Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or the characters
Special thanks to KimiruMai, lionheart19, DaniellaDBZ4ever, Mistress-Zutara, sweetgilda, withoutwingsx, middlekertz, KKsaiyancat, and AeonWhisperer as well as the guest, Velidia.
Vegeta had joined Tarble on his first purging mission. Thankfully, the planet was full of weak inhabitants and with Vegeta being there, the mission was completed in a couple of weeks. Tarble managed to kill a few weak inhabitants, but it was always in self-defense. The other soldiers pitied the young Saiyan prince. They knew that the boy never had the proper training like Vegeta had had before his first mission. They made it known to Vegeta that if Tarble was ever sent on a purging mission, they would not force him to harm anyone and would keep it quiet from the king. The other soldiers respected Vegeta more than their king, and they would rather be on his good side since he was their only hope of freedom.
He now found himself alone on a spaceship to fulfill the rest of his promise. It was painful for him, as he had not even told Bulma he was leaving. She didn't know about the mission with Tarble and he knew that being gone for so long would make her hate him more. He kept shaking off that thought, though, because it would kill him if he harped on it. He could only hope that Bulma would understand when he returned.
It had been two weeks since Vegeta had disappeared from the palace. Bulma actually felt good about it, not because he was gone and didn't tell her he was going, but because it gave her time to herself to think and adjust. She hadn't had that time before and she thought that maybe that was what was keeping her on edge. After all, she had been through so much in a short time and she hadn't been able to process anything. Now she finally had her chance to go through the motions.
For the most part, she never saw the king. Nappa was her go between since the tyrannical ruler was under the impression that she still couldn't talk. He was the one who presented her defense devices to the king. It was better that way. Vegeta's warning still fresh in her mind, Bulma knew never to spend too much time around his father. He was still oblivious to the fact that they were mates.
When Tarble returned from his purging mission, he sought Bulma out a lot. The young boy was terrified with the things he had seen. It was thanks to him that Bulma knew why Vegeta had left and where he was now. "I heard him telling one of the other soldiers the deal he made with father," Tarble explained. "He said he'd be away for seven months since, thanks to him, the purge went by so quickly."
Bulma shivered at the thought of her mate killing so many defenseless people, but she pushed that to the back of her mind. It was not Vegeta's choice, plus he was doing it to keep his brother safe. Now this other mission he was on, Tarble told her that it was to protect the both of them. Something swelled inside of Bulma when he told her. It was a mixture of pride in her mate's bravery and dedication, and then some unidentified emotion that made her feel alive. "So seven months, huh?" Bulma clarified. Tarble frowned and his tail drooped. He nodded to Bulma who was working on some blueprints. "Well, we'll just have to hold down the fort here without him for now. You want to help me with some of these shield prototypes?"
Tarble's face lit up. "Can I?" he asked to make sure she was serious.
Bulma laughed lightheartedly. "Of course. We need to distract ourselves while we wait for Vegeta."
"Okay," Tarble said happily running over to Bulma. She smiled and picked the eleven year old up to sit on her desk.
"Man, you're getting heavy," Bulma told him. "Must have been all that muscle you developed training with your brother."
Tarble flashed her an appreciative smile. Other than his mother and brother, no one ever tried to dissuade his thinking from his father's words. It wasn't something his father kept hidden from others; he thought Tarble was weak and a disgrace. Bulma was shocked when the young Saiyan jumped on top of her and hugged her. "Thanks, Bulma," he whispered.
Queen Kalina happened to walk in and took in the scene with a smile on her face. Bulma didn't notice she was even there. "What brought this on?" Bulma asked the little boy.
"My dad says I'm weak," Tarble said sadly.
"Your dad says a lot of things," Bulma replied softly. "It doesn't mean any of them are true, okay?"
Tarble smiled and nodded. "So, blueprints?"
"Yes, let's get started," Bulma said excitedly. She ruffled the little boy's hair before they got started. Queen Kalina left the room with an even bigger grin then she had before. She really liked having Bulma around. She brought out the best in her two boys.
