Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction ❯ Lost and Found: Royal Line Blues ❯ A mate's loyalties divided ( Chapter 25 )

For the past few days, Tangelo was worried. While he knew that Prince Vegeta had urgent business going after parts of his past, he had heard little from his cousin Tangerine. Ever since they had gone to Archalis to rendezvous with Vegeta, he'd waited urgently.

Now as he climbed out of the large tank, he gulped down a tankard of Meljube tea. Draping a towel over his sweaty shoulders he strode over towards the bar where a band of smugglers were delivering the latest shipments of rare liquors. Most of them were the Brigands, while others were just merchants minding their own business. He approached the newest member sitting on the front barstool in his long brown and white robes.

The Desert Wolf had earned his place among the others easily and quickly. Mr. Zocolotto reached into his till and tossed a couple dozen-credit bars down before the Wolf. "Here you are. Ten thousand even. I have to admit I wasn't so sure about you at first… but you're worth your weight in dreksham."

"Hey, no prob," said the bandit. He pulled his pink haired female onto his knee, and picked up the Zoranian brandy that rested near his earnings for the last trip.

"I don't care much for you," Tangelo mumbled. "But you're not so bad, runt…"

"High praise coming from your second in command," Yamucha smiled, his face shaded by the veil hanging loosely around his long black hair. He'd let it grow since they'd got there from Earth, and already felt much freer than he had in years.

"I understand you're looking for another mission?" Mr. Zocolotto said.

"Uh huh. But I don't want just anything," the Wolf said. "I want into your prime cut. The Blueseed Punch run… it's the most lucrative run any merchant can haul…"

"Oh, so you want to prove you can rub shoulders with the REAL professionals, pup?" Tangelo scoffed. "Well, it just so happens I have just an assignment. It will take you to under his royal Chop Sui's own nose and back…"

"Well, I dunno…" said Yamucha. "What will you pay me?"

"What do you wish?"

"That fancy space ship that you have rotting in your space dock…" Yamucha said slyly.

"That's not for sale."

"Everything's for sale, isn't that right, Mr. Zocolotto?" asked the Wolf, giving a slight smile on his scarred face.

"True," said Mr. Zocolotto. "But there are some prices far too high…"

"If you're wondering where my loyalties lie, this ship is the rightful property of my friend. I understand two weeks ago, no a month… you had a blue haired girl for sale. Wasn't that right?"

"What of it?" asked Tangelo.

"She's known to me," said the Wolf. "She and I were traveling here together. That ship is property of her family. The clan Briefs…"

"Never heard of them."

"They're from a little backwater world called Chikyuu," said the Wolf.

"That place is off the astral charts," said Tangelo. "What are you implying? The only blue hair we sold here was a fellow Idsarjin…"

"Not so. You see, I'm from that little third rock from the sun. I'm trying to get back. I don't just do this stuff for fun. So if you give me the ship as payment in advance, I'll simply turn down any need to enter your inner circle of scum, and go away quietly…" said the Wolf.

"You, turn down a chance to kiss ass?" asked Tangelo.

"Look, someone important to me is in a mess, and I want to help her," said the Wolf. "A lot of important information's crossed my ears, and I'm SURE that someone ELSE would pay bunches to…"

"All right, pup, you got a deal. The craft's in section 9," said Mr. Zocolotto.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Tangelo said. The Wolf drained his glass in a series of chugs, wiping his mouth off on his sleeve.

"Yes I do," said Mr. Zocolotto, tossing the maglock key. "Saving our asses…"

"Drek," cursed Tangelo. "Just you don't go flapping your mouth, runt, or else you'll be in drek over your head…"

"I let drek slide off me," the Wolf grinned. "C'mon babe let's jet…"

Motioning to her, he nudged her off his lap. She stood up and walked out after him. Tangelo snorted and glared at his boss. "What?" asked the barkeep. "You know that Kumquat's been watching us… and you know as well as I do who that woman was…"

"Then it's on your head if his Glory finds out that you confiscated his ship."

"You know as well as I do, that wasn't HIS ship. You gave him a ship as I recall. This way we get all the evidence out of our hair… and if your Glory is so great he can take care of himself… and I'll look the other way. I know your loyalties lie there first…"

"Fine. I'm going on a little cruise. Taking some time off," said Tangelo.

