Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Butterflies & Hurricanes ❯ Chapter 4

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

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 4

Bulma sat in the pilot’s chair of the ship anxiously watching the red planet ahead of them slowly draw closer and closer. Her stomach was in knots, she was anxious and could not sit still.

One hour and forty seven minutes and twenty eight seconds until they breached the planet’s atmosphere; according to the GPS unit anyway.

She sighed impatiently; she had come up here in hopes of keeping her mind distracted and in the end, sitting up here just made her feel more nervous and stressed out. She had wracked her mind for nearly two days trying to think of a valid reason why they should turn back and go elsewhere but she could find none; none that wouldn’t make Vegeta just drop her and Trunks off and then head back to his home without them until he decided it was safe. She did not want that.

As much as she was dreading their return and the reactions they would receive from all those that would be against them, she felt it unfair to send him to face them all on his own. She was just as much to blame as he was. She never spoke out for him to leave her when that had still been the option. She had sought him out after he had thought her dead. He had chosen to be with her just as she had chosen to be with him. She was just as selfish and irresponsible as he was and so she felt it wrong for him to take the full brunt of the backlash. She snorted to herself at the feeling she had right now. Almost like that feeling she had gotten as a teenager when she knew as soon as she got home she would be in trouble with her parents for doing something she had known she shouldn’t have done. That was what she was feeling, only multiplied by a thousand.

One hour, forty five minutes and thirty two seconds.

She sat there, still looking at the beautiful red planet again. Maybe it wouldn’t be that bad? She thought to herself and then snorted at herself again and recalled feeling this exact same way the last time she was headed to Vegeta-sei. Only this time it was worse.

Last time she had been afraid because she’d had absolutely no clue what to expect and she still wasn’t sure what the boundaries of her and Vegeta’s relationship were yet. She had suspected that he had been attracted to her but wasn’t sure if it was more on a technical stand point for her brilliant mind or if he was interested in a romantic relationship with her. Either way, she had been scared out of her wits and hadn’t known what to expect. Vegeta had warned her about his father and she had known to give him a wide berth and things had been fine until the king had suspected that his son’s feelings for her were far more serious than that of a man lusting after his bed slave.

Up until that point, things had been fairly easy; she mused to herself. Though at the time it had been a frightening and an emotional rollercoaster ride. She’d been fully immersed into a different culture and their customs. She thought back on it now and gave herself props. She had adapted and gone along with everything pretty well she thought; not that she’d had much of a choice in the matter at the time. Technically she’d been Vegeta’s slave. He had never treated her as such and she was still grateful that he’d found her and taken her with him.

Where would she be if they hadn’t met that night at the tavern? She had never really dwelled on it before for any real length of time. From what she recalled she had taken an extra shift that night too. She had been done for the night and one of the girls had been ill so she had volunteered to dance her shift since she had nothing else to do and her goal at that time had been to make as much money as possible in order to buy her way out. How convenient for her that it had been that same night Vegeta happened to be there.

The prince who did not like places like that had brought his men there as a reward for completing a mission efficiently. She still did not quite know what that meant and did not want to know. Her brief time on Frieza’s ship had shown her the darker side to her mate and what he was capable of but since the man she had come to know, trust and love with every fiber of her being was a complete stark contrast to what they’d shown her, she overlooked it and accepted him.

One hour, forty one minutes and three seconds.

As her stomach lurched again at the stress of what would come to pass within a few hours, she contemplated what her life would have been like without Vegeta. She did not contemplate this long. She would have more than likely ended up being a sex slave at the tavern and if she had not insisted on seeking Vegeta out after everything had happened, she would have been a miserable lonely dog lady with nothing to do on a technologically barren planet. Or she would have gotten back together with Yamcha out of sheer loneliness and convenience. Most importantly, she wouldn’t have Trunks; she physically shuddered at the thought. While motherhood was never something she had ever given serious thought to prior to her pregnancy, she could not even fathom any life choice that wouldn’t include him. While certainly unexpected, he truly was a blessing!

One hour, thirty nine minutes and fifty eight seconds.

She could not imagine her life without Vegeta or Trunks in it; not to mention she would have never found her parents either if she had not done what she had. It was funny how life worked out. Even when things had been in dire straits, things found a way of working themselves out for the best, and she decided that despite the unpleasantness and heavy stress they were about to jump head long into there was not a single thing she would do differently if she could go back.

She hoped things wouldn’t be as bad as she was expecting; sure there was lots she did not know but there were a lot of things working in her favor this time as well.

This time, there was no doubt of Vegeta’s loyalty or commitment to her. They were mated and bonded, their relationship strong; she had no doubt that they could make it through anything together.

What if the King blasted both her and Trunks on sight the second her foot touched ground? She shook her head and dismissed the thought immediately. Vegeta would not allow that to happen. Plus they were prepared for that. She wore around her neck a ki repellant device that was disguised as a very beautiful and delicate pendant. They had tested it out on a planet called A35.

It was a very peaceful yet advanced technological planet that Bulma had wished they could have stayed longer on. The things they had developed were out of her realm of understanding; she had felt like the dumb kid in class while discussing her plans with some of their head engineers. They somehow came to an understanding and had developed many useful tools that Bulma could use to keep herself and Trunks discreetly protected. She really wanted to go back there and see what else she could learn. Vegeta had assured her that he would bring her back there one of these days in the near future if she wanted.

She sighed again in frustration.

One hour, thirty two minutes and eighteen seconds.

She felt her stomach twist again.

“Would you stop your incessant worrying, Woman?” a gravelly voice interrupted her thoughts. “It is beginning to wear on my nerves.”

“Sorry,” she said guiltily.

“You need not be troubled.” He said taking a seat next to her and glaring at her, making her feel even more ill at ease.

“Yeah, okay,” she rolled her eyes. “Your father is going to be so thrilled at our return that he’s going to completely forget that your wife is a less than ideal candidate and that you’re not only stuck with me but a mixed race child as well.”

“You wanted to return with me at my side,” he reminded her. “I wished to spare you of whatever may come to pass. I do not care what anyone thinks but I do not wish to subject you or Trunks to ridicule and scorn.”

“I know, this is all my fault.” She sighed. “I don’t regret my decision to come with you, I didn’t want you to go alone. We’re in this together.”

“Agreed,” he said, reaching out and taking her hand. His thumb gently caressed the back of her hand and her stomach did a flip as he gave her a heated look. Never in her life would she have thought such an innocent gesture would inflame her with as much passion as it did. Especially as of late.

“One good thing about going back to your home,” she murmured.

“Hmmn,” he nodded in agreement.

“Where’s Trunks?” she asked, wanting to change the subject before she lost all rational sense and crawled into his lap.

“He is with Kakarott’s woman.”

“You know how much it pisses her off that you never use her name?” she said, rolling her eyes at him.

“Hmmn,” he nodded. “I know. Why do you think I never utter her name?”

She shook her head. “You’re such a jerk sometimes, you know that?”

He smirked at her in response. He knew; and he was proud of it too. “Go and get ready. I will not present you looking anything less than exquisite.”

“Alright.” She agreed, getting up and hugging his seated form in the seat next to her, pulling his head flush against her waist and ran her fingers through his hair a few times, smoothing it right down before kissing him on top of his head and then resting her chin there for a moment. She knew these precious moments where she could touch him freely, and him, her, would end as soon as they landed.

He then abruptly smacked her on her bum and she yelped in surprise and frowned at him as she stalked out of the cockpit area. He smirked deviously at her as she left before taking her place at the captain’s chair.

He sat there a few minutes, basking in the silence and solitude.

Vegeta contemplated changing course, but stubbornly dismissed the possibility. It was time to go home and face his father. He was not entirely sure of what the reception would be or what he would need to do. All he did know what that if his father threatened Bulma or Trunks, he was strong enough that it would be the last thing that man ever did.

He was very concerned for their safety but at the same time a part of him was relieved and glad they were both coming with him. He was not ashamed of them nor was he afraid to confront his father on his own. He just had become accustomed to having them both near him.

He growled at the thought of how weak he had become since he had allowed Bulma into his life and how much worse it had become since the birth of his son. He had never thought he would have cherished having a family as much as he had come to cherish them in the last while.

He had been constantly second guessing his decision to have brought them with him, but only for the reason of their safety. Bulma’s constant worrying was not helping his resolution any either; he knew that she was worried for him and that she had been trying to keep her thoughts and worries to herself, but he still picked up on them. A side effect of their bond being as strong as it was, it was both a blessing and a curse at times. He did not regret it though and a deep part of him was happy that she was with him. He needed her; as pathetic as it was.

