Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ A Cop Story ❯ Snow Day ( Chapter 19 )

Disclaimer : Now pay attention class. It's not mine. Well, I guess it is, kinda...

A Cop Story

Part Nineteen

By RM

Snow Day

It was only mid-morning and it had already been a long day. #18 had stayed late, finishing up a report for the Captain regarding a late night meth bust. Vegeta and Piccolo, who had just started their shift a few hours earlier, were called into Roshi's office on another messy investigation, possibly related to the mass mutilation from two weeks ago. Bulma had received word that she was to move to the Central Precinct to continue all of her work there for the department from now on. She had already encapsulated everything she needed from her lab upstairs, but it didn't make the move any easier. She didn't want to go and leave all of her new friends, even though she knew she would still see them often. It just wouldn't be the same.

A small group of officers stood in the front hallway discussing possible lunch plans amidst a few of the morning arrests awaiting booking. #18 was tired but wanted to stick around to eat and Krillin was simply happy that she was there. Yamcha and Puar decided to tag along while #17 wasn't sure if he would have to assist Vegeta and Piccolo for the rest of the day. Bulma wasn't available to go but stood next to Goku waiting to see who could give her a ride over to Central. Chi Chi was also there, having stopped by to visit Goku and to drop off some doughy custard treats.

"Ah Chi, can't I eat them now?" Goku complained, opening the bag to smell the sweet little delights.

"No," she answered sternly. "How you manage to eat so much and stay in the shape you're in, I have no idea." She added gently as she patted his muscular stomach.

"It's Vegeta," Goku shrugged. "We spar every chance we get after work and we beat each other up. He's getting better too. Last night he tried to rip my arm off and beat me with it." Goku stated with a smile and rotated his arm at the shoulder. "I'm still a bit stiff."

"Keep it in your pants, Kakarott." Vegeta's deep voice rumbled behind the taller officer. He gave Bulma a scowl as he went to stand next to her.

"Oh Kril-lin!" A happy voice sounded from the front entranceway of the precinct.

Everyone turned to see what was going on. A tremor of fright ran through Krillin as he recognized that distinctive, hollow call.

"Oh shit!" Krillin gasped.

"Not now," #17 stated and rolled his eyes.

"Here we go," Yamcha added.

"I have to pee," Piccolo announced before making his way down the hall with haste.

"Huh?" Goku responded as Vegeta shifted closer to Bulma while Puar giggled.

"There you are!" A tall, beautiful, blue-haired woman shouted as she approached the short, bald officer. She was decked out in a hot pink mini skirt over which she wore a fuzzy, white winter jacket with matching boots and hat. "It's snowing out there!" She whined as she pushed past #18 to give him a great big hug and a kiss.

"Uh…" Krillin began. He could already see the dirty look that #18 was giving them. "I can't help you with the snow, Marron."

"Oh hi!" Marron greeted the rest of them as she dropped her ex to embrace the next guy over, who just happened to be Vegeta.

"Oh Vegeta!" She remarked as she hugged him and nuzzled his neck. "You always smell so good!"

He began to growl at her but she didn't seem to take the hint. She moved on though and took Goku as her next victim, hugging him but unable to reach his cheek for a kiss.

"As handsome as ever!" She exclaimed. It was now Chi Chi's turn to glare.

"Krillin?" #18 asked him through clenched teeth.

"Oh yeah, um…" he hesitated. Marron and #18 had never met. He knew that #18 was aware of Marron's existence but she'd never actually seen her. "Honey? This is Marron, my ex-girlfriend."

At that remark both Bulma and Chi Chi did a double take. Krillin dated her? Or rather, the real question was, she dated Krillin?

#18 reached out and grabbed Marron by the forearm and spun her around before she could get as far as Yamcha.

"It's NICE to meet you," #18 looked Marron up and down with an icy glare and an even cooler tone. She shook the woman's hand firmly, hoping she would bruise.

"Ouch!" Marron protested. "Krillin, she has a grip like a gorilla!"

#17 snickered.

"What do you need?" Krillin tried to get to the reason for Marron's visit.

"Oh," Marron broke the blonde's hold and blinked at the group of people standing there. She tilted her head to the side and tapped her foot on the floor, her wet boots squeaking on the tile.

While she was thinking, Vegeta began to fidget. The bimbo had left her scent on him, and he wanted it off. Immediately. He gently took a hold of Bulma's elbow and steered her a little ways down the hall, turning the corner to one of the hallways out of sight from the rest of the crowd. Once alone, he placed his thumb on her chin and kissed her, forcing her mouth open with a gentle press downward. She rested her hands on his hips loosely, seemingly not paying attention as he quickly undid the top three buttons of her blouse. Once her creamy flesh was exposed, he licked his way down her throat and then nuzzled down farther. He inhaled deeply, rubbing one side of his face back up to her throat and past, up the side of her neck. He repeated the process with the other side of his face, much like a cat being given affection.