"Do what you have to. But don't get killed. It would be bad for my business if I had the best prizefighter gone…"

"Yep," said Tangelo, grabbing his cloak and slinging it over one shoulder. He buckled it under his opposite armpit. "I know where your loyalties lie…"

***

"I can't believe you pulled that off!" the pink haired female said to the wolf.

"Yeah, isn't it something," Yamucha said as he pushed his hood off. "Now let's go. Time's wasting… we gotta get the craft and get our customer to load the stuff on it…"

While Vegeta and Bulma had gone on to Archalisei, much had happened to Yamucha and Ami as well as Krillen and Yumi. For the past fortnight, Yamucha had proved his skills as a desert bandit were far from rusty. In fact he had used the scouter he'd found to translate the local speech, and work his way up into the middle section of smuggling. Using a small battle thruster christened the Hi-hi van; he and Ami had gathered a small band of like-minded smugglers who were constantly running contraband booze across Bok Choi lines.

Yamucha pushed buttons on his scouter and head the beep. "Perfect, I left the damn thing on silent again…" he cursed. "Kman's contacted me… six hours ago!"

"Better see if you can get him," Ami said, hopping into the large battle thruster. Yamucha swung into the mod pink and purple craft next to her, sliding the door shut. Both of them sat down in front while he punched buttons.

***

Back in Velox, a sleepy Ensign tossed and turned. Krillen sat bold upright in his bed as his scouter beeped. Flicking on the light, he shoved the sheets aside and rubbed his eyes. "Yes?" he asked.

"Is that you buddy? I just got the Trans call… sorry I didn't call sooner! You said you had news about Bulma?"

"Yes that's right. I have good news and bad news…" said Krillen.

"Are you sure that you've heard that right?" Yamucha asked, pulling his headwear away from his mouth.

"Yeah I sure did! I just SAW them… on Archalisei! And Lord Bok Choi took them. It's pretty bad… bro…"

"Don't worry! Where are you now?

"Pyorrhea… Central HQ," Krillen said. "The Head guy's recalled people to Archalis to put down some local uprising. I just saw Bulma. Vegeta was carrying her off when Kumquat nailed him…"

"Wow… but where is she?" Yamucha asked, not at all sorry at the possibility of Vegeta passing on.

"She's being held captive at his main HQ," said Krillen. "My force, or what was LEFT of it was recalled to Central. I'm here in Velox city now…"

"Chikusa!" Yamucha exploded. "We've got to rescue her!"

"How? I don't have the clearance to get there!"

"I'll come to you then. I just negotiated to buy it back from some Idsarjan guy I hauled booze for. It's a fortune, but I can hop on it and get out to you…" said Yamucha.

"You fly a ship? Get real!" Krillen groaned.

"Bulma programmed it to accept voice commands. Apparently the Prince of all Assholes forgot to lock the voice command BACK in. So I can get the thing to work… " said Yamucha. "I got some local grease monkeys here to set in the coordinates. All I gotta do is use it to get a contract to smuggle there, and I'll be there to meet you two…"

"Sounds awesome. Get here as SOON as you can! I'll meet you in Velox Central…" said Krillen.

"I'll radio when we're leaving… you keep tabs on Bulma…" said Yamucha. "If anything changes, LET ME KNOW! See you!"

"All right," Krillen said, clicking off his scouter. He exhaled and wiped sweat from his face. A feminine hand rested on his shoulder, then traced over his bare chest.

"Well, are they coming?" Yumi asked, staring at him from beneath tousled purple hair.

"Yeah, they're on their way. Man I wish there were SOMETHING I could do… I HATE feeling so helpless!" Krillen cursed.

"Well there is ONE thing I could do for you," said Yumi. "Help you relax…"

"How can you think of THAT at a time like this?"

"Simple. Because you're not going to be any use if you're all tense and unfocussed. Just relax and let me take care of you. Besides, if I'm a frickin' bed slave I have to play the part," Yumi blinked as she reached up and pulled him down.

"Um… yeah… but…"

"Shh you silly…"

"Oh what the hey… I just hope Yamucha gets his butt back here so we can save Bulma… cause Goku will give me heck…" said Krillen as he turned out the light.

***

Two weeks later, Krillen had been on Archalis, and had his narrow brush with Bulma. Since then, another week passed and the guards combed the surface of Pyorrhea in search of the missing blue haired Saiyan. Some said she was not possibly such a creature, but she had fought with such savagery, and exhibited the same ki. Others had spoken of how fiercely the Prince of all Sayians had defended her.

