Author's Notes:  The seconds part of Miyuki's Saishou Kesen series, only this time Celipa has taken charge of the situation.  Hopefully, I'll have done her justice as well.  Parts of this are taken from a rough draft that Miyuki wrote, but most of it's all me, baby, yeah!  Er, whatever.  (Oh, and yes, Miyuki wanted she and Toma to be lovers at this point!)

 

Warnings:  Slight mentions of citrus (sorry, Miyu-chan), plus there's quite a few bits of swearing, and the endings angsty.

 

Obligatory Disclaimer:  I own no part of Celipa or of the Bardock Special.  All products of DBZ belong to Akira Toriyama, FUNimation, Bird Studios, etc.

 

Saishou Kesen: Celipa

There's a time and place for everything, including the heart…

 

Kanassasei-Early Morning

When we wake up with each other, we never have anything to say.

That's a lie. When we wake up with each other, we have plenty to say. We just need breakfast time to reflect on the night before so that when we talk, we don't say anything stupid. Besides, we're tired when we wake up; why would we want to start a serious or lighthearted conversation when we're all pretty cranky?

And that, of course, was only applying to missions. I can't say anything for the other three, but Toma and I have nice conversations before we get out of bed.

Well, we used to anyhow.  Lately the mornings have held no promise other then cold sheets and a lonely spot to myself, and it is cold, you know.  Perhaps I should reconsider the tactic of sending Toma to the couch when we argue…

Nah.

Though, I will admit that it is nice to wake up in somebody's arms or at least curled up near them.  It's a kind of warmth that can't be replaced or substituted in any other way, not by person or an object or-Damnit!  I spend way too much time around Toma and that private sentiment he gives me when we're alone.

Uck.  Sentiment. 

Speaking of the stuff, I don’t see exactly what Panboukin was aiming for when he begin complaining about such a minor injury.  Funny thing is, he almost threw a fit over the wound he received last night from the Kanassasei-jin. It was a tiny one, so none of us were going to sympathize with him.  And who, pray tell, was he expecting sympathy from?

Of course, Toma, the only one of us who was fully aware and prepared for speech this early in the morning (how does he do that!?), couldn't help but taunt him.  "You should have been more careful!" 

Unfortunately, most of us were still a bit groggy from last night's encounter, so, not surprisingly, the usual resounding laughter that resulted from such a comment failed to make its appearance.  Not that Toma minded at all; he simply chuckled to himself and continued to glean speech from the rest of us.  It's a nice trait of his, one that I've come to enjoy and manipulate when we're together.

But now I'm getting all mushy and sentimental, so I might as well join into the conversation before I say something stupid and sound mushy and sentimental.  Besides, my brain functions are finally beginning to become clear, and the same goes for my senses.

I'm not moron like some, though.  I'll wait for my cue to speak.  Hey, wasn't Bardock's son…yep, just as I thought.

"Hey Bardock, we really overdid it for your son's birth celebration, didn't we?" Toma asked, taking a glance behind him to survey the wreckage in the crater we created. 

Aha!  My entrance!  Blatantly ignoring Bardock's irritated reply, I decide to finally throw my two cents in.

"Why don't you go home to Vegetasei and see him?"

Ooh…bad move.  Ouch, very ouch.  Gee Bardock, you think you could be just a bit crankier in the morning?  'Cause we've been having keeping a relatively nice morale going, and it wouldn't be proper if you didn't decide to just step in and ruin it…

I don't say any of this out loud, of course.  One, Bardock's a lot more powerful then I am, and two, Toma's caught my attention.

It was nearly imperceptible, and I would never have noticed it had I not averted my eyes at the last moment, but Toma flinched when I said that.  I knew what he thought I had implied; in fact, maybe I was indeed implying that we should have children soon. I really don't know what Toma's problem was; a few months ago we enjoyed the thought of raising a couple of kids! Lately, though, we've had heated "discussions" over this issue, and Toma's only excuse was:

"I don't want to go through the hassle of finding a replacement for you."

Anyone care to take a guess at why the couch has suddenly found itself frequently occupied?

And you know it's because he's a man.  They can never make up their minds. 

Wait, I take that back, Bardock can. 

"Why would I want to travel all that way just to see the son of a low-level soldier?" Bardock growled as he sat up, glaring at me, "Do you think I'm that stupid?!"