She gasped when she felt him make the second pass, and circled her hands around his neck when he was finished, pulling him in for another kiss. When it ended, he was the one left panting as she gazed thoughtfully at him.

"What was all that about?" She questioned.

He looked back a little dazed by the ferocity of her kiss. "That bitch left her scent all over me. I wanted it off." He answered back truthfully.

"So you thought you should just wipe yourself all over me?" She asked.

"I like the way you smell," he shrugged as she played with his hair. "Besides, there is only one other place where your scent is stronger," he told her as he smirked wickedly, "and I did not think you would appreciate me rubbing my face all over it while we are at work."

Her knees suddenly became weak at the mere thought of him pleasing her orally. "Why not?" She whispered against his lips.

"Why not indeed," he answered.

Meanwhile, down the hall, Marron had pinpointed her purpose for coming in.

"I think my car has been stolen!" She exclaimed, biting her fingernail and succeeding in looking quite the part of the helpless female.

"Uh…" Krillin cleared his throat.

"I'll take care of this one," #17 stepped in, taking Marron's arm and pulling her towards his office. "Just tell Piccolo and Vegeta that I'll be a few minutes late." He called back to the group over his shoulder.

"Byeee!" Marron tried to wave at the group as she was tugged towards the stairs.

"That was nice of him, especially since he can't stand her." Yamcha commented quietly.

"Piccolo and Vegeta have been called in for another case?" Goku asked.

"Yeah," #18 answered back. "There's supposed to be even more bodies than last time, or so I've heard." She winced.

At the mention of bodies, Chi Chi gripped Goku's arm tightly and shivered. She wasn't sure what exactly they were discussing but it didn't sound nice. Whatever it was, she was glad Goku wasn't involved.

"Is she gone?" Piccolo skulked behind Chi Chi and looked around the hall.

"#17 took her down to his office to file a report," Yamcha told Piccolo who stood up straight at the news, brushed his suit off and fixed his tie.

"Where's Vegeta?" Piccolo asked the group. "We have to leave soon."

Goku pointed down the hall in the last direction he had seen Vegeta march off. Piccolo nodded as he took note that Bulma had also disappeared. He reached over and grabbed Goku's portable and spoke into the device.

"12X to 20," Piccolo sounded after depressing the button, "I'll be in the car," he finished, not waiting for Vegeta to respond. He had a feeling that he didn't want to know where the two were. He grumbled as he walked off, coat in one hand, keys in the other.

*****

"That smells worse than the last one!" Pilaf complained as he sniffed at the latest batch of sauce. Dirty pots and pans dotted the kitchen landscape, which in turn was dotted by globs and splotches of tomato paste and other various canned goods.

"Well, if you can do better, be my guest!" Garlic Jr. spat back. He was trying his best to stir the huge pot while precariously perched atop a stepladder.

The two bosses had been arguing for weeks. While Garlic Jr. was a better planner, Pilaf was the better cook. They had successfully worked the recipe for it's addictive properties. The real trick of it was to get the correct mixture for the mind control.

"Where did you get this stuff?" Pilaf asked his partner suspiciously as he eyed a small, black bottle with no label.

"Some man down in the village," Garlic Jr. replied. "He gave me a very good price."

Pilaf rolled his eyes. This was never going to work.

"And it was his last bottle," Garlic Jr. added.

"It smells like dirt," Pilaf complained. "You can't actually believe that it will work." He stated this time after sniffing at the sauce bubbling in the pot and recoiling. "I take that back. It smells more like tar."

"Quit your crying and hand me that spoon will you?"

Pilaf grumbled and did as he was told. Garlic Jr. stirred the sauce once more and dipped his spoon in. He then blew at the mixture to cool it off and turned to a small cage sitting in the corner of the room.

"Time to test this out," his eyes lit up in excitement. "And make sure you write the ingredients down this time!"

He scribbled something down on the paper while a small kitten was taken out of the cage in the corner. Garlic Jr. held the spoon up for the kitten and the small, fuzzy creature sniffed at the sticky substance offered. It sneezed and its little pink nose touched the tip of the spoon, smearing some of the dark sauce onto it. The kitten's tongue quickly darted out of its mouth, licking up the paste and jumping out of Garlic Jr.'s grasp.

"He's done it!" Garlic Jr. exclaimed. "Now to test its effectiveness!"

Pilaf snorted and gave Garlic Jr. a dirty look. He was beginning to detect something not quite normal about the man he had been partners with for a little over 3 years now. They had been working towards the same goal with little progress since day one. The only success they had was a failure, when Garlic succeeded in making a large crowd of small children pee in their pants instead of obeying him. It had all started with the simple goal of immortality. Nothing fancy. Then it became world domination. That was all well and good. But that wasn't enough. Now he wanted to rule the world by mind control through fresh food and fine ingredients and then move into the frozen food arena where he could not only sell boxed pizzas, but ice cream, waffles and then beer. That was crazy! Things had seemed so much better when they had kept the plan simple. Pilaf had been thinking a lot lately that maybe, just maybe, he really was just meant to be a humble pizza man. He enjoyed the work. They had been very successful so far, thanks to the addiction factor, and they were making an awful lot of money. It was time to face the facts.

