ࡱ> k bjbj "}}ll l l l x ,YJ IIIIIII$K /MbI I@H J@H@H@H v6 I@H I@H@HII @I~ l &BII)J0YJIM*HMI@HShow Him How Chapter 1: 321BLAST OFF! "Damnit Vegeta!" Bulma screamed, "Why must you insist on peering over my shoulder like this? If you dont trust me to do this properly, then either do it yourself or at least have the decency to stay out of my way!" The gravity machine was broken, yet again, and Bulma was out fixing it, with Vegeta peering constantly over her shoulder to make some snide remark or another. "Just trying to make sure you dont sabotage it." Vegeta sneered back, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He began to pace lightly back and forth. "And besides, every time I leave you alone with this thing, it doesnt get fixed for days." "Well if you didnt break the thing so damned often then I wouldnt have to fix it so often!" "If this thing wasnt such a piece of crap then it could handle a little more of my strength!" Vegeta roared, and the usual argument began. It seemed that every time the gravity room broke, which was all to often, this same squabble was repeated, like the two were simply puppets in a favorite play, destined to act out the same scenes over and over for all eternity. "Shut up Vegeta! Just shut up!" Bulma screeched. Just as Vegeta was about to respond, she held up a hand. "The damn thing is fixed you ass. Thanks to yours truly." she dropped the screwdriver she had been holding, and picked up a wrench. "Now, if I just tighten this valve right here, then this baby will be ready to go." She reached in carefully, so as not to get her arms tangled in the mess of wires, and turned a valve. Suddenly, the spherical ship began to shake and rumble. "What the hell did you do?" Vegeta yelled, trying to brace himself. A large tremor rocked the ship, and Bulmas small body was thrown into Vegetas, sending them both crashing to the floor. "Ready to launch in 543" A mechanical voice droned. "Shimatta! When I reset the gravity controls I must have done something wrong!" The human woman jumped up and skittered over to the control center of the ship. "Come on! Come on!" her fingers flew over the keyboard, furiously typing in override commands. "21" "IIE IIE IIE! I said stop! Stop, damn you!" Bulma screeched, pounding her tiny fists on the metal. "Blast off!" The mechanical voice droned on, and the two occupants could feel the ship starting to lift off the ground. Bulma screamed, neither one of them was strapped in, or even wearing pressurized suits to handle the insanely high altitudes to which they would be traveling before leaving the atmosphere. Suddenly, Bulma found herself squeezed into a very small space, and she blinked, realizing that Vegetas arms were holding on to her tightly. "Hold on Woman, and dont let go." He growled softly. He had realized that there was not enough time to get both of them suited up and strapped in, so he grabbed the human female and dove under a console, using it to brace himself. "But Vegeta, what about the gravity?" "Damn it! Shut up!" The Saiyan no Ouji screwed his eyes tightly shut and erected a ki field around himself and Bulma, to lessen effects of the pressure on their bodies. Bulma clung tightly to her Saiyan savior as the ship rocked and bounced up and out of Earths atmosphere. She began to feel quite dizzy though, and passed out in Vegetas arms. "Shimatta!" He swore, feeling himself drift to the brink of unconsciousness as well, and unable to stay awake any longer, he surrendered himself to the black abyss. *** "KamiWhat happened?" Bulma moaned, stretching her limbs out. Her muscles felt bunched up, and her nerves were all over the place. "Vegeta?" she murmured. "Where are you? Where am I for that matter?" It was then that she realized she was in a bed. Not her own bed though. She blinked twice, and looked around. "Im still in the spaceship. How long have I been out of it?" Bulma reached up to scratch her head, and winced as she came into contact with a tender bump on her skull. "I must have bonked myself during that takeoff" She crawled out of the bed and padded over to the small bathroom, to examine her head in the mirror. It was just bruised, no bleeding. "Vegeta must have put me in that bed after he woke up. I wonder if hes hurt at all." Bulma padded out of the small bedroom and pulled herself up the rungs of the metal ladder onto the main deck of the ship, to see Vegeta standing at the console. She felt better, seeing that he was all right, and knowing that he knew what he was doing with this ship, having taken it out to space several times before for training missions. It was the same ship he always used, even thought it had had to be rebuilt after the damage it had suffered on the particular trip where he managed to transform into a Super Saiyan. "How long was I out?" "A while." "That doesnt help me Vegeta." "Well I only woke up two hours ago myself." He growled, tapping a couple of keys on the console. A large screen popped up, and on it Bulma could see millions of stars flying by. "Man, this ship goes fast." She murmured, knowing that the image she was seeing was being transmitted from tiny cameras on the outer hull of the ship. Vegeta grunted his agreement. "Where are we anyway?" "Well, the ships readings say that were in the Tental Quadrant." "And where is that?" Bulma put her hands on her hips in the typical tell me now or I screech fashion. "A hell of a long way from home." Chapter 2: We have to do WHAT?!?!?! "Well, how far exactly would you say we are from Chikyuu?" Bulma questioned, trying her hardest to fight the jelly-like sensation in her knees. "Id say its about 3500 Givlets." Vegeta responded, watching as Bulma began to tremble lightly. "WhaWhats a Givlet?" she murmured, dropping heavily onto one of the padded benches that lined the wall. "How many kilometers?" "I dont know." Vegeta sighed softly. "Givlets are the standard measuring system in most galaxies, and Im not sure of the conversion into metric." "Well, how long do you figure it will take us to get home? I have a very important meeting tomorrow at work and I cant miss it!" "Well, at the speed this ship travels it wouldnt take us more than a few days, a week at the most, if we were to conserve fuel. Theres not a lot left in this thing." Vegeta patted the console lightly with a gloved hand. "If we went any faster wed run out before we could make it into Chikyuus atmosphere, and wed most likely end up floating around out here till we crashed into something." "Well then, turn this bugger around and lets go home!" Bulma screeched, and the Saiyan winced lightly, resisting the urge to cover his ears. "Ive been awake for two hours, you idiot! Dont you think Ive tried that already?" Vegeta growled. "Idiot? Can idiots make spaceships? I dont think so!" Bulma screeched, then paled lightly. "Wait, what do you mean youve tried turning us around already?" "I mean that theres something wrong with this damn ship, and I cant alter the course! And by the way, idiots do mess up while fixing ships and cause them to blast off into space!" The Saiyan prince left his spot by the ships controls and began to pace lightly back and forth. "Ive studied the course were on right now, and I figure were on a collision course with the planet Imtor. Hopefully, you didnt mess up the landing gear too." "Shut up." Bulma snapped. "I dont want to be blamed for all this." "It is your fault." Vegeta retorted, casting an angry glare in her direction. "Did I not tell you to shut up? No," she held up her hand, stopping Vegeta, as he was about to say something. "I have a terrible headache Vegeta. Please dont yell at me, and just tell me what Imtor is like." she sighed, putting a hand lightly on the large bump on her head. Vegeta growled, turning his back to the human woman. "Imtor is a fairly nice planet, Ive been there only a few times. The people are gentle for the most part, hostility is rare. When we arrive there, you must be very careful though" "Why? Whatll they do to me?" "The males are highly dominant in Imtor society, and the women subservient. Men do as they please with the women, and being married as you would call it is a very rare occurrence. Women are seen as little more than objects of pleasure, and are used freely, without worry." "You mean theytheyresex slaves?" Bulma gasped. "Not quite." Vegeta chuckled lightly. "Seeing as the women are pleasured as well, they do not object to being used like common whores. It pleases them, and as they have no worries about getting pregnant" "What do you mean no worries about getting pregnant?" Bulma cut Vegeta off, ignoring his indignant scowl. "Imtorites have the unique ability to control whether or not they become pregnant after intercourse." Vegeta finished his sentence, slightly amused as Bulmas eyes widened. "So, you see, the males of Imtor would not understand that you do not, and they will be highly offended if you choose to decline an invitation for sex." "WhatWhat will I do? II cant, no, I wont be some aliens little whore!" Bulma began to panic, seeing no possible solutions to this problem. "Relax, will you?" Vegeta growled. "While we are on Imtor" the now hysterical Bulma cut him off again. "What? What?" She screeched. "Are you saying that Im supposed to just LET them ravage me like some sort of cheap prostitute? I wont Vegeta! Id rather die!" "SHUT UP!" Vegeta roared, pushing her down onto the bench. "Calm down, for Kamis sake." "IGomen nasai." Bulma murmured, her cheeks turning a delicate shade of pink. "While we are on Imtor," Vegeta began again, "you and I will have to pretend to be mates." Chapter 3: Bondage is not my style. "WhaWhat do you mean we have to pretend to be mates?" Bulma screeched. "I dont get it!" "If you are that stupid" Vegeta sighed and rolled his eyes. "It means, in your Human terms, that while we are on the planet Imtor, we must pretend to be husband and wife." With that, he turned and stalked out of the room, heading towards the enclosed gravity chamber. Two days later, Bulma was still in a bit of a trance. Mates? We have to pretend to be mates? I dont even like the guy! Though he is kind of cutemore like hunkarificbut hes such an assholeand what kind of word is mates? What are we? Monkeys? HmmmI suppose that does make sense Suddenly, a loud clatter erupted from behind, and Bulma jumped around to see Vegeta standing in the middle of a pile of pots and pans. "WomanMay I ask what in hell these pots are doing in my way?" he growled. "Ierr" she stuttered, blushing. Vegeta wore no shirt, and thats enough to make even the most pristine nun sweat. (Authors note: I really hope that no one finds that offensive, as it is just a saying, and I certainly dont mean it to be offensive.) "I was just making dinner, and I had to dig through all these cupboards and then I guess I kinda forgot to put everything away" Vegeta snorted, and kicked one of the pots in to a wall with a loud clang. "As long as the food is edible" he shrugged. "Whats with you anyway? Youve been holed up in that gravity chamber so long I thought you had died. I was about to have a party." "Who would you invite? The pots and pans? Sounds super fun." Vegeta snickered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Besides," he cut off the snappy remark she had been about to say, "Well be landing soon." "Landing? Soon? How soon?" Bulma squeaked. "Will they have technology to fix the ship? Can I get some new clothes?" "Yes, yes, a few hours, no, and yes." "Good! I was getting tired of wearing your clothes." Bulma giggled, tugging at the mens cotton tank top she wore. Because their takeoff had been quite unexpected, she had not thought to bring any extra clothing out to fix the gravity room. Luckily, Vegeta kept several spare training outfits in the living area of the ship, not all of them spandex. "Wait a minute! They wont have technology to fix the ship?" "I already answered that particular question." came the gruff reply. "How the hell are we supposed to get home then?" Bulma wailed back. "Calm down you idiot. Shimattahumans. Imtorites do have the technology for space travel, but their ships are rather primitive, and not to mention slow as hell. Well borrow a ship from Emperor Borrin, encapsulate the one were in right now, and fly to the nearest advanced planet, where you can fix whatever the hell you did to this ship. Then we can fly back to Imtor, return their ship, and fly ourselves back to Chikyuu." Vegeta made it all sound so simple. "Ummokay" Bulma murmured. "If were going to land soon, I suppose I should put on something thats not yours, right?" "Hai." Vegeta nodded, and Bulma scurried down into the bottom level of the spherical ship, to change into the clothes she had been wearing during takeoff, simple jeans and a Capsule Corp. shirt. Then she went back upstairs to eat dinner with Vegeta. "20 minutes to landing." Said a mechanized voice, startling Bulma out of her seat. She watched as Vegetas head emerged from the hole in the floor, which led to the living area of the ship. He hoisted himself up off the ladder, and padded lightly over to the ships control center. That was one thing she had noted about Vegeta, he didnt stomp, as one would expect, but treaded rather lightly. A valuable trait when one tends to sneak around, like the Saiyan prince. Vegeta kept a close watch on the visual screens, and the room was silent for a few moments, then he spoke. "While we are planetside, you are to show me the utmost respect." he spoke calmly, as if speaking to a child. "If we are to appear mates, you must also show me affection, and hold that venomous tongue of yours. These people know enough of me to know that I would never put up with a disrespectful wench like you." "What exactly do you mean by affection?" Bulma questioned, her hands on her hips. "If I offer you my arm, take it. If I pull you close, press yourself closer, and if I kiss you, kiss me back." he stated, as if it were the simplest act in the world. "KKiss?" Bulma paled. "We are supposed to be mates, Woman, and mates do share that certain intimacy." he looked at her. "Is that a problem, or would you rather I let them rape you?" "IINo, its okay" she fiddled with the hem of her shirt, too embarrassed to look him in the eye. "I wouldnt worry too much if I were you. I am not fond of public displays of affection." Vegeta turned back to the controls. This statement, for some odd reason, brought a sinking feeling to Bulmas stomach, but she did her best to ignore it as she strapped herself into her seat. They were to touch down in about ten minutes and she could feel the ship begin to rock and sway as it entered Imtors atmosphere. "Vegeta, shouldnt we have been concerned about our landing more than twenty minutes in advance? I mean, the ship should have started bouncing around like this long before now!" "Baka." Vegeta muttered in response. "Imtors atmosphere is considerably thinner than that of Chikyuu. If we had started rocking earlier, there would have been cause for worry." "Oh" Bulma murmured, too embarrassed to bother retaliating against his insult. "Arent you going to strap yourself in?" "Why?" Vegeta smirked, devilishly handsome. "Is the little human worried about me?" he teased. "Hai." Bulma huffed and turned away. Her frank admission of her concern though, had struck something in the Saiyan no Ouji, and he watched her for a moment in his confusion. He had certainly never done anything to deserve her concern, and it puzzled him as to why she should care about what happened to him. Reluctantly, Vegeta turned away from the irritated woman and strapped himself into his own seat with a wary glance in her direction. No matter how much she pretended to care for him, he could not let himself fall prey to his own emotions. He would not allow himself to get closer to her; it would bring only pain. The ship began to shake about violently, and Bulma let out a frightened whimper, trying her best to be strong in front of Vegeta. She would never hear the end of how weak and pitiful she was if she allowed him to see how completely terrified she was. With a great thud though, everything was over, and she found herself sighing with relief. "Are you going to get up, Woman, or just sit there all day?" came a gruff voice, and Bulma looked up to see Vegeta standing above her, arms crossed with the usual scowl on his face. "Oops" she flushed hotly, fiddling with the straps. "I cant get the clasp open VegetaI think Im stuck." she looked helplessly up at him, bright red in her mortification. "Kami, Woman." Vegeta growled, then muttered something unintelligible, and in what Bulma assumed to be another language. He rolled his eyes and knelt down in front of her, two gloved hands reaching out to free her. He fiddled and pulled for a while, but seemed to have the same problem that Bulma had had. "What in hell did you do?" he grumbled, leaning his head down near her chest to get a better look at the stubborn straps. "I dont know," she whimpered, piteously, followed by a sharp intake of breath as his spiky mane brushed against her collarbone and cheek. She squirmed uncomfortably as a warm heat began to form between her legs, a result of the Saiyan being so near to her. Unfortunately for Bulma, being so close allowed Vegetas highly tuned senses to pick up the change of scent in the surrounding air. "So, the little human likes being tied up, ne?" he smirked up at her, a teasing glint in his onyx eyes. Bulma flushed hotly and turned away, squirming at the uncomfortable sensation as she tried to close her thighs tighter, as if it would prevent him from detecting her arousal. Vegeta chuckled and reached up to undo the clasp holding the straps over her chest, allowing his hand to brush sensually over her breast. He gave it a little squeeze, earning a gasp from the flustered human, smirked at her, and walked away. All Bulma could do was watch as he strutted over to the ships control board, tail swishing lightly back and forth, the end curling upwards ever so slightly to avoid brushing the groundtail? "Vegeta!" she gasped. "Whenwhen did that grow back?" she pointed an accusing finger at the furry brown appendage. "Oh, that." he examined his tail with unabashed pride. "It was there when I woke up this morning. I was beginning to wonder when the bugger would grow back." he turned back to the console and typed a few keys, and in a few moments, Bulma could hear the mechanical hissing sound as the door began to open, and a crack of light filtered into the room. Chapter 4: Tucked in and ready for bed Bulma scurried to her feet as the door hissed open, brushing her pants off as she did so. The door was almost fully open, and she watched quietly as Vegeta prepared to step onto the ramp. "Iroshoin glamtro epehna." He spoke, the odd sounds rolling easily off of his tongue. "Iroshoin glamtro epehna!" came a chorus from outside the door. Curious to see what was going on, Bulma tiptoed quickly towards the door, poking her head out, looking over Vegetas shoulder. "Roemol teppher?" Came a deep voice from the crowd of green creatures. There was a ripple of chuckles, and several suggestive leers from the obviously male beings. Bulma decided that she did not like the lecherous glances the men were sending her, nor the husky way in which they spoke. "Ebelph kooriel tama." Vegeta snapped, pulling Bulma roughly into his arms. "Terriph tookekn." he purred, nuzzling her neck. Bulma flushed lightly at his touch, and a wave of good-natured laughter rippled through the group of men. "Vegeta." Bulma hissed. "What the hell is going on? I cant understand a word youre saying!" Vegeta smirked down at her, then looked back up towards the green man who had originally spoken. Bulma decided he must be their leader. "Oobiph fenor wegre?" Vegeta inquired, and the man reached into a pouch hanging from his belt. He brought something small out and tossed it towards Vegeta, who caught it easily. "What is that?" Bulma asked, eyeing the tiny microchip warily. "Its a translator." Vegeta put it in her palm. "Take a look. It attaches to the back of your skull, just above the hairline. It sends information to your brain which converts Imtorite into your native language, which would be Japanese, and vice-versa." "I dont know about this" Bulma murmured. "Kami, woman! Do you honestly think Id let them put some sort of brain control device on you?" Vegeta growled. Bulma shook her head. "Flip your head over and Ill put it on you." Bulma did as she was told, and the crowd of Imtorite males watched in fascination as her hair fell like a shining waterfall. Vegeta smirked to himself as he pushed the aqua curtain aside, finding the right spot on the base of her skull. He pressed the little microchip down, and then wiggled it lightly to see if it would move. It didnt. "You can flip your head the right way now." Bulma stood up straight, frowning as she tried to fix her hair with the absence of a mirror. She jumped as one of the Imtorites spoke. "Its too bad," he said, grinning, "that youre Vegetas mate. We could have given you a good time." Just as Bulma was about to retort something fierce, Vegeta wrapped his arm around her waist once more, and cut off her stinging reply. "Feh." he snorted. "I doubt that any woman well bred enough to be even considered as my mate would ever consider bedding with a creature like you." There was another round of laughter, and even the flushed human female allowed herself a tiny giggle. The whole group was moving soon, towards the Imtorite Royal Palace, home to the esteemed Emperor Boorin. The Imtorite equivalent of a car was quite comfortable, but there was little room for all the beings, so Bulma ended up spending the two-hour trip perched on Vegetas muscular thighs, with his arms wrapped around her. Bulma had to admit, even with all the hulking green aliens staring at her, that it was the most pleasurable two hours she had ever had. Emperor Boorin was a great blob of a man, as Bulma found out upon reaching the palace. Luckily though, he was well mannered enough to avoid staring at Bulma, once he found out she was Vegetas mate that is. The Saiyan no Ouji had quickly explained their situation, and requested the use of a ship, and new clothes, much to Bulmas delight. "Of course!" Boorin cried. "My servants will have some fine new garments made up for you and your lovely mate!" Bulma discovered that, although disgusting, Emperor Boorin was not an unkind man, and she favored him with a smile as he ordered his servant women to use only the finest silks and satins for her clothing. A few hours later, after Vegeta had excused himself and Bulma on the grounds of fatigue, there was a knock on the door to their apartments. Two young servant girls entered the room, each carrying a carefully wrapped parcel. "Your new clothing." they handed the parcels to Vegeta, and then excused themselves from the room. Excitedly, Bulma tore open the papery substance in which her things were wrapped, and gasped in wonder as she pulled out several shimmery silk gowns, each one prettier than the last. She flushed hotly though, as the next item was revealed. It was a white silk nightdress, indecently small. No doubt, the Emperor of Imtor wanted Vegeta to be pleased with his mates appearance at all times. It was just that moment too, that Vegeta decided to come inspect Bulmas gifts from Boorin. Bulma turned to see his smirking face as he plucked the tiny garment out of her hands, examining it for himself. He turned it, this way and that, before finally holding it up to her body, smiling fiendishly at her pink face. "Its bad enough that we have to share a bed, Vegeta. But if, for one second, you think Im sleeping next to a beast like you in a nightgown like that you are sadly mistaken!" "All right then," Vegeta chuckled, "you can sleep naked." He tossed the silky thing back at her, strutting off towards their private bathroom, not before giving her plush bottom a good teasing squeeze though. "Beast!" she called after him. "Pervert!" "Im going to change for bed now." Vegeta called back, over his shoulder. "And when I come out, you had better be changed too, or else Im going to have to change you myself!" Bulma took off her shoe, and whipped it at the now closed bathroom door. "OhhThat bastard!" she hissed, digging through the rest of the clothes in search of another, less revealing, nightgown. To her dismay, they was only one other item that she could possibly sleep in, and it was even skimpier. She did find though, several pairs of silky panties, however, all of them happened to be thongs, and a few lacy bras. She noticed something rather odd though. Aside from her new gowns, everything was a perfect snowy white. Sighing, she tossed her new undergarments into a drawer of the elegant wooden dresser by the bed, blushing as she saw that Vegeta had already designated it the underwear drawer. She didnt know why seeing his boxers affected her so much now, after all, she had been doing his laundry for nearly a year! However, she had never bought him nice silky things like the ones neatly folded in the drawer. Again she noticed something odd. All of the boxers were black. Puzzling over this new discovery, Bulma hung her new gowns in the large wardrobe, being careful not to wrinkle them. Clenching her teeth, Bulma picked up the wee little piece of silk she would be wearing for the night. Taking a quick look around, she peeled off her shirt, knowing that Vegeta was in the shower, because she could hear it running. Her bra followed suit and she slipped the garment over her head, enjoying the smooth feel of it against her skin. She pulled her jeans off from underneath and decided, at the last minute, to change her panties as well. It seemed such a shame to wear her flowered Hanes rather than one of new silky pairs, when sporting such sexy nightwear. Doing a quick check to make sure the nightie covered her behind, she slipped off the cotton briefs, replacing them with a white silk thong. "As long as Im gonna look like a slut," she sighed, "I may as well accessorize. Besides, I dont want Vegeta to see me in my grandma panties." "What were you saying? Something about panties?" Bulma whipped around to face the bathroom door, where Vegeta was standing in a cloud of hot steam, wearing only a pair of the black silk unders provided by Imtars Emperor. "Ernothing. You must be mistaken." Bulma stammered, backing away from his appreciative gaze. "Me? Mistaken?" Vegeta laughed. "Woman, you should know by now that my Saiyan hearing is far superior to you little Human ears. I know perfectly well what you said." He laughed again. "And you dont look like a slut. You look like a woman who is ready and willing to please her mate." Vegeta began to walk toward her, and she backed away, right towards the bed. "Im glad to see youre so eager." he purred, as she fell backwards onto the fluffy cushion. "Vegeta, stop it! This isnt funny! Its just mean!" she whimpered, protesting as the Saiyan no Ouji crawled onto the bed on his hands and knees and straddled her scantily clad body. His head descended to nip at her neck and shoulder. Bulma was torn between slapping him and urging him to continue. Then he began to move lower, stopping at the neckline of the nightgown, and looking up into Bulmas eyes. Just as she was about to give him permission to go lower, he smiled down at her, a wide, cruel smirk. "I can see your boobies." He chuckled. Bulmas eyes went wide, but before she could slap him, Vegeta had grabbed her and wrapped the both of them in blankets. The lights were out now, though Bulma did not know how it had happened. Perhaps Vegeta had set them on a timer or something like that when she wasnt looking. She could feel his strong arms around her, but, to her shocked dismay, she could not feel any sort of hardened bulge pressing into her. Trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, Bulma bent her knee and raised her thigh the slightest bit, allowing it to brush against his groin, but Vegeta caught on quickly. "Woman," he whispered, "If I were aroused, you would definitely know it." Bulma flushed hotly and squirmed in protest, knowing that Vegeta was only holding her like this because he knew that tangled in his limbs was the last place she wanted to be right at the moment. All of this was just a big, cruel joke to him. "Let me go Vegeta." she whimpered, pushing her tiny hands against his chest. "Iie." his eyes flashed in the dark, and Bulma felt one of his hands slide down on to her silk covered rump. His fingers pushed aside the silk of the nightgown and squeezed her bare flesh, making her jump as he pulled her hips tightly against his own. "I have excellent control over my body, Woman, and it would take far more than this to break it." He did not release her as she expected him to, but rather kept her pressed against him in such an intimate manner that she could not help but to want more. Desperately, she tried to block out these thoughts, so that her body might take a hint, and Vegeta would not end up catching the scent of her arousal. Vegeta seemed to take note of her stiffness, and so he shifted, making sure to grind his hips against her own, delighting in her whimper. "Vegeta" she whispered. "Goodnight Woman." Vegeta released her and rolled over onto his stomach, pushing her away to the side. "Sweet dreams." he laughed softly. Chapter 5: Getting hot in the springs. "Take all of your clothes off and put this on." Vegeta growled, tossing a bundle of white silk at Bulma. She caught it and let the material slide down through her fingers a bit, so she could see that it was a robe. "Why?" Bulma asked, seeing that Vegeta was already wearing one. His was black silk, and went only as far as his knees, revealing heavily muscled calves. She licked suddenly dry lips as she noted how loosely he had tied it. The top was open just enough to reveal his broad tan chest, and the slightest bit of his rippling abs, but closed enough so that the robe would stay shut below the belt. "Dont ask questions Woman, just do as I say." he grumbled, stalking out of the room so that Bulma could change before she had a chance to respond. "Damn Saiyan, always telling me what to do." she grumbled, pulling off her shirt and stepping out of her jeans. "If he wasnt so strong why Id put him in his place, yes I would." Her bra followed, and she pulled the robe over her shoulders and tied the belt around her waist, noting that her robe only went down to about mid thigh. "Err...Vegeta?" she called, "Do I have to take off all of my clothes?" "Yes! Woman, you need to clean your ears! Did I not tell you that two minutes ago?" "Okay" she murmured back, and if it had not been for Vegetas Saiyan hearing, he would not have heard her. Reluctantly, Bulma pulled off the skimpy pair of panties she had been wearing, and tried desperately to tug the robe down a little, fearing that if she moved the wrong way, her soft, delicate bottom would be exposed to some hentai Imtorite, or even worse, to Vegeta. Stepping out of her bedroom, Bulma was too preoccupied with the indecent length of her robe to notice the faintly appreciative glance Vegeta cast in her direction. "Quit fooling with it. Its supposed to be like that." he crossed his arms over his chest in the typical Vegeta fashion. "Well at least your robe covers your ass Vegeta!" she cried back, tugging at the fabric again. "Perhaps I should get you a circus tent then!" "You asshole! Why I should just" "Shut up and lets go already!" her supposed mate roared, grabbing her hand and tugging her out of the room. "You still havent told me where were going." Bulma whined, tugging insistently against Vegetas iron grip. "We are going to the Imtar hot springs." he growled back. Soon other people began to join them in their journey down the twisting halls of Emperor Boorins palace. Bulma noticed that they too, were all wearing silk robes; black, knee length for the men, white, mid thigh length for the women. "Why do all the girls wear white?" she asked. "I dont quite know." Vegeta responded. "Something about different sexes and all that garbage. Yadda yadda yadda the usual." He rolled his eyes, and Bulma sighed. Damn Vegeta, he was always such a jerk. Bulma almost tripped over her own feet, as Vegeta pulled her against himself and offered her his arm. They were supposed to be mates, after all, and it wouldnt exactly look too good if he were to drag her the whole way to the Hot Springs. Bulma took Vegetas arm, grateful that he was no longer pulling her, and fell into step beside him. Soon they reached a door, and stepped through in to a large tiled room that looked much like an indoor pool to Bulma. In the center of the room, there was one large steaming tub of water; the hot spring. In it, were both males and females, all of them completely naked. Bulma gasped as Vegeta dislodged his arm from her own, and untied the already loose belt about his waist, and allowed his robe to flutter gracefully to the floor, where a servant scurried to pick it up and hang it on the wall. The human woman flushed scarlet and turned quickly away, in order to avoid the sight of his nakedness, but Vegeta seemed to be in a slightly playful mood. "Ill be waiting for you." he chuckled quietly into her ear from behind, reaching one hand around her waist to untie the sash of her robe. "I can do that myself, Vegeta!" she hissed, slapping his hands away. He only laughed softly, but moved away from her and started towards the pool of water, and Bulma couldnt help but to take a peek at his firm, muscled behind as he strutted away, tail lashing lazily behind him. Halfway there though, he turned around and faced her, causing her face to turn an even deeper shade of crimson. "Dont be long, sweetie." he smirked maliciously at her as he spoke the words in Japanese, his voice a sickly sweet tone. She only glared as he turned and continued to the spring. "Whats wrong with your mate, Vegeta?" Emperor Boorin asked, noting that Bulma had not discarded of her robe yet. "Humans, they have a peculiar obsession with clothing." he murmured, shrugging his shoulders and allowing himself to sink deeper into the water as he turned and waited for his mate. Reluctantly, Bulma untied the silk sash and shrugged out of her robe. She handed it to a nearby servant and watched as it was hung beside Vegetas. Taking tiny, feminine steps, she made her way towards a demonically smirking Vegeta. He rose to aid her down the tiny, submerged steps, and she was thankful that the water was deep enough to hide him. She took her seat next to Vegeta, who pulled her close, and kept his arm lightly around her waist, his hand resting lightly on her thigh. His tail, she noticed with a start, had wound its way around her other thigh. Every so often, the tip flickered lightly, disturbingly close to her womanhood. Uncertainly, Bulma shrank into Vegetas side as a large, rotund Imtorite plopped down beside her. He had not hidden his admiration of her body, even as she sat in the arms of her supposed mate, one of the strongest men in the Universe. She felt a hand brush her plush bottom and her eyes widened as it squeezed her flesh. She tensed and uttered a tiny sound of protest, knowing that the hand did not belong to Vegeta. It startled her that it actually made a difference, but she supposed that she would not mind as much if the Saiyan no Ouji were to touch her, considering the odd way she had been feeling around him lately. Vegeta seemed to notice the sudden tension in her small body, for he picked her up lightly and set her bottom down in between his spread thighs, her back to his chest. He pulled her against him, a sign that she should settle down a little, and try to act as natural as possible. The Imtorite scowled as she sighed, seemingly with pleasure, and snuggled into Vegeta. It was, however, rather hard to ignore the feeling of his manhood against her. She tried to keep in a gasp as she realized how incredibly huge he was. Even flaccid, he was easily several inches longer than Yamcha had been, and much thicker too. Blushing lightly, she couldnt help but to wonder how large he would be when erect, and she felt herself begin to heat up. Noticing this, Vegeta shifted so that he was pressed even tighter against her. "Do I meet with your approval?" he chuckled lightly into her ear. She nodded helplessly as his hands began to wander over her body, mostly her upper half. Although they did run over her legs, and bottom, he never touched the flesh between her thighs, believing that this was not the place to do so. "Vegeta, Iie!" she hissed as his hands teased her breasts, kneading and plucking at her nipples. "Look around woman." he murmured, nipping at her shoulder lightly with sharp Saiyan teeth. "We wouldnt want to offend our host, now would we?" he asked with mock innocence, dragging his tongue across her neck. Bulma looked around then, for the first time since she had stepped into the hot spring, and noticed what he was talking about. All around them were couples, even threesomes, in some cases, touching and fondling each other. It was like some gigantic orgy! Bulma shuddered in disgust, remembering what Vegeta had said about sex on this planet. "I think my mate and I will take our leave now." Vegeta addressed the Emperor, who nodded. "The heat seems to be getting to her, if you will notice her flushed face." he chuckled, standing up and bringing Bulma with him. They got out of the hot spring and walked towards the door, where they collected their robes and put them on. Vegeta put his hand lightly on the small of Bulmas back as they were leaving, and there was a round of good-natured laughter from the heated pools as it slid lower to cup one plush nether cheek. Chapter 6: Rama and his daughter "Vegeta, were out of their seeing distance now. You can take your hand off of my ass." Bulma hissed through clenched teeth. Vegeta chuckled lightly, and gave her a little squeeze before letting her go. Bulma growled and muttered a few choice words under her breath before stalking off down the twisting halls. However, once she realized that she did not know her way back to their chambers, she was forced to slow down and walk along at Vegetas leisurely pace. "Smile, would you? I dont want people thinking I took a prude as a mate." the Saiyan teased. "Yeah, and I really want everybody thinking I sleep with a mass murderer." Bulma shot back. "Is that really how you see me?" Vegeta inquired lightly, stopping in the middle of the hall. "WellII" The Human woman stuttered over her words, detecting a slight hint of hurt in her companions voice. Vegeta gave a dismissive shrug of his shoulders and began walking down the hall again. "If thats what you see me as, then thats what Ill be." The rest of the way back to the room was spent in silence, and once there, Vegeta headed immediately for the shower, leaving Bulma to change. It wasnt very late at all, but Vegeta had informed her earlier in the day that they would be leaving for the planet Toog early in the morning. As she slipped on her nightie, Bulma wondered why Vegeta had seemed so tense as he told her. Perhaps he had bad history with the people of Toog. "Well be leaving for a nearby planet early tomorrow morning." Vegeta stated, and Bulma couldnt help but to notice that he seemed a little edgy. "What planet is that?" she inquired, hoping to get a little more information out of him. "Toog." He said simply, but the human female detected that familiar note of irritation in his voice. Before she could ask