Vegeta snickered as he punched the buttons on his scouter. Setting it down, he slid back into bed next to the woman in question. Bulma giggled as he nipped her neck lightly, purring. For the past few days Vegeta had rested and regained as much ki as possible. Mostly he'd eaten and slept, or spent time slipping into the valley to hunt for prey in the darkness of night.

"Hmmm five more minutes," Bulma moaned.

"What's wrong woman?" asked Vegeta softly. "You smelled afraid just now, and last night you were screaming in your sleep."

"I heard voices…" she whispered.

"I was on the scouter, baka," Vegeta snorted, flipping Bulma over and pinning her on her back. He swung one leg over and straddled her, settling on her hips with a grunt.

"Duh," Bulma shot back at him. "You ass, giving me nightmares with the volume up!"

"Vegeta, it's driving me nuts. Sometimes… when I'm asleep… I can see and hear things that…" she shivered. Reaching up she traced a finger over his chest.

"It's that damn fricking bond," he snorted. "Pay it no mind, woman. Your Chikyuujin mind isn't used to telepathy… so naturally you're going to have to shield…"

"Can't you do it?" she asked, irritated.

"Hmmm yes, but you're going to have to as well if either of us are going to have privacy. That's why I guard my emotions so strongly, woman. You must do the same if nobody is to discover the weakness…"

"You ASS!" Bulma snapped, pushing Vegeta off her. "Only YOU would view anything so special as a weakness! Well I've got news for you! I didn't ASK for us to share this bond!"

"Neither did I woman," said Vegeta. "I didn't know it would happen. Not with a ningen female. But it has and we must live with the consequences…"

"Jerk. Making it sound like a fucking MISTAKE! Was this because we went to bed together?"

"Not just because we are presently sexually intimate," said Vegeta. "We shared ki. I've not…"

"Didn't you with the others you slept with?"

"What others, woman?" he snorted. "Do you seek to insult me with…"

"Don't deny it Vegeta! Those Idsarjin females were all over you! And you didn't do SHIT to stop them!" Bulma yelled at him, climbing out of bed. She tore the sheets off and tucked them around her. Vegeta fell to the floor with a thump because his legs were tangled in them.

"What the fuck are you talking about, you idiot?" he snarled, angry at being rudely spilled out of bed.

"You said if you CHOSE me…" she snarled back. "How many women will you have to do this to if I'm not the one that you…"

"Have you changed your mind?" Vegeta snapped, grabbing her ankle and hauling himself up. "How dare you insinuate such a thing after the honor I've bestowed on you!"

"I haven't changed my mind! But I want to know what I’m getting into!" Bulma said. "Look at THIS! You bit my neck you baka and you never frickin told me!"

"You didn't complain. And as I see it, you did the SAME. We've marked one another…" said Vegeta as he pointed to a similar mark marring the skin on his muscular neck.

"But what does it MEAN?" Bulma asked. "You haven't told me much about your customs!"

"I've told you what you needed to know at the appropriate time…" he snorted, grabbing his towel and turning his back to her.

"Stuck up pain in the ASS! You think by holding all the cards you can control me…"

"You dare presume to judge me?" Vegeta snapped as he whirled on her. "Mind your place!"

"Oh so now you're the fucking blue blood again! Damn you're driving me CRAZY!" Bulma gritted her teeth at him. "I can't THINK straight… I just… ooh!"

Clasping hands to her head she sank to the nearest chair. Vegeta sensed the waves of confusion pouring off her. His stony heart melted just a bit when he realized how scary this was for her as well. Perhaps she didn't understand his customs well, and he had been stingy with his knowledge. "Woman… look at me," he said.

"There you go with that WOMAN thing! I've got a name"!

"Bulma," he said sharply. "Look at me dammit…"

"What?" she snorted, whirling in her chair.

"You're experiencing the first stages of the Sealing," said Vegeta. "Surely you noticed whenever that loud mouthed mate of Kakkarot is around she's continually… like you are now."

"What, being bitchy? Chichi's not ALWAYS bitchy! I'll have you know she can be sweet and agreeable…" Bulma snapped.

"When?" Vegeta asked, smirking at her. "The only times I've had the misfortune to come into contact with her is whenever she's poked her nose into the home along with Kakkarot… surely you can't be blind to that…"

"You mean to say whenever she's around Goku…" Bulma blinked. "What are you getting at?"

