Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Butterflies & Hurricanes ❯ Chapter 3
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Froglady15 
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Drama / Hentai / Romance / Suspense / Angst | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 01.16.2016 | Pages: 16 | Words: 10.3K | Visits: 407 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Drama / Hentai / Romance / Suspense / Angst | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 01.16.2016 | Pages: 16 | Words: 10.3K | Visits: 407 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Just my Husband,
laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon
Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm
just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.
Butterflies and Hurricanes
Chapter 3
Vegeta returned to their home mid-afternoon in a foul mood.
“What is it?” Bulma asked him as he stormed into the house and across the kitchen without a word of greeting or acknowledgement. She had begun to worry a while ago when he had not returned in a few hours like he had said he would. He had been gone most of the day.
“We will discuss it later on with Kakarott and his mate.” He said simply, heading up the stairs.
Bulma frowned and shot an odd look at his retreating form as he headed up the stairs. “Mum, can you watch Trunks for me?”
“Of course, Sweetie!” Bunny said. “Are Chi-Chi and her husband coming over for dinner or are we going over there?”
“I don’t know,” Bulma answered. “I’ll find out. Just assume they’re coming here,”
“Alright, dear.”
Bulma made it up the stairs and into their bedroom to find Vegeta rummaging through their things and packing everything. “What’s wrong?”
“We leave tomorrow,” he replied, not stopping to look at her.
“Wait!” she said, walking up to him and placing a hand on his arm. “What’s going on? What did Piccolo say?”
“There is a war brewing between my father and Cold, and my father has sent scouts out to look for you,” he said, pausing for a moment. “The Namek has turned them away twice now, advising them that we are not here and that there is no need for them to search the planet. However, that will only stave them off for so long before they insist on searching the planet themselves.
“We must leave immediately,” he said, continuing to pack their belongings. “There will be a ship available tomorrow morning, first thing.”
“Alright,” she said quietly, absorbing what he had just told her. She agreed with him that if his father had sent scouts out to look for them that staying here would be the worst idea. She had come to love this place as her home and did not want anything to happen to it. “Are we going to Vegeta-sei?”
He stopped for a moment in thought before nodding. “Yes. I do not think it is the safest place, but if my father wants us, then we shall go to him. I will not be leaving you here to be discovered and I do not know anywhere else safe for you to stay. On Vegeta-sei I will be able to keep watch over you and Trunks.”
Bulma nodded, relieved that he was still planning on bringing them with him. “Have you talked to Kakarott yet?”
“No,” he shook his head. “I simply told him to bring his mate and child over later on. We will discuss it at length then.”
Bulma watched him as he continued to chuck things in a travel bag almost frantically. He was clearly shaken up and this frightened her to her core that he was that visibly shaken up. “Are they coming here now?”
“I do not know,” he said, zipping up the bag and tossing it to the floor before grabbing another from the closet and beginning to pack it. “How many capsules do you have?”
“I have lots,” she said still watching him. “What did Piccolo tell you?” she asked again.
“Nothing.” He said elusively.
“Vegeta! What did he say?” she demanded. “You said this morning that we would be leaving soon; that was hours ago. Now you come back home in a mad panic, packing everything in a hurry and tell me that we have to leave tomorrow; I deserve an explanation.”
“Woman, just trust me,” he sighed irritably. “I will fill you in later on. Just get the child’s things together. We leave tomorrow.”
She continued to look at him a long moment, trying to pick up on anything through their bond but could not. She was about to ask him again when he abruptly stopped what he was doing and glared at her. “I am not screwing around,” he said quietly.
“Obviously,” she nodded.
“Then why are you standing there staring at me like I am an idiot?” he asked irritably. “Do you think this is a joke?”
“No,” she said. “I just wish you would tell me what’s going on! Is that such an unreasonable request? You’re scaring me, Vegeta.”
“Obviously not enough that you are still standing there.”
“Just tell me,”
“Fine,” he said, exhaling heavily through his nose. “My father has sent out soldiers to find us. He wants me to return home immediately and he wants you as well. More than likely thinking that if he has you, I will follow.
“The Namek has assured them that he has never seen or met either of us. That explanation worked the first time a few months ago, he said. At the time it was an easy thing for him to brush off, as we were both off planet anyway and he was unsure of our plans if we would be returning or not,” Vegeta explained to her, having calmed down somewhat. “Last night he was contacted again, not only by my father’s soldiers but from King Cold’s soldiers as well. I am wanted for the assassination of Frieza. His father, King Cold, requests a blood debt to be paid or else both planets will be going to war. Not only that, but if they catch wind that we are here and that the Namek has lied, they will destroy this place.
“My father’s soldiers accepted his plea that we are not here but did warn him that they have been ordered by my father and have warrant to search every corner of the galaxy,” he continued. “Believe me, we do not want that.”
“Wow,” Bulma murmured, sitting on the side of their bed. “Things just got serious real fast, huh. Was Piccolo pissed?”
Vegeta shook his head. “Not so much pissed as he is concerned for the safety and wellbeing of this planet. He did not have to ask me to leave. He only informed me of the situation. I told him we would leave immediately so as to not put anyone else at risk.”
Bulma nodded, unsure of what to say. Suddenly Vegeta’s franticness now made perfect sense to her. “What do you mean that King Cold requests a blood debt to be repaid? Does that mean what I think it means?”
Vegeta finished packing the rest of their belongings, zipped up the second bag and tossed it to the floor next to the first one before looking at her. “Yea,” he answered simply.
“You can take him on, can’t you?”
“Of course I can!” he snorted. “I am not afraid of Cold. I would face him tomorrow just to have this all over and done with, but I need to ensure your safety and the safety of the boy first before I do anything.”
She didn’t say anything for a long moment. “And how are you going to do that? It’s not safe for me to come with you. It’s not safe for me on Vegeta-sei and it is no longer safe here.”
“I do not know,” he shrugged. “I have not had a chance to work out all the angles. Once I speak with Kakarott, we will figure something out. You and Trunks will be kept safe though; I will not leave to face Cold until I am sure of your safety.”
Bulma exhaled heavily. “We’re in a lot of trouble, aren’t we?”
He nodded in reply.
She stood up and walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him towards her in a tight embrace, which he returned, wrapping his arms around her waist, holding her close. She buried her face in the crook of his neck loving the feeling of having him close to her. “We’ll figure it out,” she whispered to him against his neck.
He rested his chin on the top of her head as he let his mind race. Do not be worrying yourself silly just yet.
Oh, but you can freak out?
That is different. I have much more than just myself to worry about. I have you and the brat to worry about. I need to find someplace safe for you both so that I will not be distracted.
What about the lab?
What lab?
Bardock’s lab.
Perhaps.
What’s wrong with that? I was safe there before.
Yes that was before, when everyone thought you were just my bed slave, no one really cared. Now everyone will know that you are my mate. It will be a scandal the moment we land and you are seen and to add to that not only will you be at my side, but we had a child now as well. You will both be targets; Trunks especially.
Oh.
Exactly. Leaving you and Trunks unattended anywhere for even a moment will be a bad idea.
But Bardock would be with me at the lab.
True, but Bardock is a third class warrior only known for his mechanical genius. Not his physical strength. Should my father send his elite soldiers after you, he would not be of much use. He would protect you to the best of his ability, of that I am certain, but he could be easily overtaken if he has to deal with more than one soldier.
I’ll be bringing the dogs with us. They’ll go wherever I go.
The dogs will prove to be useless, Woman; I have told you that time and again. All it would take would be one blast and that would be that. I could take them out with the simple flick of my wrist if I so chose to.
Yea, I know that, but I made armor for them to wear. Its ki proof, remember? And not only that, they would be able to sense someone coming seconds or even minutes before they arrive. They could warn us.
Vegeta nodded in agreement as he pushed her away from him at arm’s length so that he could look at her. “I am not putting my sole faith in the ability of the dogs. I made that mistake once before and look where it got us.”
“I know,” she sighed. “But they can be of help. Any little bit will work to our advantage, right? And we have the bond. I can let you know the second something isn’t right.”
He grunted and let her go. “Pack up everything Trunks will need,” he said, leaving her and heading back downstairs. “I will be in the gravity room.”
Bulma nodded as she watched him leave and grabbed several capsules from the drawer on her bedside table. After capsulizing the things Vegeta had packed, she headed into Trunks’ room, quickly packing his clothes and supplies. She left a change of clothes for later on in the evening and left his crib set up. She would capsulize the rest tomorrow before they left.
Not knowing what else to do at the moment, she headed into her and her father’s office study room. Months ago, when she and Vegeta had gotten back together, she had begun sketching out plans for various types of defense mechanisms for herself with their eventual return to Vegeta-sei in mind. She had designed and made armor for both Aro and Danger that could withstand ki blasts. She’d come up with a few ideas for herself, but at the time had not known she was pregnant, so she had no plans for protecting an infant.
She and Vegeta had only been back to Callisto a few weeks. Instead of thinking and preparing for this, she had gotten lazy and had spent all her time fussing over Trunks and catching up with her parents and Chi-Chi and Goten. Vegeta, however, had still trained relentlessly nearly every day since they had returned. It had annoyed her to no end, but now with the current situation at hand, she appreciated him and his efforts and wished she had not slacked off in her plans. She had barely set foot into the office since they had returned. Furthermore, she had not picked up with her training in physical combat or sword play since she had left Callisto with Vegeta and birthed Trunks. She knew she would be out of shape now.
Not only that, but she was certain no one would have worked the dogs in her absence. Chi-Chi had no interest and while Kakarott may have had good intentions, she had heard Vegeta griping over his first lieutenant’s laziness in not keeping up with his own training regimen in the months they had been gone, let alone making time for the dogs. Sure they hadn’t brought the gravity room with them, but Vegeta had still worked out and meditated every single day they had been gone. She wondered how out of shape the dogs would be in with regards to their protection and obedience. As it was they were terrible for begging at the table and sitting on the couches; courtesy of her parents and their lax rules.
They needed more time. She needed time to work the dogs again; time to start planning. What had she been doing these past several months? Since Trunks birth, the infant had taken up every ounce of her thoughts and energy. She recalled briefly Vegeta mentioning that they need to begin preparing for their eventual return to Vegeta-sei, but she had foolishly dismissed him in hoping and wishing that these things wouldn’t happen and that if they did, they would have plenty of notice to prepare. She wondered if that had also been the reason for Vegeta’s emotional distance from her these past few weeks; he had been training plenty, not listening to her pleas to take a break. She remembered now the night before they had left to return to Callisto; he had mentioned that he had contacted his father. She had still been so exhausted and on medications to help her recover that she had all but forgotten that small fact. It had been since then he had been somewhat withdrawn and distant from her. She felt even more foolish for not looking more into what he and his father had discussed. Trunks had taken up all of her thoughts and concerns.
