******Vegeta******

Vegeta woke up feeling better than ever. He wasn't tired or sore but best of all, he was in a good mood. Better than he ever felt after trying the women behind many of the doors. He decided that today was as good as any to take a day off and enjoy a planet they purged for once.

"Nappa!" He growled into the scouter, still keeping the usual tone in his voice so he wouldn't be found out.

"Yes, Prince Vegeta?"

"I'm feeling generous today. Take the day off, I want to explore this mudball. We're ahead of schedule anyway, we can use a day to train."

"Sounds good! I was feeling a bit stuck in a power rut anyway."

"Good. I'll be training in the mountains. Leave me alone unless absolutely necessary."

"Yes, Vegeta."

With a quick stretch, Vegeta popped his joints in several places and took off to his training ground of choice. Maybe, if things went well, they could possibly extend the training for a few more days.

******Yamcha******

Yamcha was exhausted. He hadn't been about to sleep at all after the talk with Bulma and the weird dream before that. It was all so surreal, like something out of some weird, SCI-FI movie he'd never have any interest in seeing. Not only had he been right about being possessed, but it was also by some alien that had a crush on Bulma.

"Maybe I am going crazy," he said to himself as he wandered the wheat fields he found himself in after a full night of flying in no general direction. "I mean, aliens don't exist, right? That dream could have just been a figment of my imagination – my mind playing tricks on me to make me believe this is happening for a reason. Go figure my subconscious would make up some kind of excuse for this happening."

He rubbed his tired eyes, forcing them to stay open a bit longer. Sleep was something he wanted to avoid. The gentle pull into the darkness was terrifying. Sleep meant dreams, and dreams meant more unease about his life.

It was well past 2 AM, not even a full day since he left Capsule Corp, and he was already wanting to go back. He tried to hold onto the feeling of being hurt by what Bulma did, but he just couldn't blame her. If he had the opportunity to experience someone new without actually cheating or leaving the relationship, he probably would have done the same.

He stopped mid-stride and began to think about the conversation earlier. He had accused Bulma of cheating but was it really cheating? He would have agreed that it was had he not just now thought about doing the same and getting away with it.

"I guess it's not fair to punish Bulma if I would do the same thing and make excuses to get away with it. If the situation was reversed, I would have left without a second thought the moment I noticed something was wrong. Bulma has been patient and understanding as much as she can be, I shouldn't be so hard on her."

He hung his head feeling a bit like a hypocrite. Accepting her help and asking her time and time again to put up with his issues while thinking he wouldn't do the same for her was the icing on his denial cake. The more he thought about it the more he submerged himself in the repudiation. Before he knew it, he was passed out in the cover of the thick, tall wheat – protected from the cold wind and roaming predators that may be lurking.

******Several Weeks Later******

Bulma was lost in her thoughts again, at least until the sharp sounds of an alarm jarred her out of her daydream.

"Oh no! Goddamn it!"

She rushed to get the fire extinguisher and put out the small flames now engulfing what remained of her experiment. Growling as she put out the fire, Bulma cursed herself again for being distracted. It was getting worse – all she could think about was the last night with Yamcha or should she call him "Prince?"

There had been absolutely no sign of Yamcha, not even a letter or call. Nothing, like he dropped off the face of the Earth. She had even been so desperate once and called Krillin to see if he could find him and nothing. Master Roshi didn't seem concerned though. "I can feel it, he's alive but his mind is not well. Leave him be and he'll return when he feels he can."

A lot of help that was. Bulma worried more and more each day – hoping against all odds that he'd come back and be his old self again. Like that would ever happen….

It was strange to think she might never see him again, but she just didn't want to give up yet.

"Bulma," called Panchy in a sing-song voice as she entered the lab with an envelope in hand. "You got a letter! It's from Yamcha."

"REALLY!"

She darted towards her mother and grabbed the letter without feigning the indifference she had often rehearsed while alone in her room. It's not like she wanted anyone to know that she was struggling to hold herself together during this…. break.