"My point is, silly female that she is territorial, just like a Saiyan female. When in the presence of her mate and 'den'," said Vegeta smugly. "Saiyan bonding is passionate. Not the silly weak things you call emotions, but states of being. We eat, fuck, fight and die. We live. We don't wrap up our existence in feeble pigeonholes that you call feelings… we are what we are… we need no justification."

"Vegeta what are you saying? That you and are… are getting connected?" she asked. "Like… like Bok Choi said to me when he saw…"

"What did that bag of pus say, woman?" Vegeta snarled. "Did he insult you? I smelled that bastard Kumquat on you…"

"He said that I was your mate. So did Ascorbic. So excuse me if I'm confused when you don't seem to have told ME!"

"I thought it was apparent, woman," said Vegeta quietly. "I suppose you're more thick headed than I anticipated… how fucking simply do I put it?"

"Vegeta, you bakayarou! You never ASKED!"

"What, you mean getting on my knee like that loser and pulling out some crushed lump of carbon and useless gold metal? Professing my undying LOVE which is the emotion of a weakling?" Vegeta snorted in disgust. "Such rituals mean nothing to me. I've tried countless times to fathom them, but they are just as silly as ever…"

"Stop dissing my customs and listen! When the FUCK did you ASK me if I wanted this?"

"You told me yourself that you wanted to be with me, woman. As equals. That is an acceptance… and I told you plainly that the one best suited to bear my heir will be the choice as life mate," Vegeta said clearly. "What part of that does your brain fail to grasp?"

"So you're telling me that… because I said I wanted to be with you… that you proposed to me, and this… mark is as good as an engagement?" she asked, stunned.

"And you said you were a genius. I'm starting to wonder, you idiot," Vegeta snorted rolling his eyes as he grabbed his bodysuit. "That day at the museum you heard me plainly state my intentions! It had dawned on me that you'd accepted! Was I mistaken?"

"Wait… you mean when I asked you if you'd chose cloning a Saiyan female and mating with a non Saiyan… and then you went over and… oh kuso…" Bulma swallowed hard. She sank to her knees, and Vegeta moved over to grasp her waist so she didn't hit the floor in a dead faint.

"What I mean, you silly stupid female, is that I've made my choice. Don't make me regret my offer…"

"You said… a mating bond for pleasure was permitted… but a mating bond to make… children…" she gasped. "But what makes you think I could be a mother of any kind? I can't even keep my goldfish alive! I suck as a babysitter! And YOU liked Idsarjan orgies!"

"I did NO such things, you fool," Vegeta snorted. "I don't know who put that damn idea into your addled brain, wench… but you'd better FORGET it now!"

"Answer me this, Vegeta… did you or did you NOT mate… with one or more of those females? And if so…"

"The Prince of all Saiyans does NOT share," said Vegeta angrily, grasping her arms. He squeezed them tightly, but not too tightly to hurt her.

"I know that I must sound like a hypocrite because I HAVE had sex before you… but you have to tell me… please… don't get pissed…" Bulma swallowed hard. "I have to know! I've told you about MY past…"

"Yes, more or less," Vegeta said quietly. "If you MUST know, I have had my pleasure as well, but NEVER with more than one female at one time. It's the Idsarjin who have sick low class minds, and so did my subordinates. But I never have done with them what I have with you, woman."

"Thank Kame," Bulma swallowed, hugging him tightly.

"You're a fucking enigma! What will take to understand you?" Vegeta snarled in anger. "If you misunderstood why not ask me before?"

"Cause I'm a silly little Chikyuujin female maybe?" Bulma winked at him in a very girly manner. "And I need your superior Saiyajin brain to help clarify things because I'm hazed over with mind boggling sex?"

"Humph," Vegeta grunted. "I suppose that answer will suffice for now. But do you regret entering into this… and if so… will you refuse the honor I expect?"

"Vegeta… answer me this first… do I HAVE to have children right away? Is THAT the equivalence of a Saiyan marriage?"

"It is the last step," said Vegeta. "But there are others before it. You've shared my ki successfully, and the mental bond is forming far more than I'd thought much to my chagrin. Are you willing to accept fully who and what I am without question?"

"You mean swear allegiance to you?" she asked.