"Come here, kitty!" Garlic Jr. demanded to the small animal, ignoring the silence and faraway look on Pilaf's face.

The small kitten licked its little whiskers and watched Garlic Jr.'s fingers tap on the floor, running directly at the wiggly play things.

"He came! He obeyed!" Garlic Jr. howled in triumph. "It worked!" He spun, holding the little kitty next to his cheek as he danced in circles about the room. The top of his head was barely visible as he moved in-between the counters with his furry friend. When he had made the full circuit he stopped in front of his partner and smiled a broad, evil smile. "It's time!" He breathed excitedly.

Pilaf watched him for a few seconds before making his reply. "Yes, it certainly is time…time we had a little talk."

*****

The snow was falling steadily across the city, giving it a clean appearance for a short time before the mud, dust and sewage had a chance to seep through. Inside a small, quaint, and most importantly warm café, Ox and Captain Roshi sat waiting for their lunchtime engagement.

"We really need to crack down on more of those clubs," Captain Roshi stated to the Commissioner as he sat at the table, thumbing through the morning paper.

"Most of those establishments aren't actually breaking any laws. We can't touch them." Ox replied to Roshi's comment.

"How do we know? I am still in favor of that task force. Maybe some kind of undercover action to scope the places out. Especially after some of those missing person cases." Roshi pointed out.

"I have one of the Captains from the 16th working on it now." The Commissioner responded.

"I'm always willing to help out in any way I can," Roshi wiggled his eyebrows.

"Well, we may need some of your man power, if you catch my drift."

"Sure!" Captain Roshi exclaimed. "I'd be willing to get my badge out and polished…"

"I didn't mean you personally," Ox chuckled and frowned, interrupting the old man's fantasy of prowling the dark underworld of sex clubs in the city. There was no doubt that Roshi would do a thorough investigation. That's exactly what worried a few of the top officials, Ox included.

Roshi's face fell as he registered what the Commissioner was getting at. He sighed and decided to drop the subject for now, taking a sip of his coffee and flipping the next page to look at some underwear advertisements for sales coming up during the cold winter season. As he was browsing, the table began to shake, spilling a few drops of Ox's full coffee onto the blue and white checkered tablecloth.

Captain Roshi looked down his nose through his dark bifocals at the Commissioner, who was nervously picking at his fingernails and trying hard to stare out of the window past the blinding white-outs of snow swirling about outside. He cleared his throat a few times before Ox's gaze snapped back and settled on him. The shaking of the table stopped shortly after that.

"Nervous about something?" Roshi ventured.

"Chi Chi should be here for lunch," Ox eyed the door as the table shook again.

"So? What's there to be nervous about?"

"She said she's bringing a friend for me to meet."

"How young is she?" Roshi nudged Ox, "is she pretty? Is she single? Does she like older, more distinguished, men?" He continued, voice rising as he became more excited.

A bell chimed crisply as the door to the café opened and closed, allowing in a rush of frigid air. A figure stood in front of the door, bundled up in winter attire, stamping their boots on the large mat in front of the door. As they began to peel away layers of warm clothing, the figure was revealed as a pretty, young woman, with long black hair, smiling face and rosy cheeks. She spotted her father immediately and made her way to the table.

"Hello daddy," she greeted him and pecked him on the cheek before pulling her chair out, making sure to nod at Roshi as well.

"Where's your date?" Ox asked a little meekly. He peered over her shoulder, a little nervous at who would walk through the door. He always knew that his little girl would grow up someday, and he knew that she had dated before, but he had never had the chance to meet any of them. His work had a bad habit of pulling him away from previous engagements that had been planned involving the first time meeting of his daughter's dates. He was always a little scared at who she might end up bringing home. What if her new interest was a dancer? Did that mean he would have to take an interest in the ballet? Or worse yet, what if he was a dentist? He hated dentists!

"He dropped me off. He's parking the car. He could have just kept it out front, but he didn't want to block the way or take a space that other people who maybe couldn't walk as far might be able to use." She explained as she remained standing, trying to read the daily specials off of the board.

"He's a little nervous," Roshi interjected unenthusiastically, his eyes glued to the lithe lingerie model printed in black and white.

"Nervous?" She questioned. "Why?"

Ox gave her a weak smile and gulped down the butterflies attempting to break free from his stomach, not hearing the bell chime as the door opened and closed once more. "What if this guy is a real jerk?"

She frowned at him and put her hands on her hips.

