Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Space Station Z ❯ Biscuits and Buns ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer: I did not create the DBZ gang, although there are times I wish perhaps that I had…

Space Station Z

Chapter Five

By RM

Her legs were burning with exertion, and as she watched her sister count down the repetitions, she wanted to kill her.

"Just five more!" Marron announced with a bubbly grunt.

Bulma glared at the other woman, clearly annoyed that anyone could be so happy about working out until they dropped. It wasn't that she was lazy, she just had never been one to stick with any type of physical activity for very long. She was more of the intellectual trainer. She loved solving riddles and long mathematical equations, not getting all sweaty running around in circles. Or running in place. That was the worst. That was pointless.

"Speaking of five," Bulma finally managed out in strained gasps just before throwing her sweat towel down for a spell.

Marron paid little attention to her older sister as she sluggishly moved away from the large viewscreen and the grueling aerobic workout.

Resting her chin on the counter and catching her breath after a short time, the blue haired genius thought about the recent changes in her life. She certainly was busy, that much hadn't changed. She figured that since she'd found her mom and dad, she'd actually been busy with more projects than ever before. The only major component that had actually changed was the setting. She wasn't on Earth anymore, and while it was nice to be someplace different, someplace unusual, she found that she missed being home quite a lot more than she ever would have guessed. She couldn't say that she was unhappy, exactly. It just seemed like she was waiting around for…something. And it was a something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

She sighed as she stood there, her eyes gravitating to a plate of cinnamon rolls her mother had baked and brought by earlier. Her fingers seemed to move on their own as they wandered over to the plate to grab one. She was munching away thoughtfully when the door to their suite opened and a very sweaty Chi Chi walked in.

"I see you guys have been busy," she remarked, observing one woman doing leg lifts while the other woman was doing cinnamon buns.

Bulma watched her friend move from the door to the fridge where she grabbed a chilled bottle of water. Chi Chi had decided to tone up by working out with Krillin, Yamcha, and those two creepy creations of Dr. Gero in the new training facilities. Bulma had started work on the project with her father shortly after her arrival on the station. It took them one month to complete, and even now, a week after their completion, they were still being tuned and upgraded almost every other day.

"You should come and work out with me instead of doing this aerobic crap once a week," Chi Chi offered, eyeing Bulma at the counter.

Bulma held up her hand, palm forward, three fingers sticking up as she chewed a mouthful of sugared dough.

"And you do the entire work out three times a week?" She added incredulously. Chi Chi didn't think that Bulma needed to lose weight. She was actually envious of her friend's womanly curves, and the fact the she seemed to eat whatever she wanted without gaining an ounce. She just figured it would give Bulma the opportunity to get some physical activity, work out her aggressions, and provide a healthy balance of body and mind.

"Now that those guys have moved from one of the old training rooms to your new facility, I won't be joining them," she poked Bulma in the arm. "I'll be looking for someone to train with."

Bulma thought about it for a moment. She really wasn't the physical type. She had tried jogging once when she was in school and even then, she found that she couldn't be bothered to stick to it. She found herself shrugging at the offer as she held her treat in one hand and licked the sticky fingers on her other. "Maybe," she finally managed out.

"Oh Bulma," Marron rolled the name off of her tongue as she rolled her eyes. "You can't sulk around all of the time getting pudgy."

A glob of sticky frosting dropped off of the pastry halfway to her mouth. What nerve the little bimbo had! She wasn't pudgy! She was full figured!

"Are you insinuating that I'm fat?" Bulma glared, dropping the roll back on its plate just before rounding on her sister. She made a dive for her sister's legs, jumping over the couch in the process, and the two rolled on the floor in a flailing of arms, legs and thick, blue hair.

Back at the long breakfast bar in the kitchen area, Chi Chi held in a laugh by snorting her water. Even though Bulma knew she was beautiful, for some reason she was real touchy about her looks, especially when it was questioned by another woman.

Well, she supposed this was just as good as a workout, in a way. Of course, she'd have to intervene before someone lost an eye, or a tooth, but for a few minutes at least, she'd just have to let Marron take her chances.

