She jerked awake sharply, lurching forward in the bed; immediately aware of the warm--strong arms that suddenly encircled her; of the strong body beside her that was tensed and ready for action.

"Woman?" The voice that murmured softly in her ear was husky with sleep. Deep...heavy. Bulma could sense his mouth mere inches from her face; his breath fanning softly against her cheek and she had to suppress a shiver of desire from his nearness. Whatever spector had awoken her from her sleep was gone; the memories and remnants of the nightmare alluding her--receding to the furthest reaches of her mind, unattainable and out of reach.

"It was nothing. A dream I guess." Her voice was soft and warm in the cool darkness of their room. Around her she could hear the distant humming of the ship that they were boarded on. She wished they could leave this godforsaken place. It reminded her too much of...of Frieza's ship and the terror of that awful time that still ocassionally haunted her. Perhaps that was what had awoken her from her rest and now she was wide awake and...she smirked playfully...ready for action; turning suddenly and pushing her mate down onto the bed.

"Lusty wench." Vegeta growled, groaning as her mouth began a slow soft slide down his body. Skimming lightly over the ridged muscles of his belly...down further.

His hands fisted in the silk of her hair as her mouth found what it sought. Vegeta shut his eyes as her tongue encircled him...teasing...taunting.

"B...Bulma..." He moaned. "Oh God Bulma." His hands gripped her shoulders--unable to take anymore, hauling her up the length of his body; his hand clutching the base of her neck gently. "So you want to play?" His soft--teasing--snarl breathed against the beating pulse of her throat sent a shockwave of desire coursing through her.

God she loved this man. Loved him to complete distraction and the desire that went with that was awe-inspiring. That she had nearly lost him once--too Frieza, to Parisia and to that awful virus made what they shared all the sweeter. She gasped as his mouth began its slow assault on her body; his tail sweeping upwards along the sensitive skin of her inner thigh. Managing to weave her hands into the sharp flame of his hair; she held his head to her breast as he teased her mercilessly.

"Vegeta...please." She arched herself against him--needing, wanting him to connect their bodies completely...to sweep away all and any trepidations and fear that remained from the dream that had startled her awake.

Vegeta answered her with a snarl; his body hard and firm against hers. He wanted to take his time, to banish all thoughts from her mind. He had seen the old demons flare to life--even in the dark. Demons brought on by this ship and the precarious situation the universe found itself in as it attempted to put itself back together and fight off threats from new dangers...most notably Koola--Frieza's brother. He should have left her and Trunks on Chikyuu, but the idea of being seperated from her, for any length of time had all but killed him--especially since he had no real idea how long it would take the new Saiya-jin council--raised from off-world survivors of the Vegitasei tragedy-- to decide on all the issues that they felt needed to be discussed; most noteably--when and where to officially coronate him King and whether or not to unite as a whole under the so-called--would be emperor Darbura. His woman had been particularly nervous at what all this meant for him and for them and he had held her against him every night they had been on this ship; soothing her fears away and lulling her to sleep in the only way he knew how...by using the fierce--burning passion that arced between them like an electrical current and exhausting her to a near comatose state; except tonight. Tonight he had spent away from her at another pointless council debate over how best to fight off the threat that was Frieza's brother--Koola and whether the universe's so called savior was really worth the Saiya-jin time and effort. By the time he had returned to their rooms she had already been asleep and he had chosen not to bother her, deciding for the night to silently slip into bed and just hold her.

Vegeta held himself away from her with all the self-control he could muster; pinning her hands uselesly above her head so that he could keep them away from his tail. The little wench was absolutely insatiable. He smirked; just the way he liked her.

Sharp blue eyes, enflamed with passion and fire, flared wide as his mouth traversed the length of her body--settling between her legs and setting his mouth and tongue to setting her afire.

"Not quite woman." Vegeta murmured against her. "You had your fun, now I want mine." He groaned in ecstasy as his tongue slid inside the hot warmth of her body...tasting her, teasing her...her scent intoxicating him into a near frenzied state.

"Vegeta..." Bulma moaned, lost in the cascade of sensations that he had sent spiraling through her with his invasion, arching her body; struggling to get closer to him. "Oh God Vegeta." Her fingers clenched tightly in his hair as he continued his torment, her body heaving with her first powerful climax.

Vegeta glanced up at her and smirked; his black eyes heavy and half-lidded with passion, his body tight with arousal. He drew himself up slowly, posistioning himself at the juncture of her legs--hot, wet and ready. He stifled a moan as she arched her body against his, urging him inside her with one powerful thrust.

"Oh God, I'm lost." The stray thought shot through his brain as his body moved against hers, his mind fast becoming lost in the haze of passion that was surrounding them. It frightened him that a warrior as strong as he--raised to be unbendable and unbreakable-- could bend so for one woman; could give things he hadn't even realized he'd had to give. She had him completely and he had never even really fought it.

He quickened his pace against her, moaning as she wrapped her legs around him. His hand slid down her thigh to grasp her bottom, holding her tightly against him as he moved deeper and deeper within her. God she felt incredible. They had slept continuously together for three years and each time was like something new...something better then the last. Vegeta felt the last vestiges of his sanity leaving him as she bucked wildly under him--screeching his name, her climax overtaking her. Loud wench. He smirked even as his own climax came; her name a silent litany in his mind, playing over and over again. Oh God. Already he was ready for more. She was like a drug to him, the more he had the more he wanted-- no...needed. He opened his eyes and stared down at her; vivid blue eyes stared back at him...heavy-lidded with passion and sleep.

"Will you be able to sleep now?" He murmured huskily into her ear. " Or do we need to have more?" Already he was moving deep inside her, his body giving into the urge to make love to her all night long; his mind losing itself in the heady abandonment that pleasuring her always brought. He would be happy to keep her up until dawn and maybe...just maybe he wouldn't bother going to that stupid meeting tomorrow. He had far better things to do then listen to a bunch of boring idiots prattle on about nothing. Vegeta had no plans to ever swear fealty to any other living being again. He'd been forced to do that with Frieza and he would be damned if he did it to anyone else again. The Saiya-jin were in control of their own destiny and he would be their king. No--the meetings were useless. He would much rather spend his days training with Kakkarot and his nights here--loving the hell out of his mate. Either way, he was a content man. Ascending the throne of Vegitasei was just the icing on the cake as far as he was concerned.

Vegeta smirked wickedly as she rolled him over, her body straddling him.

"Why don't you let me have some of the fun Vegeta?" Bulma slid her body provacatively against his; earning herself a deep, husky moan.

"Alright woman." He rasped against her throat, teeth nipping at the sensitive skin; listening to the sharp intake of breathing at his teasing. Take your best shot."

"Oh..." Bulma smirked as she slid onto him, shuddering with desire. "Don't worry. I will."

**********************

His mouth was still dry from what his woman had done to him last night and Vegeta thought he might still be shaking. He had told her to take her best shot and she had and when she had been done with him, he had been nothing but a quivering, wrecked boy laying in her arms--nearly sobbing for joy at what had just happened to him. He hadn't been sure he could have said a word to her if he had tried. Everytime he had opened his mouth to attempt it...his voice had failed him.

It was unseemly for one woman to have that kind of power over him. Vegeta knew that, but he would be damned if he could stop it from happening. He'd wanted her from the moment he had first set eyes on her, and love...well that had been an emotion he had discounted until he'd been left with no alternative but to finally admit it existed and that it existed with immense power between them. He was wildly in love with her--though he had barely spoken the words more then once in their three years of continued togetherness. Perhaps that was why he sought her out in bed whenever he could. For them...it was a way to communicate the deep feeling and union of souls that they shared. That was why their lovemaking was so mind-blowing all the time, because for them it was beyond anything normal. It truly was an act of love. He cringed inwardly at the word; wishing he could hide from it, but knowing there was no point. Bulma had him and he knew it...then again--he smirked--he had her as well. Just the way she cried his name out last night was enough to prove that. His woman had no problems muttering love words to him and she certainly could not hold herself back from him in the throes of passion.

"Prince Vegeta, surely you see the neccesity of aligning yourself with a full blood Saiya-jin in marriage." The annoying voice cut through his thoughts, instantly turning his mind back to the reason he was here. He scowled in irritation. Why did he have to be subjected to these asinine suggestions? " Our race has been devestated; we need the blood of our warriors mixing with fellow warriors, not spawning half-breed brats with worthless humans. What does it say about us as a race if our strongest warrior; our very leader allows himself to be subjugated to a lowly human."

Kakkarot watched Vegeta in silence looking for any sign of impending doom. He saw none amazingly; at least nothing obvious to the untrained eye. The Prince's face--King now he guessed...it was a subject they had not ever really discussed-- was a careful study of dispassionate interest on the outside; but Kakkarot had seen the leap of flame that had ignited within the depths of Vegeta's smoldering black eyes at the councilman's insulting words. Vegerom was treading on very thin ice...so thin it was about to crack and he was going to fall in. Kakkarot was amazed that Vegeta had held his temper for as long as he had. A few years earlier and the bastard would have been blasted at the first uttereance of his inciteful words. Bulma's influence. That was the only explanation. It had to be Bulma's calming influence.

