ok, in this part you'll get to read my take on saiyan mating rituals. yah. i tried to make it different than ones that i've read before, but, yah, i don't know. let me know what ya think ^_^ ; Queen Vegeta

Nicole stood out on the veranda looking up at the dark sky.

All the leftovers had been put away so Goku couldn't get them.

When Nicole walked out onto the street she heard the door open and Goku came out.

"What are you doing out here?" Goku asked when he was right behind Nicole.

"Oh nothing really, just going for a walk," Nicole replied as she started walking away from the house.

"Oh. Can I come too?"

"If you want." Nicole kept on walking, not bothering to see if Goku followed.

"I just had an interesting talk with Vegeta," Goku said as he walked alongside Nicole.

"And what did you guys talk about?"

Earlier that night......

Vegeta was in the living room doing one-finger push-ups when Goku walked in.

"Hey Vegeta," he said. "Have you seen Nicole?"

"Why don't you just sense your mate, Kakarot?"

Goku put his hand behind his head and said, "Well, I thought I'd try looking the old-fashioned way."

Vegeta looked at him, then continued his push-ups.

"Hey Vegeta? I was wondering, why do you call Nicole my 'mate'?"

"That's what she is," he answered. Then he stopped and stood up. "Isn't she?"

Goku made a Goku face.

"Well you've marked her, haven't you?" Vegeta asked.

"Umm....I don't think so...."

"Do you not know *anything* about your race?" Vegeta said, frustrated.

Goku shook his head.

"Alright," said Vegeta. "When you first saw......Nicole.....what were your first feelings towards her?"

Goku blushed and said, "Well, I...uh..thought she was pretty and--"

"Did you want to take her?"

"Vegeta!" gasped Goku.

Vegeta just stood silently, waiting for Goku's answer. Goku finally nodded his head, blushing harder.

"And when you first saw....what's her name?"

"You mean Chi-Chi?" Vegeta nodded. "Uh, I was five when I met Chi-Chi," Goku said.

"Age does not matter," Vegeta told him. "When you find a potential mate, you try to win them at any cost."

"Hmmm," Goku thought for a moment. "Well I didn't feel anything like that for Chi-Chi..."

"And for this one?" Vegeta asked.

"I have to keep myself from, well, uh..."

"Pouncing on her," Vegeta finished for him. Goku nodded. "And when you have mated with her, you had to hold back your power."

Goku nodded again, then said, "I also have this urge to...prove myself to her. Like today. I almost killed her trying to show her how strong I am."

"That is part of Saiyan mating, each mate must prove themselves worthy of the other," Vegeta said. "Has she proven worthy yet?"

Goku thought for a moment. "Well, she showed me how well she can draw, and she's always ready to feed me...So I would say she is worthy."

"Have you marked her yet?" Vegeta asked. "No, I suppose not. You haven't hunted her yet." His voice had grown thoughtful.

"Hunted her?" Goku asked.

Vegeta sighed then spoke, "When two Saiyans desire each other as mates, they go through three stages: Proving their worth; Participating in a hunt to decide the dominant mate; and Bonding. You have already completed the first stage. The second stage, the Hunt, is best when initiated on the full moon so that the third satge, Bonding, will be stronger, but any night will do." Vegeta stopped a moment, then continued. "The Hunt may be initiated by either mate, but it cannot be declined, for that would cause the initiator to kill their potential mate."

"I would *never* kill Nicole!" Goku interrupted. "Even if she *did* decline, I would respect that and leave her alone."

"You've been around humans too long, Kakarot. If you ever want to be satisfied, you must learn to listen to your Saiyan instincts," Vegeta said.

"But if I do that, people could get hurt....or worse," Goku said.

"Try learning a little self-control, but do not ignore your instincts." Goku nodded to Vegeta and waited for him to continue the Hunt. "Now, if they accept the Hunt, then a battle ensues. The first one knocked down will become the prey and must run from the Hunter. If they succeed until sunrise, they may choose whether to mate. If they are caught by the Hunter, then they begin to fight to be the dominant mate. The victor of this battle lays claim to their prize by marking them. Usually with a bite."

Goku was silent, letting all that Vegeta said sink in.

"And the Bond?" he asked after a moment.