*****

"What in the hell is going on over there?" Raditz questioned quietly to himself as he glanced out of the large window in the living quarters of the lavish rooms the visiting dignitaries were given earlier that day. The station itself was a marvel, and it was certainly one of the nicest places he'd ever been, minus a few of the foreign palaces he'd either lived in or invaded. The carpets were plush, the floors were shiny, and the furniture was rich, decorative, and extremely comfortable. He considered it a downtime. A much needed downtime. They had been on so many missions for that son of a bitch Freiza without any time for themselves, and while fighting was certainly tops with any Saiyan worth his tail, it was also important for every warrior to get some time to unwind. Raditz intended to take this opportunity to enjoy himself, and unbeknownst to Vegeta, he planned on making him relax a bit too.

"This place is pretty impressive," Nappa admitted begrudgingly, scratching his bald head as he stood in the middle of the richly furnished front salon. It wasn't just the interiors that were impressive however. The whole thing could be considered one massive architectural masterpiece.

And that was why, as Raditz stood at the huge window looking out at the stars, he was also able to see into the front parlor of another suite located just across the way.

"Ye…ah," he responded slowly to his Commander's comment, rubbing his chin as he observed some kind of action taking place in the other suite. It looked like two females in skimpy outfits trying to kill each other.

Although he hadn't really been paying attention, Nappa caught onto the hesitant reply that was not characteristic of his subordinate, especially when speaking to a superior warrior. He approached the window with curiosity, figuring that the third class Saiyan must've seen plenty of stars in his lifetime, especially after a sparring match. He grinned before he realized what the other warrior was looking at.

"What is that?" Nappa leaned closer to the glass to get a better look.

"I'm not quite sure," Raditz replied, "but the one in the head-lock is very nicely put together."

Both Saiyans leaned closer to the glass in hopes of getting a better look.

"And just what do you two losers think you are up to?"

The two large Saiyans at the window turned awkwardly as Vegeta made his presence known. He walked past the window without turning his head, trying his best not to let them know he was curious as to what they found so entertaining outside.

"Sire, I…"

The prince silenced Nappa by holding up one gloved finger, still keeping his gaze locked on the living quarters as he moved forward. When he reached the center of the room he turned slowly, crossing his arms over his chest plate, inspecting every inch of his new quarters for the next few months. Perhaps longer. The whole idea of staying on the station wasn't a terrible thought, but for someone like Vegeta, who was used to hit and run tactics, the whole prospect was starting to give him a headache.

"Can I trust you two to be by yourselves without incident for a while?" Vegeta questioned, the strain in his voice more obvious than he had hoped.

Raditz simply nodded and tried to catch the action across the way from the corner of his eye while Nappa pushed the issue.

"What would you have us do?"

Vegeta didn't really want to think about what the two oafs could be doing with their time. He wasn't their babysitter, and he certainly wasn't their mommy. His shoulders were aching and his eyes felt like they were about to pop out of his skull.

"Try doing some practice katas or something," he shrugged stiffly as both Raditz and Nappa shot the other a nervous glance.

"Stay out of trouble!" Vegeta huffed, tugging on his gloves, unnerved by the peace and quiet of the still apartments. "I don't know! Just do whatever it is you do when…" he was about to tell them to do whatever it was they did when they were off-duty. He immediately thought better of it. "…when I tell you not to do anything!" He finished quickly before stomping off through the door.

The two remaining Saiyans exchanged another round of nervous glances.

"I'll go keep an eye on him," Raditz offered before Nappa could come up with a good enough reason why he shouldn't. "You stay here and order room service or something. And remember, be diplomatic."

Nappa blinked as Raditz quickly and quietly slipped through the doors to the stately apartments to follow their sovereign. He scratched his head and turned around to stare out of the window only to find that the fighting had been broken up by a dark haired woman who seemed to be torn between laughing and scolding. He wrinkled his nose as he thought about what Vegeta had made very clear to them before they landed.

Diplomacy.

Nappa cleared his throat and cracked his knuckles. It was a stretch, and it certainly wouldn't be pretty, but he wasn't about to let his prince down. If it was diplomacy he wanted, it would be diplomacy he'd get. He just hoped the other diplomats were ready for him.

*****

"This is a pretty nice set-up," Launch placed her hands on her hips and popped her gum. "How long do you think we can keep this up anyway?"

