"Mother Dearest" By Shasta **************************************************************************** ****** Disclaimer: The characters of Dragonball Z belong to Akira Toriyamma and FUNamation Productions. I do not own anything other than this fan fiction, merchindice and the character Nikeeta. All products belong to their respective companys....still it would be nice to own Cell...

A/N: Boy, i bet you're really tired of all these fan fictions about Vegeta getting abused by his parents, huh? Well, not in this story, mi amigo! This story tells of where Vegeta gets his inner goodness. It's about his mother and how he misses her.... I dedicate this fic to my momma. Thanks for putting up with my insanity over the years! YOU'RE NUMBER 1!!! *hugs her Momma*

Summery: It's Mother's Day on planet Earth and Vegeta remembers his mother...this is her story..********************************************************************* ************* Everywere he looked, he could see the humanoid children laughing and comparing cards, talking of what gifts they'd buy their mothers for Mother's Day. If the Saiyen Prince showed any sadness, he hid it remarkably well. Everyone knew about King Vegeta, his father, the mighty warrior and ruler of the vast Saiyen empire of Vejitazi..... But no-one knew of Vegeta's mother...the Queen Nikeeta, forced to live in the shadows of her mate, forced to hand over her only child to lord Frieeza, killed by his hands..... She never lived to see her only son grow up...... Vegeta felt a sadness in his heart whenever he thought of her.... Even though she had died almost 30 years ago, the pain still bore deep into his tormented soul.

"Dad?"

The saiyen prince was dragged from his thoughts by the voice of his first born son, 14 year old Trunks, who was gazing at him with curiousity.

Vegeta blinked. "What is it, brat?"he snapped. He did'nt mean to be so......mean...but he was the Saiyen prince...he had to be strict with his offspring if they were to carry on in his place.....

"Would Mom like these flowers?" said Trunks, holding up a bunch of red roses to his father's face. Vegeta caught a wiff of the sweet, fragile scent of nectar. He looked at the roses.... They were the favorite of his mother. Vegeta could remember vividly, back to when he was 5 years old...

~Flashback~ The sunlight shone down on the magnificent palace of Tala, the imperial city of the vast planet, Vejitazi. A tall woman with hair the colour of a deep, winsor purple tied in an elegent bun at the back of her head with two long plaits falling down past her waist, dressed in a kimono of blue and gold silk, walks through the garden of flowers, taking in the beauty and tranquility.

"Mama!"

A young Vegeta, no older than 5, runs to the woman, smiling broodly, waving a bunch of ruby red roses. The woman picked him up in her arms and kissed him on the cheek.

"Veggie-chan!" she said, in a gentle, kind voice.

Young Vegeta handed the bunch of roses to his mother.

"Happy Mother's Day, Mama!" he said, in typical 5 year old voice.

His mother's deep blue eyes glinted and she smiled as she lifted the roses to her nose and smelled them.

"Thank you, my son...they are beautiful! Come inside with me and we shall find a nice vase to display them in, hmm?" she said.

Young Vegeta hugged his mother tightly.

"I love you, Mama."

His mother returned the hug.

"I love you too, young Veggie-chan."

~Flashback Ends~

Vegeta handed the flowers back to his son and his expression softened.

"Yes, son..i think she'd love those..."he said.

Trunks gave his father a curious look, but the look soon turned to a smile.

"Beautiful, a'rnt they?"he said, sniffing the roses.

Vegeta ruffled his son's mop of short, lavender hair and smiled sincerly.

"Yes....they are, Trunks. Come, let's pay for all this junk we're getting the onna!" he said, before following his son to the cashier.....



"HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, MOM!" Trunks and Bura yelled, almost making poor Bulma jump out of her skin in fright.

Bulma massaged her chest and slowly got her breath back. Bura giggled like a typical 3 year old and brought the box of chocalates out from behind her back. She handed them to Bulma, who's face lit up with maternal pride. Vegeta watched with a small smile on his otherwise stern-looking face as Bulma gave Bura a kiss on the cheek, thanking her for her gifts.

