Forgive me my fluffy endings....

Lyrics from Pink's "Family Portrait."

No More Excuses 
(4-29-03)

Set in an inconspicuous environment of riches, the Briefs family was the last ever considered for domestic violence, psychological warfare, or a dysfunctional family, but then, none of them were ever fond of stereotypes.

"What the fuck?! Damn woman, it's probably only a minor problem, the least you can do is look at the damn thing!" 

Vegeta was angry. Or at least, that is what most people would be. The biggest problem with the explosive Saiya-jin is that he had never really experienced what Bulma considered anger, or even fury. He seemed to skip these basic emotions, all from cold as steel, and shot up to a bubbling volcano, but even that was insufficient to describe Vegeta. Words like infuriated, angered, or even enraged could never compare with Vegeta's temper. They chipped the surface of Vegeta's raging passion, nothing more.

Impatient, Vegeta watched Bulma's face as she considered his words, obviously not ready to comply. He would have looked it over himself, if he understood human technology, yet, he had never been good with building or fixing things. The Saiya-jin could recall any intricate design of wires, remember countless attacks, formations, battle plans, and historical facts, but when it came to machinery and placing things together he just became frustrated and made things worse. Normally he would have approached this situation with slightly more tact, but today had been annoying from the moment he woke up.

Rage was building without a sparring partner, and he had to go easy on Trunks or face Bulma's wrath and deal with his own guilt, and Son Goku was off enjoying himself. 'Fuck you too, Kakarotto!' When he had first left to train Uub Vegeta had understood the situation, but that never meant he had to enjoy it. In the long run he went insane without a real challenge.

In this mood Vegeta had attempted to find Trunks, but even at four in the morning the purple haired boy was no where to be found, and a certain blue haired little girl had left a few toys at the top of the stairs. Vegeta never found Trunks, but at the bottom of the stair case he found one missing remote and a headache. He had meant to ask Bra about her choice for a "toy box," which he felt was quite inconvenient at the top of the stairs, near the stairs, heck, in a fifty foot radius of the stairs, but they day just kept going down from there.

Demanding, Bulma had sent Vegeta on errands while she fixed her office and Trunks finally appeared only to announce he was aiming to spend the day with his mother so she could guide him to do her job one day.

Vegeta wanted to fry a small island, and it was only eleven.

Then the gravity room blew up in his face when a small energy blast took a detour. But when he asked Bulma to fix it for him, did she say yes, like a good, agreeable mate should?

No!

"Vegeta, I don't have time for this. I already explained it, so quit being aggressive before I blow up too!"

"You sure as hell look like you have time! You're just sitting there on your ass!" His words were loud, fast, and impacting. Bulma took a deep breath, and it did not help.

It was not enough her husband did not want her only son taking over *HER* business; no, he had to interrupt her work as well. She had a company run, a life to live, and money to make so her husband, son and daughter would not financially kill her with their eating habits.

"Damn it! Vegeta, back off!! I have work to do. I know I'm sitting," Bulma screamed as she rose to glare at him eye to eye from across her desk, "but you know, people *SIT* down when they do this thing called a job! Have you heard of it?! It's very important for existing and living. After I get done with the paper work I have a few new items I need to work on, and then I can get to your bloody gravity room. But for now I have inventions to work on, patents to claim, and tons of paper work to sift through," her voice raised dangerously as she continued her tirade of aggravation; she only wished for Vegeta to understand and consider her schedule, not just his own, "Now get the fuck out of here!"

Before she even finished her sentence the door to her office slammed shut, and Bulma was just relieved Vegeta held back enough to keep it from coming off the hinges and collapsing the wall. She could see the cracks in the wall from where she fell back into her seat, but she was grateful. It could have been worse. 

Yet....

Bulma closed her eyes and grasped for air as her chest started to painfully tug and her throat choked up. "Why can't he understand...."

Let's play pretend and act like it comes naturally

Bra watched her father storm past her and then she looked to her mother's closed door and stared with empathy and worry. Six years of yelling was enough to make her desensitized to the noise, but her heart still reached out. Hatred existed for the pain her parents inflicted on each other, even if it was just words, Bra could tell they hurt. Large blue eyes filled up with tears as she wondered if her father was about to take off again and leave for a couple of days. 

She loathed times when he pulled that, because it was painful without him; because she always feared this time would be the time he did not return.

Daddy don't leave 

I remember the night that you left

You took my shining star  

Determined, Bra started to run after her father, but then her mother's office opened slowly, and she held her breath as Bulma raced after the furious prince.

Reckless as always, Bulma pulled on Vegeta's arm.

"You know, you are the only fucking person in this universe who can get away with that," Vegeta growled at her, and she smiled.