Vegeta landed on the planet, Kryoo. It was nearly uninhabited, a slave planet to their empire. Vegeta wanted to save this stop for last because he really didn't want to be surrounded by the "resource" his father wanted him to pick up. However, it was the closest planet to where he was and far away from all the other planets his father wanted him to…visit. The sooner he could get this mission done, the sooner he could be back in the palace with Bulma. He could handle the uncomfortable situation if he kept that image in mind.
Vegeta walked into the main building and looked down to the tiny leader of the planet. "My father requests more women for the harem," Vegeta growled with disgust, refusing to make eye contact. He knew this was going to be a long trip.
Two months had passed and Bulma was taken some much needed time to herself. She still couldn't leave the palace like when Vegeta was there, but instead she took the time to rest and pamper herself. It was another way of distracting herself until Vegeta returned home. The truth was she missed the Saiyan prince.
The time apart had done wonders for her. There wasn't that tense aura surrounding her anymore as when they slept in the same room and, now that she had brought herself to relax, all of her bad memories of this room were just that, memories that she felt she could bury now.
The only ones she was worried about now were Vegeta, Tarble, and Queen Kalina. They were the ones who had to suffer the king's wrath firsthand. There has to be something I can do to help them, Bulma thought to herself. Never being one to yield, she hated the position she was placed in and she knew it had everything to do with this stupid device everyone called the tōgoku. The problem was that she didn't know how the device worked and, without detailed knowledge of its mechanics, she wouldn't be able to invent anything to stop it. Unless…
"Princess," Nappa whispered into the room. That seemed to be the only volume Saiyans couldn't hear. Even Vegeta was always quiet with her.
Bulma nodded to him and he brought her lunch in. She placed the book she was reading down on a nightstand and sat up.
"The prince is making good time," Nappa told her knowing that she was probably worried about his safety.
"Is he alright?" Bulma asked proving Nappa right.
"He is, but very unhappy," Nappa told her. "The first planet he stopped on was Kryoo. That's where the king's concubines are imported from." Bulma tensed thinking about that. "He's also been to Planet Arlia and successfully purged it, as well as stopping a rebellion on Planet Hera. Usually this type of mission takes longer than what the prince has been doing. I guess he really wants to come back to you."
Bulma smiled. "Or the gravity machine," she joked.
Nappa chuckled. "That too," he teased half-heartedly. "How are you handling the separation?"
"Fine," Bulma replied. "I just miss him. I'm keeping busy though so that I can distract myself from the fact that he's not here."
"Well, if you need a distraction…" Nappa started nervously, suggesting that he was there to offer her just that.
"What were you thinking?" Bulma asked skeptically, uncertain of where he was going with this.
"Bardock, Kakarot's father, is the doctor in the palace. Have you met him?" Bulma nodded. "Well, we have been talking. The people really want to see you again. I can go talk to the king and tell them that in order for your shields to work, you need to study Planet Vegeta's atmosphere for the day. That way you can have another day outside."
"I would like that," Bulma said with a smile. She was thinking about the time Vegeta took her out to meet the people and how calm he was around the other Saiyans. It was so different from how tense he was in his own home.
"It's not a home," she remembered him telling her one night. "It's a prison."
"I'll go run it by the king now while you eat," Nappa suggested.
"Sounds good," Bulma responded as she began nibbling on her lunch.
"For the last time, LEAVE ME ALONE!" Vegeta shouted at one of the women who had been trying to come on to him the entire trip. He knew he couldn't tell them he had a mate. They had no loyalty to him and would tell his father in a heartbeat, but that didn't mean he wanted them anywhere near him. Not only did he just want one woman, but he was still disgusted with himself for the events that occurred. The whole situation was frustrating.
