And by popular demand, here it is! Trunks is dead! I actually teared up writing this in a few spots, so yall girls get your tissue boxes and break out the Haagen Daas.

He'd thought the hardest thing he'd ever faced was his own death on Namek. He was wrong.

And then he'd thought it was the death of his future son. Wrong.

The death of the son he'd helped raise. Close, but wrong again.

Watching what the death of that son did to his son's mate… that was the hardest thing he'd ever come up against, hands down. And if he couldn't bring her back soon, it was going to break him.

"Usagi." Vegeta sat the food tray down next to the barely touched tray from that afternoon before sitting on the side of the bed and shaking her gently. "Usa, wake up." She shifted slightly, and he knew she was awake, she was just refusing to acknowledge anyone… just as she'd done for weeks. "You can't keep doing this, woman. You've got to get up and face the world eventually. Trunks wouldn't want you doing this to yourself… or to his son."

And then Vegeta regretted his words the moment she turned her face to look at him and he saw the raw, unmasked pain in her eyes. With a sigh, he laid down next to her and drew her into his arms, his chest vibrating in a low purr, something he'd only ever done for Bulma, until the death of his only son. "I didn't mean it that way," he allowed. "But you do have to get up, Usagi. You have to eat. You have to survive."

The only indication that she was listening was the feel of her tears soaking into his shirt, and the way she trembled, clutching desperately at his back to pull him closer to her. "I know," Vegeta whispered. "I know. It's been hard on all of us." He let her cry for a long time before drawing her into a sitting position and drying her tears with the hem of his shirt. "Now, you need to eat."

Usagi shook her head sullenly, not even looking at the food tray as she pushed it away. But Vegeta wouldn't be defeated that easily, and he yanked her back as she tried to lay down again and bury her face in her mate's pillow. "Sit up," he growled, pulling the tray back over. "You're going to eat, woman. Whether you like it or not."

Vegeta didn't expect the sharp glare as she looked up at him; she'd been so docile, so easy to cow over the last four months that he'd feared her broken. But maybe… just maybe, if he played this right… "Don't give me that look, woman. Eat, or I'll shove it down your throat."

He could have cheered and pumped his fists in the air when her lip curled up in a half-snarl, and she shoved at him half-heartedly as he tried to hand her a spoon. "You'll lose, Usagi," he warned. "I'm not some pushover like my—" Vegeta bit down on his bottom lip before the word "son" could leave his mouth, but it was too late, the damage had been done.

That blank, utterly destroyed look was back in her eyes, and fresh tears were spilling down her face and into the soup on the tray. "Fuck," Vegeta sighed, drawing her to him once more, purring comfort for his daughter. "I'm sorry," he whispered, "I didn't mean to…" He shook his head and kissed the top of her hair as he rocked her in his arms. "I'm sorry, Usagi. I'm sorry."

##################

"Any luck?" Bulma asked that same question three times a day, and every day for four months, the answer had been pretty much the same. Vegeta was the only one that ever had any luck with her for some reason, and her mate had refused to say why. It probably had to do with her time in captivity, and the way she'd find comfort in him if Trunks wasn't around to assure her that she was safe.

"I had her," Vegeta sighed. He set the old tray on the counter, sat on a bar stool, and buried his face in his hands. "I got her back, Bulma. For just a minute or two, she was there. That spark was back in her eyes, and she… and then I fucked it up. I mentioned Trunks without even thinking about it."

The blue-haired genius came up behind him and wrapped her arms around him tightly, trying to give him some measure of comfort. "That's a lot further than anyone else has gotten, Vegeta. What did you do to get her to come around a little?"

He couldn't help it when his lips twitched up in a ghost of his trademark smirk. "I pissed her off."

"Well, there's no one more qualified on this planet for that, is there?" Bulma snorted. She nipped at his mark when an idea occurred to her. "What time did you three usually get up for training? Four?"

"Yeah, why?"

Bulma managed a ghost of her own little smile before kissing him on the cheek. "What used to get a rise out of that girl more than anything, Vegeta?"

That smirk was back, only it was a little more genuine. "You're a genius, woman."

"I know. Just make sure you don't soak that pillow, or the plan will backfire, ok?"

Vegeta nodded, glad that she'd reminded him. If he accidentally ruined the scent of Trunks in that pillow that Usagi always kept her face buried in, all hell would break loose.

##########################

"Dende, please let this work," he whispered to the ceiling. Ready to resume his role as King of the Trolls, Vegeta silently stalked into what once was his son's room, yanked the pillow out that she had her face buried in, and proceeded to dump a half gallon of ice water on her head.

