The next chapter is here and ready for your reading enjoyment. As always, thank you for your reviews, favorites, and follows. It brings me joy knowing that so many are enjoying the story. Also, of a note, the next chapter may be later since I am currently out of town and may not have time to do the proper editing. Just thought I give some fair warning.

Now, the the chapter.

Chapter 10: Confessions

They were in battle, fighting scores of enemies who vainly attempted to kill them. They were strong, no doubt about that. Several within the Frieza Force fell to them, but not him. He was far too strong to be killed by such trash.

Despite the hard time this world have been given him, and the arrival of King Vegeta and Frieza's flunkies, he was still having the time of his life. There was nothing like the rush of blood, the smell of death filling his nose, the screams of his enemies' dying breaths, and moving forward and conquering all in his path.

This was the life of a Saiyan. This was what being a beast of death was all about.

"Careful! Power levels of over four thousand heading our way!" he heard Shugesh shout.

He grinned when he heard this news. Finally the enemy was sending more powerful opponents. The small fries didn't fully satisfy his bloodlust. He needed tougher people to kill or else he may burst. "Terrific. Was getting bored with the grunts."

"You would find that exciting," he heard Gine mumbled.

She would never understand and he pitied her. She would never understand the giant rush he was having. He was so high right now, he almost felt invincible. Forget King Vegeta, he could conquer this world on his own.

"Of course. This is what we Saiyans live for," he proclaimed. "We'll have Section B back before the night..."

A beam of energy suddenly past by him and before he could blink, a giant hole appeared on Gine's chest, just above her heart. Whoever shot her had burnt right through her protective armor like it wasn't even there.

He stared in shock at the hole, not believing what he was seeing. He saw nothing but black. Blackness that was starting to rapidly pour out blood.

Gine just stood there. Her eyes were dilated and her skin quickly pale as the life drained out of her. She didn't grab the wound. She didn't seem to be completely aware of it. She didn't even look to be in pain.

A single tear fell from her eyes as her knees gave way and she began to collapse.

"GINE!" he could remember screaming at the top of his lungs.

Borgos was the one who caught her before she could hit the ground.

"Gine!" Shugesh also screamed as he rushed to her side. He placed a hand on her chest and he saw Shugesh's jaw clenched. "There's no heartbeat and she isn't breathing... She's..."

He didn't hear anything else after that. No sound past through his ears except for the pounding of his own rapidly pounding heart. The air felt stall and cold as he attempted to breath.

Gine's dead... Gine was dead...

THOSE BASTARDS KILLED GINE!

"DAMN YOU!" the screamed ripped through his throat as he released his energy. Without second thought, he charged Gine's murderers.

He couldn't think...he didn't want to think. Thinking would make him think of Gine, who was now lying cold and motionless on the ground. How dare these assholes kill her! How dare they pierce her gentle heart with their filthy energy!

They will pay! He would make them suffer!

They shot at him, hitting him in his vital areas, and broke his bones, but he didn't care. No amount of pain they could inflict could equal the agony he felt within.

There was blood everywhere. It littered the ground and splotched his face. Earlier, the smell of blood enthralled, but now...it was reminded him of Gine whose blood poured out into a puddle under her.

He wasn't sure how long the moment lasted, but when he finally regained his senses, everyone in the area was dead. There wasn't an enemy left in sight, only corpses. He could see their frozen horrified expressions and the anguished on their faces. How many….? It looked to be fifty…no more…maybe one-hundred….

He gave a vicious smirk.

Good. He hoped they all suffered greatly before they died. He wanted them to suffer longer for what they did to Gine. But he wasn't particularly good at torture.

"She's alive!"

Bardock turned towards his crew, somehow regaining the ability to hear sound.

Borgos' hand was lit up and pressed onto Gine's chest. To his shock, her chest was moving, although very weakly.

"I managed to restart her heart and give her some of my energy," Borgos stated. His normally calm, dispassionate voice was latched with an underline of worry. "But she won't last long."

