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Butterflies & Hurricanes	By : Froglady15 Category: Dragon Ball Z > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 739 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Disclaimer:I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I MAKE NO MONEY/PROFIT!

Chapter List
- 8
- 9
- 10
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.
Butterflies and Hurricanes
Chapter 9
They finally made it to Bardock's place a few minutes later. Vegeta set Bulma down in front of a modest-looking home that blended in nicely with the rest of the homes in the area which reminded her more of small sub-divisions with lots of room than a cramped neighborhood. There was a spacious front yard with a huge garden on the left side of the home, fenced in with a sparse brown wooden fence.
Buma smiled inwardly; Bardock was such a techno junkie that she had half-expected his home to look high tech like her home at Capsule Corporation had been, not a simple farm-like home. However, Bardock was very modest himself and so on second thought, she decided that this did suit him.
She was somewhat nervous about meeting his mate though.
"Hey, Bulma!" Kakarott greeted, coming outside to greet them. "Hey, Vegeta! Glad you guys made it! I'd love for you to meet my mother, Bulma." Kakarott said.
"It is so nice to finally meet you! My name is Penelope." The petite Saiyan woman said, coming outside to greet them. She was around the same height as Bulma with a delicate build and short hair which seemed to stick out in every such direction. Bulma could see where Kakarott got his unruly hair from; both his parents apparently. All in all, she was not what she had expected. Bulma had been expecting a tall strong-built woman like the other Saiyan women she'd encountered and immediately felt more at ease when she saw that Bardock's mate wasn't much bigger than Chi-Chi and herself. "I have heard so many good things about you. I am relieved that you are alright; and you as well, my prince."
"It has been a long time." Vegeta agreed. He wasn't sure how long it had been. Possibly since before his mother's passing since he had seen Bardock's mate last and even then he had not seen her all that often.
"Thank you," Bulma nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet you at last as well and thank you so much for looking after Trunks last night. I hope he wasn't too much trouble."
"Not at all, dear." The older Saiyan woman replied, waving her hand in dismissal. "In fact he seems to have settled right in. Come and see."
Bulma followed her down a short hall and into a room on the right. There were the two half-Saiyan boys fast asleep. "Oh wow, look at them! It's always such a battle getting Trunks to take his naps. How did you do it?"
"He's just played out." She shrugged. "And I am certain he is teething. So I mixed a little bit of a natural oil in with his milk to help alleviate his discomfort. That is more than likely why he has been so fussy."
"He's teething already?" Bulma exclaimed. "He's only around four months old."
"Saiyan babies usually begin teething around the three to four month mark." She confirmed.
"Well that explains a lot." Bulma commented.
"You will need to start weaning him quickly." She advised.
"But it feels like I just had him," she protested.
"I'm not sure about human infants, but Saiyan infants mature quite rapidly."
"Yea, that's what Vegeta says," she sighed. "I just want to enjoy him as a baby for just a little while longer though."
"I know, dear. On the plus side, it gives you an excuse to have another one!"
"No, I can't." Bulma said, shaking her head. "Vegeta says no more babies. Delivering Trunks was a scary enough ordeal for the both of us. Plus with this war and all of that, things are too uncertain for us to even consider it right now."
"I suppose. But once everything is settled, if the two of you are here, you should be fine. I was a midwife before I retired and now I stay home and help out when I can for whoever needs assistance."
"Right. Kakarott told me you used to do that. At the palace?"
"Many years ago." She nodded.
"So what do you do now?" Bulma asked in curiosity and once again was reminded of the huge difference between herself and the Saiyans. Penelope herself did not look much older than herself but Bulma figured she had to be in her fifties? Bardock as well did not look much older than Kakarott.
Bulma had always noticed that and had just assumed that it was all good genes that had kept everyone looking younger than they actually were. It made her wonder just how old they actually were and was dying to ask but wasn't sure if it would seem impolite so she let the matter drop.
"I am still a midwife of sorts," she answered with a smile. "I help out when needed in the city with other women if they have birthing complications and carry out exams on newborns to ensure that everything is alright and that they have no complications. I also work with the livestock when females are in birthing season. It can be a very stressful time of year as we depend on the livestock for our meat."
"That's neat." Bulma nodded. "So you're like a veterinarian, an obstetrician and pediatrician."
Penelope gave her a blank look.
"Sorry, on my planet that's what they called people who did what you do but they would generally only stick with one of the chosen professions instead of branching out and doing different things. Essentially what I meant is that you are a physician for animals, pregnant women and babies."
She smiled and nodded in understanding. "I suppose; however why focus my skills on one specialty only when I have the knowledge and desire to help out wherever I am needed?"
"I agree." Bulma said.
"Let's eat," she suggested, exiting the small bedroom. "The boys will be asleep a little while longer."
"Sounds good!"
They all sat down to brunch and visited. Mid-way through, Raditz dropped by, still nursing a hangover from the previous night's events.
"I don't know why you do this to yourself on a regular basis," Penelope scolded her oldest son. Bulma had to hold back a snort at the sight of this petite Saiyan woman scolding her giant adult son.
"I don't have any idea what you are talking about," Raditz growled, pouring himself a warm coffee-like beverage that Bulma was quickly becoming accustomed to since she had arrived to Vegeta-sei. It seemed to have the same effect but when she drank it black it wasn't nearly as bitter. Instead, it had more of a green tea type flavor to it.
"I expect you to be at the training grounds tomorrow, Raditz." Vegeta said, reaching for seconds of his breakfast.
"Aye aye," he nodded. "I will be there. Hey, is that larger gravity simulator thing almost done?" he asked, looking at Bulma.