Usagi leapt out of the bed sputtering, coughing, and looking like a drowned rat. "Ass out of bed, girl, it's four fifteen, and you're late for training." Before she could do anything but just stare at him in shock, he yanked off her pajamas, leaving her shivering and naked, before drying her with his ki and handing her a sports bra and a pair of shorts. "You have five minutes to meet me in the gravity room. And Usagi… if I have to come back up here, you're going to seriously regret it," he growled.

Vegeta was amazed when she actually came downstairs to meet him, dressed in the clothes he'd handed her. She hadn't left the room in over four months, so seeing her in the gravity room was just a little surreal. He'd given her a few extra minutes, knowing she'd be late; he wouldn't have gone upstairs for at least a half hour if she'd decided to ignore his warning. "Coffee," he said flatly, pointing at the cup on the table. "Food if you're hungry."

He thought about pushing her to eat, but he decided not to. She was drinking the coffee at least, and she'd actually gotten out of bed. That was something. Baby steps. "You're out of practice, so we'll start with katas. Join me when you're finished with your coffee."

As he expected, she took her sweet time drinking her coffee, sitting on a stool and staring at the floor for nearly a half hour. But it surprised him when she actually got up on her own and came over to him without any prodding… or being dragged there, which he'd been prepared to do.

Usagi joined in on the kata he was already performing, flowing right into formation just like she had on that fateful morning, the very last time she'd ever come to the gravity room.

Vegeta nearly commented on her form and how it was a little off, but kept his mouth shut as he watched her movements grow smoother, less jerky, with every passing minute. She didn't even have her eyes open, which was saying something, at least. She was remembering, or trying to, and most likely also imagining that Trunks was on her right, just as he had been almost every morning for fifteen years.

He only spoke at the end of the warm-ups, and it was to order her to start over. "From the beginning this time. Your form's still a little sloppy."

Usagi cracked open her eyes, and as he expected, she looked to her right and blinked back tears. But yet again, to his sheer amazement, she didn't run away; she only closed her eyes and nodded, shifting back into the very first formation and beginning again.

"Spar?" He grunted, once they had finished. Vegeta bit down on his tongue when she shook her head, but found himself gaping a little when she walked back over to the table and began nibbling on some bacon. Well, he certainly wasn't going to stop her from actually eating something, not when she was ridiculously underweight.

"M—Mom?"

Vegeta and Usagi both turned their heads and looked at the gravity room door in surprise. And for the first time in over two months, Usagi actually spoke, her voice barely over a whisper. "Geta."

"Boy, I told you not today," Vegeta grunted, shaking his head. "Your mother's out of practice, she can't keep up with the sort of sparring we engage in."

But neither mother nor child was paying any attention to the crown prince, they were only looking at each other, drinking in the other's presence. Usagi licked her lips and swallowed. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. Come here."

Geta, proud teenager or not, was in his mother's arms in a flash, hugging her tightly and purring comfort as she ran her long, too-skinny fingers through his flame-like hair. "I'm sorry, too, Mom… I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," she choked. "I pushed you away, not the other way around. But I'm here now, Geta, and I won't…" Usagi swallowed tears, but couldn't keep some from spilling down her face as she held her boy. "I won't go back to the way I was, I swear it to you. Vegeta's right… Trunks… he wouldn't want this for me. He'd want me to move on."

If Vegeta saw the tears on his grandson's face, he chose not to comment on them; the boy had only been mourning his mother just as much as his dead father for the last four months, expecting her to shrivel up and die of a broken heart. Hell, they all had, and she'd nearly done just that. "You need to warm up, brat?"

"No, Paw Paw. I'm good," Geta said hoarsely, kissing his mother's forehead while he wiped away both of their tears.

Usagi merely sat there for a little while, watching her son and father spar, drowning in memories at the sight of him. God, he fought just like his father. Hell, he looked just like him, too. Not his features—other than the eyes, those belonged entirely to his grandfather—but his facial expressions and his fighting form screamed "Trunks." "He'd be so proud of you, boy," she whispered into her coffee, washing down the last of her second plate of food.

Vegeta blinked when the petite blonde floated over, arms folded over her chest, and called a stop of the spar. "You want to join in, girl?"

Usagi just nodded and powered up.