Shugesh turned towards the Frieza Force, who stared at shock at what just happened. "Hey, you loser do something useful! Get her to the medical bay, now! There's still a chance to save her!"

"I'll take her," he spoke before his mind realized what he was saying.

Shugesh stared at him in shock. "But..."

"Move!"

He left no room for argument. Gine was still alive. There was a chance she could survived this. He couldn't spare another second.

Borgos lifted Gine and carefully put her into his arms. He could feel the sticky blood covering him, but he didn't care. He was used to being drenched in blood, his own and others.

Without a word to his crew, he flew off.

He flew at his fastest speed, not caring if the enemy spotted him. He would get Gine to the medical bay. She will live.

He felt people shooting at him and even tried to chase after him, but he ignored all of them. None of them mattered. Only Gine mattered.

After what felt like an eternity, he was finally at the main base.

When he landed, he stumbled a little, but pushed himself forward, ignoring all the stares and people trying to talk to him.

He slammed opened the door to the medical center. He saw Planthorr and the other doctors staring at him in shock.

"Bardock?" Planthorr questioned.

"Save her," was the only thing he said.

Planthorr looked down at the burden in his arms and his eyes widened. He quickly composed himself and grabbed the dying girl from his arms. He stripped her of armor and cloths while their most advanced healing chamber was prepared for her. Not even a minute later, she was in the tank.

From there he waited.

He saw Planthorr rapidly danced his fingers across the keyboard, trying desperately to keep Gine alive.

The other doctors tried to get him into a tank, but he refused. He wouldn't move until he knew Gine would be alright. Even in his weaken state; they couldn't forced him to do anything.

He fought off sleep, although he did doze off several times. It wasn't long, though. Only cat naps that lasted ten to twenty minutes. The doctors offered him food, but he wasn't hungry. However, they insisted that he drank water.

They annoyed him, but he knew that they were only trying to help. It's just his personal health didn't mean anything until he learned Gine's fate. He couldn't relax until Gine pulled through or she died where she sat.

Was it days, he wasn't sure. He was so tired and out of it that time meant nothing to him.

"She is finally through the worst of it," Planthorr spoke the words he longed to hear. The old doctor carefully read the readings on the monitor. "Yes. She should be alright now." He turned to look at him. "It was your quick action that saved her. If you have not rushed her here, nothing would have been able to save her."

Bardock sighed in relief and he closed his eyes. Within seconds, he allowed the darkness to take him away.

By the time awareness returned to him, he was somewhere warm and wet. He must be in the healing tank. He's been here too many times not to know.

He opened his eyes and saw the familiar face of Planthorr staring at him. He nodded in approval to one of the doctors and the tank emptied of the healing liquid. Once fully drained, the door opened.

"You healed up as nicely as always, Bardock, despite your injuries becoming infected by not getting into the tank sooner," Planthorr lightly scolded as Bardock stepped out.

Bardock looked around the room and felt a sigh of relief leave his throat when he saw Gine, alive and well standing next to one of the doctors.

"You're okay, Bardock?" she asked softly.

He nodded. "Just a little sore." He tested out his once fractured arm, finding it on the stiff side.

"You really need to take better care of yourself," Planthorr stated as Bardock walked past him to put his armor on. "One day you will come in here with wounds I won't be able to fix."

"If that happens, it was simply my time to go," Bardock said in a dismissive tone.

"Don't say that!" Gine exclaimed. He looked at her in shock and Gine seemed to just realize her outburst. She lowered her head. "Sorry... I was out line."

Planthorr looked between the two Saiyans. "I should give you two your space. I'm sure you have much to talk about."

He motioned all the other doctors out of the room, leaving them alone. Neither one of them spoke as Bardock continued to dress himself.

"I...I wanted to say thank you," Gine finally spoke after several minutes. "Planthorr and Fasha told me what happened."

"Think nothing of it," Bardock said in a dismissive tone. "I did what I would've done for any on my crew."