"I could keep this up indefinitely," Haski peered at her partner, clearly pronouncing the singular subject of the sentence. "You, however, need me to pull this off."

"And just what's that supposed to mean?" Launch glared at the other woman.

"Exactly what it sounds like," Haski replied as she opened up the latest copy of the complimentary magazine from somewhere across the galaxy.

Launch could feel the anger bubble up inside of her as she watched Haski lounging on the oversized couch, drinking wine and completely brushing her off. "What are you getting…"

"What I am getting at is that no one, but no one, would consider that you are some sort of Lady without me," she interrupted very matter-of-factly. She never once glanced up from her reading. She was always more than ready to get a nice, good rise out of her partner. They had been together for about a year, working the outer rim planets that were worth working. Haski was definitely the brains behind the operation, but she kept Launch around for the protection. Launch was a definite plus when it came to brute force. She was gutsy. And, Haski thought, she was always useful as a distracting draw for hostile gunfire.

Launch snarled but moved towards the washroom to brush out her hair in an attempt to settle down. She liked Haski well enough. She was great fun to have around and she was definitely not a boring traveling companion. Her plans and strategies had enabled them to conduct smuggling operations that had so far remained out of the grasp of the Renpou. They had been so successful that neither one of them could be identified by name or by appearance, other than their pirating uniforms which were stowed somewhere safely. Haski had taken care of that particular detail, not wanting Launch to have anything to do with certain aspects of the operation, which was just fine by her.

The plan was to stay on the station until the Renpou activity settled down in the area. Several cruisers were patrolling the airspace these days and one small craft had even docked earlier at the station. Haski figured that since they were already on board, they might as well make good use of their time. They were posing as some sort of ambassadors from some small Duchy that no one had ever heard of, mostly since it was fictitious.

Launch sighed, her hard gaze softening as she looked at her reflection in the mirror of the large and garishly decorated washroom. She knew Haski was right. She certainly didn't act like a high class Lady. She didn't even know if she had ever seen one, except in fairy tale pictures, and somehow she knew that didn't count for much. She was trying to act more ladylike, mostly since this whole charade wouldn't work if she didn't. And she didn't want to be the one blamed, or worse yet, caught…if things didn't go according to plan. This was big time stuff they were playing at. They had learned, upon docking, that several dignitaries and royal lines were currently on board. And Haski had told her that this kind of information meant something was going on. Something that might provide a big opportunity for those smart enough to get a piece of the action.

Or stupid enough, Launch thought.

She sighed again and tried to look demure, only making herself feel more disgusted. She didn't like this kind of game at all. Sure, she wanted a piece of the action, but she wasn't sure what kind of action the people on board had in mind. Whatever it was, she was sure she'd enjoy something with at least a few explosions to go along with it.

She picked up a tube of lipstick as she listened to Haski fiddling with the screen settings on the windows, the soft, beeping tones of the control pad causing her nerves to soothe a little. She decided she'd have to try harder. If there was one thing she hated, it was Haski getting the upper hand. But unfortunately, she hated quite a few things, and one of those things included all of the times when Haski was right. This time, however, Launch was going to prove her wrong.

She pursed her lips together and began to work on her hair. She'd be the best damn Lady on the whole fucking station.

*****

He hummed a catchy tune as he passed the same pair of repair drones fixing the lights for the fourth time in twenty minutes. He stayed in step, despite his obvious misdirection, waving at the two metallic shells happily as he continued down the hall. It wasn't until five minutes later that he stopped at the junction of two similar looking corridors and scratched the back of his head, trying to decide which way to go.

Kakarott was lost.

He now guessed that he probably had been a little hasty when he decided to just up and leave the stately apartments. It really couldn't be helped. After spending six months in metabolic stasis travelling in the pod, added to the time spent in briefing after they had docked, he really just needed to get out. He supposed that he really should have paid more attention to the informational briefing, but at the time, he had been distracted by other things. One of them being the complimentary buffet bar. He had caught the important bits though…the dumplings, a large platter of meat, and something the guide called iced cream.

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment before levitating up and quickly flying down the corridor on his right. As he continued on for several minutes, he made up his mind to ask the next creature he saw for directions. After another few minutes of hallway travel however, he realized that the halls were pretty much deserted.