"What if this guy is the cheating type?" He asked her this time. "What if this guy is…"

"Hi Chi," Goku walked up behind her as she turned slightly to greet him. He placed his hands on her hips as he bent down and placed a chaste peck on her cheek.

"Goku…?" Ox finished his statement, very surprised at the scene that had just taken place. How could this be? He knew Goku. Quite well. He liked Goku. Quite well. He was the type of guy you could trust in a pinch. He was the type of guy that almost always did the right thing. And he was the type of guy that was stronger than anyone else in the known universe.

Captain Roshi shrugged and turned to the next page of his newspaper. He had known the whole time that Chi Chi was dating Goku. Ox could've just asked him instead of getting all hot and bothered.

On the other side of the table Ox grinned at the tall, young officer still holding his daughter. He stood up and offered his hand to the smiling Saiyan, very pleased that he wouldn't have to go out and see a ballet anytime soon.

*****

She sat in the backseat of the patrol car staring into her compact pretending to powder her nose. Her knees were still shaking from the ten-minute quickie Vegeta treated her to on Piccolo's desk. In the front seat, on the other side of the thick, transparent, plastic screen, Vegeta and Piccolo mumbled to each other about aspects of the case they were about to work on. When they pulled up to the curb at the Central Precinct, Vegeta got out and opened the back door for Bulma.

"Will you walk me in?" She asked quietly as he shut the door. She stood very close to him, pulling her coat tighter and letting his body block the icy wind blowing down the street.

He regarded her for a moment before rapping on the car window, holding his open hand against the glass, informing Piccolo he'd be five minutes.

They entered the large building without uttering a word and continued down the hallways in amiable silence. When they reached her new lab she didn't want to go in. More importantly, she didn't want him to leave. Nothing had really changed between them but she had the sinking feeling that once she stepped through that doorway, things would.

He opened the door and ushered her inside, peering around, making sure that they were alone before closing the door.

"Will you be over tonight?" She asked trying not to sound so small.

"Of course," he looked down at her as he took her hands in his and wrapped them around his waist. "We have something important to discuss."

"We do?" She looked hopeful.

"Yes," he answered, kissing her forehead. "Your locks."

"My locks?" She pulled away from him slightly without breaking the embrace. He was being unusually tender with her this afternoon and she didn't want to ruin the moment.

"You need a better security system, woman." He frowned. He was a little disturbed by the rash of mass mutilations taking place in the city recently. While he didn't think she was in immediate danger, he wasn't willing to take the chance.

She snuggled back into him, squeezing her eyes shut and biting her lip nervously. For some reason, she figured it was now or never. It was something she felt she needed to say, and something she felt he needed to know.

"I love you, Vegeta."

She felt him stiffen slightly, but his overall stance didn't waiver. She was beginning to get a little nervous as time dragged on in silence. That feeling of uncertainty intensified and her heart began to race as she considered the thought that perhaps she had made some kind of irreparable mistake. A tear rolled down her cheek but she didn't move a millimeter, too scared of what he might do, if he might push her away. She released a sigh when she felt his arms tighten around her and his lips once more brush against her forehead.

"We will talk later woman," he finally stated softly. And with that he was gone.

*****

"Italian?" He questioned as he pushed the cart down the aisle of the brightly lit market. Several displays of colorful cookie packages caught his eye. The temptation was too much as he quickly made a grab at one of the foiled boxes, not caring what the other man would say.

"Over done," Raditz commented on Yamcha's dinner suggestion, eyeing him suspiciously as the large box of treats was plopped into the cart. He turned and continued walking down the aisle ahead of Yamcha and the cart, smiling at the shorter man's actions. He could almost sense the human's hesitation at taking the box, and he thought it was rather cute. He was glad though, since he didn't usually pick up such things for himself, and he really liked cookies.

"Greek?" Yamcha suggested this time as they rounded the corner passing by shelves and shelves of olives and relish.

"You have to marinate that, don't you?" Raditz pointed out as he wrinkled his nose. He liked Greek cuisine well enough, but he wasn't in the mood to wait that long for the meal to be prepared. It was already late afternoon and by the time they got back to his place it would definitely be dinner time.

Yamcha rolled his eyes at the larger man. He was trying his best to be helpful but Raditz always seemed to be in a mood when he was getting hungry. Yamcha had playfully nicknamed him `The Stomach' and the name somehow fit, since he seemed to eat just as much, if not more than Goku. How the man ever seemed to keep enough food in his apartment was a mystery.

"Chinese?" Raditz asked with a half sigh. He wasn't really in the mood for it, but he knew it was Yamcha's favorite.

"We still have some in the fridge from last night," Yamcha stated as he picked up a package of meat spices and pondered some recipe ideas.

Raditz shot him a dubious look at the mere suggestion that perfectly good food would be left sitting in his fridge for more than 24 hours.

"Right," Yamcha nodded, "how very silly of me."