anything else, he had left the room, tail lashing agitatedly behind him. Vegeta slipped quietly out of the bathroom, to see Bulma putting something into one of the dresser drawers. She had not noticed him yet. However, he noticed her. He noticed her all to well while she was wearing that scrap of material. The way it clung to her shapely body made him sweat with desire, and though he had boasted of his supreme control the previous night, he found himself beginning to harden. He really didnt want to want her this badly, but he couldnt deny that she made him warm just by looking in his direction. She was truly an enigma, this human female. He had had plenty of women in his lifetime; after all, he was a prince, and not a bad looking one at that. Many of the women had been far more beautiful than the weak Onna, but never before had he found a female to be so desirableWhat was it about her? Unable to resist the temptation any longer, he snuck up behind her and grabbed her around the middle, pulling her soft body against his own. "VeVegeta? What the hell are you doing?" Bulma murmured, uncertainty flooding her as she felt his hardened member pressing into the small of her back. "Shhh." was all the Saiyan no Ouji gave in reply, as his hands started to roam. One traveled up towards her breast, while the other moved down, worming its way under her silk night dress. He pushed aside the thin strip of fabric that was her underwear, and slipped his hand in to cup her womanhood. Bulma let out a surprised little groan as she felt two fingers slip inside of her, the thumb finding her nub, and gently rubbing it. She felt as if her legs were about to give out on her, and if not for the strong arm still about her waist, she would have crumpled to the floor. "Vegeta" Bulma whimpered, trying to push away from him. "IWeWe shouldnt do this Vegeta." "Just tell me truthfully that you want me to stop," he nibbled on her ear, "and I will." "IOhhh" Bulma moaned quietly, trying desperately to sum up the courage to make him stop. It felt so good to be in his arms, so oddly right. Then though, she remembered the previous night, and how Vegeta had treated her, how he had humiliated her. With a determined new strength, she steadied her legs and pushed against his arms, doing her best to ignore the still probing fingers. "Vegeta, stop. I mean it. We cant do this." "And why not?" Vegeta purred, his digits coming to a halt in their ministrations. "I dont want to do this." she sighed. "Youre just teasing me Vegeta. I dont want to be used like this." She looked down at the floor, ashamed with herself for allowing this to go on for so long. "Is that what you think?" Vegeta snarled in her hear. Bulma nodded, a tiny sob escaping her mouth. "Fine. If thats what you think, then thats how Ill be." he growled and pushing his fingers deep inside her once more, almost violently, finding a secret pleasure spot. He pushed hard, and Bulmas body wracked with pleasure at the sudden orgasm. Vegeta pulled his hand out from between the womans legs and stalked off out of the room, with out so much as a word, or a glance at Bulmas crying figure, slumped on the floor. He didnt come back that night, and Bulma didnt see him until she boarded the ship the next morning, still looking angry. Was it so wrong what I did? She wondered, glancing every now and then at the Prince as he readied the Imtorite ship for takeoff. He just wanted a night of pleasuredidnt he? After the way he toyed with me the other night, theres no way he could actually want me for more than sex. But why is he so mad? Am I wrong? Oh Kami Vegeta! What do you want with me? The journey to Toog was quick, lasting only a few days. It seemed though, that Vegeta got moodier every second. Bulma wondered what he was so mad about. He had already made it quite clear that he was having second thoughts about going to Toog, but Vegeta was never one to back out of something once he said he was going to do it. The day of landing finally approached, and Bulma realized that the only time Vegeta had spoken to her during the entire trip was when he told her to flip her head over, so that she could change the setting on the little translator chip. He hadnt even glanced at her, and Bulmas suspicions that Vegeta had only been using her grew. It wasnt fair. The mechanical hiss of the opening door startled Bulma, and she jumped quickly out of her seat, smoothing the Imtorite dress over her hips as she toed towards the door. Vegeta was already there, looking wonderful in the casual Imtorite clothing he wore. But then again, Vegeta always looked wonderful. Bulma sighed quietlyWhy does he have to be such a heartless bastard? "Is there anything about the Toogs that I need to know?" she asked quietly, earning her first actual look from Vegeta since that night. "First off," he stated, gruffly, "never refer to them as Toogs. The correct term would be Servants of Toog. They are a peaceful, religious people and we should have no trouble getting what we need. I hope to be off of this planet as soon as possible, so dont get too attached to anything." "Why do you want to be away from here so fast?" Bulma probed. If this planet and its people were so nice, what is it that Vegeta couldnt stand about being here? "Thats none of your business." Vegeta snapped, his voice harsh. He turned his head away from her, putting on a faade of indifference. Whatever bothered him about this place, he obviously didnt want the natives to know. "Greetings, Servant of Imtor! What do we of Toog owe this visit to?" a male voice called, from outside. "I disappoint you Servant of Toog." Vegeta called stepping out into the sunlight. Even from inside of the ship, Bulma heard a round of surprised gasps, and speculating murmurs. Perhaps Vegeta was not welcome here. "It is I, Vegeta no Ouji, Rogue Servant of Lost Vegetasei." he turned and motioned for Bulma to come out as well. "This is Bulma, servant of Chikyuu." There were more murmurs, as she stood shyly beside the Saiyan, but she could not quite make them out. "Vegeta sama! Well, this is a surprise indeed!" a man spoke up from the crowd. Like his peers, he was a soft green in color, with coarse looking spikes of lemon yellow hair. He was a fat little man, and looked to be rather old, but seemed fairly friendly. "I assure you, Rama, that we have not come for a social visit." Vegeta spoke coldly, his gaze boring into the beady little red eyes of the old man. "We have need for technical assistance in order to fix our ship. This one," he placed his hand lightly on the doorframe, "is borrowed." "Ahhh, Vegeta," old Rama smiled, despite Vegetas anger. "You seem to forget that it was not I who wronged you." "She is your blood Rama, your raised daughter." Vegeta snapped, much to Bulmas confusion. Who were they talking about? Is this woman the reason that Vegeta had not wanted to come here? "Touch, Vegeta sama. Ten long years has not dulled your mind." "My mind is sharper than ever, old man." the Saiyan no Ouji growled. "But I have no time for your foolish games." Rama chuckled, his large belly vibrating with his mirth. "Yes Vegeta sama, impatient as ever. However, you must come and see Toorie. She always liked you." he sighed. "We had hopes that you would be the one to father Yeltas children." At this statement, Bulma watched Vegetas face darken and twist, though she was not sure whether the reason was of anger or pain. Maybe this Yelta was Vegetas old girlfriend, or perhaps fiancee That would certainly explain why he had been so upset about having to come here. But if that was true, then why werent they together now? It was a mystery indeed. "I have no wish to visit your home Rama, Servant of Toog. Good-day to you." Vegeta snarled, clenching his fists. "My companion and I will be moving on towards the Capitol right away, and I do not relish in wasting my time." He turned and yanked Bulma back inside the ship, then set the ships controls to take them to the Capitol, wherever that was. "VeVegeta?" Bulma murmured, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Are you all right? Youyou seem very upset." "Leave me be, Woman. This is not of your concern." he snapped, shrugging her hand away. "Ohokay. Well, if you need to talk about it, Ill be here." "Youll need to learn a few things about Toog society before we reach the Capitol." Vegeta turned, changing the subject. He motioned for Bulma to sit down, while he paced the floor in front of her chair, the tip of his tail twitching in agitation. "You probably noticed all that servant of Toog jargon back there." he started. "The people of Toog think of the planets as Gods. Each Planet has been trusted for eternity with the safety and protection of a certain people. In return, the people vow to serve their particular God, which is the planet they happen to be born on." He paused, looking to see if Bulma had any questions. "So they believe that the actual planet is a God, who has chosen to house them?" she asked, bewildered at the idea. "Hai. They are Servants of Toog. To them, you are a Servant of Chikyuu. I am called Rogue Servant because I do not live on my birth planet, which is called Lost Vegetasei because it is no more." Bulma nodded, understanding. "Capitol is where the Graf lives. He is basically the King of the planet, and is known as Graf or Solta. Graf means King, Solta means Communicator. It is believed in legend that the Graf has the power to commute with the God he was born on. When he uses this power, he is called Solta. If I think of anything else you will need to know, I will tell you. For now though, this is enough." "Vegeta?" Bulma questioned. "Can I ask you about Rama and his daughter? Is she the reason you didnt want to come here?" "I already told you that is none of your business." Vegeta hissed. "It would be in your best interest if you did not venture into territory where you are unwelcome." Chapter 7: One for the mother, but who is the father? "Were approaching Capitol." Vegeta murmured. "We should arrive in about ten minutes. Go make yourself presentable." Bulma glared at her Saiyan companion, yet did as he told her; she really did look awful in her ratty Capsule Corp. shirt and faded work jeans. Vegeta took no notice of her icy glance though, as he was busy monitoring the ships controls. He was surprised, however, that she did not yell or screech at him for his comment. Perhaps, he mused, he had overstepped his boundaries while on Imtor, and had frightened her off. He would have to be more careful to monitor that in the future. Human women confused the Saiyan no Ouji, especially rich, smart, gorgeous Human women with manes of long, silky blue hair. The whole Chikyuu mating system confused him. As a Saiyan, he was completely used to following his instincts, which he had done, yet Bulma refused his advances, even as it was plain she wanted him. She had said that he was using her, and nothing more. He would have taken her that night and proved her wrong, but rape did not particularly appeal to him. Vegetas honor system would not have permitted him to use her, even if he had wanted to. Saiyan people did not toy around like that. It was not as if they stayed virgins until they mated, it was just that the idea of casual sex was not a reality in their culture. It was a thing to be ashamed of. As the Imtorite craft touched down just outside of Capitol, Bulma noticed that a huge crowd had formed. There were chorused greetings to Vegeta as the door opened with the familiar whoosh and the two stepped outside into the sunlight. "Ahhh!!! Vegeta, my boy!" a voice called out from the crowd. Vegeta actually smiled to see this old man. "Frala favors us today, does she not?" "She does, Bramph." He nodded courteously to the important looking Servant of Toog, who was currently adjusting his robes. "Frala is the sun." Vegeta murmured, offhand, to Bulma, as she moved to stand beside him. "OhWho is this? What a beautiful creature you travel with Vegeta sama. Surely she cannot be only a friend?" "She is a friend and only that." the Saiyan responded, and Bulma noted that he sounded almost wistful. "A Servant of Chikyuu." "Ahhh" Bramph nodded his head in understanding, his wild hair flopping about. "Come now. Solta has caught wind of your visit, and you must see him before you leave." "He is in contact with Toog?" Vegeta inquired, stepping down the ramp a little. "Yes, shortly after you landed on Toog, he felt the God calling him. We will go now though, and discuss things later." A path cleared in the crowd, and Vegeta led Bulma down the ships ramp, where they joined Bramph. All three beings, each of a different species, started off towards the very center of Capitol, the place where Solta lived. Along the way, Bramph pointed out several points of interest to Bulma, sharing little tidbits of information about the history of Toog in the process. He was a very lively creature, for one so old. Bulma did not know that they had arrived at the center of Capitol though, until she was told. The Soltas housing seemed fairly modest for one who ruled an entire civilization of people. It was about three stories high, made of hard clay, like the houses in the surrounding area, but painted a deep shade of violet. There were no guards, only a few attendants in uniforms of red fabric. They carried curved swords in hilts hanging from belts, but Bulma suspected that they were more for decoration than anything. "Toog is said to be the God of Peace. There is no war here, and there can only be one Graf, well, Solta as he is right now." Vegeta murmured, seeing Bulmas slightly puzzled look. "Things are very different from that of your Chikyuu civilization. Not everyone wants to be the ruler." She nodded, though it was hard for her to imagine a people so peaceful that everyone could agree on one ruler for the whole planet. The interior of the Soltas home was similar to the outside, but the walls were painted a soft lavender. The floors were the same hard clay that the walls were made of, but they were left bare other than a few well-placed throw rugs. There was very little furniture inside the house, and little decoration. "The Solta is in contact with Toog at the moment." Bramph whispered, leading them through a doorway what appeared to be a sitting room. "We must not disturb him." Vegeta nodded, and shuffled over to a comfy looking chair, where he plopped down. He looked tired. "You two must be fatigued after your journey. Make yourselves comfortable and I will return shortly with refreshments." As Bramph pattered out of the room, Bulma chose a cushy green chair next to Vegetas. "So, how long do you think well be on this planet?" she asked, settling in to the cushions. "I dont know. It depends on how long the Solta is in contact. It could go on for as little as a few minutes, but he has been known to open the channels for up to three weeks at a time." "THREE WEEKS?!?!" Bulma cried, jumping out of her chair. "We cant stay here for three weeks!" "Shhh." Vegeta hissed. "Youll disturb his meditation, baka. Show your host some respect for his hospitality." "Gomen" Bulma muttered, sitting back down. Bramph returned soon, carrying a tray of little pastries in one hand and a tray of drinks in the other. Just as the three were settling down though, a little old woman came bustling in, causing quite a stir. "Where is he?" she called. "I heard that the Rouge Servant was here! Oh there you are Vegeta sama!" she cried, running over to hug Vegeta. "I had heard you landed on the planet and I just had to see it for myself! I didnt expect to ever see you again after what happened." she smiled up at Vegeta, who glared down coldly. The little woman seemed to realize her blunder though, for she quickly changed the subject. "Oh but Vegeta, youve grown so handsome in these ten years! Youve grown up into a proper man, and your eyes have a look of wisdom in them. Youve learned and seen much, ne? You seem stronger as well. Youve finally filled out that body of yours. Yes, you have improved." "It is good to see you as well, Veahla." he forced a smile, but Bulma could tell he was not happy to see the woman. "Oh Vegeta!" she chuckled. "You always knew just what to say to a woman." "Yeah right." Bulma muttered, and Veahla spun around to face her. "Why child, I did not see you standing there!" she shuffled over to inspect Bulma a little closer. "Vegeta! Why did you not mention you had such a pretty mate?" "Because she is not my mate, Veahla." "Why not? Oh never mind, there must be a reason you have not attempted to woo such a creature." she shrugged. "And how do you know he hasnt?" Bulma asked, though she didnt really know why. "Because, child. When Vegeta decides to take a female, no woman can resist his seduction," she stated. "Great Grandmother? Where have you gone off too?" a young Servant of Toog came trotting into the room. He looked to be about nine or so. "There you are!" "Ahhh" Veahla seemed to grow uncomfortable in his presence. It was then that Bulma noticed Vegetas icy glare was directed at the child. "Huyv, you should not go barging into places uninvited." she tried to scoot him out of the room. "Is that Yeltas boy?" Vegeta asked, out of nowhere. "How do you know my mama?" Huyv turned to face the scowling prince. "Shes at work right now, but maybe she would like to see you." "That may be so, brat. But I dont want to see your mama." he growled, and then turned to face the women. "Im going to take a walk." he stalked out of the room, leaving a confused Bulma alone with the two Servants of Toog. "Oh dear" Veahla muttered, wringing her hands. "It seems we have upset him terribly." "Would somebody please tell me what is going on here?" Bulma sighed. "Who are you, who is the boy, who is Yelta, and why in Kamis name is Vegeta so damn angry?!?!" she cried. "You mean Vegeta has not told you?" Veahlas eyes widened in shock. "Vegeta never tells me anything about himself." The human woman grumbled back. "All I know is that his planet was destroyed many years ago, and he was raised by Frieza. Then he came to Chikyuu. I know what happened after I met him, but between the whole destruction of his planet thing and the time he first came to Chikyuu, Im lost." "WellI dont think I should tell you something so personal, when he has purposely neglected to tell you himself" Veahla seemed nervous, but Bulma could see that she really wanted to share the gossip. "Im not asking for his life story. I just want to know whats going on." she put her hands on her hips and gave Veahla a prize-winning glare. "Oh my!" The old woman giggled. "You are so much like Vegeta it is amazing to see that he has not taken you for his mate!" Bulma waited, rolling her eyes, as Veahla calmed down a bit. "Well, Vegeta will probably skin me for this, if he finds out, but I will tell you that Yelta is my granddaughter. As you already know, Huyv is Yeltas son, nine years old. What you do not know, and what is most important in this little scuffle, is that Vegeta and Yelta were engaged at a point, but we have not seen him in almost ten years, before today of course." Veahla smiled. "The rest, I will leave for you to figure out, for it is not my place to go into details." With that, she scurried out of the room, ushering little Huyv out with her. Bulma sat for a moment, contemplating this small bit of information, before stumbling upon a possibility that she did not want to think about. "Oh my Kami" she whispered to herself, covering her mouth with a tiny hand. "Could Huyv becould he be Vegetas son?" Chapter 8: Questions and answers It was hard for Bulma to put on a smile until Yelta left, knowing that the man she had somehow fallen for could already have a son, and may still be in love with the mother. It felt almost as if her heart was breaking apart, but all the while she kept up a strong faade, and only after Yelta and Huyv left her alone with Bramph, did her resolve break. "Is there something wrong, Miss Bulma?" The old Servant of Toog asked. "I" she stuttered back, "I have to go find Vegeta. I need to talk to him." She made a move to get up, but Bramphs hand was on her arm, stopping her. "It would not be wise to go after him at this moment." He said, guiding her back to her chair. "Vegeta is distressed at this moment, and it would be best if maybe you would bring up this issue with him at a moretactful time. Perhaps after dinner he will have calmed down enough to discuss this." "But if I dont talk to him right away, hell just bottle up these destructive emotions and Ill never get them out of him!" she cried back. "Vegetas emotions are destructive, child, and at the moment, he is probably focusing all of his energy into not destroying our homes and citizens." he sent Bulma a tolerant smile. "If you try to talk to him before he is ready, you will only be hurt." "Vegeta has never hit me before, I dont see why he would now." "But my child, who said I was talking about physical pain. While on this planet, out of respect for the Solta and Toog, Vegeta would not dare to give in to his violent nature. He will, more than likely, shut you out of his life for a while, and that would upset you, would it not?" "II suppose youre right." Bulma sniffled back tears. "But what do I do till I can talk to him?" "Come," Bramph smiled and extended his hand. "I will show you around some more." The two spent the afternoon taking in all the sights of Capitol, Bramph explaining the significance of the way each house was built, each flowerbed was placed. It seemed that, to go with their particular religion, the Servants of Toog had a sort of Feng Shui. * They built and furnished their homes according to favorable directions and birth dates in order to enhance their experience with the god Toog. It wasnt quite the same as Chikyuus Feng Shui, but it was fairly similar, and soon Bulma began to pick out Toog patterns and compare them to Chikyuu ones. Even as she marveled at the similarities and differences between Toog society and her own, she could not help but to think of Vegeta, and the looming possibility that he could have a son and an unrequited love. The thought of Vegeta with another woman made her dizzy, and she nearly lost her lunch. Kamiwhy do I always pick the ones with other love interests? An hour before dinner, Bramph and Bulma headed back to the center of Capitol so they could clean up and prepare for the evening meal. Because the Solta was still in contact, dinner was not a huge affair. It was just a simple meal, with light conversation, much, of which Bulma didnt take notice of, for she was too busy watching Vegeta, and trying to see if he was still upset. "Do you expect Solta to come out of Contact any time soon?" Vegeta questioned, after he took a sip of the hot liquid drink served with dinner, called oola. "I estimate a day or two more, at most." Bramph responded. "His meditation is not so deep as it has been, and I do not think there is much that Toog wishes to say." Vegeta nodded, his curiosity obviously sated, and helped himself to a third chunk of grilled meat from the large platter in the center of the table. It seemed the cook had prepared well for his Saiyan appetite. Dinner went by rather quickly, without mention of any anything unpleasant, and Vegeta soon retired to his room. Bulma followed suit, but before going to her own chambers, she rapped quickly on Vegetas door, pattering in quietly as he opened it to admit her. Nervously, she sat on the bed and began to fiddle with her dress as Vegeta looked on, his patience failing quickly. "VegetaAre you okay?" "Why shouldnt I be?" his gruff voice responded sharply. "Wellafter what happened today, with Veahla mentioning Yelta andand the boy" she trailed off, looking to the floor. "Do you want to talk about it at all?" "No." Came the cold response. "Can I at least ask you a question then?" Bulma pleaded. "Ask away." Vegeta laughed coldly. "I just might not answer." Bulma scowled and furrowed her eyebrows, in a Vegeta-like manner, ready to yell. Realizing though, that she was walking on thin ice with this subject, she calmed herself. "I want to know Vegeta, if Huyv is your son." Vegeta seemed a bit taken aback by her bold inquisition, and he turned away, crossing his arms on his chest. Why? He wondered to himself. Why does she want to know? What does it matter to her if I have a son or not? She has already refused my mating offeris it possible that she didnt understand? Perhaps she has finally decided to follow her instinctsbut do I still want her? After the pain she caused me, shouldnt I be worried shell do it again? Is it really safe to become attached to this woman? I was caught up in passion on Imtorbut if that is only it, then why do I feel so strange around this female? Bulma watched quietly as Vegetas mind warred with itself, obviously trying to decide what to tell her. Finally though, he turned and spoke, his voice cold and emotionless. "No woman, Huyv is no son of mineand that is precisely the problem." Chapter 9: Party time! "No woman, Huyv is no son of mineand that is precisely the problem." Vegetas words rang throughout Bulmas head, even two days after he had spoken them. What exactly had he meant when he said that it was the problem? Did he want Huyv to be his son, or was he still in love with Yelta? Damnit! This would be so much easier to figure out if somebody would tell me what happened ten years ago when Vegeta was here last! Grumbling to herself, Bulma dressed and got ready for dinner, deciding to forgo anything too formal. Suddenly, there was a loud, impatient knock at her door. Pulling her robe tightly about her, Bulma stomped towards the door, throwing it open to see none other than the Saiyan no Ouji himself, dressed in a stunning outfit of black pants, and a royal blue silk shirt. The kind that laced up in the front (think deep medieval timey V-neck laced upmmm) but the thing was, it was wide open and Bulma was given a generous view of his muscular chest, still damp from a recent shower. "Put on something nice," he growled. "The Graf has come out of his meditation." "How nice is nice? Everything the Imtorites gave me is nice Vegeta." Bulma stated, crossing her arms over her chest. With an impatient sigh, Vegeta shoved past the scantily clad woman and stalked right into her bedroom, where he threw open the wardrobe doors and began rifling through the gowns on the hangers. "Any of these three will be fine." He tossed three gowns gently on the bed. "Take your pick. And" he smirked, and Bulma felt her knees go weak, "Try to avoid staring at my chest all night." Bulma could only stare in heated mortification as he breezed out of the room, with a grace only true royalty can possess. Only after she heard the door click shut, did she turn to look at what he had picked out. "Oh wellHe may love tormenting me, but at least he has good fashion sense." She sighed and picked out a gown, a satiny deep blue number, a perfect match for Vegetas shirt, with a tight, formfitting bodice and a skirt that puffed out at the hips and went down to her toes. It was embroidered with silver thread, and studded with tiny white jewels, making it look like the night sky, dappled with stars. Since her makeup was already done, Bulma just pulled her hair up into a quick pile on top of her head, securing it with some jeweled bobby pins, courtesy of the Imtorites. "Man, those guys thought of everything! They must really like pretty women" she mumbled, sticking in one last pin and slipping her feet into a pair of open toed platform sandals. "There! All ready to go!" Doing a quick check for makeup smudges or noticeable flaws in her appearance, she rushed out the door, smack into Vegeta. "Right on time Woman." He smirked and offered his arm. "But next time, you could try making a more ladylike entrance." "Have you been standing outside my door all this time Vegeta? Or did you hear me moving and decide to embarrass me?" Bulma growled, taking a skeptical glance at his gentlemanly arm. "Nonsense, Onna." Vegeta scoffed. "Now lets get going." He again offered the muscular appendage (no, not that one, hentai lovers, but that will come in good time) and with an irritated sigh, Bulma looped her arm through his and the pair set off towards the dining hall. As they entered, several Servants of Toog came to greet Vegeta, and there were several inquisitive glances towards the beautiful female on his arm. They were, however, tactful enough not to say anything, after a quick glance from Bramph, who was making his way over. "My Toog! You are both looking most excellent tonight! Come Vegeta! Graf wishes to discuss things with you! Miss Bulma, Servant of Chikyuu, will be introduced at a later point in the evening." Bulma nodded politely, and released Vegeta from her grasp, then wondered what to do as the only two people she knew wandered off into the crowd. She was not alone for long, however, as a group of women approached her, and drew her into their conversation. After about ten minutes of friendly chatter and general socializing, everyone was seated, and Bulma was pulled away from her new friends in order to sit beside Vegeta, who was near Graf and Bramph. As the food was served, everyone dug in, and there was little noise aside from the chewing sounds made by the diners in the room. Conversation, Bulma was told, would come later, followed by music and some dancing. "So Vegeta, Rogue Servant of Vegetasei, what brings you here after so long?" Graf smiled pleasantly, pushing his empty plate away. "Now is a time for merriment, Graf." Vegeta responded. "We can discuss such matters in due time, but for now, you must share the good news you have heard from Toog!" There was a good round of seconds to Vegetas motion, and a full room of intent listeners. "Well," the old Servant chuckled. "If I must." There was some laughter, and Grafs eyes brightened with merriment. He always enjoyed being greeted by his people when he came out of contact with Toog. For the next hour or so, everyone in the hall listened intently as Graf shared Toogs news, and even Bulma was fascinated at the idea of being able to commute directly with the gods of your religion. Vegeta, she noticed, was a wonderful guest, and an excellent diplomat. He kept his attention focused, and asked several questions, all of which Graf was happy to answer. "Now," Graf smiled, coming to the end of his tales, "We must have some music, and our dear guest Vegeta-sama must entertain an old man with his youthful exuberance, and show off his dancing skills." "You are too kind to me, Graf, and to harsh upon yourself." "If anything, my boy, it is the other way around! I am too harsh on you, and too kind to myself!" There was more good-natured laughter, and the assembled musicians began to play a song. Several couples got up from their seats and moved out to the dance floor, as Bulma looked on, longingly. She felt so strange in this place, with these people she knew nothing about, and desperately wanted to fit in. Graf noticed her melancholy sighs though, and decided that he should definitely do something about it. "Vegeta, my boy, if you will not dance for my amusement, then at least show this lovely little female at your side a good time. Look at how she sighs and rests her cheek upon her hand, and think of how bored she must be, sitting here listening to an old man tell tales of things she knows nothing about." At this comment, Bulma flushed with embarrassment, and tried desperately to redeem herself. "Oh no, dont worry about itI quite enjoy listening to what you have to say. You are a fascinating man." "My Toog," Graf chuckled, smiling. "Between Vegeta and yourself, my girl, my head will grow so large my old bones cannot support it!" He turned to Vegeta again. "Now, go teach this young one how to dance in the style of Toog, and bring a smile to this old mans face." "If I may point out, Graf, you are already smiling quite broadly." Vegeta countered, but, nevertheless, pushed his chair back and stood. He offered his hand to Bulma, who graciously stood and accepted it, allowing the Prince to lead her onto the dance floor. Vegeta, Bulma soon discovered, was as skilled a dancer as he was a fighter, and an excellent teacher to boot. He soon had her spinning and twirling as the other dancing women did, but he did it with an extra little flair that caused some of the other couples to stop and move to the side in order to watch the flamboyant pair. It seemed almost as if he were enjoying himself, if one ignored the look on his face. Boredom was plainly written in his eyes, and Bulma could tell that this was no challenge to the Saiyan no Ouji, but she thought that perhaps if a faster beat started up, then he would allow himself to have some fun. Secretly though, she hoped for a slower beat, so that they could dance a little closer than what this particular melody allowed. Luck was with Bulma that night, for as the song ended, another, much slower one started. Without a second thought, Vegeta pulled the little female closer, swaying and turning with the rhythm. Uttering a tiny sigh of pleasure, Bulma snuggled a little closer to the Saiyan no Ouji, smiling as she felt his muscular arms tighten around her tiny waist. As they danced, Vegeta found himself thinking about the little human in his armsvery inappropriate thoughts. He couldnt help but to notice her ample breasts pressed so closely against his own muscled chest, and the way her body seemed to fit so perfectly to his own. It just felt so damn right to have this woman in his arms, but it would be so wrong Even if it were acceptable to take her as a mate, the little wench had already made it quite clear that, although her body reacted so well, she didnt want him. He was so confused. She had so blatantly refused his affections back on Imtor, yet here she was, pressing her curvaceous body flush against him. She only wanted him physicallywas that it? It made perfect sense that her body should react to his advances, even if her mind hated him with a passion which she must. Oh Kami! Why did women have to be so infuriatingly confusing? The song ended, and Bulma immediately released her hold on Vegeta, not wanting to seem clingy, but confirming his suspicion. His easy release of her, in turn, made her think that perhaps he was upset with her for some odd reason. Walking side by side, but without words, they made their way back to the table, where Graf was sitting. "Did you enjoy yourself Bulma?" he asked, with that ever-present smile. "Yes." she nodded politely, but said nothing more, thinking that if she were to gush compliments to the Saiyan no Ouji, she might embarrass him. Vegeta, however, took this the wrong way, and assumed that she had had a good time dancing, but wanted nothing more, an assumption which hurt him more than he would ever admit. Within minutes, Graf had engaged them all in some light conversation, and things were going along smoothly until Bulma noticed his eyes widen as he stared across the room. Bulma looked over to where he was, and saw a plainly dressed female making her way across the room towards them. "Whats wrong Graf? You look upset," she asked, noting the almost fearful look in his eyes. Vegeta too, looked over to the Graf, and his eyes followed that of his friend, to see the mysterious woman, who was now right next to the table. Bulma watched in surprise as his face contorted into a mask of barely contained rage, and several emotions glinted in those deep onyx eyes of his. "YYelta" Graf gulped, glancing nervously at Vegeta. "How nice to see you." Chapter 10: Two men and a baby "Yelta" Vegeta hissed, a pulsing vein becoming visible in his forehead. Bulma knew he wouldnt go ballistic, out of respect for the Graf, but she worried how else he would express his rage. "ItIts good to see you Vegeta." the green skinned woman spoke lightly, placing a hand on the Saiyans shoulder. "Like HELL it is!!" Vegeta roared, jumping out of his seat and almost knocking Yelta over. She tried to reach out to him again, but he jumped back. "Dont touch me," he growled menacingly, and even Bulma had never seen him so angry. "Vegeta," Bulma stood up, putting one delicate hand on his arm. "Vegeta, please calm down." To her complete surprise, he looked down at her, murderous rage flashing in his eyes. "Take your hand off of me," he snarled, and she recoiled in fright. He had never struck her before, but one could not be sure what an enraged Saiyan would do. "Vegeta Sama," Yelta spoke again, "please, please just talk to me for a moment." He turned to face her, cold and unyielding. "I want nothing to do with you." he spat. "You are a dirty little fucking whore. You disgust me." Turning on his heel, Vegeta stalked out of the room, with Bulma close behind. "Vegeta!" she called. "Vegeta wait up!" The Saiyan no Ouji, however, simply continued without a backward glance. He reached his room quickly, and Bulma had to scurry in order to squeeze through his door before it slammed shut. "What the hell do you want, woman?" Vegeta snarled, suddenly turning to glare at the panting female. "Look Vegeta, youre incredibly pissed, and I wanna know what the hell is going on! Nobody has told me a thing! Im completely in the dark here." "This is not your concern, so I would advise you to keep your nose out of my business." "Have I ever once listened to your advice?" Bulma sighed in exasperation. "Youre wearing the dress I told you to." Vegeta said pointedly, his tone betraying little of the anger he felt. "That doesnt count! Tell me whats going on!" Vegeta didnt speak another word though. He simply turned and walked a few steps away to rest against the window frame, looking at the night sky. Bulma watched him for a few moments, amazed that he hadnt come up with some biting remark or another, about how she had been all too willing to do what he told her to while they had been on Imtor. However, she was grateful for his tact, knowing that if he had said something, she would only have been angered, and Kami knew they both didnt need to be caught up in a murderous rage. But, the question still remained. Why exactly was he so angry with this Yelata woman? "Vegeta?" Bulma murmured quietly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Leave me alone," he whispered harshly, yet she could feel him trembling lightly. Ignoring his request, she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him gently from behind, feeling his body stiffen and tense up. He wasnt quite sure how to react. Bulma, knowing that pressuring him to talk would only anger him further, just held Vegeta for a while, waiting for him to make the next move. Finally, he seemed to have decided that he had had enough of her sentiment, and broke free of her grasp, pacing over to the dresser, then to the bed, then back to the dresser, and so on. Bulma though, was completely unprepared for what he did next. "When I was sixteen," he began, "I was injured while on a purging mission for Frieza." he paused, unsure of what to say next. "Go on." Bulma urged him gently. She had not expected him to give up this information about himself so easily. "Regeneration tanks were still experimental technology back then, and were not tested on high class soldiers such as myself. Badly injured warriors were sent to peaceful planets under Friezas rule for recuperation. I was sent here, to Toog, and stayed with the Graf. I met Yelta about two weeks after my arrival, when I was able to move freely about by myself. We met down in the market; she was buying spices for her mother "We sort of just bumped into each other by accident, then spent the day with each other" Vegeta sighed and sat down on the bed. "We became quite close, but I had to leave a few days later. I promised her though, that I would come back and visit. I did too, every chance I got I hopped a shuttle ship and came here to visit. Our relationship grew quite serious, and we began talking about becoming formal mates. It was hard for me, being in such a relationship. I have never been very open, as you know, and it was so difficult trusting her. From the moment I stepped on Friezas ship for the first time, I was schooled to be hard and strong; the perfect warrior. I was taught that caring and love brings painbrutal painbut I couldnt help but to fall in love with her. She seemed so kind, so caring. She was just one of those people who everyone gravitates to Shortly after my eighteenth birthday, I proposed to her, and we began making plans for a ceremony" He trailed off again. "If you dont want to talk about it Vegeta, its okay." Bulma murmured, sitting down next to the Saiyan on the bed. In truth, she really didnt want to hear about how Vegetas heart had, and may still, belong to another woman, and jealousy welled up deep in her belly. Trying to ignore it, she placed a comforting hand on his arm, but he continued speaking as if she had never interrupted him. "I was called off on a mission, so we decided to put our plans on hold for the moment, until I got back. It was a relatively simple assignment, and we figured it wouldnt take more than two months at the most. The night before I was to leave, she promised that shed wait for me, and then she took off this pendant she used to wear. It was a piece of crystal, a family heirloom passed down to her from her mother. She tied it around my neck, and told me that if I felt lonely or missed her, to look at the pendant and remember that she loved me "The mission went well, but during the course of it, a message was misinterpreted. A notice was sent out that I had died in battle. By the time I found out about it, it was nearly two months later, and time to go home. I figured I would surprise Yelta, with the fact that I was still alive and kicking, so I jumped on the first shuttle ship to Toog, clutching that damn pendant of hers all the while "When the shuttle landed, she was there, waiting for me, and I was so happy to see her, but then" Bulma watched, fascinated, as the Saiyan no Ouji squeezed his eyes shut tightly, trying to hold back the building moisture. "I saw her bellyswollen and distended. Sheshe was pregnant "I saw that, and I couldnt take it. I just walked up to her silently, not saying a word. Kami, how I wanted to choke her. I wanted to take her neck in my hands and squeeze it till I heard the bones snap. I wanted her dead, her and that abomination of a child growing inside her." The tears fell now, and Bulma, for once, did not know what to say. "Hhow did you know it wasnt yours?" "I never touched her." Vegeta whispered. "Its a disgrace in Toog society to lose ones virginity before marriage. We were waiting until after the ceremonyI wanted to kill her" he whispered again. "But I couldnt. I just couldntI ripped that pendant right off my neck, and I threw it at the ground and watched it shatterIt felt so good to destroy it after she hurt me so much...I watched her cry and I didnt care. I enjoyed her tears. She had her life, and she didnt even deserve that." "Vegeta, oh VegetaI know it hurts, but she thought you were dead. Its understandable that she would move on" Bulma rubbed his shoulders lightly, trying to ease the pain. "Noyou dont understand! I did the mathBulmaI did the math, and for her to be as pregnant as she was" he shuddered. "She was fucking the childs father before I even left the piece of shit planet! It was going on the whole time, while I was blind to it! I loved her! I fucking LOVED her and she was screwing some filthy son of a bitch behind my back!" Vegeta snarled. "Kami DAMNIT!" he roared, punching a hole in the wall nearest to him, while Bulma sat there in shock. She watched, numbly, as the proud Saiyan no Ouji dropped to his knees on the floor and began beating on it with his fists. In his rage, he crushed the packed clay easily, leaving huge craters in the once smooth surface. She was transfixed as he finally stopped, and let the tears flow, dripping down off of his face to the ground below. Kami, how it hurt to see him like this. "Vegeta" she rose off the bed, and knelt down next to him, taking his head in her hands. "Shhhits okay" she raised his forehead a little, and kissed him between the eyes. He looked up at her, misery in the onyx depths of his eyes, and she kissed him, gently on the lips, unable to resist any longer. "Vegeta" she whispered against his mouth, as he hesitantly returned her kiss. Gently, he pulled her to him, wrapping her in his arms as if he planned to keep her that way forever. His kiss became more intense, his need to be comforted growing as he pushed his tongue inside her mouth. He laid her gently on the floor and crawled over her, never breaking the kiss, as his hands began to tug insistently at her dress. "Vegeta" Bulma moaned arching her body up towards the Saiyan no Ouji. Her hands moved to his waist where she pulled his shirt from his pants, intending to get it off of him. "NO!" He cried out suddenly, his mood changing violently. "I dont want it this way. I wont touch you this way," he snarled, flinging her away. She yelped in surprise as she landed on her bottom on the hard floor. "Wait!" she reached out a hand for him, but he turned and glared harshly at her. "I dont want this" he growled, looking away as if he were deeply ashamed of what had just transpired. "I dont want, nor do I need your pity woman." Saying so, he punched another wall, then slipped out the open window, blasting off into the night sky. "Wait Vegeta!" Bulma called, but it was too late. He was already to far off to hear her, even if he wanted to. "But" she whimpered, "Its not pity VegetaI love you" Chapter 11: Confessions Nobody saw Vegeta for a few days after the big party, and Bulma was beginning to get very worried. She was all alone on this alien planet, and her only link to the people here was a psychotic lunatic of a Saiyan who was off going crazy somewhere. Kamishe missed him. Where in hell could he be? What a bastardleaving her here all alone. And he thought she was trying to offer him herself in pity. What an ass. He was too damn concerned with his own pent up rage that he was completely and totally blind to the desperate need she had for him! "Damnit! If we ever get home, he is taking up knitting or something, so he can calm himself down! All that anger isnt good for a person!" Bulma wailed. It was midmorning, nearly noon, and the depressed woman figured that she had better get ready for lunch. She was to eat with the Graf today and discuss what she would need in order to repair the ship. On the way to the Grafs meeting chambers, Bulma happened to pass none other than Yelta, walking down the hall with a load of laundry under one arm. "Excuse me," the Servant of Toog cleared her throat. "Are you not Bulma, friend to Vegeta sama? "Hai." Bulma said coldly. How could this woman expect forgiveness after she had hurt Vegeta so badly? How could she? "That I am." Yelta looked nervous, clearly upset with Bulmas frigid attitude. "I was just wondering if you had seen Vegeta-sama in the past few daysI have been told that you two are veryclose" It seemed that it almost pained the green skinned woman to say this sentence, as if, perhaps, she were still in love with Vegeta. This thought almost made Bulma cry out in pain. Kamiif Yelta loved him, and he still loved herWhat would she do? There would be no room in Vegetas life for poor little Bulma, so desperately in love with him. How would she live with herself, knowing that her fairy tale prince, the one she had dreamed of wishing for with the Dragonballs, was in love with another woman? "No. I havent seen him since the night of the party." Bulma turned away, "and if youll excuse me, I have a very important meeting with the Graf." With that, she turned on her heel, and walked swiftly towards the dining room. Not swiftly enough though, for Yelta had seen the look on the Human womans face, and knew. So she loves him too Bulma continued down the halls in a distracted huff, still thinking about her little problem. She honestly didnt know how she would be able to stand the thought of Vegeta with another woman. Kamiwhy didnt I just let him have me on Imtor? I am such an idiot As she reached the Grafs private conference chambers, a guard announced her presence and she was ushered in to a cozy little room. Inside, the Graf sat waiting at a table set with lunch, looking over a few papers. "Come in! Come in and sit down, Bulma, Servant of Chikyuu!" he smiled warmly at her and pushed the documents aside. "Bramph has kindly explained your situation to me already, so just tell me what Vegeta and yourself will need to repair your ship and I shall provide it." "Well, I made up a list, but if you cant provide these exact tools then Im sure we can work around it." Bulma smiled and read off the list of tools and parts that she would need, as the Graf sat and nodded his head after each item. "It can be done, child. Everything will be ready for you tomorrow morning." He lifted himself out of his chair and took the list off the table. Then he hobbled over towards the door and handed it to the guard with specific instructions to take it to the Toog Science Research Center, wherever that happened to be. Bulma was sure someone would show her. "I cant thank you enough Graf. Youve been so wonderful, allowing Vegeta and I to stay, and now providing everything I need to repair our ship." Bulma thanked the old man profusely, and he smiled at her, now back in his seat across the table from her. "Vegeta sama has been a friend for a long time." He smiled again. "Now eat some lunch child, and tell me what happened after the party." "Ioh" Bulma faltered. "WellVegeta left and I havent seen him for a few days" "Bulma," the Graf placed a gentle hand on her arm. "I mean before he left. I know you followed after he left the party, and youve been unusually glum, I am told, since that night as well. What happened between the two of you?" "Iwell" Bulma began to fidget in her chair. "Wetalked" she squirmed uncomfortably, and took a nervous sip of her water. "He told me what happened between himself and Yelta" "Its hard to believe that after ten long years, he still holds that pain" Graf muttered, shaking his head sadly. "Please dont tell me that" Bulma murmured, and the Graf was shocked to see the pain so obvious on her face. "II dont know what Ill do if he still loves her" she choked out, and soon tears were flowing freely down her face. "II just cant stand the thoughtbutbut if he still loves herI" She was shaking now, her body wracked with the tiny sobs she was trying to keep in. How embarrassingto cry in front of the leader of a whole planet. "Please Bulma, child, I know it hurts. You must tell me what he said though" "Hehe talked about how they met. She was buying spices for her mother in the marketHe spoke of how much he loved her, and how he thought of her all the time while he was on his mission. Then he told me about the miscommunication and how he came back, hoping to surprise her, only to find her pregnant. He told me he figured out that she" Bulma paused, sobbing again. "She what, dear." The Graf patted her shoulder. "Sheshe was sleeping with Huyvs father before Vegeta even left the planet." Bulma sniffled, but continued, taking no notice of the Grafs wide-eyed shock. He had not known much of this information. "Oh KamiHe was so angry and hurt." Bulmas face contorted with pain just remembering the look on his face. "He told me that he wanted to kill her. He said he wanted to feel her neck snapping under his handsbut he couldnt do it" "Oh my Toog" Graf muttered. "Hehe beat a few holes in the floor of his roomthen he cried and I wiped away his tearsthen I kissed him." She murmured the last part, barely audible. "I shouldnt have done it, I know, but I couldnt help it! He was so upset and I didnt know what to do and I love him so muchI just couldnt stand to see him in so much pain" Bulma shuddered, pulling herself into a ball in her chair. "Is there more, child? Why did he leave?" "HeVegeta lowered me to the floor, and hehe started tugging at my dress, still kissing me. II went to pull his shirt off of him and thats when heHe tore himself away and flung me across the room. He told me" she drew in a shaky breath. "He told me he didnt want me that way, and that he didnt want, or need my pity. Hehe thought I was offering myself out of pityjust to make him feel better" The Graf looked away, unable to keep his beady little eyes on a face that held so much painthe poor girl loved Vegeta so muchso much it hurt even him to see her like this, and he barely even knew her. "You just stay here child. Im going to go get you something to calm your nerves, and Ill be right back." Graf stood slowly, patted Bulmas trembling back lightly, and then hobbled over towards the door. What the girl needed now was some Reepla, the Imtarite counterpart of chamomile tea. It would help her relax a bit, and perhaps he would tell her to go back to her own room and nap for a while. Opening the chamber door, he did not expect to see anyone out there, as he had sent the guard on an errand with Bulmas list. "Oh! Im sorry, Graf." A female voice sounded as the door bumped her. "Yelta!" the Graf eyed the Imtorite woman. She looked slightly nervous. "How long have you been here Yelta? How much of that poor girls pain did you hear?" "II heard all of it." Yelta admitted, her head lowered in shame. "I didnt mean to thoughit just sort of happened. II thought I forgot something here earlier and I heard your voices through the doorI couldnt stop myselfIm so sorry." "Go finish your work Yelta." The Graf said, unsure of whom to feel for, the poor alien girl in her misery, or a girl of his own kind. "Youve caused enough trouble today, not to mention the other night at my banquet." "Yyes Graf." Yelta bowed and scurried off, her mind set on everything but the chores she did around the Grafs home to support her son. Chapter 12: Late Night Conversation "Here we are, Bulma, Servant of Chikyuu." The pudgy little Servant of Toog smiled, leading Bulma into a huge hangar. It was nearly empty, except for a few hired workers, all armed with tools and gizmos. There was also a huge cabinet off to one side where many other types of tools and ship parts were kept. "Thank you Torma." Bulma smiled politely. "You can go now, if you have other things to do." As Torma trotted off, Bulma turned to face her alien crew. These particular Servants of Toog had been assembled because of their skill with foreign technology, and their ability to learn new techniques quickly. Bulma pulled the capsule that contained the ship out of her pocket, pushed down the little plunger and tossed it into the middle of the floor. With a loud BANG, the Capsule Corporation ship appeared in a cloud of smoke. "Alright!" she turned to her crew again. "Im going to do a little inspection and see if I can figure out what went wrong. You guys can all hang around and do whatever until I figure that out, then help me with the actual repairs, once I know what needs repairing." The Servants of Toog all nodded, their wild hair flopping about, as Bulma entered the ship. Meanwhile, Vegeta was just arriving back at the Grafs home in the center of Capitol. All of the guards looked warily at him, aware of his vicious temper. They had all heard what happened at the party a few nights ago, so they had decided to be especially careful around the Rogue Servant. "Ahhh, Vegeta-sama, it is good to see you back. "The Graf smiled, walking out into the garden where Vegeta had landed. "Bulma has begun work on your spacecraft, and should be done within the week." "Good." Vegeta nodded. "I want to get off this planet as soon as possible." His voice was bitter and angry, and the Graf cringed a little. "You know, she was very worried about you." "Who?" "Bulma was." The Graf turned to go back inside his house. "She was terribly upset." Vegeta wondered, briefly, why Bulma would be so upset. Was it possible that what happened was not out of pity? Noshe had refused him before, so why would she change her mind? "Vegeta?" "What now, Graf?" "Why did you not tell me that Huyv was conceived before you left this planet for that mission, long ago?" Vegetas eyes narrowed. "Bulma told you? What else did she say?" "Calm down Vegeta." The Graf said, seeing the beginnings of rage on the Saiyans face. "I convinced her that it would be best if I knew what happened after you stalked out of my party. She was concerned only for your welfare." "Pity again, Im sure. Well I dont want it." "That is why you pushed her away, is it not?" Graf sighed, and Vegetas eyes widened. "Yes, she told me about that too. You thought she would offer herself in such a manner out of pity, Vegeta? Your pride has blinded you in these past years." "Pride, Graf, is all I have left." The Saiyan no Ouji hissed, his handsome face twisting into a pained scowl. "No Vegeta. All you have left is the love of a beautiful young Servant of Chikyuu who would do anything for your happiness." The Graf said, then turned abruptly and walked away. While everything else was happening, Yelta walked solemnly down a path in the garden, heading for the tiny grove of trees where she always went to think about her problems. "Oh Toog," she sighed to herself, "How could I have been such a fool? I should have known he would still hate meits not like he doesnt have a good reason." She continued walking, remembering all the good times she and Vegeta had shared. He had been so reluctant to let her into his heart, for fear of being hurt. All the poor thing had in his life was pain, and she had gone and hurt him so badly "Why did I ever do it? I really did love him butbut I was young and foolishOh Toog! Right under his nose! How could I have done such a thing to Vegeta?" But she knew the answer already. Vegeta had never shown her much outward affection; it seemed to make him nervous. And so, like the foolish, fickle girl she was, she had run into the arms of another man without breaking it off with Vegeta first. And she had been glad she still had Vegeta when Relfer died in a freak accident. But then she had found out about little Huyv, growing in her belly. Relfers child. Yelta remembered feeling oddly relieved when the transmission came in telling them that Vegeta was dead. That way, she wouldnt have to tell him about the pregnancy, and how she had cheated on him. It was enough of a disgrace to have sex before marriage, but to bear a child of a man who was not her fiance would have been the ultimate disgrace. And on top of that, she knew Vegeta would be very angry with her. And she had been right. Vegeta had almost killed her upon his return to Toog, and years later; she still caught herself wondering why he had not snapped her neck. He had been so hurt and angryand it was all her fault. And now she was sitting here under the trees, wishing that he would take her back? It was foolish. Vegeta deserved better. He deserved someone who wasnt so selfish, someone who would sacrifice her own happiness just to see him smileLike Bulma. Yes, Bulma would make him a good mate, and she would give him a son of his own that he could train and care for and be a father to. Vegeta would like that. He had always wanted a son, and Bulma would be more than happy to help him create one. After dinner that night, Vegeta went out for a walk in the garden to clear his head. Unbeknownst to him, he was being followed by Bulma, who intended to talk to him about what had happened between them the night of the party. Unfortunately for her, Yelta slipped out of the shadows and intercepted him before Bulma got the chance to approach him. "What do you want?" Vegeta asked harshly, as his former fiance approached him. "I only wanted to talk to you; to apologize for my actions." Yelta spoke. "I know I hurt you Vegeta, but I was young and foolish. I felt lonely with you because you never showed me any affection." She mumbled. "Is that what you think?!?" Vegeta roared suddenly. "I was showing you more affection than was safe, you dumb bitch!" Yelta cringed back as he screamed. "Frieza knew everything that went on between us! If I had acted like I gave a flying fuck about you, he would have killed you!" "Whwhat do you mean Vegeta?" "I mean that I wasnt allowed to care about anything! You know damn well that anything or anyone I gave a damn about was destroyed immediately before I became too attached! So I wouldnt have any weaknesses." He hissed vehemently, advancing on her. "Then you had to go and fuck it all up by screwing around behind my back! Kami, couldnt you have at least waited until I was off the planet? You couldnt even show me that much respect for what I was risking for you." "VegetaI" "Shut the hell up Yelta. I dont want to hear your garbage!" the Saiyan hissed, running a hand through his thick raven mane. "You dont know what it was like, to have to go back to that ship and hear the jeering taunts from every officer on board. Whats the matter Vegeta? Couldnt please the woman properly? Ohh, theres the little Saiyan no Ouji. Hows your mate, little monkey? Oh thats right, she was willing to disgrace her entire family just to get away from you." He mimicked several voices of former comrades, and several of the harsh insults he must have been subjected to. "And then there was Frieza himself, the creature who murdered my entire race and beat the shit out of me on a daily basis, was now reminding me constantly of my failed relationship." "Vegeta, please just" she was cut off. "You see, Chibi Saiyan no Ouji," Vegeta began, his voice a flawless impression of Friezas, and both Yelta and the hidden Bulma wondered how he managed to distort his vocal cords in such a way. "I have told you many times that love and caring only brings pain. You refused to believe me, chibi monkey, but now you know. Never allow this to happen again, or face this pain once more." He stopped and scrubbed a hand against his face. "You know when he told me this, Yelta? He said all that while I was lying in a bloody heap on the floor at his feet, after he had beaten me in a sparring match because I couldnt think strait. Guess why I couldnt think strait. Go ahead, guess." He hissed, advancing slightly on her. "Mme?" Yelta murmured, stepping backwards as he continued to advance. "Bing-Bing-Bing! Give the lady a prize" He growled. "But, it is so very true, love only brings pain. And so, during the rest of my years in Friezas ranks, I rid myself of the ability to love. Oh! My heart beats strong, still in my chest, yet it is dead, and without a heart, a man cannot live, he cannot love. My heart has died, and therefore so have I my lady. Mourn me, as you should have all those years ago." All Yelta could do was watch, stunned, as Vegeta no Ouji turned and stalked right out of the garden and back into the Grafs home. She was thankful though, that he did not take off again, for then she would surely be in great trouble. "Oh dear Toog, what have I done? Oh, what have I done?" she wailed into the night, fully aware that the entire conversation had been witnessed, for she saw the bright flash of blue, as the Lady Bulma scurried away, back into the large house. Chapter 13: Show Him How "Alright! Terfal, you and Pala are going to repair the Sync Belt in the Florgastic Plasmolometer, Herrel and Ubby are watching the Pinocytopic Valve for signs of leakage, Yorda and Nemel, you two are cleaning the Ubfrabic Halorankter. Timbret, you and me will be testing the Cytokenoptic Rectologisticator for signs of Pelosontic activity. Arden, you will be sorting screws." Bulma called out to her waiting crew. As everyone got to work, Yelta watched from the shadows in confused fascination. Shed had no idea what Bulma was talking about, but could easily tell that the Servant of Chikyuu was a technological genius. Not only that, but she was absolutely beautiful to boot. With that shapely body and exotic coloring of hers, it really wasnt hard to see how Vegeta had become attracted to her. And that will make my job a whole lot easier "Miss Bulma?" One of the techs called out. "Yeah?" "Which way do you want the Yimtarpic Ubragator to be turned?" "Clockwise! Definitely clockwise! If its put on counterclockwise, its liable to mess up the gravity settings and crush Vegeta and I in our sleep!" she laughed, trying to cover the longing she felt while thinking of the Saiyan no Ouji. But it was impossible; trying to forget him was useless. No matter what, he was always on her mind, always just out of reach About an hour later, Bulmas stomach started to rumble, wanting food. It was about 11:30, almost time for lunch. "Hey, whos hungry?" she called out, and was met by a cloud of rumbling bellies. "What do you guys say we break for an early lunch, then well run all the diagnostic tests after were good and full?" "That is the most intelligent thing youve said all day!" Timbret cried out, to be met with a bubble of laughter from the exhausted tech workers. "All right! Everyone just make sure everything is shut down and safe, and get on out! I want to just finish tightening these bolts here, and Ill follow in a couple minutes." "Sure thing, boss!" Yorda chuckled, and soon Bulma was the only one in the entire hangar, or so she thought. "Almost done and OW! Aw shit!" She cried out, accidentally smashing her thumb with the wrench. It would probably bruise, but lucky for her, that was all. "Damn" she muttered, popping the appendage into her mouth to ease the pain, then spitting it back out when she realized that it was still covered in grease. "Bleh! Eww!!!" she spat, running for the sink, where she washed her hands and rinsed out her mouth. "Erghremind me to never ever do that again," she muttered to herself, taking a big gulp of water. "ErrMiss Bulma?" A voice murmured, and Bulma turned to see Yelta standing by the door of the hangar, looking very nervous as she toyed with the hem of her shirt. "Can I help you?" The human woman asked, ice in her voice. "I know you heard the conversation between Vegeta and myself last night." Yelta stated. "I wasnt eavesdropping!" Bulma cried out in defense. "I was going to talk to him, but you just happened to pull him into your friendly little conversation first." "Oh, no, please forgive me! I had not meant to imply such a thing! I justI just wanted to ask you a favor." "Excuse me? A favor?" "I" Yelta sighed. "I just wanted to ask you to please tell Vegeta-sama that Im sorry. He wont even talk to me, and it doesnt even matter if he forgives me or notjust so he knows." She hung her head in shame. "II guess I could do that" Bulma muttered, feeling almost sorry for the woman in front of her. "That is, if hell even listen to melast time I checked, he was pretty pissed at me too" "Thank you, Miss Bulma! Oh thank you so much!" Yelta cried out, ignoring the last little bit of Bulmas words. She knew he wasnt mad at her, he was just irritated and wellbeing Vegeta. If he was upset about one thing, he made sure to take it out on everyone. "Yeah, whatever" Bulma sighed. Great, just great. Ill tell him shes sorry and then hell tell me he still loves her and theyll go live happily ever after and Ill end up old and crusty and alone with fifteen cats roaming around my houseand every one will be named Vegeta Jr Yelta turned to leave, and Bulma listened as the light clicking of her shoes against the hard cement floor grew fainter, but then it stopped, and the Human scientist turned to see the Servant of Toog, standing alone by the door. "Bulma" she called out. "I know that Vegeta said some awfully depressing things last night, and I know that you must be awfully upset, feeling how you do about him" Bulmas eyes widened. How did Yelta know how she felt? Was she really that obvious? "I just wanted to tell you that he will love againIt will be hard for him, but I dont think even he will be able to stop that feeling. And when he finally allows himself to, he will be the best damn lover any woman ever had. All you have to do is" Yelta smiled sadly, "Show him how." Chapter 14: Can I touch it? Bulma was relatively silent for the rest of the afternoon as the testing was going on, for she was still mulling over what Yelta had said earlier that day. Did she really have a chance with Vegeta? Could he really ever love her? "Miss Bulma?" "Huh?" Bulma jumped as the lab tech surprised her, breaking her deep chain of thought. "Nani?" "The testing is done, and you need to come verify the results." He replied, looking at her strangely. "Oh, okay." Bulma followed her assistant to a large computer console, where all the data from the testing was stored. For the next hour, she and three of the alien technicians looked over printouts of the results, checking each number to make sure that everything was in proper working condition. "Looks like youll be able to leave pretty soon." "YeahI cant wait to get home." She smiled, thinking of how nice it would be to see her parents and all of her friends. Making sure that all the computers and machines were turned off, and the tools put neatly away, Bulma encapsulated the hulking spaceship and put the little capsule in the pocket of her jeans. "Well leave tomorrow." Vegeta said, swallowing a mouthful of food. It was dinnertime, just a few hours after the ship had been finished. "Do you really have to leave so soon, Vegeta-sama?" Bramph asked. "No, but I want to." The Saiyan responded, still in a foul mood. All he really wanted to do right at this moment was sleep. "Well all miss you, the both of you." Graf smiled, patting Bulmas hand. She was seated beside him, and directly across from Vegeta, who scowled. "Thank you." She murmured back, distractedly. In truth, she was still thinking about what Yelta had saidshow him howWhat exactly did that mean? I just dont get itwhat am I supposed to do? I meanI dont even know quite what I mean Night had passed by all to quickly, and Bulma found herself crawling out of bed only moments after she had crawled inor at least thats how it seemed. "Oh manIm so tired" she moaned, shrugging into her robe. Still rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she made her way to the private little bathroom, where she took a quick shower, wishing that she could spend the rest of her life under the soothing spray of hot water. Suddenly, there was a loud banging on her door, and Bulma jumped out of the shower, tossed on her robe, and practically flew out to answer it, still dripping water all over the place. "Vegeta?" she sighed, seeing the Saiyan no Ouji standing in her doorway. "What the hell do you want?" "I would like to leave sometime in the next century, woman. Im here to make sure you hurry up." He growled, the tip of his tail flicking to and fro in annoyance, and catching Bulmas attention at the same time. She watched in fascination as the furry brown appendage danced about in the air, and couldnt help but to wonder about it. "Vegeta" she ventured, hesitantly. "I was wondering if I could maybeif I could touch your tail" "NaNani?" Vegeta gasped, eyes wide in shock. "I wont pull it, I promise!" Bulma assured him, embarrassment staining her cheeks a light pink. "I mean, I only wanted to know what it felt likeif the fur is soft or notIInevermind." She muttered, turning away from Vegetas wide eyed stare. What was wrong with him? She had promised not to pull it and hurt him, so what was the big deal? Still blushing profusely, she made her way back to the bathroom to do her hair and get dressed. Vegeta sat down on the unmade bed, making himself comfortable. Bulma was prone to taking long periods of time to groom herself. With an irritated sigh, he flopped down, lying on his back with his legs hanging off the edge from the knees down. He really didnt understand what was going on with that damn Human female. One minute, shes all over him, then she tells him to go away, then she changes her mind and now shes asking to touch his tail! "Perhaps she does not understand Saiyan tails" he mused, "It is entirely possible, as she doesnt know anything about Saiyan mating habits either" In truth, he really didnt expect that she would know anything about Saiyans, aside from what the physical characteristics she had seen in Kakarott. And of course, the baka had had his tail removed before he hit a proper mating age, so it would have known only pain when touched Bulma poked her head out of the bathroom, ready to go. However, she stopped completely when she saw Vegeta, laying on her bed, deep in thought. He looked so cute with that thoughtful expression on his faceand she found his position more than attractiveBulma flushed and ducked back into the bathroom as she felt herself beginning to grow warm. Damn that Saiyan for arousing her so easily! An hour later, after a hearty breakfast and a few tearful good-byes, none of which Vegeta participated in, both Saiyan and Human were strapped into their seats on the Imtorite craft, with the capsule ship tucked safely into the front left pocket of the jeans Bulma wore. Squeezing her eyes shut, Bulma clenched her fingers and tried not to shriek as the ship began to rumble, while Vegeta watched her in amusement, sitting coolly in his seat. He couldnt help but to admit that the little female was extremely cute when she was frightened and flustered like thatit was rather strange, but her complete helplessness in such a situation was a turn on. Vegeta figured that it was because Saiyan males are naturally dominant, and while they were in space, she pretty much had to do what he told her since she didnt know any of the aliens, or how to deal with them. The thought of having Bulma submit to him was actually quite appealing, and Vegeta found himself fantasizing about how it would be to hunt herto chase her down and seduce her until she was begging to be taken. Unfortunately though, she was probably far too delicate for that particular ritualbut perhaps he could train her It wouldnt be very hard to goad her into agreement. After all, she hated it when he taunted her about how weak she was, so if given the chance, she would probably love the idea of becoming stronger. And then, when she was at least as strong as that weak fool Yamchahe could be rough with her, not rough enough to hurt her, but she could at least give him somewhat of a challenge when he hunted her Hmmit really wouldnt take that long to train her under my teachingbut do I really want to do this? Its not as if I need to mate with her just to get her in bedHell, I dont even know if I would be mating with her. I mean, its not as if Ill be stuck with herunless I actually do decide to hunt herthen the mating ceremony would be performed and we would be stuck together permanently. But then again, there is no real need to get so serious so suddenly, other than the fact that I can barely control myself around herokay, maybe thats reason enough The ship left Toogs atmosphere with a bump, and then the two were free to roam around the ship as they pleased. Immediately, Vegeta stalked towards the ships controls, and Bulma realized, with a start, that he was changing their course. "WhaWhat are you doing, Vegeta?" "Relax Woman." He growled. "I simply wish to make a quick stop off somewhere on the way to Imtor." Chapter 15: What mates are for Bulma watched in awe as a tiny little planet came into view. "Is that where were going?" she asked, wonderment in her voice. "Hn." Vegeta grunted in return. All in all, there had been very little conversation between the two in the three days they had been on the ship. Vegeta spent most of his time training, or avoiding Bulma, at least until he could clear his head and figure out what to do with her, and Bulma did pretty much nothing. "Ill be glad to get out of this ship and get some fresh air into my lungs!" she exclaimed. "They do have fresh air hereright Vegeta?" "Hai. This planet was once a training academy for high class soldiers in Friezas army, but after his defeat, the soldiers took over, and now its one of the most prestigious fighting academies in the universe." "What are we gonna do here?" "Visit some old buddies, of course." "You have old buddies?" Bulma asked, incredulously. "I was young once." Vegeta spat. "Things were different when I was still in training." "WowI just always figured that you were the loner typeI mean, you always keep yourself distanced from the other fighters on Chikyuu" "Why shouldnt I keep my distance? I dont like them, and its made very plain that Im not welcome in their little group woman." "Okayfair enough" Bulma muttered, "but you could at least make an effort." "Why fight a losing battle?" "What happened to all that Saiyans never turn down a fight garbage? That is by far the least Saiyan thing you could do!" she cried out, suddenly angry at his lack of care. "Why be Saiyan now, woman, when its bad to be Saiyan every other time?" Vegeta mused, enjoying the fact that he had her stumped. He continued, as she sputtered for a decent response to that. "The fact is, that you dont know what being Saiyan is about, and if you had a clue, you would realize that I am behaving as I was taught. True, a Saiyan warrior never gives up a fight, but I was schooled by Frieza to push people away." He shrugged. "And the fact is, that I see no reason to change myself so that a bunch of pansy humans will accept me." "Butdont you ever get lonely? I meanyou never talk to anyone and" Bulma shrugged her shoulders, not sure how to continue. "I suppose I dobut Ive been lonely my whole life. I really dont know the difference between being lonely, and not." He said simply, and Bulma had to found her soul sagging greatly. How horrible, to never know the joy of friendship "Besides, no one knows exactly what Ive been through, and no one ever will. There is absolutely nothing left in the Universe that I can truly identify with, except the fighting spirit inside me. I dont need friends." He shrugged, and Bulma was becoming annoyed with his apathetic attitude towards everything. "But what about companionship? Dont you ever feel the need to just sit and talk to someone? To know that someone cares about you?" She asked, sounding almost close to tears. What had happened to him? Why was he so damn empty all of a sudden? "That is what mates are for." He responded, matter of factly, as his tail flicked about by his calves. "But you dont have a mate!" The human woman exclaimed, exasperatedly. "Right you are." He smirked at her, an odd little sparkle in his eye. "But not for long." Bulma watched as he turned toward the large main window to look at the pretty little planet they would be soon landing on, an realization clicked in her headalmost. "You mean, youre going to get a mate?" she asked, and he nodded. "Down there, on that planet?" he nodded again, keeping those wonderful onyx eyes on the window instead of turning to look at her. "Ohokay. Will you take her back to Chikyuu, or will you stay out in space?" Vegetas eyes widened a fraction of a millimeter. She still hadnt realized what he was talking about? Didnt the silly little fool realize yet, that she would be his mate? Apparently notFeeling in a wicked mood