So many other things now made sense to her; his insistence on leaving her and Trunks here. She still didn’t agree with that line of thinking, but she understood it a little bit more now. She wished they had more time to get themselves organized. A week even would be helpful to her.
She shook her head at herself as she began looking through many of the plans and schematics strewn about the office. She had been so stupid to believe that just because Freiza was gone and she and Vegeta were reunited that everything would be happily ever after. She supposed a huge part of her had been hoping that fatherhood would settle Vegeta down and that he would be content on staying here rather than pursuing his father and King Cold; she had always known deep down that it would only be a matter of time before they would be put into this predicament, but was it so bad to want a few years of peace and happiness with her husband and son before jumping right back into everything that had threatened them and their union in the first place?
As she was looking through different plans and drawings, her father walked into the office. “Is there anything specific you are looking for?”
“Not really,” she answered absentmindedly as she scanned the plans of something her father had started. “Is this a solar powered generator?”
“It is,” Dr. Briefs nodded, walking over towards where she was standing. “This place is badly in need of technological advancement.”
“Yea, I know,” she said, placing his plans back down on the desk. “I was working on a few things to help out when we first got here.”
“I saw,” Dr. Briefs nodded, walking up to a shelf of binders and folders and taking one down. “I have nearly completed your plans for a central water system for the entire town. If I can manage a way to make this solar panel work here, then I believe we may be able to find a way to make it planet-wide. I am ready to start on the prototype soon. I just need a few more materials.”
“That’s good, Dad,” she said with a smile. She had no doubt that he would be able to accomplish it if they had the time. “Look, umm, I don’t know what the exact plan is here; Vegeta was really vague, but we need to get out of here.”
Dr. Briefs nodded at his daughter. “Is he taking you back to his home?”
“Yea,” she nodded. “It’s not safe here. Vegeta’s father is looking for him and so is King Cold. He feels our best bet is to make it easy and just go back to Vegeta-sei where his father is. We’ll discuss everything later on and figure out everything, but he wants to leave tomorrow.”
Dr. Briefs was silent a moment before turning away from his daughter and going back to the book shelf. He pulled out a file hidden in a binder and handed it to her. “I found these while you and Vegeta were away. I took the liberty of improving on them somewhat for you.”
“Thank you,” she said, looking through the papers. “These are the plans I had started doing up when we first got here.”
“You may find some of them helpful. However you will not be able to build any of them here; they do not have the materials or technology required to finish them here.”
“I know,” she nodded looking at one of the sketched designs her father had done. “This was the one I was looking for.”
Dr. Briefs looked at it and nodded. “It is a good idea, a plasma shield. It would be completely invisible and would envelop the entire body of whomever is wearing the mechanism. I was not sure what you had in mind, but if you could generate that kind of charge into something as small as a pendant or a ring; something discreet, I would think for both yourself and for Trunks it would offer you much protection. You could even make something for the dogs. Disguise it as a tag on their collars. No one would suspect anything.”
“That’s what I was thinking, but I wasn’t sure how to go about it,” she nodded in approval. “Plasma is strong, but how do I accomplish it? I know more or less how someone would go about making a plasma shield for like a ship, but how do I change that into something that could help protect Trunks and I?” she asked, pausing to look at the figures her father had done. “I don’t know what it is you’ve done here, but it looks good.”
“Well, as you know, *plasma is the fourth state of matter, prevalent in the interstellar medium and in stars. There are different types of plasma, which you had toyed with in the different chemical equations you had started, which were not wrong by any means, they just need to be contained within something, like a fluorescent light bulb, for example,” Dr. Briefs explained. “However, if you look into some of the lower-temperature plasmas, a good cold plasma could really help out by reflecting or absorbing energy from a microwave war weapon or possibly even a ki attack such as what Vegeta and Kakarott are capable of generating. Such plasmas are capable of shielding satellites and other spacecraft, making them invisible to radars, or the casual observer, nor will they fry electronics or melt metal. I don’t see why it could not shield an individual.”
“Alright, so how do we do it?” she asked.
“Well, the trick is to remember that cold plasmas are ambient-temperature, ionized gases, related to those found deep within the sun’s core.”
“Right,” she agreed. “But how do you make it work? From what I remember, plasma, while dense, may not be practical as a defensive shield because of destructive temperatures and high power requirements. I see how it could protect say a ship for a short period of time, but how do you get it to protect, say Trunks? Even for a ship, there’s risk of the ship potentially overheating when it repels an attack.”
“Hotter plasmas are dense, and this would be a concern.” Dr. Briefs agreed. “In theory, cold plasmas can be made denser, but like their hotter kin will demand more power. A cooler plasma could deflect a particle beam or laser attack, depending on what you’re shooting at it and how high you can tune the plasma frequency. That doesn’t mean it’s easy, particularly with a cold plasma. It’s a tough requirement to meet but I think definitely possible should you find someplace technologically advanced enough to tune it or manipulate it in such a way that you could use it to your advantage.”
“True, how do you make it compact enough that no one would know we’re wearing it, yet powerful enough to produce the necessary plasma volume to deflect an attack?”
“You would need a device that could generate an electromagnetic field about itself, much as in the case of electromagnetic defense shields. In this case, however, cold plasmas are ejected around the object; say yourself or Trunks in this case, and held in place by the magnetic fields. As the plasma itself is electrically charged, it adds to the field's strength, allowing it to obtain much greater resilience at lower power levels than magnetic fields alone. The denser the plasma in the field, the better the field will be at deflection.”
“And dense plasma shields also offer protection against beam weapons such as lasers or even ki by creating an obscuring cloud that can dissipate the beam's energy; this could work!” she said cheerfully. “I could have a few minutes to hide if there’s a cloud created as a reaction to a ki attack on me.”
“In theory, yes.” Dr. Briefs said. “It should be feasible. However, in order to achieve this, it would have to be a closed shield, which would mean that after several hits, it would need time to recharge itself so you would need to get yourself out of the situation immediately. It would buy you some time; that is all.”
“But I could let Vegeta know through the bond that we are in danger. By that time, he’d most likely be able to get to us,” she mused to herself. “What about an open shield?”
Dr. Briefs shook his head. “An open shield design would slowly but constantly bleed away plasma just from normal entropy, and any hit on the shield would deplete it that much more. Thus, open plasma shields would require constant replenishing of the plasma, which would require you be near a source at all times. However on the plus side, open shields can be deployed and dissipated rather quickly; much quicker than in a closed shield where you would need to wait for it to replenish itself.”
“Hmm, yea, a closed shield would be better,” she nodded. “Just a second though, how would we keep the plasma cold? Like if I’m hit with a ki blast and it deflects it, am I at risk of being like cooked?”
Dr. Briefs was silent a few moments as he considered that possible complication. “Possibly,”
“Right, so this isn’t such a good idea after all then, is it?”
“Give me a few hours to think on it,” he said absent mindedly. “I know there is a practical way around it. On Frieza’s ship they had plasma shields protecting the ship and some of the lower ranking soldiers wore plasma shields for protection and they were able to maintain a cool temperature at all times. When are you leaving?”
“Vegeta wants to leave tomorrow,” she said.
“Alright,” Dr. Briefs sighed, “Let me have a look and a little while to brainstorm about it. I am sure I will be able to come up with some solution before you leave.”
“Wait, you don’t want to come with us?” she asked.
He shook his head, “This planet needs help. I am more than happy to lend over my creative mind into helping them become more advanced. That young man of yours was correct in his insistence to get you out of here for your delivery of Trunks and his annoyance that there is nothing here to protect this planet from invasion. I would wish to remain here.”
“But dad,”
“It will be fine my dear.” He said confidently. “When the time is right, your mother and I will come and join you. It will be stressful enough for that poor boy in keeping an eye on you and Trunks, never mind us as well.”
She nodded, understanding his reasons, but still not liking it. “I’ll keep in touch, ok?”
He nodded and went back to his plans and paperwork. “Go and help your mother out in the kitchen and let me see what I can figure out with this.”
She smiled and gave her father a quick hug before heading downstairs to help her mother and check on Trunks.
-0-0-0-
About an hour later, there was a knock on Vegeta’s gravity room. He quickly made it over to the control panel, deactivating the gravity simulation and opened the door, which revealed Kakarott.
“Hey, Vegeta,” the younger Saiyan greeted. “How’s your training going today?”
“Fine,” he grumbled.
“So what’s up?”
“We need to leave tomorrow for Vegeta-sei. Pack up your woman and your child.”
“Tomorrow?” Kakarott asked, confused.
“Yes, tomorrow.” Vegeta repeated irritably.
“Why?”
“We will discuss it over dinner, bring your mate and child.” He said, exiting the gravity chamber.
“They’re already at the house with Bulma and her parents.”
“Good,” Vegeta nodded.
The two Saiyans exited the gravity room and headed over into the house where they were greeted by the women and the smell of a delicious feast ready to be devoured.
Everyone sat down and ate. Between Bunny and Chi-Chi the two woman had managed to make a feast big enough to satisfy two Saiyan males. They had corroborated and had decided on what they had called an “Asian” theme to tonight’s dinner. The two Saiyans had no idea what that meant, but decided it didn’t matter, as the meal was scrumptious.
Bunny had whipped up several different varieties of rolls and dumplings; some steamed, other baked. She called it “din-sum”. Some of them contained meat, others vegetables and some were of a sweeter dessert variety.
Chi-Chi had made a few different meat dishes. In each portion, the meat was cooked and seasoned with different sauces and seasonings and vegetables. Bulma had even pitched in later on in the day to help prepare another variety of rice and noodle dishes.
For the infants, they had made soup and the women did their best to feed the two hungry half-Saiyan boys whose appetites were fast rivaling that of their fathers. They objected that they were too young yet for anything other than milk, but the two men insisted that feeding them soup with ground up bits of vegetables and meat was fine for them.
In any case, it mattered little to the two Saiyan men, the meal was delicious and so all conversation of the matters at hand were put on hold until they had sampled everything on the menu and had both eaten more than their fill and were sufficiently satisfied.
As the four humans looked on in awe at the amount of food consumed by just two men, Kakarott leaned back in his chair and belched loudly. Both Vegeta and Chi-Chi glared at him.
“Sorry,” he said sheepishly with a huge, innocent grin that only he could pull off. “That was a delicious meal, thank you.”
Vegeta rolled his eyes at his first lieutenant and his horrible manners. His manners hadn’t been the only thing to suffer this past year or so he had resided on this planet.