They made their way down another aisle, headed straight for the meat section. Halfway down, a very attractive woman was bending down to pick up a small bag of rice. Both men watched her intently as they walked past, casting knowing smiles at each other when the spectacle was over. When they continued walking, Raditz's attention was drawn to a small display for some type of cracker, whose spokesperson just happened to be a fuzzy, little monkey. He sighed as he stood there, looking just a little bit sad as he came to a dead halt.

Yamcha looked from the crackers to his man and the forlorn look on his face.

"If you want to get some, we have plenty of room in the cart," he spoke softly, not knowing just what was the matter.

"I really miss my tail," Raditz stated softly. "Did I ever mention that?"

Tail? Yamcha thought looking at Raditz's well toned backside.

Raditz seemed to think for a minute before he continued on, "we all had one before we came here." He made another brief pause. "Have you ever gotten really drunk, and then done something that you look back on as really stupid?"

"Haven't we all?" Yamcha chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

"I suppose it was for the best really. It's allowed us to fit in a lot easier." Raditz stated more for himself than for the other man. He knew he had that dreamy far away look as he stared at the happy, playful monkey, grinning and shoving crackers into his puffy cheeks. For the first time in his life, he realized just how some of the other races must've felt as he had purged their homeworlds. Fucking monkey.

He heard Yamcha shift behind him as he pushed the cart towards the huge freezers full of meat, and a long deli style counter where fresh specimens were cased in ice or with other mouth watering morsels of tender flesh. Well, he wasn't going to mope about it. And he was glad that Yamcha had moved on and allowed him something akin to a moment of silence.

"How about Tex-Mex?" Yamcha suggested when Raditz appeared beside him, browsing through the packages of tripe.

There was a brief pause as one thick eyebrow was raised in question. "There's a lot of meat involved in that?"

"Yup," Yamcha replied, picking up and inspecting a five pound packaged block of ground round.

"Better get a few more then," Raditz smirked and pinched his adorable, little man's cheek, "I'm hungry."

*****

"Just humor me." Piccolo grumbled to the two Saiyans standing on the practice mat in front of him. He had just watched them inhale three pizzas each and he was curious to see if his suspicions were correct.

Goku shrugged and powered up, the air crackling and swirling around him as the energy sizzled through his body. Vegeta, not wanting to be outdone, did likewise.

"Now, what do you sense?" Piccolo asked the both of them, perceiving the mass amount of energy emitted from the pair. They were nowhere near full power, as everyone present knew that power of that magnitude would literally rip the building apart.

"I sense that Kakarott is scared," Vegeta snickered.

"I don't sense anything at all," Goku shrugged, looking straight at his partner.

Krillin's eyes were the size of pasta platters. "Are you guys kidding?" He stated in disbelief. "If I had hair, it would be standing on end!"

"Don't flatter yourself, baldy." Vegeta huffed. "What is the point of all this, Namek?"

"You and Goku have both eaten that pizza that you all like so much," Piccolo stated without much surprise. "Krillin hasn't had a morsel of it for at least a week at my request. And I do not eat." He made a face. "Do you remember that day at the warehouse? When you all could sense no ki present, just before you were all blown up by a powerful ki blast?"

Vegeta snarled at the memory while Goku nodded, concern etching it's presence across his brow.

"It's the pizza, I am sure of it." Piccolo finally stated as he looked at the empty pizza boxes with disdain. He didn't like this one bit. Whatever it was in that pizza, if it could do this to them, he couldn't imagine what it might be capable of doing to normal people. The night at the concert hall came to the forefront of his mind when he suddenly heard Vegeta snarl.

"So what you're saying is that this pizza is capable of getting rid of Kakarott's irritating ki signature?"

"No," Piccolo replied. "It masks it. It dampens your ability to sense him. Very dangerous indeed."

Vegeta didn't want to hear this. He was tired. And he wanted to get home.

"Well, that's all I really needed out of you two, and you Krillin." Piccolo grumbled. "I have a few more things to test before I am sure. You guys get going. I have to get back to work."

The three watched Piccolo as he gathered the boxes and made his way quickly from the practice room. Goku and Vegeta both powered down, Vegeta shooting a dirty look at Goku who stuck his tongue out at the older man. Krillin just scratched his head and shrugged, thinking that while Piccolo had stumbled onto something rather strange, he still had way too much free time on his hands.

*****

She drummed her fingers on the countertop as she waited for her doorbell to ring. Vegeta had said he would be over tonight and it was already past 8 o'clock. She frowned thinking that maybe he was blowing her off, especially after she had made her confession to him earlier that afternoon. She sighed and checked the clock again, getting a little warm in her winter clothes. She had planned to force him to take a walk with her in the park, and enjoy the massive amounts of snow that had fallen in the past two days. She almost fell off of the small stool she was seated on when she finally heard what she had been waiting for.