He sat in his room, staring out into space, while thinking of Bulma. He was wondering if she even cared that he was gone or if she was happy that she didn't have to see him. The thought caused a pain in his chest, and he had to try and convince himself to stop thinking that way. Without her there to set him straight, he could lapse into depression again and now it was even more dangerous because he was throwing himself into combat with soldiers who wouldn't aid him if he injured himself. He just wished he could hear her voice, even for a second, just so that he knew she was okay and would still be there when he got back.
Then he thought of his father. He clenched his fists in anger when he thought of how his father was controlling him using her. He didn't even know he had taken the Earthling as a mate. Speaking of Earth, he remembered he was in that quadrant. The prince was still curious about what had happened to the planet that he had been assigned to purge. Maybe a quick detour wouldn't hurt.
He landed on the blue and green rock and told the women on the ship not to go anywhere, because he would find them. They nodded their agreement and watched him leave.
It didn't look any different from the last time he had been there. Everything was still destroyed and rundown. There were no signs of any other life form anywhere. Whoever had purged the planet had not been back to take it, not that Vegeta cared. He only came for one thing. Bulma, he thought as he made her way back to her old home, the place where he found her.
He didn't know why he felt like ransacking her house, but part of him felt that she deserved to have more than just a blanket knit by her mother and her memories. He took everything the seemed important: pictures, jewelry, clothes, documents, anything that could remind Bulma of her home and family.
He was stunned when he found something that looked strange to him. He read the label. What's a sonogram? he asked himself. It didn't look like much, but he took it anyway. If Bulma didn't want it, she could get rid of it.
He returned back to the ship with bags that he had found full of stuff. The women were curious but did not want to get on the prince's bad side. They knew what he was capable of and it worried them. Vegeta could feel their anxiety rolling off them in waves. It reminded him of Bulma after he hurt her. He walked past them, but stopped and said, "I am not my father. You have nothing to fear from me." And with that, he went back into his quarters to store the earthly treasures he gathered for Bulma.
"But sire, for her shields to work, she needs to make sure they agree with the atmosphere and high temperatures on the planet," Nappa explained after the king started to deny his request.
"And she, the girl who cannot speak, told you this?" the king asked skeptically.
"She wrote it down," Nappa lied convincingly. "Just give her two or three hours. I will accompany her."
"You and another soldier," the king ordered. "Onior, enter."
Onior did as he was commanded and entered the throne room. He knelt down, hoping that the king had not called him in to kill him as an example for something. "Yes, your majesty?" he asked doing his best not to sound hesitant. Luckily for him, he succeeded.
"You will accompany Nappa and the scientist girl out into the city so she can conduct her experiments from now on."
"Yes, sire," Onior replied. He and Nappa looked to one another and then left to get Bulma.
"You are never to say anything to the king," Nappa said in a whisper.
"I would not betray my prince or princess like that," Onior told him. "The prince has suffered enough. I will not be the reason he loses his life."
Nappa nodded in acceptance. He knew how the other soldiers felt about their king. If it weren't for that device, they would have rallied against him years ago. Hell, the prince was stronger than his father and could have easily taken the throne if not for the tōgoku. He could only imagine how frustrating it was for Vegeta to have the power to end the misery, but not being able to use it. Right now they were just hoping that the king would die by natural means.
Bulma had gathered her shield prototypes, even though her completed shields were locked away. If she had the unfortunate opportunity of running into the king, she needed to look busy.
Nappa and another soldier came into her room. The other soldier introduced himself as Onior. After explaining the time limit, the two took her to Bardock and he smiled at the girl. "It is good to see you again, princess," he said quietly. "The rest of my family looks forward to meeting you."
Bulma smiled back at him and let the three Saiyans lead her out of the palace. Bardock led them to his home. He wanted to make the stop before they walked over to the square. It was a small home for a family she knew to be large. She wondered why the palace doctor whose sons fought for the empire would have such terrible living quarters. As if hearing her thoughts, Bardock said, "It is because of mine and Gine's ranking. We used to fight in the army, but we were considered to be low-class warriors, and Gine wasn't much of a fighter anyway. Our sons are much stronger than we are, but they choose to stay and help care for their mother."