“So, what’s the deal?” Chi-Chi asked him. “Kakarott said you spoke with Piccolo today and that you want to leave tomorrow.”
Vegeta nodded. “I do not know what your plans as a couple are; if you wish to remain here or go to Vegeta-sei and continue life there,” he started, looking at both Kakarott and Chi-Chi. Their plans seemed to change every time they discussed it. Chi-Chi wanted to stay here, Kakarott wanted to return to Vegeta-sei and to his family but bring both Chi-Chi and Goten with him. While Chi-Chi did not want to leave, she didn’t want to be left behind either. “Regardless of your decision, Bulma, Trunks and myself will be departing tomorrow morning for Vegeta-sei. Discuss it between the two of you tonight. You may both accompany us or you may remain here. I would prefer that you, Kakarott, return with us. You are still my First Lieutenant; however you also have a family of your own to consider, should you decide to remain here, I will understand. I do not know what the situation on Vegeta-sei is other than there is a war brewing between my father and King Cold.
“The same goes for you,” he said, addressing Dr. Briefs and his wife. “Should you return with us, I will ensure you a position in our science and technology department. Kakarott’s own father runs that department and would gladly welcome you. You and your mate shall be provided for; she may find employment in the palace kitchen along with Kakarott’s mate, should they wish it. It not, other suitable arrangements will arranged. It shall not be an issue.”
Everyone nodded, taking in what Vegeta had purposed.
“If I may,” Dr. Briefs started, looking at his son-in-law. “Bunny and I will be more content on remaining here for the time being.”
Vegeta nodded. “The choice is yours.”
“I think you will have a lot on your plate once you return to your home, my boy.” he said. “There is much work to be done here in helping this place to thrive and advance.”
“Are you sure that’s what you want to do, dad?” Bulma asked him. She had really only just gotten her parents back and while she most certainly didn’t want Vegeta to leave without her and Trunks, she still wasn’t sure how she felt about leaving them behind. “Mum? Are you alright with that?”
“Absolutely, my dear,” Bunny nodded. “I’m going to miss you and Trunks and this handsome young man of yours immensely, but the poor young man needs to go home with his wife and son to sort matters out there and not with the in-laws tagging along. We’ll be fine here, just make sure you visit often so I can see that grandson of mine.”
Dr. Briefs nodded in agreement. “Bulma has filled me in on much of your culture and how you two got together in the first place. You will have much on your mind in terms of keeping her and Trunks safe, never mind worrying about us as well. When the time is right, perhaps we shall join you and perhaps we may make this planet our home and permanently reside here. Time will tell, but do not let us hinder your plans. We will be more than alright here.”
“It is not so much your safety that I fear, you and your mate will most likely be seen as palace staff and left alone. I will ensure proper dwellings and you both may come and go as you please. Should you not want a position in the palace, there are many places on Vegeta-sei that you may reside peacefully and no one will bother you.” Vegeta said.
“Yea, I was thinking on having Chi-Chi stay with my mother until I figure something else out. She and Goten would be safe there and they would both be able to blend in fairly well,” Kakarott said. “I can still make it into the palace every day to help you out with anything or keep an eye on Bulma and Trunks. They can even stay with my mother during the day too.”
“No,” Vegeta replied. “They will remain in the palace where I will be nearby should they need me. They should be safe in the lab, but there will need to be precautions taken.”
“I have a few things,” Bulma said.
Vegeta raised an eyebrow at her in reply.
“I have plans that I had started like forever ago, I found them in the office upstairs; my father completed a few of them. We just need to go somewhere and have them made.” She suggested. “Or maybe it can wait till we reach Vegeta-sei? I’m sure they’re nothing Bardock wouldn’t know how to do since there’s a few things I’m still not sure on.”
Vegeta shook his head. “No, we will have something for both you and Trunks before we set foot on Vegeta-sei. You may continue to work on these things afterwards, but we will not be landing without some sort of protection for you both. I know where we will go; bring your plans with you.”
“Alright,” she nodded. “And the dogs are coming too, right?”
Vegeta rolled his eyes and nodded.
“Awe, I was hoping they might stay here with us.” Bunny sighed. “I’m so going to miss them; Danger especially. Did I show you how I taught him to walk backwards and to turn to the right? Danger, come here.”
Bulma shook her head at her mother as the now tall and no longer baby Doberman approached her keenly. “Alright, Go back,” at which he quickly walked backwards as far as he could. “Good! Now turn to the right,” Danger spun around to the right and sat back down so quickly that if you hadn’t watched, you’d have missed it. “Good boy!” Bunny said happily, tossing him a left over dumpling, which he caught mid-air.
Bulma held back a laugh as she looked at Vegeta, who wore an unreadable expression on his face. “Wonderful,” he sighed, “She has turned semi useful protection dogs into useless circus animals.”
“Oh my! Now that’s a compliment,” Bunny replied happily, “I’ll have you know that circus animals are smart and extremely well trained,” she said as she tossed Danger another dumpling, at which by this time, Aro had appeared from wherever it was that he had been hiding and was sitting, looking from Bunny to Danger and back again in outrage, wondering why he wasn’t getting in on the spoils. “You don’t get any because you don’t do anything for me, but you are such a handsome boy and are sitting so nice, here you go,” she said to him, giving him a dumpling as well.
“He knows that such things are beneath him,” Vegeta replied dryly, watching the scene unfold, all the while deciding that he was thankful that Bulma’s parents were deciding to stay here. He did not mind Dr. Briefs, but Bunny was a complete enigma to him. Sure the woman could cook up a storm and he would miss her cooking, but he had decided a while ago that he could only take the woman in very small doses. How Dr. Briefs had managed to reside with such a woman was beyond him and he knew that it was a blessing that Bulma had taken more after him than her mother. If she had been anything like her mother, he would not have returned to the tavern for her.
Bulma couldn’t help but chuckle at the look on Vegeta’s face. Don’t be mean, she said.
He looked at her a moment. Woman,
Don’t you ‘Woman’ me. She replied teasingly. “Danger can stay here with her if she really wants,”
He sighed and crossed his arms. “Very well, but Aro comes with us.” Are you certain you will be alright with that arrangement?
She smiled at him. Yea, it’s fine. I don’t have time for them both. You don’t care much for Danger anyway.
That being as it may, you have a lot invested into him, he said to her, watching her closely. It was true, he did prefer Aro over Danger, but Danger was Bulma’s dog through and through. He would not make her leave him here if she did not want to.
True, but I have Trunks now to invest my time into. When I got Danger, I was looking for something to keep me busy and not focus and dwell on you not being around. I love him dearly, but look at how well he’s done without us around, he follows her around everywhere. She said, looking at her mother fawning all over the tall Doberman. This planet is his home, I don’t want to move him if I don’t have to; he won’t even miss me once we leave and he will protect the house from anyone that comes around who has less than good intentions. I’m fine with it. Aro on the other hand I think will adjust just fine. He’s been through all this before.
Vegeta nodded, looking down at the Malinois, who was laying down comfortably at his side on the floor.
Plus I know how attached you are to him, she added with a smile.
He frowned at her. I am not. I could care less whether the dog comes with us or remains here.
Sure, then why were you so insistent a moment ago that he come with us? She asked teasingly.
Because as useless as he will prove to be in the long run, I would still feel better knowing that he is with you when we return to Vegeta-sei. He replied.
Liar, that’s not the only reason why. You’ll miss him too much if he stays here.
What’s to miss? He asked almost defensively. He is a pain in the ass, following me around everywhere being constantly underfoot all of the time, shedding on our bed and all of my flight suits; not to mention an extra mouth to remember to feed and a waste of valuable time taken out of my training schedule in order to meet his exercise requirements.
Oh no, you’re right, you wouldn’t miss him at all. She said with a knowing smile, seeing through his façade.
He glared at her a moment. Perhaps his company is not a complete waste. He would watch over Trunks.
Yes, he would.
Therefore he has a use and that is why he may return with us.
Bulma smiled and nodded at him. “So are you guys coming or going?” she asked, turning to Kakarott and Chi-Chi.
“We’re coming too, I think.” Chi-Chi said, looking at Kakarott.
“Yea, count us in.” Kakarott nodded. “You and Trunks are really the only ones at risk, so there’s no reason why we shouldn’t come back with you. I’ll help Vegeta keep tabs on you.”
Bulma nodded, feeling somewhat ill at ease once again at the reminder of how bad things may be once they returned. “Good, I’m glad you guys are coming,” She said sincerely. “Our boys will grow up to be best friends.”
You do not have to return with me, Vegeta said to her, picking up on her thoughts. You know that I would prefer you and Trunks to remain here until I know that Vegeta-sei will be safe. I will return for you.
Yea, but what if your father’s men decide to look around here? Then what? I can’t hide, they’ll find me. Our best bet was that you said that your father didn’t know about Trunks. I could at least leave him with my parents and come with them to see you if that happens. Then he would be safe and out of harm’s way.
Vegeta nodded. How would you explain away his presence though?
He has my father’s purple hair. He more resembles him than you at quick glance.
And the tail? Vegeta asked.
We’d just keep it hidden under his clothes, it very rarely makes an appearance anyway. Unless they take him and physically examine him, they’d never notice it, she said thoughtfully, for once thinking it through. I could say he’s my baby brother. The timeline works. I could just say that I found my parents here and they had another child together. They would back me up on it, you know they would and that way they would have no reason to hurt him or take him. It’s me they want, I would just go with them. Or I wouldn’t even have to say that they’re my parents. I could just say that they’re humans that I live with and I help look after their son.
I will not allow you to be used as a bargaining card or leverage against me. He said after a long moment.
Okay. I’d rather come with you anyway. Should we maybe consider leaving Trunks with my parents?
No. My son will know both his father and mother and of his heritage. If you come with me, so does he.
Alright. We’ll figure it out as we go along I guess. Where are we going to go to get this stuff built?
I know of a place. He said.
Oh really?
Yes. It was already on my mind since you tossed all sense out the window and neglected to resume your training and pick up on any of the plans you had started eons ago.
Hey, I’ve kinda been preoccupied looking after your heir and all. She replied defensively.
That is no excuse. Luckily for all of us, it is something that I do not take lightly. It will be taken care of.
Bulma rolled her eyes at him and began helping her mother and Chi-Chi clear off the kitchen table.
Vegeta and Kakarott headed outside to discuss their plans more specifically.
“Well, this is scary and kinda exciting all at the same time.” Chi-Chi said as soon as the men left. “I’m kinda excited though.”