"I just finished the plans for it the other day," she nodded. "I don't know how long it takes you guys to physically build it but the measurements, schematics and everything else is all done and it's ready to be started. I just needed to make some changes to the equation to allow it to work in a much larger capacity than-"
"We get it, it's done, Bulma." Chi-Chi cut in, interrupting her friend before she lost them all in a long dialogue of techno babble that no one other than Bardock and herself would be able to follow.
"The construction of it has been started," Bardock confirmed. "It should be ready by week's end if all goes well."
"Sweet! That's quite the invention you designed." Raditz nodded, reaching for a warm roll and began piling up a second mountain of other breakfast items on his plate. "The sooner it's done the better. We don't have a lot of time, hey Vegeta?"
Bulma looked at Vegeta who was sending a glare Raditz's way. "I thought you guys had a few weeks before you were leaving?" she asked him.
"A few weeks, a few days," he shrugged dismissively. "What does it matter? We must leave soon. Raditz is correct, time is of the essence."
Bulma tried not to frown at him. "Whatever."
"I have made all of the necessary arrangements; you need not concern yourself over it," Vegeta said, picking up on her unhappiness and trying to brush it over nonchalantly in an attempt to not make things uncomfortable. There were still things he had not told her yet and at the moment he was wishing he had this morning. "Kakarott will remain here with you and Trunks. Raditz and Nappa will serve as my two highest ranking officers in Kakarott's absence."
"Man, I wish I was going with you guys," Kakarott sighed almost petulantly.
"Umm, no you don't." Chi-Chi snipped at him.
"Why not? I haven't had a good battle in forever, Chi-Chi. I've improved so much," he argued. "I was kind of looking forward to it just to see where I'm at and gauge just how much more progress I've made, I'm pretty sure I'm not far behind Vegeta now."
"Dream on, clown!" Vegeta snorted. "You cannot ever hope to surpass me."
"I wouldn't be so sure, Vegeta,"
"Ha! No offence, little brother, but I have to side with Vegeta on that one." Raditz chuckled.
Kakarott frowned to himself as he continued to eat. Truth be told, he loved his mate and son and he was happy to be back home, but he was bored of the domestic life he had here. Back on Callisto, he hadn't minded it all that much but over here, when there was a war brewing and it was a free opportunity to let loose and see what he was really capable of, he really was deep down disappointed and more than a little envious of his brother that Vegeta had chosen for him to stay behind. They had always gone on wars and missions together. While he had no doubt that Vegeta would be just fine and wouldn't need his assistance, a part of him was itching to want to fight alongside him and compare his own skills to Vegeta's. "You just wait, Raditz. I've far surpassed you from the last time we sparred." he chuckled at his older brother.
"I'll believe it when I see it," he snorted. "I'll tell you what, you and me tomorrow!"
"You've got it!" Kakarott smirked. "I'd take in plenty of fluids and grease and get some rest today if I were you."
Raditz growled at him and gave him the finger in response.
"Now, boys," their mother chastised them.
Despite her displeasure of finding out that Vegeta might be leaving sooner than he had led her to believe, Bulma laughed quietly to herself as she watched them interact and bicker amongst themselves as only siblings could while they all ate as though they hadn't eaten in days. She caught Chi-Chi's eye and her friend shook her head. "I don't get how you all can consume so much food in a single setting." she sighed.
"I don't get how you can't eat so much in a single setting," Kakarott said back between mouthfuls.
All in all, it was a very pleasant meal and once everyone was done, Bulma insisted on helping Penelope clean up after the feast; it looked like an entire army had come by and eaten them out of house and home. Chi-Chi went to check on the infants.
"I realize it is not my place to comment on your relationship with the Prince, but I can see how unsettled you are," she started. "I know you only care about him and your culture is much different than ours, which is why I am speaking to you. I like you and I only want to give you a few friendly words of advice. Do not worry, I will be counselling your friend the same as well."
Bulma nodded. "No, it's alright. I don't mind. Thanks for caring, there's still a lot I don't know about your culture."
"Well, as I am sure you are aware, we are primarily a warrior race," she started. "Vegeta being who he is will almost always be expected to either wage war and many battles on occasions as things come up over the years. It is unavoidable, I am afraid. You need to be supportive of him, not upset with him and discouraging his path."
"So I'm not supposed to care that he may be hurt or worry about him?"
"Of course you can! He is your mate. However, these thoughts and worries must be kept to yourself. I realize this is no easy task, but you must not openly worry about him; it will make the people and the soldiers question his leadership and capableness.
"In this culture, there is no room for weakness of any kind- whether they see him that way or he is perceived that way because of your well-meaning concerns for his wellbeing will depend a lot on you in how you speak of him to others."
Bulma nodded and frowned at her explanation, though wasn't exactly sure she fully understood what she was trying to say. "So I can make or break him by mentioning that I worry about him?"
"Yes. If his own mate does not have confidence in him, then why should anyone else? Why would anyone want to support him and follow him into a war that his own mate does not think he can win?"
"It's not that I don't have faith in him that he can't win or that I am not supportive," she objected. "I just don't want anything bad to happen to him. My reservations have nothing to do with him and more to do with other influences potentially beyond his control or knowledge. Believe me, I know he is an outstanding warrior-"
"I know, dear. I know you worry because you care for him but it will be seen as you not having faith in him and his being weak. Rumors spread like wild fire around here. You do not want to unintentionally bring him down."
"No, I don't," she agreed.
"As it is, almost everyone is so happy that he has returned. There are a select few that would take great pleasure in slandering his name given the first opportunity and find even more pleasure in it if he did fail," she warned. "So what better way for him to keep favor and gain his people's respect than leading our planet into a victorious battle to freedom over those that have oppressed us for many years, decades even?