"These are for you, Mom."Trunks said, bringing the roses out from behind his back.

Bulma smiled and hugged her son tight.

"Thank you so much, Trunks! They're beautiful! Come! Help me find a nice vase to display them in.....that was so nice of you, Trunks..Bura! As a treat, you can both have some of that extremly fattening Choclate Fudge Brownie Ice Cream you both like!" she said.

Bura and Trunks both grinned. "Yaaay!"

Vegeta chuckled to himself. Bulma caught this and gave her husband a strange look.

"What's so funny, Vegeta?"

"Oh...nothing, Bulma."he repiled, in a sing-song voice........





"Lord Vegeta, Lady Nikeeta......i've come for the boy." said the pale skined changling, stepping inside the imperial throne room.

Nikeeta clutched her son tightly. "You cannot take my son! He's only a child!" she cryied, glaring at Frieeza with anger in her Saiyen blood.

Frieeza laughed coldy and slapped King Vegeta on the back rather roughly.

"Fiesty little wife of yours! Why don't you have your killed for oposing me and my army?"

King Vegeta shrugged and folded his arms.

"I only keep her around for the boy's sake...that and the fact she's a tiger in the sack."

Frieeza laughed again. "Unhand that child, woman! He is to join my army and train to become a great warrior."

Frieeza then grabbed the young Vegeta and kicked Nikeeta roughly in the guts.

"Do what you must."said King Vegeta.

"MOMA!! NO!! I WANT MY MOMA!!" screamed young Vegeta, kicking out at Frieeza, who simply laughed.

"Fiesty little one...he has a fighting spirit. He will fare well in my army...alas, i must go. Much buisness to do...i fare thee well. Adios!" said Frieeza, before making his way back to his ship, the young prince kicking and screaming under his arms.

Nikeeta jumped up and ran foreward, in a vain effort to stop him, but King Vegeta held her back by the shoulders.

"Let him go...." he said.

Nikeeta slapped him hard across the face, hurt in her heart, anger in her coral blue eyes.

"You...you.....BASTARD! How could you give up our only child?! Our own flesh and blood?! Have you no shame?! Why, you are not a man, but a coward! I would rather die than have my only son in the hands of that...tyrant! How could you, Vegeta?! He was our son!" she screamed, tears pouring down her face.

King Vegeta narrowed his eyes at his wife.

"Woman, shut your goddamned mouth! That kid was worthless! He could'nt even fly untill he was 4! A waste of flesh, if you ask me.....and anyway, had we not given him up, the planet would have suffered by Frieeza's hand...so shut the hell up about things you don't understand, weakling! And stop crying! Crying shows weakness and i shall not have a weakling as a wife!" he yelled.

Nikeeta looked at her husband with the upmost loathing. Tears flowed down her tanned face and her hands were clenched into fists. She walked out to the balcony over looking the vast citie of Tala, the wind blowing through her deep, plum-coloured hair.

"My son...i want you back in my arms....telling me you love me........but i am afraid.....i've lost you forever......grow up big and strong, my son....and safe us all..." she whispered to the wind, not bothering to brush her tears away......



Vegeta woke up in a cold sweat, panting and gasping. Every night it was the same thing. That horrible scene replayed over and over each night for 30 years, since the day he was pulled from his mother's protective arms and handed over to Frieeza. He clenched his fists, tears threathening to fall from his extremly dark blue eyes.

"Vegeta? What's wrong?" said Bulma sleepily, propping herself up on her elbow to look at him.

She saw that he was shivering and she did'nt think it had anything to do with the cold. She looked at him and saw that he was'nt looking stern and menacing as usual. Quite the opposite...he looked so helpless....and he was CRYING. It was very softly, but Bulma could see the tears flow from his eyes.