Vegeta had no idea what his father would say or do once they arrived. Part of him did not care; he was a grown man and could make his own choices. The other part of him, the very small boyish side of him hoped his father welcomed him. Though he scoffed, dismissed the thought and berated himself for being weak and stupid. He only hoped he would never put Trunks through this same turmoil. In any case, and as much as he refused to admit it to himself much less to Bulma, he was thankful she was with him. He was certain his father would reject him and his choice in family, but he could deal with it and would cope with it appropriately and her presence at his side would help him through that; though he must never tell her that.

One hour, twenty three minutes and nineteen seconds.

He dismissed all thoughts of weakness and worry of rejection as he rubbed his hands across his face. He took a deep breath and hardened his features before hitting the transmitter button, hailing his home planet. He had not spoken to his father since the week following Trunks’ birth.

He waited a moment.

The video monitor popped up and seconds later a Saiyan showed up on the screen.

“This is Prince Vegeta,” he said to the young Saiyan on the screen. “You are to inform my father that I shall be returning this afternoon in just over an hour.”

“Yes, your highness, I shall notify him immediately of your impending arrival,” the youth stammered. “It will be wonderful to have you back with us.” He added quickly with a small smile.

“Hmmn,” Vegeta growled and disconnected the call.

There. It was done. There was no turning back now.

-0-0-0-

About an hour later, Bulma gave herself a once over in the small mirror in her and Vegeta’s room.

During their travels, she had bought some makeup and a few dresses she felt comfortable but elegant in. All of the other clothing she had was frumpy, unflattering and all around not appropriate for her to be presented to Vegeta’s father in; not that she cared all that much about what Vegeta’s father thought of her, but she wanted to look presentable at Vegeta’s side. She was proud of him and wanted him to feel the same way about her standing at his side.

She chose a blue chiffon dress that started out in a very dark navy blue and gradually faded into a light almost sky blue at the bottom, flowing around her ankles. It had a v neck that was flattering to her figure but not immodest. It had thin gold trim along the neck line, was tight around her ribs but delicately flowed in an A line. She knew she could get away with a more form-fitting dress, but her confidence wasn’t quite there yet. This dress perfectly accentuated her delicateness without being over the top; she wanted to look elegant, not trashy.

She spun around again, deciding she looked pretty good for a girl who had just given birth a little over four months ago. She looked at the small baby carrier sitting on a chair next to the dresser.

“What do you think, Trunks?” she asked the infant who was quiet, but watching her intently. “Does mum still look hot or what?”

She ran a comb through her now shoulder-length hair and decided she was finished. Her makeup was flawless. She had kept it mostly neutral with a dusty rose on her cheeks and lips and a light beige for her eye makeup. She opted to skip the eyeliner and went with just black mascara on her upper and lower lashes.

Bulma sighed once again as she looked herself over one last time before picking up baby Trunks. She had him in a dark blue onesie. Simple, nothing fancy or too cute; Vegeta seemed opposed to anything with prints or critters on Trunks’ clothing. Usually she ignored him and dressed him as she pleased, he was after all her little boy too; but for today she decided to humor her husband and keep things simple. She only hoped both she and Trunks looked acceptable enough even though she knew that anything that would transpire today would have absolutely nothing to do with their looks and everything to do with just who they were. Nonetheless, she felt better knowing she looked great and so did her son.  

She wrapped Trunks in a simple white blanket after capsulizing everything and exited their room, on her way to find Vegeta, who was still piloting the ship.

“Hey,” she said to him almost shyly, taking her place beside him.

“You look more than adequate,” he acknowledged appreciatively looking at them both. “As does the boy.”

“You think?” she asked with a raised brow. “I don’t know, I have these adorable jammies that I bought for Trunks; they’re navy blue with bright, yellow, smiling, happy stars all over them. It came with a little navy tuque with pointy ears on top. Maybe I should put him in that instead?”

“You will do absolutely no such thing,” Vegeta said with a frown and went back to looking out the windshield.

“Lighten up,” she rolled her eyes.

“Woman,” he growled in a warning tone.

“I know,” she sighed.

She took a seat next to him and they sat together in companionable silence as the ship drew ever closer.

Eight minutes and twelve seconds.

They were soon accompanied by Kakarott and Chi-Chi who were very anxious to land and get on with things, not sharing the same worries their friends were.

-0-0-0-

The door of the ship opened up and Vegea stepped out first. He took in the scene before him: His father and Asia stood there at the forefront. There was Paragus and a few other council members he recognized along with a few other unfamiliar faces standing in a small crowd behind his father.

He gave his father a stern look, accessing his energy level. Yes, he had surpassed his father; he could feel it. He refrained from smirking arrogantly over this fact. His father would learn very soon just how strong his son had become.

Neither Saiyan spoke a word to the other for a long moment, just both eyeing the other, seizing the other up, trying to get a sense of the other’s intentions.

“Father,” Vegeta finally nodded to the King.

“My son,” King Vegeta replied. “You look well.”

“I am very well.” Vegeta replied. He took a step back and motioned for Bulma to come out of the ship.

She swallowed hard and made an attempt to put her bravest face forward. This is it. She told herself as she took Vegeta’s hand and tightened her hold on Trunks who was thankfully still asleep. He led her a few feet away from the ship and let her hand go but possessively wrapped his tail around her waist.

“May I present to you once again, Bulma, my chosen mate and she brings with her, my heir,” Vegeta said boldly to his father.

Bulma cringed inwardly and resisted the urge to smack him. So much for going with the flow and not pissing every one off the second they got there. She composed herself and decided to chance a look at the King; he looked absolutely furious.

Beside him stood Asia who was wearing a beautiful, loose flowing bright yellow dress. Her hair was longer and she looked a little heavier than Bulma remembered her to be but the woman looked just as beautiful and radiant as ever. Her skin was perfect and she carried herself with a sort of regal confidence that Bulma figured out immediately that Vegeta’s father must have taken her for himself as a mate in Vegeta’s absence.

How sad, she thought to herself, however she quickly brushed it off. The girl had wanted Vegeta. She definitely got herself both a Vegeta and a title. The thought gave her a little bit of comfort. Maybe since she was mated with the king she wouldn’t have time for Vegeta, though that thought came to an abrupt halt as she noticed the heated way she was assessing Vegeta. She suddenly was thankful she had taken the time to make herself up as much as she did as she fought the urge to grab Vegeta’s hand again just to annoy the other woman but decided to leave it be. As it was, the atmosphere was so heavy she felt like she could barely breathe.

“I also bring with me my First Lieutenant, Kakarott, his mate and their child.” Vegeta continued, gesturing to Kakarott and Chi-Chi, who held baby Goten tightly. Kakarott encouragingly nudged her forward, keeping a protective arm around her waist.

“Your father will be very pleased to know that you live, Kakarott.” King Vegeta said to him, ignoring his son, Bulma and Chi-Chi all together. “He was deeply grieved by your passing. As was your brother and I imagine your mother as well.”

“I can’t wait to see them.” Kakarott nodded.  

“Very well,” the King sighed. “You may go along and do as you wish. I have urgent matters to discuss with my son, alone.” He finished, looking at Bulma with a harsh glare that made a tingle of cold fear travel down her spine.

She swallowed heavily, trying to keep herself calm. So far, things did not seem to be going at all well. The silence was worse in her opinion than if he had decided to fly off the handle. The king seemed too well composed which told her he was just barely keeping his rage contained. Not only that but he had looked at Vegeta with disgust and contempt and gave herself and Trunks as little notice as though they were nothing more than insects on the ship dock. Even though she had prepared herself for a similar reaction it still stung. Not so much for her, she could not care less of what the king thought of her; she felt sorrow for Vegeta.

“I have nothing to discuss with you that cannot wait until later,” Vegeta replied arrogantly. “You requested that I return home immediately, which I have. I must ensure my mate and heir are settled in. Then I shall meet with you.”

King Vegeta growled at his son, his jaw clenched tightly while he attempted to control his rage. “Very well. I have organized dinner in the dining room for us in honor of your return. Have your mate and yourself ready in two hours. We will eat and drink and then discuss things tomorrow.”

“Alright,” Vegeta nodded once, before turning to Bulma. “We have our own things that need to be taken care of and settled this afternoon.”

She looked away as she felt her face redden slightly from the way he was looking at her, knowing exactly what he was referring to. “We will dine with you later on this evening and I will discuss whatever you wish tomorrow morning.” He finished, looking at his father again.

The king nodded, though did not look happy and sent a glare at Bulma and the small bundle she carried in her arms before turning to leave; the council members following him.