"What is wrong with her?" Bulma asked in concern.
Bardock smiled sadly. "Giving birth to a Saiyan is physically taxing," he explained. "I mean, it's fine if one gives birth to one child, but when she gave birth a second time, it was to twins, Kakarot and Turles. It took a toll on her body, but there weren't any noticeable complications until recently."
"I'm sorry," Bulma whispered sadly in reply.
Bardock smiled at her and placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. "Don't be. We have three amazing boys who make us proud. Anyway, go to the kitchen for a moment. Kakarot's wife really wants to meet you."
Bulma looked to him in shock, not just because of Kakarot being mated, but because he used the word "wife" instead of "mate." Her curious mind took over and she ran into the kitchen and saw a tall women, though shorter than Kakarot, cooking something on the stove and a little boy sitting at the table writing down some calculations. The woman looked over to Bulma and smiled.
"You must be Princess Bulma," she observed. "I have heard many good things about you, especially from my husband."
"Don't you mean 'mate?'" Bulma asked in confusion.
The woman laughed. "I suppose since we're on their planet we should use their terms, but yes. Kakarot is my mate."
"Their planet?"
"Oh, you haven't been told yet," the woman stated. She turned to the little boy. "Gohan, go wake up your uncles. They were out late again last night so it might take a while."
The little boy with the tail jumped off his seat. "Okay, mom, I'll get them."
When Gohan was out of earshot, the woman motioned for Bulma to take a seat and joined her. "I'm not a Saiyan," she said. "My planet was at odds with Planet Vegeta after the former king had been…had passed. I come from the planet, Rescue Star. Our planet had provided a lot of the medicinal herbs that made the medicines of this world.
"A few of us were ordered here when the current king took over and were forced to grow the plants that grow best in this environment and find new ones to make better cures for illness. I am what you call a star healer, and I actually taught Bardock the majority of what I knew about healing. He brought me in to take care of his wife after he retired from the army and became the palace doctor. While spending so much time around the family, I had fallen for Kakarot and he mated with me; however, on my planet we get married, so the family always uses the terminology from my planet to make me feel more welcome."
"Wow," Bulma said in amazement. "I'm…glad you met Kakarot, um, what's your name?"
"Oh, how rude of me," the woman chuckled. "My name is Chi Chi. It's nice to officially meet you."
Bulma smiled at her and said, "It's nice to meet you, too."
Just then, two men came into the kitchen and started rummaging for some food. "Morning Chi Chi, where's our brother this morning?" the taller one with long hair asked.
"He went out early to train, Raditz," Chi Chi replied.
"And you didn't let Gohan go with him?" the other one who looked like Kakarot asked. Bulma knew him to be Turles after her talk with Bardock.
Chi Chi turned to him and put her hands on her hips. "Well, he went yesterday and didn't finish his lesson."
"Chi Chi, with all due respect," Raditz started, "is it appropriate for a young Saiyan to learning about healing and stuff?"
"I didn't hear you complaining when he made that drink for your hangovers," Chi Chi scolded. Raditz and Turles blushed and looked away from her in shame. "I swear…"
Then the two Saiyans noticed Bulma sitting there in the kitchen. "Oh, are you the princess?" Turles asked. Bulma nodded. "Nice to meet you."
"Likewise?" Bulma said unsure.
Raditz chuckled. "Excuse us for our behavior, princess. We're not really morning people."
"But it's the middle of the day," Bulma replied.
"Crap, she's observant," Turles laughed. "Seems all these women are."
"And don't you forget it," Chi Chi replied before going back to cooking. "Where did Gohan run off to?"
"He went to see mom," Raditz told her. "He's worried about her."
"We all are…"
It got very quiet in the kitchen and Bulma couldn't take the intense environment and left the room. She shook her head thinking about the situation. She knew that if living conditions were difficult, that those who were sick usually didn't get any better. If they were in a better home with more nutritious food, Bulma was sure that Kakarot's mother would be fine. It was so cruel to let your own people suffer like this.