Then again, that ability to make decisions may be fueled by the fact that the other mechanics in his mind are impaired by that bloated ego and obnoxious attitude he has…

To answer his question, yes, I do think he's stupid.  Does it take brains to see your newborn? Maybe it was a male thing.  If it is, some immortal have mercy on this forsaken universe.

Perhaps men just do not like children in general.  This confuses me greatly, though.  After all, they used to be "annoying brats" too!  Some of them still are, as a matter of fact, and my mind focuses on one particular, intolerable commander sitting only a few feet away from me.

Obstinate, annoying, stubborn, moronic, masochist pig!  Being assigned to his team was obviously punishment because I really can't see any other way how one could be so cruel as to force another being to exist in the same vicinity with Bardock.  The only thing I ever gained from being forced into tolerating the man was my Toma. 

Okay, so maybe there are good things in life, but even he's is beginning to grate my nerves.

I turn my attention back to the group, but after a moment of quick surveillance, I realize that my chances of getting recognized as an important speaker have been lost.  The inevitable that can only happen when you work with a group of four men and one woman has occurred: Guy talk had commenced.

Toma, Bardock, and Panboukin are talking about the planet and the qualities that it had for Lord Frieza to want it so much. I could always care less about these sorts of things and especially now. I just wanted to get home, get some comfortable rest, and talk with Malacca again. After all, there was a very good chance that I may be pregnant, but we weren't going to say anything until we were sure.

Oh yes, my possible pregnancy.  My "ninety-nine percent it's the real thing" possible pregnancy, or so Malacca says.  He's a good doctor, but he has yet to give me a damned straight, guaranteed answer from when I approached him two weeks ago with symptoms of occasional queasiness and he announced the news.  Yet another man who fails to break the stereotype; although, he has kept that vow of secrecy I swore him to quite well…

Personally, I think I'm pregnant.  It was just a feeling that just came over me.  I can't explain how I know, or why, but I do know when it happened.   All I know is that while lying in Toma's arms in the aftermath of loving, a distinct feeling of completeness had filled me.

Well, either it was completeness or that questionable sandwich I had eaten earlier.

As sure as I am, however, I'm hesitant to tell everyone, and without a doctor's backing that I am without a doubt impregnated, I'm not willing to chance anything.  I'm not superstitious, but I bet you that if we really did believe that I was pregnant, and I had announced it to the team, it would turn out to be a false alarm.  Then there would be a dealing of the pleasantries and Toma to mess with.

Damn how I hate pleasantries.

But I still hope that that I'm pregnant, even if it meant getting Toma agitated and having to look for a reliable replacement that the crew won't get attached to over the course of about a year. After all, there wasn't anything wrong with spending time with your child before he or she was shipped off to a remote planet, was there? 

Oh, and if I am pregnant, I want it to be a girl.  There are enough morons on this planet as it is.  Besides, I'd like to see the look on Toma's face when he sees he's the father of a-What the Hell?!

Looks like we've got company, Kanassei-jin company.  Damn aliens.  You think you've gotten them all and then one just pops out of nowhere like the bugs that they are.  It's a stupid alien too.  What idiot attempts a frontal attack on a Saiya-jin?  Well, it is male.  That would explain part of it.

I'm not too surprised that after a few minutes of small squabbles and pointless talking, Bardock destroys the creature.  For all his thick-headed, disgusting ways, I'll admit that he is a powerful fighter. 

'Ey, whaddya know?  We got out of a planet purge without Bardock's ass ending up half-dead on the gro-Bardock!

 Vegetasei: Spaceport 

So much for "breaking the record"; Bardock managed to get himself back into the tank again. Well, he was getting closer and closer to not returning home half-dead. That's always a good thing, even if Toma is as paranoid as ever.  The man needs some serious stress management classes.  Did you know he's a clean freak?  Not surprising, I know, but still…

Anyway, right now he's tenser then a wakisuro up a tree.  Maybe I should talk to Malacca about his idea of Toma seeking some professional guidance on that stress of his…

Well, at least Panboukin was smart enough, a rare occasion if anything, to remember that we did have another mission: Meatsei. His theory was simple, as most things are with him:

"To drag them out of "worriedness", get them busy!"

I hope he realizes someday that "worriedness" is not a word.

The trek to the spaceport, for the most part, was uneventful.  That is, until I decided to take a peek at Bardock's newborn.  (Hey, if he didn't do it, who would?)  I should have known better then to do so in front of Toma, and, of course, a fight followed suit.  Luckily, and I strain the luckily, Panboukin interceded before anything serious took place.