"The role of a Saiyan woman is to support their mate in battle. Be concerned, and yes you may worry but do not mention it or show it. Not to others and not to your mate ever. If he is slain in battle, it is a horrible tragedy but he will be honored for centuries from now for his efforts and while this may be difficult for you to understand now, should he fall, be thankful that he died honorably for his planet and his people. That is why he is upset with you. Please do not take my council too harsh, this is not your fault. In hearing what I have about you from Bardock in the past and meeting you in person and spending time with your friend I have come to understand that you both come from a complete different world than we do. You feeling this way is not your fault."
Bulma nodded, appreciating what she was telling her and still acknowledging their cultural differences. "It's so hard though, and Vegeta doesn't always tell me these things. He gets upset and only then do I realize that I've accidentally offended him and I don't always know why."
"It is hard," she agreed. "And I will admit that when Bardock was offered his position at the palace because he proved to be more useful in the lab and creating his inventions to advance our technology than he was as a soldier on the battle field, I was more than happy for it."
Bulma smiled at her admission; maybe they weren't so different after all. "You don't worry about your sons though?"
"I do," she chuckled. "But they were raised to be warriors. I accept this and am very proud of them both; they bring much honor to our household.
"When I got the news that Kakarott had been killed in the explosion during his efforts in getting you to safety, I grieved deeply. He is my youngest and despite his upbringing, he retained a certain boyish charm that is not typical in Saiyan males. Bardock has joked with me on occasion that I must have dropped him on his head at some point during his infancy that he turned out the way he has."
"Yea, he's a great guy." Bulma nodded in agreement, laughing along with her over the speculation as to why he was different. "Even by our standards back home. If he's different, it's not a bad thing and I am so sorry for what happened. We wanted to let Bardock and Vegeta know that we had made it out safely but we didn't know how to go about in such a way that we wouldn't be discovered or put Bardock in any danger. I am sorry for putting you through that; I can't even imagine."
"It is fine and it is not your fault," she weaved her hand in dismissal. "That was not why I brought that up; to make you feel bad. My point is that I did grieve, but I also accepted that he died following a direct order from his Prince to keep his mate safe at all costs. He died an honorable death in the way that he had attempted to fulfill his duty to the best of his ability. It was sad, yes, but it was what it was and I am ever so thankful that he survived and has returned. Not only fine and able, but with a lovely mate and beautiful son. Through that tragedy, we were blessed. That is how I see it. I do worry about Raditz going into this war, but Vegeta is commanding. Everything will be fine and work out the way it is meant to. That is how I keep myself from worrying."
"Thank you," she said, wanting to hug the older Saiyan woman, but not knowing if it was appropriate or not. "That helps a lot actually. I'm glad you said something."
"Good, then I am glad!" she smiled. "I had noticed over lunch and had wanted to say something but was unsure if it would be out of place."
"Not at all," she shook her head. "Any advice you can give me so that I can live here happily and understand your culture, feel free any time; I appreciate it."
They quickly finished cleaning everything else up together and chatted happily about their mates and other things. Bulma was astonished to learn that Penelope had briefly been a warrior herself in her younger days. That had been how she and Bardock had met.
Her father had been a higher ranking commander and wanted his offspring to follow suite. Her other two siblings, a brother and a sister had done well for themselves within the military ranks and had advanced to gain prestigious titles for themselves but she had never acquired the interest and lacked the physical strength to amount to much.
Despite her objections, her father had insisted she join the ranks as well, in hopes that it would toughen her up a bit and so in her second year as a low-ranking Saiyan female soldier, she had been assigned to the same squad where Bardock had been appointed as leader. Because of her small build, lack of strength and interest in battle, she found herself in life threatening predicaments quite frequently and Bardock was always the one coming to her rescue for some odd reason to her at the time. It did not take very long and a romantic interest between the two had developed, prompting Bardock to formally take Penelope as his mate and formally discharge her permanently from the military, much to her father's outrage.
Penelope didn't have much else to do but since she had always had a fascination with pregnancy and young infants, she befriended an elderly Saiyan woman who had a reputation for being an excellent midwife. She learned under her and found her passion and niche in life. Within a short period of time, she found herself pregnant with their own child and had Raditz.
Not long afterwards, Bardock was appointed a position at the palace to take over the science and technology division since he had spent more time doing maintenance repairs and upgrades than being in any actual combat. Bardock and Penelope were very happy about the promotion and moved closer to the palace where Penelope continued her work as a midwife in the capital and had made for herself quite the stellar reputation; so much so that King Vegeta himself had requested her assistance when his mate and then Queen, Tesla had become pregnant with their first child.
It had been a very difficult pregnancy and there had been question as to whether or not she would pull through but she did and that was how Prince Vegeta came into the universe. King Vegeta, in his gratitude, had insisted Penelope have a permanent position at the palace as a physician. She had available to her all of the best technology and materials to study from and expanded her knowledge and skills that way, continuing to help anyone that needed help both inside and outside the palace.
About a year or two later, Penelope became pregnant again and birthed their second son, Kakarott who was appointed as companion to the Prince. As a result, he was exposed to the same education and training as Vegeta had been and the two had become closer than brothers.
It wasn't until years later, when the Queen had passed due to complications of her second pregnancy despite Penelope resorting to every last effort to help her that she decided to leave the palace and continue her work on her own in the capital, not far from the palace so that Bardock could retain his position.
Unfortunately, King Vegeta had held Penelope personally responsible for the death of his mate and son, which is why after she left the palace she refused to make any visits or appearances to the palace.
Bulma had heard some bits and pieces here and there about Penelope and her efforts to save Vegeta's mother. It was a shame, but sometimes things couldn't be helped. It was obvious to her that this woman would have done everything possible to help, she could see that even now she was grieved over the queen's passing.