Turning left at the next intersection, he also realized that the halls had once again taken on a more `friendly' feel. The lighting was softer and there were plants and other pieces of furniture here and there. He levitated down as he approached the end of the long hallway and decided to leg it into what he figured was the home stretch. It looked like he had once again entered the residential wing. The apartments had to be close.

And that's when he caught the smell.

It was a doughy smell, light. There was a distinct crispness about it, and a hint of mild richness. He also noted that it was quite fresh. His tail quivered before wrapping itself tightly around his waist, just as eager as he was to investigate the delicious aroma. He stopped dead in his tracks and tilted his head slightly to the side, clicking on his scouter to detect any hint of movements that his own eyes might not catch. It was mostly habit however. He had discovered a technique by which he could sense individual ki levels without the standard device. He had kept it to himself, as he had kept other recent achievements to himself, since he was sure that none of his travelling companions would appreciate it. He didn't care if they tried to beat him up, after all, he enjoyed a good scuffle. He just didn't want to hurt their feelings. Besides, he hadn't perfected the technique yet, so he figured he'd just keep it to himself until he had.

He once again began walking, nostrils flaring as he sniffed his way down the hall. His stomach rumbled loudly as he stepped into what appeared to be a large cul-de-sac, complete with a life sized, white marble statue of a naked man whose privates were covered with a fig leaf. The room itself was round, the high, domed ceiling adding to the overall effect.

It was warm, it was bright, and it was really making him hungry.

Kakarott circled once around the room, appraising his surroundings. The appetizing smell was coming from one of the four closed doors leading from the room. He froze when he heard the sound of a door knob turning and one of the doors opening to reveal a pretty, young woman with long, dark hair and a small tray of fresh biscuits. Kakarott inhaled deeply and held his breath, standing as still as he could while trying not to look out of place.

Chi Chi locked the door to the suite and pulled it closed with one hand while balancing the tray of biscuits with the other. She had decided to do some baking after leaving Bulma in the sauna at the station's first class spa facility. They had both really needed the short break, especially after the two Briefs women had tried to tug out each other's hair earlier. Chi Chi certainly had found humor in the moment, but decided to do some cooking and baking, since that was the activity she found most relaxing.

She turned with a sigh and blinked as she looked upon one gaudy, marble statue and one heavily armored man standing side by side, both looking a little guilty. The statue, well, she had seen that many times in the past month or so that she'd been on the station. The man was a whole other story. He was quite tall and his posture was flawless. His hair was dark and unruly, and she couldn't help but notice that he was quite handsome. He was also incredibly built, and he was wearing some of the weirdest armor she had ever seen. All in all, he was quite imposing, although the whole effect was somewhat ruined by the fact that he was holding his breath and smiling a rather sweet smile at the same time.

He tried to act nonchalant as the smell hit him full force. Even though he was holding his breath, his nose was not plugged, and his Saiyan sense of smell was still working overtime, plucking the hearty aroma out of the air with ease. He briefly considered pushing her aside with lightning speed, grabbing the tray and making a run for it, but almost immediately decided against it. After all, he wouldn't like it very much if someone did that to him. Instead, he stood very still, standing at attention, hoping that she wouldn't notice him but at the same time hoping that she would notice that he might like one of those biscuits she was carrying.

Chi Chi looked at the man, then down at the tray as she considered getting an opinion on her latest achievement. Without preamble, she presented her best thoughtful smile and walked straight towards the newcomer, holding up the tray with both hands.

"Would you like to try a biscuit?"

Kakarott looked left then right before pointing to himself with a semi-astonished look. "Me?" He questioned.

"Yes, you."

Chi Chi watched with quiet interest as the armored man standing in front of her took a biscuit without hesitation and stuffed the entire thing into his mouth. After chewing twice, his eyes widened in disbelief. He'd never had a biscuit that was this rich, this moist. It was doughy, it was warm and unlike Saiyan biscuits, which were classified in at least seven different star systems as lethal weapons, it was fluffy.

"Well?" She finally asked after a few moments of silence.

"These are really good," he nodded, licking any spare crumbs from his fingertips. He eyed the tray once more before smiling down at the young woman who just happened to be holding it.