"I don't believe it! He's coming back! He says he's feeling better and has been on a journey of self-acceptance."

"Oh, how wonderful! I'll go bake his favorite desserts for when he gets here!"

Bulma shook her head as she caught a glimpse of her mother sashaying her way out in the usual happy manner she always walked. It was just like her to always have sweets on hand to shove in people's faces.

The letter was short and to the point, no explanation of when he'd be back or where he had been, but she was elated to have heard from him. It had been weeks of dead silence and guilt-ridden worry for her. Hopefully, things wouldn't be off to an awkward start.

******Vegeta******

Vegeta looked around the newly purged planet. There were lots of caves here. Cold, dark, and damp. The perfect hiding place to wallow in his anger. He had given himself some much needed time away from dreaming to train. He trained, ate, and slept religiously for a week straight before he tried to revisit Bulma only to find himself in some fucking jungle with Yamcha. Once again, he found himself waiting for the idiot to return to her. For how long this time was the only question he thought to himself.

He had been furious that the guy took off again but this time, he had shared a few words with Vegeta when he noticed his presence.

"The idiot talked to himself," muttered Vegeta as he walked deeper and deeper into the empty cave he had chosen to explore. "He pulled out a mirror and talked to himself like some deranged moron."

"I know you're there! I can sense you. I know that you're not a part of me but some weird, alien invading my body in your dreams. I don't know how all this works for you, but I need you to know that I won't stand for this. You CAN'T use me to get to my girlfriend! I know I can't regain control…. yet…but I will! I could easily break up with Bulma and never see her again just to get rid of you, but I won't do that because MY life shouldn't revolve around keeping you at bay. I will say this though – I feel sorry for you. I saw in a dream what you have had to deal with as a child. I don't know you or what you look like, but no one should have to live like that. It's no wonder you keep coming back – Bulma is a great girl. Gotta hold onto something good when you have to deal with space monsters beating the hell out of you…."

"The nerve of that guy! To pity me, the Prince of all Saiyans, like I was some helpless child! What does he know about my life?! I doubt he'd have much pity for me if he knew about all the blood on my gloves!"

Vegeta made a fist and clenched it tight in front of him. His eyes landing on the few splashes of blood here and scorch marks there. He was a warrior, not some weakling that needed pity from some bastard that couldn't even satisfy his woman without him.

"These filthy gloves and my scars are because I choose to purge – to prey on the weak. Only the strongest survive! Not just in space but on every planet! Its all the same, survival of the fittest, and I am FIT to take lives for the sheer bloodshed, not because I'm ordered too!"

The air was cold and thick as he got further into the cave. The path narrowing to just shoulder width before opening up into a chamber illuminated but glowing blue water. Blue like the oceanic depths of her eyes. The soft glow fluttered against the cave walls as the water rippled from the droplets falling from the ceiling. Just like that, his anger began to dissipate.

Her reminder always had a way of calming him down. It was more than just trying to have her body, he was becoming more and more aware of that. No matter how much he tried, he seemed to always just want her company. Sex was a plus but the few times he had spoken with her, argued with her, had left a mark on his very soul.

Sure, he was a killer, but he never felt that way with her. He could convince himself for hours on end that he wasn't a slave, that he made his own rules and wanted to feel like a God amongst the weak he preyed on, but it always unraveled in an instant when he was reminded of her. How had his life become this? Living in denial of what his life really was and wanting nothing more than to live a life of peaceful domestication with a woman he'd likely never feel under his own flesh.

He shook his head and growled, the echo sending chills up his own spine. 'I'm not some pet. I. Am. A. Warrior Prince. I was made to rule and rule I will someday. I will purge these planets. I will train until I ascend. I will defeat Frieza. And when I have settled into the lap of luxury that I truly deserve…. I will hunt down my blue mistress to serve me. Queen or concubine? Depends on her willingness to serve I suppose.'