“Vegeta-sei is beautiful, though I didn’t get a chance to really see much of it. But it’s hot and from what I remember, beautiful.” Bulma said to her friend. “You sure you don’t want to come, mum?”
“Oh no, dear.” Her mother said airily. “Your father and I will be just fine here. Besides, someone has to cook up food and goodies for your trip.”
Bulma and Chi-Chi shook their heads but smiled at the older blonde woman, some things would never change.
“Now you both put those boys to bed and turn in early yourselves, you’ve got a long day ahead of you,” Bunny said, taking a stack of plates from Chi-Chi.
“Mum, it’s still early,” Bulma objected.
“Nonsense, get to bed and let me take care of everything down here. I have so much to prepare for and you’ll just get in the way, dear. Plus you both have a ton of packing to do, I’m sure.” Bunny said dismissively.
Chi-Chi shrugged and went to pick up Goten from the small play pen they had put both boys in to hang out together. “Are you gonna bring this?”
“Yea,” Bulma nodded. “Do you have capsules?”
“Yea, I have a bunch.” Chi-Chi replied, hugging her friend with one arm while holding her son with the other. “You sure you want to leave? Maybe it would be safer for you to stay here.”
“No, I’m going with Vegeta.” She said determinedly. “I don’t trust his father or anyone there. And if I stay, Vegeta’s afraid I’ll be found and used as a bargaining card against him.”
“That could still happen over there, you know.”
“I know, but I’d feel better knowing that he’s nearby,” Bulma shrugged, knowing that either decision seemed to be a bad one but not knowing which was the lesser of two evils.
“Well remember, wherever I end up, you can always come crash with us.” Chi-Chi said, heading for the door. “Kakarott will always look out for you as well too.”
“I know, thank you.” she said with a smile. “What?” she asked her friend who had a slight frown on her face at that moment.
“I just realized that I’ll actually be meeting Kakarott’s parents.” She said. “I’m kinda scared. What if they’re mad that I’m not Saiyan?”
Bulma laughed. “They won’t.”
“How can you be so sure? Look at the grief that’s going to go on over Vegeta taking you as a mate and having a child with you? What’s to say that they won’t feel that way about me? He may not be a prince, but is still their son.”
“They won’t,” Bulma said again. “Bardock is the sweetest guy ever. He didn’t have a problem with Vegeta and me getting together and even before he knew, hypothetically he related a scenario to me and had mentioned how things would be different if it was Kakarott and I that had wanted to be together and the thought didn’t seem to bother him, so why would he be unhappy over you?”
“Oh great, he liked you for his son and doesn’t even know me,”
“It wasn’t like that, Chi.” Bulma said, shaking her head. “He knows I was hung up on Vegeta, always was and vice versa. My being with his son was never an option, he was simply using it as an example to explain the class distinctions and views, that’s all. He’ll love you, don’t worry! And I haven’t met his mother, but I’ve only heard good things. I think you’re worrying about nothing, Chi.”
“I sure hope so,” she sighed. “Well, at least I’m not in your shoes I guess.”
“Yea,” Bulma nodded. “See you tomorrow.”
The two women parted ways for the evening before Bulma picked up Trunks and put him down for the night; he was already fast asleep.
She peered into her father’s office on her way to her bedroom to see him working on something. “What cha working on?”
“If Vegeta has some place in mind to have these shields and such built, I have a few other ideas to throw into the pile,” Dr. Briefs said, not looking up from his work. “Take them all with you and then decide which ones are most practical; I don’t know if they will all turn out to be useful, but take them in any case. I am trying to finish the plans that Frieza had us working on during my time on his ship. It was a very advanced cloaking device.
“I do not know how it could apply to your current situation or if it would be of any use to you at all, but take the plans with you.”
“Alright, thanks dad,” she nodded. “I’m going to miss you,” She said, hugging him.
“You’ll be fine,” Dr. Briefs said, removing his glasses and hugging her back. “That man of yours will look after you, I have full confidence in him.”
“I know he will, dad and so do I.” she replied, stepping back. “I’ll find a way to contact you guys as soon as we make it and settle in.”
“I know you will,” Dr. Briefs nodded, sitting back down in his chair to go back to work. “Now get some rest. I will see you off in the morning.”
Bulma nodded and headed into their bedroom, closing the door. She gasped when she saw Vegeta leaning against the wall beside the window of their bedroom, apparently waiting for her. “I didn’t hear you coming up, I thought you were still outside with Kakarott.”
“You and your inability to sense your surroundings,” he said quietly. “How am I to get anything done knowing that you are so inept?”
“I don’t know, we’ll figure it out, Vegeta.” She sighed, not wanting to argue with him again on whether or not she should stay here or go with him. “I’ll be fine; I’ll stay in the lab with Bardock and my father is working on something else for us to take with us to wherever it is we are going before Vegeta-sei.”
“I heard,” he said.
“So, relax,” she shrugged, walking towards him.
“Your father and yourself put too much faith in me,” he said. “I still do not know what I will be dealing with once we return and you blindly trust that I will be able to keep both you and Trunks out of harm’s way.”
“I know you will do everything you can to keep us safe,” She said confidently. “That’s all you can do and that’s all that I ask of you.”
He nodded, pulling her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him hungrily. I need you, Woman.
I know, me too. She said back to him as she undid his shirt and ran her hands back up along his muscular form, resting them a moment on his broad shoulders before pushing his shirt off, letting it fall to the floor. She quickly slipped out of her clothes and tugged on his hand, urging him to come to bed with her. He shrugged off his pants before joining her.
She reached for him again and kissed him. We can’t, he said as her hand found its way his member; he growled in irritation at their situation.
You don’t wanna risk it?
No.
Oh, come on, where’s your sense of adventure and fun? She teased, retracting her hand from him and settling for just kissing him.
The idea of you going through another nine months of that, and a delivery resulting in another wailing brat to tend to is not my idea of adventure and fun, Woman. He said, kissing her back before laying on his back, beside her.
She rested her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. She leisurely ran her fingers up and down from his chest to his abdomen and back up again. “You wouldn’t want to try for another?” she asked suddenly.
“Is that a legitimate question?”
“Yea,” she replied. “Like I wouldn’t want to try for another one right now, not with how uncertain things are and Trunks is still quite a handful,”
“Good,” he grunted. “If you are that determined on having something else to occupy your time, then bring the other damned dog as well tomorrow when we leave.”
“I’m talking like maybe when Trunks is, oh, I don’t know, three or four? Maybe by then we’ll be settled on Vegeta-sei and everything will be alright. I wouldn’t mind. And it’s not like here where there’s no help or we could go back to-”
“No,” he cut her off.
“Not even in a few years?”
“Not likely,” he sighed in irritation. “Is one not enough?”
She shrugged. “Yea,”
“Then let us leave it at that.” He said finally, reaching for her hand that was resting on his abdomen and placing it on his very erect shaft.
She snorted at him. “And just what am I supposed to do with that?”
“You tell me,” he answered, letting her hand go and catching her chin, bringing her face close to his so he could kiss her. “You’re the one seeking fun and adventure.”
“That I am,” she giggled as she began to stroke him urgently, “I can think of a few things, your highness.” She mumbled against his mouth.
-0-0-0-
The next morning they all awoke early in anticipation of the journey ahead of them.
True to her word, Bunny had prepared a wonderful breakfast farewell feast that was worthy of Saiyan royalty. Everyone enjoyed the company of one another, knowing it would be the last time in a long time they would all be together under one roof.
When they finished, Kakarott and Vegeta said their farewells to Dr. and Mrs. Briefs before heading out to the ship docks to ensure their ship was ready to go.
Bulma hugged both her parents as she was ready to leave. “Thanks for all the food, mum,” she said. Bunny had somehow managed to throw together a ton of food for their trip; enough to satisfy everyone for a few days. “Take good care of Danger for me, okay? Don’t spoil him too badly.”
“Oh, I’ll take the best care of him, dear, don’t you worry about a thing; though I’m afraid can’t make any promises where not spoiling him is concerned,” she said, hugging her daughter back. “I made rations and some special treats for Mr. Aro as well.”
“Thanks, mum.” She said, looking around for Aro, who had snuck out with Vegeta and Kakarott already.
“Let me know how the plans turn out,” Dr. Briefs told his daughter, handing her a small binder. “I finished everything to the best of my ability and knowledge. I hope they will be of some use to you.”
“Thanks dad, I know they will!” she said taking the binder and putting it in her diaper bag with all of her things for Trunks. She wanted to look through them once they were out in space, seeing as she had nothing else to do.
The two women finished their good byes to the Briefs before grabbing their boys and heading out towards the shipping docks. They were met half way by Vegeta and Kakarott, who both helped them with the rest of their belongings.
“Everything is ready.” Vegeta said taking Trunks.
They made their way to the docks and onto the ship before they noticed Piccolo approaching.
“We are on our way out, Namek.” Vegeta growled. “There is no need for you to escort us.”
“I’m just making sure and taking note of who all is leaving in case I am interrogated by your people.”
“Myself and Kakarott along with our mates and two infants are leaving,” Vegeta sighed irritably, not feeling like he should have to explain his doings with the Namek. As far as he was concerned, they should no longer be the Nameks concern. “Should anyone interrogate you, this planet is Saiyan-free. The Woman’s human parents have decided to reside here. Go and see the old man, he has intentions to help advance this planet, he is every bit as gifted as Bulma is and just as willing to help out.”
Piccolo nodded. “Do your people know about her parents?”
“No,” he shook his head. “Until we found them both on Frieza’s ship they were both assumed to be deceased.”
“Alright,” Piccolo nodded. “I wish I could say I am disappointed to see you leaving, but under the circumstances, I am sure you understand.”
Vegeta snorted and boarded the ship.
“Thanks for everything, Piccolo,” Bulma said to the Namek, giving him a quick hug.
“No problem,” he replied awkwardly, unsure of how to reciprocate.
“Go see my dad,” she said to him, taking a step back. “He’s got some really great ideas to get this place rolling. He can pick up where I left off.”
“Noted,” Piccolo nodded. “Take care of yourself and remember that you are always welcome back here should things settle down.”
“Thanks,” she said. “Take care yourself!”
They all boarded the ship and off they went, heading off together to face unknown trials.
-0-0-0-
*AN: References and research on Plasma shields courtesy of:
-Wikipedia: http://www.transasianaxis.com/showthread.php?5101- Force-Fields-and-Plasma-Shields-
Get-Closer-to-Reality
-http://orb italvector.com/Defenses/Plasma%20Shields/PLASMA%20SHIELDS.htm
No plagiarism intended!! I just borrowed bits and pieces of information and tried to make it easy to understand, yet seem somewhat feasible. Turns out, it may be after all! Who knew? Though the actual theories and in depth understanding of the physics behind it all is far beyond me! Though I will admit that I had fun researching it for this story and researching it kept me distracted for a good day or two.