"Bulma is hardly a common human weakling. She is the heir to the Correnian throne. The daughter of royalty. Prince Vegeta should hardly have to justify his choice of mate to you." Bardock's deep voice rang calmly through the room. "She is directly responsible for the death of Frieza herself. If not for her and her courage, his reign of terror would still be upon us and this universe."

"No one disputes the validity of her usefulness or her bravery, but the fact remains that the throne cannot be handed to a half-breed brat. Vegeta must have a full-blooded heir to ascend after him. It is the law of the Saiya-jin and he is fully aware of it. As its highest leader, Vegeta has a duty to uphold and serve the lawas that govern his people."

"What people? There are a hunded odd Saiya-jin left alive int the universe. The mass population died with Vegita-sei and the rules and laws died with it. There will be no other heir to my throne. Trunks is my first-born son and as such he will be recognized my full-blooded heir. I will hear no more arguments over this. I will simply take my Queen and blast you all into the next dimension." Vegeta kept his voice steady and even despite the fury that was seething just below his carefully veiled surface. How dare they belittle him and his choice of Queen. Subjugate to a human. He sneered in derision. As if that were even possible for him; he subjugated himself to no-one. The bastard was lucky to still be alive; Bulma was more Queen then any Saiya-jin warrior they would parade in front of him.

"I will never recognize that human as my Queen. Your father would not have sanctioned this either Vegeta and you know it. You show him dishonor by parading this...this common trash as a Queen and threatening to destroy your own people; the very people that he placed in these positions himself to help guide the legacy of the Saiya-jin. That you would bring harm to your own people over a human woman that's only purpose is to serve you in bed. You are a bigger fool then I thought." Vegerom's insulting tone cut through the air like a sword; his words leaving them all in shock.

Vegeta shot upwards, fist clenched in absolute fury. "How dare you speak that way to me, you sniveling coward. I will see your tongue ripped from your mouth for such impertinence."

Kakkarot shot up in concern and anger; attempting to diffuse the ticking time-bomb that was Vegeta before someone died. How stupid were these councilmen? The last thing they needed was for Vegeta to lose his cool and strike them all dead. Where would the Saiya-jin re-unification be then?

"How dare you make that statement about Prince Vegeta or his Queen? King Vegeta was all too willing to align us with Parisia of Sorrenti and that would have been a match of disastorous proportions. Don't sit there and tell me that he would not have sanctioned this union with Correnia. He had a respectful relationship with Bulma's own father: King Brennon. This is a fine family to ally with and for you to suggest otherwise--or infer that she has no valuable use aside from her wifely duties to Vegeta shows you complete idiocy. Her inventions and technology alone would bring the new Saiya-jin race unforetold fortune. Bulma is responsible for the synthetic fuel that now flows through every ship in the galaxy. Don't sit there and tell any of us who have benefitted from her intelligence that she is useless."

"He might very well have sanctioned the union boy and perhaps he would have accepted a half-breed heir--but the council never would have and Vegeta would still be required to get himself a full-blooded brat as well as a full-blooded Queen; the Correnian girl would merely be a toy...a method of negotiation. That this one is responsible for so many fine inventions is note-worthy but that does not change the basic truth of the matter. Vegeta's half-breed son may take the throne of Correnia, but he will never be recognized as a true Saiya-jin elite. If he attempts to ascend the throne when he comes of age there will surely be an assination attempt. You know this full and well Kakkarot." Vegerom's voice was full of smug self-confidence.

Vegeta clenched his fist tightly; refraining from blowing the fucking idiot's head off. Not yet. He owed it to his Saiya-jin ancestry to at least attempt to unite the bastards before killing them all. This fool was the biggest source of irritation. Vegerom was so sure that he would be able to manipulate Vegeta into a corner; no doubt hoping his daughter was the full-blooded Saiya-jin that Vegeta would choose to take as Queen.

"Enough." Vegeta's hand came down hard upon the table; smashing it into pieces. "Bulma is your Queen...she is my Queen. If you want what little remains of the Saiya-jin race united then you will not dispute me on this. My son will follow me to the throne or there will be no throne to look to. I will simply destroy whatever remains of you and leave it at that."

"I am afraid that you put your woman in grave danger by your unwillingness to bend to our wishes as warranted by Saiya-jin custom..." Vegerom's needling words ended abruptly as Vegeta's hand closed around his neck; lifting him effortlessly out of his chair.

"Is that a threat to the Queen of Vegitasei?" Vegeta's cold black eyes met Vegerom's; taking immense joy in the fear he saw there. He sneered in contempt. It was all he could do to not throttle the man to death for even daring to speak such words in front of him. All day he had pushed and pushed against Vegeta's barely leashed temper. How easy it would be to simply snap his worthless neck and already he could feel the stirrings of his Saiya-jin blood calling him to violence. No! Not now. To kill him now would show them a weakness that he could not afford for them to see. He had to keep his head. "If so much as one hair on her head is touched, if even one thing happens to my son...I will break your body into pieces and scatter them into every corner of this universe." Vegeta's voice was a quiet snarl in the silence of the room. The words spoken in a deathly calm manner; each word infused with the sharp, cruel undertone of his open hostility. Vegeta had made it clear...he would protect what was his to the death. He dropped the man back into his chair, eyes sweeping to meet those of every other member that sat in the council. "That applies to every one of you bastards in here. Bulma is my Queen and mate , we are bonded."

"She will be recognized as nothing more but your concubine, Vegeta. You have not had an

official joining. Whatever you have is not legal and binding in anyway."

"Then I will join with her in front of all who would see it done." Vegeta fixed a cold glare on the new speaker; Bestrom. A cold-blooded bastard as he could recall. His father had been more then impressed with his killing techiniques and willingness to die for any cause; be it worthy or not. Vegeta had seen him as an honorless weakling; forced to prey upon the weak to gain his reputation. Vegeta felt the first surge of real dread wash through him. If they sent this man after Bulma; he would have no qualms about killing her and probably in the most horrific way he could conjur up. He felt the sudden urge to get back to her. God he would not be able to leave her alone again; not until this was resolved and the only way it was going to be resolved was by him bowing to their wishes. Dammit he was their leader; the strongest among them, yet he was forced to do what they demanded of him? Not in this lifetime.

"Enough. I have no desire to discuss this anymore. The hour is late, I wish to retire." Vegeta turned on his heel abruptly; his sensitive ears picking up the burst of disquieted murmurs that ran throughout the room. He would not be hearing the last of this; he already knew that. He needed to get back to his rooms, back to Bulma. They would plot against her...of that he had little doubt and they would use Bestrom as their method of assination. Perhaps he should do away with him before it came to that.

He swept out of the room imperiously, aware of the solid presence of Kakkarot beside him.

"You think they will try to kill her?" Kakkarot's voice-- low and worried-- broke through the tension that permeated the air around them.

"I know they will. I will not be able to let her or the brat out of my sight." Vegeta sighed. Why must it always be one thing or the other. Why could he just not have Bulma and be allowed to live in peace. They had been given one year of peace beyond Frieza's death to live with each other; one year of happiness before the planets had begun to ally themselves in some kind of mutual peaceful arrangement in the shadow of Frieza's terrible deathgrip. Two years more of turmoil and strife as whatever had remained of the Saiya-jin race had come back together and sought him out and now--finally-- he had to deal with this. How was he going to explain this to his wife?

"Vegeta perhaps we should send them into hiding; away from here. Maybe if you just give them what they want they will leave her alone. Whether she is recognized as such or not, Bulma will always be your Queen and Trunks does have the Corennian throne."

Vegeta stopped abruptly, anger flowing through him, turning his sharp glare towards Kakkarot.

"Are you suggesting that I cast aside the woman I have called wife for the past three years and the brat I fathered; deny him his birthrite, and give in to these idiotic coward's demands to join with a Saiya-jin bitch? Kakkarot, listen to yourself. Could you do this to your mate? You know mine and you know her temper. Do you think she would take the idea of me getting another woman with child well?" Vegeta shuddered at the myriad of images that thought conjured up.

"No, Vegeta I couldn't and I know it would hurt Bulma, but maybe if she realized that it was for her own good she'd back off. I am not the king; my mate will be in no mortal danger."

"You heard them, Kakkarot. They want all the warriors to spawn a full-blooded brat; not just me. This issue is going to be coming up for you as well."

Kakkarot swallowed. "I know Vegeta, but what do we do about it? Bestrom is a dangerous man. If he sets his eyes on Bulma or Chi-Chi or Evetta, they will be dead."

Vegeta's eyes glittered with pent-up frustration and fury. "I will kill any man that looks at my woman the wrong way. She is mine, Kakkarot and as such she is my Queen and she will see them bow to her or they will die by my hand. I will not be spawning any brats with any other woman."

He started back down the corridor, determined to reach her this time.

"Go to your mate Kakkarot. Decide what you must, but my mate will stay with me. There is no one else who can protect her as I can."

Kakkarot stood silent and watched him disappear. He didn't doubt that Vegeta would kill any man that refused Bulma as Queen; but then what? Then what?