But when she didn't transform, Geta opened his mouth to say something, only to be sharply cut off by his grandfather. "That's high enough, girl. Keep it light today." And then in Geta's ear, "no, boy. Don't even mention Sailor Moon. Baby steps." Since the two of them hadn't even seen each other in over a month, Vegeta had them double team him, which wasn't even close to a challenge. If Usagi had transformed, she could have given Vegeta a run for his money unless he went to level three, and even then he would have had to watch his ass. In fifteen years, his daughter had become quite the crafty fighter.

Vegeta only worked her for a little over an hour, and called the match as soon as she started flagging, and was more worried about her lack of complaint than he was the pale, sweaty face framing those crystal blue eyes. "Eat something, Usagi," he grunted, as he toweled off her face. Old habits died hard; he'd charged himself with her care—all of her care, including bathing her—when she'd slipped into that semi-coma.

"I can wipe off my own sweat, Tousan," she said with a hint of amusement, mixed in with the gratitude. She hadn't been completely out of it as some would think; she remembered flashes of him, feeding her, washing her up, dressing her, brushing her hair… even reading to her on a few occasions. But mostly, she remembered him pleading with her quietly to come back to him, that he couldn't bear to lose his daughter as well as his son. "You won't lose me, too," she whispered, knowing very well that his superior ears would hear her.

"Good to hear," he whispered back, unable to stop himself from tugging her into his arms, wrapping his tail around her as he purred gently.

"Is this a private hug, or can another handsome prince join in?"

Usagi and Vegeta looked over to find Geta waggling his eyebrows at her, and both of them gave identical little grins to the younger Saiyan. "Prince of the fucking Trolls, I swear."

"Hand of God," Vegeta agreed with a chuckle, and shoved the boy onto his backside when he tried to teasingly hug his grandfather while making an "awww!" noise. "Touch me and I'll—"

"Final Flash, next dimension. We've heard it, Paw Paw." And when his grandfather turned his back. Geta grabbed his mother's arm and yanked her and Vegeta into a very brief embrace while he yelled "ROYAL HUG!", followed by a quick dart across the room to escape Vegeta's wrath. He grinned as he watched the older Saiyan's jaw twitch, and just barely tipped his head towards his mother, who was laughing uncontrollably.

That immediately softened Vegeta's features, and he simply huffed at his grandson, who he knew had done it simply to make Usagi smile again. "That was your one freebie, boy."

"Don't tempt me, Paw Paw. Next time I just might kiss you."

"And you'll find yourself missing a pair lips to kiss that little girlfriend of yours with… hm. Might make you prettier, though."

"Paw Paw… you do realize that you just called me ugly? I look like you."

"Shut up, brat."

Usagi only laughed harder at that exchange, nearly in hysterics from Geta's teasing grin and Vegeta's twitching jaw.

###################

It was a month before she could fly any distance without a spotter to make sure she didn't fall, but her son worked with her diligently whenever she wasn't training with her father or being forced by everyone around her to eat something. The Senshi came nearly every day, sometimes as a group, sometimes just one at a time. The most frequent visitor was Makoto, who brought all of her favorite foods, laced with protein powders and vitamins to build her liege's strength back up.

Mako's son came with her most of the time, likely at the insistence of his father. Piccolo had always cared for and respected Usagi as the Queen of the Stars, but he wasn't one to gush and check on her every five minutes. He'd already visited three times on his own, hugging her tightly in very un-Piccolo-like fashion before insisting that she was too skinny and needed to eat more so he could properly kick her ass in a spar.

"Pan turns sixteen today," Usagi remarked conversationally. She smirked and chuckled when Tantu turned purple and visibly trembled a little. "Oh, you'll be fine, honey. Did you ask Tousan about what to expect?"

Since he was nearly identical to his father, seeing that look of terror on his face was more than a little comical. "He said she was going to fuck my brains out."

"You need me to hide you? Or Geta, perhaps?"

Makoto laughed hysterically at that and shook her head. "Geta, that little prick… he already threw Tantu to the wolves once this morning by calling Pan and giving her his location."

"That's my boy," Usagi snickered. "Lucky that Kakarot taught you to teleport, huh, Tantu?"

He nodded sullenly. "I've been staying one step ahead of her, thank Dende."

"You know, brat, the longer you run from her, the worse it's going to be," Vegeta snickered from the doorway. "Don't be scared. It's just pussy."

"Tousan, give the boy a break!" Usagi laughed, when Tantu paled and shook his head. Her and Mako both gave him comforting pats on the shoulder, then all three of them jumped when Vegeta darted forward and pinned the Namekian's hand behind his back, ascended, and bound his wrists with a ki band, followed by a quick pulsing of his ki.