Asia remained for a moment, curiously looking Bulma over in a way that made her feel very uncomfortable; she wasn’t sure if it was good or not. She took a few steps towards her and Vegeta pulled Bulma closer to him.

“I only want to see the infant,” Asia said defensively, shooting Vegeta a glare and coming up closer to them despite Vegeta’s obvious distrust of her.

Bulma exhaled deeply but loosened the blanket around Trunks’ face so that she could show him off to the other woman.

Asia peered at the healthy baby boy asleep in Bulma’s arms. “He has purple hair?”

Bulma nodded. “My father had purple hair,” she acknowledged, remembering to refer to her parents in the past tense so as not to give away the possibility of their existence.

Asia looked at Trunks for a long moment, not saying anything. “I have a son as well,” she finally said. “He is a little over three months old.”

“Trunks is around four and a half months,” Bulma confirmed. “What is your son’s name?” she asked, trying to keep things as positive as possible despite the obvious tension.

Asia straightened up and looked pointedly at Vegeta. “Your father and I thought it appropriate to name him Tarble after your brother who passed away a few days after his birth and in honor of the former queen who had loved and chosen the name.”

Vegeta glared at Asia. “I cannot believe you used that name.”

“I am queen now and your father agreed therefore I can name my son and the new proper heir of Vegeta-sei whatever I want.” She defiantly snipped back at him.

Vegta snarled at her. “Hey, its fine, Vegeta, its fine,” Bulma said to him. “Asia, I cannot wait to meet him, I am sure he is beautiful.”

The other woman ignored Vegeta completely and smiled contentedly as she gazed at Trunks again, “He is.” She nodded and turned to leave, following the rest of the crowd back into the palace.

Vegeta glared daggers after Asia. “Hey, let it go,” Bulma said to him.

“Let it go?” he spat at her. “Woman, that is the ultimate form of disrespect! I cannot believe my father would allow-”

“Vegeta, it’s not our business.” She said firmly. “I’m sorry you find that offensive but right now you’re not in any position to be judging anyone for their choices. In everyone else’s mind we’re the disrespectful ones. You’ve taken an alien female as your wife and have a half breed as a son.”

“I am not ashamed of my choices!” he snarled at her.

“Okay, good. Neither am I, but just leave things alone.” Bulma said to him. “We haven’t been here ten minutes and you’re already pissing everyone off unnecessarily.” Don’t make this situation more volatile than it already is. We need to tread carefully.

Vegeta glared at her long and hard for a moment.

“Hey, Vegeta? I’m going to take Chi-Chi and Goten to go and meet my father.” Kakarott cut in.

“Good idea! We’ll go with you.” Bulma said to the other Saiyan and smiling at Chi-Chi. It would be so nice to see someone who would be happy to see them!

“Is he going to be as scary as Vegeta’s father?” Chi-Chi whispered quietly. “Cause if he is, I think I want to turn around and go back home right now.”

“No,” Bulma shook her head. “Bardock’s not scary at all, don’t worry.”

Vegeta nodded. Be sure to take care of business. He said to her.

Of course, she replied. First things first, right?

Hmmmn.

Bulma ran quickly back to the ship and let Aro out of his crate, capsulizing it and hooking him up to his leash. “Are dogs allowed in?” she asked Vegeta.

“I have shown up here a complete disgrace to my heritage and race as a whole with an alien female as my mate and a half breed for a son,” Vegeta deadpanned. “A mangy dog will be the least of anyone’s worries.”

“Awe, they’ll love you,” Bulma cooed at Aro as he gracefully jumped out of the ship and began to sniff his new surroundings. “And if they don’t, you can just bite them, okay?” She went to hand Vegeta the leash and was met with a stern glare. “Oh, so now that you’re back home, you’re too good to walk the dog, is that it? Alright, fine. Let’s go! Time for Trunks to meet his Uncle Bardock!”

Vegeta growled to himself almost regretting his decision to allow her to return home with him. Did she not understand how bad things were or was she just simply turning a blind eye to it all?

No, you’re just being a grouch. She replied.

The four adults and Aro headed into the palace. Kakarott and Bulma filled Chi-Chi in on many things inside the palace, as Vegeta was stewing silently to himself, not in the mood for any conversation. Chi-Chi seemed stunned by the beauty and elaborateness of everything. Bulma smiled, remembering feeling overwhelmed by it all the first time as well.

She started somewhat when Vegeta suddenly put an arm around her waist, pulling her close to him as they walked down the halls of the palace. Stay close.

She smiled to herself, feeling the butterflies in her stomach flutter giddily in excitement as he discreetly caressed her lower back with his thumb. She really hoped that she could get her hands on that shot again as soon as they got to the lab. She was nearly bursting at the seams with desire and knew that Vegeta was as well. The past several weeks he had been almost unbearably miserable. She knew it had to do with the stress of returning here, but still, she knew he missed the physical aspect of their relationship as much as she did. Sure they had done plenty of fooling around, but it still wasn’t the same.

They finally made their way into the science wing and entered the lab. There, as usual, was the older Saiyan, a nearly carbon copy of his son to Chi-Chi’s astonishment, engrossed in some project or another.

He suddenly looked up from his project at the crew that had just walked into his lab and dropped the small metal tool that was in his hand. He frowned in confusion. His mouth opened and closed a few times as he did a double take.

“Kakarott?” he finally asked, walking around the large work table of his to see if this was real or a figment of his imagination.

“Father,” Kakarott nodded.

“Is it really you?” he asked dumbfounded. “And Bulma.”

“Bardock!” Bulma chirped, handing Vegeta Trunks and wrapping her arms around the large older Saiyan.

He frowned in confusion, unsure whether or not to return the unfamiliar gesture. “My Prince,” he nodded awkwardly at Vegeta, trying to greet his prince with the proper respect while having Bulma’s arms wrapped around his neck like a vice grip. He recovered after a moment, placing his hands on her hips and pulling her away from him so that he could look at her properly; it was definitely her.

He nodded. “It is wonderful to see you.” He said and looked at his son again. “Both of you. I had hoped for so long that you had managed to escape the explosion. I held on hope for months before resigning myself that you had both perished. How did you do it?”

“Well, we couldn’t have done it without you warning me,” Kakarott said. “I’ll fill you in later on, but there’s two people I am dying for you to meet first.”

Chi-Chi stepped forward and smiled shyly at the man who looked like a very handsome, older version of her husband. The resemblance was uncanny. The only difference was he had a scar on his face and had a more mature-looking demeanor about him than Kakarott did. She nodded inwardly, relieved that at least she knew her husband would age nicely.

“This is Chi-Chi,” Kakarott said proudly to his father. “She is my mate and actually a friend of Bulma’s from their planet, but I’ll fill you in on that later on too.”

“You are a human as well?” Bardock asked, looking at the petite brunette with interest.

“Yes,” she nodded. “I hope that’s alright.”

Bardock smiled warmly at her. “So long as you can tolerate my son’s boyishness and keep him well fed, it is fine by me. And who is this?” he asked, referring to the infant in her arms.

“That is our son, Goten,” Kakarott proudly announced.

Chi-Chi held Goten out for Bardock to look at. He had woken up just a few minutes ago while they had been on their way to the science wing. Thankfully he hadn’t started crying yet.

“So I have a grandson and a daughter-in-law all this time that I had no knowledge of,” he smirked. “I am happy to meet the both of you.”

“And you too,” Chi-Chi said to him. “I have heard a lot about you.”

Bardock frowned at his son. “Why did you not contact me sooner?”

“We couldn’t.” Kakarott replied, looking to Bulma for support. “We thought it would endanger you and weren’t sure there was a way to go about it without being tracked down. We decided since everyone thought we were dead it was better off that way for the time being and to worry about contacting everyone later on.”

“Do you have any idea the grief your mother has been in? For her sake alone, you should have found a way.” he scolded his son.

Kakarott looked at the ground awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. “Oops?”  

Bardock shook his head at his younger son. “That will be a battle you will have to fight on your own, I am afraid.”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “We’ll go see her tonight if that’s alright. I need some place for Chi-Chi and Goten to stay. I was hoping with you guys until I figured something out.”

Bardock nodded. “Take it up with your mother, but I have no issue with it,” he said, winking at Chi-Chi. “And what do we have here? I never thought the day would come where I would see my own crowned Prince carrying an infant,” He said walking up to Vegeta who was still holding a sleeping Trunks.

“Especially since the last time I saw either of you, his highness was completely opposed to the idea of having any children, ever.” He said with a smirk, looking at Bulma.

