guessed. She looked at him a little closer….something about him seemed…familiar somehow. She couldn’t put her finger on it, though and continued listening to him.

“Good. That will give the boys something to respect. Look, Saiyjins are extremely powerful beings…and demi-Saiyjins have the potential to be even more so; and those two are already off the scale of anything we have known before. And this little one,” he brought Sage back around to cuddle in his arms, “defies any known or set standard for Saiyjins and humans. He’s six months old…been crawling for three months, said his first word, “More” at two months, and quite frankly is scary.” He grinned and chucked the baby under his chin, and Videl was caught up in two scrutinizing ebony eyes. She had the strangest feeling the chibi was sizing her up.

Gohan continued. “But you don’t have to worry about Sage. I can handle him mostly, and if you need help with the other two, I’m sure we can manage. So, while I show you around, I’ll give you some guidelines if you will, to help you deal with demi-Saiyjins.” He stopped. “Am I going too fast for you? I mean, I know this is a lot to digest, but if you are going to survive, you need to have an understanding about what you are up against, ne?”

Gohan, for all his flippant comments was somewhat worried about letting Videl handle the older two brats. However, letting her try to manage Sage was out of the question. Sage was barely allowing Gohan to handle him, and for the moment all was well. But the baby was bound to remember, and probably soon, his father and bond-father were…well…gone. He watched the girl closely as she nodded once, to herself it seemed then turned to face him.

“Ok,” she said. “What do I need to know?”

Gohan grinned and said, “C’mon…I’ll show you.”

“First of all,” he said, as he led her upstairs. “Forget everything you know about babysitting. Demi-Saiyjins are a whole ‘nother kettle of fish. Rule number one: Don’t forget to look up. They, all three of them, are climbers, and they can scale sheer wall with no visible hand or foot holds. If you’re looking for them and they don’t want to be found, do not forget to look up. That rule also applies to Sage. Don’t underestimate him.”

He opened doors and showed her the rooms they frequented most often, the play room, the sleep room, Trunks and Goten’s actual room, Sage’s room, their fathers’ room, various bathrooms and storage closets...

“I’ve found this room in particular to be useful,” said Gohan, leading Videl in what seemed to be an empty storage room. “And this is why,” he said, beckoning her over to the window on the far wall. Curious, she looked out and down, and to her surprise was afforded a spectacular view of what was apparently the two younger boys play ground.

“The angle of the window makes it difficult for anyone on the ground to see if someone’s looking out,” explained Gohan. “It makes it possible to get the drop on them sometimes, or check up on them when you don’t want them to know you’re checking up on them.”

“Rule number two,” he said, leaving the room. “Just because a door is locked doesn’t mean a chibi isn't inside. Doors with computer locks can’t keep Trunks out, and doors with manual locks can’t keep Goten out. Between the two of them, they can get into just about any room in this place. Rule of thumb: Check EVERY room. Period.”

Videl was starting to look slightly dazed, but she nodded her understanding. She started as the chibi riding in Gohan’s arms smirked at her around his thumb.

“Rule number three: If a space looks too small to house a chibi body, it probably isn’t. You would not BELIEVE some of the nooks and crannies we have found those two in. I won’t even get into chukra here...though we most often find him outside the gravity room.”

Videl managed to find her voice and ask, “Why is that?”

Gohan gave her a look, and shook his head. Confused, Videl dropped the question and continued following Gohan through the house.

“The boys’ bathroom…waterworks central. I’ll help you as much as I can, but I’ll have my hands full with the bratling here...before bed, bath time ought to be a blast.” He glanced at Videl. “Rule number four: water plus demi-saiyjins equals flood zone. Don’t sweat it, just try and get them clean.”

The tour of the house ended at the kitchen where Gohan showed an amazing talent for multitasking as he showed her around the kitchen, fed Sage a bottle and ordered dinner from three different take-outs. After saying she had no preferences, Gohan figured Videl could take her pick from whatever choices were available. The order included a combination of Italian and Chinese for the younger boys, and a very large amount of sukiyaki from a Japanese place for himself, and, he explained, it was one of Sage’s favorites.