Mako and Usa just gaped at him. The message in his ki read "Pan, I have a birthday present just for you! Hurry up, before he breaks free." And then they felt Pan's ki flaring in response from the woods as she rose into the air and quickly began to close the distance.

"Now… the million dollar question… do we help Tantu break free so he can teleport, or do we sit back and watch the show?" Usagi asked aloud. She looked to the west when Pan ascended to Super Saiyan and really poured on the speed, as if she'd heard Usagi, and she was at the door, flushed and panting as she licked her lips at the sight of her chosen mate. "And now… I'll be getting out of the way," Usagi said flatly.

Makoto didn't however, and she brandished a spatula at the quarter-Saiyan. "You'd better play nice, Pan. You break my son, and I break your face. Understood?" When the girl nodded, she stepped out of the way.

Vegeta shoved Tantu into her arms just as the ki band broke from the Namekian's efforts to get free, and gave her a little grin. "Don't say I never gave you anything. Happy birthday, girl."

"Thanks, Uncle Vegeta," Pan said with a grin, before looking up at her much taller boyfriend. "Now, green bean… we can do this the easy way or the embarrassing way. Teleport us somewhere uninhabited," she ordered.

With a heavy sigh, Tantu put two fingers to his forehead, and they both vanished from sight.

"Well, it's certainly been an eventful morning," Mako chuckled, but when she turned, she caught the tears in Usagi's eyes. "Hime? Daijobou?"

"Hai," she choked. "Daijobou ka. I just miss him. He would have helped Tousan hold him down and hold him hostage for Pan."

Usagi leaned into the unexpected embrace from Vegeta, accompanied by that purr of his that she was so familiar with. "I'm alright, Tousan. Just missing him, that's all."

"We all do, girl," he sighed into her hair. "We all do."

###################

Gohan signaled for everyone stop when he felt a familiar ki approaching them, and turned his head to stare in amazement. "Usagi? Kami, it's so good to see you out of—I mean, it's good to see you," he corrected himself lamely.

"Out of my room, you mean," she said, trying for a light tone. "Here, Ami and Bulma said you guys would be hungry, so I brought lunch. How are the turds training?" The sight of them all, nearly grown up, brought a ghost of her old smile to her face. "Rissi, Goshen, Pan."

Pan was the first one to hug her, and then they jumped on her as a group, hugging her tightly, all three of them purring. "We missed you, Aunt Usa. How are you feeling?"

"I'm working on it," she replied softly. "I still have bad days. Where's Tantu?" She asked, wanting a change of subject.

"At home, recovering from my latest assault," Pan said with a grin. "You think he'd be used to lusty Saiyan sex after a whole month," she laughed, and only laughed harder when her father groaned something about not wanting to hear these things about his daughter.

"You've put some weight back on, at least," Gohan observed, also wanting a change of subject, taking in the sight of her toned arms and calves. "Is Vegeta force feeding you?"

"Sometimes him, sometimes Geta," she admitted. "Sometimes Mako. I… I still don't have much of an appetite, I'm afraid."

"Well, then maybe you'll help us work up one," Gohan suggested. "I was telling the kids all about your ki punches the other day. Maybe you could demonstrate?"

Usagi nearly refused, but the look that Goshen gave her, with those big puppy dog eyes of his father's, did her in. "Alright," she sighed.

Twenty minutes later, Pan and Rissi both had it down, Goshen was still working on it, and everyone out in the field was suffering from second degree burns on their palms. Usagi healed them all quickly though, except for herself.

"Ugh, those are pretty bad, Usagi," Gohan huffed. "Go inside and see if you can find some burn ointment. If you can't find it, ask dad, he's eating lunch in the kitchen."

"Hai, I'm on it." The house was fairly dark when she entered it, which was no surprise. Since Chi-Chi's passing, only Saiyan eyes ever really came inside, so Goku kept it dim since he didn't need lighting. It was a lot cleaner than she expected, though, probably thanks to Ami and Rei, who loved their father-in-law and had made every effort to be there for him, especially during that first six months or so of mourning.

That made her sigh and shake her head. Sure, Chi-Chi had simply died of old age, being seventy, but how in the world had Goku managed to move on with his life in six months? Vegeta had tried to explain to her once about Saiyan mourning, five years ago, right after Chi-Chi's death, but she hadn't understood it. "Probably never will," she admitted to herself.

"Usagi? Is that your ki I sense?" His low voice called from the kitchen.