Bulma smiled to herself as she listened with great interest to her story of how she and Bardock had gotten together. She remembered briefly asking Bardock once about his mate and he had cryptically said with a smile: "She is everything a proper Saiyan female and mate should be." She thought it was adorable that despite her not being useful as a warrior that he still saw something in her and took her as his mate. It made her feel a little bit better about her situation with Vegeta. Here was a situation where Bardock would have been around other warrior females, but he never took an interest in any of them and had taken a woman who was considered weak and useless on the battlefield as his choice, but never was she under the impression that he had any regret. He still had his position doing something that he loved, had two wonderful sons and a mate who looked after the home while he was at work and still was able to do her part and help out others in need.
Penelope had also given Bulma lots of suggestions to help her with Trunks and by this time, Vegeta was becoming agitated and insisted they must return to the palace.
They made their way back to the palace slowly and with Trunks in tow. Once again, they were stopped frequently by passersby. And once again, Bulma was touched by the seemingly overwhelming response of curiosity and friendliness towards them and their son. If anyone had issue with the idea that Trunks was not pure Saiyan, they did not voice it.
By the time they'd made it back to the palace, Bulma could tell Trunks was badly in need of a nap, being that it was now late afternoon.
As she tucked him in, she decided that a nap herself wouldn't be a bad idea. After all the drama from the previous day and Vegeta keeping her up all night and then the hike to and from the palace, she was exhausted. Vegeta was going off to train for a bit before dinner anyway. She hoped he wouldn't be too long; there were a lot of things she still wanted to discuss with him. Like when he was actually leaving? He hadn't brought it up again since lunch and she hadn't asked, hoping that he would just tell her.
Vegeta quickly changed into a different set of armor and made his way to the Training Center, wanting to catch up on lost time and to let loose on some pent up aggression to hopefully settle his nerves; only to bump into Asia on her way out. "You're back," she greeted. "Have you spoken to your father recently?"
"No," he grunted, brushing past her dismissively.
"Make sure you do at some point today." She suggested.
"Why?" he asked, stopping and turning towards her.
"Because there's been a new development in who's being sent to fight alongside with you against Cold." she informed him.
"I already have chosen who will be coming along with me." he replied indifferently.
"Well, you can plan on bringing one more person along," she said casually, dying to gauge his reaction to the news first hand.
"Really? Who?" Vegeta asked. "That weak fool who claims to be a distant relative of yours?"
"No, me." She answered.
"You?" he snorted. "And why the hell would I bring you with me on an important mission of this caliber? I thought I was being sent to kick Cold's ass, not babysit my father's mate."
"Don't be an asshole, Vegeta! I still technically out rank you, don't forget that," she reminded him bitterly. "Believe it or not, I'm just as put out about being sent out as you are to have to take me."
"I am sure you are," he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "No, really; what is your agenda?" he asked suspiciously, narrowing his eyes at her.
"I don't have an agenda! I was just as dumbstruck as you are. Do you think I want to go off and fight a war and leave my son here where I cannot watch over him and be sure that he will be kept safe from your father? Not really!"
"Exactly, you'll only get in my way and end up being nothing more than a liability to me."
"Watch it, Vegeta, you may just find yourself surprised. I am not as helpless as you seem to think."
"Hmmn, good," he replied after a moments consideration. "Then stay out of my way and we will get along just fine."
Asia rolled her eyes at him as he continued to head down towards the gravity chamber for a work out of his own. She wasn't going to say anything further to him when she remembered. "Hey, was it Bulma who made that gravity simulation?"
"She designed it, yes."
"I'm impressed." Was all she said before leaving, not giving him a chance to reply.
As much as she wanted to cut Bulma down, she had to admit that the gravity room was sheer genius. She had gone to the training facilities looking to only do some basic drills and to figure out exactly how out of shape she was in since it had been almost a year since she had worked out or anything.
Being that many of the soldiers had stayed up late at the banquet until the early morning hours, they were either still sleeping or still recuperating from severe hangovers; the training center was practically deserted.
Out of sheer curiosity, Asia had decided to see what the deal was with the gravity simulator. She'd heard about it from others and it had been a topic that had come up a few times over dinner last night. She had wanted to have something else to hate on and criticize Bulma for but once she had gotten it going and figured it out and saw the benefit of it, she couldn't. No matter how cynical she felt towards the other woman, she just could not bring herself to tear her down.
While she still detested her and wanted to have a legitimate reason to hate on her all the more, she found that she simply could not find a rational reason for doing so. Here was a girl who had it all. She was pretty, smart, talented and nice for some reason.
It was then that a thought crossed her mind: What if she asked Bulma to watch over Tarble for her while she was gone?
While she despised the girl for having everything she herself had ever wanted, Asia also knew that if she could trust anyone to watch over Tarble properly in her absence, it would be Bulma.
Asia wasn't sure, however, how to approach Bulma on the matter or if she would even agree if she did get the stomach to ask a favor of her; she knew she hadn't exactly been nice to her since her arrival; or ever for that matter. Not only that, but would Tarble even be safe if her father was plotting against Bulma? She wasn't sure now. If something happened to Bulma and Trunks would Tarble end up being collateral damage? More importantly, would anyone even care if something happened to him in the crossfire?
However, she also knew that Vegeta would not be stupid enough to leave Bulma and Trunks vulnerable and unprotected while he was gone. She wasn't sure what he would have put in place to ensure their safety but she was certain her father and the King would not be aware of it and it had to be something he had enough confidence in that he was actually leaving them here. She may not understand why he had taken her or what he could have possibly seen in her but she did know that he would do anything to keep them both safe. Could she trust that it would be enough though?
She felt torn.
What should she do? She certainly didn't trust anyone else to look after him as she herself would and she wasn't even sure where this sudden confidence in the other woman she had considered her rival came from.