He smirked as he sat against the wall and looked across the water. It was nice to dream, to have a goal to achieve despite that all being a very distant reality for him. He could definitely live with the denial of his reality…as long as he got to see her.

Vegeta stared at the paths in front of him. It had been a while since he had chosen a different path. Which paths had he already taken and ruled out? Which path was left on reserve, so they wouldn't all disappear? It felt like he was standing there for hours just trying to jog his memory before he decided to just fuck it and go down the usual path.

If anything, he could openly mock Yamcha by grabbing a mirror and talking shit to him, maybe even lecture him on minding his own business even though that was hypocritical. He soon found himself standing in front of Bulma and she looked as if she had been crying. He restrained himself from taking over and finding out what was wrong. It's not like he cared about her or anything, he just wanted to know if his chance of getting laid was still there.

"I understand, Yamcha, and I accept your conditions. I'm just so happy you're back!"

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held on tight. Vegeta could faintly feel the embrace and repressed the urge to fall into it.

'Conditions? What conditions?' he wondered as Bulma stepped back and wiped away her happy tears.

Curious, Vegeta just observed – waiting for the topic to come back up again but it didn't for the rest of the night. He woke up cold and alone in the damp chamber. He sighed and lazily stood up to stretch. It was completely clear what was happening. Yamcha set ground rules, and Bulma agreed.

******Bulma******

It had been 10 months since Yamcha had returned and the conditions had been set. No sex. That was the one condition weighing on Bulma especially hard today. They still slept in the same room and she had to force herself to deny Yamcha or "Prince" when he tried to instigate but she always managed. Now that condition was becoming a distraction since all she wanted was some relief. Taking care of herself was out of the question since Yamcha or "Prince" would always find her before she could get the right privacy.

She never knew which one she was dealing with, but both seemed determined to cling to her. It was as if they were having an internal battle of "she loves me more." For weeks she got to know "Prince" a little better but always regretted it later when Yamcha came back to his senses.

He was clearly becoming jealous. It was bad enough that she wasn't allowed to touch or reciprocate affection when she was certain that it wasn't him but now Yamcha was on the verge of banning her from talking to him at all. Which was unreasonable considering she wouldn't know it was "Prince" until she talked to him long enough. He had become much sneakier, mimicking Yamcha enough to get her guard down and slowly revealing himself once he got too comfortable.

"Bulma, I'm not okay with this anymore. You are getting too close to him."

"I don't understand what you want from me, Yamcha. I'm trying my best to follow the rules you have set but I can't tell if it's you or him anymore. It's becoming a damn shit show! He mimics you! I know you can tell too. You said it yourself that you can see, hear, and feel everything right? So why aren't you understanding that its hard to tell you apart sometimes."

"Because I think you should know me well enough by now! Look, it's not like I don't find your work interesting or anything, but I don't ask tons of questions. Usually, I don't really get what you're talking about, so I don't pretend to. I let you explain what you want and then we move on, but with him…."

"I'm not allowed to answer him? Heaven FORBID that someone actually shows an interest in my brain for a change!"

"You know that's not what I mean! God do you just not understand how hard it is to watch you fall in love with someone else?"

"Fall in LOVE? I'm talking about my work and answering questions! Where are you getting 'falling in love,' from that?!"

"I've seen the way you look at him, Bulma. You haven't looked at me like that for a long time. You haven't even noticed that you have been spending so much time with him, have you?"

"If I have it's because I thought it was you. I don't go looking for you or him, Yamcha. One of you always finds me and I try to keep busy. I know that this isn't an ideal relationship but it's stressful to be on your toes at all time because you just don't know which voice will be coming from your boyfriend's mouth. Let's face it, he's watched you and I interact enough to learn how you talk and the types of things you say. I just can't tell the difference sometimes and its… it's not fair that you treat me…"

******Vegeta******

"…. like the bad guy. I'm trying to make this work. I'm trying to follow the conditions, but I feel like I've been set up to fail. Nothing I do is right, and nothing is making you happy."