"In a sense is that not what you humans say when your mating vows say, 'forsake all others' and 'cleave unto one another'?" Vegeta asked, glaring into her eyes deeply. "I'm the Prince of All Saiyans. I cannot forsake what I am. And you must comprehend what that means, woman. I thought perhaps you had in the museum…"

"Vegeta… I thought there would be some formal question… not just this… bonding…"

"I was going to ask you before, woman. The official declaration is made in the Royal palace. When a female is presented with the desires and whims of the male, when he tells her the alternatives. Then she asks him which he would choose. And he states his intentions. You accepted the moment you stood by me and refused to leave my side. And when you returned my mark and mated with me last night…" he said.

"Vegeta… having children… it's a big step. You have to let me get used to it," Bulma swallowed hard. "Please…"

"Just answer yes or no, it's as simple as that," Vegeta said clearly. "I would understand if you refused. But I must know before we return to Chikyuusei. Will you stand by me in this, no matter how cold and remote I may seem? Even if others question your sanity? If I must hide the true nature of this from the other weaklings should they use it against me?"

"Is it Saiyan custom to show by deeds? Is THAT it?"

"Yes woman," said Vegeta quietly. "At LAST you are beginning to understand how a Saiyan thinks. We declare, but it is only when we have achieve the end goal that the means were justified."

"Like you defeating Goku… to prove you're Mr. Number 1 Saiyan?" she raised an eyebrow. Vegeta nodded.

"Then let's find that race bank," Bulma said quietly. "And get the hell off this rock."

****

Bulma swallowed hard that next moment that Vegeta's dark eyes met hers. Something gleamed in them that she'd only seen in elusive moments. Times such as the one where he'd screamed to her and saved her from sudden death. Or when he'd glanced down at her in the throws of their first lovemaking and poured out vast energies into her.

"You are starting to show sense again," Vegeta said, with a nod and a familiar smirk. "Perhaps there is hope for your weak species yet…"

"Okay, where's the thing already?" Bulma said, sitting down at the table and eating the food that he'd laid out for her. Vegeta sat opposite, and picked up the scouter which had fallen on the floor. Its green lens blinked as he set it in front of her.

"The details were encrypted there. I had the foresight to transfer them from the one you disassembled into this one. The UVT chip placed inside also is a homing system. Only five such scouters had them installed. Radditz was Bardock's son as was Kakkarot. The scouter here in my possession is the only other one that had such a device. As did my own, and Nappa's."

"Why?"

"They were the last four scouters to be manufactured on Vejitasei," said the Prince. "All others were made by Frieza's scientists. Any existing Saiyan equipment made on the world gives a signature when a certain signal is beamed. The Race bank had the indigenous signal, but it had grown so weak that only in the past few weeks did I come to notice. That's why I destroyed my scouter on Nameksei."

"Oh… and Nappa's was blown up… and Radditz…"

"Kakkarot's was used to make your artificial moonbeam emitter," said Vegeta. "The transmission of EM at that frequency using its equipment was brilliant, woman. It would take too much time to remove it and make that scouter work again. So this is the one that remains intact besides the one in the hands of the Idsarjin."

"They all have scouters…"

"They used that one as the template. The one that was issued to Tangelo."

"And you've never gone after the race bank before this because you never had the signal?"

"We dared not speak of it because if Frieza got his hands on it… we'd be finished. Most of us thought it destroyed. This you know. How ironic that third class scientist hid the only remaining clues to its survival in the ship that brought his son Kakkarot here. How he was privy to its existence I'll never know… but how fortunate…"

"That's how the Idsarjins knew where it was…"

"Yes, Bulma. And now we must go get it. Somehow when it was brought here, that chip inside was activated. My scouter failed to see it, and yours wasn't set properly. But it's there… and we'll find its exact location… In Velox city museum," Vegeta said quietly. Bulma swallowed hard when a wall had fallen in that moment.

"Yes," Bulma nodded. "And according to the specs I see on here, it's heavily guarded… by turret guns, heat seekers, multiple detachments, and a whole array of boobytraps… you'd have to be the worlds most talented flier to navigate through that mess…"

"Which is why either of us could perish in the attempt," said Vegeta quietly. "I cannot concentrate flying and fighting without someone guiding me, as easily as you might think an Elite could."

"I could guide you," said Bulma. "With this…"

"The choice to do so is yours," said Vegeta.

"You idiot, of course I will," said Bulma quickly, putting on the scouter. Vegeta cracked a close to genuine smile, which turned into his customary smirk.

"Good girl," he nodded.

"And you need new armor bud, that one's shot," said Bulma, pointing to the breastplate that Vegeta had attempted to patch.