*************

Bulma sat frowning over her latest toy; the newest design for her fleet of ships. It had no name, she had only tentatively called it the cloaker. The shield allowed any ship that wore it to cloak itself from view--literally disappear even from radar, and, she thought, it would be particularly beneficial in the skirmishes against Koola. She was bent over it in studious determination; hand delicately maneuvering the smallest, most intricate parts of the device when the door banged abruptly. Opening with enough force to shake the walls.

"Woman!?" Her husband's deep voice thundered across the room. She knit her brows in frustration as the suddeness of his arrival sent her hand jerking wildly across several fragile parts; ripping them from their home in the circuitry board.

"Dammit all to hell Vegeta. Will you please quit doing that. I ruined it thanks to you." Bulma stood up and tossed the ruined circuitry board to the ground, glaring at him; her eyes shooting blue flames at him. Vegeta smirked despite the seriousness of their situation. What a woman. There was no other in the universe willing to go toe to toe with him like this little hellion was and God was that arousing. He shifted uncomfortably as the sight of her in the barest of clothes added fuel to the fire she had already ignited.

"Woman, we have more serious things to worry about then that damned piece of machinery." Vegeta was already moving towards her; the look of urgency burning in his eyes locking her into place. She felt his hands grip her shoulders gently.

"What is it?" Bulma breathed against his mouth, her eyes narrowing in concern.

"The Saiya-jin councel will not accept you as my Queen. They wish to see me joined to a full-blooded warrior with a full-blooded heir. They wish all the warriors to spawn as many full-bloods as possible."

"Of course. They want your race re-populated. I should have seen that." Bulma felt her mouth dry up. That meant he would...that he would have to...She looked up at him silently; blue eyes contemplative and guarded..

"Is this what you want? Do you want a full-blooded heir?" The words choked her as they left her mouth; the whole idea of him with another woman. Touching her, sharing himself with her, married to her and Trunks...Trunks was their child. What would that mean for him? God, she didn't want to hear his answer.

"What do you think you idiotic woman?" Vegeta's voice was a harsh snarl in her ear. "You are my mate, Bulma. I will not be joining with anyone else if I can help it; but my refusal will sign your death warrant. They will be willing to kill you over this woman and the brat." He shuddered against her at the idea of her hunted down and murdered like an animal. His son murdered before he saw his fourth birthday. He would step down from the throne if he had to. As if they would let you brat. His father's voice echoed throughout his mind.

"What am I supposed to do?" Bulma clung to him, eyes searching his. Things had been so good for so long. Three years of not running, of not being seperated...and now this?

"I will handle this woman. You do as I tell you in this." Vegeta pulled back from her, his eyes searching the blue depths of hers. " I will let no harm come to you or our brat; I swear it." He was no longer a youthful boy; but a man. A full-grown man more then capable of protecting his woman. Let them come. They would live to regret the day they crossed him on this. "You are my Queen woman and he is my son--half-breed or not.. There will be no other. Where is the brat?" Vegeta whispered in her ear...his hands already roaming over every square inch of her body. She melted against him in an effort to get closer; the need to reaffirm what she should have already known overtaking her quickly.

"My father...he is...oh God Vegeta...he is playing with my father." Her head fell back as his mouth burned a trail of red-hot fire along her jawline.

"I want him to go back to Correnia with your father when he and your mother leave." His mouth burned another more searing path down her neck; his hands, oh God, his hands were everywhere. She gasped as he ripped off the thin shift she wore; exposing her completely to his view. "Tell no one woman. After he is gone we will decide what to do with you."

"I'm not going to leave you Vegeta. Not again." Bulma's own hands were maneuvering his clothes off; touching him--teasing him, sliding through the thick, spiky hair. The armor, the top of his battle suit dropped off; leaving him vulnerable and bare chested in her arms. Good God what that chest did to her. He was an absolutely beautiful man--much stronger now then he had been when she had first met him and she would be damned if anyone else got a hold of him. Vegeta was all hers; heart, body and soul.

"There will be no one else but you woman." His voice was raw with emotion and desire. God had he read her mind? " I promise. I will have no other Qu..." Her mouth melding forcefully against his broke off the flood of impassioned words. He couldn't promise her that and she didn't want him to. In the end he would do what was best for his race and she knew it, despite her desires to have him do differently.

"Make love to me Vegeta." His eyes burned into hers for a long moment, searching them, before he swept her up and bore her back to their room. She didn't believe him. He had seen it in her eyes. His woman thought he would cast her aside in weakness and deference to the council. Vegeta's eyes lit with determination and anger. Well he would spend the rest of the afternoon proving to her exactly what her place was in his life and where she stood ; and she would not leave his bed until she understood...completely. If that meant she couldn't walk for a week then so be it, but before she left his bed there would be no question at all.

*****************

Jeiyce stared at the remains of green bodies that lay scattered across the Namek-jin landscape.

"Why don't we try again? Recoome..." Jeiyce nodded pointedly at the Namek-jin that dangled limply from the hulking warrior's thick hand. "Why don't we try again to persuade this poor fool to share some information with us."

Recoome grinned widely.

"Gladly. There is nothing I would enjoy more." Recoome's eyes flared insanely as his meaty hand began the slow strangulation of the Namekkian's body.

"Where are the dragonballs? We have two of them...there are five more. " Jeiyce snarled maliciously.

"We want them now."

"They..." The Namekkian struggled for breath; gasping and struggling to speak. He lifted his hand in a desperate attempt to weaken Recoome's hold. Failing miserably.

Recoome...let the Namekkian scum speak." Jeiyce snarled in irritation. "How in the hell can he talk with your hand choking the life out of him."

"You said to encourage him." Recoome looked dumbly at Jeiyce.

"Fine, fine. You've encouraged him. Let's see if it worked."

Recoome relaxed hs hold; smiling at the look of pervasive fear that was threatening to overtake the Namekkian quickly.

"Now, what were you saying?" Jeiyce flipped his white hair, preening .

"They are not here." The Namek looked between the two men, his features wide with fright. "They are not here. I swear."

"That isn't a very good answer, friend. I think you can come up with one that is better then that." Jeiyce smiled cruelly at the frightened Namek. "Do we need to give you better encouragement?"

"No! I swear to you, none of our villagers have anything to do with the dragonballs. Only our elder...Guru..." The Namekkian broke off...horrified. He had given away Guru's name. Oh god! What had he done?

Jeiyce smiled at the look of wide-eyed terror that spread across the Namek's face.

"Guru? WHo is this...Guru?" Jeiyce spole softly, dangerously. "Recoome."

The Namekkian shook his head violently, resisting, even with the tightening hold of the giant soldier.

"No! I will tell you no more. You can kill me!"

Jeiyce smiled, nodding imperceptibly at Recoome. The Namekkian's neck snapped like a twig under the heavy hand of Recoome.

"We can certainly see to that." He smiled as Recoome tossed the broken body aside. "We will just have to see who else is left in this crappy village."

Jeiyce turned towards the inner circle of the village. "Hey Berter! Let's see what else you got."

He turned back to Recoome. "Guru. That is an interesting name. I think we might just have our first real piece of information. Let's see if we can get some more." He turned and smiled cruelly at the Namek that was shoved forward towards them. "Why don't we see if we can get it from him."

******************

"Dende, you must take the Dragonballs and run...Koola cannot be allowed to find them." Guru sighed heavily at the little boy who looked up at him with such heartbreaking innocence and fear. That he had to suffer this; that any of their race had to suffer such...horror. He looked over to the growing smoky trails in the sky. Each hour added one more burnt village and brought Koola one more hour closer to the Namekian capitol where Guru sat. Oh the loss of life. It staggered him, leaving his heart crying out in pain and agony for all those who had been senselessly slaughtered by Koola. Innocent children slaughtered--all for the dragonballs. Guru didn't even want to contemplate what Koola wanted them for or what it would mean for the universe if he acquired them and their power. Nail had tried to help. Had tried to slow them down but Koola and his lackeys had been too strong. Nail had barely been able to make it back alive; lasting just long enough for Dende to heal him. They couldn't have the boy and his powers either. Dende must go, it was the only way. Nail stood now, positioned directly in front of Guru, prepared to sacrifice his life for his if need be.

"Guru, I don't want to leave you. Please don't make me leave. I can help you here. I know I can."

"Dende." Nail's rich voice cut through the air. "if Koola is allowed to obtain the dragonballs there is no telling what will happen to the universe. You have to take the ones that Guru has given you and hide. They cannot find them."

"But..." Dende tried to interject, but Gurus's deep voice interupted him as an explosion ripped through the air.

"Dende, you must go, now. No more arguing...just go." He sighed heavily.

Dende stared helplessly at Guru; before turning and grabbing up the two balls that Guru had entrusted him with.. How could he leave the elder here to suffer, to die...ohh...what choice did he have. He jumped as another explosion tore throught he sky.

"Guru, I will go as you say. Please, you and Nail...stay safe." Dende closed his eyes tightly for a moment before rocketing off...leaving the imminent destruction of his village and the death of his people behind.

"Please don't die..."

****************

"He is enamored of her; just as the King was of his late wife." Vergerom laughed lightly. "Look how that union turned out. Vegeta could be easily set up. The girl is human; with weak human emotions...easily tricked. If she were to believe he had been unfaithful to her...well lets just say that those weak human emotions would kick in."