though, he decided to play with her. "I think Ill take her back to Chikyuu with meYesThat would be preferableI think she would like it there." He muttered, laughing inside at what Bulma must be thinking. "What if she doesnt want to mate with you?" "Oh, she does. Trust me, she does." He smirked again, but Bulma took it the wrong way, thinking that he must be remembering this strange woman, or perhaps a previous encounter, erotic or otherwiseno, that was definitely an erotic memory smirk In truth, Vegeta was thinking of what had happened in his room on Toog, after the Grafs little party. It was such a nice memory, that of her soft little body beneath his. It was really too bad he had been too distraught to take comfort in what she was offering. Oh well. This will be well worth the wait. "Well, how long has it been since youve been here? Things change!" she sputtered, trying to rid herself of the mental image of Vegeta and some alien woman entwined passionately under nothing but a bed sheet. "The last time I stopped by was during my search for Kakarott." He said truthfully, recalling the memory. It had been nice to see the old place being used for a good purpose. "But that wont make a difference. It hasnt been long at all since last I saw her." He turned his head away. About two seconds "Approaching Planets Atmosphere." The computerized voice of the Imtorite ship announced. "Receiving Transmission." Bulma watched as one of the many screens in the ships console lit up, and an alien face appeared. She felt Vegetas hand at the back of her head, and jumped with a start. "Relax, Im just changing the translation mode so that you can understand what were saying. Im putting it on Universal Standard, because thats what most people will be speaking in once we reach the planet." She nodded, a tiny shiver racing down her spine as his fingers brushed against the sensitive nape of her neck. "State your name and purpose." The alien on the screen commanded, and Vegeta strolled over toward it. Pressing a little button, he opened up the channel fully, so that the alien could see and hear him as well. "Why Toomar, Im hurt." Vegeta chuckled. "Youre telling me you dont remember your favorite little hell raiser?" "Prince Vegeta? Is that really you?" "In the flesh." Bulma watched, fascinated, as Vegetas tail swished behind him. For once though, the gesture wasnt in agitation, but seemed to be quite pleased. Oh, how she wanted to touch itjust to see if the fur was soft, and if it was warm "Well, its quite a surprisebut then again, so was your last visit." Toomar smiled ruefully. "Tell me, is Gomer planet side? I heard he had accepted a permanent teaching job here." "Yes, yes he is! He just got back from visiting his lady friend." "Gomer found himself a mate?" "Not quite." The alien smiled, as if divulging a big secret. "But he told me hes going to propose next time he sees her. But dont tell anyone! There are some pretty big mouths here, and he doesnt want her to find out. I only told you because you two are close, and I know you wont tell." "Well, this is surprising news. Ill have to congratulate him." The corner of Vegetas lip turned up ever so slightly, and it occurred to Bulma that this was an honest-to-goodness smile for the Saiyan. "What are the atmospheric conditions today though, Toomar? My ship is about to enter." "Alls good to go for an Imtorite craft such as the one youre in! Just strap in and relax!" Vegeta nodded and turned off the screen. "You heard him. Strap in!" he commanded, seeing Bulma just sitting in her chair like a zombie. She had been too busy thinking and watching Vegetas tail to pay attention to the actual conversation. "Gomen" she flushed pink, and fiddled with the straps of her seat a bit, before finally hearing them click into place. "Vegetawho was he? How do you know him?" "Toomar? He was an old teacher of mine. Runs the place now though, and doing a pretty good job, from what I hear." "Ohdoes he know your future mate?" Bulma asked, timidly. She felt quite underhanded just thinking about it, but she intended on finding out everything she could about this mystery woman whom Vegeta was so smitten with. "No. Hes never met her, but he will soon though." Vegeta was just having too much fun with her. Perhaps she had inherited more than just her mothers looks after all. He thought that she would have figured it out by nowperhaps she was just stressed or upset or something. Yes, he knew stress could affect a persons state of mind and ability to think. It had happened to him several times in his own life, so it made perfect sense that it could happen to a Human, especially one who was in a positions such as hers. Bulma clutched at her armrests as she felt the ship begin to rock with the pressure of entering the tiny planets atmosphere, and fear suddenly struck her. Vegeta had said that this was a training academy, but didnt serious fighters like the ones in Friezas former army like to train in high gravity? Would she be mercilessly crushed the minute she left the ship? Or perhaps that was Vegetas planto kill her so he could spend the ride home alone with his mate. Or perhaps so he could go have a big nasty orgy with the Imtorites on the way home. Get a hold of yourself Bulma, you idiot. She scolded herself. If he had wanted to kill you, he could easily have done so a million other ways. Besides, hes changed from the man he used to be. He wouldnt do thatwould he? Chapter 16: Welcome to Strata Phon "You can open your eyes now." Vegetas voice broke into her mind. Cautiously, Bulma opened her eyes; the wide blue orbs alight with fright. The ship had stopped shakingthey had landed. "Does it scare you that much?" he murmured, while reaching a hand out to undo the straps on her seat, since it was obvious that their rough landing had petrified her. Bulma watched silently as Vegeta worked, feeling as if she were about to wet her pants. "Whawhat happened?" she murmured, just as she felt he straps pop open, releasing her from their grasp. "We ran into some unexpected winds. Damn Toomar" the Saiyan muttered, pulling her out of her seat. She was pale, and shaking, and he couldnt figure out what was wrong with her. Their other landings hadnt been exactly gentle, but she had been fine with them. "Hey, come on, snap out of it, Woman." He growled, picking up her little body in his arms, noticing, and quite liking the way she curled immediately into him. "Im dizzy" she whimpered as he carried her toward the kitchenette, where he sat her on the counter and filled up a glass of water. "Drink." He commanded, putting the glass to her lips. She did as she was told without arguing, grateful for his care. Perhaps he didnt plan on hurting her after all. Suddenly, Bulma jumped in surprise, almost spilling her water, as a loud bleeping came from the control room. "Ill be right back. Stay here, and eat some of these." He stalked out, tossing her a package of crackers from a nearby cupboard. With clammy, shaking hands, Bulma tore open the plastic bag and looked at the crackers, halfheartedly. She really didnt feel much like eatingbut Vegeta had told her to, so she picked one up, if only to please him, and nibbled at the corner, grimacing at the dry taste. "Vegeta? Sorry about thatweve been having some problems with wind lately, but I didnt think it was that bada gust came up just as you were entering, and I wouldnt have been able to contact you in timeYou okay?" "Im fine, but I think you scared the shit out of my companionWell be out in a bit. Shes not feeling too well." "You travelin with a female, Vegeta? Heh heh hehnot feelin well, my ass! I bet you just want to have one last chance to bed her before you get out of that ship!" "Well, perhaps if she didnt look like a zombie at the moment" Vegeta growled, without any real malice. "Now shut up, and get back to work." He gave Toomar one of those love me cause Im bad smirks then turned off the communication screen again. The Saiyan moved quickly back to where Bulma was sitting, still on the counter, still nibbling at the corner of her cracker. She looked a tiny bit better, her shaking had quelled, but she was still pale. Oh well, at least she seemed to know what was going on now. "Eat it. It will settle your stomach a bit." He watched as she nodded and popped the rest of the cracker into her mouth, chewing, and then swallowing the dry lump with a little bit of difficulty. He held the water glass up to her lips again, and she drank thirstily, finishing with a satisfied little sigh. "Thanks" "You havent been eating properly have you?" It was more of a statement than a question, and Bulma nodded sheepishly under the Saiyans harsh gaze. "You know how I get" she looked to the floor, "when Im working on a projectI forget everything else." "Kuso" Vegeta swore. "Woman, if youre going to travel about in space, youre damn well going to eat properly." He growled. "Come on, well get changed, then go out, meet some people, and get some food." He picked her up and lifted her off of the counter, setting her down on her feet. "Are you still dizzy?" "NnoI can manage." She murmured, padding off toward the bedrooms. Vegeta followed closely, turning off though at his door. He was somewhat worried about her, knowing that if a Saiyan were to behave like her, it would be dead in a week. Not eatingwhat an idiot. He knew hed have to keep an eye on her, to make sure she ate her fill at every mealafter all, he wasnt looking forward to the idea of having her die before he could mate with her. A few moments later, both had dressed and were walking down the ramp, onto the hard ground of the landing pad. Bulma still looked a little unsteady, but she claimed adamantly that she was fine, so Vegeta had simply sighed and allowed her to do what she wished, which was walk on her own. "Ahh, so good to see you in person after so long!" Toomar came running out of the hangar to greet his old student. "While youre here, you must look in on some of the classes, perhaps teach a few. You know, I really wish you had taken my offer of a permanent job here." The violet skinned man huffed. "We could really use you. The Saiyan Prince Vegeta! Imagine how many new students Id get, wanting to learn under the man who survived Friezas army!" "Maybe Toomarbut not now. Ive got too much of my own training to do. Maybe Ill teach a few classes while Im here though. Just to share some of my vast amount of fighting knowledge." He smirked; humor in his eyes, and Bulma found herself very glad that they had come here. It was good to see Vegeta happy. "Come, grab your stuff and well put you two into a room somewhere. All we have is the barracks though. Itll be like old times. Your lady friend can stay in one of the womens barracksunless, of course, your relationship is the type where you two would prefer to share a room." Toomar teased, elbowing Vegeta in the ribs playfully. "The barracks will be fine." Toomar laughed, and led the two off, first to the Womens hall, where he put Bulma in a room with three other girls, who did not yet have a fourth roommate. "This is Yuki, Remp, and Heque. Girls, this is Bulma. Shell be your fourth roommate while she and Vegeta are visiting." The girls all nodded, but were keeping their eyes focused on Vegeta, who was standing in the doorway. "Wow" Heque gasped. "There is a legend standing right in our doorway." The other two squealed with excitement. "Will you be teaching any classes, Vegeta sama?" "As a matter of fact, he will. Im not sure what though, for these two wont be staying long." Toomar puffed out his chest, obviously proud of the fact that he had schooled the Saiyan in his younger years. "Welcome to Strata Phon!" Heque called out loudly, just before the door closed. Strata Phon, reputed to be the best Battle Training Academy in the known Universe. As they walked out, and started toward the male dormitory, Bulma began to notice that everyone watched Vegeta, a look of great respect, almost worship, in his or her eyes. It was amazing that they should think so highly of him. What exactly had he done for these people? They all acted as if he had killed Frieza or something! Waitdid he tell them that he did? After dinner that night, Bulma was completely stuffed, thanks to Vegeta, who had practically threatened to shove the food down her throat if she didnt eat it herself. She still wanted to talk to him though, for during the meal, everyone had treated him as if he was some sort of god, and it was strange. The men watched him with jealousy and envy in their eyes, and the girlswell, the girls just stared outright at him, lust heavily staining their features. Some glared at Bulma, who was sitting beside him at the table, and she guessed that she would be the topic of many late night gossips sessions. She only wished that what all the girls thought were true, that she and Vegeta were a couple. But nosome lucky girl on this little planet would be Vegetas mate by the time they left, and poor Bulma would have to put up with the fact that he loved someone else. She would also have to see them constantly, both on the ride home, and at home on Chikyuu Later that night, in Bulmas room, she was being bombarded with questions by her three roommates. "So are you and Vegetayou knowa couple?" Remp blushed, being the shyest of the three. "I bet you Vegetas excellent in bed!" Heque cried out, hugging her pillow, with a wink in Bulmas direction. "Isnt he?" "II wouldnt know." Bulma muttered back, with a sad little smile. "Quit pestering her, you guys. Cant you see the poor thing is completely in love with him?" Yuki smirked, maliciously, taking the human woman by surprise. "And shes obviously upset, because she knows that such a magnificent man like Vegeta Sama would never ever desire a weak little thing like herself." She turned in her chair, smiling at her reflection in the vanity mirror as she picked up a brush and ran it through verdant hair. "Dont be such a bitch, Yuki!" Heque growled. "Just because Piron dumped you last week doesnt mean you can be such a" "Quit fighting!" Remp cried, and Bulma jumped in surprise. It was the first time that she hadnt had to strain to hear the girls quiet voice. "You, Yuki, should be ashamed of yourself, and Heque, you shouldnt drop to her level. And besides, we do have a guest here!" Ahh, the voice of reason. "Piron didnt dump me! I dumped him!" "Yeah, thats what you say!" As the two girls ignored her, Remp cast Bulma an apologetic little smile, which she returned, telling the girl that it was okay. "I think Im going to go for a walk." The human woman shrugged into a thin robe, emblazoned with the training academys logo, to cover her nightgown, also sporting the symbol of three linked triangles on the breast. It wasnt much, but it would do a bit to ward off the evening chill. Bulma then left the room, and poor Remp, with the fight of Heque and Yuki. It was a beautiful night outside, with the stars shining in the darkened sky, and the colonys two moons orbiting in a graceful dance, carried through the centuries. She could see lights flashing in some of the training rooms, and she was reminded of Vegetas all night training sessionsKami, how she wanted him. A tiny shiver went up her spine, and she pulled the folds of the robe tighter to her bosom, tightening the sash around the waist. Humming a little song, she continued walking, slowly with her arms swinging lightly, not really caring where she was going. It just felt nice to be out in the fresh air, but suddenly she felt a presence behind her, and a warm hand grabbed her wrist. Chapter 17: A shadow in the night "Ahh! Let go!" Bulma shrieked, fearing the worst. "Calm down, baka Woman." A gruff voice sounded. "Its only me." "Jeez, VegetaI thought you were some sort of rapist!" "People here are too honorable to be rapists" Vegeta growled, but then realized that this was the perfect opportunity to bring up the subject of training her. "Its too bad youre such a weakling though. Even if I was a rapist, even a weak human one, theres no way a little pushover like you could fend me off!" He laughed, attempting to goad her into a fight. "Oh shut up Vegeta! Dont make me worry about that crap more!" "Well" the Saiyan no Ouji shrugged, putting on his best act, which was actually very good, considering all the years of hiding his emotions had enabled him to project nearly any image or attitude he wished. "Were at a training academy, woman. When in Rome" "You mean train?" Bulma cocked her head. What was with him? Why was he being sonot mean? "No, I mean sit on that cute little butt of yours and eat your own feet." Bulmas eyes widened in surprise, but Vegeta went on as if he had never said the words cute little butt at all, though he was cursing himself on the inside. "Of course I mean train, baka onna!" he growled. "Vegeta, I dont know the first thing about training!" The Saiyan shrugged. "Its not hard. I can probably teach you the basics, just enough so that you can do a bit on your own and raise your strength a bit." "Really?" Bulmas eyes were wide with excitement. "Would I get to use ki blasts and all that cool stuff?" she bubbled. "No. You are not strong enough or skilled enough to use ki. It takes a lot of time and devotion to train your body in such ways. And besides, nobody in their right mind would teach a crazy woman like you how to use ki." He stated, matter-of-factly, with a devious smirk. He loved to see her angry, with a flushed face and sparkling eyes. "You are such an ass, you know that?" The crazy woman growled back, somewhat hurt that he should say that sort of thing, but also realizing that he was merely baiting her. She knew that Vegeta loved a good verbal spar. "The ass thats gonna be your sensei, woman. Id watch that mouth if I were you." Vegeta warned. She was cute, but he still wouldnt take her insults when he was being so nice and offering to train hereven though the training would ultimately allow him to hunt her. So, if anything, he should be the one eager to train her. But well, Vegetas mind really did not work like that. "Idamn" "Tomorrow, after breakfast, be in Training Room XIII-B. Toomar roped me into taking over his early class while were here." "You meanI have totrainwhile other people arewatching?" Bulma stuttered nervously. She would surely embarrass herself. "Yes." "But Ill make an ass of myself!" she protested, and Vegeta only smirked. "I guess thats too bad then. If you dont want to become stronger" "Oh fine" Bulma grumbled. "Tomorrow, after breakfast. Training Room XIII-B." "See you in the morning." Vegetas smirk widened to a playful grin, though Bulma could tell it was not at all the type Goku would wear. It was a teasingly malicious grin, the perfect expression for the Saiyan no Ouji to wear. "Yeah" she grumbled. "See you." At that, Vegeta took his leave, disappearing quickly into the night shadows, and in a matter of seconds, Bulma could not even hear his booted feet padding lightly on the pavement. "Wait!" she called, wondering if perhaps he was still there. "What now?" his deep, slightly husky voice floated out from the darkness. "II wanted to ask you a question" "Fine." She heard his footsteps coming back toward her, only slight scuffing sounds, as if his feet were barely touching the ground. He reappeared, and Bulma had to take a moment to calm her breathing as he stepped out of the shadows, looking very much like the fallen angel himself. "Did you tell everyone here that you defeated Frieza?" "What?!?" Vegeta hissed. "How dare you accuse me of being so dishonorable!" he snarled. "Ill take that as a no" "What in HELL would give you the idea that I would do such a thing?!?" "Wellyou seeIwellVegeta, youve got to admit that everyone herewell, they almost worship youits wellodd" "Kusotarrebaka woman" Vegeta growled, hurt that she would accuse him of such behavior. "Have you ever considered that they have some idea of what I have been through?" "Well" "Many of these people were soldiers in Friezas army. Many of them come planets that were destroyed by his hand! These people respect what Ive been through!" Vegeta yelled, suddenly livid. He could not believe that this woman would ask such a thing! "Anyone who went through something I did deserves respect! These people here, they know I played a big part in defeating Frieza, and before you open your mouth," he hissed "You need to realize that if I had not been around, your precious little Z-senshi would have died. Kakarott, the fool, would not have been put in the regeneration tank after he fought Ginyu, and your little friends would have died." Bulma took a step back from Vegeta, genuinely afraid of him at this moment. He was so angry; she could see the veins in his aristocratic forehead bulging with his pulse. "Gomengomen nasaiVegeta, please forgive meIts just that well" "These people know who defeated Frieza, and like I, they hate him for it." Vegeta said quietly, visibly making an effort to calm himself. "WhaWhy would they hate him?" "Kakarott had no place in the battle against Frieza. He did not know the terrors of his tyranny. Kakarott does not care that he is Saiyan, nor does he care that his home, and his biological family died fighting for their freedom. He looks down upon his race, yet he does not know anything about us. He enjoys the power, but he is truly ashamed to be Saiyan." "But still, shouldnt everyone be happy that he is dead?" "We are, more than you know. But imagine this, Woman. Imagine that you have been working on a cure forbreast cancer. Yes, breast cancerYouve devoted your entire life to this cure," Vegeta, said, his voice softening with every word, until it was nearly hollow. "And then one day, a chauvinistic male who has no business dealing with the affairs of women discovers this curecompletely by accident. He doesnt like women. He considers himself above them, yet he is responsible for the saving of hundreds of female lives. And your work, your life goes down the drain. All your hopes and dreams, everything that kept you going just disappearsand of course youre glad there is finally a cure! Oh yes, youre ecstatic! But still, there is the indignation, the anger and hatred toward the man who had no business saving your life." The anger in Vegetas voice was overwhelming, and even Bulma found herself drawn into the situation. She felt angry with this man, this man who cured one of the most common female ailments. She found herself thinking that she would rather die of breast cancer than to be grateful to some chauvinistic bastard who discovered a cure by accident And then she remembered that there is no sure cureand that none of it happenedand that the chauvinistic bastard was, in essence, Goku. She suddenly knew how Vegeta felt, though she did realize that his feelings would be far more intense knowing that he actually lived through his situation. He was rightGoku had absolutely no place in the battle against FriezaAnd Vegetas pride dictated that he would rather Frieza were still alive, in a way. "Kami VegetaIIm so sorryII didnt realize beforebut nowI" Bulma murmured, placing a cool hand on Vegetas arm. "Theres nothing you can do." He snapped. "Ill see you in the morning." With that, he disappeared once more, deep into the shadows, and Bulma knew that he had gone for real this time. It was best that she head back to her room as well, and so she turned and retraced her path, walking quickly in the chilly night until Strata Phons female dormitory came into view. Unbeknownst to her, there was another being out in the courtyard, carefully, quietly, following her, watching her every move with shale gray eyes. A lecherous grin spread over his sharp, handsome features as he watched her move about, the curves of her body clearly visible beneath the thin robe and nightgown she wore. Her hair, having been brushed before she left the dorm room, shone in the dim light the half moons cast. Both would be full in a matter of days, since their circle of orbit wasnt nearly so big as Chikyuus moon, their cycle was much shorter. So this is the one Vegeta has taken a fancy towell, Ill just have to make sure she doesnt return the feelings, wont I? The shadow chuckled silently into the night, his soft, grating voice carried away by the gentle night breeze as he watched the Human female move up the steps and into the door of the Womens dorm. He would take her from the Saiyan no Ouji, and humiliate himyes; it was nearly time for his revenge. Chapter 18: Slap 'n tickle...well, maybe not tickle "SILENCE!" Vegeta barked, irritated with two chatty young female students, who insisted on giggling throughout the lesson. "When I say listen, youd better know that I damn well mean it." He growled. The girls nodded and immediately quieted, their faces pale with fright. Bulma though, had to hold in a snicker. The same two girls had been snickering earlier, at her lack of technique, strength, and wellbalance. She had fallen several times already, trying to do what Vegeta described, as a simple series of punches and kicks, and it had only been the warm-up. "I expect respect from you, and in turn, you shall receive it." Vegeta went on, pacing slowly back and forth before the crowd of students, seated on the floor in a haphazard group. "But I also expect order. This is a training academy, for training. I intend to instill in you some of the values of a true fighter, honor and discipline. And your first task is this: arrange yourself in equal rows, this disorder is disgusting." He snorted. "You have one minute." There was a gasp, all at once, and a mad rush to arrange the rows, each student desperate to stay on Vegetas good sidewell, perhaps not stay, but rather get there, or at least keep off his bad side. Bulma felt herself jostled and shoved about, and when the dust cleared, 5 messy rows were sprawled out on the floor. She was left standing off to the side, confused and embarrassed. "Disgusting." The Saiyan grumbled. "Tomorrow, I expect you to arrange yourself neatly and quickly, or there will be punishment. Am I understood?" "Hai, Vegeta Sama!" Every student said at once, much to Vegetas pleasure. At least they knew the proper way to speak to a superiorexcept for one that is. "Man," one boy whispered to the girl next to him. "What a hard ass." "Perhaps you would like to share that with the class, boy." Vegeta snarled, and the boy, eyes wide with fright, shook his head frantically from side to side. "Now, Bulma would you care to join every one else?" The Saiyan asked, seeing her still standing to the side. "Theres a free spot, right here in front." He smirked, gesturing to an open spot, right in the middle of the front row." "Ummthanks" Bulma mumbled, blushing heavily as she plopped herself down in the empty space. Vegeta waited for her to sit, and then resumed his pacing, and poor Bulma noticed, her flush deepening, that he often stopped in the middle, when emphasizing a point he was making, and with her current positioning, putting his groin at her eye level. "You will follow orders as if your life depends on itbecause it does. The first rule of learning under me is to know your boundaries. Never, ever cross me." The Saiyan no Ouji growled. "You are all first year students, am I right?" There was a general mumbling of yeahs and yeps from the crowd, and Vegeta sighed with frustration. "When I ask you a question, you respond." He growled, but continued his speech. "Ill tell you one thing right now. I dont like first year students. You dont listen, you dont know what the hell youre doing half the time, but worst of all, first year students seem to have some crazy idea that the universe revolves around them. I will not tolerate shit from you. Understand that, and I wont have to beat you into the ground. If you get cocky, Im fully prepared to knock you down a few pegs." Vegeta smirked, seeing the fear on the faces of his temporary students. If they were scared, they would listen. Most of them were probably too young to actually appreciate what he had been through; they wouldnt have experienced the true terrors of Frieza. The only one in the class who would definitely respect him for who he was, was Bulma. Truth be told though, he didnt want to have to frighten her into respecting him. That was not the way Saiyan mated pairs worked. "I want you all to pair up now." Vegeta ordered. "Just practice some light sparring. Woman, you come with me." He watched as everyone paired up, and found their own little sections of the training room to spar in, and then lead Bulma off to a corner. "VegetaI dont think this is going to workI mean, I cant even do the warm up properly." She whined. "And Im just so embarrassedI mean, everyone was laughing at me when I fell, trying to do those kicks" "Are you actually telling me that youre going to give up?" Vegeta snorted. "Really, I had never expected it from you." "IIm not giving up Vegeta! I justI need more practice before I can do the class stuff! Look at everyone else; theyve been practicing for years and years to get into this academy! The closest thing Ive ever done to fighting is Tae-boand I even had a hard time with that." Her shoulders sagged. "What the hell is Tae-bo?" "Its wellitsOh, never mindI just" she trailed off, unsure of what to say. She really did not want to disappoint Vegeta, but she couldnt do what everyone else could. "Its true, you do need more practice" Vegeta studied her form for a moment. "You just need to get used to the movements. You need to learn to balance yourself when doing something other than standing or walking, to spread your weight out evenly." "But how do I do thatwhen I keep falling? I never realized that this was so hard!" Bulma stamped one foot on the ground, like child who was having trouble learning how to count. "I just dont know what to do! And everyone else doesand its just so awfully embarrassing and" "Quit feeling sorry for yourself then, and do something." Vegeta growled, cutting her off. "If you want to toughen yourself up, then get active. Start exercising. Train with me outside of class. Honestly, woman, you cant just expect everything to come to you naturally." Bulma looked at him with wide eyes, realizing that what he was saying was completely true. She had never really worked for anything before. Her intelligence was a natural gift, passed down by her father, and the wealth she had been born in to have prevented her from ever really knowing what hard work was like. "Iyou wouldnt mind if I trained with you?" "Woman, you are painfully weak. You need to toughen up a bit, at least make yourself stronger. And the discipline of training would help you to hold that tongue of yours too. If not me, I would find someone else to train you." Bulma smiled, Vegetas haughtiness somehow cheering her up. He wanted to help her, she knew. Even if he was going to mate with some woman here, it was nice to know he caredBut where was the mystery woman? She would have to find out soon. "Now," He smirked. "Lets get to work." *** Bulma slumped down onto a bench in the womens locker room, every single muscle screaming bloody murder. She had never worked so hard in her life. "Your name is Bulma, right?" A pair of large, magenta eyes appeared in her line of vision. "Huh? Oh, yeah" Bulma nodded weakly as she bent to pull off one of her shoes, which, in itself, was a challenge. "Youve never really trained before, have you?" The girls voice held somewhat of a condescending tone to it, and the Human woman was taken aback. "Is it that obvious?" Bulma sneered, dripping sarcasm and sweat. "Gee, and here I thought I was doing good." She was not in the mood to put up with some punk teenager. KamiI must be getting oldwhen did I start thinking of them as punk teenagers? Oh wellthis one deserves it "Look, lady. Were here to train under Vegeta. Its obvious that youre just here to stare at him, so why dont you just-" SLAP Bulmas palm stung painfully as she brought it to the younger girls cheek with a force she didnt even know she possessed. Vegeta must have rubbed off on her a bit. "Listen here, you little shit." Bulma hissed, standing up to her full height, a few inches taller than the girl. "I didnt ask to be put in this class. It was Vegetas suggestion, for your information." "Well then," she smirked. "You must just be eye candythough I dont see exactly why he would want a stringy little thing like you." She shrugged. "Honestly, I didnt think Vegeta was such a letch." And with that, Bulma snapped, lunging at the girl and taking her totally by surprise. There was just something she couldnt stand about hearing Vegeta be mocked by his own student. "Listen here, you little bitch, that man has been through one helluva lot during his life, and you have no right, NO RIGHT to insult him!" The other girl recovered fast though, having infinitely more fighting experience, and had soon slammed Bulma into the wall. There was shrieking, and cheering, all of the girls wanting to see a good fight. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!?!?!?" A deep male voice resounded through the womens locker room, stopping everyone where they were. The girl released Bulma, who slid to the floor, looking as if she were about to be sick, and turned to the open doorway, where Vegeta stood, absolutely livid, not even caring that he was standing in a room full of half naked women. "VeVegeta sama" she stuttered. "Put your training clothes back on." Vegeta hissed. "All of you." He turned on his heel and stalked out of the change room, the door swinging shut behind him. After two hours of a brutal workout, all the female class members, Bulma included, stumbled back into the locker room to shower and change. They did so slowly; everyone too tired to move faster than a snails pace. There were no more fights, and none of them even had the energy to glare at Bulma, or Poro, the magenta-eyed girl. *** "Damnit Woman" Vegeta sighed in irritation. It was much later that night and he was examining the extent of her new bruises. "What the hell were you thinking?" "Ishe insulted methen she insulted you too and" Bulma grumped in exasperation. "I just wasnt thinking" "Damn right, you werent. You could have gotten yourself killed." "Gomen" "You do know that now Im going to have to train you extra hard, dont you?" He stated, matter of factly. "Nanani? Why?" "So you can regain your honor, of course. Beat the little bitch into the ground." He smirked, and she couldnt help but to laugh. Heavy footsteps pounded down on the pavement, obviously the creature had somewhere to be, but then they stopped. "Vegeta" A hard voice called out, and Bulmas head whipped around to see a mans shadowed figure. Shale gray eyes flashed in the darkness, his handsome features highlighted by the moon. "At last, we meet again." Chapter 19: Shale eyes are on the rise "Gomer!" Vegeta laughedwell, almost laughed. "Yep! Its the old Gomster!" The other man smiled, his face lighting up with the expression. "It really has been a long time though! Toomar told me Id probably find you here! But I didnt expect to find you romancing some girl! Thats my job!" "Romancing?" Vegeta smirked. "Im doing nothing of the sort." His eyes flashed with mirth, but Bulma didnt see, as she was busy inspecting her bruised arm. "This is Bulma." He jerked his head in her direction. "Well how-dee-doo there Bulma! Im Gomer!" The handsome humanoid man bowed, that goofy smile of his growing wider. "UmmHi" Bulma smiled meekly. There was something odd about this man, something that set her off immediately. "Youre Vegetas old friend?" She was very surprised that Vegeta could actually stand someone like this man. He seemed so cheery and happybut then again, that Toomar man had said something about Gomer finding a mateor something like that. "Wowwhat happened to you? You look pretty roughed up!" "She got into a fightwith your sister." Vegeta interjected. "With Poro? Ehsorryshes a bit wild sometimes" "Its not your fault." Bulma mumbled. No wonder he made her uneasy, he was that little bitchs big brother. Unfortunately for Bulma, she was not able to avoid Gomer, as he and Vegeta were always together, catching up on old times. She did though; spend some time with Remp and Heque, her nice roomies. Yuki had been a bit better today, but apparently she was still bitter about her recent breakup. That was okay though, Bulma supposed, because she couldnt count the times she had snapped at her family after she and Yamcha had called it quits. YamchaShe wondered how he was doing. It wasnt every day that you broke up with your boyfriend of nearly ten yearsShe was very glad though, that they were still friends. The breakup had been rather nicejust sort of an "I dont feel the same way I used to." "Good, neither do I," kind of thing. Besides, it would have been hell to be attracted to Vegeta like this, if she were still pegged down with Yamcha. "Kami" she murmured to herself. "Its not like it would matter anywayhes here to get a mateI wonder who it is." Morning class had been very awkward for the past week, with everyone just expecting either Bulma or Poro to snap again. Vegeta seemed to be in a better mood though, because Gomer had volunteered to help him out, so he didnt have to be everywhere at once in the class. Honestly, it really hadnt bothered Vegeta in the first place, to be saddled with such a large group of students, but the fact that they were first year students irritated him, and he didnt like all of their stupid questions. However, he had been working extra hard as of late, ever since the first year tournament had been announced. He had learned that another former student of the school, his former rival at that was teaching another class of first year students. Being Vegeta, he had insisted on training his own students extra hard so that they would beat Yubishawts into the ground. "Bulma," Vegetas hand grasped her shoulder, pulling her back as the other students headed for the locker rooms after a grueling session. "I want to pull you out of my class. Youre getting nowhere here." "Huh? ButBut" Bulmas eyes welled up with tears. "But Ive been trying so hard!" she whimpered, trying to keep the moisture from falling. Had he actually given up on her? Was she so hopeless that even Vegeta, the most persistent man she knew, would give up on her? "Relax, woman." Vegeta growled, immediately picking up what must have been going through her mind. "I dont have the time to pay you any attention during class. If you want to train, youll do so with me in the evenings. One on one lessons are the kind you need." "Ohokay." Her eyes darted around nervouslyshe would be all alone with him. All alone and sweaty and hot and "See you tonight then, 21:00 hours." Vegeta smirked as he walked off toward the mens locker room to shower and change. She would do much better training alone under himor on topor maybe even standing upor perhaps in the swimming poolor the airor under a cold showera very cold shower At 21:00 hours, Bulma wandered into the large training room, already dressed in her training gear. Vegeta was nowhere to be seen, so she just sighed and began her stretches. It was at the moment she decided touching her toes would be a good stretch that her Saiyan sensei decided to walk in. He smirked as she came back up, just noticing that someone else was in the room with her. "Hey Vegeta" she squirmed around a bit, uncomfortable in her training gear. The tight fabrics utilized were something one has to get used to wearing. Vegeta merely grunted in response, and began to stretch his own body as well, as Bulma looked on, simply amazed at how limber the man was. She winced though, as he dropped into the splits, stretching his groin. She, herself, hadnt been able to do the splits since the age of 6. He flipped himself around so he was splitting the other way, with his right leg to the front and his left to the back; then again, he switched positions so that his legs were along the ground, nearly perpendicular to his torso. "My Kamidoesnt thathurt?" Her eyes were wide as she watched him stretch. "No." Vegeta grunted, getting up off of the floor to stretch out his arms and shoulders. "I can see why it would hurt silly humans, but we Saiyans are built to be flexible and strong. The less flexible one is, the easier it is to break a bone or pull a muscle." "That makes sense" "By the time we leave this planet, Ill expect you to be able to do it." He said, rotating his arms a bit to loosen up his shoulders. "The splits!" Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "Interesting name" He chuckled slightly. "But enough about that, were going to start working." He crouched down into a fighting stance. "Imitate my movements as best as you can. Im going to teach you a basic kata, and then once youve got the steps down, well work on your technique." Bulma nodded and crouched down, much the same as he did, with her knees bent slightly, and her arms bent and thrust protectively in front of her. Vegeta snapped his arm out in a quick punch, and she followed suit, as he continued with a few more punches, a kick or two, and some footwork. "Now try it without me." "Okay" She punched with her right hand, kicked high with her right foot, then crouched down and swung her leg out. Jumping back out, she struck at her invisible enemy with a right hook, followed by a weak left jab. A right jab came next, with a double high-low kick, as she balanced, teetering, on her left foot. "Stop there." Vegeta commanded, just as she was about to give the air another punch. "If you punch like that, youre liable to break your fingers." He scoffed, grabbing her hand. "Holding your arm like this leaves your wrists weak too." "Okay" she was nervoushe was so closeshirtless and sweaty. Bulma gasped as he stopped around at her back, and pressed himself against her, molding his hard body to hers. He wrapped his arms around her, grabbing her arms and moving them as if they were his own. "Hold your wrists like this," he moved her into the proper position. "And follow through with your punches." He continued to move her body, his fingers trailing sensually over her skin. "You cant just stop once you hit something, you need to keep going. Its like playingwhat was that one you play, with the shuttlecock and the rackets?" It had definitely been a mistake, Vegeta decided, to get this close to her while she was like this, hot and sweaty from her work out. She seemed too Saiyan like this, and his hormones were acting up like crazy as he pressed himself even closer. "BBadminton" Bulma stuttered, her face flushing. She could feel his hot breath on her neck, and neither of them was focused on training any more. "Yesbadminton." He ran his hands up and down her arms. "You have to follow through with the racket, to keep the power in your stroke. You cant just stop, or the force loses momentum." He took a hold of her arms again, moving the right one slowly through the motions of a hook. "Follow through, yes, like that. Just like that." Bulma shivered as his breath tickled her ear. His hands felt so sensual on her body, and his voice was husky with obvious desire. She gasped as one arm moved to grasp her around the waist, tugging her backward against him. She could feel his arousal pressing into the small of her back, and she could feel herself heating up as well within the confines of the tight fitting shorts she wore. Vegeta purred as he kissed her ear, taking it gently between sharp Saiyan teeth as Bulma moaned aloud and shivered. That hand that had been holding her right arm traced up to her shoulder, then down over her body to her breasts, where he pinched at her swollen, straining nipples. The hand around her waist trailed down to tease her between the thighs, through the clothing. He stroked long fingers against her, cupping the mound in his palm. "Perhapsperhaps we should work on some lightsparring" Vegeta rasped, turning her around and releasing her body. "Try to block my attacks" Bulma backed away, somewhat confused as Vegeta struck out lightly at her, not enough to hurt, but enough to make her block. Her body was hot all over, and her breath was coming in quick, heavy puffs. The two kept eye contact though, and Bulma realized that there was something incredibly sensual about what they were doing. What she didnt know, however, was that she was participating in a miniature version of the Saiyan hunting ritual. Vegeta was preparing her, so that she wouldnt be too surprised and upset when he did actually hunt her. Bulma jumped back, with a squeak, to avoid Vegetas kick, and found herself backed into a wall. Her breathing grew heavier and her chest began to heave with excitement as the Saiyan no Ouji sauntered toward her, a devilish smirk on his handsome features. "Well, well, welllook what we have here." He purred, pressing her body against the wall with his own. "Little Woman has backed herself into a wallwhat shall she do now?" His head dipped down to whisper in her ear, then nipped lightly at it before kissing it lightly. Large hands moved down to grasp her hips, pulling them against his own. He kissed her then, roughly, his tongue darting into her mouth as she moaned and arched against him. He wanted her so badlyright at that moment; to take her would have been absolute bliss Vegeta growled softly as he pulled his mouth from Bulmas and began to leave a trail of hot kisses down her neck and collarbone. He tugged at the tight material of her shirt, lifting it up to expose her bra. Quickly, he tugged that up and off her breasts, exposing the plump mounds of flesh. Trailing his hands upward from her hips, and up across her bare stomach, he cupped them in his palms, kneading and teasing with skilled fingers. Vegeta bent down slightly, to capture one nipple in his mouth as Bulma sighed in pleasure, arching herself toward him. Gently, he nipped at the little pebble, blowing lightly on it to make her shiver. "Well what have we got here?" A cold voice chuckled, and Bulmas eyes snapped open, to see a figure standing in the doorway. "This kind of training should be done in the bedroom, Vegeta." "Yubishawt" Vegeta snarled, pulling Bulmas shirt back down to cover her. "What the hell do you want?" "Nothing youre willing to give, Vegeta." Shale eyes sparkled mischievously, and Bulma noted that they seemed almost the exact same color as Gomers. This man though, set her off even more than Vegetas friend had Yubishawtthat was the old rival Vegeta had been talking about "Go get showered and dressed Bulma." Vegeta murmured, releasing his hold on the tiny woman. She nodded and padded off, a heavy blush staining her cheeks as she felt two pairs of eyes watching her every movement. "Ummsee you tomorrow, Vegeta," she mumbled, disappearing into the locker room. Chapter 20: Mrs. Briefs, you so craaazy! Bulma sighed as she stripped off her clothing. She was standing in the middle of the locker room, but there was no need to be bashful, as she was the only one there. It would have been quite an embarrassment if she werent alone though, for her body was very obviously still aroused, and even Bulma could smell her own scent as she pulled off her panties. "Kamiwhat am I going to doI mean, I want him so badly" she whimpered, stepping into one of the shower stalls. "But hes here to mate with someone else" she sighed as the hot water came pouring out and ran down her form, cleansing off the sheen of sweat covering her body. "Maybemaybe if I let him have me just once" She was still so hot, and thinking about Vegeta made her sweat with desire. His hands had felt so good on her bodynot to mention his tongue. Bulma began to wonder, as she lathered shampoo in her hair, what that tongue could do to other parts of her bodyhow it would feel to have him between her legs, sliding all wet and hot over her most intimate place. She whimpered and closed her legs, rubbing her thighs against each other as she tried to relieve some of the ache between them. With a little sniffle, she sank to the floor and just sat there, letting the pressure of the water rinse her hair of the raspberry scented suds. "Vegeta" she groaned, spreading her legs a tiny bit as she moved her hand between them. Squeezing her eyes shut, she slipped two fingers into herself, and bit her lip to avoid crying out. With a tiny grunt, she pushed against her inner walls, desperately trying to relieve the pressure building inside of her. "Whywhy wont itgo?" she whimpered, a salty tear escaping the corner of her eye as she rocked herself against her own hand. It was useless. "So, whered you pick up that little whore of yours?" Yubishawt sneered, leaning against the wall. "Fuck you." Vegeta snarled, absolutely livid. No one insulted his soon-to-be mate and got away with it. "I believe thats the girls job." Noticing that Vegeta was prepared to rip his head off, Yubishawt laughed. "Dont think you can fight me now, Vegeta, or your class will be disqualified from the tournament, and youll be shamed forever!" The Saiyan no Ouji growled, knowing his rival was right. If he beat the hell out of Yubishawt, then people would think it was so his own fighters would have a better chance in the tournament, and so they would all be disqualified. He wouldnt do that to them. "Oh I know that." Vegeta smirked. "But dont worry, well still be there to beat your studentsand afterwards, I plan on personally beating the shit out of you in the Trainers competition." His tail lashed dangerously behind him, snapping back and forth like a whip. "Hahin your dreams." "Feh, I have the power to make my dreams come true, Yubishawt, and you would be wise to remember that." Vegeta turned to the ladies room door, where Bulma was emerging. "Ill see you at the tournament." He motioned for Bulma to move faster, which she did, and stalked out of the training room. "Yes, youll see me at the tournament, Vegeta" Shale eyes flashed angrily. "And youll regret ever laying eyes on me." There was little conversation as the two walked silently toward the dormitories, the night air chilling still damp bodies quickly. Bulma moved closer to Vegeta, hoping, for once that he would catch the scent of her arousal and invite her back to his room. He had his own personal dorm room. Being an old friend of the Deans, and such a known entity, had its perks. Her move did not go unnoticed by the Saiyan no Ouji, who flared his ki slightly, just enough to extend some of his bodily warmth to the woman, without creating the common burst of light associated with powering up. He couldnt help but to smirk as she sighed, a little in pleasure at the comfortable warmth, and a little in frustration. He knew exactly what she wanted, her scent assaulting his nostrils with a fierce intensity. She was glad to be warm, but she wanted more than warmth, she wanted heat. The heat of two bodies passionately entwined within an age old ritual, present within every culture and mobile life form. However, he realized after recovering from his initial lusty rage that tonight would not be a good time to take her. She had to be stronger. And so, he resolved himself to wait. "Goodnight, Bulma. Sweet dreams." Vegeta teased, his eyes flashing as they stopped near the doors of the womens dorm. "See you tomorrow evening." And with that he left, desperately fighting the urge to run back and take her right there on the concrete steps. Bulma sighed and trudged inside the building after her Saiyan had disappeared into the shadows. She was soaking between the thighs, and briefly she wondered, as she walked through the door of her room, whether any of her roommates had a sense of smell as strong as Vegetas. "WHOA!" Yuki cried, laughing, as Bulma walked in. "Somebody wants some tonight!" Shit Heque sniffed the air delicately then, eyes shining mischievously, smirked at the Human woman. "If you really want it that bad, I wouldnt mind going down on ya." "WhaWhat???" Bulma gasped. "Yeesh Heque, leave her alone!" Remp sighed. "Sorry about that BulmaHeques well" "Youre a lesbian?!?" Heque just smirked in response. "Butbut you were saying how cute Vegeta was when we got here" "Shes" Remp winced, trying to find the right words. "Sheswell, lets just say Heque here swings both ways" "Oh" Bulma flushed. "Does it bother you?" Heque asked innocently, twiddling her hair. "No! NosorryI was just well, surprised is all" "No worries! I wont jump ya! Its obvious youre head over heels for Vegeta sama anyway." There was an all around giggle, as the human woman blushed and squirmed in embarrassment, still terribly aroused from the nights earlier events. "Im just going to go to bed now, if you dont mind." She sighed. "Wait! You cant just leave us here, wondering what the hell happened!" "WellIerrSee, Vegeta and Iwell, we were training andwellwe sort of wellIsomeone walked inand wellnothing ended up happening" Bulma stuttered, her face turning a lovely shade of scarlet. "Its sort ofcomplicated" The girls nodded, though in truth, Bulmas explanation had confused them even more. "Im sorryI justId rather not talk about it right now" Meanwhile, back on Earth "What do you mean, Bulmas missing?" Yamcha cried. He had been worried about Bulma, as she hadnt been returning any of his phone calls for two weeks. At first he had thought that she was still a little miffed over their break-up, but this was too much! Dr. Briefs squirmed in his seat, very uncomfortable while the stern faces of the Z-senshi glared down at him, waiting for an answer. They were all there, even Piccolo had turned up to hear news of what had happened to the loud mouthed Bulmaof course, being Kamis counterpart, he already knew what had happened. He just wanted to watch everyone else freak out, especially Yamcha, when they found out exactly what had happened to Bulma, where she was, and whom she was with. "Well, YamchaShes not exactlymissing" Dr. Briefs stuttered. "Vegetas ship was malfunctioning, you see, and well, when Bulma was fixing it, she and Vegeta somehow managed to launch themselves into space" "SHES ALL ALONE IN SPACE WITH VEGETA!?!?!?!?!" Yamcha cried, eyes wide. "Oh, shes with Vegeta?" Mrs. Briefs turned to her husband. "You didnt tell me she was with Vegeta! Oh, hes such a nice young man! Maybe Bulmas finally come to her senses and realized what a good husband he could make! Oh just imagine it, honey! They must have gone off into space to elope!" She tittered, clapping her hands together. "BBulma and Vegeta?" Yamcha stuttered, then laughed. "Dont be silly! Those two would kill each other before they got together!" Goku tried to hide a smile as he exchanged a knowing glance with Piccolo. Chapter 21: Thats what Gomer said "Ahhh, there you are Vegeta." Yubishawt laughed. "I thought you had chickened out." "Feh, never, you fat puss blob." The Saiyan snarled, his tail swishing back and forth along the ground. "Saiyans never turn down a fight, even if it is a pathetic one against a weakling like you." "Well see, Vegeta. After the first year tournament is over, Ill see you in the ring, and youll wish you had died with the rest of your pathetic race." "Why you stupid piece of shit!" Vegeta growled, his eyes bright with rage. "How dare you! Ill make you eat those words Yubishawt! After I defeat you in the fighting arena, Ill personally rip your balls off and force them down your throat!" "Id like to see you try!" "Gladly!" Vegeta took a step toward his rival, who stepped back. "Hah! Is little Yubishawt afraid of the Saiyan? What a coward!" "Ill show you Vegeta! Ill show you in the arena, and well put this stupid rivalry to an end! Whoever wins today will be final!" "Fine by me! I dont intend to lose!" Vegeta snarled as Yubishawt stalked off. Bulma looked slightly nervous as she glanced over at her Saiyan friend. "What exactly happened between you twoI mean, to make you this hostile toward each other?" "Its in the past." Vegeta shrugged, changing the subject. "Come on, lets go. I want to talk to my fighters before they go into the ring." He moved quickly, and Bulma had to look around before she finally realized where he was headed. It was easy to lose his short body in the crowd of colossal fighters. When Bulma arrived, she saw Vegeta giving a little lecture to his students, pacing back and forth with his tail swishing lightly behind him. She blushed, memories of her days as a student, and his training, surfacing in her mind. She remembered the day she fought with Poro, andspeaking of Poro Bulma waited until Vegeta was done with his little speech before approaching him. "Vegeta, wheres Poro?" "I dont know. She hasnt been to class for at least a week." "WhaWhat?" Bulma sighed. "Now Ill never get to show her Im not just a little weakling" "Calm down Woman." Vegeta smirked, taking her elbow in his hand and guiding her to a chair. Bulma sighed in resignation and sat down, trying to ignore the tingles that had engulfed her body, starting with the elbow Vegeta had touched. The two almost-lovers sat in a somewhat companionable silence, until the tournament started. "Yeesh, Im glad Im not fighting out there" Bulma laughed softly as the crowd watched a pair of medics rush one of the competitors off to the infirmary. It had been nearly two weeks since the little incident in the training room with Vegeta, and since that night, the Saiyan had adopted a hands-off approach to her. He had continued to train her rigorously though, and as a result, her power level had risen significantly, but she still wasnt strong enough to have a chance in the tournament they were now watching. Vegeta looked smug. It had been Yubishawts student who was taken to the infirmary, and his own who had won the fight. "Good damn thing too." He grunted, in response to Bulmas statement. She wasnt strong enough to actually fight in the tournament, but she was definitely strong enough now that he could take her, as long as he made sure to be careful. She was still fragile, but he was confident that she could take at least one round with him, and for now, that was enough. He would continue training her when they got back to Earth, so that eventually he would be able to have more fun with her HnVegeta smirked, watching Bulma out of the corner of his eye. Tonight will be a good night "Oh ho! What a beating! And the victor, Cremlo, of the Vegeta Squadron, stands tall in the arena as his defeated opponent of the Yubishawt Squadron is carried out on a stretcher! What a match!" "Good job Cremlo!!!" Bulma yelled out to the young warrior, who just smiled in return. "Way to kick ass!" Vegeta gave a simple nod in congratulations as the young warrior left the fighting platform to go rest up before his next match. "Next up is Vegetas Uptyn-dorro, versus Gomers Platort!" The announcer yelled, as the new fighters stepped up. "Huh?" Vegeta muttered. "I didnt know Gomer had any fighters in this tournament." "Well sure I do, Vegeta!" Gomer laughed coming up behind his old friend. "You didnt expect me to let you have all the glory, did ya?" There was a smile on his face, Bulma noted, but a strange glare in the aliens eyes, giving her an impression that the mans constant cheeriness was nothing but a faade. Vegeta shrugged in response. "Oh well, no matter." He smirked. "We both know whose students will win." It was merely a good natured jab, with no real meaning behind it, but the Earth woman watched as Gomers eyes flashed quickly with rage, before returning to their former odd look. "You had a lucky win, Saiyan!" A gruff voice called, and Bulma looked over to see Yubishawt making his way toward them. "That was my last fighterHes a strong oneand as much as I hate to say it, yours was better. Congratulations Vegeta, for a fighter well trained." He was obviously angry, and the reason for his sudden admission of defeat was unclear. "But Ill see you in there soon Vegeta, and I wont fail like my students." He huffed, straightening his shirt and walking away. All eyes turned back to the fight. This was the final round, and whoever won would rank first in the tournament. Uptyn-dorro struck out with one of his seven fists, but hit only air as Platort jumped up in the air, narrowly escaping the attack. Flapping his huge, powerful wings, Platort sent his opponent back in a gust of air. However, Uptyn-dorro was a Yektaire, one of a race of aliens known for their density, and so the winds did little to move his heavy body once he had firmly planted himself. Platort, with the traditional battle cry of his race, the Ipsims, shot his body down toward the other boy, lowering his defense in order to raise his offensive power, as his pointed talons were poised to rip at Uptyn-dorros orange flesh. However, with a blast of ki from the Yektaire, Platort was fired into the sky, unable to bring his defensive levels back up to normal. He landed, with a thud, on the ground just outside of the fighting platform. "Good fight, Uptyn-dorro." Vegeta smirked, watching as the ever-present medical attendants, scurried over to tend to Platort. "But I hadnt expected anything less." "That is IT!!" A sudden yell and burst of power caused the whole crowd to turn toward Gomer, as he launched himself at the unsuspecting Vegeta, who was slammed forcefully into the ground. "What the hell has gotten into you?" The Saiyan growled, pushing his comrade away and standing up. "Die, Saiyan shit!!" Gomer launched himself forward again, but this time Vegeta dodged. "Youve always been one step ahead of me, Vegeta! But not anymore! Its my turn now!" He powered up and grabbed Bulma. "What the hell are you doing?" "Youve got this pretty little woman all to yourself, Vegeta." Gomer laughed. "And I intend to take her away! Its time someone else got the glory! Ive been watching youwatching you for years, always gloating about your power. Always holding yourself just above meand now you taunt me with this woman of yours!" "Gomer" "SHUT UP!" Gomer laughed, hugging Bulma close to his form. "You care for her Vegetaand I intend to take her away. For revenge." "Gomer, leave Bulma out of this!" "NO! Remember Vegeta, you stole Yelta from me!" "Gomer, you never even knew Yelta!" Vegeta yelled, but Gomer didnt listen. "You stole her, and then you left her! And now Im going to do the same thing to you! Im going to steal this womans heart from you! And then Im going to break her!" "You cant do that!" Bulma screamed, struggling. "Oh, but I can! I claim you, as my own. We will be wed tomorrow." Gomer stated, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "Youre crazy!" "Hmmthats what Gomer said before I killed him." Chapter 22: Attack of the body snatchers "What?!?" Vegeta growled. "What do you mean?" "Oh, I suppose I forgot to tell you, VegetaIm not Gomer" the thing laughed. "Im only wearing his body!" Bulma was pushed away, and she fell to the ground with a shriek. There was a sickening rip as two scaly, clawed green hands pushed themselves out of Gomers mouth, stretching it out like rubber. A hairless head pushed itself out next, along with a pair of thin shoulders. The scaly creature then wriggled the rest of its body out, discarding Gomers body as if it were a pair of pants. The thing kicked its disguise aside, the body rolling limply along the ground as its limbs tangled together. "Allow me to introduce myself" The creature laughed, his wide eyes blinking. "I am Mortipus, Chairman of the High Council of Rebol, a planet you destroyed!" Vegetas eyes were fixed upon the crumpled body of his old friend, and his whole body shook with rage. "GOMER!!!" He screamed, pouncing at the little green creature. It stood only three feet tall, with stringy, brittle looking limbs, and in his rage, Vegeta forgot the first rule of combat. Never underestimate your opponent. "Not so fast." Mortipus laughed, holding one hand out toward Vegeta, who was instantly stopped. "You forget, Vegeta, that I am a Rebolian Councilor. I have powers that the rest of my people did not! And I fully intend to use them to rip you to shreds" "Go to hell." Vegeta snarled, trying to move forward. "Ill kill you!" He yelled angrily, powering up into Super Saiyan. "I swear Ill rip your head off of your body with my own hands!" The burst of power managed to break the wall holding him back, and Vegeta lunged forward again, slamming the little creature into one of the arena walls. "You cant defeat me that easily!" Mortipus laughed, conjuring up another of his magic walls. Vegeta slammed into the invisible structure and screamed as an electric current raced through his body, throwing him back several meters. "Youll pay for that one." A blast was let loose from Vegetas glowing palm, but it hit Mortipus wall and was absorbed. "Kuso" Vegeta hissed. "I need to distract him so that he cant keep those damn walls up" There was a movement behind Mortipus, and Vegeta watched as Yubishawt slammed his fist into the creatures head, from behind. "What the hell?" Mortipus yelled, turning around to see Yubishawt. Vegeta took the opportunity to gather up his power, releasing it in one blast, heading straight for Mortipus. "BIG BANG ATTACK!!!" Vegeta screamed, unleashing the crackling energy. "Holy Shit!!" Yubishawt wailed, grabbing Bulma and racing away from where the blast would hit. A tremor shook the ground as it impacted, and they were thrown across the battlefield. Bulma shrieked aloud, as Yubishawt cringed at her volume. As the dust cleared, Vegeta floated slowly down to the ground, ready to attack again. He doubted that the little creature could have survived his blast, but Vegeta had learned long ago never to underestimate his opponents. Always expect them to get back up With a soft thud, Vegetas boots touched the crumbling soil, just at the edge of the newly created crater. Down at the very bottom, Mortipus battered body lay, twitching in the last muscle spasms before death. "I loved herso much," he croaked. "From the first moment I saw hereven in your arms She wouldnt give me the time of day butbut I loved herand thenthenyou hurt her so badly" A tear ran down his blood-streaked face. A blanket of silence enveloped the crowd as several thousand pairs of eyes watched the proud Princes descent to the bottom of the crater. "Youshould have known better Mortipus. Never cross a Saiyan" Vegeta whispered, almost as if he were feeling the creatures pain for himself. "I cant forgive you for what youve done to Gomer" "Ill see you in hell, bastard" The tiny creature croaked, his breath coming in straining, ragged gasps. A strange looked passed ever so quickly across Vegetas sharp features, but then a sad, ironic sort of smirk spread slowly across his face. "So be it" he whispered quietly, raising his hand to shoot a tiny glowing beam through Mortipus head, penetrating the hard skull and rendering the brain useless. Large eyes rolled back in their sockets as the chest rose and fell one last time. And then Mortipus was dead. Silently, Vegeta turned and walked out of the crater toward the empty shell of Gomers body. Solemnly, he gathered the limp thing in his arms, and, walking across the arena gave it to Toomar, who would arrange for a proper, honorable burial. Yubishawt picked himself up off the ground, then hauled Bulma to her feet as well, just as Vegeta was approaching them. "Yubishawt" Vegeta locked eyes with the other man, extending his hand out; a rare gesture for the Saiyan no Ouji. "Vegeta" Yubishawt nodded, and grasped the outstretched hand, giving it one firm shake before releasing his grasp and walking away. There was a sort of understanding between the two men, Bulma could sense, but before she had time to reflect upon it, a gloved hand tentatively touched her cheek. "Youre hurt." Vegeta murmured, wiping a tiny bit of blood from her face. "So are you." She reached over and smeared some of his blood on her own fingers. Mortipus energy wall had injured him. "Its only a scratch." Bulma smiled a sad little grin. Her Prince was back to his old self, but there was a haunted look in his eyessadness in his heart. He had just lost his best friend, and it was a pain Bulma knew all too well. However, she had been able to wish her friends back "Come" Vegeta said simply, turning to walk away. And Bulma didshe would follow him anywhere. Right now though, his destination seemed to be his room. "VeVegetawhat are we doing?" They had just entered his private quarters. "Youre hurt." He muttered, padding into the bathroom, to return quickly with a first aid kit. He sat her down in a chair and knelt on the floor, pulling out a bottle of antiseptic and a few cotton swabs. Gently, he cleaned the minor cuts she had gotten as a result of being blown back by his blast, shushing her as she whimpered from the sting of the alcohol. Vegeta looked up at the tiny woman as she whimpered; his emotions all a flutter in a confused haze. He needed to touch herto hear her cry out with desire for himHe needed her love more than ever before "You should go bathe yourself." He said quietly, taking in her appearance. She was all dusty and dirty. "The bathroom is through that door over there and there are drying cloths in the cabinet." He stood up and backed nervously away from her. "Ummokay" Bulma stood up and padded over to the bathroom. Vegeta watched the door shut; with a slight click and moments later he heard the sound of water running. With a sigh, he shuffled over to his dresser and pulled out some fresh clothing, a plain shirt and pants with the Strata Phon insignia on them. With a sigh, Bulma rinsed the last bit of conditioner out of her hair and turned off the water. Greeted by a slight chill, she stepped daintily out of the shower and onto the soft, padded bath mat. Quickly wrapping a fluffy white towel around herself, she padded over to the fogged up mirror and wiped a large area free of the condensation with her hand. Digging around in a drawer, she found a comb and ran in through her hair, freeing the azure locks of any tangles. After drying herself off and dabbing a bit of moisturizer on her face, Bulma was about ready to leave, when she realized that she didnt have any fresh clothing. What she had been wearing was filthy and torn, and hardly fit to wear. Spotting the black silk robe Vegeta had been given on Imtar, she pulled it over her own shoulders, grimacing at the way it hung off of her small frame. She fancied herself quite the drowned rat in Vegetas robe, but no matter; it was the only available piece of clothing, unless she wanted to traipse around Vegetas quarters in nothing more than her towel. Vegeta cracked one eye open and sat forward a little in his chair as he heard the door open. Bulma stepped out, wearing his robe, and looking absolutely delectable in it as well. The thing was much too big for her in the shoulders, but a little tight in the bust, so the end result was quite a sight to see. The black silk stretched tightly across her bosom, accenting jutted out little nipples, while the top kept slipping off of her small shoulders. "UmmIm sorry, about the robe" Bulma mumbled, blushing, "But when I got out of the shower, I realized that I had nothing to wear" "Whatever." Vegeta shrugged. In truth, he wished he had not left that robe in there. Then she really wouldnt have had anything to wear. Standing up, he crossed the room quickly to stand in front of her. "Tell me" he said suddenly, "what ever happened between that human and yourself?" "Wewe just sort ofwell, broke up" She squirmed, his nearness sending tingles down her spine. "Were you sad?" He circled her body and stopped for a moment, running his fingers across her bared shoulder. "UmmI guess I wasfor a while" "Are you now?" Vegeta whispered in her ear, stopping his circles to stand behind her, his chest to her back. "Nno" "Good" The Saiyan no Ouji whispered, his lips pressing gently against her smooth neck. He wanted her so badlyhe could barely contain himself. Grasping her hip with one hand, he pulled her closer to him, hearing her little gasp. "VeVegetawe shouldntwe cant" Bulma whimpered, feeling Vegetas hardened self pressed against her behind. "Why not?" "Whwhat about all that stuff with Yeltawhat about the woman youve come here to mate with?" She was desperately trying to give herself a reason to pull away, but couldnt bear to wrench herself from the Saiyans grasp. "Silly woman" Vegeta purred. "She doesnt matter nownothing does" he flattened his hands on her abdomen as he whispered into her ear. "All that matters is that you are here, and so am I, and we are" he drew his tongue gently along her ear, "all alone" "And? Why should that matter?" Bulma whispered back, her breast heaving with excitement. "It matters, woman, because Im going to kiss you." The Prince murmured. "And if you should choose to resist me, you have my word that I wont ever bother you again" "And if I let you continue? What then?" "Then," he chuckled, "we shall both be very tired come tomorrow morning, and youll likely not be able to walk properly for a month" he trailed off as he nibbled a path from her ear to her shoulder. "And after that Vegeta?" Bulma questioned, even as his fingers untied the sash of the robe, allowing the silky garment to fall to the floor at their feet. "What happens after tonight?" She gasped as Vegeta turned her body around, pushing her against the wall as he began to nibble and toy with her breasts. "Answer me, Vegeta!" The Saiyan no Ouji paused in his ministrations, just long enough to ask one single question. "Do you like children?" "ChChildren?" Bulma gasped, her eyes widening. "HaiI want a son." "Vegeta" "Hai?" "Stop it." Chapter 23: Awwww yeah "As you wish" Vegeta murmured, pulling his body away from hers. "If things were different Vegeta" Bulma sobbed, "If you actually meant itIf it wasnt just about a son!" The Saiyan no Ouji blinked. She thoughtshe thought he only wanted to use her in order to create a son for himself? "Woman, you are so stupid I could kick you." "Oh go screw yourself! Or better yet, go screw that woman youre here to mate with!" The human hissed back, causing Vegeta to laugh aloud. "What the hell is so funny?" "You, woman, are that woman I am here to mate with." Vegeta took a step forward. "Nno, Im not" Bulma stuttered in confusion, taking a step backward. What was he talking about? "Woman" Vegeta purred, "Bulma, look at me." He turned her so that she faced him, and took her chin in his hand, gently tilting her face upward. "VegetaIIIm so confused!" she whimpered. "Dont be" The Saiyan whispered, leaning down slightly to press his lips against hers. "Nostop it please" Bulma pulled away again, halfheartedly trying to stop his efforts. "Youre upset and if I let this continue IdId be taking advantage of your vulnerable mindset." She sputtered, trying, more than anything, to convince herself. "You? Take advantage of me?" Bulma nodded meekly. "Now thats a laugh!" "It is not." She squeaked in protest as he grabbed her up in his arms and tossed her on the bed "And how exactly do you suppose," he crawled over top of her, "youd be taking advantage of me, ne?" He traced one callused finger along her collarbone. "Iummwell, you need comfort and so naturallyyoud" she squirmed, blushing. "Id find some woman and toss her into my bed so I could ravage her all night long?" "Thats not what I said." Bulma protested. "Its what you were implying." Vegetas lips followed the path his finger had made, laying light kisses across her collarbone and down into the hollow between her breasts. "Now," he cut her off before she had a chance to respond, "just lay back and relax." "If anyone should be relaxing Vegeta, its you." He looked up at her, one eyebrow raised. "Im sorry to tell you this, but we Saiyan males are naturally dominant, and I dont intend to leave everything up to you." He teased. "Thats not what I meant!" "Sure it isnt" Vegetas head descended once more, this time onto one breast, while his hand came up to knead the other. Bulma gasped as she felt his sharp teeth scrape lightly across her nipple and arched her back upward, involuntarily. Gently, his tongue circled the hardened peak, sending shivers down her spine, and he pinched lightly with his lips, sucking ever so lightly as Bulma moaned helplessly. He switched then, his mouth moving to her other breast, suckling at its hard little peak as his hand came up to cup the other, his thumb and forefinger pinching playfully at her nipple. "Vegeta" she hissed, squirming beneath him. "IIaaaahhhh." Her arms went around his torso and she pressed herself up against him. His shirt was rough against her sensitive peaks and she frowned. He smirked and pulled it off, tossing it across the room. Then he took her dainty hand in his and pressed her palm to his hard, hairless chest, allowing her to caress the smooth skin. She began to squirm again, and intense desire building between her legs. "What is it little one? Do you desire me to stop?" He purred, pressing his body down against hers. "Nno" she flushed hotly. What she wanted was for him to ravage her most intimate place, but she wasnt about to embarrass herself by telling him that. Instead, she pushed her hips shyly up against his, turning her head to the side, abashed. "No need to be embarrassed, little one." Vegeta smirked, taking the hint and moving downward, kissing down her neck and across her collarbone, between her breasts and across her soft belly. Delighting in her quiet giggles, he teased the ticklish area, running his tongue ever so lightly up and down, making her squirm as he dipped it into her navel. Gently, he nipped at the tiny ring of flesh along the indent, blowing on the skin, wet from his ministrations, making her shiver lightly. Vegeta continued his kisses, trailing from her navel down across the short expanse of smooth flesh to the triangle of soft blue curls that hid her most intimate place. He sat up on his knees and pressed one palm to each hip, running his roughened hands slowly down to her knees, then back up again, spreading her thighs as he went. Strong fingers went to the junction between her thighs, toying with the moist curls as the scent of her passion permeated the air. Sending her his most devilish smirk, Vegetas fingers trailed lower, gently teasing the soft folds of skin as he parted them. Delighting in her feminine little gasp, he ran his thumb over her clit, using her own moisture to aid him in his ministrations. The rest of his hand slid lower, tracing slowly around her entrance, getting ever closer to it, until he slipped two fingers inside, rubbing in gentle, circular motions as his thumb continued to stimulate the sensitive nub above. "Aaaahhhh" Bulma sighed and squirmed, arching her back as her inner muscles began to clench around the Saiyans hand. She squeezed her thighs shut, trapping it between as she attempted to ease the growing pressure within her body. "Vegetaaaaahhh" she hissed, fire coursing through her veins as she released, her warm juices spilling out to coat his hand. She flushed in embarrassment as he withdrew, bringing his wet fingers to his lips, and she chewed timidly on her lip as he locked eyes with her, his wet pink tongue lapping the warm coating from his hand. Smirking at her again, he crawled down on to the