"Well, if you manage to use your instincts, you'll figure it out," Vegeta replied. He then began training again, signalling their talk was over.

Goku turned to leave, then looked back. "So, is the first stage the reason you made Amy breakfast this morning?" he said teasingly.

Vegeta didn't answer and Goku left, taking his Prince's silence for a "yes." Goku walked down the hallway towards the front door when he noticed Amy standing by the door to the living room. "Were you listening to me and Vegeta?" he asked her.

Amy turned around and nodded. Then she went upstairs to her bedroom.

Goku smiled and walked outside where he found Nicole.

Back to the walk...

"Um....Vegeta was telling me about Saiyan....instincts! He thinks I should use mine more," Goku answered.

Nicole shrugged and said, "Ok." She then started to laugh uncontrolably.

"What's so funny?" Goku said.

"I don't know," she answered. "Are you gonna keep training me?"

"Well, if you want me to....We can get a quick session in tomorrow before the formal!"

"Um....ok."

Amy lay in her makeshift bed and put away the book she was reading. She then stood up and turned off the light. She tucked herself in and tried to go to sleep.

Vegeta came upstairs and entered Amy's bedroom. He took off his shirt and lay down on his bed. He rolled over on his side, and felt a warm arm against his bare chest.

Amy opened her eyes and used her hand to feel what had joined her in bed. Her fingers traced along Vegeta's well-sculpted abs.

"You can take the bed tonight," Amy said in a near-whisper, not removing her hand from Vegeta.

Vegeta took a deep breath, then said, "Alright," his voice hoarse with lust.

The Prince made no movement, though. He then got up after a few moments and went to the bed. He lay down to sleep.

Amy kicked off her covers, for it was suddenly very hot in the room.

Nicole and Goku found themselves walking around the zoo. It was around midnight.

"Nicole? Where are we?" Goku asked.

"Huh?" Nicole asked, lost in her thoughts. She looked around her and recognized the Monkey House. "Uh, we're at the zoo," she said. "How did we get here?"

"We, uh, walked," Goku answered.

"Oh, right." Nicole walked over to one of the windows of the Monkey House and lightly tapped on the glass. A little light-brown monkey came up to the glass.

"Hey, what's that?" Goku asked as he pointed at the little fuzzy creature.

"It's a monkey. Isn't it cute?"

Goku made a Goku face. "Ummmm..."

Nicole took a few steps back then rose into the air a few feet, waving her arms until she got her balance. Gesturing to Goku she flew up to the roof of the Monkey House and sat with her feet dangling off the side.

Goku at down beside her and Nicole leaned on his shoulder. "Nicole, maybe we should go back."

The only response Goku got was the soft rythmic breathing of sleep. He took Nicole in his arms and flew back to the house. When they got back, Goku gently placed Nicole on the bed and tucked her in. He gave her a loving kiss on the forehead before turning off the light and closing the door, then he crawled in beside her and fell asleep.

The morning was beautiful; the sun was shining, but not too much; the weather was cool but not cold; it was a great day for a dance.

Nicole was sound asleep, mumbling, when Goku came into her room.

"Nicole..." he whispered in her ear. "Nicole, time to get up." Nicole didn't stir.

Goku scratched his head and thought. He then jumped on the bed, causing it to almost break, and said, "Nicole, wake up!"

Nicole's eyes flew open and she stared up at Goku groggily. "What....?" she asked.

"It's time to get up!" Goku answered. "We're gonna train!"

Nicole pulled the blankets over her head. "Sleep...."

Goku yanked the blankets off the bed. "No. You said you wanted me to train you, now get up!"

"NO! Sleep!" Nicole said as she curled up in a little ball.

Goku picked Nicole up and carried her to the bathroom where he dropped her in the bathtub and turned the shower on, cold.

"COLD!" Nicole screamed as the water came into contact with her skin. She went to get out but Goku wouldn't let her. "Goku let me out! It's cold!"

Goku shook his head. "Not until you get up and train."

"I'M UP!" Nicole yelled as she crossed her arms, shivering.

Goku grabbed a towel and wrapped Nicole in it. Nicole went back to her room, dried off, and got dressed in her training clothes. She found Goku in the kitchen, eating. Nicole joined him and the two ate breakfast.