"Your shoddy workmanship, not mine!" he snorted.

"Wait," Bulma said, running over to grab a box out of the dresser. She threw it at his feet, and Vegeta prodded it with his toe as if it were a snake.

"What's THIS? Another silly token?"

"Well if you want to be blasted to kingdom come…" she snorted, bending over to open it. Vegeta's eyebrow lifted at the streamlined breastplate and backpiece. It was held together by twin segmented strips running down either side. His battered armor before had been a replica of the one he'd worn on Nameksei. Her first attempt was satisfactory, but this…

"It's hardly Saiyajin style…" he mumbled, glancing at it. "But… it appears to be… adequate…"

"Hey, it's easier to get on and OFF," she said with a lascivious smirk.

"Low class baka," he mumbled, seeing her saucy wink. She grabbed it back from him, and lifted both halves up with great effort. At first he hiked a dark brow, but Bulma jerked her head to one side so he should stand before her. Taking the weight off the front he helped her lift it up and over to hang both the front and back pieces around his neck. With a great deal of fussing she buckled the two halves together so it fit snugly around his torso, then she dumped out the other pieces on the bed.

"Matching gloves… those are so not the right kind," she said.

"Females and their baka color schemes. But I see that you at least fashioned the other components in the proper style," he snorted, stepping out of his battered boots and letting her help him on the rest of the ensemble.

"Let's go now," Vegeta said, turning to look at himself in the mirror. A hint of pride gleamed in his eyes as he turned around to examine the craftsmanship. Bulma picked up the scouter along with several boxes of capsules. He noticed she was French braiding her long blue hair in the mirror next to him.

"Look at you, like some peacock. IT wouldn't kill you to say THANK you," Bulma snorted. Around her hips she buckled a white belt with multiple compartments. The blue jeans and black T-shirt fit her as a second skin, in the fashion of his bodysuit. When she pulled on a dark navy blue jacket with the Capsule corps logo, Vegeta glared at her.

"Where did you get THAT?" he frowned, making fists at the sides of his hips with both hands.

"It's a jacket! Relax! I'm NOT freezing to death! If we're gonna go in there, we'll go in style, your Royal Pain in my ass," Bulma shot back. "You insecure that I'll outclass you?"

"Not in those rags, no," Vegeta snorted, watching her pull on a pair of yellow sneaker boots. She secured the Velcro fastenings, and stood up, with her hands on her hips. A few pieces of blue hair fell before her eyes, causing a strange sense of déjà vu for the Prince. For that moment he was remotely reminded of that young punk.

"What?" She asked.

"Time we left for our mission," he said, sweeping her up in his arms and walking out the door.

"What about the house?" Bulma asked.

"Encapsulate it," said Vegeta tersely. Bulma mumbled as he leaned down and she did so, stuffing the capsule back into her belt. Soon they were rising into the hot brash morning air.

***

"Why were you so freaked with this jacket?" Bulma thought.

"Because you should have more taste," Vegeta's thoughts entered hers. Bulma squealed and squirmed in his arms.

"Stop that at once!" Vegeta barked at her. She yelped and clung tightly to his shoulder. Blue ki streamed overtop both of them as Vegeta blazed a trail through the lightening skies. No wind blasted her face, so she felt as if she were in an aircraft. Only the sizzling crackle of his ki reached her ears, along with the loud whooshing of air rushing past.

"Vegeta… I heard you…" she whispered.

"This is the bond, you dunce," he snorted. "Think clearly inside your mind. Then I can understand you as well as you can me. It's how I communicated with Nappa and Radditz… and how we must communicate without scouters…"

"This is WEIRD!" Bulma thought, shivering at the fleshless voice echoing in her mind.

"I put it into words. Of course Saiyans need only a thought or an impulse, but not every telepathic conversation is in a detached voice within. This is for your benefit…" Vegeta answered. "Now, we're in proximity…"

"Yes… I'm seeing the direction here…" she nodded, glancing at him without moving her lips. Superimposed on the green scouter lens was the schematic she'd seen in the capsule hut a half-hour or so before. Small pulses of energy flickered, indicating patrollers in various vehicles.