floor and pulled her body toward him, so that her legs were hanging off the edge of the bed. He knelt between them and took her hips in his hands, easily propping them up as he pushed a pillow beneath her back to allow better access to the junction between her creamy thighs. Bulma heard her prince let out a soft chuckle as she moaned, and she flushed hotly. Her embarrassment though, was soon forgotten as Vegetas lips touched her, kissing at the smoldering flesh and gently nipping at her moist skin. She gasped as his lips parted, pulling in the inner lips of her womanhood into his mouth. He sucked gently on the soft flesh, his tongue slipping around in a heated caress as Bulma whimpered and bucked her hips urgently. He released the soft folds from his mouth and blew gently on the wet skin, sending her into a little fit of shivers. His head descended once more, and his tongue darted out to lap at the swollen little jewel, hidden protectively within the velvet folds of her most intimate place. He scraped across it ever so lightly with his teeth, careful not to apply too much pressure to the animal caress. "Ahhh!" she shrieked, pushing her hips upward in a mad attempt to smother him. Her eyes squeezed shut and her hands dug themselves into Vegetas spiky mane, pushing his head down toward her. "Now, nowDont be so impatient" Vegeta purred, the vibrations of his throat against her sending ticklish sensations up her spine. He blew lightly on her, and she moaned again, panting. He moved then, trailing kisses down across her searing flesh to circle his tongue slowly around her entrance, occasionally dipping the very tip in ever so slightly, just to tease her. "There will be plenty of time for pleasure, little one" His tongue slipped inside her body, and she moaned aloud in response, digging her hands tighter into his hair. Tenderly, he swirled his tongue within her, slowly moving in circular motions as one hand traced up her leg, his callused fingers travelling in a soft caress, to tease her clit with his fingers. He pinched the swollen nub gently, scraping his nail ever so lightly across it as she cried out, eyes wide. Laughing, he lapped at her quivering flesh, savoring the taste of her pleasure as it flowed. Bulma lay on her back, panting and gasping for breath as the last blissful spasms coursed through her body. It barely even registered in her mind that Vegeta had crawled back up over her body and was kissing her, his tongue wrestling with hers. She finally snapped out of autopilot though, when she felt a cold chill run over her body, and realized that Vegeta was no longer on the bed. She propped herself up on her elbows as she watched him strip, his arousal plainly evident through the black silk boxers he wore. His pants were already in a pile at his feet. Feeling her eyes upon him, Vegeta smirked over at her, and hooked one thumb over the waistband of the silk boxers and pulled them down ever so slightly, exposing the top of his hip bone as he walked back toward the bed. Bulma smirked and crawled forward, reaching out a hand to rid Vegeta of the annoying garment. Slowly, she pulled it down over his hips, down his muscular thighs, allowing it to fall to the floor. Gingerly, he stepped away from it and crawled back onto the bed, once again forcing Bulma to her back. She let one hand trail across his tightened abs, then down further, lightly stroking his length. He let out a moan and, feeling him tremble, she pushed him over so that he was on his back, and she above. About to protest, Vegetas words caught in his throat as he felt her hand on him again, stroking and teasing ever so gently. Bulma flushed hotly, peering down at the mass of throbbing flesh in her hands, and remembering whom it belonged to. Bending down above him, her tongue darted out to run up his underside as her fingers continued their gentle stroke. Vegeta groaned again, and the sound excited her, causing her to grow warm again. Opening her lips, Bulma dragged her tongue across his swollen tip, circling around before she took his head between her lips, sliding down until she could feel him against the back of her throat. Vegeta hissed in pleasure as she began to move on him, bobbing her head up and down while her tongue moved against him in an opposing rhythm. His whole body was tense and he growled, tangling strong hands in her silky mane, pulling her down on him. Vegetas tail jerked around in excitement, spasming with every movement Bulma made. It curled frantically about in the air, winding and unwinding itself around her arms, and down around her thighs, earning little squeaks of pleasure from her as it brushed the quivering, hot flesh. With a groan, Vegeta pushed the furry appendage into her, as she moaned around him. He hissed at the combined stimulation, his hands tightening in her hair as his whole body jerked. Bulma gasped as Vegetas tail slid in and out of her, the texture of his fur stirring up intense sensations within her. She felt Vegetas body tighten as well, and increased her efforts, tightening her lips around him and adding her hands to the pleasure. Gently, she fondled the velvet sack below his manhood, stroking and teasing the sensitive area. Vegeta let out a hoarse cry; tightening his hands in her hair again, and forcing her head down to take him further into her mouth as he exploded. He felt her tighten around his tail, her own release coming right after his, as she frantically swallowed all she could, delighting in the salty taste of the Saiyan. Panting, Vegeta untangled his hands from her hair, allowing her to let go of him as she rolled to the side. He pulled her body up to rest alongside his own as they caught their breath, his arm around her tiny waist. Slowly, he pulled his tail from her, and she whimpered, still extremely sensitive from her climax. Grabbing his tail, Bulma pulled it up to her mouth, lapping gently at it to clean her own juices off as Vegeta moaned, feeling himself swelling again. With a growl, he pushed Bulma onto her back and rolled on to her, being careful not to hurt her, as he pushed one knee between her legs to spread them. Nestling himself between her thighs, he pushed the tip of his hardness in, slowly, gently. Fully inside of her, he ground his hips against hers, his face hidden in the crook of her neck. Bulma wrapped long legs around his torso, urging him deeper as he began his thrusts, slow and powerful, yet at the same time incredibly gentle. His tail curled lightly around her waist, anchoring her to him, and flicking about to tickle her ever so often. She moaned as she felt him sliding in and out of her, his hips grinding at hers as he panted against her neck, laying kisses and nipping at her skin. "Woman" he grunted, quickening his pace as he felt her tightening around him. "Bulma" "VeVegeta" she groaned back, her hips bucking against him with a feverish intensity. "Ohhhh haihai" It was too much for her sensitized little body to handle, and she struggled to stay conscious, desperately trying to stay awake. The pleasureIt was so intense. "Ahhh!" she shrieked arching up as she felt the first wave of pleasure crash over her. "AhhhVegetaaaahhh!!!" A choked cry burst forth from Vegetas lips as he felt her release, the warm juices gushing over him, threatening to break his control and force him over the edge with her. "Wowoman" he hissed, clamping his jaw onto her shoulder, careful not to break the skin, as he spilled himself into her, his muscles tense as his body jerked against hers. With a hiss, Vegeta pulled himself out, ignoring Bulmas whimper of protest, and rolled off to the side. Nearly dead with exhaustion, he pulled her into his arms and yanked the covers up to their waists, far too hot to tuck them in. He felt Bulma snuggle into his chest, and heard her sigh, half asleep. Gently, he traced her slender neck with his fingers, observing the red marks where he had set his teeth. He had almost bitten herbut he had managed to control himself. It wouldnt do to make her his mate without going through the hunting ritual. What would his father say? He would definitely have been very unhappy with the Saiyan no Ouji. But Vegeta would wait. He would definitely hunt her nowthere was absolutely no way he would be content to live the rest of his life without her now. Chapter 24: Its bliss He was warm and comfortable, completely relaxed as he held the little female in his arms. Her skin was so soft and smooth against his, and she smelled all over of their lovemaking the previous night. His tail curled slowly around her thigh, his movements slow so as not to wake her. Vegeta had been awake for at least an hour, simply enjoying the state of complete bliss that engulfed him. All thoughts of Gomer were, for the moment, shut completely out of his mind as he focused completely on the woman in his arms. He wanted her again, but he dared not wake her from her peaceful slumber; he dared not break the serenity in the room. It had been a long time since Vegeta felt this much at peaceperhaps the last time he had been able to relax in such a manner was the day he turned five. His father had allowed him to skip all of his training sessions and classes, so the small prince had spent the day lazing in his bed and playing happily, with no knowledge that in a matter of two weeks, his life would be forever changed by a warlord named Frieza. Such thoughts were completely dormant in his mind, however, if only for the moment. It was niceto simply listen to Bulmas soft breathing, to run his fingers through the silky hair splayed across the pillows. He had scarcely moved though, in the time he had been awake, opting to simply close his eyes and enjoy the peaceful moment. Vegeta sighed quietly and opened his eyes, tightening his grip around his females body. It was so differentso odd to feel sohappy. He wasnt used to serenity and peace. Nearly his whole life, he had thrived on chaos and angerbut nownow things were different, and he was confused. It wasnt necessarily a bad different, he figured, it was even sort of a nice different. He had always been told that such feelings caused one to become weakbut if that was so, why did he feel as if he could do anything, as long as she was by his side? "Mmm" Bulma moaned quietly in her sleep and snuggled into his chest, her arms curled so her palms were resting against him. Her eyes fluttered open slowly, but widened as she realized where she was and whom she was with. "VeVegeta" she flushed hotly and tried to squirm away, but he wouldnt let her. "Who did you expect?" he teased, his arms tightening around her as his tail flicked about, brushing her thighs. "Umwellits not that" she stuttered as the Vegeta nuzzled her neck. It felt so good to be in his arms, but she felt so horrible about what she had done She felt that she had taken advantage of the Saiyans distressed state of mind Suddenly, there was a knocking at the door. Grumbling, Vegeta pulled himself away from Bulma and yanked on the pants he had been wearing the night before, and stalked over to the door. "Vegeta samaI was told to inform you that the Gomers Ceremony of Passing has been scheduled for this afternoon. Toomar says he would like to see you soon in the main office, to discuss the ceremony in more detail." The young cadet squirmed uncomfortably as he spoke; glad to get away. Gomer Vegetas mind flooded once again with the thoughts that he had banished earlier that morning, and he felt the familiar pang in his heart come back full force. His muscles tightened painfully, loath to give up their formerly relaxed state, and his features hardened again, the familiar hateful sneer alighting on his face. "Vegeta" Bulma put one palm on his shoulder, feeling the tense muscles. "I" she stuttered, completely unsure of what to say. He looked soso completely crushed. "I need to go bathe." He snapped, not meaning to be cruel to her. She sighed quietly, wrapping her arms around her body, clad once again in Vegetas robe, thinking that he had realized how she acted and was angry. "Youyou should too." He murmured, looking over at her with such vulnerability in his eyes that she couldnt turn away, no matter what her mind was saying. Cautiously, Bulma dropped her robe, testing the temperature of the bath water with her toes. Satisfied that it wouldnt scald her, she stepped daintily in, and was immediately pulled into Vegetas lap. Not having the heart to protest, she leant back against his chest, simply wishing that he wasnt so upset and in need of comfort. Even after what he had said the previous night, she didnt believe that he actually meant to end up in bed with her from the beginning. She fully believed that he had needed the comfort, and that it was her fault that they had ended up in bed together, and she felt terrible for taking advantage of the proud Saiyan Prince. Slowly, Vegeta rubbed the soap across Bulmas stomach and breasts, creating a foamy lather as he bathed her, ever so carefully. It wouldnt do to leave the scent of their lovemaking all over her without having bitten her, for some foolish person might decide to say something, and then she would end up thinking that all he had said to her the previous night was a lie And he couldnt have that, not with how emotional Bulma seemed to be. She would hate him forever if she thought he had played with her fragile little heart, and he couldnt bear that. She sighed and lay back, surrendering completely to his gentle ministrations. They were so sensualyet at the same time devoid of any sexual intent on his part. Had it been any other time but this, she knew she would be all over him by now, just begging to be touchedbut with thoughts of Gomers death looming overhead, neither of them could think of pleasing themselves in such a manner. Today would be a day for mourning, and so would every other day, Bulma decided, until Vegeta was ready to take reign and continue their relationship. She vowed that she would do everything in her power to prevent them from coupling again until she was completely sure that he wasnt just looking for comfort. Bulma took the soap from the prince when he was done washing her, and gently began to clean him in the same manner, with touches and caresses that, at any other time, would have had them both desperate to mate. When she was done, they rinsed carefully and dried each other off with the soft, fluffy white towels that had been provided for Vegeta. They dressed carefully afterward, Vegeta in his finest armor and Bulma in a pair of his sweats and a T-shirt until she could get back to her own room to change. "Ahh, Vegeta, Im sorry to wake you so early this morning." Toomar greeted the Saiyan Prince, offering him a chair as he entered the academys main office. "But as you know, the Ceremony of Passing must be performed soon, and well, I was hoping that you would take part in the organization, and perhaps the ceremony itself, seeing as Gomer and yourself have always been quite close." "Hn." Vegeta nodded, recalling what Gomer had told him about the Ceremony of Passing, a sacred tradition in his culture. "Ive gathered information about the Ceremony, and called in a Tumarian High Priest to perform the duties. I was hoping that you would retrieve Gomers finest armor so that we can dress hisremains." Vegeta shuddered and paled visibly at the thought of the hideous empty skin of his friend, dressed in the armor meant for a fine warrior, but nodded anyway. For Gomers sake, he would do everything the Tumarian High Priest asked of him in order to ensure the Ceremony of Passing went well. "Ill get it and bring it back here." He said, turning on his heel and swishing out the doorway in an impressive display. He would be strong, and we would not break down. Gomer wouldnt want to see his old friend in such shameful tears. Bulma made her way slowly back to the dormitory, dreading what Yuki, Remp, and especially Heque would say about her not coming in last night, and showing up in the morning wearing Vegetas clothing. Normally, they would be off in classes at the moment, but the previous days events had been reason enough to cancel classes today. Poor Vegetashe felt so awful for himthe only person he had ever called a friend was dead and goneunlessShe shook her head, wondering if it was a good idea to mention the dragonballs to Vegeta. She didnt know the customs on raising the dead and didnt know if he would be offendedbut then again, he hadnt seemed to upset when the dragonballs brought him back to life on Namek With a soft creak, the door to Gomers room opened, allowing Vegeta to step inside. He sighed, looking around at the mess Mortipus had made, before a strange scent caught his attention. The odor of blood was faint in the air, as well as the smell of sweatfemale sweat. Concentrating hard, Vegeta strained with all of his senses, feeling the remnants of a ki coming from the bedroom. Quickly, he dashed in, and seeing a lump beneath the bedcovers, he pulled back the blankets to reveal a bloody, bruised mass, two glassy magenta eyes staring blankly at the wall. "Poro" Chapter 25: Someone has to tell her Shit" he breathed softly, pushing a clump of hair, matted with sticky, blue blood, away from her neck. Carefully, he placed two fingers on her neck, feeling around for a pulse. It took several minutes to detect, but with his heightened senses, Vegeta could feel the weak, barely there, beat of her heart pumping the blood through her veins. Quickly assessing her injuries, Vegeta decided it would be best to get her to the medical bay immediately. Her arms and legs, he guessed, were all broken, along with her jaw, judging by the bruised, puffy appearance of it. Her skin was marred with bruises and cuts; many of which Vegeta knew would scar. Luckily, her spine was still intact, undamaged aside from a few nasty bruises, so it would be safe for him to move her, as long as he was careful. Ever so gently, he wrapped the girl in one of the rumpled blankets and secured her in his arms, dashing out of the room as quickly as he could go without worrying about doing even more damage to the broken little female. Toomar sat glumly in his office, chin in hand, thinking about the recent events. Gomer had been one of his best students, second only to Vegeta, even though, strength wise, he came in third. Yubishawt had been the second strongest student at the academy, and Vegeta first, but Yubishawt had not been a good student. He had picked fights, beat up on the weaker and younger cadetsand worst of all, he had been the biggest brown-noser Toomar had ever met. Vegeta and Gomer though, they were quite the memorable duo, the hard, cold Prince and the campus jokester. To Vegetas credit, it was he who actually started their friendship, along with gaining Yubishawts hatred. Laughing to himself, Toomar remembered the day, long ago, when Vegeta actually lifted a finger to help another. The boy had been cold since the day he arrived, far more mature than he should have been at such a young age. He was barely an adult, yet already he carried a weight on his shoulders equivalent to that carried by a thousand cursed souls. At that time, the anguish in his eyes had been ill concealed, the pain of having his poor young heart broken still fresh. But that one daythe day Gomer arrived, Vegeta changed for the better, if only a little. Gomer had been scrawny, a malnourished little brat from a low class Tumarian family. He was a few years Vegetas junior, but had been ordered to attend the first year classes anyway. The boy had had great potential, and gradually, with Vegetas help, had been able to turn himself into a rock hard fighting machine. His physical appearance had changed so drastically that his parents had not recognized him at first glance when they came to visit. The first day he arrived though, Gomer had been picked on by the other students, all larger and, for the moment, stronger. The whole time, Toomar remembered, Vegeta had watched with an uninterested eye, until Yubishawt joined in. It was already a few weeks into the term, as Gomer had arrived late, and Vegeta and Yubishawt had already crossed paths a few times. In order to humiliate the other arrogant boy, Vegeta had stepped in, in Gomers defense, knowing that Yubishawt would back down. Vegeta was frightening, and he knew it. Yubishawt had been effectively mortified, and so started the intense rivalry between the two. Gomer had been so grateful that he refused to leave Vegeta alone for weeks, until the Prince finally agreed to train him. And he, being the lonely soul he was, had finally caved, eventually learning to enjoy the other boys company. "What good times, those were" Toomar sighed, and, noticing that his com screen button was blinking, pressed it. Vegetas face popped up on the screen immediately, his eyes hard and cold. "I found Poro in Gomers room. Shes in a regeneration tank now, but wont be out until tomorrow at the earliest." "Well have to postpone the ceremony then, wont we?" Toomar muttered, refraining from asking just what was wrong with Poro. He didnt want to upset Vegeta any more than necessary. "Toomar" Vegetas voice was hesitant. "Diddid Gomer ever happen to tell you exactly who this woman of his was?" "Errno, I dont know her name, but I do believe that she is Tumarian, one of them that managed to escape the destruction of the planet. I think she lives on the refugee colony in the Uyfer Quadrant. But why?" "I just thought thatwellsomeone has to tell her what happened, Toomar." "Oh myI didnt even think about that" "I would like to go." Vegeta murmured. "Unless, of course, you can think of someone more suitable." Toomars eyes widened slightly. Vegeta was being soso docile and compassionate. "YesI think that should dobut Vegeta, perhapsperhaps you should take that female of yours. Women tend to be better at these kinds of things than we men are." A slight blush crept across Vegetas olive cheeks as Toomar referred to Bulma as his. He had not thought his attraction to the little human was so obvious, and frankly, he was embarrassed by it. "IIll do that." Toomar chuckled to himself as the com screen went blank. "Vegeta and Bulma, sitting in a tree" he chanted to himself, remembering the silly taunt from his childhood. He was very happy for his old student. Vegeta deserved happiness in his life for once; he deserved the love that the girl was offering to him. Bulma opened the door to her room and stepped in, straightening the T-shirt she wore. It actually fit her quite well, considering that it was made to fit tightly to Vegetas body. Even the sweatpants fit pretty well, seeing as Vegeta was only a smidgen taller than she was. She had had to cinch up the drawstrings tightly around her waist, Vegetas torso being much bigger than her own, but they actually looked fine. "So Bulma! Did you have a good sleepover?" Heque giggled from her bed, where she had been previously engrossed in a magazine article about her favorite intergalactic star. "Heque! Leave her alone! What she and Vegeta Sama do together is none of our business." Remp, always the conservative one, reprimanded her friend. Sometimes, Bulma couldnt help wondering what a girl like Remp was doing at Strata Phon, the universes most renowned training academy. "Dont worry. Its okay." Bulma muttered, shuffling over to her bed and plopping down. She was incredibly tired after last night, and felt as if her legs were just about ready to give out on her. "Arent those Vegetas clothes?" Yuki asked, no malice in her voice for once. "Yesmine were all ripped and dirty. "You and Vegeta got a little rough, eh?" Heque laughed, ignoring the glare Remp was sending her way. "Quit being such a pervert." Yuki scolded. "Awwwbut I cant help it!" Heque giggled. "After Yuki told us about her steamy make up session with Piron, Ill be all hot n bothered for weeks!" Yuki flushed hotly in embarrassment. "Shut up." She muttered, turning back to her homework. "At least I have a boyfriend." "Oh, harsh!" Heque cried, laughing. Bulma even found herself giggling too, despite the slight depression she felt. "So, Bulma" Remp asked timidly, "What exactly is the deal between you two? I meanif you dont mind me asking" "Yeah!" Heque jumped up again. "How is the famed Saiyan Prince in bed?" "He is amazing" Bulma sighed, flopping onto her back with a laugh. "Absolutely amazing" "Hey guys, our com screen is blinking!" Yuki reached over to push the button, and Vegetas handsome face popped up on the screen." "Ladies." He nodded politely to the girls before making eye contact with Bulma. "Woman, get dressed and pack a change of clothes. Were going to the Uyfer Quadrant and itll take us all night to get there." "Butwhy?" "We have news to deliver to Gomers woman." He said, and Bulma realized for the first time that his face seemed drawn and his eyes tired. The poor guythe loss of his friend must have been a real strain. "Okay, just give me about fifteen minutes." "Meet me at launching pad XI when youre ready." Chapter 26: Stir-fry "So youre all set to go" Toomer rocked slightly on the balls of his feet, transferring his weight slowly from the heel to the toe and back. "Remember, its in the Uyfer Quadrant" "I know." Vegeta smirked. "Im not a boy any more Toomar. Ive traveled to the far corners of the Universe and backI can find my way to the Uyfer Quadrant with my eyes closed." "Vegeta, when you were a boy, you were already a man insideand now that youre a man, youre turning into a boy inside." Toomar winked. "And Im sure we both know who to thank for that." The Saiyan no Ouji flushed slightly and scowled at his former mentor. It irritated him beyond belief that the man would have the gall to tease him about Bulma. "Well be going now." He snapped, though there was an odd bit of laughter in his eyes. He wanted to smile and thank the other man for accepting and encouraging his choice to mate with such a weak little female, but he dared not compromise his pride in such a way. "Have a good trip, and come back safe." Toomar smiled, then turned to Bulma. "Youll keep him out of trouble, wont you?" "You have my word." She giggled back. Vegeta huffed and led the way up into the Capsule Corp. ship, Bulma in tow. She skittered nervously as the hatch closed behind her with a loud hiss, realizing that she would once again be alone in close quarters with the Saiyan. Carefully, they strapped themselves into the seats, ensuring that there would be no danger of being thrown during takeoff. Vegeta gave the verbal command, and the ships engines started up, rumbling and rocking. Bulma squeaked in fright, unreasonably spooked by the violent motions, and reached out, grabbing Vegetas hand in her mad flailing. He was a little surprised, but allowed her to hold on to him, as there was no one about to see them. When the rumbling and shaking finally died down, Vegeta gently dislodged his hand from hers and unbuckled himself, standing up and stretching. Trembling, Bulma managed to unbuckle herself as well, and stand up, though she was shaking slightly. Everything that had happened lately was just building up and she was a wreck. She took a few steps, wobbly and uncertain, letting out a cry as the ship lurched suddenly, throwing her into Vegetas arms. She steadied herself, her cheeks quickly flushing crimson. "Igomen" she muttered, raising her head to find him staring down at her. He studied her face carefully, taking note of the hollows beneath her eyes, and the strained pallor of her face. "Go to the bottom deck and get some rest." He told her, turning her body and giving her a gentle push toward the ladder. She nodded passively and made her way down the rungs as Vegeta turned away to the ships console. He called up a map and quickly made a decision, plotting a course that the ship would easily follow toward the refugee colony. Down below, Bulma was pulling her shirt off, the jeans she had been wearing already in a heap on the floor. Quickly, she jumped into the bed and curled up in the blankets, shivering. It was cold in the lower decks when one was wearing nothing but a bra and panties. Finding herself unable to sleep though, she called up a vid-screen and picked a movie to watch. About a half-hour into Grease, she heard footsteps clanking against the metal grating of the floor in the tiny hallway, and poked her head out to see Vegeta coming into the room. His face was drawn and tired, his eyes dull and his stance slouching. He walked slowly toward the bed, pulling off his shirt as he went, tossing it to the side. He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled off his boots, one by one, then wriggled out of his pants and crawled under the covers with Bulma, clad only in his black silk boxers. He wrapped an arm around her waist and snuggled up to her little body, sighing with pleasure. Much to her chagrin, Bulma felt an all too familiar heat building up between her legs at his close proximity, but attempted to ignore it as she tried to concentrate on her movie. As the ending credits rolled over the vid-screen, Bulma commanded it to shut off, and it did, leaving her in the darkness. All the lights had been shut off earlier as she had been tying to sleep. Turning around in his arms, she saw that Vegeta was asleep, his eyes closed and his muscles slack. He looked so peaceful and calm, his breathing deep and even. Slowly, Bulma traced a finger down his jaw, marveling at the strength the Saiyan possessed. It was absolutely amazing to her that such a gorgeous, strong creature could want her, even if it was just in grief. And what grief he must have been in, she thought, for him to depend on someone else rather than bottle his hurt up inside. It had been very wrong of her, she reflected, to have made love to him the previous night. What he needed at the moment was someone to talk to, someone to comfort him, rather than a woman who couldnt keep her hands off of him. She knew that he had been the dominant force in their coupling, but she saw it as her fault, because she hadnt stopped him. People did strange things, she knew, in their grief, and she was certain that he would regret it when he regained his senses, and would be upset with her for taking advantage of his weak state. I knew he was upsetand I still allowed him to make love to mehell be furious when he realizes just what youve allowed him to doHe came to mate with another woman, Bulma, and you had sex with him Hes going to think Im some sort of filthy whore when hes back to himself. What the hell is wrong with me? Am I so desperate? She watched him sleep for a few minutes more, eyes brimming with tears. "Noits not desperation, is it?" she whimpered to herself. "Its love" She sniffled, wiping away her tears, only to have more fill her eyes. "Damn it, Vegetawhy cant you love me like I love you?" Vegeta awoke alone a few hours later, though he could tell his woman had only left him shortly before. Her scent was still fresh on the bedding. Along with that though, he could smell food, meat, to be a little more precise. Rolling over, he grabbed his pants from the floor and pulled them on, then padded away, not bothering with his boots or shirt. He followed the scent of the meat down the hall toward the tiny kitchen, where Bulma was busy preparing a meal of chicken stir-fry. Smirking, he wrapped his arms around her waist, nuzzling her neck. She sighed and leant back into him, but stiffened immediately as she remembered she was supposed to keep her distance from him. "How hungry are you." She switched her attention back to the food. "Very" he purred, noticing her sudden coldness, and trying to get her to warm up toward him. His lips descended once more on her neck and he nipped lightly, kissing at the skin where he would leave his mark after the hunt. She was still tensed, and it puzzled him. Why was she acting so oddly all of a sudden? He was pressed right up against her, nuzzling and nipping and doing all the things that usually made her flush and weaken in the knees, yet she was just standing there, stirring the stir-fry! Determined to get a rise out of her, he allowed one hand to trail upward, gently massaging her breast as the other hand pulled her closer to him. He purred into her ear, blowing lightly into it, delighting in her shiver. However, she recovered quickly and began to stir the food again. Little did he know, she was trembling inside, using all of her strength just to resist the need growing within her. Redoubling his efforts, he trailed one hand down from her waist to the button on her jeans, while the other hand continued massaging her breasts. His tail curled playfully around her thigh, gently squeezing, while its tip flicked back and forth, tickling the back of her knee. "Vegeta if you dont stop that Im going to end up burning the food." Bulma snapped, her voice hard. Eyes wide with surprise, Vegeta stopped all movement. Sniffing the air, he could clearly smell her desire for him, so why was she acting so cold all of a sudden? It didnt make the slightest bit of sense, unless she was angry with him for some reasonor perhapsShe couldnt regret theircouplingcould she? With a snarl, Vegeta tore himself away from the little female he had become so enamoured with, and stormed out of the room to go find his shirt. He didnt even want to think that she didnt want him! How could she regret what they had done? She had willingly participated and obviously wanted to do it again, even if her mouth said the opposite. Butmaybe it was just thatmaybe she had enjoyed the physical lovemakingbut didnt want him. "No." Vegeta stopped in the middle of the hallway, just outside of the bedroom. "I wont allow that. Im not giving up on this." Bulma stirred the meal, halfheartedly, trying to keep back sobs. Why did this always have to happen to her? Well, not the same exact situation, of course, but why couldnt she just find someone to love, and to love her back? It just wasnt fair! Every time she thought she had it made, something just always had to come up! There was a time when she had thought herself to be in love with Yamcha, but then Vegeta showed up and she realized that what she felt for the human was simply childish affection. She found herself quickly in love with the cold prince, miserably trying to deal with the fact that she would never have the man she truly loved. And then, oh, then when she thought that maybe Vegeta might feel a little smidgen of something toward her, he revealed to her that he was planning to mate with another woman! And this other woman, this mystery female, where the hell was she? The damn creature didnt even have the decency to show up so that Bulma could actually see them together and get on with nursing her broken heart! No, she had to be left alone with Vegeta, to forget that he had feelings for another woman, and to fall deeper in love with him! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! "Kuso" Bulma moaned, looking at the cloud of smoke wafting up toward the smoke detector. The stir-fry was ruined. It was unbearably hot as Bulma stepped out of the ship, closely following Vegeta. They had just landed on the tiny refugee colony, where they were to find Gomers girlfriend. "Im not going to bother resetting your translator chip until we find the woman." Vegeta said gruffly, rubbing his neck. He had slept on the floor, unsure of whether or not it was a good idea to sleep in the bed with Bulma. "There are too many different languages spoken here, and it would be pointless to bother switching the settings every time we talked to someone new." "OhOkay." Bulma replied, fanning herself with her hand. She had been outside only a few minutes, and already she was sweating like a pig! She encapsulated the ship; carefully placing the capsule into her pocket, then followed Vegeta into the little office where the affairs of the little docking port they had landed on were managed. Rapidly, in a language Bulma could not understand, Vegeta asked the attendant a few questions, hoping the young man would have some useful information. "Well, did he know anything?" "Apparently, every time Gomer comes here, he gets on the transport vehicle that goes straight to the city of Cahalos." The Saiyan muttered, examining a large map of the area that was posted on the wall. "Well then, I guess were going to Cahalos, arent we?" Bulma asked. Vegeta nodded. "Well, when is the next transport coming?" she wondered, looking out the window at the barren land surrounding the office. "Transport? Woman, Im not waiting for any damn filthy transport!" Vegeta laughed, sweeping her into his arms and taking off into the sky. She shrieked and clung to him, much to his pleasure, as he sped up and flew to higher altitudes. "Do we have to fly so damn high?" Bulma whimpered into his ear, not daring to look down. "How else will I be able to see where to go?" she shrugged in response, and in a quiet voice, he continued. "Do you think Ill let you fall?" Bulma blinked in surprise at the soft tone of his voice, so innocent and young sounding. It was strange to hear it from his mouth. "Nno" she stuttered, unsure of how to respond. She really didnt think hed drop her, but it was just a reaction "Good." He said, pulling her closer to his body. "I would never hurt you." He murmured quietly, and was silent for the rest of the flight to Cahalos. Bulma teetered slightly as Vegeta set her on her feet, grateful for his strong arms steadying her. "So what now?" she asked, once she was standing on her own. "Were in Caholoswhat do we do now?" "We hit the bars and restaurants, and ask about Gomer, and any women he may have been taking out." Bulma sighedshe knew they were in for a long day. Impatiently, Bulma fanned herself with her hand as Vegeta spoke to the proprietors of the small flower shop. The last fifty places they had been to were all dead ends. Some had seen a man of Gomers description with a woman, but had no idea who this woman was, or where they could find her. "Were in luck, little one." Vegeta smirked, turning away from the small counter and flashing a piece of paper at her. "Turns out that Gomer took it upon himself to send his sweetheart some flowers before he left, and Ive got the address he sent them to. Ive even got her name." "Finally," Bulma sighed, following Vegeta quickly out of the shop. She was eager to find this strange woman and get back to Strata Phon where she would have some time to wallow in her self-pity. Remp and Heque would cheer her up, she knew. Yuki was a wild card, but at least she was bearable, unlike the humid heat in the air. Picking up his little human once more, Vegeta took to the air, heading toward the address on the little piece of paper. Bulma sighed and curled into him, the heat making her sleepy. "Well be there soon. Dont fall asleep." The Saiyan no Ouji teased, watching her yawn a few times. "Dont worry. I wont," she yawned again, resting her head on his shoulder. "Your arms arent comfy enough." She closed her eyes, and promptly fell asleep. "Come on, wake up." Vegeta nudged her. "Were here." "Already?" Bulma blushed, running a hand through her hair, trying to fix it. Vegeta rolled his eyes, silently laughing at her, as he stepped toward the door and rapped three quick times against its wooden surface. Chapter 27: A somber occasion. The door opened after a moment, with a creak, and a small head poked cautiously out, looking up at Vegeta with an awed curiosity. Vegeta looked down at the boy, the usual scowl on his face. "Does anyone by the name of Irriey live here?" He questioned, gruffly. Bulma elbowed him in the ribs as the child nodded. "Be nice," she hissed, "and reset my translator." The Saiyan rolled his eyes, but reached a hand behind Bulmas neck, fiddling with the tiny chip as he watched the kid. Bulma shivered as his fingers brushed against the sensitive skin, lingering a little longer in her hair than what would be considered proper. "Well?" The child was just standing there, staring at him, and he was getting annoyed. Wide eyed, the boy turned and scampered back into the house, leaving Bulma and Vegeta alone on the door step, where they waited for a few more minutes, until the door was opened again, this time revealing a young woman. "I am Irriey," she said softly, pushing a lock of silky verdant hair behind her ear with a slender hand. "And may I ask who you are?" "Vegeta," the Saiyan replied in that gravelly voice of his, "and this is Bulma." "VeVegeta? You are Gomers friend then? I have heard much of you, if you are in fact the Vegeta Gomer spoke to me of." She smiled warmly, then questioned, with a tilt of her head, "Where is Gomer? He promised to visit me but never showed up." "Uhmay we come in?" Bulma stepped forward, glancing quickly at Vegeta, who nodded his approval. "We have very important news" she trailed off as the door opened wider and Irriey stepped back to allow entrance. She smiled down at the boy, who clung tightly to her skirt, peeking out to watch as the strangers came in. "His name is Treyte," Irriey placed one hand on the boys head. "Say hello, Treyte." "Hello," he mumbled, gray eyes still clinging to Vegeta. "You two can make yourselves comfortable in here," Irriey gestured to a small doorway, leading to a cozy little sitting room. "Ill fetch us something to drink. Its terribly hot out." With that, she swept into another doorway, presumably the kitchen, with young Treyte close on her heels. Bulma plopped down onto a plush couch, quickly sinking into the soft cushions. Vegeta followed suit, closing his eyes as he laid his head back. He was completely at a loss of what to do, concerning Irriey. When he had volunteered for the job of informing her of Gomers death, he hadnt even thought of what it would be like to have to tell a woman that her beloved had died. In truth, he had thought it would be easy, after all, he had killed countless men before their wives eyes, and described in detail the brutal murders to countless other women But that was before. He was different now, not so cold, not so unfeeling that he could laugh at a helpless childs tearsGods, he had convinced himself that he was doing those children a favor, killing them, rather than allowing them to be enslaved by Frieza, as he had been. But he couldnt deny the fact that it had given him a rushthe sight and smell of death would always do that for him, there was no way he could change thatbutbut not GomerWhy did it have to be Gomer? Bulma turned to observe Vegeta, hearing him sigh heavily, closing his eyes. He was troubled, she could tell. This death business must have been taking quite the toll on her Saiyan companionKami, how she wished she could help him get through this "Vegeta," she ventured, placing a hand on his tense shoulder, "everythings gonna be okay. Youll see." She smiled lightly at him, and, to her surprise, he gave a tiny little smile back, lifting just the corner of his thin lips, as he placed his hand over hers, holding it as his eyes locked with hers. "Oham I interrupting something?" Vegetas head snapped up to see Irriey standing in the doorway, a tray of drinks in her hand. Treyte clung to her skirts, as usual. "Nnot at all." Bulma said, flustered, as she pulled away from the Saiyan. He, too, pulled quickly away. There was no need to act affectionate toward Bulma, in front of a woman whom he was about to inform had lost her beloved. Irriey smiled and nodded, setting the tray down on a small table. She handed both of her guests a cool drink, then sat down herself, on the cushy chair across from the couch where Bulma and Vegeta sat. Treyte made himself comfortable on the floor by the table, his large eyes watching the Saiyan no Ouji as he sipped his own drink. "You said you had something to tell me?" "Well" Vegeta started, uncomfortably; "Its about Gomer" "Hhas something bad happened?" she questioned, leaning forward. "Well, you see, Irrieysomething rather unfortunate has happened" Bulma spoke up when Vegeta didnt answer. "Hes dead." The prince said flatly. "He was killed and his body was inhabited by a creature known as Mortipus." Both women gasped, and while Irriey lapsed into silence, Bulma struggled for something, anything, to say. "Vegeta!" she cried, "How could you be so cruel about it?" "It needed to be said, woman. There is no point in drawing it out. She hurts now, but the pain will subside eventually." "And what would you know about pain, you heartless jerk?!?" Bulma cried, angry that he would be so callous with such an issue. "What dont I know about pain?" he hissed, turning his back away. "I cant just sit here and pretend everything is alright, because its not!" "Youyou didnt have to be so harsh" "Theres no such thing as letting someone down gently, Bulma. No matter how you say it, it hurts just the same. If you try to be nice about it, youre just bottling everything up inside, trying not to offend anyoneit just makes it all worse." He turned back around and walked across the room to Irriey, who was just silently staring in to her cup. "Bulma and I will be leaving tonight. When we get back to Strata Phon, Gomers Ceremony of Passing will be held, and I think hed like it very much if you came with us." "Im sure everyone will understand if you dont want to." Bulma piped in. "NoImIm all right. Treyte and I will go pack right now, wont we?" She held her hand out to the little boy, who wiped a tear from his eye and nodded, grasping her fingers in his own. "She seems to be taking it rather well." Bulma mumbled, once the pair was out of earshot. "Hn. Shes in a bit of shock, I think. When she sees thebody," Vegeta shivered slightly, remembering, for himself, the look of that lifeless sac. "Shell break down. Im not so sure if that boy should be allowed to see though." "II dont know. Do you think hes Gomers son?" "Cant say. Its hard to tell with Tumarians. They all look fairly similar. And I dont know how long the two have been together. I havent seen Gomer in a long time, and of course, Mortipus wouldnt have thought to mention Irriey.... Im guessing that the boy is about five or so, though. Usually, Tumarian couples who are together for that long marry." *** "Is it too tight, boy?" Vegeta asked, tightening the straps on Treytes seat in the ship. They would be leaving very soon, the minute that everyone was strapped in. "No sir. Its fine." Vegeta grunted and looked over at Bulma, who was strapping herself in, after having helped Irriey. He plopped down in his own seat and buckled himself in, before giving the verbal command to the ship to launch. It was already quite late by the time the ship was in space, and Treyte was beginning to yawn, having trouble keeping his eyes open. Bulma showed the two strangers to the bedroom in the lower deck, where Irriey could put her son down to sleep, then left them alone together, wandering off to find Vegeta. "Where are we sleeping tonight?" he wrapped his arms around her from behind, startling her. "We cant very well all share that one room." "WellII didnt exactly think about that. But I think there are some spare pallets in the bedroom closet." She mumbled back, unable to shake off the fact that he had said we when asking her where they would sleep. Perhapsperhaps the situation was not as she had first thought. Was it possible that he had been telling the complete truth when he spoke of mating her, and not some desperate lie? "Fine with me," he nuzzled her ear, delighting in the soft, feminine sigh she let out. This was better, definitely an improvement to the previous day. She wasnt being so cold anymore, and if Gomers woman and the boy werent on the ship, he had no doubts that he could have gotten her into the bed again. Irriey blushed softly, turning around and heading back to the room where her son was trying to sleep. She had just stumbled in upon a very intimate moment, she knew, and thought that perhaps her hosts would like some privacy. I knew it she smiled to herself. I knew, when I walked in on them in the living room earlier today, that there was something going on. She recalled the scene, wondering why they had been so quick to push away from each other. Perhaps there was some sort of secret romance going on between them. But wait If she remembered correctly, there had been a small trace of hurt in the Saiyans eyes as Bulma pulled so quickly away. Is he in love with her? Does she not feel the same way? But nothat cannot be it. What I saw was a very intimate moment, not the kind of moment shared by people who do not love each other *** The crowd was quiet; the atmosphere heavy as the Tumarian priest began reciting the ancient incantations that would allow Gomers spirit to pass into the afterlife. He danced slowly around the stone podium where the warriors remnants had been laid out, lighting candles and sprinkling the body with a fine powder that was said to ward off demons. Bulma looked over at Irriey, who stood silently, tears streaming down her cheeks as she fought back sobs. It would not do for her to begin bawling during the ceremony, but it was so hard to watch. Her poor Gomer! Why did he have to die in such an awful way? She couldnt even look upon his corpse and see the serenity on his cold, dead featuresWhat was once his face was stretched and mangled beyond recognition by the creature that had killed and inhabited his body. As the priest finished his dance, Irriey stepped up toward the platform and began her prayers for his spirit, casting a torch into a fire pit. This was her job as the woman he left behind, and, keeping tradition, she blessed the roaring inferno with her love, before stepping down and gesturing to Vegeta that it was his turn. As she joined the rest of the crowd, she took her sons hand from Bulma, who had been comforting him, and dried his tears. Vegeta strode slowly toward the platform, studying his friends remains, blinking back the tears in his eyes. His duty as the deceaseds closest friend was to cast the corpse into the flames to be incinerated, and he needed to be strong for Gomers spirit, so that it would not get lost along the way to the afterlife. It would be a great disgrace to cry. With no more than a moments hesitation, he took the limp body in his arms and placed it over the flames, stepping back as his best friends remains turned to ash. With a nod from the priest, the crowd stepped forward to fan the flames. Ashes scattered in the wind, floating up toward the sky, as the closest friends and family of Gomer recited an ancient prayer that would help the ashes reach the clouds, once the wind was no longer able to carry them. Poro limped forward, not completely healed after the beating she had suffered, and blessed the fire with the family name, so that all would know her brother had perished with honor, and that she was proud to be of his blood. She held back her sobs as she spoke, her voice clear, not faltering once, but as she stepped back into the crowd, her sobs escaped, and she and Irriey clung to each other for comfort. The fire was left burning as the crowd dissipated, and would be allowed to burn until it drowned itself out, to ensure that every bit of Gomer had been turned to ash and sent to the afterlife. The Tumarians believed that if his body still existed, there was no way he would be allowed into eternal paradise. "VeVegeta" a small voice croaked, and the Saiyan turned to see Poro limping toward him. "II just wanted to thank you for killing himMortipus, I mean," she stuttered. "I knew there was something odd about him, that he wasnt my brother Gomer, and when I finally got up the nerve to confront him about ithe turned on me" "I figured as much." Vegeta snorted, observing her bandaged leg and the crutch she leant on. "Well thenerrthanks then, I guess." Poro muttered, embarrassed by the mans scrutiny. It was obvious that he didnt hold her in very high regards, family of Gomer or not. She turned to limp away, but was stopped by the gentle pressure of a hand on her shoulder. "I know hes gone, and I know it hurts," Bulma said, softly, "but everything will turn out fine. Youll see." Poro turned her head away, ashamed that she still held the grudge against Bulma, even though the other woman seemed to have forgiven her, and was even willing to console her after the death of a loved one. "Yeah, I know." She closed her magenta eyes, forcing the tears back, and limped off, not turning back once. "We should go," Vegeta wrapped one arm gently around Bulmas waist. "The sun is setting, and we should probably eat and get to sleep as soon as possible if were going to be leaving tomorrow." Bulma nodded, trying to ignore the tingles that engulfed her waist, and allowed the Saiyan no Ouji to lead her to Strata Phons mess hall, where a dinner was being held in Gomers honor. Chapter 28: Dizzy fit "Bulma, may I speak with you for a minute?" Irrieys quite voice pulled the human woman away from the somber crowd, milling about in the mess hall. Nobody was ready for any action so soon after eating such a large meal, nor would it have been appropriate to do so on such a grievous occasion. "Sure, what is it?" "Something that would be better discussed privately." Bulma nodded, curious as to what could be so important, and allowed the alien woman to lead her out of the hall and into the nighttime air outside. The moved to a secluded area, Irriey finally choosing to sit on one of the many benches that dotted Strata Phons campus. Bulma took a seat beside the other woman, but began to fidget, as Irriey was making no attempt at conversation. Obviously, she had something important to say, but the strained silence was making Bulma nervous and edgy. "You love him very much, dont you?" Irriey finally spoke, her soft voice barely a whisper. "WhaIuh" "Vegeta. You love him, dont you?" She turned to face the human, catching her gaze. "YyeahI do" Bulma admitted, sheepishly turning her face to the ground as one hand picked at the non-existent fuzz balls on her pant leg. "Then why do you shy away from him? I do not understand." "Because he doesnt love meI mean, he thinks he feels something for me, but he doesnt, really. Its just thatjust that hes craving the affection of a relationshipHes in love with someone else, some mystery woman. Ive never met her, of course, but he told me that he was coming here, to Strata Phon, to mate with a woman who definitely wanted to be with him too." She expelled a heavy breath, "II cant let this go on any longer, or both of us will just end up hurt in the end." "II see" Irriey muttered, sending the human a strange look. "Oh, no you dontI know it sounds stupid and confusingbut, but in my mind, it makes sense! I mean, he acts like he hates me, you know? And besides, he could have any woman he wanted, why would he want a weakling like me?" "Perhaps because love overcomes physical obstacles, dear." "I already told you, he doesnt love me. He loves someone else." Bulma sighed. "When I first met Gomer," Irriey smiled, "he was involved with another woman. She was everything...beautiful and strong, everything he could ever want. She was also childless, and came from a rich family, while I was a single mother, trying to raise poor little Treyte by myself, with next to nothing to live off of. I tried so hard to convince myself that I could never have himbut it didnt work. I fell in love with him anyway," she hugged herself tightly against the chill of the night air. "At first, oh, it was so hard to be near him, because he didnt seem the least bit attracted to me, but he started to seek me out sometimestelling me that it would be good for Treyte to have some sort of male influence in his life. I was so happy, of course, because having Gomer around really helped my son a lot, but I got to see him, and talk to him almost every day" Irriey blushed, pausing in her story to look over at Bulma, who was listening intently. "Ggo on, Im listening." She urged, a little too eagerly. "Well, one night, I actually built up the courage to invite him to stay for dinner, to thank him for his kindness. He stayed and the three of us had a very nice meal, but after I put Treyte to bed, I was very surprised to find that Gomer had made himself comfortable in my sitting room. I thought that since he was only around for Treyte, that he would leave." "But he wasnt around just for Treyte, was he?" Bulma asked, already knowing the answer. She was also beginning to see why Irriey had chosen to share the story as well. "No, he wasnt," the Tumarian woman looked up into the night sky, smiling at the stars, "he had me sit down with him, and we talked. He told me about his life, his training, I told him what it was like trying to raise Treyte alone. He seemed very interested to hear about it, and before we knew it, it was past midnight. He said he had to go, because he had to board the transport ship back to Planet Cold early the next morning, but before he left, he" Irriey flushed, positively glowing, "He kissed me, and confessed that he had wanted to for quite some time. He came to visit me every chance he got, and we even started discussing the possibility of marriage." "But then" Bulma trailed off. "Yes, this happened," the younger woman nodded. "Dont let this happen to you, Bulma. Go for Vegeta while you still can, or youll regret it for the rest of your life. You love him now, dont lose him to another." "I" "Its late. I should go find Treyte and get him into bed. Have a good night Bulma." Irriey stood and walked back to the mess hall, the way they had come only moments before, leaving Bulma all alone to think about what was happening. Obviously, she reasoned, Vegeta couldnt find her so repulsive if he was willing to bed with her, even in his emotional unrest. Looks were still looks, and like herself, she reasoned that Vegeta was somewhat shallow in that department. Nor though, did he seem like the type to give in to bouts of lust, based only on physical appearances, which meant that he must find her at least intellectually stimulating. Perhaps he hadnt been lying when he said that he wanted to mate with her. She didnt believe that the idea had been in his head all along, but there was always the possibility that he had changed his mind. It made sense to her when she thought of it that way. He had, in truth, been quite considerate of her lately, and there was, of course, that little moment that they had shared on Irrieys couch, and his flirtatious behavior on the space ship. Maybeshe thought, taking a deep breath, maybe I should just go for itTheres no denying that I was wrong to take advantage of him, but maybe hes warmed up to the idea of mating with meI hope A loud banging woke Bulma early the next morning, along with the other 3 girls in the dorm room. "Oh shit" she moaned, looking at the clock. She was supposed to meet Vegeta at the launching pad over a half-hour ago. "Woman!" he growled angrily, through the door. "If you dont get out of that room in one minute, Im busting in!" "Oh, I hope he busts in" Heque muttered, rolling over in her bed, "that would be sooo sexy." Jumping up out of her bed, and nearly tripping over her blankets in the process, Bulma flung open the door to greet the agitated Saiyan no Ouji. As usual, his arms were crossed, his aristocratic nose pointed up, but his eyes were laughing at her. Positively guffawing with uncontrolled mirth. Bulma looked down to realize that she was wearing nothing more than a skimpy sports bra and a pair of HIS black silk boxers. "What, youve taken to stealing my underwear now, have you?" He looked her up and down, the corner of his mouth turning up ever so slightly. "Those are his?!?" An excited voice came from inside the room. "Give them here!" "Heque! Get back in bed and leave them alone!" "Err" Bulma blushed, "Theyended up in my bag by accident." "And you felt the need to sleep in them?" He laughed, "How flattering." "Arent we supposed to be launching right now?" The human woman asked, trying to change the subject away from the fact that she was wearing Vegetas underwear. "We would be, if it hadnt been for you. Hurry up and get ready." Vegeta snapped, his usual hard self taking over again, but inside he was rolling with laughter over the womans embarrassment. "I wont be long, I packed last night, so all I have to do is shower andchange." "No time for a shower. You can do that on board the ship." He said, "Now hurry up." Bulma huffed and closed the door in his face, turning to grab the bags she had packed the previous night. She put them by the door and grabbed the pile of clothing she had left out, rushing into the small bathroom to change. Emerging in the same blue jeans and Capsule Corp. T-shirt she had been wearing during the initial launch, she stuffed the CC ship capsule into her pocket and slung one bag over her shoulder, grabbing the other in her hand. "Have a good trip, Bulma!" Remp called from her bed, where she was still curled up. "Well miss you!" "Yeah, and make sure to have fun with Vegeta!" Yuki giggled, viciously, "I hear Imtor is quite the sex pot! And, you know what they say!" she leered at Bulma. When in Rome "Bye Bulma," Heque bubbled, hugging her pillow tightly. "Have a good trip, and bang him once for me!" "Bye guys, Ill miss you all." Bulma laughed, glad that this didnt have to be a sad goodbye. She hated sad good-byes Down at launching pad C-XIII, Irriey and little Treyte were patiently awaiting Bulmas arrival, to say their last good-byes as well. "Take care, Bulma," Irriey smiled, hugging the human, "and remember what I told you last night." "I willdont worry. I will." Bulma beamed back, and then squatted down to give little Treyte a hug as well. "Take care of your Mommy, okay?" "Uh huh," The boy sniffled a little, still obviously quite distraught about the death of his almost-stepfather. It was natural though, Bulma knew, to grieve for a lost loved-one, as she had done the same thing many times. Gently, she disengaged herself from the Treytes little arms, smiling sweetly down at him as she joined Vegeta on the ramp of the ship. "Vegeta" Bulma ventured, as the door of the Imtorite ship closed behind her. "I think we should wish Gomer back with the Dragonballs." "Huh?" The Saiyan no Ouji turned to face her. "I mean, Ive been thinking about it for a while, and it would make those two so happy and" she trailed off, "What do you think?" "Im wondering why I didnt think of it in the first place, actually." "So well do it?" "Hn. When we get back to Earth." When they got back to EarthBulma suddenly realized that they were on their way home, and Vegeta had not mated, nor even met with the mysterious woman he had spoke to her of. She recalled the night they had spent together, the short conversation they had shared before giving in to each other. "You, woman, are that woman I am here to mate with." Vegeta took a step forward. "Nno, Im not" Bulma stuttered in confusion, taking a step backward. What was he talking about? "Woman" Vegeta purred, "Bulma, look at me." He turned her so that she faced him, and took her chin in his hand, gently tilting her face upward. "VegetaIIIm so confused!" she whimpered. "Dont be" The Saiyan whispered, leaning down slightly to press his lips against hers. "Oh Kami" Bulma moaned aloud, suddenly feeling very dizzy. "What? What is it?" Vegeta was at her side in an instant, looking awfully concerned for her welfare. "Nnothing," she stuttered, plopping down in her seat, and fumbling with the straps that would hold her during takeoff. "Im just a bit dizzy, is all." She smiled weakly up at the Saiyan, who looked skeptically back at her. She was awfully pale and docile for a simple fit of dizziness, but then again, he recalled the way she had been when they first landed at Strata Phon. Rolling his eyes, he double-checked her restraints, then strapped himself into the other chair before starting the launch procedures. Whatever was bothering her, he would find out eventually. "You, woman, are that woman I am here to mate with." The phrase ran through Bulmas head as the ship began to rock and bounce. She didnt pay the slightest bit of attention to the queasy feeling in her stomach as the boosters kicked in and the ship rose into the air. Nor did she see the strange look Vegeta was casting her, what with her pale face, knuckles white, she was gripping the chair so hard. "You, woman, are that woman I am here to mate with." Bulma moaned, alerting Vegeta even more. How could she have been so stupid? How could she have ever thought him to be lying about such an important matter? Vegeta wasnt an idiot! He wasnt a softie, like the men she had dated before, who would break down at the slightest conflict! The man had lived through years of slavery under Frieza, for Kamis sake! If he was going to go crazy and become vulnerable, it wasnt going to be about something so small! She had been such an idiot! He had been meaning to mate with her the whole time! "You, woman, are that woman I am here to mate with." "You, woman, are that woman" She moaned again, her head spinning as the ship rocked about. "You, woman, are that woman" "You, woman" "You, woman" She groaned, her head swaying from side to side before she felt she no longer had the strength to hold it up. Her vision was going black, her mind becoming empty and light as the ship flew higher. The darkness ebbing at her finally took over, and her consciousness caved in, the same thoughts still pestering her strained mind. "You" "You" "You" Vegeta hissed, cursing softly as he watched Bulmas eyelids begin to flutter. All the color had drained from her pretty face and she looked ready to vomit. With one final moan, her whole body slumped, completely devoid of energy, and the Saiyan no Ouji knew that she was unconscious. He watched worriedly as her head bounced from side to side occasionally, with the bouncing of the ship, and was very glad that he had decided to double check her straps. Chapter 29: Did I cry? Bulma stepped of the ship, a frown on her delicate features. She had woken up alone in one of the ships beds after her fainting spell, her Saiyan companion nowhere to be seen. The entire trip from Strata Phon back to Imtor, Vegeta had locked himself away in the training portion of the ship, claiming that he had wasted enough time and needed to catch up on the training he had missed during their trip. Just when she had begun to get a clue as to what was going on, he went and shut himself away from her so she couldnt apologize for being so cold to him. Little did Bulma know, though, that Vegeta had shut himself away on purpose, finding it harder to control his urges around her. He knew that his body was demanding that he hunt her, but he wasnt quite ready yet. The plan was to get to Imtor and find a nice, secluded area where they would not be interrupted, but his body was not quite agreeing with those plans. It wanted to mate, badly, and his mind was having an increasingly harder time dealing with the clouded judgement. There was always the option to officially mate her on the ship, but honestly, the idea of conducting the hunt in such a small, enclosed space was not exciting to him, in the least. Traditionally, the hunt was performed in an open area, in the wilderness, where the more animal side of a Saiyans personality could be released. The ship just would not do. "Ahh, Vegeta! It is good to see you again!" Emperor Boorin was quick to greet his guests. "And your mate, she is looking lovely as well." "Yes, she is, isnt she?" Vegeta smirked, studying the human woman, deep in thought. At the sound of his voice, her head snapped up, and she found her gaze met with enigmatic onyx eyes. "Come, we must move away from the docks." He took her hand in his own, a challenging hint to his voice, teasing her. "The two of you must be famished!" Boorin exclaimed, watching as Bulma gracefully stepped down off of the ramp, accepting Vegetas possessive hold. The two of them made a wonderful couple, and it was good to see the young prince happy. "After receiving your transmission, Vegeta, I had my servants prepare a feast for lunch. There is still about an hour before then, so I will have someone show you to your chambers if it would please you." "Hn, yes, I think that would be good." Vegeta responded, pulling Bulma along to follow the girl who had been assigned to show them to their rooms. "Vegeta, I thought we were just staying long enough to return Boorins ship and then leaving the CC one." She said, her feet moving double time in order to keep up with the Saiyans pace. "Why do we need a room?" "It will be good to rest here for the night." He said, and again, she watched that mysterious twinkle flash across his eyes. There was something that he wasnt telling her. An hour and a half later, the three were sitting comfortable around the Emperors dining table, along with a few others, and eating lunch. Bulma didnt recognize any of the new faces, but it didnt much matter to her, because all she could think about was Vegeta, who was seated directly across the table from her. She could feel his eyes on her every once in a while, enveloping her in a bath of heat until they sought to look at something else, leaving her bitterly cold. There was an overwhelming desire in her to just carry him off to some secluded place so she could have him all to herself. Little did she know, Vegeta was experiencing the exact same feelings, though his were infinitely stronger. There was an intense burning, deep inside his belly, a painful yearning in his groin for the female who so easily held him in the palm of her hand. "My LordEmperor Boorin" a young soldier entered the dining hall, bowing low to those seated at the head table. "It seems there is a situation on the Phatas continent that requires your immediate attention." "Immediate?" The Emperors voice was skeptical, but curious. "Yes sir, the Phatas rebels are attacking the villages again." "Well, I suppose I must go then," Boorin sighed, turning to Vegeta, "but before I depart, is there anything I can provide that would make your stay more comfortable?" "Actually, Boorin, Ive been thinking," Vegeta purred, infinitely pleased, "and I was wondering, do you still have that secluded forest lodge of yours?" "The summer get-away? Of course!" "If you do not mind, I think my mate and I would like to spend the night there." Upon seeing a slightly questioning look, he continued. "You see, we have been surrounded by civilization lately, and have had a rather stressful time since we were here last, and I thought it might be pleasant for us to relax in a secluded area such as the lodge." "Oh, but of course! I shall make arrangements for you to be transported there before I go. Do have a good night, and you have my best wishes for a safe trip back to Earth." Boorin smiled, and with a flourish of his robes, turned to leave in order to ready himself for his trip. "Those rebels are getting more daring every day." One of the other dinner guests stated, a frown on his olive face. "UmPardon me for being rude," Bulma spoke up, "but what exactly is going on with these rebels? Why are they attacking villages?" "Oh, theyre a group of ruffians!" Another woman declared. "Thieves, convicts, murderers! Scoundrels, the lot of em are!" "Long time ago, before our generation, mind you, King Boorins ancestors used to banish criminals to the Phatas continent for their crimes." The olive skinned alien spoke again, "Phatas is a barren place, barely fit for livin but some of them survived. Created their own little culture, they did! Well, they got used to having Phatas all for their thieving ways, but with all the new technologies in the universe, King Boorin decided to try and cultivate the desert soils of Phatas. Hes been sending common folks over there, providing food and shelter until they can get the place running for emselves. But, you know, the new generation sprung from the old criminals dont much like this, so theyve been attacking the villages, destroying equipment, stealing food, in hopes that Boorin will give up." "Oh" Bulma muttered, not quite knowing what to say. There really wasnt much to say in response to something like that, if you were an outsider to the situation. "Are you finished yet?" Vegeta asked, and Bulma looked up to see him watching her intently. "Youve been picking at your plate for a while now. If you dont plan on eating any more, there are some things that need to be done before we can leave for the lodge." "Um, sure." She pushed back her plate and stood, following Vegeta out of the hall while the other guests exchanged secretive little smiles. "Stresses my ass!" One lady giggled, thinking that they were out of earshot. "He just wants to get her alone for a while!" Vegeta smirked to himself as he placed one palm on the small of Bulmas back, guiding her down the twisting halls toward their room. He had been wracking his brain all morning, trying to figure out a way to get himself and his female to the secluded cabin without offending their host. What luck it was, that the Phatas Rebels had chosen this day to act up again. "So, whats this business with the lodge?" Bulma asked, trying to keep her mind off of Vegetas close presence. "Its a nice place, I think youll like it." His tail swung lazily about in the air as he walked, absently brushing up Bulmas leg every so often. "But why are we going there?" "I already explained that, little one," he teased; the flirtatious tone of voice not lost on Bulma. "Vegeta, you confuse me" "Do I? Just think of me as a mental challenge then." "Oh, I already know youre mentally challenged" she grumbled, crossing her arms as she trudged down the hall. "Oh, that was cruel," Vegeta chuckled, "Im hurt." He put on his best victim face, looking at her with wide eyes. "Puppy dog eyes dont work for you." "They never have" he responded softly, a faraway look taking precedence over his features for a split second before he pushed the hurtful memories away, reverting back to the usual faade. "We should hurry up. I want to reach the lodge before dusk." "Uhokay" Bulma took a quick few steps to catch up to the already moving Saiyan, sad that the moment had been ruined. Vegeta was a lot better, she thought, when he was being himself around her, not the hard warrior image he put up, but the sensitive, funny, gorgeous guy she had come to know in the past few weeks. "We are almost at the lodge, Vegeta-sama." One of Boorins attendants informed the prince, who was sitting in the transport, idly staring out the window as his tail twitched back and forth with anticipation. "Good." He responded, never taking his eyes off the scenery flashing by before his eyes. The attendant bowed and went back to the cockpit of the transport, leaving the Saiyan and Human alone again. "Oh, Vegeta! Look at that river!" Bulma squealed, pointing out one of the windows. "Its beautiful!" His eyes flicked toward the swirling mass of crystal clear water, rapidly flowing between forested banks. It was beautiful. "The Yebara," he said, "It divides a little farther along, one part going to the Petthos Falls, the other cutting a path near Boorins lodge. We can swim in it, if you like." "Really? Ohh! I cant wait!" she giggled, mostly wanting to see Vegeta all wet and playful, with only a pair of swim trunks plastered to his body. The Saiyan eyes left the window for the first time in hours, as they flicked quickly toward his Human companion, detecting the change in her scent. Obviously, her thoughts were travelling down the same path his were. He smirked, turning back to the window, patiently waiting for dusk to come. Moments later, the transport coasted to a stop, the doors opening with a hiss to allow its passengers their freedom. Vegeta strode quickly out; eager to escape the confines of the small vehicle, and Bulma followed soon after, grabbing up their capsules as she went. "Oh man" she gasped, stepping out of the transport, "This place is huge! Bigger than Capsule Corporation!" "Its about three hundred years old," the attendant quipped, pride evident in his voice. "Emperor Boorins ancestors ruled from here in ancient times, but later ended up creating the main palace when technologies began to advance." "Three hundred years old?!?" Bulmas eyes were wide as she took in the massive wooden structure. "Its made of wood! Shouldnt it be all rotten and falling apart?" The attendant looked surprised at her remark, but Vegeta cut in quickly, to save the other two some embarrassment. "Imtors atmosphere and biotic characteristics are different than that of Earth. Things do not decompose as quickly as they do on Earth, because there are not so many microscopic organisms to break down dead organic matter." He explained, knowing that neither party had probably ever thought that things would be different on other planets. It was a common mistake made by those who were not used to space travel. "OhHeh hehI guess I should have thought of that, huh?" Bulma blushed, feeling quite silly. Vegeta shrugged it off though, and with a few quick words, bade the transport driver and attendant goodbye, sending them on their way back to the palace. Bulma looked around, for the first time realizing that she was all alone with the Saiyan no Ouji, in one of the most romantic settings she could ever have imagined. Then again, though, she had also seen far too many cheesy horror flicks set in romantic woodsy getaways "Come, we should get settled in and eat something. It will be dark in a few hours." Vegetas hand closed around her wrist as he led her up a small incline toward the doors to the lodge. The inside was beautiful, with polished wood floors and antique portraits and statues decorating the walls and doorways. Hand woven lace curtains adorned each window, and crystalline chandeliers hung on thick chains from the ceilings. To Bulma, it was like something from a fairytale, complete with her Prince Charming. Vegeta was unfazed as he moved stealthily through the halls, having spent time as a younger boy in the lodge. At the moment, all he was concerned about was getting himself and Bulma well fed and full so that they would have plenty of energy for the nights activities. "Come on!" he called back to her, and with a little squeak, she dashed after him, down torch lit corridors toward the kitchens. Vegeta sighed leaning back in his chair as he rested one gloved hand on his full belly. Bulma did the same, pushing back her empty plate with a groan. "I am so fullI think my pants are going to burst," she huffed, glaring at him. "Why did you let me eat that much?" "You need it. With the increased physical activity youve been doing lately, your body needs more to sustain itself, and you havent changed your eating habits since you started working out. Thats why you fainted during takeoff from Strata Phon. Your body has been slowly draining all your energy reserves, and you need to increase your food intake to keep healthy." "I suppose that makes sensebut you could have at least done it gradually! I just ate like, twice my normal intake of food!" "Youll be glad for the energy later." Vegeta smirked, the secretive twinkle back in his raven eyes. "Whats that supposed to mean