“Well, that shot you gave me kind of wore out by the time Vegeta and I were reunited and I didn’t know where else to get it and so here’s Trunks.” Bulma fumbled somewhat awkwardly.

Bardock looked at the sleeping baby and smiled. “My goodness you will have to catch me up on all of this.”

“We will.” Kakarott said.

Aro leaned forward cautiously in an effort to sniff this new person. Bardock glanced at him briefly before stepping away from Vegeta, Bulma and Trunks to get a better look at Kakarott almost as though he were afraid the young man in front of him was nothing more than an apparition and not his youngest son. He smiled at him and it was easy to see the man was holding back a tremendous amount of emotion.

He slapped his son on the shoulder in an affectionate manner. “I am so happy that you are alive and well.”

Bulma glanced at Vegeta briefly and her heart nearly broke for him.

She knew he was hiding it, and well, but she could tell as they watched Bardock’s interaction with his son and enthusiasm in knowing that he lived and of meeting the new additions to their family from the sidelines that he wished his own father had displayed even an ounce of gladness for his return the way Bardock was for his son.

Hey, she said to him, taking his hand and lacing her fingers with his. I’m sure he’s more than relieved that you’re back. Even if he won’t show it, he has to be glad.

Right. He replied sarcastically with a bitter tone.

Well, to be fair to him, you were acting kind of pompous and arrogant when we arrived.

I cannot appear to be weak or to have grown soft in my absence. He argued.

Alright, but give it some time. You don’t know what’s been going on over here since the last time we were here. For all you know he has been grieving over your loss all this time and just like you, he does not want to appear to be weak in front of you or his peers either.

Perhaps, he said back to her. “Bardock, I will leave you with your family. I must prepare for dinner with my father,”

“Of course, my prince!” Bardock replied stepping up quickly to him. “Where are my manners?”

“Worry not,” he said. “Enjoy your evening. Kakarott has much to fill you in on.”

“I cannot wait. Make sure you and Bulma are settled in with young Trunks and do honor us with your presence at my place for a meal.”

“I will make it a priority, Bardock,” Vegeta nodded at the older Saiyan. “However may I ask an immediate favor of you?”

“Anything, my prince.”

“Make the woman barren again.” he said dryly, however the slight reddening in his cheeks was notable.

“Vegeta!” Bulma exclaimed in embarrassment.

Bardock grinned and chuckled knowingly at the young couple.  

-0-0-0-

After all was said and done and they said their goodbyes, Bardock, Kakarott and Chi-Chi decided to head outside of the palace to meet Penolope, Kakarott’s mother. Apparently Raditz was around as well and Bardock called him on his scouter, cryptically letting him know that dinner elsewhere besides with them was nonnegotiable.

Chi-Chi was very nervous to meet this extended family she had heard so much about before, however so far Bardock had been exactly as everyone had told her he would be like. She really liked him so far and was thankful that he wasn’t anywhere near as abrasive as Vegeta’s father seemed to be.

Bulma, and Vegeta exited the science lab and made their way down to the Royal Wing in an attempt to settle in somewhat.

“You sure they’ll still have your room?” Bulma asked him.

“Of course!” Vegeta replied in irritation.

“Well you haven’t been here in forever.” She said. “What if it’s a baby room now for the new prince?”

“The new prince will still be residing in the nursery which is down the hall but if anyone else is staying in my room, I will be throwing them out the door.”

Bulma snickered at him and they made it the rest of the way through the palace in silence until they made it to the Royal Wing. Several servants and guards stopped in their tracks in confusion at their presence, but all greeted them warmly.

As Vegeta expected, his room was still his room. The only changes that had been made was that the furniture had been covered by large white sheets to protect everything from the dust.

Bulma handed Trunks to Vegeta and opened the doors to the balcony to let some air into the stuffy room and began to remove some of the sheets off the tables and couches in the sitting room. She couldn’t help but fight back the feeling of nostalgia. The last time she had been in this room had been just after Vegeta had killed Zarbon for trying to violate her. He had come here to clean himself up before taking her away to his island and they had consummated their union. The feeling of panic and dread returned as she remembered that night and the events and weeks leading up to it.

“Leave the sheets. I will send for servants to prepare the room.” He said to her, as he looked around.

“I don’t mind doing it, Vegeta,” She said, heading back out to the balcony and shaking out one of the sheets and watching the dust float into the atmosphere. “I need to do something to keep me distracted and not worry about dinner with your father.”

“It will be fine.” He said to her, coming up close behind her.

“I know, I’m just nervous. He’s not happy that you came here with us and I know I wanted to come with you but I just feel like we don’t belong here,” she sighed, folding the sheet.

“You belong here just as I do.” He said.

“No, I don’t,” she shook her head. “You belong here. Trunks and I don’t. I don’t know what I was thinking when I got upset at you for not wanting to bring us.”

“Stop berating yourself,” He said in a harsher tone than he meant to. “It will not be easy. My father will make our lives difficult but we already knew that. What were you thinking would happen when we returned, hmm? That he would have changed his mind and welcomed us with open arms and invite us in for a tea party?”

She shrugged. “No, I knew he would be a jerk, but I guess I was hoping for you that maybe he would have shown some rejoicing at your return.”

“Not so long as I came here with you,” he said.

“It’s not me that I worry so much about though. I can take it. It’s you that I worry about. It can’t be easy to know your father hates me so much and he’ll take that out on you.”

“Let him. So long as he does not harm you or Trunks I do not care what he thinks.”

“I don’t believe that,” she said, taking Trunks back from him. “Everyone wants their parents’ approval; even if it’s only a little. I felt so bad for you earlier back in the lab. Bardock was so happy that Kakarott lived and came home. He didn’t say much, but I could tell he was so overcome with gladness over it. I knew your father wouldn’t be happy over you bringing me and Trunks, but he could have at least shown some happiness at your return. You’re still his son.”

“You forget that Saiyans do not show such emotions,” He said firmly.

“But Bardock-”

“Bardock and his family are not typical. My father will not show any emotion but distain at my return. I am the son that left and did not return for want of a bed slave. That is all he sees.”

“But you still returned,” she argued. “You could have just not returned at all and he could have spent his life worrying and wondering what ever happened to you.”

“That is not how he sees it. Leave it alone, Bulma,” he said, walking back into his room. “He will not change his mind. It is his mission in life to make my life miserable.”

“He just wants what’s best for you,” she suggested. “I’m obviously not what’s best. That’s why he’s upset.”

“You are over simplifying things.”

“Alright, but still. Even if he shows nothing but contempt, he’s still probably happy that you’re back home.” She continued.

Vegeta shrugged. “Whatever. Try and settle in. Dinner will be in an hour or so. I will send for someone to straighten this place out before this evening.” He headed back into the room and into the bedroom.

Bulma sighed and followed him. She pulled out a capsule and tossed it on the ground in the living room decapsulating Aro’s crate, bed and food supplies.

The shepherd walked into his crate, sniffing it eagerly and then exited it again.

Vegeta reappeared, handing her a capsule. “These are the rest of your things from before.”

“Oh, awesome!” she exclaimed, taking it from him and handing Trunks to him. She threw the capsule on the ground and out popped two suitcases. She opened up one of them and shrieked in excitement as she rifled through the bag, sorting through her old clothes in delight.

She held up a little black dress she had all but forgotten she’d had. “Can I change into one of these other outfits for dinner?”

Vegeta shrugged. “It makes no difference to me.”

She rolled her eyes at him and tossed another capsule on the ground, decapsulating Trunks’ crib and play pen.

Vegeta placed the infant in the play pen, and looked at him. He had been surprisingly quiet all afternoon, he mused. “What are we to do with him?” he asked.

“Can’t we bring him with us?” she asked, still sorting through the suitcase.

“I suppose so, however it will only make my father more irritated than he already is.” He sighed.

“Well we can’t leave him here unattended and there isn’t anyone you trust here to watch over him, is there?”

“No,”

“Well, then he’ll have to come with us,” She shrugged. “Your father has to get used to the idea of him some time.”

Vegeta nodded.

“I don’t think I can fit into most of these anymore,” she said sadly.

Vegeta smirked at her. “Make sure you feed the boy before we go.”

“I will.” She said absent mindedly. “Do you like this one?” she asked holding up another dress.

“It makes no difference to me,” he sighed. “Wear what you like.”

She put everything down and came up to him. “Sorry. I’m just really excited to get some of my old clothes back.”

He smirked at her. “Get dressed.”

“You okay?”

“I am fine,” he said, grabbing his scouter. “Get yourself ready. I will arrange someone to prepare this place for our stay.”