"Yeah, burned my hands showing the turds that ki trick of mine. I was looking for the ointment?"

"Oh, it's in here, in the cabinet, hang on." There was some rustling in the kitchen, which Usagi followed, until she ran into a broad, muscular chest.

"Sorry, Goku, it's hard to see in here, you know. I should have watched your ki instead." She rubbed her head where she'd smacked into him, and blinked when he bent down and suddenly sniffed her neck. "What the—Goku, what are you doing!?" She yelled, shoving at him. She only managed to shove herself back, while he stayed right where he was, and she fell to the floor, tripping on her braid.

Goku blinked and immediately hit the light in the kitchen doorway before moving to her side. "I'm sorry, Usa, I don't know what I was doing. I thought I smelled… huh, I don't know what I thought I smelled." He moved to help her up, but when her face rose, thoroughly annoyed with him, he blinked and froze in place at the hard jerk just below his sternum.

"What, Goku? Are you going to help me up or not?" Not only did he help her up, he also wouldn't let her go once she was standing, practically crushed to his chest. "Are you alright, Goku?" She asked gently. Then she felt it, that rumble in his chest that all the Saiyans seemed to be doing around her lately, a show of comfort for her loss. Usagi relaxed at that and hugged him. "I'm ok, Goku. One day at a time, right?"

"Yeah," he answered hoarsely, trying to rein in the beast that was rising up inside of him. The only thing keeping it at bay was the reminder that she was still in mourning, that she hadn't felt the pull yet, and she would immediately reject any advance and likely hole up in her room once more. No, he wouldn't do that to his mate, whether or not she knew she was his.

She would know soon enough, once she was out of mourning and felt the pull for him, too. "I'm glad to see you out of the house."

"Yeah, everyone else is, too. Especially Geta and Tousan."

He pulled away to study her hands, avoiding eye contact with her at all costs as he treated her burns with the jar of ointment on the counter. "How is your son? I've barely seen him."

"At university, mostly, since he graduated early. He got his smarts from…" Usagi licked her lips and swallowed. "From his father." She nearly cried when she felt Goku's hand squeeze her shoulder gently. "I'm ok," she assured him. "He's been helping Tousan get me back into shape every morning, so I've seen him a lot lately. He's a good son."

"Yes, he is. Trunks would be proud of him," Goku said softly, purring once more as he tugged her back into his arms.

"Yes, he would be," she agreed in a whisper. "I need to get home," she said hoarsely, still fighting tears.

"Come eat with me first. It would be rude to send you home without a full stomach," Goku insisted. If anything, it would be an excuse to see her, smell her, touch her. Enough to placate the beast without revealing this new development.

Usagi nodded reluctantly and let him lead her into the kitchen and fix her a plate, which she ate silently, looking out the window on occasion to see Gohan in the distance, still working with his daughter, niece and nephew. "They're getting so big," she finally remarked. "They've all gotten a lot taller since the last time I saw them."

"Saiyan growth spurt. I hit one at about sixteen or seventeen, same as them. Just wait until you see the growth spurts they'll hit in their twenties."

"More?" Usagi asked, coughing a little from her drink as she stared at him. "Geta's already taller than me and Vegeta."

"Huh, well… I heard that King Vegeta was really tall, maybe it's a throwback to that. Heh, he's going to tower over you, most likely. How's he doing with Rissi?" Goku suddenly asked, trying not to grin at the thought.

Usagi actually smiled at that, and Goku couldn't help but look at it and wish he'd make her do it again. "Tousan has been giving the boy his tips on women," she groaned and laughed at the same time. "He says that he won't rest until that boy gets him some pussy. He's just so fucking classy."

"My poor granddaughter… I've heard stories about Vegeta, and if Geta is doing what he did to get Bulma… shit," he huffed, followed by a laugh.

"Kiss that girl's virginity goodbye, Goku. My son is a pimp, just like his—" She sighed and shook her head, biting down on her lower lip. "Goku?"

"Yeah."

"When… when does it stop hurting?"

He moved around the table before he could stop himself, and drug her up into his arms once more, sitting in her chair with her on his lap. "It will, eventually. It took me six months before I could put my clothes on straight, but I'm Saiyan, even if I was raised human. It's different for us."

"Tousan mentioned something about that years ago." Usagi relaxed completely when he began to purr once more, and couldn't help but notice how wonderful he smelled. It was comforting and almost… alluring at the same time. "I can't even say his name without wanting to cry," she admitted.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I went through that, too. Or seeing things that remind you of them, especially smells. I kept one of Chi-Chi's hairbands for the longest time, and one of her shirts. I used to sleep with them."