“But I thought Bulma-san said he wasn’t supposed to eat solid food...”

“Nup…he’s not supposed to eat very MUCH solid food yet. His system is still young, and he can’t really digest a whole lot of solid food yet, but he likes to chew, plus he will have some of his baby food with us. She just said to make sure he had enough bottles, that’s all. And for him not to fill up on stuff he can’t completely digest yet.”

“Oh.” Videl tried to hide her confusion and consternation when the chibi in question smirked at her from around his bottle.

Gohan watched her process all she had been told, and knowing it wasn’t even the tip of the iceberg, he was still curious as to how she’d hold up once the terrible two got started. Sage finished his bottle and chucked it across the room, saying in a pouting sort of voice, “More, mine Gohan, more!!!” Gohan chuckled and handed the impatient chibi another ki-warmed bottle.

“Listen, I know it’s a lot, but you look like you ought to be able to handle it pretty well. We’ll give them another fifteen minutes and then you can go tell them to come in and get washed up for dinner, ne?”

Videl nodded, a determined look coming over her deceptively delicate features. To make conversation, she blurted out the first thing that came into her head, “So, this is what you do when you’re not in school?”

Gohan grinned at her, stroking Sage’s head softly with his tail. “Pretty much, for the past few months anyhow. Ever since Vegeta-sama and my Dad got together.”

“That must have been weird for you,” she said thoughtlessly, then blushed.

Gohan grew solemn. “Not so much weird as it was a relief. You see, I was very glad to move here.”

“Why?” Videl was intensely curious.

Gohan shrugged, seeming not to want to answer, then changed his mind. “My mother,” he said slowly, “never came to terms with the fact she had married someone who wasn’t human, mostly because for most of when she knew him, he didn’t have his tail. It was…stressful. And more so when Goten and I got our tails back as well.” He shrugged. “And Dad was never really happy with her anyway. Now he is.”

“So, your Dad left your Mom for another man?” she frowned.

“Yeah, but not before giving her more chances than she deserved.” He closed his mouth firmly.

“What do you mean?”

He didn’t answer. Videl, catching what she termed a weird vibe coming off of him, decided it was time to stop asking questions.

“Do you want another bottle, chibi?” Gohan’s voice was soft as he cuddled the bundle of energy in his arms.

“No. Food.”

Gohan chuckled. “Well, you’ll have to wait till dinner then. And none of that,” he scolded as Sage eyed his bare arm with interest. “Dad and Vegeta-sama told you, not until AFTER the ceremony.”

Sage sighed and scowled as Gohan smiled at the sulky chibi and nuzzled his small flame. Videl hadn’t missed the by-play between the two, but had no idea what it was about, and chose not to ask, instead trying to go over what Gohan had told her about the care and feeding of the two older boys.

Settling Sage down on the floor to rummage around in ‘his’ cupboard his grandmother kept baby safe for his uses, Gohan started setting the kitchen table for dinner.

“We’ll eat in here instead of the dining room,” he explained. “Stuff in the kitchen is a lot less breakable than the dining room, and with just the five of us, there’s plenty of room at the table.”

Videl nodded and looked around for something to help Gohan with. “Never mind that, the food will be here soon, why don’t you go and get the boys cleaned up?”

He pretended not to notice her apprehension as she slowly walked from the kitchen and vanished from sight. He could hear her, however, long after she left his line of vision.

He turned his attention back to the brat crawling in and out of the cupboard. Crouching down, he beckoned to the child who chirped happily and attached himself to Gohan’s knee. Gohan smiled and picked him up to cuddle for a bit in his arms as he looked around the kitchen, making certain everything was ready for the food to arrive.

“So, Sage, what do you think of Videl?”

The baby looked up at him, his midnight eyes unfathomable. He glanced, tail twitching towards the doorway where Videl had vanished to collect his brothers, then back to Gohan.

There was an unmistakable note of possession in the child’s treble voice as he stood in the teenager’s arms, one chubby hand on each cheek and said firmly, “MINE Gohan.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

To be continued…if anyone wants that is…