"Just like how you set up the old King and his mate; only reverse? Vergerom you sly dog."

"King Vegeta was being led astray by that slut of a woman. I did him a favor. She would have ruined him and the Prince had we not stepped in. To think she called herself a Saiya-jin. Now we risk the same problem, only worse. A human slut's half-breed cannot be allowed to take the throne. It would forever pollute the Saiya-jin race. We have not reunited our surviving masses to see them destroyed this way. Not because the boy is thinking with everything else but his head."

"Do you think he loves her?" Bestrom's voice held a note of uncertainty. "It might be hard to come between them if they are truly united."

"Are you insane. He is a Saiya-jin killer; not a love-struck puppy. His relationship with her goes no further then what she does to him in their bed. Once that is over he will be easily swayed along the path we want him on."

"I doubt that. The Prince is nothing like the father. He is much more formidable then the old man was and the bond he shares with his woman is plain to see; no matter how much he might try to hide or conceal it. Still I would be interested to see if this plan would work. Perhaps in a moment of weakness, anything is possible, even for Vegeta."

"Koola pushes me to form an alliance with him, but I can hardly do that when the rest of the council wants Vegeta to sit on the throne. He must be brought around. Only then--when he is sitso n the throne can we make a move. His strength will make us invincible and his mind...well that we must bend to our will. We will figure out a way. "

"Koola has no desire to share anything with Vegeta or the Saiya-jin race. He wishes to destroy Vegeta for killing his brother, then take over things for himself."

"Better to be on the side that wins then suffer with the side that falls; still I think with Vegeta...all things might be possible. I have many contacts all over this Godforsaken universe. Koola has put me in touch with one on Chikyuu....a Doctor Gero. Together with him, we might just be able to turn Vegeta in the proper direction. One that suits Koola's needs as well." Vergerom laughed. "Let us start our plotting Bestrom...the sooner this is done the better; for us all."

"Perhaps dinner would be a good time to start sowing the seeds of deception Bestrom. Let her catch the Prince in a troubling situation."

"With who? There is no-one here that we could use to compromise him with."

"What about the slave girl...Atriana? She could be bought."

Vergerom stood up; preparing to go. " See to it Bestrom...see to it personally. Tonight I will speak to the would be Queen myself--see what I can use to dissuade her from staying with Vegeta. " He held up a clipping of lilac hair. "I think I have found something that might just work. If not well then we can move to this other plan..."

"As you wish Vergerom, as you wish." Bestrom sat in silence; watching the old Saiya-jin shuffle out the door. Ahhh...Vergerom, it is not going to be as easy as this. He loves her. I fear their bond is very deep. She will not believe something so tawdry about him. Perhaps I should drug the boy and let Atriana do what she will with him in her bed. It will take him being caught in the act for his woman to believe the worst of him.

No. It would be better to start small, see what kind of reaction he got, then proceed from there.

*******************

"Come on Vegeta...surely you don't want me to spend every waking moment in this room?" Bulma glanced back at her irate huband--who stood glowering at her from the door.

"Woman, your life is in danger. You cannot go traipsing all over the universe and leave yourself open to anyone who wishes to attack you. Have you forgotten Koola is out there?"

Bulma sidled up to him, slipping her arms around his neck and nipping at his ear. He had spent the afternoon making love to her, slowly--having her body in just about everyway possible. They had even dined together in bed--playing; teasing, and her mother had always told her not to play with her food. HA! Though things had turned serious soon enough; the play ending abruptly--halting as one innocent touch led to another more heated touch and then everything but the primal urge to be together had taken over. It amazed her that the man who touched her this afternoon with such reverance and love--such heated, burning passion--was the same cold-blooded ass that walked beside her in public. It was almost as if he were two men; one completely seperate from the other. She shivered against him as she remembered the way he had come undone in her arms earlier, the way he had cried out her name shaking and trembling, wrapped around her in an embrace of such exquisite closeness. It had been that way for her too, almost too much to take. This Saiya-jin bond was an incredible, beautiful way of speaking to one another and very, very intense--sometimes almost too much so. The ability to lose yourself in the others emotions was frighteningly exciting. Bulma would have never believed anything so incredibly gratifying and beautiful could be possible; especially with a race of such barbaric, battle hardened warriors. To her that was life's greatest irony.

"Why don't you come with me? Dad is taking Trunks like you requested, there is no reason for us to stay. We could just... get away." She pressed a heated kiss against his throat. "Just the two of us. Kind of like the honeymoon we never got to have."

She felt the slight shudder that ran through his taut body at her closeness, but to his credit, he pushed away from her.

"Honeymoon? What in the hell kind of fool thing is that" Vegeta's voice was harsh and impatient. Didn't the woman understand that things had changed since the council meeting this morning.

Bulma frowned and withdrew, hurt at his attitude; turning around and walking away.

"Fine Vegeta. Never mind. I guess I'll just go by myself."

"Woman, you are not going anywhere." Vegeta crossed his arms, awaiting her next move with amusement. It was like a well choreagraphed fight between them. Her thrust, his parry, but if she thought--for even one second that he was letting her off this ship without him...he snorted--then she truly was insane.

"Listen to me Ve...ge...ta." She stressed every syllable in his name; speaking as she would to a child--knowing it would irritate him. "I need this part and I am tired of this ship and of being left alone in this room and of your attitude."

"My attitude? What have I done?" He took a step towards her, eyebrow raised.

"Well imagine if I came up to you and said 'Oh by the way, I might have to marry someone else and have a child with them.' Don't you think that might upset you a bit?"

"You won't be joining with anyone else woman." His handsome face drew downwards into a scowl. She wasn't exactly joined to him...not officially anyway. He might need to rectify that before she found out.

Bulma sighed. "I know that Vegeta. I'm just saying that it is a lot to deal with." She collapsed onto the bed, falling backwards; arms spread wide. "I just wish we were back at home with none of these concerns. I'm not used to such turmoil." She shut her eyes and sighed. "Now I have to think about the possibilty that you will marry someone else."

Vegeta stared at her prone form in disbelief. He had spent the afternoon making love to her with as much passion as he could muster and that had been alot; giving himself to her over and over to prove to his affections to her; letting go of his cherished pride and control... all in an effort to show her that she was the only one he would ever be with...that he would ever be able to love and she still doubted him?

"You're a bigger fool then I thought." His voice was a harsh snarl in the room; infused with anger and hurt. The tone chilled her.

"Huh?" Bulma raised up on her elbows, staring at him. He looked furious. Her eyebrows raised--what was his problem?

"Go if you want woman. Go get your stupid part; I won't bother to stop you." Vegeta turned away from her--moving to the bathroom. He had a stupid dinner to attend to--a meeting with the would-be emperor in an effort to woo Saiya-jin support for his claim to the throne. As if Vegeta had any interest, he was the one who should be accending the throne of the universe. Not that moronic thing that thought it was his right. He gritted his teeth in irritation. He might as well get dressed, at least there would be food.

Bulma sat up completely and watched him, brows furrowed. What had happened to make him withdraw from her so...to change his mind...she frowned.

"Do you want me to go the meeting with you?" Bulma climbed off the bed and walked to him, laying her hand on the tanned flesh of his back.

Vegeta jerked away from her; moving into the bathroom to clean up.

"I don't care what you do woman." He turned to look at her, black eyes cold and distant; just leave me the hell alone. If I have to attend to the business of looking for a new woman, I might as well start tonight." His eyse shot away from her as he turned to the business of taking a shower.

"Well fine Vegeta. I guess I might as well go home." Bulma's voice rang with pain. He was serious? " I wouldn't want to get in your way while you look for one now would I? Maybe I'll just go and be with Trunks. Surely there is a man on Correnia that can overlook the fact that I am the cast-off whore of the great Saiya-jin prince." Bulma turned angrily, preparing to grab her clothes and leave but he was behind her in a flash--his body a blur of lightening as he grabbed her arms.

"You mistake me woman. You will not be released from your duties once I marry my Queen. You will still be my whore." His eyes flashed angrily at her--full of pain and fury; startling her. What in the hell was wrong with him. Why was he being this viscious? She tried to jerk out of his arms, but he held her tightly, nearly breaking her arm with his strength. "Would you like to see how I use my whores?" He snarled...propelling her backwards towards the bed; his mouth arcing downwards to savage her mouth. He would show her what it was like to have nothing from him...to know the price he paid everytime he took her to bed, that he loved her enough to feel safe giving his control up to her. How could she still not understand that?

"You bastard!"" Bulma shoved at him, furious with his ugly words. "How dare you talk to me that way?!" What was wrong with him? "Dammit Vegeta! you're hurting me." Bulma's eyes flashed blue fire at him.

Bulma found herself released suddenly, stumbling back, flailing her arms to gain her balance. Her eyes, a terrible mixture of anger, pain and fear flew towards his, burning, scalding, taking in the look of shock and disbelief that were slowly etching themselves onto his face. What was the matter?

"Vegeta?" Bulma moved towards him slowly, hand outstretched. "Vegeta why are you so angry with me?" Her hand touched his bare chest...sliding slowly up the smooth muscle.