Gine was quiet for several seconds. "But...that isn't true, is it?"

Bardock stopped dressing and glanced at her from the side of his eyes. "Are you saying that I gave you special treatment?" His voice rose.

He didn't know why he was acting like this. He knew she only spoke the truth. Although he deeply cared for the other members of crew and would avenge them if some bastard did them in, he has never reacted like that before when one of them was injured.

There was a difference. Namely, no one within his crew was ever mortally wounded before. But...he completely lost it when he thought Gine had died. Like his entire world crashed on his head. He's never felt like that.

Gine looked away. "I...I don't know. I only know what Planthorr and Fasha told me. They say you would've never acted the way you did with anyone else."

"Then they thought wrong," he answered in a cold voice, finishing dressing. "Those two shouldn't fill your head with such drivel. You're just a member of my team. Nothing more, nothing less."

Gine was silence.

He could tell by her expression that she didn't believed him, but wasn't sure how to proceed.

It was just as well. He wasn't sure about his own feelings at the moment. About what happened to him back there. Being around Gine had done something to him. It was making him experience things that he had never felt.

Worse of all, he was actually liking these strange feelings. When he was around Gine, he felt warm, comfortable. Like he could tell her anything and relax. It was a sensation completely alien to him.

"I brought you some food," Gine said, pointing to the table filled with plates. "I know you must be hungry."

"Did you eat?" Bardock asked.

She nodded. "Not that long ago. I only got out from the chamber about an hour ago."

"I see." He walked over to the table, took a seat, and began to dig in.

He ate like a starving dog. He couldn't even remember the last time he had a meal. By how empty his stomach felt, he must have been days.

"We are to go to the meeting yard in about an hour. King Vegeta and the others will be arriving soon," Gine informed.

This made Bardock stopped eating. "Soon?" His eyes widened. "You were hurt five days ago!?"

She nodded. "I was surprised too. Although, I was more surprised that you stayed neared my healing tank until you knew I was stable. You went over two days without any medical attention. You barely slept and didn't eat. They barely got water into you."

Bardock could only stare at her as he took in this information.

Two days? He was by her side for that long? No wonder he was so hungry. That was unbelievable. Did he really cared for her that much?

He shook his head. "I needed to make sure you made it. Your heart was pierced. Nearly destroyed in fact. It's a miracle that Borgos was able to restart it." He paused for a moment. "Your armor saved you, too. If that beam had penetrated completely through your body, you would have died instantly."

"And I am grateful to him. By all accounts, I should have died out there," she spoke before staring at him. "You saved me, too. You flew me all the way back here despite the danger. You even took revenge on the people who nearly killed me." She smiled sadly. "I've only known you for little more than a year, but...that wasn't normal for you. You wouldn't have left the battlefield just to tend to an injure crew member. You may have sent Borgos or Shugesh to get me medical attention, but you wouldn't have done it yourself. When...when I died, something happened to you."

Bardock went back to eating. "You're just thinking too much about nothing."

He ended the conversation there. If this went on, he may say something regrettable. Before he could go any further with Gine, he needed to sort out his own conflicting feelings.

Once he was done eating, they were off to the meeting yard where many of Frieza's forces and some Saiyans were gathered. Bardock could tell by the noise in background that heavy fighting was still taking place. He wondered if they managed to retake any of the lost territory while he was down.

"There!" one of Frieza's men shouted while pointing up.

He looked up to see a flying saucer heading towards them. He supposed the king and the other elites wouldn't come in attack balls. Too common for them.

When it landed, everyone put their rights hands over their hearts, the universal greeting for anyone with high authority. The door hissed opened and Bardock could see the silhouettes of several men.

From the saucer a tall man with hair sticking upwards, and a thick beard and mustached stepped out. Unlike their armor, his was decorated with medals and he wore a bright red cape. Although he had never personally met him until now, all Saiyans knew what King Vegeta looked like. He was just as awe inspiring as the rumors said.

