Happy Easter, everyone. Enjoy! ^^

Easter Bunny Blues

"So anyway, the Easter Bunny gathers up all the eggs and-" Trunks stopped mid-story to shake his sister's clutching grasp from his arm. Shooting a dirty look downward, he groaned. "Mo-om…Bra won't get off me!"

Bulma coolly flipped the page of her magazine, and replied without looking up, "Bra, let your brother dye his eggs."

The teenager smirked triumphantly as his sister slid down into her chair once more. Folding her little arms, she pouted. Her mood didn't last long, however, as she quickly remembered the story and hopped back up to her feet. Standing on her chair so as to look her brother in the face, the three-year-old whined, "More story, Trunks!"

He rolled his eyes and dipped his egg into the blue-colored mixture on the counter. "Alright, alright. So on Easter morning, the Easter Bunny hops around to all the houses of good little boys - like me - and good little girls-"

"Like me!" Bra excitedly piped up.

Trunks couldn't help but grin. "Yeah, sure, like you…and he leaves lots of candy and presents and toys in their Easter baskets. Most years, he even hides eggs around the house with even more candy in them."

As Bra's eyes grew wider and wider at the prospect of such a day, Bulma couldn't resist snatching a glance of her two children acting civilly toward one another…for once. Every year Trunks' story had more embellishments on the well-known Bunny. She couldn't wait to hear what he would tell his sister this year.

Bulma smiled and was just about to go back to her article when Vegeta entered the room. His eyes were dead-set on the refrigerator, as they were every night around this time, but this night something strange caught his gaze. He slowed his gait and stared confusedly at the kitchen counter and his two offspring. After taking in the scene for a moment, he addressed his eldest. "Boy, what are you two doing with that food?"

"I'm dying eggs for the Easter Bunny, Dad," Trunks answered his father's question with almost no attitude. "Duh…" he added. Almost.

Vegeta scowled even more confusedly. "What? What is that nonsense supposed to mean?"

Bra leaped from her perch on the chair onto her father's neck, latching her arms tightly around him. Although she couldn't fly yet, Bra was already quite nimble, and was becoming quite a handful at the tender age of three. "They're snacks for when the Easter Bunny comes, Daddy!" she chirped excitedly.

Vegeta pulled his daughter from his windpipe and set her gently back in her seat. Tossing an irritated look at his mate, he demanded an answer to the situation. "Woman, are you involving our offspring in another of your ridiculous Earthling rituals?"

Bulma neatly folded her magazine shut and answered easily, "No, I'm letting them have a little fun on a holiday you would know about if you ever celebrated them with us."

"Don't start that again. I participate in your "Christmas" every year. That is as much as we agreed on," the prince spat out, defending himself. "And anyway, you should know very well I wouldn't take part in such foolishness."

Bulma rolled her eyes. "Oh well. I guess the Easter Bunny skips Daddy again this year, huh, Bra?"

Bra folded her little arms delicately, mimicking her mother's current actions. "Yep. That's right!" she squeaked, looking toward her father assuredly.

Vegeta just scoffed. "What could an Earth rabbit possibly give me that I would desire?" Looking down at the counter where the now-colored eggs lay, he added, "Besides, I think you humans have your wires crossed. Aren't your rabbits supposed to be herbivores?"

"Not the Easter Bunny, Daddy!" Bra answered immediately. "Not him! He's a big bunny, and he needs snacks to help him deliver the candy. Right Trunks?"

Trunks nodded. "Yup. That's how the story goes."

Bulma eyed her mate curiously. Somehow, she didn't think he was responding to this as she had thought. Why…it almost seemed as if…he might be believing some of it.

"A giant, omnivorous Earth rabbit hops to children's houses and rewards them for good behavior?" Vegeta mumbled, half to himself. "Preposterous," he stated quickly. Bulma thought she could see an inkling of nervousness in his eyes.

"Alright, that's enough story for tonight. It's time for Bra to be getting to bed. You want the Easter Bunny to bring you lots of goodies tomorrow, don't you?" Bulma interrupted. "Trunks, would you take her upstairs and get her ready for bed?"

