Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Some Life... ❯ Will you build it? ( Chapter 7 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update, but I'm trying to stay a few chapters ahead of where I'm actually posting so that If I fall too far behind I can just post a chapter and not have to worry about it. Anyways, thanks a lot!

Disclaimer: Yeah, don't own nothing, but *points* see, look at the OC's... You know who they are... Don't use them without my permission... ^_^; thanks!


As they landed on the front lawn of the Griffey residence, Kori stepped quickly out of Vegeta's arms and onto her own two feet, blushing slightly. Though she wasn't sure whether she was blushing out of embarassment from having to be carried, or because of being in such close proximity to the Saiyan Prince. The blush did not go unnoticed, and the prince smirked quietly to himself. //Flustered, little halfling,// he wanted to ask. He quickly shook his head to clear it. He had better things to do that vy for the affections of a weak half-breed. //A weak half-breed that could very well help save the entire Saiyan race from extinction,// he reminded himself. //And who knows? With the correct training, she could hold her own with even the toughest of warriors.// His thoughts were cut short as a shorter human girl ran out of the gigantic house towards Kori.

"Kori, you're here! What took so lo-" she stopped short, seeing the bruises across Kori's face and arms, and the slash that marred her face. "My god, what happened?!"

Kori quickly held her hands up in an "it's okay" gesture. She took a breath, trying to figure out how to phrase it... "Um, well..." She looked over to Vegeta. "Ve- I mean, Prince Vegeta and I... sparred..."

Melissa looked over Kori, then looked over Vegeta, then back to Kori. "Jesus, if that's what he did to you sparring, I'd hate to think what would've happened if he actually fought you!" She looked over Kori again, stepping closer. "Are you... okay?"

Kori chuckled, smiling. "I'm fine. Just a little bumped up. Nothing I can't handle."

Vegeta smirked inwardly, approving. //She wears her battle scars proudly. As a Saiyan should.// He grimaced. //Since when did I become so preoccupied with her behaviors?!// He berated himself as the girls went over the past days happenings quickly. He examined the other girl as she and Kori talked. She was short, not as much so as Kori's mother, but visibly shorter than Kori. Her hair was long, and tied back from her face with a band. As he looked harder at her dark brown hair, he began to realize that it was really a deep shade of... purple? //These earthlings have interesting hair colorings,// he mused. Though she did not look very strong, she was actually rather pretty. As the girls' conversation waned into unimportant matters, he cleared his throat, reminding Kori of the reason they were really there.

"Okay," Melissa started, "Let's go find dad. He's probably tinkering in his lab..." Melissa started leading them into the house, Kori following, and Vegeta bringing up the rear.

***

As they stepped off the lift in the basement of the mansion, Kori's eyes were greeted by what was probably the most comprehensive, technologically advanced, and... messy... laboratory that she'd ever seen. In fact, it was about the size of a small airplane hangar. Computer screens lined the walls, little lights flickering and flashing everywhere, machines ticking, buzzing, and cranking away busily. Designs cluttered the tables and desks, and most of the chairs around. The technology was such that she'd never seen, even in some of her books. Her long lost father's small lab paled in comparison. She whistled low in awe and admiration. "Geez, Lyssa, you and your dad sure have a lot of... um... stuff," she chuckled. Melissa just laughed in agreement.

Vegeta, though he gazed scrutinizingly at the clutter, nodded approvingly. If there was anywhere on this planet that could build the craft they needed to get to that backwater planet Bardock had fled to, this was the place. Vegeta stiffened warily as a pile of junk in a nearby corner began to stir.

"C-could someone give me a hand," said the pile.

Vegeta blinked. Kori stifled a chuckle. Melissa just rolled her eyes. "Dad, how did you get stuck in there?"

"That doesn't matter right now, honey. The important thing is that I get out..." The pile of junk shifted a bit, and the man grunted softly.

After Melissa and Kori shared a chuckle at Vegeta's utterly confused expression, the three of them moved quickly over to move pieces and parts of machinery off the pile. Soon, a short, gray-haired, slightly balding man with thick silver framed glasses and a wiry moustache emerged. He rubbed gingerly at his elbow, then sighed. "Thanks, kids. I really need to do something about this place. It's getting where I can only find things when they fall on me." He and the two girls laughed together.

Though Vegeta winced at the "kids" comment, he waited politely to be introduced, rather than scare the man off by demanding that he build his spaceship. He didn't have to wait long, though, as Melissa quickly ceased her laughing and got down to business. "Daddy, um, Kori's dad was an alien from another planet, and they need to find him. This is the Prince of that planet, Prince Vegeta, and they need you to take a look at a ship design to see if you can build it so they can go find her father."

Kori's mouth hung open, staring at Melissa in shock at how casually she had said that all to her father. //What the hell are you doing?!// She tried to calm herself, hoping he'd take the information without freaking out or worse.

Vegeta didn't show any emotion but to blink. Inwardly, he saluted the girl's straightforwardness, but questioned how well her father would take such a huge shock to his system.