"His pillow," Usagi whispered. "I'm amazed that it even still smells like him, but it does. It helps, to think he's in the bed with me, or that he's just out with Tousan, and he'll be back in a little while. Or when I'm training with Tousan, I close my eyes and pretend he's still on my right side, just like he always was. But then I open them, and Geta's there instead."

"I know it seems impossible, but it will get better. Just give it time, Usagi. Until then, you surround yourself with love," he whispered, nuzzling her shoulder. "Family, friends, whoever you can get. Just know that you don't have to bear it all alone. And… and if you feel like no one understands, don't hesitate to come find me."

"Thank you, Kakar—ugh, sorry. I've been spending too much time with Tousan," she chuckled half-heartedly.

"I don't mind you calling me that," he replied warmly. "After all, you're Vegeta's daughter, through and through." Truth be told, his inner Saiyan had purred at the sound of his real name coming out of her mouth, and wanted to hear it again.

#################

"Where are you headed, Mom?"

Usagi managed a smile, she felt lighter this week, as if talking to Goku last weekend had really helped her feel better. "Taking Goku some lunch, since he can't cook to save his life. Ami and Rei were out on patrol last night, so I thought I'd let them sleep."

"You've been talking to him?" He didn't really have to ask, when his mother had returned on Sunday, he could tell that she'd been crying, but she seemed different that day, too. Not quite as down, somehow. And since then, she'd seemed a little better with every passing day. Vegeta had noticed it and commented on it to his grandson as well, hopeful that Usagi was finally over the worst of her mourning for Trunks.

"I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner. He… he went through the same thing. He's been a great comfort, Geta." Usagi frowned a little. "You don't mind, do you?" While her son didn't hold Goku in contempt like his grandfather, there was still Vegeta's influence at work. Goku wasn't his favorite person in the world.

"Dende, no!" Her son exclaimed, hugging her tightly. "Mom, you do whatever you have to do to make you feel better, ok? I've seen you smile lately, and you don't know how much we've all missed that. Paw Paw's even said something about it; you don't know how worried he was about you."

"Yeah, I do." Usagi stuck the basket on the counter in her subspace and gave him a reassuring smile, just as genuine as the first. "I'm trying to think of ways to make it up to him, honestly."

"Be happy. I think that'll be more than enough for Paw Paw, just to see you smiling again. He's told me that you're truly his daughter, just as much as Aunt Bra."

Not having words for that, Usagi pecked her son on the cheek and took off for the Son house, frowning at the storm clouds on the horizon. "Let's see if I can outfly them," she sighed, knowing that she was still so out of practice that she didn't a stand a chance.

Goku jumped a little, startled, when the front door banged open in the wind, and he heard footsteps in the foyer. "Usagi?" He asked in a mix of elation and surprise. Her ki was like a warm beacon of light for him, and he was drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

A sodden flame. The Saiyan in him was licking its chops at the sight of Usagi in a white blouse and skirt that were clinging to her tightly, almost completely see through. Thank God she'd been wearing underwear, even though those were white as well. She wasn't wearing a bra, though, much to his beast's pleasure. "You flew in this?"

"Ugh, I thought I could outrun it," she grumbled, trying to peel some of the cloth away from her skin. But the moment she released it, it sucked right back onto her skin with a squelching sound. "Thought wrong, apparently. Hang on." Usagi flared her ki, and made a noise of annoyance when it didn't dry her. "I'm so out of practice, damn it. Could I trouble you for a towel?"

"Not at all," Goku answered slowly. For a brief moment, he'd been tempted to use his own ki to dry her, but his inner beast was delighting at the sight of her. When he returned with a large towel, he found her still flaring her ki at different levels, trying in vain to dry herself properly. She stopped trying and cussed a blue streak when her hair smoked a little. "Here."

Usagi immediately started toweling off the hair that wasn't dry from the attempts of using her ki, which was most of it, and when she started to dry her shirt, she realized that it wasn't hiding anything at all. She also realized at the same moment that Goku's eyes were locked on her chest, and turned bright red. "Sweet Selene, Kakarot, why didn't you say something!" She snapped. "God! Damned Saiyan men! Where's the bathroom?"