Bulma's voice softened, "I know. Forget the gravity chamber for a day. I decided to screw work. It's just one day. We can go somewhere with the kids, and if you do this for me, for them, then I'll work on the damn thing, I promise. Okay?"

Vegeta considered his options. He hated being in public as he could not tolerate humans, their young offspring, happy music, or being in public period. But if he went he would get his training room back up and running, otherwise Bulma would probably refuse to fix the damn thing for some time. 

Then he noticed Bra with her large hopeful eyes glistening with brief tears and his heart stopped. Had she heard the fight? Is that why she was crying? 

He swallowed and closed his eyes for a moment. Even if his life had been hard and he was forced to grow up way before his time, he never wanted his own children to suffer. They were, after all, his; a chance to prove not everything from him was worthless.

Bra obviously wanted to go somewhere with them, and Vegeta gave him. He kept his eyes narrowed though, just so Bulma would know how much he hated it, "Fine. Let's go before I lose anymore of the day."

Can we work it out?

Can we be a family?

The happiness in Bulma's eyes and the joy shining in Bra's was not lost on him; he just hoped Bulma would keep her end of the bargain.

Trunks had been prepared to make excuses galore when his family found him and invited him to an amusement park for a few hours, but his father glared at him with a look Trunks knew all to well, one that said, "I hate it, and I'm going, so you have to go too or face my wrath next time I track you down for training!" His mother had an odd look in her eyes for once, one that begged and pleaded; obviously she was up to some scheme for something, as she usually was, but Trunks had never seen her look so sincere and hopeful before. Apparently this plan and reason were not the usual selfish acts. For once it seemed she had the interests of someone else in mind.

And then he thought about it; usually Bulma made Vegeta go to the mall with him for her fun, but not this time.

He smiled, and assented before he could argue. Bra had never looked so happy as she jumped up and down and forced Vegeta to hold her hand; Trunks kept smiling. 

The crowd upset Vegeta, but for the sake of the "weak humans" around him, and his family, and the gravity chamber, he held back, resorting to a mere growl every time someone brushed up against him. Bra led the family around the amusement park from one ride to another, with a huge grin splitting her face as she pulled on arms and convinced one of the group to ride with her. 

She could not recall the last time she was so thrilled, but the rides and the cotton candy kept her in a surrealistic state of mind as she floated across the park grounds and tried one thrill ride after another; twisting upside down and turning. 

At one ride Bulma said, "I'm sorry guys, I've endured enough, but now I'm dizzy," she looked at the cotton candy Bra handed her, "for you tummy," and almost threw up.

Quickly, Trunks took the cotton candy and stuffed it in his mouth, and then said helpfully, "I'll take her on this one. You and dad sit this one out. He looks green too."

Vegeta growled at him, but Trunks nodded his head, letting Vegeta know he meant nothing insulting by it and Vegeta crossed his arms and looked away, but he silently thanked Trunks as he knew he would have not managed another ride either.

When the kids were gone, Bulma leaned on the outer barrier and looked at the ground while she fought every motherly instinct to keep an eye on her children. Her instincts seemed to not understand that watching the ride twist and turn everywhere would make her ill again. Vegeta settled next to her, but he stood, glaring at the ground.

He had waited so long, and he felt the last few hours had taken long enough, and both kids looked happy, so he decided he had earned some cooperation from the female, and mistakenly said, "So, you gonna fix the damn thing when we get back?"

"VEGETA!"   

It ain't easy growing up in World War III 

All of Bulma's nausea drained out of her as fury replaced it. She had hoped that for one day Vegeta could focus on something else. As much a she loved the man, the urge to smack some sense into him constantly flared up, but she held back, just barely. She had no intention of incurring enough wrath for him to consider hitting her back, and she had no desire to physically hurt him, let alone with her children watching, or other people.

But chewing him out seemed perfectly fine.

"What the hell is your problem?! That isn't the point of this, and if you can't figure out what is really important in life, then you can just forget about it!" 

Never knowin' what love could be

Annoyed, she massaged her temples as she quickly regretted those words. They were spiteful and wrong, and said out of pure stress. She knew he loved them all, deeply, but he had a funny way of showing it, and he took it for granted that they knew because of how hard it was for him to show it or say it; she was tired of it. 

Now that the ride was over and Bra and Trunks were watching, along with an entire audience, Bulma wished she could take her words back, but the damage had been inflicted and Vegeta's eyes were wide with a mixture of fury and pain as he started to yell back, "I actually *ASK* instead of commanding for once and you respond to me in this manner! Damn it, woman! I asked you for something we both know is easy for you! The least you can do is tell me you'll consider it!" 

"You know what, Vegeta? If you want it done so fucking bad it's worth throwing a fit like this then why don't get you a job, work your ass off, and pay someone else to fix it up!" 

And with that Bulma started walking back to the car, Bra and Trunks following her with wide eyes. Without words they already knew the fun was over and they were headed back home. 