'What the hell did I just walk into?'

Vegeta stared blankly at the woman in front of him. Tears had begun streaming down her face and she looked like she was absolutely at her wit's end. The past few months had been relatively boring – he purged planet after planet, trained every chance he could, and slept so deeply that Nappa often struggled to pull him out of the dreams. It was a routine by now.

He had tried to get close to the woman, even learned to impersonate the scar-faced jackass just to try and get her back in bed but she always found him out. She was brilliant, her mind was sharp and there was almost nothing she couldn't dream up and build. After a few months of dealing with these "conditions", he found himself just wanting to learn what she was doing.

The labs were always where he would find her, working on some unrealistic technology that she was creating. He'd watch and later began to ask questions of how they worked or how she had accomplished it. For a while, he'd pretend to be Yamcha but then he'd give himself away somehow and they'd get into some heated argument about how sneaky he was.

"TCH! Don't be ridiculous! I'm just curious about the technology!" He'd shout but there was always a faint voice in the back of his mind calling him a liar. He was certain it was Yamcha now that he thought about it.

Vegeta noticed the heat of her body pressed to his and felt the need to fix things, but he still wasn't 100 percent sure what was happening. They'd fought like this before, but something was…. different this time.

"Bulma, I…. I'm sorry but I can't keep doing this. I should have done this a long time ago, but I was just in denial. I thought that I could regain control at some point. I thought that maybe he would lose interest if there was no sex involved but…. I see the truth now. He isn't just around to take advantage of you – he seems to like you. I'm not saying he shouldn't, I mean I love you because you brighten up my world, but I think…. his world is darker than mine. He's not going to let you go and I can't keep watching from the sidelines as I lose you to someone who can't be with you without me. It's torture.

"This can't go on anymore. It's not fair to the both of us and we've somehow lasted longer than we should have. I think its time we went our separate ways. I need to work on myself and figure out if this will affect me forever or end when we do. Either way, you deserve to be happy – to be with someone who can appreciate you and not give you terms and conditions for being in a relationship. It's insane to think I even did that! I'm sorry, Bulma. I love you and I hope we can still be friends once things calm down, but I have to go…. he's here."

Bulma's eyes were already red, distorting the lovely blue color he had grown so fond of. What kind of nightmare is this? He was at a loss for words and actions. He just watched helplessly as Yamcha gave Bulma a final hug and headed towards the front door. Vegeta was still in shock as he approached a decorative mirror in the foyer and caught a glimpse of the filthy glare Yamcha gave him.

The door slammed behind him and he was suddenly lost. He didn't recognize the outside world even though he had been outside of Capsule Corp plenty of times. It was just a colorless, empty world without her in it. Vegeta made sure to try and pay attention to his surroundings, if anything he could come back and…what? Say something? His own goodbye? Try and fix things? He doubted he knew what he could even say but he wasn't ready to let go, not yet.

******Bulma******

The pain in her chest and the lump in her throat grew in tandem with each other. Things were over, they were really…. over. She stared at the door, waiting for Yamcha to come back in. Waiting for him to surprise her and say, "Hey, I faked the break-up, so he would leave! Sorry, I had to do it, but it needed to be real, so he'd never come back!"

Nothing. She knew she would be pissed at him for it if that was the case, but she desperately wanted him to do it. To come back.

Several minutes passed and it all sunk in. She was single again, she hadn't been since she was 16 – not really. What is she supposed to do now? Where does she go from here? How long will this pain in her heart last?

Slowly, with timid footsteps, Bulma walked towards the kitchen looking over her shoulder to the foyer every 3 steps just in case he walked back in and she wasn't there to greet him. By the time she actually reached the kitchen, her denial was fading, and she began searching for a way to handle her grief.