She grabbed a small bundle and an extra scarf as she bounded down the stairs smiling broadly. She threw open the heavy door and leapt into the arms of the man on her doorstep, kissing him roughly and catching him off guard.

Vegeta grabbed at the body that was launched at him from the doorway, thankful that he had decent footing, otherwise he would have fallen backwards down the steps. He moaned slightly at her taste, and also at the enthusiasm she showed as she jumped him. He was starting to relax more into her kiss when he felt her shift in his arms and pull away, trying to drop to the ground. He wasn't about to let that happen.

"Vegeta!" She giggled. "Put me down!"

He grinned at her and moved in to nuzzle her neck.

"Vegeta!" She giggled again. "I wanted to go for a walk in the park!"

He stopped his advances and allowed her body to slide down his to the cold concrete. "Are you saying that your fat ass needs some exercise?" He teased.

She removed her hands from around his neck and reached around to rest her hand on his rump, pinching him aggressively. "If you walk your fat ass with mine, I'll give you some exercise later you're sure to enjoy." She whispered seductively against his lips.

"Which park?" His gruff voice answered.

*****

"Stop the cab!" Goku shouted as he spotted two familiar figures walking down a relatively quiet side street moving towards the park entrance. The car skidded to a halt and he paid the cabby, grabbing Chi Chi's hand before she had a chance to figure out what had just happened. Snow was falling lightly as he took hold of her long scarf and wrapped it around her neck, circling her chin, then around her lips, bundling her up against the cold. It also served to muffle her enraged protests as to why she had been pulled out of their cab at such short notice.

He looked back down the side street towards the park entrance, taking her hand once again and running down to where the gates stood open. Peering down the path, he caught sight of his quarry with ease. When he looked back at a panting Chi Chi he grinned and held his finger up to his lips indicating that she keep quiet.

"Looks like Vegeta and Bulma are taking a night stroll," he informed her as he bent down to scoop a handful of good packing snow, bunching it up into a perfectly round ball. "And right now, Vegeta can't sense anyone." He continued to grin.

Chi Chi giggled and he took her hand once again before lifting them both slightly off of the ground, making their way down the path towards the unsuspecting pair.

*****

They walked through the park in silence, the dark trees sheltering the air and creating a tranquil stillness to the otherwise normally busy city surrounding it. It was snowing again and Bulma was pleased to think that they'd get maybe another few inches of snow to add to the three feet they already had on the ground. She hugged Vegeta's arm as they walked, since he wasn't in the mood to take his hands out of his pockets. She tilted her head back, reveling in the feeling of the tiny, cool, sparkling, ice crystals sticking to her eyelashes.

The path turned, winding its way over a small footbridge, then continued through a dense patch of trees, coming to what would be considered a small glade, complete with a bench, lamppost and garbage can. The surrounding trees stood starkly against the white wonderland of the park, their branches outlined by a dusting of powder, their darkness intensified by the soft glow of the lamppost reflected by the snow cover that glimmered a multitude of hues in the quiet of the bitter cold evening.

She sighed deeply and stopped in the middle of the path. She gazed at the glittering landscape and then up at the sky and the stars, which always seemed a little more crisp in the wintertime, although the lights of the city always managed to spoil the view.

Vegeta stopped when he felt her light frame tug at his arm as she halted. He looked around them at that point, taking in the winter scenery for the first time that evening. He really hadn't been paying much attention. He was doing a lot of thinking during this little walk the woman wanted to take, and that's all he seemed to be thinking about. The woman. The little, human female that seemed to have thrown his whole life into one big giant roundabout with no exit in sight. But the thing was, he didn't feel trapped. She wasn't suffocating and she allowed him plenty of space. They maintained their own separate lives, each having their own agenda.

And that was another thing. His agenda. It had changed drastically since he had made planetfall on this miserable little ball of dirt and filth. All he had ever wanted was revenge on Frieza. Then, he had dreamed of universal rule. But the more he had thought about that, the more he realized that universal rule was a lot like being a prisoner. Like it or not, he had been raised to be a king, master of peoples, and he knew from experience that it was a lot of work and a lot of bullshit he really wasn't willing to put up with. Since his planet had perished and the lizard tyrant had died, he came here with the others.

He had mellowed out a lot in such a short time. He supposed it came along with the realization that life goes on. Adapt or fester. He had certainly adapted. And then came the woman. Ah yes, the woman. She was everything he wasn't, and she was everything he'd always dreamed a woman should be. Perhaps a little louder, but he was willing to put up with that. He still hated her for making him feel the way he did about her. He was having some problems dealing with that, especially when she told him that she loved him. He knew what she wanted him to say, but he just couldn't do it. He knew he held affection for her, it was what he supposed was love, but he just couldn't bring himself to let that slide by his lips. Yet, he wanted her to know, sort of. On the whole he was happy and she was a big part of the reason.

"Did you eat dinner?" Bulma whispered softly.