Chi Chi smiled, delighted to have a guinea pig that seemed willing to try out her kitchen experiments. His accent was a little strange, and she wondered just where this gorgeous man could have been hiding all this time. From the looks of it, it was obvious he hadn't been hiding behind the statue.

"Please, have another," she offered, her smile still in place.

He smiled back.

And if the either of them had been privy to the others thoughts, they would have both discovered they were headed down the same lane of thought…

This could be the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

*****

"Hey Sugar-Cans," Yamcha greeted her by smacking her on her half-covered rump firmly. She spun around to glare at him, balling her fists at her sides. She'd had an extremely touchy day already and she really wasn't in the mood to put up with him right now.

Yamcha, on the other hand, recognized the look she was giving him immediately, and with his newly discovered agility, found himself exercising his best option.

He began to run.

It didn't really matter where he was running. There was nowhere to hide. He'd unfortunately whacked her as they were entering one of the long `space walks'. The station had several long corridors comprised of nothing more than a floor and thick, plated glass, and while it afforded the passerby a spectacular view of space, it offered no other option to Yamcha but to keep running.

He tore down the hallway as fast as he could, his long, black ponytail trailing behind him. He dodged a few people strolling leisurely along, not daring to look behind him to see how far Bulma was behind him. He didn't doubt for a second that she wouldn't give chase. He knew her well enough to know that look she had given him just before he ran, and he knew her well enough to know that she would definitely do something unpleasant to him once she caught up. Besides, he could hear the grumbled protests of the people he'd already passed as she either bumped them into the glass or most likely, blatantly pushed them out of the way. Yamcha narrowed his eyes, concentrating on the set of steel doors at the end of the long walk. They were quickly approaching and if luck was on his side, he'd be able to shake her once he passed through.

Bulma was furious. She knew she was making a spectacle of herself, running as fast as she could down the hall wearing little more than a bikini. Her bare feet slapped against the cool tile on the floor as she had abandoned her flimsy sandals after they failed to stay on her feet. She ground her teeth as she watched Yamcha running swiftly ahead of her, blowing through the doors at the end of the long corridor, and most likely losing her in the process.

She growled softly and tried to run faster

*****

Standing stiffly on the other side of the space walk's sturdy doors, Prince Vegeta quietly reflected on just how unsubtle his subjects could be. He knew Raditz was following him, keeping his eye on his every move. Just what in the hell did that imbecile think would happen? Did they honestly think that one of the weaklings on the station could harm him? Did they think he was easily thwarted? Did they think he was so inept a warrior that he couldn't possibly take care of himself?

The more he thought about it, the more it really pissed him off. In an effort to control his rather nasty temper, he closed his eyes and attempted a mild growling exercise. After all, there were times to get nasty, and there were times when thinking nasty thoughts would just have to do.

Before he could really begin, the doors burst open, startling the Saiyan prince and actually forcing him into acknowledging someone else's presence.

"Raditz, I…"

"Excuse me!" A tall, scarred man with a ponytail exclaimed as he pushed past Vegeta. He was running at top speed and if it hadn't been for Vegeta's keen hearing, he might've missed the verbal justification.

Vegeta, on the other hand, was flabbergasted. How dare anyone touch him and then simply brush him off? He was about to run after the unfortunate slob before he realized that by getting into a fight, he would only prove the other two correct in thinking that he couldn't be trusted on his own. He balled his fists and concentrated on calming down, until he once again was interrupted by the heavy door springing open. With his back to the door, he rolled his eyes and turned to the sound of running feet, ready to confront his self-appointed babysitter to let him know that he was fine.

"Raditz, I…"

But it wasn't Raditz. Far from it.

Vegeta stood transfixed at the sight presented before him. She was beautiful, she was curvy, and for lack of a better word, she was jiggling at top speed towards him.

With long, aqua hair flowing wildly behind her, Bulma was having a hard time keeping up. She was hoping that Yamcha might still be in sight once she passed through the doors, but the halls were empty save for one very solid looking man who was unfortunately in her way.

Bracing herself for the impact associated with the impending elbow shove, she ground her teeth together…

…And immediately stubbed her big toe.