Bulma knew what to expect. She could already see Vegeta flying off in her mind as she settled into the car so when the passenger door opened she started to ask Bra or Trunks, whichever it was, to leave her be for a bit and sit in the back but her jaw hit the floor.

Vegeta begrudgingly shifted in the seat and crossed his arms, staring only in front of him. He had no intention of losing this, and flying off either to home, or somewhere else would never solve this problem, and he knew it. He would never get what he wanted from Bulma if he did that. Further more, she obviously had a hidden agenda that day; he missed it earlier, but not when she had been yelling at him. For some reason she sounded disappointed in him, and though he wanted to pretend he could care less, it hurt him. After everything he had done for her, and how much she had done for him, the thought of letting her down upset him. 

He was hardly perfect, but he had never known a time anything he had afflicted on her had disenchanted her. Bulma was easy to frustrate, but not easy to dissatisfy. Hoping, Vegeta prayed that if he went home with them it would be enough to change that.

Shocked, Bulma came back to her senses and got the car moving. They rode on in silence as both parties considered their stance on this current argument, and while Bulma regretted a few things she had said, she knew she was right with her main goal. Vegeta knew he was being annoyingly persistent and nagging, like Goku's mate Vegeta so enjoyed pointing out the flaws of, but he hated the thought of receding. It would admit to being wrong.

When they reached home everyone filed out in a still, eerie silence, but as soon as they got inside, Vegeta decided he would brave asking again.

"Once again, are you going to at least look at it for me?"

"You cold hearted bastard!" Bulma yelled out as she grabbed a near by glass. After everything she had said to him, after the entire day, he was still blind, and she was beyond fed up. 

The glass cut through the air and shattered next to Vegeta as it collided with the wall and now Vegeta was the one shocked. "Me?! What about you?! Since when did you throw things?"

"Since now!" Bulma answered as she threw another glass and it shattered against the floor.

"Woman, knock it off. You always complain how that shit costs money."

"You're right, Vegeta," Bulma said as she grabbed a vase, "It does cost money, and I always can buy another of these," the vase broke into shards against the wall and Bulma grabbed a figurine from the dining room table while Vegeta watched in horror, scared Bulma would end up cut if the shards flew wrong; he was weary of moving, "or another thing like that! I know you grew up in a hostile environment Vegeta, and I know your childhood was hell, and I know you were a killer and have seen things I cannot begin to understand. I know you act the way you do because of these things, but it's pissing me off!"

She tossed a bowl at the wall and Vegeta stared at her in shock as she coldly stated, "I can use money to replace that too, don't worry." 

Bulma stopped looking for trinkets to toss and continued in a gentler tone, "But I can't give myself money and get another heart, or make myself stop loving, or make myself forget about you, no matter how hard I want to. However, you! With you I just have to give you a gravity room and you forget everyone that is supposed to matter! You forget about everything and no one else in the universe exists to you! Well guess what, Vegeta, we still exist, and while you're busy forgetting us we start feeling anger and hatred toward you! That's how people are! Even Saiya-jin! We need to know you at least care about us, if nothing else!"

I don't want love to destroy me like it did my family

Bra watched them with frightened eyes while Trunks just shook his head and went up stairs to shut the fighting away from him. He had tried to convince Bra to retreat upstairs with him, but she refused. She had to watch and make sure they did not hurt each other. She had to know everything would end on good terms. She had to make sure no one left her. Strangely, Bra was not thinking in waves of her mere six years. Trunks silently believed it was because both of their parents were intelligent people, and after enduring the fighting and bickering for so long she may have grown and learned, but he was still worried. 

Still deaf to Bulma's plea Vegeta ranted on her for throwing a fit while he picked up the glass. He had yet to realise he was cleaning, but the thought of Bra or Bulma walking on it in the middle of the night made him ill, and his body followed this without considering how unusual it was. 

Bulma went into shock. He could keep on protecting them, but he could not, for one day, just forget about the blasted gravity room. His recent gesture just infuriated her even more. 

"Quit yelling me about my fit!! What about your own!" Upset, Bulma went right back to yelling and Bra fumed from her place of viewing.

She wanted to yell at them; she wanted to tell them to stop, or to at least listen to each other. Broken hearted, Bra could no longer stand them mentally tearing at each other, and she decided that if someone was going to run this time, it would be her.

It made sense to her; she was hurting now, and her father always took off when he was upset, and then came back feeling better, so if she did that, she would feel better. She also wanted to get away from the anger rolling off in waves from her parents and she could no longer deal with it.

Tears dribbled down her face as she ran upstairs and gathered a toy and a pair of clothes in a duffel bag. 'I can get away from them, and I won't hear the shouting anymore.' 