By this time, she had made it back to the Royal wing and was only a few feet from where Vegeta's quarters were. She debated on going to talk to Bulma but decided since she probably hadn't heard the latest developments and it was best to let Vegeta break the news to her even though she would love nothing more than to be there to see her reaction to the news that she would be traveling with her mate. Asia resisted having a good chuckle on the thought.
Content with her decision, she went to her own quarters. She would seek Bulma out in a day or two with regards to watching over Tarble. She just needed to figure out how to do that and hoped that she was making the best decision possible for her son. After all, he was the only thing that mattered to her anymore.
-0-0-0-
Vegeta packed in his training session after about an hour. He was not able to concentrate after his conversation with Asia.
It wasn't so much that he was angry that Asia was coming; it did not matter to him one way or another if she came or not. Despite his disparaging remarks to her earlier, he knew she was an exceptional warrior and that she could quite easily hold her own on the battlefield; he would not need to babysit her. If anything, she would more than likely be an asset to them and as much as he hated to admit it she was on the same level strength wise and just as experienced tactically on the battlefield as some of the elite soldiers he had selected to come with him. She would do just fine.
He just wondered what his father's motive was in sending her. It didn't make any sense to him.
The biggest thing he was stressing about was the fact that he wasn't looking forward to telling Bulma that Asia would be accompanying him. Bulma would not be pleased, not that he could blame her. Asia had caused them more trouble than not.
He wondered what the best way to tell her would be and snarled at the thought of how weak he was to even be worried about her reaction to the news. What was done was done. Bulma would just have to go with it and trust him. Once again though, the thought that she seemed to distrust him where Asia was concerned picked at him greatly.
For whatever reason, even after everything they had been through, Bulma still felt the need to feel threatened by Asia no matter what he said or did to reassure her otherwise. He had understood it back when they first had gotten together; but now that they were mated and bonded and even shared a son, that she still felt that way bothered him immensely.
If she could not understand that he would never be interested in Asia and that there was never anything that Asia could do to change his mind or make him remotely interested in her, then they had a problem. He was not sure how to rectify this and now with Asia accompanying him he knew that would only exacerbate the situation.
Vegeta left the training facilities seeing as he was so heavily distracted he wasn't accomplishing anything anyway. He made his way to the kitchen and ordered a meal to be sent to his quarters for Bulma and himself. He hoped it would be there by the time he made it back; while he had not accomplished much, he had worked up quite the appetite.
He walked through the castle halls with his destination in mind: His father's private study.
Vegeta knocked once before opening the door and walking in.
"I was wondering when you would pay me a visit today," his father greeted somewhat harshly. "I have matters to discuss with you."
"So I hear," Vegeta replied, taking a seat opposite of his father. "Would you mind filling me in on why you want Asia to accompany me or is it your hopes that she will not come back? She is a decent warrior, however I will not take the time to babysit whether the reasons are that you need her to be looked after or you are hoping for her demise. I do not care one way or another. She is your concern."
"I have full confidence in her," his father answered. "I have no doubt that she will make it back just fine, she will not require your assistance."
"So what is your purpose in sending her?" he asked again.
"She has not been on a mission since before all of this. It is important for her to be able to fend for herself as much as anyone, especially given her position. Should anything happen to me, she must be able to step up and defend."
"Should anything happen to you, I will be stepping up and filling that position." Vegeta said haughtily.
"I suppose so," his father nodded. "You do realize that in such an event that you will be required to set your woman aside and take Asia as your mate and queen. She already holds that position. It would be to your advantage to leave things as they are with regards to her."
"I see, so was that your main strategy in taking her in the first place?" Vegeta asked in a snarky tone. "That I would be happy with having your left overs?"
"No, I took her so that I could produce another heir since my one and only son and heir was nowhere to be found!" he said accusingly. "Had you at least kept me informed of your whereabouts I would not have had to take such drastic measures!"
Vegeta shrugged. "What does it matter, I will not be taking her when you are gone regardless of what position she holds. She can take her brat and go wherever she wants for all I care. I want it made clear that I have no interest in her and that if this is a matchmaking attempt, you will be disappointed."
"I see, so your woman will not take my advice and leave here despite it being for both your advantages?"
"No, she will not and you will not say anything to distress her like that again," he warned his father with a growl. "If you have no use for her, simply let her be. She will cause no harm or be any trouble for anyone."
"Did she tell you what we discussed last night?"
"She did. We discussed it at length." he admitted with a nod. "Thanks to you, she is now obsessing over aging long before me and being nothing but a burden while I am still in my prime."
"Well really, Vegeta. What were you thinking?" His father sighed in an accusatory tone. "Was it not enough to simply screw the girl for a few weeks and be done with it? Did you realize your mistake before or after you foolishly bound yourself to her? "
"I was fully aware of our differences; not that it is any ones business."
"Yet you failed to inform her of that minor detail? Did you not think that down the road as she begins to wither away to nothing and show her age that she wouldn't take notice that you would still look as young as you do now? That she would not wonder why or even resent you for it?"
"I would have dealt with it when it was appropriate," Vegeta snapped. "At this time it is irrelevant. All you have done is unnecessarily upset her."
"She is right to be upset," his father snorted. "What else, I wonder have you not told her? Is she fully aware of the scenario with regards to Cold? That this will not be an easy battle? That you are to leave within the week? "
"I have not informed her of that, no." Vegeta answered reluctantly, knowing that in this case, his father was completely right. He should have told her that he was leaving sooner rather than later. He wasn't sure why he was keeping that bit of information to himself and he knew that the time to have told her would have been this morning when they were discussing everything before leaving for Bardock's. As it was Raditz slip up at lunch made it impossible for him to not fill her in now and he knew she wasn't happy with him.
