The Vice President of the Capsule Corporation scanned the faces of the board members.

Bulma had just finished giving the semi-annual report on the corporation's financial status and the status on all current projects. Now that the floor had been opened up to the board members the barrage of stupid pointless questions would come. This annoyed Bulma to no end, especially when her father listened to the idiots at times. Her father may be a brilliant man but he had the business sense of a child. Since she had taken over running the major portion of the corporation's business it was prospering as never before and yet they still questioned her as if she didn't know what she was doing.

"I have a question" one of the board members declared.

"Yes Mr. Shiro" Bulma acknowledged him with insincere congeniality leaning on the conference table. She couldn't help but notice that the other board members appeared to suddenly get restless.

"Ms. Briefs" he said with a smile "It has come to the board's attention that you've been working on some kind of secret project. You have been spending a great deal of time and resources on it, therefore, we demand to know what it is."

Bulma gave an inaudible sigh. She had been using every spare moment she had to study the strange objects Goku had found at the battle site. Everyone at the corporation had assumed she was working on a new top-secret invention. She knew that it had been the topic of much of the office gossip lately so she wasn't entirely surprised by the question. "I take it, Mr. Shiro" Bulma said calmly "you are voicing this concern on behalf of the entire board."

"Yes Ms. Briefs" he said obviously uncomfortable.

"All of the time I have spent on this project" Bulma began with a slight hint of irritation in her voice "has been my own free time. I have spent no corporation resources or finances on it to date so therefore the board has no right to demand to know anything about it."

"Ms. Briefs" Mr. Shiro continued undaunted "can't you give us some idea of the nature of this secret project."

"If I did that Mr. Shiro" Bulma said sweetly "it wouldn't be a secret any more, now would it?"

A little nervous laughter broke out among the board members at this remark and the rest of them merely squirmed in their seats or straightened their ties.

"Now are there any further questions?" Bulma asked. No one ventured a comment as she scanned the room once more. Probably because they sensed the mood that the last question had put the Vice President in. "Well then, I guess that means?" Bulma began only to be cut off by the distraction of the commotion coming from the lobby.

"I'm sorry sir but you can't go in there" Ms Shortcakes wailed. "There's a meeting going on!"

"Like hell I can't" a deep masculine voice replied.

Bulma's eyes widened as she immediately recognized the voice. "Oh Kami!" she thought, "Don't tell me he's come here!"

Suddenly the conference room doors burst open and all eyes in the room turned to see a menacing figure standing in the doorway glaring directly at their Vice President. A few of the female board members immediately recognized the intruder to be the subject of one of their favorite morning shows; watching the guy with the bad hair and the body of a god workout on the front lawn. These women were thrilled to get a closer look at such a hunk. For the rest of the board members however, their impression of the black-haired, muscle-bound man covered in cuts and bruises that stood before them could be summed up by the words on his t-shirt: Bad Man.

"Oh Ms. Briefs!" Ms. Shortcake cried, "Should I call security?"

All eyes turned and looked at Bulma who appeared to still be in somewhat of a state of shock.

"No thank you Ms. Shortcakes" Bulma answered rising from her seat and straightening her skirt and jacket "I can handle this myself." Bulma wasn't sure whether to be more surprised that Vegeta, who looked slightly beat up, had stormed into her workplace or that he was wearing the shirt she had given him when he arrived and the pants she had given to him as a gift for saving her life. "What do you think you're doing here Vegeta?" Bulma addressed the obviously fuming Saiyajin "Can't you see I'm in the middle of an important meeting?"

All eyes shifted to Vegeta.

"I need you to repair the gravity room right now woman" Vegeta said with an air of authority as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Here we go again," thought Mr. Briefs as he settled in to watch the fireworks he knew were coming.

None of the board members could believe how this man had addressed their Vice President. All eyes turned to see what her reaction would be.

