Have I told ya'll lately how much this fic makes me cringe? I have, well, let me tell you again…

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ

"I am one talented lady." Bulma took a step back from the table she was working at to admire her handy work. She had just put the finishing touches on Vegeta's gift that she had been working on in secret; a new armored chest plate to wear into battle. But it wasn't your run of the mill chest plate… She got the idea when she saw Vegeta in his for the tournament. She noticed that it was tattered with cracks and had holes from ki blasts and what she assumed years of abuse. The one she made was stronger, thinner, and ki blast proof. It was virtually indestructible and also through off power levels when measuring them. She didn't mean to add the special feature, it just kind of happened when she combined the materials together.

She had fun testing it too, and was impressed with herself when she only had minor injuries resulting from the testing… only a couple scorch marks, nothing that made her have to go see Dr. Lance.

She looked up at the clock; Vegeta would be there any minute to take her back to her place to get ready for Kakarot and ChiChi's wedding. She was excited she was going to see a Saiyan wedding ceremony. She had found out that they were going to have a modern ceremony, since they were not bonded. The marriage of Kakarot and ChiChi made her wonder if she and Vegeta would ever get married. They were already bonded, it only made sense that they'd get hitched.

They had grown exceptionally close over the past month. Sure, they still bickered, but it was almost a game for them. But, for the past week, he had grown ever more grumpy and irritated… more so than usual. And once in a while she would feel him get anxious, usually when he was sitting alone on his balcony or on her couch while they were watching a movie with Vaneesa. She could tell he wasn't paying attention to the TV, he would be staring off into a corner, thinking about what? She didn't know.

She had made the mistake of trying to probe his thoughts through their bond and that earned her a scary glare from him.

"Woman, you had best get out of my head." He then stomped off to her balcony and flew off towards the mountains.

He had even stopped coming to her lab during the afternoon time, and would have her bodyguards escort her to dinner.

It was frustrating. Was he mad at her? Was he starting to regret their bond?

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the door to her lab hiss open and close. She quickly tucked the chest plate into a cubby hole under her desk and turned around to see Vegeta standing at the door with his arms crossed looking grumpy… but what else was new.

"Let's go Woman, we have to get ready."

Their walk to their respective rooms was spent in an awkward silence. As they reached her door he waited for her to open it. "I'll be back in an hour." He spun on his heel and went into his suite.

Bulma watched him as he opened the door and entered. The same questions, again running through her head, hoping it wasn't her that was causing his grumpiness.

Her thoughts were loud and echoed throughout his head. He stood at his bathroom counter, his hands gripping each end of the counter and his head hung low. Never in his twenty four years of life had he been intimidated by something so simple… hell by anything by that matter. He lifted his head and stared at his reflection in the mirror. He didn't mean to fill her with worry.

"Tonight..." He said to himself. "Tonight."

She zipped up the royal blue, tea length dress the queen had let her barrow. She opted to leave her long hair down with a matching royal blue head band. She also made the wise decision to wear flats instead of stiletto's, she figured there would be dancing, although, judging on how Vegeta had been acting, she wasn't sure they would be doing much of that, but she wore the comfy shoes just in case.

As she was taking one last look at the mirror of herself, she saw in the reflection that Vegeta had let himself in and was now sitting on her bed, watching her. She turned around to face him, he was wearing the same outfit similar to the one he had worn the night of the ball, minus the cape.

"I didn't hear you come in."

He didn't respond at first, he just sat there, staring at her.

"Are you ok? You're kind of creeping me out." She furrowed her brows when he didn't answer her right away.

He stood up silently and put his hand in his pocket, gripping the object that was making him uneasy.

A week ago he had begrudgingly sat down with his father to discuss an important matter. It was a conversation that he didn't particularly want to have with him, but it was one that was necessary.

"I want to make Bulma my mate officially…and even though you and I both know I will, no matter what you say. I just wanted for you to be aware that it's going to happen."

The King nodded as a smile spread across his face. "What took you so long boy?" He got up from his desk and gave his son a hearty smack on the back. "Your mother and I have been waiting for this day since you were five." He went to the grand bookcase that took up the entirety of the wall of his study and opened a medium sized polished wood box and pulled out a thin jewelry box. He smiled down at it as he handed it to his son. "This was your grandmothers and it is now yours to give to Bulma to symbolize your union."

Since the minute his father had given him that box he had been a mess of emotions. It wasn't because he was having second thoughts, he knew without a shadow of a doubt Bulma was his forever. It was because he was downright nervous. He had spent a whole week going over his strategy, every time he had thought he was ready, he backed away like some sort of sissy coward.

So here he stood, in front of the woman that he was bonded to, his hand in his pocket, tightly gripping the piece of jewelry in his hand, trying to keep himself calm and keeping his uneasiness in check so Bulma wouldn't feel it.

He offered his hand out to her. She hesitantly took it and to her surprise he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it, then slipped her arm into his and escorted her out of her quarters.

The walk to the Saiyan temple was a short one, it was just outside the palace. The building was a large and open. It was very simple, in the fact that it had a stone roof that was held up by huge stone columns and it was ancient.

Vegeta led her to the front pews and sat her next to his mother and father. As she sat down, he gave her hand a squeeze and left to meet up with Kakarot.