"Vegeta, why are you crying? Honey?"she said, gently wrapping her arms around him. She felt his shoulders heave as he cried softly into her shoulder.

"It's...just...every night...i dream the same thing....the day i was handed over to Frieeza.......my mother tried to stop him.....but it was no use..she would never had stood a chance against him.... It was..the last time..i ever saw her..i was 5 years old......you have no idea what it's like to grow up....without parents...without love...it's not a nice life to live.........and i know.... I miss her so much......if only Frieeza had'nt destroyed Vejitazi.....she would have been alive today....."he choked, his voice scratchy from the crying.

Bulma hugged him tightly.

"Oh, Vegeta.....i'm so sorry.......if it's any consolation, she would have been extremly proud of you were she still alive. Your mother loved you so much, Vegeta. Don't you ever forget that. And never forget than me, Trunks and Bura all love you too. It was'nt your fault she died.."

Vegeta wiped his eyes.

"But why do i feel so...empty? So...guilty?"

Bulma kissed him gently on the lips.

"Oh, sweetheart......i can imagine what this is like for you....you feel empty because your mother is no longer with you...but she is. She's in your heart and your memories...and when you truely love someone, they're never really gone. They're alive in your heart. You feel guilty because you think that..had you not been taken...you could have saved her..... Vegeta, it was'nt your fault she died. I'm sure she's up in heaven, watching over you...a guardian angel if you will."

She said, smiling softly at him.

Vegeta looked at her and smiled.

"You're right. Thank you, Bulma."

"Don't worry, i won't tell anyone i saw you cry!" Bulma said, smiling.

Oh, really? How iron clad is that promise?" said Vegeta, grinning wolfishly.

"I'll need some persasion..."said Bulma, running her hands through Vegeta's rich, black hair.

Vegeta growled playfully and passionatly kissed her, running his hands all over her body..............





(Sorry, peeps! I'm tryna keep this one a G. No graphic details! )



When the er....'horizontal tango' ended, Vegeta and Bulma lay asleep in each other's arms, their fingers intwined and content smiles on their faces. Vegeta had a dream...but it was'nt the painfull re-living of the faithfull day he had left his mother....no...it was quite different......

Vegeta walked through a pair of white double doors.... He crossed the room to the hospital bed at the far end, next to the window.

"Hey, how are you doing?" he whispered gently to Bulma.

Her eyes fluttered open and she stared up at her handsome prince.

"Mmmm.........labour was the most painfull thing i've ever gone through...but it was worth it...look, Vegeta.....your son." she said, motioning to the bundle of blue blankets lying on her stomach.

Vegeta picked up the bundle and gazed at his son.

He had deep, olive colured skin and deep, coral blue eyes. There was a single lock of rich, lavender hair in the centre of his forehead and he was gurgling softly.

"He's beautiful...."breathed Vegeta.

The baby began sucking his thumb, gurgling softly.

"What do you want to call him?" said Bulma.

"His Saiyen name shall be Turuskeeto, 'kind hearted warrior', but for short, he shall be know as Trunks." said Vegeta, gently rocking his new- born son in his arms.

"He looks so much like you.." said Bulma.

Vegeta shook his head. "No...he looks like my mother....the grandmother he never got to meet..."

Suddenly, a tall, semi transparent figure of a woman dressed in long, royal blue robes trimmed with gold, appeared at the end of the bed. She had dark, plum-purple hair and deep, coral blue eyes. She smiled at Bulma, Vegeta and the new baby, even though they could not see her. She squeesed her shoulderblades together and all at once, two enormous, pearly white wings covered in feathers emerged from her back. She walked to were Bulma was holding Trunks and gently kissed his forehead. "Grow up strong and brave...be noble..with a good heart like your father....my grandson." Nikeeta gently whispered. She then turned to Vegeta. And she smiled.

"You have made me proud, my son."



THE END. ************************************************************* A/N: FOR THE LOVE OF CHEEZE, REVIEW!!! *************************************************************