"Well you had better let her know," his father advised. "Time is of the essence. Should you wait too long before your departure, you will be outnumbered and we may lose. Cold still believes that you are out and about pissing around and gallivanting with that female of yours. I can only hold him off so much before he strikes. He is not a patient man; you know this and he wants payment for the loss of his son."
"I will pay him alright," Vegeta smirked. "It is a pity I did not keep his son's head as a trophy to present to him."
His father shook his head. "I am surprised that you didn't."
Vegeta simply nodded. The thought had occurred to him. However at that time, he had been worried about Bulma and her reaction to him doing something so barbaric. She had been so frightened and found him nearly repulsive at that time, he had decided to not do that. On top of that, he had gotten enough satisfaction and closure from being able to destroy him on his own that it had not even been a difficult choice to not keep a trophy. "What would the point have been? I destroyed him. Why would I want to drag his ugly face around for?"
"I see maybe you have matured somewhat since I saw you last." He commended, looking at his son with interest.
Vegeta simply nodded.
"Tell your woman that you will be leaving next week," he said after some thought. "That will give you some more time to ensure your men are ready and it should still work to your advantage strategy wise."
"Alright," he sighed, looking at his father suspiciously, trying to detect any possible hint that he was indeed setting him up for failure but could not find one. Why would his father set him up? His father hated Cold as much as he did. Getting rid of him would be the best thing his father would accomplish during his time to rule. What could he possibly gain from setting his own son up for failure? His new heir would not amount to anything if his measly ki now was anything to go by. Why would his father seek to have him destroyed if the one to surpass him was weaker than even the lowliest third class infant? It did not make sense. However, he also knew that Bulma would not have mentioned her suspicions if she did not have a valid reason behind them.
What had his father exactly said to her to make her think that?
"Is there something else you wish to discuss, son?" he asked, noticing the guarded expression his son had taken.
"You are certain that if I lead my troops to deal with Cold now within a week or two at the most, he would be completely blindsided and not anticipating it?"
"Why would he be anticipating it? He still thinks you are away and is exhausting every effort to find you." he shrugged.
"Yet he believes that you would just willingly hand me over to him?"
King Vegeta sighed awkwardly. So the woman had filled him in on her suspicions; not that he was surprised by this turn of events. He thought very carefully for a moment, wondering once again if this was the best course to take. While he and Vegeta hadn't agreed on anything for years, he did feel regret over betraying his son. He had noticed many positive changes in him since he had returned to Vegeta-sei two weeks ago.
While he acknowledged the changes, he refused to believe they had anything to do with the woman. Some of the things she had said to him last night had hit home to him, as much as he tried to dismiss her as another stupid female trying to coddle his son. He agreed with her that he was much too hard on him. However his own father had been hard on him growing up and while he had hated his father with an unimaginable passion, he looked back on his childhood now and silently thanked him for being hard on him. It had made him who he was today and he doubted he would have made it this far in his rule if his father had not been brutal with him in his lessons.
"I have a treaty agreement with him," he said finally. "He thinks I do not want a war to occur; that we are unprepared both financially and tactically for a war. So I agreed to hand you over to him as means of a peace offering." Half true at least, he told himself as means of consolation.
"And he is stupid enough to believe that I would come willingly and surrender myself to him?" Vegeta asked with a laugh. "Has time made him completely daft?"
"He was greatly grieved over the death of his son. As a father, I can understand his thirst for revenge. So, no, he is not thinking straight. I took his side in the matter."
Vegeta nodded. "And he is expecting me to arrive on my own? But I will arrive with a legion of our best soldiers and take him by surprise?"
"That is correct." The King nodded. "After you depart, I will notify him that you are on your way, that I tricked you into going over there unarmed to him and are going to apologize to him for your actions, that I have not informed you that he is wanting your life in exchange for the one you took. He is not expecting a war, only to take custody of you and I am unsure what his plan after that is. I am sure he means for you to face a trial of some sort."
Vegeta nodded and frowned; that was a new piece of information. His father was always very vague on the subject of what Cold wanted from him, however Vegeta had already assumed as much. It is what he himself would do if the roles were reversed and someone executed Trunks. However hearing it from his father only confirmed that he needed to make absolutely certain that he would not lose. "Yet you are confident that I will not fall to him?" he asked, watching him closely for any evidence that would give him away.
"Why should you fall?" his father asked. "You have ascended and he has a very small army protecting him at the moment. There is no reason why you should fail. Unless you spend too much more time here and he has more time to gather his armies, then you may find yourself in quite the challenging predicament. However, if you go now, you should succeed."
Vegeta nodded. It made sense. "Very well, we will leave within the week." he agreed and left his father alone in his study. He thought long and hard about everything his father said and it didn't seem like he was setting him up or was plotting against him. The only thing that threw him for a loop was that he was sending Asia along. That decision did not make sense to him.
Bing that she was not his mate and therefore not his concern, he decided that it didn't matter. All that did matter was making sure he was prepared and that Bulma and Trunks would be safe while he was gone so that he could focus on destroying Cold without worry or distraction.
Vegeta made his way back to his quarters where he found that dinner had arrived and Bulma was settling in Trunks for the night.
"He missed you," she said, turning to look at him. "I had a really hard time settling him down tonight."
"I went to speak with my father for a little while after my training session," he admitted, checking to see what was left for him to eat, he was starving by this time.
"And how did that go?" she asked, coming to sit down near him at the table to keep him company while he ate.
"About as well as to be expected," he shrugged.
"Any new news about things?" she asked.
He looked at her closely a moment, wondering if she was asking because she had heard about Asia or if she was asking simply to make conversation? "I will be leaving within the week," he said, choosing to not tell her about Asia at the moment.