But it wasn't until Toma spoke to me afterwards that I got upset.

"Celipa, what exactly did you mean when you said, 'It's going to be sooner than you think'?" Toma asked as he walked close to me so that nobody else would hear. 

"You'll see soon, " I replied with a smirk.  Like I'm actually going to let him have the last word…

A severe glance from him tells me the bitter argument from earlier is far from over.

 

"The hell, Celipa.  I'm not joking, what's this all about?"

 

"Nothing Toma, don't worry yourself like you do with Bardock all the time."  I sped up to lose him, trying to leave him behind.  Unfortunately, I didn't make it.

 

"Don't walk away from me, damnit!  I'm not kidding about this children subject.  I don't want any, not with you anyway.  I don't-"

 

I stop short and bristle; he chokes up suddenly at what he said.  He doesn't want any?  None at all?  Not with me?  My fists clench, and I hasten my pace a bit more. 

 

Damn him, he couldn't have just left without making that comment, could he have? 

 

Stalking back to my pod, I refuse to give rise to those angry tears gathering in my eyes.  Damn it all!  Three months ago children were top on our list, and now he's angry with me because he suspects my pregnancy.  It's not my fault; he made the first move! 

 

And now I’m getting all emotional.

 

Kicking the door of my pod open angrily, I viciously punch in the coordinates.  After several moments of blurry eyes and mistaken coordinates, I finally get it right, and, climbing in, kick the door shut.  A hand appears, though, and holds in open before it shuts. 

 

Toma.

 

"What the Hell do you want," I snarl in response as he tries to lean forward, and I push him back with a leg.  He really thinks he can make this all okay?  Idiot...

 

"Celipa, listen-"

 

"I don't have time to listen to your bull, Toma, get out.  We have a mission, remember, almighty sub commander!" I hiss the final words, and once again, I try to slam it shut, but he catches once more.

 

"Damnit Celipa, listen to me."

 

Oh, now he's getting angry!  It's time for me to put him back into place.

 

"Listen Toma," I respond coldly, "I'm not really in the mood for your high morale speeches right now, so just get the hell out."

 

"What the Hell is wrong with you?!"

 

"What's wrong with me?  You dare to ask that!  Get the Hell out."

 

"Not until you answer me."

 

"Fine!  You're a selfish bastard.  The only thing I've ever wanted from you is a child, plain and simple.  It's not as if it took a lot of work on your part either, you get a good lay, I get nine months of hell, but no, we can't have children.  Why?  Because her damn mate is too lazy to replace his members.  Damnit, Toma, you're worse then Bardock sometimes!  Are you really that worthless?" 

 

Aw damn...what did I just say?  He pulls back immediately, obviously hurt at that last comment, and I avert my eyes, turning my head away so I don't have to gaze into them. 

 

I sigh quietly, the atmosphere still heated from the beforehand argument.  I’m not an empathetic person, but I also don't like hurting my lover's feelings.  At times, it's almost as if I've betrayed him…

 

Two hands make their way to my shoulders, pulling me close, and Toma presses his forehead against mine.  He didn't speak at first, only kept quiet while he held me, maybe thinking about what he's going to say.  Maybe I should try doing that more often…

 

"Celipa," he murmurs softly against my forehead, "All I wanna do is make you happy.  What can I do to make you happy?"

 

"Toma, please...Just one, that's all I'm asking, just one child.  We don't have to have any more, but just one."

 

A sigh, and then more whispering.

 

"Okay...One, but no more.  I don't want to take the...never mind, you would never understand.  But understand this Celipa, I do care for you, more then you know."  He gave me a wry, sad smile.  "When we get back from Meatsei, let's make a baby, okay?" 

 

The desire to explain to him that we won't have to rises within me, peaking at my edge of my tongue, but I push it down.  Instead, I finally deign to acknowledge him as a lover, and, leaning forward, I steal a kiss.  Quickly.  I don't want the others thinking me a softy over Toma fulfilling my one need. 

 

After we break away, ending the kiss, he smiles, and I do the same.  It's been awful long while since we held each other.  Okay, I admit it: I miss being held. 

 

Slowly moving away, Toma stands to his full height and moves away, gently easing me back into my pod.  Pausing as he closes the door, he opens his mouth to perhaps say something else, but, instead, he simply shakes his head and smiles down at me, whispering softly, "Have a nice trip."  Before I can say another word, he closes my pod, leaving me to my own thoughts and musings. 

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