Vegeta?" she asked, not liking the sense of helplessness she felt around him. "Youll see later." He teased, pushing his chair back and standing up. Bulma watched as he began piling dishes in a large tub, presumably used for washing. When he was finished, he moved to leave the room, but stopped to wait for her. "Are you just going to leave those there" "Hn." He nodded. "People come here to clean once or twice a week, and theyll take care of any mess we make. Theyre the reason this place is still in such good shape." "Ohokay, I suppose its alright then" "Of course it is." The sun was beginning to fall, and Vegeta suddenly became very antsy as his eyes scanned the sky, watching the swirl of pink and orange clouds. His tail twitched in agitation, impatient to fulfill the reason he and Bulma were still in space. "Its pretty isnt it?" She sighed, leaning back into her chair. "Hnwe should go upstairs and get our rooms figured out." Vegeta responded quickly. They hadnt settled in at all, and he wanted to have everything done before dark so that he wouldnt have to wait too long to begin the hunt. Bulma nodded in agreement, pulling one of their capsules out of her pocket. "I think Id like to change into some more comfy clothes too. These jeans are a little tight around the waist at the moment." She giggled, rubbing her belly. The two trudged up the stairs and into one of the lavishly decorated bedrooms, where Vegeta staked his claim by flopping onto the bed. Bulma giggled as he lay there like a little boy, and tossed the capsule containing his things to the ground, stepping back as it exploded with a boom. She quickly got to work, hanging his usual clothing in the large armoire and setting a few of his personal items on a dresser as he watched. "There! Youre all set! Now, where am I sleeping?" "Right here," he looked impishly at her, patting a spot on the bed next to him. She gulped nervously, looking from him, to the bed, and back to him. He wanted to share the bed with her? "Ummokay" she flushed, fiddling with her capsule. With a click of the tiny plunger, she opened it and began putting her things away too, carefully avoiding Vegetas gaze. After waking up alone on the ship, she had done a lot of thinking about her pre-faint revolution, and had become quite excited about sharing her life with the Saiyan Prince. She knew he wanted the same thing, and everything was goodbut then when he locked himself in the training rooms, she began to doubt herself. Being faced now, with the reality of their situation, she grew nervous again, acting like a silly schoolgirl, unable to believe that the boy she likes, likes her too. Im being stupid againKami, why do I have to be such an idiot when it comes to him? I mean, why cant I just accept what he says without doubting it? I just feel so silly and helpless and then I get all muddled and confusedHe just has that effect on me! She gasped as a hand closed gently around her wrist, pulling her toward a hard body. "Youve been acting awfully strange lately, woman." Vegeta whispered, his voice husky. "Why so cold?" "II dont know what you mean." She muttered, unable to think straight with him so close. Something was in the airsomething strange and confusing. "Youve been avoiding me lately." Vegeta growled in irritation, pulling the tiny woman against his hard frame. "And I want to knowis it because of that night?" "I" "It is, isnt it?" "Im so ashamed Vegeta" she whimpered, pulling away. "II took advantage of you!" she cried out, completely unprepared for Vegetas reaction. He laughed. "You? Take advantage of me?" She nodded numbly, her mind screaming at her stupidity. "And did I protest, when you burst into my room?" he teased. "Did you slam me against the wall, Bulma, and ravage me?" he purred, pushing her back against the wall and pressing himself against her soft body. "Did I cry when you ripped off all of my clothes in a fit of passion?" His hands trailed up and down her sides, slipping beneath the fabric of her shirt to caress her bare flesh. She shivered and moaned softly, arching toward him. "What happened, Bulmatell me," he breathed, "tell me what happened when you ravaged me" His breath blew gently into her ear as he spoke, sending tingles throughout her whole body. "VVegeta" she sighed, breathlessly, meeting his burning gaze. She was melting in his arms, surrendering completely to his advances. "Run, little one," he whispered, dragging his tongue up her neck. "Wha" "Run fast, and run hard, little female," He hissed, pressing his lips against hers in a passionate kiss, before stepping away. Bulma froze, caught in his gaze. The intensity in his voice was evident as he spoke again, sending shivers down her spine. She swallowed hard, trying to back up, but hitting the wall again, her mind in a complete haze. What was he doing to affect her so badly? There was such urgency in the air, and, moving, she could feel the tension in her body. "Because when I catch you, Im never letting go." Breathing hard, she turned away from him and ran. Chapter 30:The hunt Her heart thudded wildly against her ribcage as she raced out of the room, nearly tumbling down the grand staircase in her hurry. Hopping up on to the railing, she slid down the smooth banister and jumped down onto the floor, looking back once to see Vegeta calmly walking down the stairs after her. He was close, she knew, and if she stopped to put on shoes, he would surely catch her, so she flung open one massive wooden door and dashed outside in her socks. Realizing that she was as good as caught standing dumbly in the clearing around the lodge, she dashed toward the surrounding woods, dark and foreboding, and suddenly remembered her earlier thoughts about horror movies being set in such romantic, secluded places. The ground was soft and spongy between the trees, covered by moss and small plants, so despite her shoeless situation, Bulma was finding it quite easy to run. All she had to worry about was accidentally colliding with a prickly bush now. Off in the distance, she heard the heavy door of the lodge slam shut, and pushed herself to run harder. Vegeta, however, smirked, lifting his nose to the air in order to catch her scent. He would move slowly at first, give her a head start in order to make the hunt more interesting. His chosen one was strong enough now, after the rigorous training program he had put her through on Strata Phon, to evade him for a little while, and even to handle the rough need that would overtake him once he found her. Of course, he would never be so violent as to hurt her, nor was that the intent of the hunt. However, in such a fit of animalistic passion, he would allow his Saiyan instincts to take over, thereby releasing the primal beast all true Saiyans were inside. Nerves tingling, he caught her excitement wafting on the breeze, and set off to find his little hunted woman. Bulma streaked wildly through the woods, dodging fallen trees and bushes. She was panting heavily, though not necessarily with strain. There was something strange in the air tonight, something in her brain that told her to run, even when she wanted nothing more than to curl up in Vegetas arms and stay there forever. Why in hell was she running from him anyway? She was tired and sweaty, her muscles aching with strainbut there was something so indescribably erotic about being chased through the woods by the Saiyan Prince that set her blood on fire. Despite the scratches and bruises gained by her little escapade through a closely-knit bunch of branches, the junction between her thighs was absolutely burning with need. Her whole body was tingling with the excitement of it all, and she couldnt help but to tremble with anticipation of what was to come when he finally caught her. She had never been toldbut the look in his eyesthe intensity of his touchshe knew. A twig snapped off to her right, and her head snapped up. Stopping dead in her tracks, she looked around, cautiously, for any sign of the Saiyan, but there was nothing. Sighing, she slumped against a tree, taking a moment to catch her breath before running again. Vegeta smirked, his tail coiling about in the air as he watched his female lean up against the tree. He felt so alive, his whole body twitching with anticipation of what was to come. Her scent was thick in the air, so sweet and alluring, and his arousal intensified to unbelievable heights as he strained against the loose fabric of his pants. She was so pretty, his little woman, so pretty and delicate and so very perfect. He needed to make her his, to possess her and at the same timebe possessed by her. He had never wanted anything more in his entire lifetime. Even the dream of becoming a Super Saiyan was paltry compared to the idea of taking Bulma as his mate. He had the legendary power already, and it hadnt brought him any more happiness than he had had beforebut to wake up every morning knowing she would be beside himthat would bewonderful. Bulmas eyes snapped open, her head jerking up to stare into the woods around her. She watched in awe, her eyes widening in a mixture of fear and longing, as Vegeta stepped out of the shadows toward her. Kami, he was so perfect, with his rippling muscles and chiseled features. She began to pant harder, her chest heaving as he moved closer to her, ever so slowly. Her back scraped against the rough bark of the tree, through the thin shirt she wore, and she whimpered, confusion taking over her mind. An animal screeched in the distance, brutally snapping Bulma out of her trance. With a gasp, she turned and ran away from the encroaching male, her feet sinking into the mossy ground as she went. Smirking, Vegeta was on her in a second, grabbing her around the waist and tackling her to the squishy ground as she cried out in shock. "Well, well, wellLook what we have here," he purred, pressing her body into the ground with the weight of his own as he straddled her. She was on her belly, with her arms sprawled out to the sides, held firmly to the forest floor by Vegetas hands. "It seems Ive caught something very interesting." His head moved down to nip at her shoulders and the back of her neck, and he breathed gently into her ear, gently taking the lobe between sharp Saiyan teeth. Releasing her arms, Vegeta quickly raised himself up to flip her over, so that she was laying on her back, her head cushioned by the soft mossy ground. Once she was flipped, he lowered himself again, sitting on her hips to keep her lower body steady. He quickly grabbed her wrists again, pinning them up above her head with one hand as the other ran up and down her body, gently teasing over her breasts and stomach as she squirmed about under him. Bulma gasped softly and arched her back upward as Vegetas fingers trailed over one jutted nipple, teasing her through the fabric of her shirt. Shifting his body, he leant down, touching his lips to the hardened peak, gently scraping it with his teeth as his free hand moved to pinch and toy with the other. Moaning quietly, Bulma arched again, her hips rubbing against Vegetas as he pushed down, restricting her movement. She wanted to feel his lips and hands on her skin, teasing and touching her without the barrier of fabric. "This has been too easy, little one," Vegeta purred, kissing up to her jaw before pressing his lips roughly against hers, his tongue slipping into her mouth as she moaned against him. "I had been hoping for more of a challenge" He whispered, breaking the kiss. With a dark little chuckle, he took hold of her shirt and tore it off her, leaving only a black satin bra and a few scraps of tattered cotton. He laughed at the tiny little growl she gave, and pressed her down harder when she began wriggling and bucking. "Easy?" she hissed, "you think this is easy? Well Ill give you a challenge, mister!" She thrashed about under him, growing angrier as he merely laughed. "Will you?" he asked, trailing his fingers down her cheek, following a path her collarbone and down into the hollow between her breasts. "Will you really?" His voice was husky with passion as he spoke, pressing his hips down on to hers insistently. "I would enjoy thata challenge" His eyes grew hazy as he let go of her wrists to trail his hands down her bare sides, gently cupping her satin covered breasts. Bulma felt the need to run again, to get away from him and prove herself a worthy challenge, but it was impossible to get out from under him. He was heavy, and she was trapped until he decided to move. If he kept up what he was doing though, she knew that soon she wouldnt be able to make herself run. Agonizingly tender in his touches, Vegeta reached under her back, flipping open the catch to her bra with deft fingers. A soft rumble emanating from his throat, he leant his head down to catch the bra in his teeth, right between the satiny cups, and pulled it off of her body, allowing the glorious mounds of flesh to bounce about, free of support. Tossing the undergarment to the side, Vegeta cupped her breasts in his hands, kneading the soft mounds as his thumbs brushed across sensitive, dusty pink nipples. He lowered his head to one, running his tongue slowly around the jutted little peak before taking it between his lips, suckling gently as the female below him moaned. "AhhVegeta" she sighed, amazed that such a simple act could excite her so. If she was so aroused from this, what would happen when he decided it was time to toy with her lower parts? She would have to get away before that happened, her mind told her, or else she would never be able to escape and prove herself a worthy challenge. But did she really want to get away? It was so nice to lay beneath himhis touchit felt so good. But thisthis hunt of hishe had said he wanted a challengeand there was no way at all that she wanted to disappoint him. She would run the minute she got a chance; she would run and try as hard as she could. Vegetas hands roamed lower as his mouth switched to tease at her other breast, trailing slowly down her stomach, and stopping to rest over the fly of her jeans. He hadnt given her the chance to change after their dinner. Drawing a loud moan from Bulma as he blew gently on her damp flesh, he popped the button on her jeans and tugged the zipper down. He eased the stiff fabric down over her hips, removing himself from her body so that he could slip the pants down over her legs. He plucked the socks from her feet too, tossing them into the bushes behind them. Bulma took the opportunity, and as soon as she was free of her jeans, she kicked out at the unsuspecting Vegeta, not hurting him, but startling him enough that he lost his balance for a moment. She scrambled quickly up off the ground, bolting into the forest as she wove her way around trees and bushes. Picking himself up from the ground, Vegeta smirked. This was what he wanted, a challenge. He wanted her to run as hard as she possibly could, and fight him till she couldnt bear to resist any longerthen he would take her and claim her and make her his own forever. Blocking out her miniscule ki signature so as to get rid of the unfair advantage he held over her, he set off after her again, following the intoxicating scent of her arousal through the air. It was like heaven to him, an irresistible force pulling him along, and he was all too happy to give in and follow. Wincing, Bulma stopped for a moment to rub her sore breasts. Running without the support of a bra, or even a shirt, was not exactly the most painless thing she could have been doing. In a second though, she was reminded of Vegetas gentle hands cupping her, his hot mouth surrounding her nipples, and she moaned, in spite of herself, and felt a new moisture building up between her thighs. She was absolutely dripping with want for the Saiyan no Ouji. Shaking her head free of such thoughts, she set off again, using her arms to try and brace her bouncing chest. She ran quickly, darting in between trees and jumping over fallen logs until she came to the bank of a gushing river. "This must be the Yebara," she mused, remembering the conversation she had had with Vegeta earlier in the day. "He did say that a branch of it flowed near Boorins lodgeand he did say we could go swimming in it" she mumbled, dipping her toe into the water, and finding it to be surprisingly warm. If she got in the water and swam to the other side, it might do something to get rid of the scent trail she knew she was leaving. More than once, she remembered Vegeta being able to smell her arousal, and was sure that he was detecting her easily, what with how wet she was. Surely though, if he suddenly lost the scent, he would immediately guess that she had jumped into the river. He was smart like that A plan jumping into her head, Bulma quickly stepped out of her soaked panties, balled them up in her fist, and tossed them as far as she could into the trees. They carried her scent, and hopefully, Vegeta would be thrown off by it long enough for her to gain some ground. Laughing to herself at the absurdity of the situation, she turned and dove into the river. Not far off, Vegeta stared, wide eyed, at the white silk thong that dangled from the branch in front of his eyes. One more step, and the thing would have landed right on top of his head. Inhaling deeply, he chuckled to himself, plucking the garment off of the branch and bringing it to his nose. He heard the river off in the distance, and knew immediately where his little vixen had gone. Silly thing, thinking she could throw him off of her trail with a pair of panties, enticing as they were. Bulma surfaced at the other shore, shaking her head to free her hair of some of the water, to see a pair of white boots on the ground in front of her. Looking up with wide eyes, she met the laughing eyes of her Saiyan pursuer, her panties dangling from his hand. "I think these belong to you." He smirked, dropping them on the ground beside him as his eyes roved over her exposed chest, droplets of water clinging to her flesh. He pulled off his own shirt and kicked his boots off, tossing them into a pile as Bulma watched, unable to move. His pants followed, as did his boxers, and he grunted, glad to finally be free of the confines of his clothing. Bulma moaned in distress, unable to take her eyes off of Vegetas engorged manhood as she backed up, deeper into the river, intending to turn and swim for the other side, even though she knew he could easily beat her. He dove into the water though, quickly surfacing to grab her around the waist, pulling her soft body tightly against his own. She moaned, loudly, feeling him press, hard and thick, against her quivering womanhood, and she clung to him, tired and wanting only to surrender. Growling in pleasure, Vegeta forced her to look up at him again, and caught her lips in a passionate kiss as his hands trailed lower to cup her bottom, pressing her groin closer to his as she wrapped frail arms around his thick, corded neck. Her legs wound around his waist, rubbing his furred tail as they gripped him tightly. Stifling a groan, the Saiyan turned toward the shore with his precious cargo, carrying her till he reached solid ground, where he knelt down to lay her gently on her back. She clung to him still, pulling his body on top of her own as her breasts heaved with excitement. She whimpered though, as he pulled away, disliking the way she was trying to take more control. He growled at the thought, deciding to teach her a little lesson about who was the hunter, and who was the hunted. She reached out to him again, and he growled, pushing her arms to the ground and holding them there. He straddled her hips again, as he had earlier, but did not sit on them as he leaned over to whisper in her ear. "Ive caught you, little one," his husky whisper sent shivers down her spine, and she arched, involuntarily whimpering. "What are you going to do now?" He licked her ear lobe before kissing her jawbone, trailing his lips down the smooth column of her neck, and across her collarbone. Lightly, he trailed more butterfly kisses between her breasts and down across her belly, scraping his teeth across her belly button. Reaching the tuft of damp curls, he smirked and forced her legs apart, not that she was objecting in the first place, before dragging his tongue up the inside of her thigh. He moaned, inhaling deeply of her scent, and breathed out heavily, his warm breath washing over her quivering flesh. She whimpered and lifted her hips off the ground a slight bit, offering herself to him, and he smirked, truly enjoying the power he had over her. With a light chuckle, he dragged his tongue across her, earning a delighted hiss as his reward. Pulling his head away from her, Vegeta sat up, pulling Bulma up against him, still on her back. He pulled her arms down behind her, bringing his tail around to hold them securely under her, and used his own hands to hook her knees over his shoulders. His hands, now free, gripped her hips to help support her back as he dipped back in between her thighs, his tongue darting out once again to delve between the velvety folds and deep inside of her. Bulma moaned, a shiver running through her body as she felt his mouth on her, his tongue twisting slowly in and out of her most intimate place, as she lay prone on the ground. It was strangely exciting to be so dominated by a male, especially in such a setting. When Vegeta had made love to her before, he had been the dominant force, but not nearly so forceful about it, and her previous lovers, before the Saiyan no Ouji, had usually been the submissive type. It was how she had always liked it, being in control had always been important to herbut now, laying helplessly on the ground as the animalistic prince ravaged herit was absolutely amazing. Shifting her body again, Vegeta brought one hand up, slipping two fingers into her wet passage to continue where his tongue left off, as his mouth traveled up to take her clit between his lips, squeezing and licking at it as he felt Bulma begin to pulse around him. She was very close, he could tell by the way her breathing quickened and her eyes widened, and curling his fingers inside of her, he rubbed hard, and scraped the sensitive bud between his lips every so lightly with sharp Saiyan teeth. Bulma shrieked, arching her hips upward as she came, thrashing and moaning and tossing her head from side to side as she struggled to deal with the waves of pleasure assaulting her body. Crawling over her as she squirmed about, Vegeta positioned himself to enter her body. Bulma looked up, the shocks of pleasure dissipating, to see Vegeta above her, and she bit her lip lightly, her eyes unwilling to focus as she felt the tip of him nudging into her. He hissed as he slid himself into the tight, wet passage, still contracting occasionally from her orgasm. The sensation though, of her surrounding him, of her arms and legs wrapping around his bodyit was absolute bliss. No pleasure in the universe could compare to what he was feeling at that moment, and he sighed quietly, burying his face in the crook of her shoulder as his chest pressed down against her soft, firm breasts. His tail jerked wildly about a few times, mirroring his excitement, before winding itself tightly around her thigh. Vegeta moved slowly at first, building up a rhythm as Bulma gradually returned to reality. As he felt her hips grinding up against his though, he began to speed up, pumping faster and harder until he had her crying out loud with pleasure. He felt her tighten around him, gushing with moisture as she came, whimpering and squirming under him. Hissing, he tried to control himself, desperately wanting to prolong their pleasure, but she was contracting so tightly around him and it felt so good With a deafening roar, Vegeta let himself spill into the tiny female, clamping his powerful jaw down onto her neck when he no longer had the breath to scream. With a growl, he sunk his teeth into her flesh, puncturing the skin as Bulma shrieked in pain. She thrashed under him, clawing at his chest and pushing at him, trying to make him stop. A low growl escaped his throat, and he caught her arms in his, pinning them up above her head with one hand as he braced himself with the other. He trapped her legs, kicking and straining, under his heavier ones, pressing his body down so she could scarcely move. His tail slithered under her waist, pulling her up and effectively securing her to the hard Saiyan body atop of her. Vegeta groaned, lapping at the bite wound. She wasintoxicating. His head was spinning, and he could feel himself begin to harden again. Bulma felt it too, and she whimpered, the feeling of frightened lust coming back to her again. She didnt know what he planned to do to her, and she was frightenedbut whatever it was, there was a large part of her that wanted him to do it. Vegetas mouth left her shoulder for a moment, his tongue darting out to lick the blood from his lips. The bloodlust was overtaking him, he knew, and it was what he had worried about. The initial hunt was never terribly brutalbut after the markingafter tasting his mates blood, his primal side took over. Bulma whimpered quietly, and Vegetas head rose to look at her, still licking the red tint from his lips. Their eyes locked, and he smirked, his lips crushing down on hers before she could even protest. His kiss was rough, passionate, with a bruising intensity to it that Bulma found more arousing than she cared to admit. He was demanding and forceful as his tongue snaked into her mouth, battling and teasing at her own. He pulled roughly out of her, now completely aroused, and quickly flipped her onto her belly, roughly hoisting her hips up, forcing her onto her hands and knees. Pulling her thighs apart, he grabbed her hips again and slammed himself into her, delighting in the strangled cry of pleasure that assaulted his ears. He gripped her tightly, pulling her backward to meet his thrusts. Bulma moaned, her throat hoarse, as Vegeta slammed into her again. Her fingers dug into the ground as she tried to keep herself steady. He began moving faster, pumping harder, and her vision was beginning to blur. Her eyes crossed for a moment, and she moaned again, feeling her arms begin to shake. He leant over her back, dragging his tongue up her spine as he pulled her back to meet him, and she shivered, tingling sensations running through all of her nerves. Gasping for breath, she felt herself begin to contract again, seeing stars as she released. Her arms gave out and she fell to the ground, her backside still being held up by the Saiyan. She heard him groan though, felt his body go tense and relax suddenly as he let out a howl, thrusting wildly a few last times before collapsing on top of her. Panting, he grasped her and rolled them both over so that his heavy body would not crush her fragile one. He held her to him, carefully, feeling his normal self return, and lapped gently at the bite wound, still tender. She tried to pull away, still nervous, but he shushed her with a simple breath, and she quieted, curling into him with a contented sigh. Chapter 31: The end of an adventure Bulma sighed quietly, awakened by the periodic rumbling of the ships engine. Her stomach gurgled, emulating the large craft, and momentarily, she entertained the thought of getting up to fix breakfast. Vegetas muscular arms were so warm and tight around her though, inducing a general feeling of contented lethargy in her that hadnt been present since before Radditzs coming to Earth. Ever since then, there had been a constant need in her to be up and working, not wasting a single second of her precious life; after all, who knew how long it would last? But Vegetas presence helped to soothe her agitated nerves, as strange as it sounded, and hungry as she was, nothing in the universe could have persuaded her to squirm out of his grasp and brave the cold hallways to the kitchen. The two of them had been on the ship for roughly nineteen hours, having left around noon the previous day, after arriving back at the palace. The memory of the hunt brought a warm flush to Bulmas cheeks, and she squirmed, snuggling closer to Vegetas nude body. He was still sleeping lightly, a soft rumbling escaping his throat every once in a while, but the muscles in his arms reacted instinctively, tightening around her tiny body to keep her close. They had tired each other out last night, being newly mated and alone together, once they were free to roam the ship safely, all of their clothing had come off in a mad fit of passion. They had spent the rest of the night locked together in a heated expression of their newly mated statuswell, actually, locked together in a variety of positions, but who was keeping track? It surprised Bulma that her Saiyan mate was still asleep, as he was usually the earliest riser in the Briefs household back home. She, however, did not realize that after she had fallen asleep the previous night, he had stayed up several hours after, watching her peaceful slumber, thinking about the many issues plaguing his mind. He was filled to the brim with confusing emotions, and each time he was close to sleep, a new thought would pop into his mind and he would spend more time pondering the issue, desperately trying to gain control of the situation. Vegeta was a man who did not like going with the flow and he preferred to have a plana strategy. He thought like he was in battle, and most likely, would never stop; it was a trait both bred into his blood, and enforced upon him during the years under Frieza. There were a lot of things on the proud princes mind, including a worry he would rather keep hidden from the world. As much as he hated to admit it, he was concerned about the reaction back on Earth to his coupling with the Human female. Her parents, he was sure, wouldnt mind, but the fighters, Bulmas friends, would surely be upset. They thought of him as their enemy still, someone to be watched at all times, and it was not as if he actually cared what they thought of him, it was the fact that their disapproval of the relationship he and Bulma shared would upset her. He didnt like to think that she might end up regretting their mating. But Bulma, in her sleep, had whimpered and sought to snuggle closer to him, and he had realized that what they shared was genuine. Nothing could diminish the love she had for him, and even though he didnt quite understand it, it pleased him, and he had finally fallen asleep, only two hours before Bulmas awakening. Bulma smiled and stretched languidly, her movement awakening the Saiyan no Ouji, who frowned and told her to either stop her wiggling and lay still, or make him some breakfast. She giggled and swatted at him playfully, only to have her wrist caught in his strong grip, and pulled toward him. "Good morning, sunshine," she teased, the frown still on his face. He scowled at her, his quick mind already formulating a response to her good-natured jab. Before he could voice his witty retort though, the soft rumble of his stomach cut him off. He flushed slightly, somewhat embarrassed, but Bulma only giggled as hers joined in, gurgling against Vegetas. Even the proud prince couldnt help but to crack a tiny smile as their innards mumbled and grumbled along, like some sort of grotesque, digestive tract choir. He hid his amusement though, sitting up and padding across the room in the nude, to where his pants had been tossed the previous night. Bulma followed suit, wrapping a sheet around herself, much to her mates displeasure, as she searched for her clothing. "Oh, thats right" she mumbled softly, unable to find her pants or shirt. "You had me bare before we left the control room." Vegeta flashed a smirk in response, opening a nearby closet and tossing her the skimpy white silk robe she had received on Imtor. "Pervert!" she cried, looking scandalized. Both of them knew how short that robe was. "Perverts equally perverted mate." He smirked, leaning against the wall and crossing powerful arms over his bare chest. "At least I didnt chase you through the woods!" "You know you liked it" he purred, advancing on her as she clutched the sheet tighter to her body. He was like an animala powerful, dangerous animal, and it excited her. His stomach grumbled. Hers grumbled back. "Ahhthe mating call of the stomach." Vegeta sighed, traipsing back to the closet and tossing Bulma a pair of her sweats and a tank top. "First we eat, then make whoopie," she giggled, slipping into the clothes. "I do not make whoopie." The Saiyan snorted, looking insulted. *** Bulma pressed her nose to the round glass window, peering out into space. She could see the earth, a mass of blue and green, with swirling white clouds overlaying. It was beautifulit was home. Until a few days ago, she hadnt realized just how much she missed her home planet, and when Vegeta had first pointed it out to her, a tiny little speck in the distance, she had nearly sobbed with happiness. Seeing the planet had reminded her of just how long she had been away, and she was excited to see everyone again, to hug her mom and dad, to catch up with Chi Chi and the guys *** Vegeta grasped his mates hand, his fingers rough and warm as they entwined with hers. She smiled weakly over at him, grateful for the gesture of support. He was steady as she shook, her eyes darting nervously around the rumbling ship. They were entering Earths atmosphere, and the excited butterflies in her stomach were warring with the fright in her. No matter how many times she did it, landings still made her nervous and skittish. Vegetas hand though, gently squeezing hers, made her feel safe and secure, like nothing bad could ever happen. He was her mate, he would protect her and love her and be with her foreverShe smiled again, this time wider, and shut her eyes tightly, trying to block out the sensation of her stomach flopping around. The ship crashed into the ground with a jarring bounce, and Bulma made a mental note to re-evaluate the design of the landing gear as she un-strapped herself and stood on shaky legs. Vegeta stood in the center of the room, glaring at the door, his tail twitching in agitation. All of the fighters were outside, power levels raised in a warning to him. He snarled quietly to himself, the motion of his tail speeding to lash about around his ankles. The action did not go unnoticed. "Vegeta," Bulmas cool hand lay on his arm, "whats wrong?" "Every last one of them is out there. They all have their power levels raisedthe cocky little bastards are threatening me!" He ground out, muscles tensing. "Vegetawe both knew they would worry about me," she said softly, soothing the coiled muscles in his arm. "They dont know you like I do, but when they see that Im fine, theyll realize that they were just being silly and overprotective" She trailed off, realizing that she sounded like a school guidance counselor, or somebodys mom. "Oh come on!" she giggled, "Lets just go out there and say hi!" Bulma gave a small tug on his arm and pranced off toward the door, running a hand through her hair as she went. However, she soon realized that her Saiyan mate wasnt following her, and she turned to see him watching her, intently. He was studying her again, as he had done many times before, but he still seemed agitatedalmost nervous. Her eyes widened slightly, and realization hit her. He was nervous It wasnt like Vegeta to be skittish, but when he wouldnt meet her gaze, her suspicions were confirmed. Vegeta was nervous about what the reaction would be, concerning their new status as a couple. He already knew that most of her friends didnt trust or like him, and the fact that they had their power levels raised could not have helped. "We dont have to tell them yet, Vegeta." He blinked twice, looking up to meet her eyes again, and he felt himself soften a little inside. "Hn" he grunted back, walking to meet her as the ship door opened with an audible hiss. The first noise Vegeta heard as he stepped out of the spacecraft was the high pitched squeal of Bulmas mother, who ran up the ramp and gave him a hug, latching onto Bulma next. "Oooh! Im so happy to see you two!" she giggled, in her usual vacuous way, grabbing their hands and tugging them both down the ramp. Quickly regaining his senses though, the Saiyan no Ouji snatched his hand away from the ditzy blonde and glared at the other members of the welcoming committee standing on the Briefs lawn. The fighters had relaxed though, seeing that Bulma was safe and unharmed. "Hope you had a good trip, Vegeta my boy." Dr. Briefs greeted the Saiyan in his typical manner, reaching up to scratch the little black kitten on his shoulder. "Hope the ship was working properly." Vegeta rolled his eyes, turning his nose up in the air as his sharp eyes scanned the group, every single one of them trying to hug his mate at once. Needless to say, it did not please him to see the other fighters handling his woman in such a way. He cleared his throat with a dignified cough, sending Bulma a little glare when she looked his way. "Oh, right!" she giggled, breaking away from the group. "Vegeta and I" "Youre married, arent you?" Mrs. Briefs squealed, clapping her hands together. "Oh, you two make the cutest couple!" Vegeta looked stunned, but quickly recovered, elbowing Bulma in the side to snap her out of shock too. "NNo" she stuttered, embarrassed. "Vegeta and I need the Dragonballs." She looked over at Vegeta, who looked rather calm, she could tell though, that he was nervous. "Dont worry, its for a good cause." She added, seeing the skeptical looks sent by her friends. "Only the best" Vegeta added lowly, looking distant. "So well be leaving soon to gather them up." "Just the two of you? Are you nuts?!?" Yamcha nearly exploded, eyeing the cocky Saiyan. "Of course Yamcha!" Mrs. Briefs cut in. "Theyre a couple now, and theyll want to be alone!" Everyone sighed, knowing that the woman held a strange affection for the Saiyan prince, and thinking that she was just being her silly self. Vegeta blushed ever so slightly though, realizing the truth in her words. She caught the slight flush on his cheeks and winked at him. "Well now! Everyone must be hungry!" she declared, making a move toward the house. "Honey" Dr. Briefs caught her hand; "We all just ate." "Oh nonsense! Theyre big strong men who need their nutrients!" And then with a sense of skill that only the most experienced of housewives posses, she herded the group of burly, tense martial artists into the house for a snack of tea and cookies. Vegeta was the last of the men to enter, with the tiny blonde right behind him, her hand placed on the small of his back, gently pushing him in the right direction. He was awfully surprised that she had not yet groped his rear, and almost sensing his curiosity, she giggled, and whispered conspiratorially into his ear. "Even if the others dont realize it yet, I can tell, and I wont encroach on Bulmas territory." "Im no ones territory." He snapped, growling softly at Mrs. Briefs, who only giggled again, reverting back to her usual ways. *** "Its probably a good idea we didnt tell them yet anyway, Vegeta." Bulma giggled, turning off the lamp and crawling into the warm bed next to her mate. "I dont think my mom could handle the excitement. Shes been wanting us to get together forever." She yawned, laying her head on his chest, and snuggling into his arms. Her breathing soon slowed, and Vegeta closed his own eyes, hoping to fall asleep soon. 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