Bra quietly left the house as her parents continued arguing, now over Bulma's decisions to turn their floor into a destructive glass mine field.

With her legs pounding the ground, Bra ran, and kept running. Refusing to look back, Bra kept on as she heard their words still yelling in her mind and she was unable to shake Vegeta's cussing, his lack of understanding, and physical display of emotion; nor was she able to dispose of Bulma's harsh words to him, and her angry retorts that she knew hurt her father. She could feel his heart sink every time her mother lost it and told him something scathing. 

Blinded by tears, Bra did not notice the rock intruding in her selected path and tripped over it. She hit the ground hard and broke down sobbing in pure frustration. Even running away seemed to go awry for her.

"You okay?"

Bra blinked and looked up to see her brother smiling at her. "Well?"

Stunned, Bra just nodded her head as Trunks sat next to her on the ground. "What were you doing?"

"I was gonna run away.... Like Papa."

"Do you really think that's gonna help anything?"

Bra sniffed, "No, but at least I wouldn't have to listen to them anymore," her voice broke and she fell back into her desperate sobs as Trunks looked around, and then pulled Bra into his arms. There were things he had always wanted to tell her, like she was spoiled rotten, and Vegeta treated her with a lot more care then he had anyone else, but in honesty Trunks had never cared about any of that. He was a guy and never cared for emotion and affection; he had never been used to it. But he knew Bra was different, and he knew that in cases like this such lines of difficulty wavered from jealousy to nonexistent.

"I'm sorry they're like that. You'll get used to it."

Trunks was shocked to see Bra's eyes flash at that as she shot up and glared at him, "No I won't! How can you get used to it?! They just get worse and worse, and they scare me! I don't want them to fight anymore! Don't you care about them and what they're doing to each other, to us?!"

Unsure how to respond, Trunks just rubbed her back while Vegeta and Bulma stared at them from fifteen feet away. They were shocked as Trunks continued to soothe Bra and she cried her heart out.

Vegeta swallowed hard and finally understood some of what Bulma had been trying to say. There were more important things.

"Hey, my turn," Vegeta nudged Trunks over and he shrugged as he rose up.

Carefully, Vegeta lifted Bra up and sighed, "What are you doing out here?"

"I was gonna run away."

"Why were you going to do that?"

"Because then...because...."

"Did it make you feel better?"

Bra shook her head no and almost cried again as she recalled how she did nothing but think about her parents fighting as she ran.

"You know, talking to people helps a bit more," Vegeta wisely told her, just to have the little girl shove in his face, "You don't talk to anyone."

Vegeta snorted, "Well, that's different."

"How, how is it different?"

Stunned, Vegeta thought for a moment and then smirked, "I guess it isn't different, is it." He looked over at Bulma who watched them, shifted Bra to one arm, and then walked up to Bulma. He took her hand, hoping she understood what it took for him to even do that. They could talk about everything else later, but maybe this small gesture could speak for him, just for a moment.

"Ack! What are you doing?!"

"Don't give me that. This is kinda what you've been asking for all day, so you'll take my damn hand and you'll enjoy it!"

Bulma grinned at Vegeta, and then said, "Don't tell me we're gonna do this in public?"

"Hell no!" Vegeta yelled out and Bulma chuckled.

"Good, it's a deal then."

":Hmph."

Vegeta handed Bra to Bulma and then looked at Trunks who started to back away from the group. Wordlessly, Vegeta approached Trunks and pulled him into an odd hug and Trunks blushed as he tried to get out of his grasp, "What are you doing?! Stop it!!"

Amused, Vegeta smirked at him and let him go as Trunks tried brush the feeling off of him, "Don't ever do that again; you can only hug me if you're gonna die, and even then I request you refrain from doing it."

"Fuck no, Trunks. I don't want you to end up like me."

Trunks' mood slipped fast into serious as he watched his father walk back to hold Bulma's hand, Vegeta gestured for Trunks to at least walk back in with them, and Trunks smiled as he joined them.

With his family Vegeta considered everything Bulma had said, and he knew he had gotten by for a long using his past as an excuse. He had used his past as a reason to attack Goku constantly, claiming Goku had taken his revenge away from him. He had allowed his past to overcome him when he had become Majin and had almost destroyed everything he cared for. In the end Vegeta knew he was damn lucky Bulma forgave him for that entire thing. She always did. Just because of his past Bulma easily forgave him, and he hated that. He was tired of his past catching up with him.

He could go on forever being misunderstood, having his intentions viewed under a magnifying glass, or he could leave it behind him and rise above it. Then and there Vegeta decided he would fight everything from his past and beat it down until it no longer dictated him, in any way. It would still be a part of who he was, but he decided he would no longer use it to excuse himself. That day Vegeta beat Frieza, Cell, Buu, and everyone else and walked home, almost smiling.