Empty space. That's what was there in the moments she was in the kitchen to here, in her room with a pint of ice cream and a half-empty bottle of wine. She didn't remember how she got here or when, but this ice cream could sure use some whipped cream and strawberries. For a while, she just ate and drank as if she was on autopilot, her mind empty of all thought before an idea finally leaped out at her. She wanted to be on the balcony.

******Vegeta******

This was pathetic. Absolutely pathetic. Yamcha was drinking his sorrows away while he just watched. The worst part was that he didn't want to leave, not yet. He wanted to feel the buzz of the alcohol hit him before he left and never came back, but then again…he still had some things to say. He just didn't know what.

The hours passed and the bar they had wandered into became crowded. He hated this but tolerated it as long as the dunce kept buying them drinks. They both had lost count by the time some floozy sauntered up to them. She was wearing something that couldn't possibly be considered clothing on this planet and looked overly easy with the copious amounts of cheap make-up she was wearing.

"Well, don't you look so glum over here by your lonesome? Mind if I join you?" She asked as she pulled the bar stool out and sat down before he could even respond.

"I guess?"

He side-eyed her for a long moment before finally asking her if she would like a drink. She, of course, accepted and ordered the most expensive martini on the menu. 'Typical bar rat,' thought Vegeta as he internally pouted. It was obvious that's what she wanted – a stranger to get her drunk so she could forget about her own misery and in return, she'd be willing to offer up her body. 'They're all the same. Every planet, every species – bar rats have no money or pride.'

"So, what's a handsome guy like you doing alone in a bar?"

This was pathetic. The woman had asked a simple question and Yamcha didn't even hesitate to pour out his business like a cheap drink. He told that woman everything and in return, she listened intently, tried to make him feel better with words, and when that didn't work, she used her mouth. She initiated the kiss but Vegeta ended it. He wouldn't stand for Yamcha fucking some tramp the same night he ruined both their lives.

Fuck him! He can just use his hand and lubricate himself with his tears for all he cared! Sloppy kisses from some bitch that had probably already fucked every guy in that place wasn't how he wanted this to end. Vegeta knew that even if he never came back, this wasn't the way he was going out.

The woman was working harder to get his attention now, running her hands up his thighs and batting her eyes like some awkward teenager. A sickening display that seemed to be working on Yamcha. He grinned like a fool and began following her out of the bar much to Vegeta's dismay.

'Wait. Why can't I take over? Is the alcohol making it harder for me to get the upper hand? Don't follow her, you idiot!'

They got to the alley behind the bar and the woman dropped to her knees in front of him, looking up at him with a look Vegeta was sure she must have thought was sexy. Just as she began to undo his pants, Vegeta's rage boiled to a new level and he was suddenly tossed back in control.

"I don't think so, wench," he growled. His voice was as deep and slightly guttural as the first time he had taken over Yamcha. The woman was caught by surprise by the clear and demanding tone. It was like someone sober was talking through him.

Vegeta pushed her to the side and walked back out to the street. He was furious that he had let things get that far. He too had stupidly decided to drink away the sorrow instead of talking to Bulma. He was a part of this too, right? Perhaps he should get a say in what happened as well.

******Bulma******

The cool night air didn't even bother her anymore, not like it did when she first walked out onto the balcony. The hard liquors she had found in her father's study after her wine and ice cream were gone was keeping her plenty warm while she looked up at the stars. She thought about what was out there and wondered if she'd ever really meet the man she was destined for.

She reclined her lounge chair as far as it would go and squinted her eyes as if she'd be able to make out all the answers she was looking for by connecting the stars. Nope, nothing there but a bunch of shiny dots. With a loud sigh, she chugged the rest of the brandy straight from the bottle and tossed it over her shoulder and off the balcony, uncaring if anyone was down there or who will be unfortunate enough to clean it up tomorrow.

Bulma swayed a bit as she reached for the next bottle, some fancy scotch that she had gifted her father 2 years ago. "Well, if he's not going to drink it, then I guess I will. It's not like…. I can't get another," she slurred, trying to not feel guilty about taking the bottle.