Bulma nodded at him and grabbed two of her favorite long-lost dresses. She hoped she could squeeze into them again. Her bust had almost doubled in size since she’d had Trunks.

She decided to darken her makeup just a little bit, adding some black eyeliner to her top eyelids and a raspberry color for her lipstick. She left her hair down and tried on one of her dresses. The first one was black satin. It still fit, but in the top it looked like her breasts were about to pop out. It didn’t look bad, she decided, but it was very uncomfortable and definitely not the impression she wanted to make. Though she was pleased how her body looked and a few years would have only dreamed of having this much cleavage available to display she thought with a smile.

She quickly changed into the other dress. It was also black. It had a cowl neckline with spaghetti straps on it. It showed off her cleavage nicely but not outrageously like the other one had. It fit snug down the length of her body and flared out at her hips in a subtle A line. It was all in all a simple little black dress. Elegant but not over the top and she decided to go with it. Now if only she could find a pair of heels, she would look perfect.

“What do you think about this one?” she asked, stepping out of the bathroom. “It’s not too much?”

He looked at her and cracked a brief smile and nodded. “You look more than adequate.”

She rolled her eyes at him and his lack of description and decided that she would wear this one. “So do you,” she said, noticing that he had quickly changed into his royal armor.

She rifled through her luggage bag and found a pair of strappy black sandals that weren’t too high but dressy enough; she tossed them to the side and packed up all her things before grabbing Trunks to feed him before they left.

Once she was done, she tucked him up in his little baby carrier and went to find Vegeta who was brooding by himself on the balcony. “Hey, Trunks is ready to go. Can you do me up?”

Vegeta turned to look at her; she was standing beside him, but her back was to him and the back of her dress needed to be zipped up and fastened at the top. He took in the flawless, creamy skin of her back and growled at her; she had left the back of her dress nearly completely undone on purpose just to taunt him. That was alright, he mused. He would get her back for it later on.

He did up the back of her dress, brushing her hair to the side, exposing the back of her neck to him. He brushed his lips against her skin and gently nipped her instead of kissing her like she had anticipated.  

“Ow,” she whined, turning around and giving him a mock scowl.

Vegeta shrugged innocently at her as though he did not understand what the problem was and left the balcony. He moved Aro’s crate so that it was out of the way, but next to the open balcony door so that he could get a comfortable breeze but wasn’t in the sun and put him away into his crate just as there had been a knock at the door.

“We are here to prepare your room, your highness,” a short, stocky housekeeper said; with her were two other middle aged women that he recognized.

“Excellent,” Vegeta nodded, letting them in. “We will be back in about an hour or so. Never mind the dog, he is fine where he is; he will not bother you. Everything else is to be put back to the way it was before.”

“Yes, your Highness,” they said, looking at Bulma with interest.

“Thank you,” she said to them, picking up Trunks’ carrier. She had capsulated his crib and accessories so they would not be in the way and she still was not sure where she wanted to put him yet. In the same room as theirs, or keep him in a separate room like he was used to and set him up in the living room right outside their bedroom?

One of the maids approached Bulma cautiously, wanting to take a peek at the infant. Bulma smiled and obliged her. “His name is Trunks,” she said proudly.

“You did not name him after his highness?” one of the other maids asked curiously.

“No,” she shook her head. “We decided on a new name for him.”

The three women looked at baby Trunks cautiously but with interest. “Forgive us, your highness,” the eldest said nervously, addressing Vegeta. “But it is good to have you and Miss Bulma back with us again. Congratulations on the birth of your heir.”

“Thank you.” Vegeta replied awkwardly and then the three women disbursed and began working to prepare the room. He usually never spoke with his staff other than to give them orders or instructions. That they seemed so eager about his return surprised him. That they had even remembered Bulma and her name for that matter surprised him even more. He shrugged and looked at her.

“I’m ready to go, are you?” she asked him nervously, her stomach beginning to churn again.

He nodded and opened the door. You have your device turned on for both Trunks and yourself?

Yup. She said. She had a beautiful, delicate pendant that could protect her from a ki blast and one for Trunks as well, though it was hidden under his sleeper so that no one would know he was wearing it.

They walked just a few feet down the hallway to where the private dining room for the royal family was located. There was one guard stationed outside the door. “Your father and the queen are expecting you,” he said.

Vegeta simply nodded and walked in, Bulma nervously following closely behind him into the huge private dining room. It was as elegant and as extravagant as was the rest of the palace with its white walls and pillars with dramatic drapings of crimson red and royal blue.

I have not dined in this room since before my mother passed. Vegeta thought as he looked around the room quickly, noting the changes. No longer was the portrait of the royal family of his father, mother and himself as a young boy on the wall and gone was a magnificent portrait of his mother, the former queen, for obvious reasons now that his father had taken another mate; however its absence troubled him. The walls were free from any portraits or picturesque wall hangings of any kind besides the blue and red silk drapes. He cringed inwardly when he saw his father at the head of the unnecessarily long table with Asia at his right.

Bulma, however sighed in relief that it was just the two of them and not any of the other advisors and council members to add to the uncomfortableness of the situation.

They both approached the end of the table to where they would be sitting; Bulma hung back a few feet away from Vegeta to place Trunks' baby carrier on a chair next to where she decided to sit.

She looked at Vegeta in question and he nodded at her, taking a seat himself at his father's left. He acknowledged his father with nothing more than a nod and watched Bulma as she settled herself in on the seat next to him.

"Hello," she murmured nervously, offering them her most courteous smile, but it was not returned.

She turned from them and their stern gaze before she said something rude and smiled at Vegeta instead.

There was a long awkward silence and Bulma was beginning to feel more and more ill at ease as the seconds dragged on nor did she miss the way Asia was looking at Vegeta.

She was looking almost longingly at him. Like she was sitting across from her long lost love after many, many years and now here he was, but she had not waited faithfully for him and was now feeling the sting of regret with the knowledge that she was stuck with someone she shouldn't have been meant to be with. Bulma dismissed her feelings of animosity though. Try as she might, she could not hate on the girl. If she was trapped in a horrible marriage then that was not something for Bulma to be glad over. No one deserved that.

The only thing that bothered her was the blatantly obvious way she was ogling Vegeta. Right in front of her own mate and in front of her!

Bulma kept her thoughts to herself and remained silent. However the silence in the room was almost deafening; she could not stand it and wished she had at least brought her mother with them. Her mother was a mastermind at diffusing awkward and unpleasant situations. Unfortunately, Bulma had never acquired the skill.

Thankfully, a servant walked into the room and poured everyone a glass of red wine.

"Thank you," Bulma said without even thinking.

"Slaves are not to be thanked for doing their jobs." the King said, giving both Bulma and the slave a harsh glare. The slave curtsied awkwardly and quickly left the room.

Bulma held in a heavy sigh and eye roll to herself as she reached for her glass of wine. Apparently it was going to be a long night. At least she had some wine, she thought to herself.

Do not overdo it. Vegeta cautioned her.

I'll try not to, she replied jokingly to him. Worst case scenario you can take advantage of me later on and I'll let you do anything you want to me.

Enough, he growled at her.

"So, when did the two of you decide to get together?" she asked casually, trying to start a civil conversation as she took a small sip of her wine. She remembered now how strong the wine was here. She would have to remember to nurse her drink or she would be tipsy in no time, unless the food came right away. "Congratulations."

"It is not your place or even any of your business to inquire of such things. You forget your place." the King said to her with a glare. "You may have managed to ensnare my son but I have not forgotten that you are nothing more than a bed slave."

"You will not speak to my mate that way," Vegeta said to his father in an even tone despite his anger at his father's blatant disrespect. He wasn't surprised, but at least Bulma was putting in an effort to be polite and make this a pleasant meeting. "She may not be Saiyan, but you will treat her with respect."

"I do not respect your choice," the King said nonchalantly. "Therefore I am in no way bound nor obligated to show respect to that which I deem of it.

"My dear, you would command my full respect should you do right by my son and leave," he said looking pointedly at Bulma. "Take the half breed you feel the need to tote around everywhere with you as consolation; I will allow you that kindness and consideration rather than putting him down as common sense dictates I should. I will grant this to you by means of respect and overlooking my son's poor judgments."

Bulma clenched her teeth together but smiled despite the painful thought of anything happening to Trunks. She took a sip of wine in an effort to calm her nerves; Vegeta's tail made its way comfortingly onto her lap.

"Bulma will not be going anywhere and neither will my son." he said looking at his father.