Vegeta blinked...his hand reaching out to touch her face for the briefest of moments. She moved closer to him...encircling him with her arms and laying her head gently against his chest.

"How can you still doubt my feelings for you?" His voice was a rough burr in the room. "I have discarded so much pride for you, give up myself to show you what you mean to me and still it is not enough."

Bulma furrowed her brows and looked up at him.

"When did I ever say that I doubted what you feel? I am well aware of the beauty of what we have."

"You insist that I will be taking another Queen...that I will have a child with her. No matter what I do to try to tell you differently." His arms slowly encircled her waist while his tail wrapped lightly around her wrist.

Bulma smiled at the tail. A sure sign he was no longer mad at her. Whatever she had done to insult his honor, he was getting over

"That is just practical Vegeta. You are a Prince with a mate that no-one likes. If you want to be King, you will have to do what they want. It really has nothing to do with what you feel."

His arms tightened around her. "I am the Saiya-jin heir...the legendary Super Saiya-jin." Vegeta snarled the words into her ear. "I do as I wish not as some moronic council wishes me. You will be my Queen woman. I promise you that."

Bulma said nothing, knowing it was pointless; allowing him,instead, to draw her into the dimly lit bathroom.

"There is time for us to shower together." Vegeta murmured into her ear, his lips resting lightly against the silken skin of her temple. She smiled as the tail wound around her thigh, the furry tip slipping upwards.

"Does this mean you want me to go to the dinner with you?" Bulma swallowed hard as his mouth trailed lower setting her blood afire.

"Why not?" His body shuddered against hers, already losing itself in the desire and searing need to possess this woman as no-one else could or would or had for that matter. She was his; had always been his...she was his woman and he would prove it to her over and over and over and no-one would tell him differently. Vegeta would never bow to anyone else's orders or desires again. "Looking at your face will prove much more exciting then anything any of those old fools could possibly say."

"More exciting then food?" Bulma raiseded an eyebrow at him.

"Nothing is more exciting then food woman."

Both her eyebrows hiked skywards at that.

"Oh really? Well we will have to see Vegeta...we will have to see."

************

Bulma sat at the huge table, smiling wickedly at her mate, trying not to let the sight of the servant girl draping herself over her husband drive her insane. Why should she worry anyway? She had found something far more exciting to him then food--far more exciting. Vegeta scowled at her before turning his attention back to Kakkarot, face reddening slightly as he slapped the irritating servant girl's hand away. Bulma's grin widened. He was mad at her for making him come down and she had little doubt he'd have his way with her later on. That was fine with her. She bet they'd be visiting the shower together again soon.

The clearing of a throat turned her attention to the medium sized Saiya-jin at her elbow. What had his name been? Vergerom. Kakkarot had pulled her aside and warned her that he was the main member that so disaproved of her as Queen. Both Vegeta and Kakkarot had been irate that he had managed to manipulate himself a seat between she and Chi-Chi. Neither man had allowed their eyes to stray far from either woman during the course of the meal. Vergerom had said nothing untoward to her or Chi-Chi, remaining politely aloof and according to all things Saiya-jin...stuffing his mouth as fully as he could possibly get it. She shuddered in revulsion at the memory. At least Vegeta was a neat and organized eater. Not rude and disgusting like this one. Must be the royal upbringing.

Up to this point she had kept close watch on the being that all the Chikyuu Saiya-jin had been sat by. Darbura. This was the person to watch as far as she was concerned. There was something infinitely untrustworthy about him...and the fact that he wanted to unite the galaxy under one single rule troubled her. He was a huge, hulking beast of a man...his voice low and raspy, his skin pink-hued. She shivered slightly as his rather beady black eyes swept over her assessingly. She turned towards Vergerom, not wanting Darbura to get the wrong impression. That glance had left her cold. God she just wanted to get away from this place--go to some far removed corner of the galaxy with her son and Vegeta and be as far away from these political games as she could possibly get.

"Bulma...I have so wanted to speak with you." Vergerom's thready voice broke into her thoughts. She turned her attention full upon him...attempting to be as polite as she possibly could be, though she knew it would be wasted on him. The Saiya-jin race had no use for anything polite.

"Vergerom was it?" Bulma smiled at him in an attempt to be nice. Maybe if he liked her, they would drop the idea of Vegeta marrying someone else. He ended her delusions quickly, wasting no time in reaching his point.

"Bulma, I fear we have a problem you and I, one that needs resolving." Vergerom smiled coldly at her and she gasped in shock as a tail wrapped itself tightly around her thigh. Her hand shot under the table in a vain attempt to forcibly remove it, but he was as strong as any regular Saiya-jin and she found that she had no luck.

"Be still and do not draw his attention. It would be a mistake of disastourous proportions if you do.

Bulma sat quietly, blue eyes snapping fire at him. The bastard! How dare he ambush her this way.

"This is an interesting posistion I have you in my dear. Do you realize that I could do anything I wanted to you right now. His hand came to rest lightly on her thigh. "Don't scream Bulma..." His voice was low and barely registerable in the din of the surrounding conversations. "I have no plans to harm you or molest you in anyway. I am simply proving a point." The hand inched upwards under dress. "I have you in a very precarious posistion and there is nothing that either he or you can do about it."

"I can get his attention. I don't need to yell at him to do so. If he even knew you were doing this he would kill you."

"I have no doubts that he wouldn't strike me dead. He is a hothead like his father; though twice as strong. If you make a scene here, his chances at being King are gone; more so then if he insists on parading you around as Queen."

"Is this what this is about." She hissed through her teeth. "My being Queen?"

"Oh, you will never be his Queen, my dear. I will see to that. The King of Vegitasei will be made to understand that he will only have a full-blooded Saiya-jin Queen. I don't care what his father would or would not have sanctioned. He was a fool. A fool that got our planet destroyed."

"Since when has Vegeta ever listened to anyone else? He will do what he wants or kill you. Do you really want to be dead?"

"I wouldn't worry too much about my imminent death. It is yours and your half-breed bastard that you need worry about."

Bulma felt the blood drain from her face. "If you touch a hair on my sons head I will kill you myself."

"Yes, I am sure you would, though you would never get a chance. He will be easy to turn against you."

"Do you really believe that?" Bulma stared at him increduously, the desire to remove his vile touch from her skin growing stronger and stronger with each passing second. Dear god, she would make a scene by throwing up if he didn't get himself away from her as soon as possible.

"My dear you are nothing but his whore. Albeit a beautiful one but a whore none the same. Saiya-jin warriors have no attachments and your hold on him will shortly be brought to an end. The Saiya-jin need a warrior to lead them...not a love-sick boy."

My, she thought, how quickly the fake courtesy had ended. He was certainly not wasting his breath on false niceties and worship. He'd let her know in no uncertain terms exactly what he thought of her. She could at least admire that about the bastard.

"Vegeta is every bit a warrior. If you believe otherwise, you are sorely deluding yourself. He will be a far better king then anyone else in this room."

"You misunderstand me. I have no desire for a good king...merely a strong one. Strength is all he is needed for---.not his brain."

Bulma felt a wave of nausea rise up and overtake her. So they wanted a puppet. She needed to speak to Vegeta about this...she needed to get him away from these men.

"You've made your point," Bulma grated out through gritted teeth. "Now let me go."

The hand swept upwards, caressing her inner thigh lightly before disappearing; the tail with it. The cool hand stopped briefly, resting lightly on hers, pressing something soft and silky into her open palm. She glanced down, heart thundering; thundering so strongly she thought it would burst from her chest; staring down with unblinking eyes at the lock of baby-soft lilac hair resting against the white skin of her hand.

"I'm glad we understand each other." Vergerom turned his attention to another helping of food that had been piled upon his plate. "You'd be wise not to mention this little episode to Vegeta. Not if you value the hair on your little brat's head and I assure you, no matter what you think, he is quite accessible."

Bulma stared down at her own plate, unblinking, too nauseous to eat, her hand clenched tightly around the silky lock of her son's hair. She could feel the heat of Vegeta's eyes burning through her.

"Woman?" His deep voice sounded in her head. Oh God, he knew. Vegeta knew something was wrong. He could probably feel it through their bond. She needed to get more control over herself; figure a way out to tell him all of this. She took a deep gulping breath, before pushing away from the table. She needed some air. Some fresh air...air that was not tainted with the foul stench of the people in this room. Maybe then she would be able to think straight; to reason things out.

Vegeta watched his woman stagger blindly out of the room. What in the hell was wrong, she hadn't even bothered to answer him. He had felt some strange quiver of emotion through the bond, something strong and not right; carefully concelaed from him. She'd not wanted to get his attention, but now...now he could sense her, fully and she was a wreck. His eyes settled on Vergerom--hard, unwavering, staring at the pathetic bastard who sat innocently stuffing his disgusting face. What had the fucking bastard said? Vegeta pushed away from the table; eyes narrowing in anger. He would go and find her; get some answers and then blast Vergerom to the next dimension. Council be damned.