Next to the king was a huge man who towered over him. He was a brutish looking man with mopping hair and a thin mustached.

There were several other Saiyans with the king, but two other people caught his eye.

On the far side of King Vegeta stood a man with light green skin and hair that was a darker green. From appearances, he looked like someone who had never seen combat in his life. He had an aura similar to King Vegeta, though. Maybe he was once royalty at some point. He wouldn't be the first one of imperial blood to be drafted into Frieza's ranks.

Next to him was a fat looking pink man with spikes on his head and wrist. He seemed somewhat dimmed, but he could sense that this man has personally killed a lot of people.

Those two must be Zarbon and Dodoria, Frieza's right hand men. They didn't seem like much. Were they really that powerful?

"At ease, men," Zarbon spoke. His voice was elegant, yet had a weight of authority behind it. Yes, he was definitely royalty at some point.

Everyone relaxed.

Vegeta looked over everyone. "Are you the only ones who have come to greet us?"

One of Frieza's men stepped forward and gave a small bow to the king. "Forgive us. Most of our troops are currently fighting in the field. The resistance on this world got wind of your arrival and have become more aggressive."

Dodoria smiled upon hearing this. "Makes sense. They want to be in a good position to counter us." He laughed. "How futile."

"If they were able to learn about our arrival, their information network must be quite advance," Zarbon observed. "Before they gain more power, we must crush this riff-raff where they stand."

The big Saiyan chuckled. "You worry too much. Once we make a full moon, we will have this planet in the bag before the end of the day."

"I am aware of your transformations. However, simply turning into giant apes and running amok means little without the proper coordination," Zarbon stated, sounding almost bored.

The bigger Saiyan growled at him. "What does that mean?"

"It means exactly as it sounds," Zarbon said. Despite his polite tone, there was an air of annoyance in his voice. "If these people were smart enough to destroy their moons, we have to assume that they may have a counter for your transformations. Especially since your abilities to create false moons has been spreading."

Vegeta nodded. "He's right, Nappa. We need more than just brute force to win this battle; otherwise our forces would have taking this world weeks ago. If we are to crush these scum, we must use our transform state wisely."

"Which is something a Saiyan would have trouble doing," Dodoria mocked.

"What!?" one of the Saiyan elites sneered, turning towards the pink porcupine.

"Settle down," Vegeta ordered in a tight voice.

Dodoria smirked at the Saiyan elite before turning his eyes towards the king. "Vegeta, you really need keep your dogs on a shorter leash. Such temperamental brutes will only prove to be a liability."

Vegeta's eyes twitched, but said nothing.

The one named Nappa looked ready to charged the man, but kept his temper in check.

Bardock also held back a growl. He would've loved to teach these arrogance bastards a lesson, but knew it wasn't wise to cross Frieza's top men. They didn't appear to be strong, but there had to be a reason why Frieza kept them by his side.

Also, King Vegeta was very wary of them, along with the other elites, despite their great strength. Did these two possessed power that surpassed even the greatest of them? It seemed unbelievable.

"Well, if that little drama is finished we should proceed with the planning," Zarbon said. He turned towards one of the commanders on the Frieza Force. "Give us a rundown of this planet's defenses, their strongest fighters, their technology, everything. Leave nothing out."

The man nodded. "Of course, sir." He turned to lead the group to the war room.

"Nappa, stay here and gathered our forces. I want every Saiyan here by the end of the day. No excuses," Vegeta ordered.

Nappa put his right hand to his chest. "Leave it to me, sire."

Vegeta nodded in approval before he left with Zarbon and Dodoria. The other elite Saiyans also followed their king.

"Okay, you low class scum!" Nappa shouted. "Get on your scouters and call anyone in the field back here, on the double! If they're not here within the next hour, I will personally break each of your necks."

Bardock snorted, not caring for the brute's attitude, but he clicked on his scouter. "Seems Fasha and Tora are already in camp. Borgos and Shugesh are also nearby."