Bulma brushed the tip of his tail with her thumb, the simple, but private gesture from him flooding her with comfort.

"I returned here at your request." Vegeta said, changing the subject.

"Yes, I requested that you return," his father agreed. "However I also requested that you leave the girl behind should you decide to return."

"Enough. I did not return or agree to dine with you and discuss your displeasure over my choice in mate. That topic is off limits."

Before Vegeta could say anything more, several servants came in carrying several trays of food and set them down in the center of the table, lining them down the length of the table. If Bulma did not know any better she would have thought they were at a buffet.

"Let us eat," Vegeta's father said, though there was still an abrasive edge to his voice. "We shall discuss business afterwards."

Vegeta nodded in agreement, standing up to get some food for himself.

Bulma reached to take his plate in an effort to serve him the first portion of his meal, as she customarily always did for him, however he picked it up himself, out of her grasp and subtly shook his head at her.

The King snorted at the exchange. "It would seem your woman has not forgotten her place after all or has she completely domesticated you?"

"I am sorry, your highness," Bulma cut in before Vegeta had the chance. "But in my culture it is not uncommon for the female spouse to fill her mate's plate for him. I can assure you it was merely a gesture of respect. Vegeta is certainly more than capable of helping himself."

"I should hope so," the King scoffed. "While every man wishes to be waited in hand and foot by their woman it is a travesty for him to be coddled by his mate."

Bulma simply nodded, not daring to comment any further. She couldn't help but notice Asia smirking at her. What a disaster this was. She felt like she couldn't win. Would he have a cutting remark about everything she did?

Vegeta was right, she thought to herself. As usual she hadn't listened to him. She should have stayed back on Callisto.

No, I am glad you are here. Vegeta said to her. I need you here.

Do you really? Why so that he can berate me in front of you? She said angrily. And why are you just sitting here taking this from him? He isn't even trying to be nice.

I am doing as you said, and not pissing anyone off.

And that means letting him disrespect me and Trunks?

I have changed my tactic, he said as he finished piling a massive amount of food on his plate. You said something earlier when we arrived here. I cannot come in here as though this is still my home. I will allow him to speak his say for the time being.

Great. At my expense.

Only for now. Do not worry. He is behaving exactly as I knew he would. He is only making what I will need to eventually do that much easier. He said.

I thought you didn't want to appear weak in front of him.

You are right, I do not. But as it stands, I can take him out any time I want; I have by far surpassed him many times over.I will tolerate this and let him think he has the upper hand. Once I figure out what the full situation is going on here with him, the council and King Cold, I will make my move against him. Vegeta said, digging into his meal. Bear with me.

Alright. She said, sighing inwardly as she finished serving her plate with a small portion and sat back down.

Dinner continued on in the most tension riddled, awkward fashion. It did not take long for Bulma to finish her helping. She was far too stressed out to eat any more than she had. Her stomach was lurching and she felt nauseated despite the delicious meal that was spread out before them. She sat quietly, politely picking at the few remnants on her plate as Vegeta, his father and Asia helped themselves to extra servings.

“Is that all you are going to eat, girl?” King Vegeta asked her with a disapproving frown. “No wonder you look unhealthy. Son, does she not eat?”

Vegeta smirked as Bulma frowned at him. “She eats as much as she requires,” he said. “There were many humans where we have resided these past months and I have discovered that humans do not consume nearly as much as we do in a single sitting. I can assure you, she eats plenty and is healthy in terms of what is normal for her race.”

Silence once again enveloped the four of them and it wasn't long before Trunks began to fuss, most likely picking up on both his parents stressful energy signatures.

"Does the child not know how to settle himself?" the King asked in annoyance.

"He's just a baby," Bulma said to him coolly, turning to check on Trunks. She wasn't sure if she should pick him up or not, for fear of getting yet another negative, cutting remark. She respected Vegeta's decision, but it was wearing on her nerves. She was trying so hard to behave and not say anything in retaliation.

She gave Trunks a piece of fruit to suck on that reminded her of watermelon. His motor skills already were pretty impressive. He smiled and happily began to chew on the piece of fruit. She hoped this would keep him happy until it was time for them to go.

"You don't bring your baby out with you?" Bulma asked Asia, once again trying for a civil conversation.

"No, he remains in the nursery." she said, watching Trunks as he happily gummed the fruit and looked around the room wide-eyed, taking everything in.

"Children this age are of no use and nothing more than a nuisance. Until he may sit in a civilized manner at the table and not be a bother, he shall remain there." the King clarified, glaring at the infant in disgust. "Son, are you sure that brat is even yours? He has more the look of his mother in him and hardly resembles you at all. Saiyan traits, even among half breeds, almost always dominate any other gene.”

"Of course I am sure he is mine!" Vegeta snarled.

"How dare you!" Bulma exclaimed, getting up to pick up Trunks. She unwrapped him from the white blanket he was tucked inside and loosened his pants somewhat. "Not that it's any of your business, but here," she ranted, hoisting up Trunks over her shoulder revealing his tail. "He may not have typical dark features or an acidic personality like you, but he has a tail. I'd say that's pretty damning evidence of his paternity, your highness. Vegeta, I am going back to the room. I don't care if you stay here or come with me, but I cannot stay here."

She wrapped Trunks back up in his blanket and carefully tucked him back into his carrier. "Asia, it was a pleasure seeing you again and I am sure I will see you again in the very near future," she said to the other woman, smiling cordially at her. "Your Highness." she said to the king, giving him a quick curtsy in a mock show of respect. She downed the rest of her glass of wine as though it were a shot and picked up Trunks' carrier.

You can stay if you want, don't feel obligated to follow, I'll be fine. It’s only a few feet, I have my pendant turned on. If anyone bugs me I'll let you know. I'm going to bed. She said, trying to keep her tone even and not sound as hurt and dejected as she really did. After all, she had been expecting this. However, a small part of her had been hoping that the king would at least try and play nice in front of her for the sake of his son. In the end she really didn't care what he thought of her, but it was his comments about Trunks that hurt her.

"I will come with you," Vegeta said, pushing his plate away, glaring at his father. "We will discuss our differences in the morning."

The king shook his head in disgust. "My office, first thing in the morning. Leave the woman and that thing you insist on calling your son behind. I will not continue to go along with this farce and neither will you."

"Count yourself fortunate that my mate and child are present," Vegeta said dryly. "Even then, the only reason you are still breathing is because you are kin and I am not wanting the hassle of taking the throne at this time. Do not mistake my leniency this evening for weakness. I am simply biding time; your days are numbered. In the meantime, if anything unfortunate happens to Bulma or Trunks, whether or not an accident befalls them or they happen to become mysteriously ill, I will hold you personally responsible and you will see and experience firsthand how powerful I have really become." He warned; the quiet yet deadly tone in his voice actually sending a wave of fear through the king.

"Noted." The King said, nodding at his son and small family.

"Good." Was all Vegeta said as he left to follow Bulma back to their room. He had to leave before he did something stupid.

"Well that was fun," Asia said as the door closed behind Vegeta with a loud slam. "What now?"

King Vegeta sat there a moment in deep contemplation. He had known his son would be stubborn where the blue haired woman was concerned. He did not understand it and now his son was trapped. It had not escaped his notice that they indeed did seen to share a bond. He could tell they had been silently conversing between themselves.

"What do you mean, 'what now'?" he asked her with a frown of annoyance. He had completely forgotten she was even there.

"Well, he showed up with Bulma and has a kid," she replied irritably. "There's not much you can do about that; and even I can tell he's quite a bit stronger since the last time he was here."

"Of course he's stronger, you nit wit." he growled, drinking back his wine and re filling his glass. "And don't you think for a moment that I did not notice you ogling him from across the table the way you were. That is no way for a queen to behave."

"Forgive me, your highness." she said, looking down at her plate. She hadn't thought she had made herself that obvious but she could not help but stare at him; he had matured and changed so much since she had seen him last. She had always thought him to be extremely handsome and if the past year had done anything to him, it had made him even more desirable to her, not that there was anything she could do about it now.

She was stuck mated to the King himself and even if that weren't the case, Vegeta seemed very committed to Bulma. When she had heard that he would be returning, she had hoped he would have heeded his father's council and not return with Bulma. She had hoped that he would leave her wherever the hell they had been all this time and come home, get rid of his father and then take her as his mate. She had even entertained the idea that he would have been driven mad with jealousy once he learned that she belonged to his father, the thought that he had missed out on having her to himself too much to bear. Unfortunately, he had barely acknowledged her, much to her disappointment. "I meant no disrespect."

"Do not let me catch you again."