"I'll fix it after work" Bulma said willing herself to be calm. "I can't believe his nerve. He barges in here like he owns the place and then tries to order me around" Bulma thought.

All eyes shifted again to Vegeta.

"I can't wait that long" said the Prince with one eyebrow slightly raised.

The board members turned to the Vice President.

"You're just going to have to wait a few hours" Bulma said her annoyance beginning to creep into her voice. "Maybe this will teach you to be more careful with it. I've already had to fix it five times since I finished building it."

All eyes toVegeta.

"Maybe if it had been better constructed I wouldn't keep breaking it" Vegeta began with a smirk. "Of course you probably aren't capable of doing anything less than a second rate job."

All eyes turned to Bulma who was just on the verge of exploding.

"Well excuse me Mr. High-and-Mighty" Bulma said with a scowl. "If the gravity room is so far below your high standards maybe I shouldn't bother fixing it at all. In fact I don't think I will."

All eyes shifted to Vegeta who looked like he was about ready to pop a blood vessel.

"How dare you refuse to fix it!" Vegeta bellowed. "After I saved your sorry butt I'd think you'd be just a little bit grateful."

All were now on Bulma who had now totally lost it.

"Grateful!" Bulma shouted "You're the one who should be grateful for me taking you in the first place!"

They turned to Vegeta.

"You are coming with me right now woman" Vegeta said in fury uncrossing his arms and clinching his fists "if I have to force you to fix it I will."

Again they turned to Bulma.

"I'd like to see you try you hairy ape!" Bulma retorted.

Again, they look to Vegeta.

"You asked for it woman" Vegeta said with a wicked smile.

Everyone looked toward Bulma who now looked rather worried.

"Oh Kami! What have I gotten myself into?" thought Bulma as she saw the mischievous look that entered the Saiyajin's eyes.

To everyone in the room it seemed almost as if Vegeta suddenly appeared out of nowhere in front of Bulma. The board members watched in shock as he hefted the screaming woman up and threw her over his shoulder.

"AAAHHH! Put me down you stupid monkey!" Bulma screamed pounding her fists as hard as she could onto his back. She kicked her feet as hard as she could flinging her high heels off her feet.

"Only if you promise to walk out of here quietly with me" Vegeta said laughing equally hard at her pitiful attempts to squirm out of his iron grip and the shocked looks on the surrounding human's faces.

"NEVER!" Bulma cried in anger and frustration.

"Then I'll just have to carry you there" said Vegeta still laughing.

"You'll pay for this Vegeta!" Bulma ranted struggling harder as the laughing Saiyajin carried her out of the conference room and passed the shocked office worker's cubicles. "I swear I'll kill you!" she screamed as he entered the elevator and its closing doors blocked them from sight.

Everyone was silent still staring at the elevator until one of the female board members broke the silence. "I wish he'd carry me off like that" she sighed. She shrugged when she was met with disbelieving glances.

"Oh dear Mr. Briefs" cried Ms. Shortcakes "Should we call the police or something?"

All eyes turned to the President who looked remarkably calm for a man who had just witnessed his daughter being carried off by a disreputable looking character. "No Ms. Shortcakes" he said calmly getting up from his seat "it probably wouldn't do much good if you did. Besides my daughter can take care of herself." Everyone's jaws dropped as he began to exit the conference room. Suddenly he turned around "Oh, you all are dismissed" he said before retreating into his office and closing the door.

Mr. Briefs listened through his door as the entire office erupted into conversation. "I'm glad the Misses isn't at home" thought Mr. Briefs "I think this is going to be one of their worst fights yet. I doubt there will be peace in the house for the rest of the day. "

Mirai Trunks started awake to a loud banging sound and found himself once again in the time machine.

"Trunks" he heard Mr. Popo's voice calling. "Are you alright?"

Trunks rubbed his eyes, whipped the sweat from his brow, leaned forward and pressed the button releasing the hatch. "The same nightmare again" he thought to himself "Every night this week the same nightmare."