Butterflies and Hurricanes
Chapter 3
Vegeta returned to their home mid-afternoon in a foul mood.
“What is it?” Bulma asked him as he stormed into the house and across the kitchen without a word of greeting or acknowledgement. She had begun to worry a while ago when he had not returned in a few hours like he had said he would. He had been gone most of the day.
“We will discuss it later on with Kakarott and his mate.” He said simply, heading up the stairs.
Bulma frowned and shot an odd look at his retreating form as he headed up the stairs. “Mum, can you watch Trunks for me?”
“Of course, Sweetie!” Bunny said. “Are Chi-Chi and her husband coming over for dinner or are we going over there?”
“I don’t know,” Bulma answered. “I’ll find out. Just assume they’re coming here,”
“Alright, dear.”
Bulma made it up the stairs and into their bedroom to find Vegeta rummaging through their things and packing everything. “What’s wrong?”
“We leave tomorrow,” he replied, not stopping to look at her.
“Wait!” she said, walking up to him and placing a hand on his arm. “What’s going on? What did Piccolo say?”
“There is a war brewing between my father and Cold, and my father has sent scouts out to look for you,” he said, pausing for a moment. “The Namek has turned them away twice now, advising them that we are not here and that there is no need for them to search the planet. However, that will only stave them off for so long before they insist on searching the planet themselves.
“We must leave immediately,” he said, continuing to pack their belongings. “There will be a ship available tomorrow morning, first thing.”
“Alright,” she said quietly, absorbing what he had just told her. She agreed with him that if his father had sent scouts out to look for them that staying here would be the worst idea. She had come to love this place as her home and did not want anything to happen to it. “Are we going to Vegeta-sei?”
He stopped for a moment in thought before nodding. “Yes. I do not think it is the safest place, but if my father wants us, then we shall go to him. I will not be leaving you here to be discovered and I do not know anywhere else safe for you to stay. On Vegeta-sei I will be able to keep watch over you and Trunks.”
Bulma nodded, relieved that he was still planning on bringing them with him. “Have you talked to Kakarott yet?”
“No,” he shook his head. “I simply told him to bring his mate and child over later on. We will discuss it at length then.”
Bulma watched him as he continued to chuck things in a travel bag almost frantically. He was clearly shaken up and this frightened her to her core that he was that visibly shaken up. “Are they coming here now?”
“I do not know,” he said, zipping up the bag and tossing it to the floor before grabbing another from the closet and beginning to pack it. “How many capsules do you have?”
“I have lots,” she said still watching him. “What did Piccolo tell you?” she asked again.
“Nothing.” He said elusively.
“Vegeta! What did he say?” she demanded. “You said this morning that we would be leaving soon; that was hours ago. Now you come back home in a mad panic, packing everything in a hurry and tell me that we have to leave tomorrow; I deserve an explanation.”
“Woman, just trust me,” he sighed irritably. “I will fill you in later on. Just get the child’s things together. We leave tomorrow.”
She continued to look at him a long moment, trying to pick up on anything through their bond but could not. She was about to ask him again when he abruptly stopped what he was doing and glared at her. “I am not screwing around,” he said quietly.
“Obviously,” she nodded.
“Then why are you standing there staring at me like I am an idiot?” he asked irritably. “Do you think this is a joke?”
“No,” she said. “I just wish you would tell me what’s going on! Is that such an unreasonable request? You’re scaring me, Vegeta.”
“Obviously not enough that you are still standing there.”
“Just tell me,”
“Fine,” he said, exhaling heavily through his nose. “My father has sent out soldiers to find us. He wants me to return home immediately and he wants you as well. More than likely thinking that if he has you, I will follow.
“The Namek has assured them that he has never seen or met either of us. That explanation worked the first time a few months ago, he said. At the time it was an easy thing for him to brush off, as we were both off planet anyway and he was unsure of our plans if we would be returning or not,” Vegeta explained to her, having calmed down somewhat. “Last night he was contacted again, not only by my father’s soldiers but from King Cold’s soldiers as well. I am wanted for the assassination of Frieza. His father, King Cold, requests a blood debt to be paid or else both planets will be going to war. Not only that, but if they catch wind that we are here and that the Namek has lied, they will destroy this place.
“My father’s soldiers accepted his plea that we are not here but did warn him that they have been ordered by my father and have warrant to search every corner of the galaxy,” he continued. “Believe me, we do not want that.”
“Wow,” Bulma murmured, sitting on the side of their bed. “Things just got serious real fast, huh. Was Piccolo pissed?”
Vegeta shook his head. “Not so much pissed as he is concerned for the safety and wellbeing of this planet. He did not have to ask me to leave. He only informed me of the situation. I told him we would leave immediately so as to not put anyone else at risk.”
Bulma nodded, unsure of what to say. Suddenly Vegeta’s franticness now made perfect sense to her. “What do you mean that King Cold requests a blood debt to be repaid? Does that mean what I think it means?”
Vegeta finished packing the rest of their belongings, zipped up the second bag and tossed it to the floor next to the first one before looking at her. “Yea,” he answered simply.
“You can take him on, can’t you?”
“Of course I can!” he snorted. “I am not afraid of Cold. I would face him tomorrow just to have this all over and done with, but I need to ensure your safety and the safety of the boy first before I do anything.”
She didn’t say anything for a long moment. “And how are you going to do that? It’s not safe for me to come with you. It’s not safe for me on Vegeta-sei and it is no longer safe here.”
“I do not know,” he shrugged. “I have not had a chance to work out all the angles. Once I speak with Kakarott, we will figure something out. You and Trunks will be kept safe though; I will not leave to face Cold until I am sure of your safety.”
Bulma exhaled heavily. “We’re in a lot of trouble, aren’t we?”
He nodded in reply.
She stood up and walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him towards her in a tight embrace, which he returned, wrapping his arms around her waist, holding her close. She buried her face in the crook of his neck loving the feeling of having him close to her. “We’ll figure it out,” she whispered to him against his neck.
He rested his chin on the top of her head as he let his mind race. Do not be worrying yourself silly just yet.
Oh, but you can freak out?
That is different. I have much more than just myself to worry about. I have you and the brat to worry about. I need to find someplace safe for you both so that I will not be distracted.
What about the lab?
What lab?
Bardock’s lab.
Perhaps.
What’s wrong with that? I was safe there before.
Yes that was before, when everyone thought you were just my bed slave, no one really cared. Now everyone will know that you are my mate. It will be a scandal the moment we land and you are seen and to add to that not only will you be at my side, but we had a child now as well. You will both be targets; Trunks especially.
Oh.
Exactly. Leaving you and Trunks unattended anywhere for even a moment will be a bad idea.
But Bardock would be with me at the lab.
True, but Bardock is a third class warrior only known for his mechanical genius. Not his physical strength. Should my father send his elite soldiers after you, he would not be of much use. He would protect you to the best of his ability, of that I am certain, but he could be easily overtaken if he has to deal with more than one soldier.
I’ll be bringing the dogs with us. They’ll go wherever I go.
The dogs will prove to be useless, Woman; I have told you that time and again. All it would take would be one blast and that would be that. I could take them out with the simple flick of my wrist if I so chose to.
Yea, I know that, but I made armor for them to wear. Its ki proof, remember? And not only that, they would be able to sense someone coming seconds or even minutes before they arrive. They could warn us.
Vegeta nodded in agreement as he pushed her away from him at arm’s length so that he could look at her. “I am not putting my sole faith in the ability of the dogs. I made that mistake once before and look where it got us.”
“I know,” she sighed. “But they can be of help. Any little bit will work to our advantage, right? And we have the bond. I can let you know the second something isn’t right.”
He grunted and let her go. “Pack up everything Trunks will need,” he said, leaving her and heading back downstairs. “I will be in the gravity room.”
Bulma nodded as she watched him leave and grabbed several capsules from the drawer on her bedside table. After capsulizing the things Vegeta had packed, she headed into Trunks’ room, quickly packing his clothes and supplies. She left a change of clothes for later on in the evening and left his crib set up. She would capsulize the rest tomorrow before they left.
Not knowing what else to do at the moment, she headed into her and her father’s office study room. Months ago, when she and Vegeta had gotten back together, she had begun sketching out plans for various types of defense mechanisms for herself with their eventual return to Vegeta-sei in mind. She had designed and made armor for both Aro and Danger that could withstand ki blasts. She’d come up with a few ideas for herself, but at the time had not known she was pregnant, so she had no plans for protecting an infant.
She and Vegeta had only been back to Callisto a few weeks. Instead of thinking and preparing for this, she had gotten lazy and had spent all her time fussing over Trunks and catching up with her parents and Chi-Chi and Goten. Vegeta, however, had still trained relentlessly nearly every day since they had returned. It had annoyed her to no end, but now with the current situation at hand, she appreciated him and his efforts and wished she had not slacked off in her plans. She had barely set foot into the office since they had returned. Furthermore, she had not picked up with her training in physical combat or sword play since she had left Callisto with Vegeta and birthed Trunks. She knew she would be out of shape now.
Not only that, but she was certain no one would have worked the dogs in her absence. Chi-Chi had no interest and while Kakarott may have had good intentions, she had heard Vegeta griping over his first lieutenant’s laziness in not keeping up with his own training regimen in the months they had been gone, let alone making time for the dogs. Sure they hadn’t brought the gravity room with them, but Vegeta had still worked out and meditated every single day they had been gone. She wondered how out of shape the dogs would be in with regards to their protection and obedience. As it was they were terrible for begging at the table and sitting on the couches; courtesy of her parents and their lax rules.
They needed more time. She needed time to work the dogs again; time to start planning. What had she been doing these past several months? Since Trunks birth, the infant had taken up every ounce of her thoughts and energy. She recalled briefly Vegeta mentioning that they need to begin preparing for their eventual return to Vegeta-sei, but she had foolishly dismissed him in hoping and wishing that these things wouldn’t happen and that if they did, they would have plenty of notice to prepare. She wondered if that had also been the reason for Vegeta’s emotional distance from her these past few weeks; he had been training plenty, not listening to her pleas to take a break. She remembered now the night before they had left to return to Callisto; he had mentioned that he had contacted his father. She had still been so exhausted and on medications to help her recover that she had all but forgotten that small fact. It had been since then he had been somewhat withdrawn and distant from her. She felt even more foolish for not looking more into what he and his father had discussed. Trunks had taken up all of her thoughts and concerns.