Asia nodded and quickly finished her dinner in silence next to her mate.

After a few minutes, the king reached for an unopened bottle of wine and got up from the table to leave.

“Will you be returning to our suite for the night?” Asia asked him hopefully.

“No,” he answered and left her there alone.

Asia sat there, seething to herself for several minutes, though embraced the silence. This evening had not gone well for any of them. She had hoped that perhaps the king may seek her out for solace this evening, but apparently not.

She reached for the bottle of wine and refilled her glass, deciding to finish it off by herself.

-0-0-0-

"I was proud of you," Vegeta said to Bulma as they entered his quarters. They were clean and dust free much to Bulma’s amazement. They could not have even been gone a full hour and it looked and smelled as good as new.

"What? For sticking up for myself?" she said, annoyance still radiating off in her tone. "Someone had to; you certainly weren't."

"Bulma," he said coming up behind her.

"Its fine," she sighed. "Go back and have dinner with him. You haven't seen him in a long time. I realize this can't be easy for either of you. I'm sorry for reacting the way that I did."

"Your response was not uncalled for." he said, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Any Saiyan female would have reacted the same or worse."

"But I'm not Saiyan," she sighed. "And he could have blasted me. I guess I'm lucky."

"I would not allow it," he murmured against her hair, taking in her scent. "I would sense it before it happened and I would end him before he would even have the chance to raise his hand."

She closed her eyes and leaned back into him. "I don't want it to come to that though; it shouldn't have to come to that."

"If it does, it does," he said. "It is his decision."

She nodded, deep in thought for a few minutes as she pulled herself together. "Go back, and finish having dinner with him, I'll stay here with Trunks. Maybe have a hot bath and go to bed."

"No, he can wait until tomorrow," Vegeta said, his hand sliding up the length of her body and to her arm, his fingers dancing up her bare arm, making her shiver.

"It's the right thing for you to do,"

"That may be, but I would much rather remain here," he said, continuing to rub his hand sensually up and down her arm. "I need you."

His voice was low and full of promise for what was to come. She rested her cheek against his. "He's going to be mad though," she said, trying to keep her thoughts focused on the issue at hand and not let him and his wandering hands distract her. "We've had lots of time together in the last few months, after Frieza I had you all to myself; I'll feel selfish if you stay here now. That's all he's going to think; that I'm keeping you away from him. He already hates me for not leaving you."

"That is his problem. He will need to get used to the fact that he does not command my undivided attention and I am not at his beck and call. He can wait until tomorrow. Right now, I need you." he said convincingly.

"I know, me too." she whispered.

"Then put the brat to bed," he sighed against her neck, she could feel his lashes and breath skimming the side of her cheek and neck as he loomed behind her, undoing the back of her dress.

"Let me see what I can do," she teased, turning her face towards him. "I need to set up Trunks and then I'm all yours."

She decapsulated the capsule with Trunks’ crib and began setting up the blankets which was not an easy task with Vegeta hovering over her, breathing down her neck and touching her. “Could you not for a minute?” she asked irritably, handing Trunks to him. “I’ll get done this a whole lot faster if you’d keep those hands of yours to yourself.”

He stopped and frowned at her but took a step back, holding his son and watched her. She nearly started to giggle at his childish pouting. She was finished in just a few minutes and took Trunks back, tucking him in carefully.

“There,” she said, turning around to look at the impatient Saiyan behind her. He had his arms crossed and had a scowl etched on his face looking very unimpressed with her. “Now, what was it you wanted? I can’t seem to recall but you have my undivided attention now, my prince.”

“Ha!” he growled taking two large steps up to her, picking her up and hoisting her over his shoulder.

She laughed at him and did not struggle against his hold on her. It had been so long!

He plunked her down on his bed and before she had a chance to comment, his mouth was already on hers kissing her urgently. He pushed her down on the bed; his hands already groping her breasts through her dress. He hiked up the hem around her waist and reached for her panties, tearing them off and down the length of her long legs.

“Hey!” she objected.

“Hmmn,” he growled. “I do believe you said I could do whatever I wished with you.”

“Did I say that?”

“You did.”

“That’s right, I did; but that was if I was drunk,” she said. “I’m not drunk, unfortunately. The evening would have been so much more bearable if I had been.”

“You did not state the stipulations, woman.” He said, standing up to remove his armor and clothing finally.

Bulma stood up and managed to undo her dress the rest of the way, letting it fall onto the floor. She backed herself up further on the bed and looked at him. “Well?”

He smirked at her briefly before pouncing on to the bed in pursuit of her. “I shall take you now however which way it pleases me.” He said, grabbing her ankle and pulling her closer to him.

She giggled at him as she reached for him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He took her hands away from around his neck and placed them above her head, binding her wrists together with one of his hands. He chuckled at her, knowing she hated it when he did that. She loved to touch him and run her hands along his toned body; she hated it when he denied her that freedom. She was at his mercy.

With his other hand he parted her legs, exposing her center to him. He probed her with two of his fingers, inserting them inside her, stroking her insides slowly. She hooked a leg around his hip, trying to draw him closer to her and get him to finally enter her. The last several weeks they had only fooled around. It had been like constant foreplay. She’d had enough of that to last a lifetime.

He withdrew his fingers and quickly pushed his hardened length inside of her urgently rather than wasting any more time teasing her.

They both gasped at the feeling of being joined together again and he began to move into her quickly, not stopping to savor the contact; lust and need had overcome them both in that moment.

He bent down and kissed her as he drove himself into her almost frantically.

She wrapped both legs around his waist and arched her body up and against him in an effort to meet his every thrust; throwing her head back against the mattress and savoring every wonderful sensation he gave her with every push of his hips against hers; the feelings of pleasure shooting through her body so intensely she thought she would burst at any given moment.

Vegeta nipped her collar bone before making his way up to her neck, nipping, licking and kissing her along her neck and jaw until he met her lips. She opened her mouth to him and sucked on his tongue. He let one of her hands go then, lacing his fingers through one of her hands and let his other hand slide behind her, bringing her hips up, elevating her somewhat so that he could push himself deeper into her.

Her other arm clung to him; around his shoulders, down his back until she was able to reach for his tail.

He growled into her mouth as she squeezed it lightly, almost playfully and let it slide through her fingers. His pace increased, pushing them both closer to the edge, she let it go once its length had slipped through her hand and buried her fingers into his hair.

They both came together, moments later, shuddering against one another in the aftermath of their release. After so long without a complete union between them, it had been an intense welcomed relief to them both.

He rested his forehead against hers, catching his breath.

I love you, she said, still trembling from the after effect of her orgasm.

He looked down at her and kissed her; chastely at first and then gradually deepened it.

She raked her hands through his hair as she kissed him back. I am so afraid, Vegeta.

He continued to kiss her and began to move inside her again, slowly, letting her know that he wanted her again. Forget about it, he said as he carefully rolled them over so that she was now on top of him. Tonight you are mine.

-0-0-0-

Asia finally stocked out of the dining room and made her way down the hall a few doors down from the dining room; she wanted to see her son. As she passed Vegeta's room, she thought briefly about knocking but the elevated energy she picked up from him indicated that he was preoccupied. She scrunched her nose in disgust at the thought and kept going.

Why? She wondered bitterly. What was so special about Bulma? Sure she was beautiful, but she was weak and frail. Not only that, but she'd given him a child. She should have been old news by now. Used goods. Wasn't that what she was now? She thought in bitterness. King Vegeta seemed to barely be able to stand the thought of looking at her, never mind touching her. Not since he had learned she carried his new heir and still after over three months later he wouldn't have anything to do with her. He'd rather squander his time with the whores in his harem than give her the time of day.

She hated him.

The only good thing that had come out of their union had been Tarble and he didn't even have time for him. It hurt her. She hadn't thought he would become the most attentive mate and doting father over night with the birth of this new heir. But she had hoped it would strengthen their union. She had after all given him a son. That had to count for something, didn't it?

Instead, all she heard about was how different from Vegeta her son was. How at this age Vegeta was already doing this or that and was this much larger and had twice the energy level when he was born. It sickened her. The only comment the king had said this evening to Bulma that how annoyed he was about the child not fending for himself. Bulma was right: he was just a baby. And his son was no different. Just as fussy and helpless and he was only a few weeks younger than Trunks from what she had gathered.

Not only that, but Trunks was much stronger already than her son. She knew that wouldn't have escaped the king's notice.

Asia dismissed the nurse maid as she entered her son's room. He was already asleep. She leaned forward over the crib and picked him up, cradling him close to her before sitting down next to his crib.