"Everyone regrouped after they heard what happened," Gine said. She lowered her head. "They all visited you, but you didn't acknowledge them at all."

Bardock was surprised to hear this. He had no memory of seeing anyone. All he could remember was Gine, clinging to life and the doctors' best attempts to keep her alive. Was he really that out of it?

"Hey, are you Bardock?"

He looked up to see Nappa right in his face. How the hell did he sneak up on him?

"Yes, sir," Bardock answered. He didn't like how this man was staring at him and getting into his personal space.

Nappa looked over him like a piece of meat. "How long before everyone from your crew arrives?"

"There're already here, sir," Bardock answered.

This made Nappa raise an eyebrow. "They're here already? Are you slackers even fighting? There should be at least two members of a crew in the field at all times unless ordered otherwise."

"I have no answer for that. I just came out of healing tank an hour ago," Bardock stated, trying to control his annoyance. Like two from his crew could make a different out there. They maybe one of the strongest fighters here, but even they had their limits. Especially since everyone else here was weak.

Nappa crossed his arms. "I expected better from someone like you. You are, after all, that upstart low class who thinks he's an elite. Or, so I've heard."

He glared at the older man, although he did take some satisfaction knowing that he was known by the elites, and by name to boot. "I only do my job. I just happen to do it better job than anyone. Even compared to you elites."

Nappa narrowed his eyes. "I suggest you watch yourself, low class. Sooner or later, those who don't know their place will eventually be crushed. You can only run on luck for so long," he warned. His eyes suddenly turned towards Gine. "Well, aren't you a runt." He pressed on his scouter and scoffed when he saw the number. "A power level of only eight-hundred twenty. How pathetic. How did a weak little thing like you end up here? Shouldn't be on a frontier planet somewhere killing bugs or something?"

"She's a part of my crew," Bardock answered before Gine, although her power level did surprised him. The last time he scanned her, she was only in the high five hundreds. Then again, she did nearly die. That would've bumped her battle power.

This made Nappa smirk. "Really? I heard your entire crew was made up of people over the one-thousand mark. I guess you really can't believe rumors."

"She may appear weak, but she has a lot of spirit on the battlefield," Bardock said, slowly losing his temper. Elite or not, he was getting on his nerves.

He so wanted to scan Nappa's battle power. He was sure he could take him, but it was against Saiyan's laws to attack a superior. He would be executed, especially with the king being here.

Nappa laughed loudly at his statement. "Spirit mean crap out there. Only power matters. Any Saiyan worth their salt knows that," he stated. "If I was you, I would dump this deadweight and trade up for something better. Hell, I even know several low class Saiyans who are at least past the thousand mark."

Bardock narrowed his eyes. "Thanks, but no thanks. Once a member of my crew, always a member of my crew."

Gine looked at him in awe.

Nappa gave him a bemused look. "Is that really something a commander should say? I'm beginning to wonder how you survived this long with that thinking?" He glanced at Gine. "Look, if you don't want to die a terrible and messy death on some forsaking hellhole, I highly suggest you asked for a transfer, ASAP. This section of the universe is no place for weaklings like you." He then moved on to another crew commander.

"Sheesh, what an ass," Bardock mumbled.

"But he isn't wrong," Gine spoke softly as she lowered her head. "This isn't a place for me to be. Although I've gotten stronger, thanks to you protecting me, the people I'm fighting are way out of my league."

Bardock grabbed her shoulders. "You know as well as I do that no crew will accept a transfer from you. Until your year is up..."

"I'm thinking about leaving," Gine interrupted.

Bardock wasn't expecting this. "Wait…what? You can't."

Gine put her hand to her arm. "I've been thinking about it for awhile. Even if I do live past all of this and make it to retirement, there is no real future for me."

"That isn't true," Bardock replied with some heat. "There are loads of jobs that you can do once you reached the age to leave the army."