"I thought you had a few weeks?" she objected with a frown. "What changed that?"
"My father says Cold is getting impatient. It would be best to go after him now rather than wait for him to get his shit together. If that happens then we may have a problem. As it is, he has rallied most of the other side of the galaxy to his cause in his vendetta against me." Vegeta explained.
"I thought you wanted to train with your men a bit longer? We've only been here a little over two weeks, Vegeta. The gravity simulator will be ready later on this week. Then you can train better with them. Even this morning you agreed that-"
"I realize that, but my father's informants are telling him that it is more prudent to leave now. Strike while he is still not ready."
"And while you and your men aren't really ready either?" she pointed out. "This sounds like a bad plan, Vegeta."
"And what do you know of war tactics?" he asked irritably.
"Point taken, so then if I don't know anything about battle tactics then why is it obvious to me that this is a bad idea? If it's obvious to me, then it should be a major red flag to you."
"It is not ideal but you speak as though my men have never been in a battle before. You do not know what they are capable of. More training would benefit them but if we need to leave now it is not as though I am leaving with a bunch of inexperienced boys. I have fought and lead alongside these men for many years, many of which are older and have twice the battlefield experience that I have," he explained. "I may have surpassed them all in strength but they will still be useful to me. I will refer to them for council should things not be as simple as we think it will be. I trust each and every one of them implicitly."
"Whatever," she sighed, knowing that arguing with him was pointless. "Just come back here safely and in one piece, please. That's all I ask."
Bulma got up and began clearing off the table of all the empty bowls and plates that had accumulated in the matter of just a few minutes now that Vegeta had returned to feast. She decided her best bet was to keep her opinions to herself and hope for the best outcome possible since all she was doing was annoying him with her worries. She was trying to keep Bardock's mate's advice in mind and apply it but it was easier said than done.
The tension from last night was still lingering between them somewhat and she hated it. She recognized that the majority of it was stress related and nothing more but that did not make it any easier to deal with it. They weren't usually angry with one another and even when they were, it wasn't for very long and either they worked it out verbally or in the bedroom and by the next day it was forgotten. Unfortunately this was a problem that was beyond either of their control and would not be going away any time soon and it was affecting both of them negatively.
Her only hope in Vegeta mentioning that he would be leaving very soon was that hopefully it would mean things would be over quickly and this chapter of their life be over and done with. What lay after this war with Cold, she wasn't sure but she hoped it would be a step in the right direction for the both of them if everything went as planned and Vegeta returned victorious.
Vegeta finished his meal in relative silence as Bulma put Trunks' things away and began straightening things up here and there. "We have staff to do that," he said as he watched her scurry about.
"I know," she said, not pausing.
"Then why are you doing it?" he asked irritably.
"Because I want to, Vegeta. I need to keep myself occupied because if I don't, I'll lose my mind and end up saying something to irritate you."
"Your thoughts are doing a good enough job on their own."
She sighed in annoyance as she put down some of the junk she was reorganizing and looked pointedly at him. "Look, Vegeta I don't want to fight with you. We don't see eye to eye over everything that's going on right now. Anything I have to say on the matter you find necessary to simply brush off like my opinions don't matter, and hope I am way off base with my worries!" She exploded at him. "Bardock's mate gave me some helpful insight today and I am trying very hard to play the roll of a proper Saiyan spouse instead of being the over paranoid spouse."
"You are being over paranoid and your lack of trust and confidence in me are wearing to say the least."
"I trust you, Vegeta." she objected. "I trust you with my life. That's not what this is about-"
"It is part of it." He insisted.
"Then tell me what it is you think I lack in the trust and confidence department," she snipped stubbornly, crossing her arms and looking pointedly at him. She really didn't want to fight with him anymore, but better they hash it all out now and be done with it than for this to drag on the duration of his time here.
"You are the only one that I want," he said, getting up and pulling her roughly towards him, which of course she hadn't been expecting and fell into him. "No matter our biological differences, no matter what my father or anyone else says or thinks. What else do I need to do to get you to understand that? Your constant doubts about my loyalty to you are tiresome and need to stop.
"I need to be free from all distraction if I am to go into this. I cannot be worrying constantly about you and you need to quit thinking that my attentions will be drawn elsewhere towards another. It will not happen."
"I know," she nodded. She knew she was guilty of obsessing over Asia too much and that it was irritating to him. "I don't doubt you. I know you only have eyes for me; that's not it, not entirely and I will work on it because I know it's not fair to you but I'm more worried about what will happen while you are gone. I'm not worried that much about her; I know you are doing everything you can to keep us safe while you are gone and I know you'll do your best in this fight to make it back home to us but I am still afraid."
"You do not take the time to consider how this is effecting me. It is always about how it affects you and your constant arguing against my decisions and better judgments and questioning that I am doing everything I can."
"I'm sorry for that and I will work on not doing that but you don't tell me anything. You keep me blocked out from everything pertaining to this mission so I am at a loss to even know what it is you are going through. I'm not a mind reader Vegeta! I want to be a support to you. But you don't let me! If you can't let me in then I can't be a support to you. And in return then it is completely unfair to me for you to be angry with me.
"Talk to me, Vegeta. I may not understand but at least give me the chance to try. We used to be really good at that until we came here. Just forget everything else; your father, this war, your people. Forget it all! Let's just get on the same page because if I understood exactly what was going on, I wouldn't question your choices. Please?"
He looked at her long and hard, knowing she was somewhat right.
"Last night we both said things we didn't mean and I hate that. I don't want to fight with you. Especially if you are leaving soon. I want these last few weeks or days to be good between us before you go."
"There you go again, assuming the worst." He growled. "You speak as though this is the last we will see of one another."