It didn't matter to her all that much if her son wasn't the strongest. As long as he was attractive, intelligent and strong enough to take care of himself that was all that mattered to her. She knew that her mate would not feel the same way however. All he cared about was strength and power. That was all.

She sat quietly with the infant in her arms, worry etched into her features. She hoped now that Vegeta was back and had an heir with a promising power level higher than then Tarble's he wouldn't pass him over. The thought seemed highly unlikely as he absolutely hated the thought of a half breed Saiyan grandchild tainting his royal line, however he was obsessed enough with strength that given enough time, she could see it being a possibility. She sure hoped that wasn't the reason Vegeta returned; because he wanted to put his son on the throne. She would make sure it never happened.

What a joke! She thought. That would be the day! And Bulma better not think she's taking over my place as queen! Asia wasn't sure what her father's plan was. All she knew was that he had been anticipating Vegeta's return. It would not be long now and the king would be gone. She couldn't wait! Then Vegeta would be hers. Mated to Bulma or not. She was queen and had the right to take whomever she wanted. Prince Vegeta would be the only obvious choice and mated to Bulma or not, it would happen. If Bulma was lucky, she might let her stick around as Vegeta's mistress. On second thought, no. She would not be sharing him. She'd had enough of sharing her mate to last her a lifetime.

Her life had turned into a joke.

She hadn't been thrilled to have King Vegeta take her as his mate, but it had been what her father had wanted so she'd gone along with it. At first it hadn't been so bad. He had been alright with her advances and it hadn't taken all that long to seal the deal. The first few weeks hadn't been all that bad and she had even thought that things had worked out for the better but within a few weeks, his interest in her had begun to dwindle. She had done everything she could think of to keep his interest both in and out of their bedroom; she acted the part of attentive mate and queen, took an interest in kingdom matters and even took initiative in doing things he had no interest in but still needed to be done. Behind closed doors she had resorted to doing the most degrading acts imaginable to try and keep him entertained and still, he was disinterested. His only interest in laying with her had been to produce an heir. Once she had finally gotten pregnant, that had been that.

At first she had been relieved. She couldn't stand the thought of him touching her any more than necessary, however she was lonely as well and felt that something was better than nothing.

The thought of finding a young Saiyan male to keep her company had crossed her mind, but not only would no one touch her because of her status as queen but she knew the king wouldn't have it. He could screw around all he wanted but she was condemned to be either with him or with no one. She wondered how the first queen had put up with him as she had.

No, if the king finally died and she did get to finally be with the prince, she would not allow him to keep Bulma on the side. Something would have to be done about her. Something permanent.

As she sat there scheming, a thought began to formulate in the back of her mind. She could not believe it had not occurred to her earlier. She needed a way to be rid of both Bulma and Trunks. Obviously she wasn't going to take the king's advice and take her son and leave.

Asia smiled. It was all so simple, it scared her! She and her father and pretty much everyone else on the council wanted King Vegeta gone. The problem was, there wasn't anyone strong enough to do it. Her father had vaguely indicated to her that there was someone, but that he was not ready. That's where Vegeta came in. And how convenient that he should come home today and threaten his father should anything happen to either Bulma or Trunks.

All they had to do was stage something, make it look like the king had arranged it and Vegeta in his angry state would take care of the rest. He could take over as king, and with Bulma out of the picture could she still be queen and she would have Vegeta all to herself. He would have no choice but to take her as his mate then.

She kissed her son carefully on his forehead and smiled to herself. She just needed to be patient a little while longer and things would shortly be falling into place for her.

-0-0-0-

The next morning, Vegeta got up carefully, trying not to disturb Bulma.

He quickly showered and continued to dress for the day; he chose a tight, black, long-sleeved shirt and training pants to wear beneath his formal armor. He hadn’t missed the palace, his father, the headaches of political rubbish or really Vegeta-sei as a whole, but he had missed his royal formal armor. He wasn’t sure why, but he just did.

He finished dressing; finally pulling on his white gloves and boots before heading out and into his bedroom where Bulma sat on the end of their bed in all of her naked glory for him to see.

She smiled at him. “My, don’t you look the part of a handsome Prince this morning.”

“Hmmn.” He nodded, looking her over, taking in her soft curves and flawless complexion. In just the few months following childbirth, she looked just as radiant as ever. Her body had not changed all that much and the changes that he could see weren’t anything he would complain about.

“Did you shower?” she asked.

He frowned at her oddly and grunted affirmatively, wondering why she would ask such a strange question. Had she wanted to join him? He had opted to let her sleep since he had kept her up most of the night and when she hadn’t been giving him her full attention she’d been up with Trunks several times as well.

Bulma nodded and looked away from him awkwardly for a moment before getting up and walking towards him and wrapping her arms around his neck, pressing her naked form into him, not minding the coolness of his armor against her bare skin. She kissed him hungrily.

Not caring what brought this on, he obliged her for a moment; kissing her back deeply. His father could wait a few more minutes for him this morning; he reasoned.

She continued to kiss him longingly, running her hands up and through his thick hair, and back down, lightly touching his face and traveling down along the side of his neck and resting them on his chest before she broke her lips from his and enveloped him in a full body hug and held him for a long moment before letting him go.

“Woman, what has gotten into you?” he asked in concern; never in the entirety of their relationship had she been this clingy. Not last night; not even in the days after she had regained all of her memories and all they had done was take in their fill of one another to excess, basking in each other’s nearness and the pleasure of their union.

“Nothing,” she said, shaking her head at him. “I just, I don’t know… I thought; I wanted to make sure-”

“I carried your scent?” he asked her with a raised eyebrow.

She nodded at him, now feeling silly. She knew he wasn’t interested in Asia and that he would never give even the briefest moment of his attention to her, but she couldn’t shake off her slight insecurity now that they were here and she had noticed the way the Saiyan woman had devoured him with her eyes.

He sighed and shook his head at her. “Bulma, I made my choice-”

“It’s not for you, I trust you.” She interrupted him. “It’s a reminder for her. I saw how she looked at you yesterday when we landed and when we had dinner and when we were leaving. She still wants you,” she explained. “I know you have no interest in her, but she does not respect that; she does not respect me. I cannot stand up to her physically, I know that or I would tell her myself that you are off limits. This is the only way I can think of getting my point across to her without having to actually tell her.”

“How very Saiyan-like of you,” he smirked in appreciation at her. “And just how do you think I will be able to get anything accomplished or be able to concentrate on anything while I am smelling of you all day, hmm? Very distracting.”

She shrugged. “Maybe it will motivate you to hurry back?”

“Oh, I will be back as soon as I am able.” He replied, placing his hands on her bum and hoisting her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he began walking forward, towards their bed and laid her down as he began ravaging her mouth. She kissed him back eagerly, as her fingers danced downwards and began to tug at his pants eagerly. “Insatiable wench.” He growled against her mouth as she freed him of his now constricting training pants.

He entered her quickly and she gasped as he filled her completely. She arched her body against him as he began to thrust into her. She once again wrapped her legs around his waist, wanting to pull him in as close as physically possible, wanting to feel every inch of him inside of her.

He plunged inside of her hard and fast, demanding everything from her. She cried out as she felt her peak rising closer and closer as they moved against one another striving for completion. The several months they hadn't coupled had brought on an almost frantic pace between them as though they were trying to catch up on lost time.

Vegeta felt her beginning to tighten around him and knew that she was very close. He slowed down his pace as he crashed his lips against hers, kissing her deeply until she came.

She moaned against his mouth as her climax took over her body. She lay there, clinging on to him as he finally spent himself inside of her; still rocking his hips against hers slowly, wanting to prolong both of their releases for as long as he could.

He rested his head on her shoulder a moment as he basked in the pleasure of his own climax before composing himself and withdrawing from her.

She giggled at him as he pulled his pants back up and adjusted himself.

He frowned at her, "Are you happy now?" He asked.

"I am, my dear Prince." She nodded. It had been ages since they'd had a quickie first thing in the morning. Though their lifestyle on Callisto and then on Tonga had been very lax. They never really needed to be anywhere.

He grunted at her and turned to leave. "You will remain here until my return. Kakarott will be bringing his mate and brat down here to keep you company and he will stay to ensure your safety. Then I will bring you to Bardock's lab for the afternoon."
"Alright," she sighed, rolling back into their large bed and crawling under the sheets. Trunks was thankfully still sound asleep. She heard Vegeta let Aro out of his crate before closing the door to his suite. The Shepherd jumped up onto the bed, settling himself in next to her and within moments she drifted off into a much needed sleep before the rest of the day began for her.

-0-0-0-