"From what I gathered the major kis are massing outside the city. If we move low under their scanners we can knock them out with a sonic boom," Vegeta sounded. "So hold on. I'm going to rattle their cages…"

"YIKES!" she yelped, feeling the tingling on her skin of his ki envelop. Swirling blue radiance crawled over them both as Vegeta poured more of his energy into flight. It always struck her as odd that of all the Z fighters, only Vegeta's ki had a certain tint when flying. Most everyone else glowed with white ki. Only Vegeta's or Goku's energy signatures had that hint of blue.

Vegeta frowned, sensing Bulma's irritation. She had carelessly let down her barriers again since his warnings that morning. If this bond was going to work without maddening them both she would have to try harder to keep from broadcasting. Why should he have to do all the shielding if the female was smart enough to comprehend telepathy, Vegeta wondered?

"That jacket looks all WRONG on her," Vegeta mumbled to himself. Navy blue with pockets the jacket had the black and white Capsule Corps logo patch sewn on either shoulder. It just barely touched her shapely hips, multiple pockets flapping in the slightest breeze. Of course he wouldn't admit to it, but there was a very good REASON he loathed it.

"Vegeta, chill, it's a JACKET!" she said aloud.

"Never mind. Focus on your mission," Vegeta burst out.

"I know why you don't like it," Bulma said. "I can see the mental image. You're thinking about that mystery kid from the future and it freaks you out that this jacket is EXACTLY the same style as his, right?"

"Forget about the stupid JACKET! Why should I give a shit what some stupid punk from nowhere wears? I just thought YOU had better taste woman! The pink shirt was bad enough!" Vegeta exploded.

"All the employees get them for Christmas," Bulma shrugged. " Besides it's made of a highly advance state of the art polymer fiber that doesn’t' rip when exposed to high temperatures. Which is the SAME stuff your bodysuit is made of… if you don't like it, tough shit… cause I do."

"GRRR," Vegeta snarled, his black hair standing up more than usual. "Fucking goddamn punk kid… who the hell does he think he is going Super Saiyan before me!"

"Vegeta, you're jealous, aren't you?" Bulma teased.

"I am NOT!" he snarled. "Not because of your puerile notions, but for the obvious reason he has the audacity to claim he's Super Saiyan!"

"You are so. You're also jealous because he was looking at me, and you can't stand to think of another male looking at me, can you?" she teased.

"Don't provoke me," he snarled. "Why should I give a shit if some wet behind the ears brat blushes in front of you batting your eyes at him? I should have given him the fucking shirt! Then he'd have a reason to blush!"

"Vegeta, you're making NO sense!" Bulma shook her head. "I bit YOUR neck, not his, so relax! Besides black's more my color than purple. Dating a purple haired guy… would be too much like dating a brother… or a dad…"

"Thank Kame for small favors," Vegeta mumbled. "At least you have SOME measure of taste…"

Turning her head, Bulma kissed his cheek lightly. She worked her way to his mouth, causing him to flinch. "What are you…"

"Proving a point before we don't have another chance," she thought into his head as she covered his mouth with hers. "We've got five minutes before we approach the range of those guns according to the specs here…"

Vegeta grunted, letting go of her knees while pushing his shoulder under her right armpit. He latched her to his side with one strong arm while keeping the other gloved hand formed into a fist he pushed right before him. For a long moment he indulged the whim to kiss her hard and deep before pulling away. "Later woman, I promise…" he said hoarsely.

"I see the signal… the museum must be right down there!" Bulma nudged him, pointing as the arrow flickered downwards. Below them stretched the blocks and grids of the expansive Velox City metropolis. Bulma shivered because the architecture was almost identical to the tapes she had seen of Frieza's world. Vegeta sensed her tension and nodded grimly.

"It is the same style, woman. Freiza was most insistent that his was the best and most superior. And if that's the case, then the security is exactly the same…" Vegeta said. "Now hold on because this is going to get intense…"

"It already is," Bulma shivered, as Vegeta began to zip in and out of real time. Bangs and flashes erupted around them as he poured on more speed, and blurred out of their visual range. Her heart pounded and she held more tightly to him, wondering if they'd get out of this one alive. So close were they to the Museum that anything could go wrong. Bulma's stomach squirmed, and she pressed her cheek tightly to Vegeta's neck, burying her nose in his spiked hair. The Prince allowed himself a small smile of pride at how she clung to him for security. He would not admit that he had insecure feelings regarding the memories of that mysterious youth. To think he'd actually thought Bulma found the brat attractive. Not when she had HIM. Bulma sensed the thought process before Vegeta erected his wall once more. He was jealous after all!