"And for all I know it is," she shrugged. "Nothing ever works out in our favor, Vegeta. After everything we have come through together, you should understand where I am coming from with this."
He sat back down, not saying anything else in his defense and finished his meal in silence, deciding it best to cool off before he once again said something he did not mean. He finished his meal and headed to the washroom for a shower.
Bulma finished tidying up after him and decided her best option was to turn in for the night. She still did not feel any better and wondered what exactly was keeping Vegeta on edge. She wanted desperately to ask him but didn't want to irritate him further by prodding into his mind through their bond. She tried to not do that and most of the time it wasn't a problem. She did not need to know everything going on in his head twenty four hours a day and he wasn't constantly trying to figure out everything she was thinking either. But in moments like this when they were strained and stressed out, it was hard to not simply prod mentally just a little bit.
Especially since she suspected there was something he was not telling her. Why was he on her case about her questioning his loyalty where another female was concerned tonight she wondered? If there was something that was picking at him what could be so bad that he thought not telling her about it was better?
Vegeta stepped out of the shower then, already dried off from his ki. He didn't say anything but crawled into bed next to her. His mind was racing, wondering what he should tell her and what he shouldn't. He knew not telling her about Asia wasn't an option. He wasn't sure why he was putting it off, but he was. However it was only because he didn't have the energy to fight with her. Not when he was stressing over everything else going on.
I will tell her tomorrow, he told himself.
Tell me what tomorrow? She asked.
He growled in response. Once again lamenting to himself how sometimes the bond was more trouble than it was worth. Like right now. You will find out tomorrow, he answered simply.
"Why can't you just tell me now? I'm exhausted, but my mind is just racing so I don't think I'll be falling asleep anytime soon. And I'm trying to not listen in on your thoughts, I am but you're stressing and I can feel it. So what's going on? What is it that's so terrible you can't tell me?" She asked turning around so she was laying on her right side facing him.
He thought a moment. "This is not something I can negotiate or something I wanted to agree to."
"Alright," She nodded. "Fair enough. I won't be mad at you then."
He snorted. "My father is sending Asia with me on this war against Cold."
Bulma was quiet a moment, taking that information in before she sat up, propped on an arm and looked at him. "Okay. Why?"
"Hell if I know. I only just found out about it this evening."
"And you thought it best to not tell me about it? Why?"
"You said you would not be mad." He objected.
"I'm mad you weren't planning on telling me." She corrected.
He nodded once in agreement. "I was going to tell you. I just did not feel like addressing it now along with everything else. Especially after our run in with her this morning."
"So I don't get it, why is she going with you? Is this some kind of set up from your father hoping you'll see the light and ditch me for her?"
Vegeta shrugged. "I do not think so, but I have yet to figure out his motives."
"He's married to her though. That's messed." She mumbled to herself.
Vegeta smirked at her. "It does not matter. I will work with her as required but I will still remain uninterested. You have no need to feel insecure."
"I know," she sighed. Now understanding why he was so annoyed earlier and why he did not want to tell her about Asia. However, that did not make her feel any less insecure. Here he would be gone for who knew how long and having to work closely with someone who obviously desired him and whom she would bet her life on would jump on any opportunity to have him for herself. Here also was an aspect in which she couldn't be better than the other woman. She was a warrior. Bulma couldn't fight. She could barely take care of herself let alone fight alongside Vegeta in a war. Suddenly, once again came the feeling that she did not belong here and not with him. She tried to push those feelings aside because she knew Vegeta did not see it that way, but she still felt it.
"I told you," he said, pulling her out of her spiral of negative thoughts about herself. "She is of no concern to you or me. One good thing about this is now I do not have to worry about her plotting against you in my absence."
"No. I just have to worry about her doing whatever she can to catch your attention. I'm not stupid, Vegeta. Even I know that in your culture there's something hot about a warrior woman that can fight alongside you and take care of themselves rather than a damsel in distress."
He shrugged in response, trying to push back his annoyance at her for stupid insecurities. "Are you finished? You are being ridiculous once again."
"I know." She agreed, laying back down beside him and dropping the topic. She didn't want to fight with him anymore. "This is hard for me, but I'll work on being more supportive."
He grunted in response, bringing an arm around her waist, holding her close to him. They were silent for a long time. Both contemplating everything that was happening so fast it was getting hard to keep track. Since their return, the last few weeks had gone by like a whirlwind of events. Unfortunately all of those events had done nothing but cause unnecessary strain and stress on them.
Bulma had always understood that Vegeta's position as Prince would be very demanding, but she had hoped it would take a few months for him to have gotten back into the swing of things and leave to go fight. She had hoped that things would have been more settled, that she would have had a purpose and maybe a job of some kind instead of being strictly confined to where she could and could not go. Thankfully that had been somewhat remedied today but she still needed to be careful. She didn't really have any friends here yet. What was she going to do to keep her mind busy and occupied so she wasn't worrying constantly about Vegeta and how things would be going?
They lay there together, both considering different things for a long time before Vegeta took her hand and placed it purposefully on his cock.
Bulma snickered at him and his silent but not so subtle request, but began to stroke him slowly, teasing him. He grunted appreciatively as she worked him slowly with her hand. She brought her face up to his and kissed him on the lips chastely, smiling against his mouth when he brought both his hands up and placed them on either side of her face and deepened the intensity of her kiss immediately.
They may not agree or have all the answers for the moment but for the time being, they could lose themselves in each other and try and make sense of everything else later on. The one thing Bulma did not want to do was take for granted the time they did have. Who knew how long they had before he left and how long it would be before they could find solace in each other again, forgetting about the days tribulations.
I love you, was her last coherent thought before he pulled her on top of him and made her forget everything else.
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