It didn't take long for the ceremony to start. Kakarot, Vegeta and Radittz walked up to the altar.

A beautiful song played by a single violin played as two young Saiyan women walked slowly down the aisle, both wearing simple black flowing gowns and took the same position as the men, but on the opposite side.

The song stopped and the violinist started another and who she assumed was ChiChi walked down the aisle with a man, she also assumed was her father who was holding her left arm and Bardock holding the other.

Vegeta was right, this was quite similar to the wedding ceremonies on earth.

The father of the bride and groom left ChiChi's side and sat down in the front pews as Kakarot took her arm. A tall man in red robes stood in front of the couple and started speaking in a language that Bulma didn't know, but she managed to follow, vaguely, what was going on.

At the end of the ceremony Kakarot and ChiChi turned to face the crowd and the robed man announced them mates for life, in standard language, and their guests applauded.

Once the newly weds left the temple, Vegeta walked over to her and led her out with the sea of people, all heading in the same direction; the same outside dance floor where the ball was held.

Upbeat music was already playing and guests were starting to fill the dance area as she and Vegeta arrived.

Bulma got instant déjà vu as the song turned to a sweet slow beat. Vegeta took hold of her and swung her out onto the floor. With her tightly held against his chest, Bulma sighed heavily. She had gone a week without his touch, she missed the feel of his arms around her, protecting her from anything and everything. She imagined an impentatrable bubble around the two of them, nothing bad would happen as long as he held her, tight in his arms.

The song ended and just as Bulma was going to ask Vegeta for another dance, he grasped her hand and led her away from the crowd.

"Where are we going?" She asked breathlessly, stumbling a few times, but keeping upright only because of his hold on her.

Vegeta ignored her and continued to gently pull her to a place that she had only been once when they were little; his mother's gardens. It was a beautiful place, full of exotic plants, small ponds full of colorful fish and water falls. He took her to the center of the garden and halted right where the moonlight hit the ground, making her hair shimmer a silvery blue. She looked up at him, baffled at his actions, he was looking up at the now star filled sky, away from her.

"Vegeta?"

After a few moments, he looked down at her with a soft smile. "Bulma." He brought his hand up to her cheek and stroked it lightly. "You mean the world to me, the past month or so has been…interesting…" He chuckled lightly and continued. "You are the most frustrating and stubborn being I have ever come across, but I'd be lying if I said we weren't made for each other." He turned her around so her back was to him. "I am proud to have you as a bonded mate." As he said this, he pulled out of his pocket a silver necklace with a blood red stone the size of a penny and in a shape of a tear drop that was encrusted with small dark royal blue stones around it. He put it around her neck. "Bulma, be my future Queen."

Her hands flew up to the necklace and gently touched the stone around her neck.

There was only silence, and Vegeta was starting to get wary. He gently turned her around to face him again and found that her eyes were scrunched closed and tears were streaming down her cheeks. She was clutching the stone of the necklace in her hand.

"Bulma?" Vegeta coaxed quietly. Her eyes opened to look at him gracing him with a huge smile.

"Of coarse I will Vegeta." She lunged at him and hugged him tightly. "I love you so much." She said into his neck. He kissed her in response.

'I love you too, Little One.'

Bulma broke from their kiss and arched an eyebrow at him. "Is this why you've been acting like an ass for the past week?"

Vegeta looked away from her and blushed. "No."

"Oh my gosh, it was, wasn't it? You were nervous." She laughed as she poked him playfully on his chest plate. That earned her a growl which made her laugh even harder.

They took the long way back to the reception, they entered the courtyard and was met by Kakarot.

"What are you doing out here, the party is that way." Bulma said as she let go of Vegeta's hand and pulled the groom into a hug. He patted her on the back and let go of her.

"I know, ChiChi is changing into a lighter dress so she can dance. I'm waiting for her."

"I don't blame her," bulma shook her head. "The dress looked beautiful, but it looked heavy as hell."

Kakarot nodded in agreement and then was approached by one of his guests that had ventured out into the courtyard. Bulma turned to Vegeta.

"I have something for you. I would like to give it to you now… it can be an engagement gift, it's in my lab. I'm going to go get it." She started to head to the wing where the lab was but was halted by Vegeta.

"I'll go with you." She knew he didn't want her roaming the halls alone, even though the wing where her lab was, along with the royal wing where her suite was located was secure and guarded heavily.

"Vegeta, it's ok. I'll be fine, my lab is not that far away. Nobody is going to get me. I'll be right back." She gave him a peck on the cheek, and surprisingly he let her go and turned to converse with Kakarot and the wedding guest.

Bulma hurriedly walked into her lab, she didn't bother flipping the lights on, the soft glow from the full moon gave her enough natural light through the floor to ceiling windows. She went to the cubby hole where she had placed Vegeta's new chest plate. She ran a hand over her masterpiece. She really had outdone herself with this piece.

She heard the door to her lab open and heard the all too familiar sound of a pin from a grenade dropping and metal hitting the floor followed by a rolling noise and finally felt the sensation of something hitting her foot. She didn't bother looking down to look down to confirm her fears, she ran for cover as fast as her legs could carry her, jumping over table just as the grenade exploded, sending she and table flying.