Bulma, body pressed firmly against the wide observatory window of the ship, stood silently. Her flushed cheek leaning heavily against the cool plexiglass in an attempt to gather her wits. Oh God, what was she supposed to do now? Would they know if she told Vegeta? As if it really mattered. It wasn't something she would be able to keep from him or even something she didn't want to tell him. She had to. Oh God, why did this always have to happen to them. She shut her eyes, trying to still her pounding heart, her thumb gently rubbing the silky lock of Trunks hair. They had threatened Trunks...oh God. Her little son. Her baby. They had actually dared to threaten him. Bulma clenched her fists in fury, lips compressing tightly. She would kill them herself. She had ended Frieza's miserable existence, by God she would end anyone else's that even attempted to come near her baby.

Did this mean they had a spy on board her father's transport? Someone who had access to him? Someone who had betrayed Vegeta? Unclenching her hand, she slowly raised it, bringing it to rest against the plexiglass. What should she do first? Tell Vegeta or contact her father or...

"AHHHH!!" Bulma yelped at the tail that had wrapped firmly around her waist; yanking her backwards. "I told you to keep your fucking hands off of me!" She twisted around violently, fist raised; her body coming into contact with the warm, solid steel of-- her husband.

"Vegeta!" Bulma screeched. "Dammit, don't scare me that way!" Her blues eyes narrowed accusingly at him. "You scared me to death!"

His black eyes narrowed dangerously at her, even as his arms snaked around her waist; locking into position.

"Who were you telling to get 'their fucking hands off of you' woman?" His voice was low and dangerous and oh so menacing. Oh God he knew already. Without her saying a word, he knew something was wrong. "What did Vergerom say to you?"

Bulma heard the sharp edge of his voice, like a knife ready to cut. She had only to say the word and Vergerom was dead. God to have such power over someon, though she would never use it, couldn't use it, not with him. Vegeta had given it to her unconditionally; sometimes, she thought, unwillingly and she would never use it to her advantage. It would poison his love for her and kill it in slow increments. She would rather die then see that happen. Still he had to know...especially the part about Trunks, his heir and their plans to manipulate him once he took the throne.

"I..." She lowered her head, unsure where to begin. "Vegeta...you can't get mad and kill him. You have to stay cool. Please!" Bulma implored him, her wide blue eyes, as blue as any ocean he had ever seen, staring beseechingly into his.

"Did he touch you?" Vegeta congratulated himself on keeping his voice cool and aloof; a true testament to his discipline considering he was seething like a boiling cauldron underneath his carefully guarded exterior. If Vergerom had dared to touch his mate, if he had lain one finger on her, he would die as painfully as Vegeta could possibly make it. He watched her face, studying the pale set of her features. Something had sure as hell happened. "Did he touch you?" He asked again; voice lower--cooler.

Bulma opened her mouth to speak, to do something that would avert the impending disaster that was nearly upon them but to her horror nothing came out. Only a wordless nod of assent. She started as he jerked away from her, growling in fury, turning; cape snapping behind him as he stalked away.

"No! Vegeta wait! Please, you can't go in there!" Bulma ran after him, capturing his arm with her hand. He shrugged it off, continuing forward. "Vegeta!!" Bulma stood stock-still watching him go. God she had to stop him...at least until she told him everything. He had to know about Trunks. "Vegeta! He said they will kill Trunks if I told you anything!" The words came out jumbled and rushed, but it worked! Thank God it had worked. She watched as he stopped and slowly turned towards her.

"What exactly did he say Bulma?" She watched his face carefully as she approached him. He looked exactly like he did when she had first met him, wrathful, arrogant, Godlike. She shuddered at the look of pure rage burning in his eyes; nearly sagging to her knees at the grateful thought that as cold as he was right now; as distant and rigid, the look was not directed at her.

"He said that if I valued the hair on Trunks' head that I should not tell you about our conversation."

Vegeta stared at her, waiting, reminding her of some large cat right before it brought down its prey, silent and stalking. Bulma shivered unconciously, rubbing her arms with her hands in a desperate attempt to warm herself.

"What was the conversation about?" Vegeta took a step towards her, black eyes burning intently into hers.

"About my unworthiness to be your Queen..." Bulma whispered. "He wants you as a puppet not a real king. Vergerom said that I will never be allowed to take the throne beside you." She glanced down, unable to look at the rage that had kindled anew in the black depths of his eyes.

"How does he plan to stop me?" Vegeta's voice was cold and arrogant; dismissive of Vergerom's threats. As if the weak bastard could do a thing to stop him from doing what he wanted. He would simply kill the bastard and be done with it...kill anyone who had the nerve to question his choice. Puppet? They were truly pathetic if any of them thought, for one fucking moment, that he would be controlled by any one of them. He had gone down that road once before--with Frieza and not by choice. He would be damned if he took it again.

"I think he has access to Trunks...I think..." Her voice broke as she held out her hand, displaying the lock of hair. "Vegeta what are we going to do?"

Vegeta felt his body go numb as he stared down at the neatly cut lock of lilac hair that his woman held in her hand. He reached out, with agonizing slowness and gently picked it up between his fingers, rubbing it absently. His son...they had his son. He looked at the shaking woman who stood inches away from him. She had struggled to give the brat to him...had done so alone and now they had threatened her and him and everything that he held dear in his life. Everything he had worked so hard to gain and keep.

"The boy is with your father. He is safe." Vegeta hoped he sounded convincing. "Kakkarot put his own son on board and Raditz to guard them both."

"Vegeta." Bulma murmured. "Someone has betrayed us."

His hand clenched tightly around the hair; his blood pumping with a furious rage at the people that had conspired against them.

"That much is obvious woman." Vegeta hissed through clenched teeth. "What would you have me do? You are the one that authorized the people that are around him. If anything happens to him, it will be your fault." Vegeta felt the full impact of his angry words the moment they left his mouth. Oh God! Why had he said that. This wasn't her fault..none of it was; he had allowed his anger to sweep through him; to leave him mindless. He watched as she sagged to the floor.

"I ran everyone through the toughest checks I could find Vegeta. I...nothing...they all checked out." She buried her face in her hands; hiding away from his searing gaze.

"Bulma..." Vegeta sank to the ground beside her, pulling her hands down from her face. "Woman...none of this is your fault. This is Vergerom and I will go and I will extract this information from him then I will kill him and any who dare to stand against me. Nothing will happen to Trunks."

"Vegeta..." Bulma sobbed brokenly. "I am his mother. I should have known. I shouldn't have trusted anyone else with him."

"Idiot." He whispered into the silk of her hair. "Woman..." His words were cut off as he sensed a cluster of ki's streaking towards him Kakkarot and Toma and Bardock, with Kakkarot's idiot mate behind them. He stood and turned to face them, standing calmly as they arrived.

"What do you want?" Vegeta snapped. Judging by the looks on their third-class faces...whatever it was he wasn't going to like.

"Vegeta!" Kakkarot's voice resonated with grimness; deathly seriousness. "We just received word of a distress call from Brennon's ship. They seem to have been forced to put down on..." Kakkarot paused, swallowing hard. "...on Calonia."

Vegeta felt his world tip and go awry as Kakkarot gave voice to the one planet he least wanted to visit. Vaguely he felt his wife's hand on his arm, squeezing it tightly. Oh God. He couldn't go there, not to Tantris's home planet. Not to where Frieza had first taken her from--not to a whole planet full of the damn witches. He shut his eyes against the images from a lifetime ago swirling round in his mind--as fresh as if she had just put them in yesterday. Tantris. NO! His mind reasoned. Tantris is dead. You killed her. She is dead. She is dead. He looked up, meeting Kakkarot's gaze--seeing the reflection of his own sick fear staring back at him--and Bulma. God she knew the touch of Tantris's mind first hand as well.

"How?" Somehow Vegeta managed to squeeze the word out from his tightening throat. How did a dead woman still have such control over his emotions this way. God the images she had invoked; what she had forced him to feel. He had been a broken man, healed only by his resolve to go and save his woman. He had pushed those terrors deep down within him, left them behind in the need to survive. He had hardly given thought to them in the four years since she had invaded his mind and soul--not with Bulma laying beside him. It was only on nights when he slept alone...when he would awaken, the feel of her touch, of Frieza's touch fresh upon his skin. Horror upon horror upon horror piled upon him in some effort to make him break; make him scream for mercy. Vegeta glanced over at his mate, their eyes meeting; connecting;remembering shared memories, both seeing the identical looks of horror blazing out at each other in seperate flames of blue and black. Bulma had saved him from that as well. He could still recall the force of her mind, invading; banishing Tantris from his, sparing him the humiliation and sick,degrading feelings that had gone with Tantris' mind-games.

"Shot down by Koola, or at least a regimen of his men. It seems he has invaded further into the inner galaxy then first thought." Bardock spit the words out, his face set in a look of shock and anger. "They are all alright and seeking some kind of safe-haven. Some place where neither sorceress or Koola's men can find them. We need to get to them as soon as possible."

"Kakkarot!" Chi-Chi cried. "I'm going with you. My son is on that ship. I am not leaving him alone!" Her voice was steely; edged with resolve.

"Yes." Bulma said sharply; eyebrows furrowing down in determination. "You'll need the best pilot in the universe to get you there." She jabbed her thumb back towards herself, face stern and set. "Me. My little boy is on there as well."