"You know, drinking alone is bad for your health."

The sudden voice behind her caused her to lose her hold of the bottle, almost dropping it on the concrete before jumping to her feet to make a getaway from the intruder. Her heart almost stopped completely when she made eye contact with Yamcha, floating by the railing. She had seen him jump high and do very common things at speeds she couldn't follow with her eyes, but she had never seen him levitate.

She looked at Yamcha and then to the bottle and back and Yamcha. "You're right, I think I should stop." This shouldn't have been as startling as it was – she did, after all, watch King Piccolo fly and then later Goku during the martial arts tournament when he fought Piccolo (Jr). But here she was, unable to believe what she was seeing.

"Is there any chance for me to keep seeing you?"

His voice brought her out of her shock, sobering her almost immediately. What? He was really here and asking to….be with her? This didn't make sense. How could they make any of this work? It didn't work the first time and he had just dumped her for it.

******Vegeta******

"Y-Yamcha…"

"Prince."

"Oh. OH! What?!"

"I…. I want to keep seeing you. Things are different when I'm with you and…"

"This…. can't work."

Bulma's words were a giant slap to the face. He looked away from her and tried his best to figure out why he thought it would in the first place. Why did he even come back? Since when did the Prince of all Saiyans lower himself to begging an inferior creature to take him?

"…It's not fair. I know that it's not fair… to Yamcha. He's been hurt enough through all of this. It's too much to ask him to keep being with me just because I can't help but want to see you…. or the you that is trapped in there. He was right to end things and if you ask me, it would have saved us all the trouble if he had done it sooner. All I wanted was to love and support him and, in the end, he got hurt…."

"I don't care that he 'got hurt,' I only care that I had no say in any of this! I am a Prince, and no one takes what I claim out from under me!" Vegeta's irritation with this whole situation was finally getting the best of him. His true temper began to flare and in a final "if I can't have you, no one can" train of thought, he released his true colors.

"Mark my words, Woman. Someday, I will find you and this damn mudball planet. When that day comes, nothing will stop me from claiming you as my mate. Especially, not this pitiful excuse of a man that this hell-forsaken blue path leads too! I will find you and so help me I will destroy everyone that gets in my way!"

Bulma took a step back the moment he first mentioned his "claim." She was uneasy about what that meant and was only thrown into more of a loop when he mentioned the planet and destruction.

"Yamcha! What on Earth are you talking about?!" she screamed, terrified of the implications of his small, yet threatening, tirade.

A rush of air was sucked out of his lungs as he was pulled out of the body. He fell for what felt like an hour through dense nothingness while unable to breathe. Finally, Vegeta sat up gasping for air as the realization struck him.

"Earth…."

******Bulma******

It was as if the fire in his eyes was extinguished in an instance. The moment the light went out, so did his ability to stay airborne. She watched as Yamcha suddenly dropped to the ground, right onto the pile of bottles that had accumulated under the balcony.

"Aaaahhhhhh! What the fuck!"

"Yamcha! Yamcha, are you okay?!"

"Why is there a bunch of glass on the ground?!"

"Sorry!"

She rushed down the stairs and out the front door to him but by the time she made it, Yamcha was gone. Her face found the palms of her hands and all she could do was cry.

"This night just can't get any worse!" she screamed, muffling her voice as much as she could to not wake her parents. She didn't want them butting into her break-up the same night. She just wanted to be alone.

Thunder clapped, and lightning flashed as the sudden appearance of clouds hung overhead. The sudden downpour was cold and unforgiving.

"Great! Just what I needed! Thank you!" she shouted to the heavens as if the Kai's had sent the storm to test her.

Soaking wet, Bulma made her way back into her room. The sound of sloshing echoing in the cold, empty halls all the way. She set the cleaning bots to take care of the floors and decided she wasn't done being dramatic.

Out the balcony door she went, to sit in the rain and sulk.