He numbly pointed down the hall, and she immediately stormed off, giving him a great view of her skirt clinging to that perfect, delicious round ass. That sight nearly had him breaking the bathroom door down to press her against the wall and take her, but he reined it in. "Wait until she feels it, too," he whispered, "then you'll know she's ready to move on. Just wait," he urged his beast. "You'll get her, just wait. Be patient."

His inner beast quelled for the moment, he waited at the end of the hall until she came back out, dressed in a pair of jeans and a tank top. "Subspace pocket," she explained, brushing her hair out. "First thing I do when I get home, is have Tousan reteach me how to dry myself again."

"When you were…" It took Goku a moment before he could think of a word that wouldn't upset her. "…unwell, you didn't dry yourself?"

Usagi's eyes were sad as she shook her head. "I… I don't remember much, but I know Tousan was bathing me, once the crystal stasis wore off, after the initial shock. I remember you coming to visit, though, at the beginning. Geta's been drying me every morning once I've dressed."

"Yeah, I came, but Vegeta wasn't letting any visitors stay for more than a couple minutes. He was extremely protective of you, scarily so. When Goten tried to sit on the edge of the bed, Vegeta nearly ripped his head off for getting too close."

"Really? God, poor Tousan," Usagi sighed. "I really should go speak with him; I've put the poor man through so much, when he was hurting just as much as I was. He lost his son, for God's sake. I should've been there to comfort him in return."

"Don't beat yourself up, Usagi." Goku led her into the kitchen, where he made her a cup of coffee, and plunked it down next to the basket she'd pulled out. "You lost your mate. In a lot of ways, it's a stronger bond than parent and child. You lose the mental bond, that closeness that you share, knowing you can talk to them at any time in your head… I don't have to tell you, you already know."

She was comforted when he wrapped her in his arms, resting his chin on the top of her damp head, and couldn't help but lean into him and breathe through her nose. God, he smelled so good, it was like the sun; bright and warm, mixed with a spicy musk that was unique to just him. It made her feel safe and loved, the same way she felt when Vegeta held her like that… only better, in a way. She could bask in that smell forever and die feeling secure…

God, what was she thinking!? Usagi opened her eyes, not sure when she'd closed them, and slowly drew back from the man her father called 'Kakarot.' She licked her lips and swallowed before speaking, feeling a strange sense of loss as she stepped away from him. "Sorry, Goku… I didn't mean… it's been a long time since I've been…held."

"It's alright, Usa," he said gently, turning to the basket to keep from looking at her. "I know what you mean. It's nice, just to have that human contact again." Handing her a plate, he dared to look into those crystal blue eyes, hoping to see her jump as she felt what he'd felt a week ago. "Usagi, I don't mind doing that for you, if it helps," he dared. "It helps me, too, you know."

"Goku…" Usagi smiled, tears welling up in her eyes. "You're such a good friend." She wiped them away with her forearm and hugged him tightly. "Thank you."

Well, it was a step forward, at least. "Come on," he urged, nudging her towards the living room. "We'll eat in front of the TV. Bulma used to come over and hang out with me during those first few months and just let me hold her. I'm amazed that Vegeta didn't have a problem with it, but then, Bulma's always been my big sister."

"Huh, I was wondering where Bulma was going all the time… guess that answers it." Usagi plopped down on the couch and started flipping channels. "It's been a long time since I've even looked at a television," she admitted.

Goku didn't hesitate to placate his beast by sitting right next to her, hip to hip, while he chowed down on his lunch, and when he was finished, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Usagi couldn't help but lean into him when she finished as well. "You were right, this does help." She breathed a sigh of contentment and leaned into him just a little more, and smiled when he began to purr. "Thank you for this, Goku, I'm sorry if it's awkward or something for you."

"Not at all," he answered roughly, closing his eyes to get a handle on his Saiyan hormones. Wait. Be patient, he urged the animal inside of him. It's too soon, you'll only scare the hell out of her and hurt her. The idea of hurting her seemed to do the trick, and his beast settled down, content to just hold her for the moment, even if she only thought of him as a dear friend… for now. He'd change that soon enough.

Usagi opened her eyes to find that it was completely dark in the room, and with a flush of embarrassment, realized that she'd dozed off, lulled by that damnable purr and the sound of his strong heartbeat. Then she realized that she was lying down, tucked snugly against something warm and hard. She breathed in to ask if Goku was in the room, but the wonderful scent that hit her nose answered her question, and she blushed even harder.

She wiggled a little to get out of his embrace, but something long, thick, and fuzzy wrapped around her waist and jerked her against him once more just before his chest began to vibrate in a gentle purr. It seemed that she was stuck in this position unless she woke him, but he was sleeping so peacefully, she didn't want to wake him after all the trouble he'd gone to in order to make her feel better.