So many other things now made sense to her; his insistence on leaving her and Trunks here. She still didn’t agree with that line of thinking, but she understood it a little bit more now. She wished they had more time to get themselves organized. A week even would be helpful to her.
She shook her head at herself as she began looking through many of the plans and schematics strewn about the office. She had been so stupid to believe that just because Freiza was gone and she and Vegeta were reunited that everything would be happily ever after. She supposed a huge part of her had been hoping that fatherhood would settle Vegeta down and that he would be content on staying here rather than pursuing his father and King Cold; she had always known deep down that it would only be a matter of time before they would be put into this predicament, but was it so bad to want a few years of peace and happiness with her husband and son before jumping right back into everything that had threatened them and their union in the first place?
As she was looking through different plans and drawings, her father walked into the office. “Is there anything specific you are looking for?”
“Not really,” she answered absentmindedly as she scanned the plans of something her father had started. “Is this a solar powered generator?”
“It is,” Dr. Briefs nodded, walking over towards where she was standing. “This place is badly in need of technological advancement.”
“Yea, I know,” she said, placing his plans back down on the desk. “I was working on a few things to help out when we first got here.”
“I saw,” Dr. Briefs nodded, walking up to a shelf of binders and folders and taking one down. “I have nearly completed your plans for a central water system for the entire town. If I can manage a way to make this solar panel work here, then I believe we may be able to find a way to make it planet-wide. I am ready to start on the prototype soon. I just need a few more materials.”
“That’s good, Dad,” she said with a smile. She had no doubt that he would be able to accomplish it if they had the time. “Look, umm, I don’t know what the exact plan is here; Vegeta was really vague, but we need to get out of here.”
Dr. Briefs nodded at his daughter. “Is he taking you back to his home?”
“Yea,” she nodded. “It’s not safe here. Vegeta’s father is looking for him and so is King Cold. He feels our best bet is to make it easy and just go back to Vegeta-sei where his father is. We’ll discuss everything later on and figure out everything, but he wants to leave tomorrow.”
Dr. Briefs was silent a moment before turning away from his daughter and going back to the book shelf. He pulled out a file hidden in a binder and handed it to her. “I found these while you and Vegeta were away. I took the liberty of improving on them somewhat for you.”
“Thank you,” she said, looking through the papers. “These are the plans I had started doing up when we first got here.”
“You may find some of them helpful. However you will not be able to build any of them here; they do not have the materials or technology required to finish them here.”
“I know,” she nodded looking at one of the sketched designs her father had done. “This was the one I was looking for.”
Dr. Briefs looked at it and nodded. “It is a good idea, a plasma shield. It would be completely invisible and would envelop the entire body of whomever is wearing the mechanism. I was not sure what you had in mind, but if you could generate that kind of charge into something as small as a pendant or a ring; something discreet, I would think for both yourself and for Trunks it would offer you much protection. You could even make something for the dogs. Disguise it as a tag on their collars. No one would suspect anything.”
“That’s what I was thinking, but I wasn’t sure how to go about it,” she nodded in approval. “Plasma is strong, but how do I accomplish it? I know more or less how someone would go about making a plasma shield for like a ship, but how do I change that into something that could help protect Trunks and I?” she asked, pausing to look at the figures her father had done. “I don’t know what it is you’ve done here, but it looks good.”
“Well, as you know, *plasma is the fourth state of matter, prevalent in the interstellar medium and in stars. There are different types of plasma, which you had toyed with in the different chemical equations you had started, which were not wrong by any means, they just need to be contained within something, like a fluorescent light bulb, for example,” Dr. Briefs explained. “However, if you look into some of the lower-temperature plasmas, a good cold plasma could really help out by reflecting or absorbing energy from a microwave war weapon or possibly even a ki attack such as what Vegeta and Kakarott are capable of generating. Such plasmas are capable of shielding satellites and other spacecraft, making them invisible to radars, or the casual observer, nor will they fry electronics or melt metal. I don’t see why it could not shield an individual.”
“Alright, so how do we do it?” she asked.
“Well, the trick is to remember that cold plasmas are ambient-temperature, ionized gases, related to those found deep within the sun’s core.”
“Right,” she agreed. “But how do you make it work? From what I remember, plasma, while dense, may not be practical as a defensive shield because of destructive temperatures and high power requirements. I see how it could protect say a ship for a short period of time, but how do you get it to protect, say Trunks? Even for a ship, there’s risk of the ship potentially overheating when it repels an attack.”
“Hotter plasmas are dense, and this would be a concern.” Dr. Briefs agreed. “In theory, cold plasmas can be made denser, but like their hotter kin will demand more power. A cooler plasma could deflect a particle beam or laser attack, depending on what you’re shooting at it and how high you can tune the plasma frequency. That doesn’t mean it’s easy, particularly with a cold plasma. It’s a tough requirement to meet but I think definitely possible should you find someplace technologically advanced enough to tune it or manipulate it in such a way that you could use it to your advantage.”
“True, how do you make it compact enough that no one would know we’re wearing it, yet powerful enough to produce the necessary plasma volume to deflect an attack?”
“You would need a device that could generate an electromagnetic field about itself, much as in the case of electromagnetic defense shields. In this case, however, cold plasmas are ejected around the object; say yourself or Trunks in this case, and held in place by the magnetic fields. As the plasma itself is electrically charged, it adds to the field's strength, allowing it to obtain much greater resilience at lower power levels than magnetic fields alone. The denser the plasma in the field, the better the field will be at deflection.”
“And dense plasma shields also offer protection against beam weapons such as lasers or even ki by creating an obscuring cloud that can dissipate the beam's energy; this could work!” she said cheerfully. “I could have a few minutes to hide if there’s a cloud created as a reaction to a ki attack on me.”
“In theory, yes.” Dr. Briefs said. “It should be feasible. However, in order to achieve this, it would have to be a closed shield, which would mean that after several hits, it would need time to recharge itself so you would need to get yourself out of the situation immediately. It would buy you some time; that is all.”
“But I could let Vegeta know through the bond that we are in danger. By that time, he’d most likely be able to get to us,” she mused to herself. “What about an open shield?”
Dr. Briefs shook his head. “An open shield design would slowly but constantly bleed away plasma just from normal entropy, and any hit on the shield would deplete it that much more. Thus, open plasma shields would require constant replenishing of the plasma, which would require you be near a source at all times. However on the plus side, open shields can be deployed and dissipated rather quickly; much quicker than in a closed shield where you would need to wait for it to replenish itself.”
“Hmm, yea, a closed shield would be better,” she nodded. “Just a second though, how would we keep the plasma cold? Like if I’m hit with a ki blast and it deflects it, am I at risk of being like cooked?”
Dr. Briefs was silent a few moments as he considered that possible complication. “Possibly,”
“Right, so this isn’t such a good idea after all then, is it?”
“Give me a few hours to think on it,” he said absent mindedly. “I know there is a practical way around it. On Frieza’s ship they had plasma shields protecting the ship and some of the lower ranking soldiers wore plasma shields for protection and they were able to maintain a cool temperature at all times. When are you leaving?”
“Vegeta wants to leave tomorrow,” she said.
“Alright,” Dr. Briefs sighed, “Let me have a look and a little while to brainstorm about it. I am sure I will be able to come up with some solution before you leave.”
“Wait, you don’t want to come with us?” she asked.
He shook his head, “This planet needs help. I am more than happy to lend over my creative mind into helping them become more advanced. That young man of yours was correct in his insistence to get you out of here for your delivery of Trunks and his annoyance that there is nothing here to protect this planet from invasion. I would wish to remain here.”
“But dad,”
“It will be fine my dear.” He said confidently. “When the time is right, your mother and I will come and join you. It will be stressful enough for that poor boy in keeping an eye on you and Trunks, never mind us as well.”
She nodded, understanding his reasons, but still not liking it. “I’ll keep in touch, ok?”
He nodded and went back to his plans and paperwork. “Go and help your mother out in the kitchen and let me see what I can figure out with this.”
She smiled and gave her father a quick hug before heading downstairs to help her mother and check on Trunks.
-0-0-0-
About an hour later, there was a knock on Vegeta’s gravity room. He quickly made it over to the control panel, deactivating the gravity simulation and opened the door, which revealed Kakarott.
“Hey, Vegeta,” the younger Saiyan greeted. “How’s your training going today?”
“Fine,” he grumbled.
“So what’s up?”
“We need to leave tomorrow for Vegeta-sei. Pack up your woman and your child.”
“Tomorrow?” Kakarott asked, confused.
“Yes, tomorrow.” Vegeta repeated irritably.
“Why?”
“We will discuss it over dinner, bring your mate and child.” He said, exiting the gravity chamber.
“They’re already at the house with Bulma and her parents.”
“Good,” Vegeta nodded.
The two Saiyans exited the gravity room and headed over into the house where they were greeted by the women and the smell of a delicious feast ready to be devoured.
Everyone sat down and ate. Between Bunny and Chi-Chi the two woman had managed to make a feast big enough to satisfy two Saiyan males. They had corroborated and had decided on what they had called an “Asian” theme to tonight’s dinner. The two Saiyans had no idea what that meant, but decided it didn’t matter, as the meal was scrumptious.
Bunny had whipped up several different varieties of rolls and dumplings; some steamed, other baked. She called it “din-sum”. Some of them contained meat, others vegetables and some were of a sweeter dessert variety.
Chi-Chi had made a few different meat dishes. In each portion, the meat was cooked and seasoned with different sauces and seasonings and vegetables. Bulma had even pitched in later on in the day to help prepare another variety of rice and noodle dishes.
For the infants, they had made soup and the women did their best to feed the two hungry half-Saiyan boys whose appetites were fast rivaling that of their fathers. They objected that they were too young yet for anything other than milk, but the two men insisted that feeding them soup with ground up bits of vegetables and meat was fine for them.
In any case, it mattered little to the two Saiyan men, the meal was delicious and so all conversation of the matters at hand were put on hold until they had sampled everything on the menu and had both eaten more than their fill and were sufficiently satisfied.
As the four humans looked on in awe at the amount of food consumed by just two men, Kakarott leaned back in his chair and belched loudly. Both Vegeta and Chi-Chi glared at him.
“Sorry,” he said sheepishly with a huge, innocent grin that only he could pull off. “That was a delicious meal, thank you.”
Vegeta rolled his eyes at his first lieutenant and his horrible manners. His manners hadn’t been the only thing to suffer this past year or so he had resided on this planet.
“So, what’s the deal?” Chi-Chi asked him. “Kakarott said you spoke with Piccolo today and that you want to leave tomorrow.”