Swearing loudly as she felt herself falling towards the floor, the breath was suddenly knocked out of her when her body collided with something cold and quite solid. When she finally opened her eyes, she found that she was still somewhat upright, and her nose was pressed up against something shiny and metallic.

Vegeta frowned down his nose at the weak little thing in his arms. Traveling around the universe for the better part of his life, he'd seen his fair share of females of all shapes and sizes. His frown deepened when he realized that they were usually in better shape than this particular one, and for the most part, many had been taller than him. This one was gasping for breath. And if someone had questioned him as to why he had bothered to actually catch her, he would have denied the obvious fact that he'd been too busy staring at her chest to react properly.

She lifted her gaze to look at her would be savior, who was looking down his nose at her through narrowed eyes. His face held no emotion other than clear, unadulterated annoyance, and it was at that point that she snapped out of her slight daze and actually noticed him. He wasn't too tall and he was not that bad looking. His hair was interesting as well, and she could tell from the feel of him that he was quite solidly built, even without the heavy armor he was wearing. He had a very dignified air about him, and she was standing close enough that she could smell him. It was a warm scent, and not harsh, a trait she always associated with the richly dressed men she normally had to share elevators with.

Finding her own feet once again, she stood and thought about dusting herself off, until she realized that he was holding her arms at her sides. She cleared her throat, not sure what to say to him at this point, and lowered her gaze down her body and towards his arms. He, in turn, in a combination of both understanding and misinterpretation, glanced down once again at her chest, which by this time had stopped bouncing. He was trying very hard not to stare, after all, it wasn't like he'd never seen a female before. He'd seen several. It was just that he'd never seen a female quite like this before. She was flushed, half-dressed, and…glistening. And glistening was not a thought he currently wanted to entertain.

When he failed to take the subtle hint, she glanced back up at him, and caught him distinctly staring at her chest. Her eyes suddenly took on an entirely different expression. Just because she had decided to wear a bikini didn't mean he had to be so obvious. She didn't mind being appreciated for her looks, but when push came to shove, she never appreciated being ogled. Especially when the ogling was so very apparent.

"I'm a woman, not a piece of meat," she pointed out sharply, wiggling herself from his hold, her chest bouncing slightly in the process.

He blinked at her and allowed her to break free. He had no idea what she had just said. Whatever language she was speaking, he didn't quite understand. It was a type of galactic common, but it was a particular dialect he wasn't too familiar with. And of course, he had left his scouter on his bed in his quarters, complete with the translation module installed for just this purpose.

"You should keep those covered," he nodded down at her, speaking his native language. "They can be quite distracting."

Bulma glanced at the man, cautiously eyeing him. His voice was low, and whatever he had just said to her had come out deep and even, harsh and smooth all at once, sending a shiver down her spine.

They were still standing quite close when he suddenly stepped away to the side, gracefully indicating with a gloved hand that she pass and continue on about her business. She stood shock still as he moved behind her, circling her, she was sure, in an effort to check out the rest of her. Bulma wasn't entirely certain how to handle this particular situation. The truth was, she was tired. She'd already had quite a physical day, and the adrenaline high she'd been on for the last few minutes was already starting to wear off. She also realized that Yamcha was long gone by this time.

Squaring her shoulders, she turned around, hands on her hips. She wasn't quite sure what to say to him, he didn't seem to understand. She couldn't understand him either, and while she was usually the one to win when it came to smart remarks, she was more than a bit leery about getting into it with someone she couldn't honestly one up. Well, not properly anyway.

Bulma blinked and released the breath that she didn't even realize she was holding. The hall was empty. The man was nowhere to be seen.

On the other side of the heavy doors, Prince Vegeta leaned against the closed barrier. Wiping his forehead, he released a deep breath and relaxed slightly before pushing on down the long, scenic space walk, all the while trying to forget the stimulating image of one sweet smelling, blue haired female.

*****

That's the next part. I hope it wasn't too mushy for some, although I did post this under a romance genre, so if you don't like that kind of thing, I'm not sure why you would be reading this. Anyway, sorry for the delay in posting. It's gonna be touch and go for the next few. I'll get cracking on the next part. I had some ideas today about what I can put in there. Oh yeah, and if you'd like to make a comment or a suggestion, that would be nice too. I'm trying to make improvements. I really am.