Vegeta stared at her, watching her face in awe. He had seen that look once before, as he watched her end Frieza's worthless life. Like a goddess. The thought passed through his mind. Savior...he shook his head vehemently. Now wasn't the time for tripping back through time.

"Absolutely not woman." Vegeta crossed his arms in resolve. " You are not going anywhere near that godforsaken planet. I am putting you on a ship back to Correnia myself."

Bulma crossed her arms, mocking him, eyes sparking with blue flame.

"The hell I am Vegeta. That is my son and I'm going with you." She jabbed a finger into his armor.

"Absolutely not!" His black eyes snapped back at her; daring her to argue further. "Kakkarot your woman stays as well. We do not need to take along two weak women with us."

"Hey, buddy." Chi-Chi rounded on Vegeta. "I am not weak and you do not tell me what to do."

"Vegeta...I am not..."

Vegeta's hand descended on Bulma's neck, rendering her unconcious mid-sentence. He caught her body against him as she fell, pulling her tightly against him.

"Sorry woman." He whispered into her ear. "There is no way in hell I am allowing you one foot on that planet. You will have to trust me to take care of this."

"You monster!" Chi-Chi gasped. "How could you do..." She collapsed against her mate. Kakkarot grinned nervously.

"She is going to kill me when she wakes up."

"Which is why." Vegeta ground out. "We need to be far away before they come to." He had no real desire to listen to Bulma's tirade either. Better he bring her back her son and be welcomed home a hero.

"We can't leave them here alone." Kakkarot complained. "Not with Vergerom and everything else that is going on."

"We aren't." Vegeta turned towards Bardock. "Your father is going to take them to Correnia."

Bardock's eyes flared wide in surprise. He lifted his hands up in silent entreaty.

"No! There is no way in hell I am..."

"Bardock..."Vegeta growled. "The longer we argue the less likely the chances your grandchild and my son will live. Now take them!"

"Fine!" Bardock ground out through the clenched teeth. "Fine! Why do I always get stuck with these kinds of jobs? Bulma I could handle...but Chi-Chi..." He shuddered. "Chi-Chi scares me."

Toma burst out in laughter, slapping his friend hard on the back.

"Come on, Bardock! It won't be so bad. You will at least get to be with two beautiful women whose attention will be focused completely on you." He threw back his head and laughed, missing the low growl that emanated from Vegeta.

"This is one woman you had best not get too much attention from." He slung his mate up into his arms, already striding towards the docking bay. "If you value your life."

Kakkarot laughed, slinging his own mate into his arms.

"So Chi-Chi scares you?" He smiled. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"Shut up boy and get moving!" Bardock turned towards Toma who had doubled over in laughter. "You too, idiot."

"I don't envy you at all...Bardock." Toma gasped for air, face red from laughing. "Chi-Chi is going to have you for dinner when she wakes up and I am not entirely sure Bulma is going to be anymore gentle." Toma pounded his best-friend hard on the back. "I'm not sure I would want to be you at all."

********************

"Raditz!" Brennon called softly to the giant warrior that stood a few feet away, clutching the small boy tightly in hand. Bring Gohan and follow me." Brennon handed his grandson to the petite woman that stood next to him, blue eyes wide in fright. Had it only been a year since he had taken Bulma's natural mother as his wife. A year and already turmoil. She'd seen too much of that in her life. He caressed her face lightly, before speaking to her. "Take Trunks, stay close behind me. I used the last of the battery radioing for help. Help will come, we need only find a safe place to hide and wait."

His wife nodded, holding the boy close to her. Her daughter's son. Her grandson. She would die before she allowed any harm to come to him.

"There has to be a cave or someplace sheltered and dry for us to stay. We cannot let the sorceresses know we are here." Raditz's deep burr broke through the silence. "I saw them work first hand on Frieza's ship. I would sooner die then have that torture put upon me." He thanked god his mate and daughter were safe; that he had had the foresight to leave them at home.

"Can you sense anything?" Brennon asked quietly.

"I can't risk raising my ki. It would alert them to our presence, if they haven't already...not to mention Koola's regiment will probably be searching for us. We can't give ourselves away."

"Alright." Brennon sighed. "Lets get going--away from the crash site. We'll see what we can find."

Brennon began the slow process of shoving away branch and vine and weed, praying to God as he did so, that somehow...someway they could hold out until help arrived.

********************

"Bulma!" Vegeta bolted awake, her name a hoarse, agonized cry on his lips, his black eyes searching the darkness of the ship he was in--searching for threat. God, he hadn't dreamed of Tantris in years. Bulma, he thought, Bulma keeps them at bay. Locking himself within her arms at night, within her body. She kept all the horrors of his life firmly blocked away. God what he wouldn't give to be wrapped up in her arms right now, lost in the world that only existed for them. Instead he was on a ship bound for Hell, well not Hell literally, but the closest incantation of it since he had destroyed the other one. Calonia, the home planet of the Sorceresses; his son trapped on it. It was his worst nightmare come to life, worse even then Frieza, a whole fucking planet full of the energy-sucking, nightmare-inducing witches. He shuddered, longing for his woman's arms. Why had he had to be noble and stop her from coming. He could have kept her safe and she would be here right now, warm and hot against him. He shifted uncomfortably at the thought, his body responding hotly to the mere thought of her body pressed tightly against him. He needed to stop thinking like this, before he unmanned himself completely. Vegeta opened up his mind to her--searching her out through the strings of the bond that bound them so tightly.

She was mad...awake and very mad. Vegeta smirked as he thought about Bardock. Good, let the third class loser get a taste of her vulgar tongue and she could be exceptionally vulgar when she chose to be. Some Princess. The smirk turned upwards, spreading into a full-out smile. His woman; how glad was he to say that even if he would never share that thought with the rest of the universe. Vulgar or not, Bulma was his and she would be the only one that would ever be his. He absorbed the hot flash of anger from her, shifting it into desire and intensity; letting it flow back through to her.

"Woman..." He whispered softly in his mind. "Bulma..."

"How could you just leave me Vegeta?" Her voice was heavy with hurt and anger, echoing through the deepest chambers of his mind.

"Damn you!" Her smooth voice rang loudly in his mind, nearly causing his brain to explode from the exceptionally loud tone. "That is my son too, Vegeta. My son. I should have had a say. You had no right to decide for me!"

"Dammit woman, will you for once trust me to handle something without your constant interference?" Vegeta knew he was getting angry unjustly. He'd known she would be upset; truth be told he was growing angry with her childish little tirades. It was safer for her this way. Why couldn't she just realize he was trying to do the right thing for her and accept it?.

"I do trust you Vegeta, I trust you with my whole heart and soul...I just didn't want you to go alone." Her sad voice melted his anger away, leaving him with nothing but fear and lonliness and an aching hollow hole where she should have been. He combatted the feelings, searching for her, determined she would not sense any of it from him. It would not take long to reach them and with a little luck they would be off the hellish planet before anyone even knew they were on it.

"Bulma..." Vegeta whispered in his mind. "Woman, I..." His brow furrowed. She was gone. His woman was gone. The link was broken and she was as far from his mind as she could possibly get. What in the hell had happened? They had spent hours attempting this type of communication. He had realized her latent telepathic ability after the first initial run-in with the sorceresses. Coupled with his natural Saiya-jin capability, it made the union of their bond far greater then anything anyone else could possibly share--including Kakkarot and his harpy mate. So why had she just disappeared that way? Vegeta tried to concentrate and find her but it was as if she had ceased to exist. What the hell?

Concerned, Vegeta sat up, searching out her ki; though he already knew it would be too far for him to get an accurate gauge on it. It was there. Strong enough for him to single it out. What had happened to the link? Why had she just so abruptly left? Was she so upset that she had just ended their communication and closed herself off? Was she even capable of such an act? His woman was many things, an open book being one of them. He doubted she would be able to keep herself blocked from him and if she could manage to achieve such a thing, it would not be something she could maintain for long.

"Damn you woman. You will not hold yourself away from me...not for long." Vegeta stood; striding the short distance to the cockpit of the ship where Toma and Kakkarot sat--shrouded in dim lights.; deep in tense conversation.

"How much longer until we are there?" Vegeta's deep voice filled the cockpit.

Kakkarot swiveled in his chair, eyeing Vegeta.

"About another hour. We need to figure out when we should start suppressing our ki. I mean how far out can these women pick us up?

Vegeta shrugged. "I'm not sure. I suppose now would be as good a time as any. I can't take the thought that another one of those bitches could invade my mind. Not again."

"I'm with you on that." Kakkarot shuddered. The memory of Sabrae and the sickening thoughts she had provoked. God she had found everything he had to hide and thensome and now there was so much more. If they got a hold of him again, he wasn't sure he could survive it.

"We need to worry about whatever regiment Koola's got out there." Toma looked at both of them. "That will be the first obstacle. I thought ahead." He held out a small capsule in the palm of his hand. "In case we get shot down...I grabbed this out of Bulma's little emergency kit. It should be more then enough to get us out of here if we need it to."