Mr. Popo was glad to see that Trunks was all right but he could also see that he was not in good spirits. "When I got up and saw your time machine was still here I thought something happened to you."

"Thank you for your concern" Trunks said, "As you can see I'm fine."

"Yes" Mr. Popo ventured "but perhaps a little distressed?"

Trunks gaze went up to meet Popo's. Trunks was surprised by the strange being's astute observation. After all he barely knew him.

"Yes" Trunks said "I spent a restless night worrying about my mother in the future. "

"Would it help to talk about it?" Mr. Popo asked.

"I don't know if I should" Trunks said. "I shouldn't disclose too much about the future."

"Perhaps even telling a little might help," Popo encouraged placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "You are already carrying a great burden. You don't need to take on any more than necessary."

"Very well," Trunks said. "I received a call from my mother yesterday and she was in danger. I wanted to go and help her but she insisted that I stay here and she would call me in forty-eight hours. I still feel that I should go anyway and I've been struggling to make a decision about what to do. She's helpless without me to protect her."

"Are you sure that she's that helpless?" Mr. Popo asked.

"Yes" Trunks said, "She has no idea how to fight. I need to be there to protect her."

"Were you born a warrior?" Popo asked.

"Of course not" Trunks said crankily.

"Who took care of you and protected you until you could fight?" Mr. Popo asked. "Wasn't it your mother?"

"Yes but she did need help at times even then" Trunks said.

"If she needs help she will find a way to get it" Mr. Popo answered. "Trust her to know when she needs it."

Trunks knew that Mr. Popo probably was right but he didn't want to admit it. "I guess I'll look for another Dragon Ball. It will keep me occupied until the time comes to take the call," the time traveler said changing the subject.

"Good luck!" Mr. Popo said realizing that there was nothing more he could say to the young man.

Trunks went back into the time machine. He knew his fears were probably irrational and were probably spurred on by his recurring nightmare of his mother being killed because he wasn't there. He knew that he had left her alone countless times to perform his acts of heroism but his dreams had unnerved him. "Relax Trunks" he reassured himself "you know that she can take care of herself. You just need to trust in her."

He sat down in the pilot's chair and pulled out the Dragon Radar and chose his next target.

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

By the time they reached the gravity room Bulma had stopped screaming and trying to get away because it was to no avail. As Vegeta strode triumphantly into the gravity room Bulma could see that it was damaged worse than the other times. She deduced that the panels of titanium that had fallen from the walls and ceiling probably were the cause of his cuts and bruises.

Vegeta was very pleased with himself. Not only had he bested Bulma in an argument but also he had done it in front of her father and her underlings. He set her down on her feet and stepped back. Her suit was slightly rumpled from her struggling and she made quite a picture. The truth was it was at moments like this, when her features were set in defiance, her eyes flashed with fire, and he could feel her Ki crackling about her with rage that he found her the most attractive. She had remarkably strong Ki for someone who'd never been trained to use it and an undaunted warrior's spirit that he found very pleasing.

"There are your tools," the Saiyajin Prince said in his most authoritative voice "now get to work woman."

Bulma couldn't believe her eyes. Not only had Vegeta single-handedly embarrassed her in front of her father and the entire Capsule Corporation but also he had the nerve to go into her personal, private lab and take her tools. She looked at him. He had crossed his arms once more and he had an imperious grin on his face that made her blood boil even more.

"You may have gotten me here Vegeta" she said mockingly imitating his stance "but I'm not going to fix it."

Vegeta's only visible reaction to her mockery of him was the slight arch of his right eyebrow. "You're not leaving here until you fix it," he stated.

"You can't keep me here" Bulma snapped, "I'm leaving." She started for the door only to have him step in her way. She quickly darted to the side and he grabbed for her but she got away and began running for the door. Thinking that she had made it to the homestretch she ran full out only to slam into Vegeta who had suddenly appeared in front of her. She saw his arms come down toward her as he tried to grab her once more. Reacting quickly Bulma ducked and slid past him out the door.