This caused him to frown. Here he was, thinking what could only be considered romantic thoughts, and she was thinking about his stomach? He was flattered.

"Are you suggesting I eat your hideous cooking, woman?" He asked.

"You're an asshole!" She pushed him away. "If you don't like it, then you don't have to eat it!"
"Woman," he murmured as he enclosed her soft body in his arms, "I did not say I didn't like it…" he trailed off, bringing his lips down to hers.

THUD!

Vegeta growled as he brought his hand up to his eye where a rather large snowball had made contact, wiping away the resulting residual slush. Beside him, he heard Bulma giggle with delight, and an all too familiar hoot of laughter somewhere off near the trees.

"Kakarott!" Vegeta yelled as he powered up slightly and grabbed his own frozen projectile. He launched it straight at Goku who was too busy laughing in triumph to see it coming.

OMPH!

Vegeta's aim was right on as the icy slosh pelted Goku's neck, running down the inside of his jacket, leaving a small red welt on his flesh. He more or less chuckled a protest, much to Vegeta's displeasure, forcing the Saiyan prince to target a well meaning punch straight at Goku's nose as he flew towards him.

"Eek!" Bulma's shout rang out in the crisp evening air.

Vegeta halted his attack in mid air as he turned his head in a slight panic as he saw Bulma fall to the ground, head covered in snow. He snarled and shot towards her, almost desperate to see that nothing serious had befallen her. Turning his back on Goku, however, proved to be a bad idea as the other Saiyan powered up a little as well, throwing his body towards Vegeta's retreating form. He managed to establish a solid hold on Vegeta's knees as they both plowed headfirst into a snow drift.

Chi Chi fell down laughing into the deep snow as Bulma sat in the middle of the path giggling. She was impressed with her own ability to hit the blue haired woman so accurately from such a distance. Bulma, on the other hand, could only giggle. Although she had been hit with a blast from the other woman, the look on Vegeta's face when he'd been smacked in the face with that ice ball was priceless. She shrieked again and continued to giggle while Chi Chi continued to throw snowballs at her as she sat on the path.

Vegeta was furious. He cursed in his native tongue as he pulled himself out of the enormous snowdrift he'd so rudely been hammered into. Shaking his head, throwing clumps of snow this way and that, he continued his tirade, surrounded by the sound of laughter. Goku lay on his side in the snow next to where Vegeta was standing, and the older Saiyan was not about to pass up a retaliatory opportunity.

He kicked him in the ribs. Hard. Goku grunted as Vegeta's foot drove into his abdomen, but after the initial `oomph' he continued laughing. Vegeta didn't mind much, he was feeling better at the thought of at least landing a hit at Goku's expense. His attention soon focused on the other giggling taking place near the path. Narrowing his eyes and scowling, he scooped up some of the cold, white cover and launched two bombs at the two unsuspecting victims. He snickered at the resulting squeals of protest and wiped his hands together, feeling even better by this time.

"Now Kakarott," he announced, looking down his nose at the laughing warrior in the snowdrift, "prepare to have your ass…"

The snow was pretty deep, but he hadn't been paying attention. He fell face first into the same drift he had just pulled himself out of as he felt a body settle on top of his. His scowl deepened but the growl died in his throat when he felt hands tug at the back of his pants, and something wet and very, very cold slide down them, settling in the crack of his ass. He didn't shout or snarl or make any other noise. He simply flipped over, rolling the person on top of him under him. The arrogant look was wiped clean off of his face however, as his dark eyes bored into a pair almost as dark as his own.

Chi Chi's heart was pounding wildly as she looked up at Vegeta's dark expression. She knew about his violent nature but she just couldn't pass up shoving snow down his pants. It was all in fun.

Bulma was trying to trailblaze through the snow and not having an easy go of it, being so deep. She felt a pang of jealousy as she watched Vegeta hover over another woman, but she did her best to dismiss it as she rationalized that she would have done the same thing had it been Goku and she had been the one close enough.

"Hey Vegeta!" Bulma tried to draw his attention her way, lobbing a ball of snow at the same time. His head swiveled and her shot smacked him straight in the face. He wasted no time in dumping Chi Chi into the snowdrift then springing directly towards Bulma, tackling her easily with a growl, bringing her down heavily in to the soft snow. She was breathing heavily as she looked up at him, thankful that this time it was her underneath him. She let out a tiny giggle at his expression, and also at the fact that his dark eyebrows were dusted with snow.

"Uh…I take it this isn't an emergency?" A nervous question was raised somewhere above and to the left of the trees.

"Is this a private party?" A female voice asked this time, not sounding nearly as nervous.

"Funny, I was going to ask the same thing," Another male voice asked from the opposite edge of the glade from where the other voices appeared.

"They look so cute, I hate to interrupt," another voice added, chuckling at the scene before him.