The children made their way upstairs, Bra chattering about all the toys and games she hoped to receive, and Trunks, for once, acting like a good-natured brother and letting her babble on excitedly. When they were both out of ear-shot, Bulma turned to the prince, who was now making his way toward the fridge again. "Hon?"

"Mm," he grunted in response. He was already ten minutes late in getting his meal.

"You don't think…the story might be true…do you?" she asked him innocently, as if she wasn't sure herself.

Vegeta didn't answer for a moment, his cheeks stuffed full of cold chicken. Then he swallowed and looked at her suspiciously. "No. Of course not."

She tried to stifle her grin at his unsure response. "Well…it's just that…I've seen him every year around this time. Or at least...I think I have."

Vegeta stopped chewing. "What do you take me for, woman? A fool?"

"Of course not, sweetie," she replied in a saccharine voice. "I just…want you to promise me that you won't do anything stupid, like blasting him into the next dimension. He does have to bring the kids' presents, you know."

Vegeta raised an eyebrow. He wasn't sure if she was joking or not, but he knew something was up. "Sure, why not? I promise I won't kill the enormous, sentient rabbit," he replied sarcastically.

"Good," Bulma beamed. She opened her magazine once again, and there was silence between them, save Vegeta's munching and the flipping of pages. Suddenly, though, they both heard a thumping noise. It was coming from the hallway. Vegeta's head shot up, and Bulma's remained fixated on her article. The Saiyan prince decided she must not have heard it. After a few seconds passed, he wasn't even sure he had.

A minute later, though, he heard it again. This time it was louder, and it didn't go away. It just kept thumping louder and louder, getting closer each time. He glanced at his mate. She still couldn't hear it? Human senses were even weaker than he had thought.

Little did he know she was eyeing him every few moments when she could steal a glance.

"Bulma…" he started, using her name for the first time in ages. He didn't continue, so she looked up.

"Yes, hon?"

"Nothing," he replied quickly, trying to cover his nerves. There was no such thing as a giant rabbit who eats eggs….was there? He listened to the thumping noise grow louder and louder as it came nearer to the room. Vegeta's eyes darted from side to side. What was he to do? He would never admit it, but the soft, tiny Earth rabbits he had seen at the pet shop were already creepy to him. He couldn't stand their long ears and enormous eyes. But a larger version? He wasn't sure if he could hide his feelings about that.

Just then, the thumping stopped. It was quiet all throughout the house for quite some time. He wondered if perhaps it was just one of the robots malfunctioning, and it was gone now. Then, suddenly, out from the shadows popped a massive ball of pink fur. It leaped into the middle of the kitchen, hopping around on all fours. Vegeta couldn't see the thing's face, but…those massive ears! That fuzzy tail! How could this be?

The thing was half as tall as he was. It alternated between using its legs to hop like a human, and using all fours. Without turning around, the furry, pink animal dove straight for the eggs laying beside him on the counter. That was enough for the poor Saiyan prince. He shot up from the table, away from the monster, and began to back out of the room. He looked toward Bulma, who was sitting calmly at the other side of the island, smiling kindly toward the abomination. He stumbled backward and stuttered out an excuse. "I…will be going now. I have…things…I have…goodnight."

And with that, he turned and shot out of the room toward the staircase, and up to their bedroom.

As soon as the prince was out of sight, Bulma finally let loose a roar of giggles, and tugged at the "Easter Bunny"'s ears until they came down. Bra beamed up at her mother. "Mommy, did I do it right?"

Bulma wiped the tears from her eyes and continued to laugh uncontrollably. Between chuckles, she managed, "You did it perfectly, sweetheart."

Bra clapped her tiny hands together. "Now Daddy will believe in the Easter Bunny!"

Bulma finally calmed herself down. "You've got that right, Bra."

After a few more minutes of giggling between them, Bulma brought her daughter upstairs to tuck her in and thank Trunks for getting his sister into costume. They pulled off her little pink outfit, and put her to bed. After all was said and done, Bulma hurried off to her bedroom. She was certain there would be an alien prince in need of a bit of reassuring. And she knew a certain bunny outfit in the back of her closet that would surely get him in the spirit for Easter.

Reviews are always appreciated. ;)

Have a happy Easter!