Vegeta nodded. “I do not know what your plans as a couple are; if you wish to remain here or go to Vegeta-sei and continue life there,” he started, looking at both Kakarott and Chi-Chi. Their plans seemed to change every time they discussed it. Chi-Chi wanted to stay here, Kakarott wanted to return to Vegeta-sei and to his family but bring both Chi-Chi and Goten with him. While Chi-Chi did not want to leave, she didn’t want to be left behind either. “Regardless of your decision, Bulma, Trunks and myself will be departing tomorrow morning for Vegeta-sei. Discuss it between the two of you tonight. You may both accompany us or you may remain here. I would prefer that you, Kakarott, return with us. You are still my First Lieutenant; however you also have a family of your own to consider, should you decide to remain here, I will understand. I do not know what the situation on Vegeta-sei is other than there is a war brewing between my father and King Cold.
“The same goes for you,” he said, addressing Dr. Briefs and his wife. “Should you return with us, I will ensure you a position in our science and technology department. Kakarott’s own father runs that department and would gladly welcome you. You and your mate shall be provided for; she may find employment in the palace kitchen along with Kakarott’s mate, should they wish it. It not, other suitable arrangements will arranged. It shall not be an issue.”
Everyone nodded, taking in what Vegeta had purposed.
“If I may,” Dr. Briefs started, looking at his son-in-law. “Bunny and I will be more content on remaining here for the time being.”
Vegeta nodded. “The choice is yours.”
“I think you will have a lot on your plate once you return to your home, my boy.” he said. “There is much work to be done here in helping this place to thrive and advance.”
“Are you sure that’s what you want to do, dad?” Bulma asked him. She had really only just gotten her parents back and while she most certainly didn’t want Vegeta to leave without her and Trunks, she still wasn’t sure how she felt about leaving them behind. “Mum? Are you alright with that?”
“Absolutely, my dear,” Bunny nodded. “I’m going to miss you and Trunks and this handsome young man of yours immensely, but the poor young man needs to go home with his wife and son to sort matters out there and not with the in-laws tagging along. We’ll be fine here, just make sure you visit often so I can see that grandson of mine.”
Dr. Briefs nodded in agreement. “Bulma has filled me in on much of your culture and how you two got together in the first place. You will have much on your mind in terms of keeping her and Trunks safe, never mind worrying about us as well. When the time is right, perhaps we shall join you and perhaps we may make this planet our home and permanently reside here. Time will tell, but do not let us hinder your plans. We will be more than alright here.”
“It is not so much your safety that I fear, you and your mate will most likely be seen as palace staff and left alone. I will ensure proper dwellings and you both may come and go as you please. Should you not want a position in the palace, there are many places on Vegeta-sei that you may reside peacefully and no one will bother you.” Vegeta said.
“Yea, I was thinking on having Chi-Chi stay with my mother until I figure something else out. She and Goten would be safe there and they would both be able to blend in fairly well,” Kakarott said. “I can still make it into the palace every day to help you out with anything or keep an eye on Bulma and Trunks. They can even stay with my mother during the day too.”
“No,” Vegeta replied. “They will remain in the palace where I will be nearby should they need me. They should be safe in the lab, but there will need to be precautions taken.”
“I have a few things,” Bulma said.
Vegeta raised an eyebrow at her in reply.
“I have plans that I had started like forever ago, I found them in the office upstairs; my father completed a few of them. We just need to go somewhere and have them made.” She suggested. “Or maybe it can wait till we reach Vegeta-sei? I’m sure they’re nothing Bardock wouldn’t know how to do since there’s a few things I’m still not sure on.”
Vegeta shook his head. “No, we will have something for both you and Trunks before we set foot on Vegeta-sei. You may continue to work on these things afterwards, but we will not be landing without some sort of protection for you both. I know where we will go; bring your plans with you.”
“Alright,” she nodded. “And the dogs are coming too, right?”
Vegeta rolled his eyes and nodded.
“Awe, I was hoping they might stay here with us.” Bunny sighed. “I’m so going to miss them; Danger especially. Did I show you how I taught him to walk backwards and to turn to the right? Danger, come here.”
Bulma shook her head at her mother as the now tall and no longer baby Doberman approached her keenly. “Alright, Go back,” at which he quickly walked backwards as far as he could. “Good! Now turn to the right,” Danger spun around to the right and sat back down so quickly that if you hadn’t watched, you’d have missed it. “Good boy!” Bunny said happily, tossing him a left over dumpling, which he caught mid-air.
Bulma held back a laugh as she looked at Vegeta, who wore an unreadable expression on his face. “Wonderful,” he sighed, “She has turned semi useful protection dogs into useless circus animals.”
“Oh my! Now that’s a compliment,” Bunny replied happily, “I’ll have you know that circus animals are smart and extremely well trained,” she said as she tossed Danger another dumpling, at which by this time, Aro had appeared from wherever it was that he had been hiding and was sitting, looking from Bunny to Danger and back again in outrage, wondering why he wasn’t getting in on the spoils. “You don’t get any because you don’t do anything for me, but you are such a handsome boy and are sitting so nice, here you go,” she said to him, giving him a dumpling as well.
“He knows that such things are beneath him,” Vegeta replied dryly, watching the scene unfold, all the while deciding that he was thankful that Bulma’s parents were deciding to stay here. He did not mind Dr. Briefs, but Bunny was a complete enigma to him. Sure the woman could cook up a storm and he would miss her cooking, but he had decided a while ago that he could only take the woman in very small doses. How Dr. Briefs had managed to reside with such a woman was beyond him and he knew that it was a blessing that Bulma had taken more after him than her mother. If she had been anything like her mother, he would not have returned to the tavern for her.
Bulma couldn’t help but chuckle at the look on Vegeta’s face. Don’t be mean, she said.
He looked at her a moment. Woman,
Don’t you ‘Woman’ me. She replied teasingly. “Danger can stay here with her if she really wants,”
He sighed and crossed his arms. “Very well, but Aro comes with us.” Are you certain you will be alright with that arrangement?
She smiled at him. Yea, it’s fine. I don’t have time for them both. You don’t care much for Danger anyway.
That being as it may, you have a lot invested into him, he said to her, watching her closely. It was true, he did prefer Aro over Danger, but Danger was Bulma’s dog through and through. He would not make her leave him here if she did not want to.
True, but I have Trunks now to invest my time into. When I got Danger, I was looking for something to keep me busy and not focus and dwell on you not being around. I love him dearly, but look at how well he’s done without us around, he follows her around everywhere. She said, looking at her mother fawning all over the tall Doberman. This planet is his home, I don’t want to move him if I don’t have to; he won’t even miss me once we leave and he will protect the house from anyone that comes around who has less than good intentions. I’m fine with it. Aro on the other hand I think will adjust just fine. He’s been through all this before.
Vegeta nodded, looking down at the Malinois, who was laying down comfortably at his side on the floor.
Plus I know how attached you are to him, she added with a smile.
He frowned at her. I am not. I could care less whether the dog comes with us or remains here.
Sure, then why were you so insistent a moment ago that he come with us? She asked teasingly.
Because as useless as he will prove to be in the long run, I would still feel better knowing that he is with you when we return to Vegeta-sei. He replied.
Liar, that’s not the only reason why. You’ll miss him too much if he stays here.
What’s to miss? He asked almost defensively. He is a pain in the ass, following me around everywhere being constantly underfoot all of the time, shedding on our bed and all of my flight suits; not to mention an extra mouth to remember to feed and a waste of valuable time taken out of my training schedule in order to meet his exercise requirements.
Oh no, you’re right, you wouldn’t miss him at all. She said with a knowing smile, seeing through his façade.
He glared at her a moment. Perhaps his company is not a complete waste. He would watch over Trunks.
Yes, he would.
Therefore he has a use and that is why he may return with us.
Bulma smiled and nodded at him. “So are you guys coming or going?” she asked, turning to Kakarott and Chi-Chi.
“We’re coming too, I think.” Chi-Chi said, looking at Kakarott.
“Yea, count us in.” Kakarott nodded. “You and Trunks are really the only ones at risk, so there’s no reason why we shouldn’t come back with you. I’ll help Vegeta keep tabs on you.”
Bulma nodded, feeling somewhat ill at ease once again at the reminder of how bad things may be once they returned. “Good, I’m glad you guys are coming,” She said sincerely. “Our boys will grow up to be best friends.”
You do not have to return with me, Vegeta said to her, picking up on her thoughts. You know that I would prefer you and Trunks to remain here until I know that Vegeta-sei will be safe. I will return for you.
Yea, but what if your father’s men decide to look around here? Then what? I can’t hide, they’ll find me. Our best bet was that you said that your father didn’t know about Trunks. I could at least leave him with my parents and come with them to see you if that happens. Then he would be safe and out of harm’s way.
Vegeta nodded. How would you explain away his presence though?
He has my father’s purple hair. He more resembles him than you at quick glance.
And the tail? Vegeta asked.
We’d just keep it hidden under his clothes, it very rarely makes an appearance anyway. Unless they take him and physically examine him, they’d never notice it, she said thoughtfully, for once thinking it through. I could say he’s my baby brother. The timeline works. I could just say that I found my parents here and they had another child together. They would back me up on it, you know they would and that way they would have no reason to hurt him or take him. It’s me they want, I would just go with them. Or I wouldn’t even have to say that they’re my parents. I could just say that they’re humans that I live with and I help look after their son.
I will not allow you to be used as a bargaining card or leverage against me. He said after a long moment.
Okay. I’d rather come with you anyway. Should we maybe consider leaving Trunks with my parents?
No. My son will know both his father and mother and of his heritage. If you come with me, so does he.
Alright. We’ll figure it out as we go along I guess. Where are we going to go to get this stuff built?
I know of a place. He said.
Oh really?
Yes. It was already on my mind since you tossed all sense out the window and neglected to resume your training and pick up on any of the plans you had started eons ago.
Hey, I’ve kinda been preoccupied looking after your heir and all. She replied defensively.
That is no excuse. Luckily for all of us, it is something that I do not take lightly. It will be taken care of.
Bulma rolled her eyes at him and began helping her mother and Chi-Chi clear off the kitchen table.
Vegeta and Kakarott headed outside to discuss their plans more specifically.
“Well, this is scary and kinda exciting all at the same time.” Chi-Chi said as soon as the men left. “I’m kinda excited though.”
“Vegeta-sei is beautiful, though I didn’t get a chance to really see much of it. But it’s hot and from what I remember, beautiful.” Bulma said to her friend. “You sure you don’t want to come, mum?”
“Oh no, dear.” Her mother said airily. “Your father and I will be just fine here. Besides, someone has to cook up food and goodies for your trip.”