Vegeta was surprised that she had slipped away again. When he looked over his shoulder he saw her start to close the door to the gravity room and smiled. She may have been physically weak but she was clever. He spun around and grabbed her wrist before she could touch the button. Vegeta was thoroughly enjoying himself. His predatory nature found this game of cat and mouse with the beautiful woman exciting. When she looked up at him in surprise he smirked "You weren't going to try to lock me in there now were you?" Vegeta asked his captured quarry.

Bulma was shocked to find from the expression on Vegeta's face that he was enjoying this barbaric game. "Maybe I should just fix it," she thought. "No," she said to herself regaining her determination "I won't give him the satisfaction of winning. Vegeta may have the lion's share of pride but I have my pride too."

"Let go of me Vegeta," she said calmly looking the Saiyajin in the eyes.

"Not until you promise to fix the gravity room" was the prince's answer.

Bulma tried to wrench her wrist out of his grasp but it was no use. "LET GO!" she shouted struggling against his iron grip. Full of rage and frustration Bulma took her free hand and slapped him as hard as she could.

For a moment Vegeta stood in shock. He had felt her Ki rise higher than he'd ever felt it before but he still hadn't expected her to strike him. He had barely felt the physical blow but it was also a blow to his pride and that was the worst kind of blow he could ever receive.

"HOW DARE YOU!" he bellowed grabbing her other free hand. He pushed her up against the wall and held her there coming only inches from her face growling.

When Bulma looked at the uncontrolled rage in his dark eyes and she was afraid of him. She hadn't been afraid of him in a long time and it was unsettling. She thought about backing down and giving up but somehow she couldn't. "Let me go Vegeta" she said firmly.

Vegeta had managed to get a handle on his anger and he smiled at her irrepressible defiance. He couldn't help but muse how saiyajin like she could be at times. "Now why would I want to do that?" he asked.

"Because if you don't" Bulma said smiling evilly "I'll kick you somewhere it will hurt a lot worse than where I slapped you."

Vegeta laughed and leaned against her knees with one of his legs pinning them to the wall. "Never reveal your attack plan to the enemy," he said meeting her defiant gaze with his own.

"You can't hold me here forever you know" Bulma said. "Even you eventually will get tired."

"Maybe I can't" the Saiyajin consented "but there are other ways of making your life a living hell until you fix the gravity room."

"Such as?" Bulma asked not completely sure if she really wanted to know the answer. He had the smug look on his face that usually indicated he had a wickedly clever idea. From past arguments she knew that what followed was usually his trump card.

"If you don't agree to fix the gravity room right now" the Prince said, "I'll follow you everywhere you go not less than five steps behind. And when I say everywhere I mean everywhere."

When he said this Bulma got a mental picture of walking into her bathroom to take a shower and Vegeta following her. She blushed fiercely and Vegeta laughed. "YOU PERVERT!" she shouted, "You would enjoy that wouldn't you!"

"You flatter yourself woman" Vegeta retorted. "I probably would enjoy it" Vegeta thought to himself "but I'll never admit that to her."

"You watch me often enough" Bulma answered "I'm sure you'd get a real kick out of watching me 24-hours-a-day."

"I'm not the one who watches you" Vegeta said, "You are the one who watches me."

"In your dreams!" Bulma shouted. "Oh Kami" Bulma thought to herself "I didn't think he noticed. I thought I hid my feelings so well."

"Any dream I had about you would be a nightmare!" Vegeta countered. "I don't give a damn about you."

"Sure you do" Bulma countered "That's why you saved my life, why you're wearing the clothes I gave you, and why you kissed me. Admit it Vegeta I'm the prettiest woman you've ever seen."

Her blunt statement took Vegeta aback. As much as he tried to deny it he did have feelings for this pathetic earth woman. "You mean nothing to me" he said to her with a note of uncertainty in his voice.