"Do you think we should allow ourselves to be shot down?" Kakkarot mused, looking from Toma to Vegeta. "If they think we are down, maybe we can use that to lure them away somehow from where we are trying to go. "

"That is based on if they are still there." Vegeta growled. "Likely they have they busied themselves doing something else."

"Like searching for Brennon's wreck."

Vegeta scowled. Exactly what he feared, though he would never admit it. As powerful a hatred as Koola held for him and for Bulma...if he got a hold of Trunks...no. He broke off the thought. He would not allow such pointless fears to invade his mind. He could easily feel his brat's ki and it was strong and healthy and just fine. He needed only to get to him and he would. He was a Super Saiya-jin. He had nothing to fear.

"Let's just get there. We can worry about everything else as we go." Vegeta whirled and exited the cockpit, wanting to be alone. He needed to get his son back and then--once he had reunited the boy with his mother, he would go and deal with the problem of Vergerom. That was, he amended, if they managed to get off this planet unscathed.

********************

"Juuhachigou!" Juuanagou yelled across the building to his sister. "I think we can break in here." He pointed downwards to the domed capsule of the Capsule Corporation. Two weeks of fruitless searching for dragonballs had led them here. The human had been very explicit about the radar that had been built for searching them out. Juuanagou sighed. How he wished he could go back and kill the human again. How satisfying it had been to squeeze the life from the sniveling creature and how easily he had betrayed his employer. Such a pathetic race...humans.

"Where at Juunanagou?" Juuhachigou flew towards him, stopping herself inches away from him.

"Right here. We can blast a hole in the roof straight into her lab. That pathetic human worker of hers told us she keeps the radar in her laboratory drawer. It should take us a minute to find."

"Then we can find the dragonballs for Doctor Gero."

"That is the plan sis. Maybe after that we can kill him and go have some fun."

"Mmm...fun." Her voice was dull and vapid...devoid of emotion. "That would be nice. I don't want to be deactivated ever again, Juuanagou."

"Don't worry sis, you won't ever have to concern yourself with that again." Smiling Juuanagou aimed and fired a ki blast straight into the building; laughing at the scattering human life forms that ran for shelter.

"What a waste." He mumured to himself. "All these people to kill and no time. Maybe I could just target practice with a few." Juuanagou aimed carefully, sighting a small cluster of huddled humans behind an overturned desk; firing. "Ahh...I feel so much better. Isn't this fun sis?"

"Yeah." Juuhachigou smiled, firing blast after blast at the scattering people. "I suppose we need to get the radar and get out of here though." She loved killing humans. How she detested them. So cowering and weak. What a disgusting race.

Juuanagou fired again, extinguishing the lives of several more people. "I suppose. We wouldn't Doctor Gero to get bent out of shape."

He lowered himself gently to the main floor of the exposed building. This had to be her lab...judging by the long tables and various parts of things that lay strewn about. Juuanagou reached out to touch one; gasping as a blast hit him squarely on the back--sending him barrelling through the table.

"What the...?" Juuanagou blasted upwards, eyes meeting the glowing aura of a boy--if he could judge the age right. A teen-age boy, seventeen or eighteen, with glowing blond hair, nearly electrical in appearence and the strangest eyes he had ever beheld. They were green. Nearly effervescent in the way they glowed. "Who in the hell are you?"

"I don't know, Juuanagou, but he is kind of cute...especially with the blond hair." Juuhachigou smiled , sweeping her hair back behind her ear. "I think we are finally going to have some fun afterall." She watched as the boy unsheathed a gleaming, razor-edged sword.

"Get away from my mother's things, you monsters!" Dammit! He and his mother must have miscalculated the jump into the future. He had not meant to arrive while they were ranshacking the place. Their plan had been to get him here sooner so he could grab the radar before the two monsters could find it. Now he was going to have to fight and they were just so much stronger then he was. No matter what he did, they just stayed stronger. The boy's teeth clenched in frustrated anger; a low growl of fury rumbling deep and low in his chest. He had lost everything--everything to these two monsters and Gero. His father, his friends, save Gohan and his peace of mind. They had left him with no childhood, no innocence, only the burning, driving need to kill them; rid the world of their very existence. Damn them! He would gladly fight them to the death here if it changed things.

"Well, Juuhachigou, I think the kid wants to play." Juuanagou's smooth voice held the barest edge of anger to it. How dare the little punk slam him through a table that way? The bastard had gotten him dirty. "I think we can oblige him in that. Don't you?"

"Oh definitely Juuanagou. Definitely."

**********************

"Bulma!" Bardock's frantic voice called over the intercom to her, interupting her sorrowful thoughts. "Bulma, I need your help up here!"

Bulma stood; pushing aside all thoughts of Vegeta aside; racing up to the cockpit of the ship they were in. Her eyes widened as she saw the cluster of ships that sat in space before her.

"Oh my God!" She breathed in horror. "Is this Koola? Has he gotten this far already?"

"Not his main ship...but some more of his regiment. They are getting further into the main part of the galaxy then anyone expected. " Bardock looked at her from the co-pilot's seat. "Are you up for some maneuvering?

Bulma nodded; quickly moving to the pilot's seat; taking the controls.

"What system is this?" She asked quietly, blue eyes sweeping over him in concern.

"Kannassa." Bardock muttered. "Not exactly the best place for us to be shot down over."

"Why not?" Bulma turned her wide-blue eyes back to stare at him. Bardock swallowed, his memory assailed with sudden thoughts of another time those eyes had looked at him that way. God what had brought that up? Was it being alone with her in a life or death situation? Bardock shifted in his chair attempting to clear his mind. He could not be thinking about this now. That was ancient history...put behind him long ago. Bulma belonged to Vegeta. Whatever had happened between them on Hell had happened under duress and the desperation of the situation they had been in...not because they had any serious feelings for each other.

"Frieza had us clear this planet...there was some rumour of the natives being able to see future events. Frieza wanted to obtain that power so he sent in a regiment of Saiya-jin warriors, myself included, to purge as many natives as we could and try to obtain the knowledge."

"What happened?" Bulma saw the first incoming cluster of ships heading straight ahead on an intercept path. She jerked the stick up, maneuvering the ship sharply to the left.

Bardock shrugged. "I have no idea. The majority of the warriors were lost in a crash while taking off. Only Toma and myself and some more of my crew survived and got off. We purged the majority of the planet, though I am sure there were survivors. It isn't my brightest moment."

Bulma jerked the stick again, juking the ship to the right. There were too many of them. Just too many and they were alone with no-one to help them.

"Bardock, I can't avoid all these ships. That bigger one is bound to have a tractor beam. We need to set down and try to hide. We are sitting ducks out here." Bulma strained with the task of keeping them moving; twisting and shifting away from the incoming ships. "There are just too many, Bardock."

Bardock laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'll go make sure Chi-Chi is strapped in. You do what you need to."

"Hurry. I'm not sure I can do this alone." Bulma made a nose dive towards the planet, wildly punching in a code for landing coordinates. She just needed to get through the atmosphere and they could find place to land, encapsulate the ship; run and hide. She heard the loud beeping of the sensors warning her of another ship's fast approach.

"Dammit." Bulma muttered. "I need to get away from you, bastard." She yanked up on the stick, wincing at the sound of something striking the ship. God they had just shot her. They had actually used her own technology against her. She glanced over at the coordinates. Still not there. "Come on you stupid computer. I need those coordinates." She wrestled the stick with all her strength, knowing whatever shot their enemy had managed to land had seriously damaged them. Hitting the wing perhaps? It was impossible to see from here and she couldn't set the computer to check it either.

"I'm back Bulma." Bardock's voice filled the cockpit, just as the computer blinked the coordinates to her.

"Thank God." She cried. "Here, punch these in and then help me. We took a hit and I can't control this thing by myself."

Bardock quicly punched in the code; sliding his body behind Bulma in her chair--positioning her squarely between his legs. She felt his arms encircle her; watched the powerful hands cover hers over the stick, a small shiver of running through her spine at the seriousness of their situation.

"Are you ready?" His voice breathed into her ear. "Let's try to set this down with as little damage as possible...that way we can fix it--together." Bardock's hands tightened around hers and he felt her body tense against his as she prepared herself for the battle to come. "We can do this Bulma."

"I know." She braced herself against his strong chest as the ground rose up fast to meet them. Rising, rising, rising faster and faster. Oh God, they were coming in too sharply. Bulma jerked upwards on the resistant stick in an attempt to keep them from going nose-first into the ground. She felt the muscles of Bardock's chest and arms tighten as he helped her, manhandling the stick with his raw, brute force. Before her she saw the thick rise of trees and scattered rock. "Try to get it up, Bardock. We need to avoid that rock." If they hit that it would be all over.

Bardock wrestled the stick with her, managing to lift the ship up to clear the rock, but the tree loomed before them like a giant monster, unyielding in the face of challenge.

"We're going to hit it Bulma." She was vaguely aware of him releasing the stick and encircling her body with his arms; gasping in a violent inhale of breath as she felt the shuddering impact of smooth metal against hard, unyielding tree; her head snapping forward; hitting the hard panel of controls. Pain, vivid and angry flooding her senses until mercifully she was aware of nothing more.

* * * * *