Bulma and Chi-Chi shook their heads but smiled at the older blonde woman, some things would never change.
“Now you both put those boys to bed and turn in early yourselves, you’ve got a long day ahead of you,” Bunny said, taking a stack of plates from Chi-Chi.
“Mum, it’s still early,” Bulma objected.
“Nonsense, get to bed and let me take care of everything down here. I have so much to prepare for and you’ll just get in the way, dear. Plus you both have a ton of packing to do, I’m sure.” Bunny said dismissively.
Chi-Chi shrugged and went to pick up Goten from the small play pen they had put both boys in to hang out together. “Are you gonna bring this?”
“Yea,” Bulma nodded. “Do you have capsules?”
“Yea, I have a bunch.” Chi-Chi replied, hugging her friend with one arm while holding her son with the other. “You sure you want to leave? Maybe it would be safer for you to stay here.”
“No, I’m going with Vegeta.” She said determinedly. “I don’t trust his father or anyone there. And if I stay, Vegeta’s afraid I’ll be found and used as a bargaining card against him.”
“That could still happen over there, you know.”
“I know, but I’d feel better knowing that he’s nearby,” Bulma shrugged, knowing that either decision seemed to be a bad one but not knowing which was the lesser of two evils.
“Well remember, wherever I end up, you can always come crash with us.” Chi-Chi said, heading for the door. “Kakarott will always look out for you as well too.”
“I know, thank you.” she said with a smile. “What?” she asked her friend who had a slight frown on her face at that moment.
“I just realized that I’ll actually be meeting Kakarott’s parents.” She said. “I’m kinda scared. What if they’re mad that I’m not Saiyan?”
Bulma laughed. “They won’t.”
“How can you be so sure? Look at the grief that’s going to go on over Vegeta taking you as a mate and having a child with you? What’s to say that they won’t feel that way about me? He may not be a prince, but is still their son.”
“They won’t,” Bulma said again. “Bardock is the sweetest guy ever. He didn’t have a problem with Vegeta and me getting together and even before he knew, hypothetically he related a scenario to me and had mentioned how things would be different if it was Kakarott and I that had wanted to be together and the thought didn’t seem to bother him, so why would he be unhappy over you?”
“Oh great, he liked you for his son and doesn’t even know me,”
“It wasn’t like that, Chi.” Bulma said, shaking her head. “He knows I was hung up on Vegeta, always was and vice versa. My being with his son was never an option, he was simply using it as an example to explain the class distinctions and views, that’s all. He’ll love you, don’t worry! And I haven’t met his mother, but I’ve only heard good things. I think you’re worrying about nothing, Chi.”
“I sure hope so,” she sighed. “Well, at least I’m not in your shoes I guess.”
“Yea,” Bulma nodded. “See you tomorrow.”
The two women parted ways for the evening before Bulma picked up Trunks and put him down for the night; he was already fast asleep.
She peered into her father’s office on her way to her bedroom to see him working on something. “What cha working on?”
“If Vegeta has some place in mind to have these shields and such built, I have a few other ideas to throw into the pile,” Dr. Briefs said, not looking up from his work. “Take them all with you and then decide which ones are most practical; I don’t know if they will all turn out to be useful, but take them in any case. I am trying to finish the plans that Frieza had us working on during my time on his ship. It was a very advanced cloaking device.
“I do not know how it could apply to your current situation or if it would be of any use to you at all, but take the plans with you.”
“Alright, thanks dad,” she nodded. “I’m going to miss you,” She said, hugging him.
“You’ll be fine,” Dr. Briefs said, removing his glasses and hugging her back. “That man of yours will look after you, I have full confidence in him.”
“I know he will, dad and so do I.” she replied, stepping back. “I’ll find a way to contact you guys as soon as we make it and settle in.”
“I know you will,” Dr. Briefs nodded, sitting back down in his chair to go back to work. “Now get some rest. I will see you off in the morning.”
Bulma nodded and headed into their bedroom, closing the door. She gasped when she saw Vegeta leaning against the wall beside the window of their bedroom, apparently waiting for her. “I didn’t hear you coming up, I thought you were still outside with Kakarott.”
“You and your inability to sense your surroundings,” he said quietly. “How am I to get anything done knowing that you are so inept?”
“I don’t know, we’ll figure it out, Vegeta.” She sighed, not wanting to argue with him again on whether or not she should stay here or go with him. “I’ll be fine; I’ll stay in the lab with Bardock and my father is working on something else for us to take with us to wherever it is we are going before Vegeta-sei.”
“I heard,” he said.
“So, relax,” she shrugged, walking towards him.
“Your father and yourself put too much faith in me,” he said. “I still do not know what I will be dealing with once we return and you blindly trust that I will be able to keep both you and Trunks out of harm’s way.”
“I know you will do everything you can to keep us safe,” She said confidently. “That’s all you can do and that’s all that I ask of you.”
He nodded, pulling her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him hungrily. I need you, Woman.
I know, me too. She said back to him as she undid his shirt and ran her hands back up along his muscular form, resting them a moment on his broad shoulders before pushing his shirt off, letting it fall to the floor. She quickly slipped out of her clothes and tugged on his hand, urging him to come to bed with her. He shrugged off his pants before joining her.
She reached for him again and kissed him. We can’t, he said as her hand found its way his member; he growled in irritation at their situation.
You don’t wanna risk it?
No.
Oh, come on, where’s your sense of adventure and fun? She teased, retracting her hand from him and settling for just kissing him.
The idea of you going through another nine months of that, and a delivery resulting in another wailing brat to tend to is not my idea of adventure and fun, Woman. He said, kissing her back before laying on his back, beside her.
She rested her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. She leisurely ran her fingers up and down from his chest to his abdomen and back up again. “You wouldn’t want to try for another?” she asked suddenly.
“Is that a legitimate question?”
“Yea,” she replied. “Like I wouldn’t want to try for another one right now, not with how uncertain things are and Trunks is still quite a handful,”
“Good,” he grunted. “If you are that determined on having something else to occupy your time, then bring the other damned dog as well tomorrow when we leave.”
“I’m talking like maybe when Trunks is, oh, I don’t know, three or four? Maybe by then we’ll be settled on Vegeta-sei and everything will be alright. I wouldn’t mind. And it’s not like here where there’s no help or we could go back to-”
“No,” he cut her off.
“Not even in a few years?”
“Not likely,” he sighed in irritation. “Is one not enough?”
She shrugged. “Yea,”
“Then let us leave it at that.” He said finally, reaching for her hand that was resting on his abdomen and placing it on his very erect shaft.
She snorted at him. “And just what am I supposed to do with that?”
“You tell me,” he answered, letting her hand go and catching her chin, bringing her face close to his so he could kiss her. “You’re the one seeking fun and adventure.”
“That I am,” she giggled as she began to stroke him urgently, “I can think of a few things, your highness.” She mumbled against his mouth.
-0-0-0-
The next morning they all awoke early in anticipation of the journey ahead of them.
True to her word, Bunny had prepared a wonderful breakfast farewell feast that was worthy of Saiyan royalty. Everyone enjoyed the company of one another, knowing it would be the last time in a long time they would all be together under one roof.
When they finished, Kakarott and Vegeta said their farewells to Dr. and Mrs. Briefs before heading out to the ship docks to ensure their ship was ready to go.
Bulma hugged both her parents as she was ready to leave. “Thanks for all the food, mum,” she said. Bunny had somehow managed to throw together a ton of food for their trip; enough to satisfy everyone for a few days. “Take good care of Danger for me, okay? Don’t spoil him too badly.”
“Oh, I’ll take the best care of him, dear, don’t you worry about a thing; though I’m afraid can’t make any promises where not spoiling him is concerned,” she said, hugging her daughter back. “I made rations and some special treats for Mr. Aro as well.”
“Thanks, mum.” She said, looking around for Aro, who had snuck out with Vegeta and Kakarott already.
“Let me know how the plans turn out,” Dr. Briefs told his daughter, handing her a small binder. “I finished everything to the best of my ability and knowledge. I hope they will be of some use to you.”
“Thanks dad, I know they will!” she said taking the binder and putting it in her diaper bag with all of her things for Trunks. She wanted to look through them once they were out in space, seeing as she had nothing else to do.
The two women finished their good byes to the Briefs before grabbing their boys and heading out towards the shipping docks. They were met half way by Vegeta and Kakarott, who both helped them with the rest of their belongings.
“Everything is ready.” Vegeta said taking Trunks.
They made their way to the docks and onto the ship before they noticed Piccolo approaching.
“We are on our way out, Namek.” Vegeta growled. “There is no need for you to escort us.”
“I’m just making sure and taking note of who all is leaving in case I am interrogated by your people.”
“Myself and Kakarott along with our mates and two infants are leaving,” Vegeta sighed irritably, not feeling like he should have to explain his doings with the Namek. As far as he was concerned, they should no longer be the Nameks concern. “Should anyone interrogate you, this planet is Saiyan-free. The Woman’s human parents have decided to reside here. Go and see the old man, he has intentions to help advance this planet, he is every bit as gifted as Bulma is and just as willing to help out.”
Piccolo nodded. “Do your people know about her parents?”
“No,” he shook his head. “Until we found them both on Frieza’s ship they were both assumed to be deceased.”
“Alright,” Piccolo nodded. “I wish I could say I am disappointed to see you leaving, but under the circumstances, I am sure you understand.”
Vegeta snorted and boarded the ship.
“Thanks for everything, Piccolo,” Bulma said to the Namek, giving him a quick hug.
“No problem,” he replied awkwardly, unsure of how to reciprocate.
“Go see my dad,” she said to him, taking a step back. “He’s got some really great ideas to get this place rolling. He can pick up where I left off.”
“Noted,” Piccolo nodded. “Take care of yourself and remember that you are always welcome back here should things settle down.”
“Thanks,” she said. “Take care yourself!”
They all boarded the ship and off they went, heading off together to face unknown trials.
-0-0-0-
*AN: References and research on Plasma shields courtesy of:
-Wikipedia: http://www.transasianaxis.com/showthread.php?5101- Force-Fields-and-Plasma-Shields-
Get-Closer-to-Reality
-http://orb italvector.com/Defenses/Plasma%20Shields/PLASMA%20SHIELDS.htm
No plagiarism intended!! I just borrowed bits and pieces of information and tried to make it easy to understand, yet seem somewhat feasible. Turns out, it may be after all! Who knew? Though the actual theories and in depth understanding of the physics behind it all is far beyond me! Though I will admit that I had fun researching it for this story and researching it kept me distracted for a good day or two.