Bulma had watched in fascination as his bravado had melted away during their last exchange. "I wonder if he really does care about me," she pondered looking intently into his eyes for the answer.

Vegeta watched as she suddenly fixed her gaze on his. He had gotten trapped in the depths of those blue eyes once before, in the canyon after the battle with the probe, and he wasn't about to get trapped again so he looked away.

Watching him look away from her suddenly gave Bulma an idea of what would shake the

Saiyajin Prince up enough to affect her escape. "Vegeta" Bulma said softly "Why aren't you looking at me? You're afraid of me aren't you?"

Vegeta at once met her gaze again upon hearing her challenge. Suddenly her lips were on his. He stiffened in surprise and tried to suppress the thrill it gave him. When she pulled away from him he tired to fight the strong urge he had to return the kiss but she was just inches away and her lips seemed to draw him.

Bulma pulled away more than a little disappointed. His grip on her had tightened rather than released. She gasped in surprise when she felt his lips on hers. A shiver ran down her spin and she found herself answering his lips with hers. The kiss was long, passionate, surprisingly tender and it took her breath away.

Vegeta pulled her into his arms and kissed her again. He was pleased that her lips hungrily met his. He drunk in her intoxicating scent, the sweet taste of her lips, and the softness of her fragile form as he pressed it against his own firm, muscular body. He had been trying to fight the powerful emotion that this woman had inspired in his cold heart but it only seemed to grow in intensity as time went on and become even harder to repress. Somehow holding her in his arms seemed to fill the emptiness he usually felt inside. He knew in every fiber of his being that he could never be content again unless he had her for his mate. He wanted her more than he had ever wanted anything in his life. "What have you done to me woman?" he thought looking intently into her face. "I have traveled the universe and defeated countless warriors and yet you, who is by far my weakest opponent, hold a power over me that is useless to fight."

When the kiss ended Bulma opened her eyes to find him staring at her with a look in his eyes she could only describe as wonder. She smiled and he returned it with his lopsided smirk but this time it had softness to it that she had never seen before. She felt his strong arms pull her close once more and his lips caressed her temple, her cheek and then her neck sending shivers of pleasure down her spine. She wondered for a moment if she might not be dreaming. She had wanted this to happen for so long that she couldn't believe that it was real.

"Bulma" he whispered in her ear reaching up and touching her face "I want you for my mate."

Bulma stepped back and looked at him in question and shock. Not only had he used her name for the first time instead of his usual "woman" but also he was admitting wanting her. She was confused as to in what way he actually did want her though. She knew he only used the term "mate" when referring to married couples like Goku and Chi Chi and her mother and father. "You mean like boyfriend and girlfriend?" she asked half-hoping that she was wrong.

"No," he said, "Not like what that fool Yamcha was to you. When saiyajin mate, they mate for life. There is no trial period."

"You mean like husband and wife then" Bulma stated "Are you asking me to marry you Vegeta?"

Vegeta's smirk turned cocky. "I am saiyajin I have no need for human ceremonies. If you were to become my mate it would be the saiyajin way."

"Isn't this what I want?" Bulma thought "All I've ever desired was someone to be loyal to me and to cherish me for the rest of my life. Here he is offering that to me without hesitation. Does it really matter if it's in the human way or the saiyajin way? I'm so afraid of having my heart broken again. I know I love him but does he love me?"

"Do you accept me woman?" Vegeta whispered, "For what I am? I can't be human and you can't be saiyajin so we both must sacrifice something if we wish to be together."

"Do you love me Vegeta?" Bulma asked him.

"It's difficult to say" Vegeta stumbled out after a moment "Saiyajin do not have words for emotions as they were viewed as weaknesses. Mates were paired that were expected to produce the strongest offspring and not for emotional reasons as you humans do. I only know that I wish to be with you and protect you. I want you to belong to me and no one else."