Dr. Griffey blinked, and seemed to be mulling things over in his head for a few seconds. Then he smiled. "Well," he said, turning to Kori, "I always knew something was strange about you. All that strength, and you supernatural speed... And the tail..." Kori blushed. "I know you tried to hide it, but I'm not quite so addlebrained as you think. So, this ship. You need it solely to find your father? Or does finding her father," he turned to Vegeta, "serve some higher purpose?"

Vegeta nodded honestly. "Our race, the Saiyans, have slowly been enslaved by a tyrant, Freeza. We fear war with him, but her father, Bardock, may have the key to turning the tide in our favor. I mean to seek him out and ask for him to rejoin his people, to help us free ourselves from Freeza's rule."

"And why should I envolve Earth in your war? What danger would I be putting the people of this planet in if I agree to help you?"

Vegeta thought for a moment. "You would put Earth in more danger by making my stay longer than by facilitating my leave. The longer I am here, the more chance Freeza has to come and find me." He paused. "And would you deny a race their freedom? Would you deny her a father?" He gestured to Kori, waiting for the older man to respond.

Kori's heart beat hard against her chest. It was all she could do to keep her mouth shut as she silently pleaded with her eyes for him to help. She wanted, more than anything, to meet her father. To know what her people were like. To belong...

Dr. Griffey, after a long moment, nodded tersely. "You have me there. Very well, I will build the ship." He couldn't have said much else, because Kori hugged him tightly, lifting him slightly off the ground. Vegeta shook his head disapprovingly. He would have to break her of that habit before reaching Vegeta-sei. He stopped. Was he already thinking of taking her to Vegeta-sei with him?

"Thank you, sir! I promise, I'll help as much as I can. As much as you'll let me..." She set him down, letting him out of the hug.

Dr. Griffey readjusted his glasses, catching his breath and chuckling. "Well, give me the design and let's see what we've got..." Vegeta handed him the small disk/chip that held the design and they walked over to a computer to view it. Melissa grabbed Kori's elbow and pulled her out of hearing range of the other two.

"Why didn't you tell me he was a total hottie," Melissa whispered excitedly.

Kori rolled her eyes, even though she blushed slightly. "Is that all you think of?!"

"Oh come on, you can't possibly tell me that he's not hot..."

Kori sighed... "Fine, yes, he is, but he's a Prince! I'm just... A half-breed. I'm probably lower than pond-scum to him..."

"Oh Bullshit! I've never seen anyone look at 'pond-scum' the way he looks at you."

Kori blushed bright red. She hadn't really noticed him looking at her at all. "I don't know Melissa. I'm just glad he doesn't want to kill me. Between you and me, I think if he wanted to, he could probably kill everyone on the planet. It's kind of scary..."

Melissa shivered. "Shh. Don't talk like that."

"Melissa," Dr. Griffey shouted excitedly, "Come and look at this!"

The two girls hurried over to the screen where Dr. Griffey was displaying the ship design. Most of it was greek to Kori, but Melissa understood it perfectly. "Wow! That's the most advanced design I've ever seen!"

"It's the most advanced design I'VE ever seen," said Dr. Griffey. "Which is really saying something. I've never seen a drive system like this before. I wonder if this is your father's own design, Kori..."

Kori stared at the two in awe and maybe even a little jealousy. She wished she could share something like that with her own father. A low, loud rumble from behind her jerked her from her reverie. She turned to see Vegeta, who was trying to look inconspicuous, but just as she was about to turn back around, the rumble started again, and she pinpointed the location of the sound with a chuckle. "Hungry," she asked him. He simply nodded. Her own stomach tugged at her consciousness as well. "Hey Melissa, d'you mind if we go get some food from the kitchen?"

"Go ahead, we're stocked up," she said, chuckling. "Dad and I are gonna go over this a bit more, I'll be up in a few minutes, okay?"

But Kori and Vegeta were already in the lift, getting ready to go up. "Okay," Kori shouted back as the door shut. Melissa chuckled as the lift ascended to the main floor.


A/N: Thank you for reading, I know there are very few of you who actually do, because of the AU nature of this fic. If you could talk some friends into reading it, that would be really cool ^_^; no pressure, of course ^_^ Anyways, I'm going to be a good author and do review response!

qcati-qcati: Thanks a lot for all the info! I loved getting that review, it really boosted my drive to want to write more of this fic. Even though so few people read it, I think it's probably my best writing. I'm really glad you like it, and I'll have to see about reading some of your stuff if I get the time. In the meantime, keep on reading, I look forward to seeing what you have to say about some of my future chapters ^_^;

shadow: Gawrsh ^_^ Thanks a lot! Reviews make me happy ^_^ So keep reading!

Hopefully I can start updating on a weekly basis with this fic like I've been doing with my other fic, Chocolate Ice Cream. I've also got a couple ideas for fics I'd like to do- like a Bulma/Vegeta AU homage to the best Gothic Romance Novel EVER, which I'm going to leave a mystery till the end of the fic. Also a humor fic in which the ultimate attack for defeating Majin Buu is to let Goku smoke pot, thus giving him the munchies so bad that he eats Buu... lol, tell me what you think...