Then she noticed the pillow under her head, the lack of a couchback behind herself or him, and the blanket pulled up around them both. He must have carried her to the only bed in the house and snuggled down with her. Tears leapt to her eyes at his compassion, and she hugged him tightly, feeling his tail flex around her waist in return. "Goku, thank you," she whispered. "I… I haven't slept this well in… I don't know how long."

He'd woken the moment she'd tried to escape his embrace, and was surprised that she hadn't panicked as soon as she knew she was in his bed. "You're welcome," he whispered back, kissing her forehead, wishing it was her mouth. "Go back to sleep, Usagi, it's late," he urged, nuzzling his face into her hair.

"You… you don't mind…?"

Goku snorted at that and shook his head. "Not at all." God, if only she knew. "I'll IT you home in the morning, Usa. Just rest."

Reluctantly nodding, she rested her face against his chest once more and couldn't help breathing deeply and enjoying his scent again. God, he smelled so damned good, and it only seemed to get better and stronger every time she saw him. She could have sworn it wasn't as strong when she'd sat next to him on the couch, and she knew it just couldn't have been.

She started to doze again when she felt a huge hand trailing up and down her back in a gentle motion, lulling her back to sleep.

Goku managed to relax once more as soon as she was back to sleep, and unable to help himself, he bent his head to brush his mouth over hers. Oh God, why had he done that!? Too soon, damn it! Too soon! She tasted so damned good that the beast in him was begging for another taste, urging him to wake her back up with an onslaught of kissing and petting.

He couldn't keep from doing it again, this time flicking his tongue out to stroke her lower lip. "Mine," he breathed in her ear, quelling the beast once more with the sound of that word. "You belong to me, Usa. I'll keep you safe, I swear it. You'll never regret being bound to me." Allowing himself a taste of her shoulder, Goku shivered with pleasure when she gasped in her sleep and her hands clutched at his back, urging him closer.

With that kind of encouragement, he finally allowed himself to sleep as well.

But when he woke, it wasn't a pretty sight; well, it was at first, when he woke to find Usagi still sleeping in his arms, holding him tightly, and smelling absolutely wonderful. But then he opened his eyes and found himself looking right at her father, who was staring at him with murder in that terrifyingly black gaze.

Goku glared right back, the Saiyan in him rising up at the sight of another male so close to his mate, and his lips curled up in a possessive snarl. "Get out," he whispered, not wanting to wake his woman.

"You're a dead man, Kakarot," Vegeta replied, just as softly. "What the fuck are you doing with my daughter in your bed!?"

"She is mine," he growled. Goku looked down when Usagi began to stir ever so slightly, and ran his hand up and down her back soothingly. "Still dark," he breathed in her ear, "go back to sleep."

"M'kay," she answered tiredly, tightening her arms around him.

Eyes still locked with Vegeta's, Goku mouthed, "Out."

"No!" Vegeta mouthed right back, his ki flaring indignantly. Kami, if Usagi hadn't been right between them, he would have been pounding on Kakarot like never before, but he was not going to risk upsetting her when she'd only just come back to him. "Did you mark her?"

Goku shook his head, losing the glare for a moment. "Too soon," he replied silently. "I won't do that to her."

"You won't do it, period," Vegeta replied, also just mouthing his response. "You claim my daughter, I rip off your balls, Kakarot."

Goku snorted and rolled his eyes at the Saiyan prince. "You really want to do this now, Vegeta?" He barely whispered. "Because I know you don't want to risk upsetting her any more than I do. I can hardly help it that I felt the fucking pull."

"Later," he growled quietly. "And if I catch you with her like this again, I will Garlick Gun your balls."

He only rolled his eyes again and tugged the covers back up around Usagi's shoulders, breathing in her light and pure scent in an effort to calm himself. When he looked back up, Vegeta was gone, and his ki was already halfway between his home and Capsule Corp. Well, today was certainly going to be interesting.

This is probably going to be a double or triple shot, nothing horribly long. I'ma have to change my poll, too. You see, two of my very awesome friends (Ana and Selena A) kinda inspired me to be my trollish, disturbing self, and I wrote another version of this where she winds up with Vegeta. BWAHAHAHAHAHA… Let me know if yall wanna read that one, too. It's not quite as sad, and Usagi doesn't go through such a soul-destroying depression since she has to be there for Vegeta due to Bulma's death as well.