"It's not how it always was," Kakarot said startling Bulma.
"When did you get back?" Bulma asked.
"Just a second ago."
"Oh," Bulma replied. "What's not how it always was?"
Kakarot sat down on a couch looking thing and sighed. "Raditz said that mom and dad used to live in a larger house than this. When Vegeta's grandfather was alive he took care of everyone, including the planets he traded with, like Rescue Star. It was when his father took over that everything got shot to hell. The weaker warriors were moved out of their homes and into smaller ones. The king never wanted to put money into maintaining the homes and let them deteriorate. He offered Raditz, Turles, and I larger homes and we would have taken him up on his offer so that mother could be in better living conditions."
"Why didn't you?" Bulma asked.
Kakarot frowned. "He told us that our parents had to reside here and if they tried to move in with us, they would be killed."
Bulma had no words. She didn't know how anyone could be such a monster to their own kind. "I want to help," Bulma finally said.
"You are helping," Kakarot assured her. "You're helping Vegeta to increase his strength; you're keeping him sane by being his mate; and you've given him and the people hope that something can and will change. You've given Vegeta something to live for after he's been deteriorating for so long. You've truly helped more than you know."
"I feel like I should be doing more," Bulma said thinking about the tōgoku.
Kakarot could tell she was plotting something when she got quiet and stared of into space. "Please, Bulma…don't do anything to get yourself into trouble, at least until you run it by Vegeta first."
"Alright, fine," Bulma reluctantly agreed. "I won't do anything to put me in danger."
"Princess…"
Bulma and Kakarot turned to see Bardock and his wife standing in the doorway. He was holding her up so that she wouldn't fall. It nearly brought tears to Bulma's eyes to see someone so helpless when she couldn't do anything to make it better, but she managed to hold them back. She knew Saiyans didn't like dealing with emotions, or at least Vegeta didn't.
"You're just as beautiful as I have been hearing," Gine said kindly.
Bulma blushed. "Thank you," she said sheepishly making the older woman laugh.
"I can tell you're a modest one," she teased. "Just so you know, my home is your home."
Bulma smiled sadly. "I wish it were the other way around," she admitted.
Gine returned her smile. "You're a sweet child. Don't let these boys worry you. I can still beat them into the pavement if the ever get out of line."
"I'm sure you could," Bulma said sincerely.
"We need to be heading to the square, princess," Bardock told her. "The people still wish to see you and we only have an hour before we need to get you back."
"Alright," Bulma said confidently. Kakarot joined her, Bardock, Nappa, and Onior to the square and even brought Gohan. Bulma had a new respect for all of the Saiyans. They all spoke out against their king, even though it could mean their death. They all supported the prince, and now her, and treated her as if she was part of the family they formed in one another.
When Bulma returned to the palace, she felt a newfound strength that would not be so easily extinguished. As soon as Vegeta returned, she would find a way to beat the tōgoku and then maybe Vegeta could take the thrown and save his home planet.
A/N: At the time this had been the longest chapter I had written for anything, and of course that's obsolete now XD I've written a few 5-10,000 word chapters plus since then XD This is like the length of most of my current one-shots. Rofl! Anyways, I can definitely tell where my writing improved. As of a couple chapters ago I've only been adding really minor stuff and fixing mistakes, so that must mean I'm starting to be happy with the original chapters. It's kind of a relief. I had to do some major addition in the first few chapters. Lol…those blasted details I used to like to gloss over XD
Also, now that we actually know who Goku's mother really is, I decided to fix it while writing and changed Fasha to Gine. It's not a major deal, but if people re-read, they might notice it.
And these are the other planets mentioned:
Kyroo - Random word that I picked out of nowhere XD
Arlia and Hera – both planets mentioned in DBZ somewhere (bug planet and Bojack's planet)
Rescue Star – random name generating website…yeah