"That's the most beautiful description of love I've ever heard" Bulma said with tears in her eyes.

"Why do you cry?" he asked puzzledly wiping a tear from her cheek "Are you unhappy?"

"No" Bulma said, "Humans cry when they're happy too and I'm happy."

"Do you love me Bulma?" he asked.

"Yes" Bulma said, "It's against my better judgment but I do."

Vegeta laughed and took her into his arms with the first genuine smile Bulma had ever seen on his face. "Then you will be my mate?" he asked.

"Yes I will be your mate" Bulma said resting her head on his shoulder.

"Something tells me that the gravity room won't get fixed today," he said in a deep sexy voice that made Bulma's knees weak. He kissed her again and then swept her up into his arms with a wicked smile.

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

Trunks sat in the time machine and tapped on the control panel nervously.

"Take it easy" he told himself "She's only ten minutes late."

He grew increasingly anxious as the minutes began to tick by. At last he heard static coming over the speakers.

"Mom!" he called into the microphone as he pushed the button.

"Hello?" he heard a familiar sounding female voice question.

"Who is that?" Trunks asked.

"Oh thank goodness I was beginning to think that this thing wasn't working" the voice said. "Trunks it's me Chi Chi."

"Chi Chi?" neither he nor his mother had seen Chi Chi since Gohan's death. She had left to see if she could find more help when the city began to fall apart. No one came to help and Chi Chi never showed up again. He had a good mind to ask her why she had been hiding all this time and abandoned he and his mother but he didn't. He knew that people's good intentions and plans could be changed in a moments notice in a world constantly at war. "How are you?"

"I'm just fine. I've been in the city of West End. We've kind of kept to ourselves and have been left alone to a good extent because of it" Chi Chi explained. 'A good portion of the city is still standing here. Your mother showed up here late yesterday and I couldn't believe it. She told me everything."

"Chi Chi" Trunks asked, "Where is my mother?"

"Oh" she said sounding a bit hesitant "She's on an errand and she told me if she wasn't here on time to call you for her. She's not back yet."

"What is she doing?" Trunks asked feeling a knot forming in the pit of his stomach.

"She went back to get everyone to evacuate to here" she said reluctantly. "It seems that things have gotten pretty bad since you left."

This was just what he had been worried about. She was trying to take too much upon herself while he was gone. Trunks cursed under his breath.

"Trunks what would your mother say if she heard you talking like that?" Chi Chi scolded. "I know Bulma raised you with better manners than that!"

Trunks smiled. She was still the same old Chi Chi. "Chi Chi" Trunks began ignoring the tongue lashing "could you have my mom call me as soon as she gets back?"

"No apology? I guess you have too much of your father in you." the woman began with a slight sigh. "I'll have her call. Don't worry she'll be back soon."

"Thanks Chi Chi" he said feeling a slight pain in his heart at the mention of his father.

"Don't worry Trunks" Chi Chi said, "Bulma's the toughest person I know. She'll be fine."

Despite her confident words Trunks could pick up the undercurrent of uncertainty that lingered there. "I hope so Chi Chi" Trunks replied. He knew that if anyone was capable of surviving it was his mother. Her struggles had indeed made her one of the strongest people he knew. Long after many people had quit fighting she had pressed on never giving up hope. He just feared thatshe hadn't bitten off more than she could chew this time. He just couldn't shake the terrible feeling of foreboding that had overwhelmed him from the night before.

"Chi Chi" Trunks asked, "Can you give me the coordinates there?"

"Coordinates?" Chi Chi asked "I really wouldn't know how to. Why?"

"I want to come back now" Trunks replied, "If you give me the coordinates to where you are I can land there."

"Oh," Chi Chi said sounding a little bit relieved "but I don't know how to figure that out. I have no charts or anything like that."

"I'll tell you how" Trunks assured her.

"Then let's get you home" Chi Chi said.

* * * * *