Krillin looked at the four people covered in snow and then across the open area to where Yamcha and Raditz hovered near the trees. They had obviously all felt the power surge of Vegeta and Goku's ki signatures, and they had all responded, not knowing if the two were actually trying to kill each other again. The pair were quite strong, and they would often spar, everyone knew. But the amount of energy they had just unleashed not less than five minutes ago during their initial power-ups was enough to make more than a few people nervous.

Goku started laughing harder and scooped up some more snow, tossing rockets towards all four newcomers with positive results. Raditz was hit in the chest while Yamcha took a shot directly in the face, cold snow working it's way slightly up his nose. #18 snarled as Goku's shot connected with her shoulder. Krillin wasn't so lucky. He took a shot of snow directly in the crotch.

The ensuing snow battle was lighthearted in many respects, but not very pretty in others. It was a massive free for all, complete with full contact tackles. It was clear even before the exchange began that those who could fly held the clear advantage. Bulma and Chi Chi were forced to fight from the path, or suffer the clear disadvantage of immobility in the deep snow. They also resolved to not attack each other, seeing that they had a hard enough time keeping up with everyone else. Vegeta and Goku had paired up from the beginning, half sparring and half snowball throwing. Yamcha was taking on Krillin and in turn the two of them were being slapped around by #18, who seemed to be enjoying herself thoroughly at their grunts and chuckles. Raditz gave no quarter to the ladies. After helping Krillin and Yamcha with #18, he scanned the area to find Chi Chi and Bulma hiding out behind the small bench on the path. He plowed through the massive drifts and cornered both women, throwing them into the deep snow, and pounced after them, tickling Bulma while Chi Chi jumped on his back laughing and trying to help her friend.

By the time things had settled down, everyone just lay in the snow looking up at the sky, chuckling every so often. And that's when the cold set in. #18 cuddled up to Krillin before he took her hand and they said their good-byes for the night. Chi Chi collected Goku from the pile of snow he had crashed in and said goodnight as they wandered back the way they had come to catch a cab home. Yamcha pulled Raditz out of another bank of snow, his long hair matted with crumbs of snow and crispy with the cold. When Raditz began to pinch Yamcha's behind, the two blasted off into the night sky in a playful chase.

Vegeta sat up after everyone else had left and crawled over to where Bulma lay in the snow. She smiled up at him as he settled his weight on top of her. He looked down at her with his usual scowl, his intense gaze unwavering. When he brought his lips down to hers, he kissed her deeply, sliding his hot tongue into her mouth.

She sighed and wrapped her arms around him tightly. Despite him being out in the cold and extremely wet from the snowball fight, he was nice and warm. She was enjoying his heated kiss when suddenly her eyes shot open in surprise as she felt something cold and wet slide down her pants. She shrieked an outraged protest into his mouth and when he pulled away she was breathing heavily, swatting and kicking at him, her bright blue eyes flashing in anger.

"Not so damn funny when its you, is it woman?" He sneered.

"You son of a bitch!" She cried, slapping him across the face.

He didn't budge an inch even though she slapped him with all her strength. He only grinned down at her and snickered.

"Nonsense. Consider it payback for that hit you scored on me." He arrogantly replied. "Did you think I'd simply overlook that?"

She looked up at him, willing tears into her eyes as she pouted, knowing full well he hated to see her cry. "No," she managed out finally as a tear rolled down her cheek. She looked up again as she felt the little drop slide over her skin, noticing a look of panic grace his features momentarily. The prick!

"No tears, little one." He stated simply as he wiped the tear from her face. "We have to get you home and out of those wet clothes as soon as possible."

She nodded her head in agreement as she sniffed. "Maybe a nice warm bath and some hot cocoa?" She offered up with a pout.

This time he was the one to nod in agreement as he silently seethed at himself for being so weak. He had wanted to punish her for getting the best of him with that damn snowball, and here he was like putty in her hands. She had turned him into a giant mushball, but as he looked down at her one last time before pulling her up and into his arms, he couldn't help but think about how good it felt.

"I lo…"

He interrupted her with his lips on hers once again, picking her up without breaking the kiss as the snow continued to fall over the city. He wanted to get her home and warm as soon as possible. His mind raced as the snow crunched under his feet and she rested her head against his shoulder. He wanted to do the right thing, the honorable thing. He wanted to tell her the truth.

She snuggled into him, smiling as she closed her eyes, soaking in the warmth from his body. She wiggled her feet as he walked, and she sighed deeply, almost missing the mumbled statement she couldn't believe she was hearing.

"Woman, your cooking truly is hideous. Perhaps I should make the hot chocolate?"

*****

Whew! That one didn't come easy. Thanks to W-Chan who did my last minute proofread. Yes, its been unaltered since that time. The files are still messed, so I'll aim for a chapter a day, until its all posted. Don't worry, its getting there so you won't have to put up with me much longer. And if you'd like to make a comment, feel free. Until next chapter…