"Like what, packing meat? That isn't a life, Bardock," Gine said before sighing. "The fact is...once I leave the army, I won't be a part of your crew anymore. You all will go on without me, while I rot on Planet Vegeta." She gave a small smile. "Despite all the violence and close calls, this has been the happiest year of my life. I finally have friends who don't hate me for what I am and treat me with respect. It's more than I could ever ask for. More than I ever dreamed of."

"Then why this sudden talk about leaving?" Bardock demanded. "You still have more time with us."

She shook her head. "I don't... We go on these insane missions and...I'm always getting into trouble. Even when I try not to, you always need to save me. And this time...you were injured trying to save my life. The fact of the matter is, Bardock, that I am a burden to you. To the entire crew. As Nappa said, I'm deadweight dragging you down."

"That's not true..." he whispered.

She smiled sadly. "It isn't like you to lie. We both know that I'm the load. Not just because of my low battle power, but because I don't have the killing instinct like you and the others. When I was first put on your crew, I was happy to just stay behind and let you guys do all the fighting to protect myself. My survival meant more to me than any of you and…I didn't want to kill anyone. Now...I can't do it anymore. One day...you may get killed protecting me and I...I can't deal with that."

Bardock narrowed his eyes. "That isn't your choice to make. It's my life."

"Which is why I decided to leave the crew," Gine stated with finality. "I will take my attack ball and go to some far off world. Hopefully, I can build a life there. It's what I should have done in the first place, but...I was too much of a coward to do it until now."

"No, what you're doing now is cowardly," Bardock sneered. "Abandoning your crew mid-mission is a capital offense. I can have you killed."

Gine chuckled humorlessly. "After all you've done to save my life, would you really kill me that easily?"

Bardock became silence. No…he wouldn't. He could never hurt Gine even if he wanted to. Even if his Saiyan instincts demanded it.

"But...there's something else I want to tell you before I leave, but not here," Gine said before looking Bardock straight in his eyes. "Meet me by the barracks tonight. Once done...I will leave this place."

Before Bardock could say anything, she turned her back on him and walked off.

What the hell was that all about? Where did this suddenly come from? Gine would never just turned her back without a fight. She was a reject, but she had a powerful fighting spirit. A will to live against all the odds. Now...she was simply giving up? This wasn't right.

Did her near-death experience rattle her that much?

No, he could never believe that. She was a Saiyan. They didn't fear death, they grew stronger from it. So why...?

His eyes narrowed. He wouldn't let her leave. Even if he had to tie her down, she wasn't going anywhere. No one left his crew without his permission. No one.

Night seemed to take forever to fall. The final stages for the attack on this world were completed and would commence by morning. The plan was to divide the Saiyans into four groups, each led by an elite. Once they were in position, those elites would create a false moon and lead their teams to the center of the planet. Zarbon and Dodoria would personally lead the Frieza Force to take the capital and take the head of the leadership.

There were some concerns, given that the capital had the planet's elite fighters and a boatload of weapons that could put a hole through even a Great Ape, but Zarbon assured them that the Frieza Force was up to the task. He estimated at worse a sixty percent lost of troops.

Bardock, for the first time in his life, didn't give a damn about any of that. His only concern was keeping Gine from making the biggest mistake of her life.

As soon as the sunset, he was at the barracks, waiting impatiently for Gine. He cussed under his breath that Gine never gave him an exact time. Only to come tonight.

But, it didn't matter. Even if he had to wait for hours, he wouldn't take the chance in being late and missing her.

"You're early. As always," the voice of Gine spoke as Bardock turned towards her.

"No, you're just really late," Bardock countered, but it had none of its usual snark.

It was obvious by his demeanor that he was tense. More tense than he'd ever been in his entire life, saved for when Gine nearly died. He hoped this wasn't becoming a new normal for him.

She smiled. "Let's move to a more private location."

She took off into the air and Bardock followed shortly behind her. They flew until they came to a rocky cliff that overlooked the broken pieces of the moons.

It was an eerily beautiful sight. One he never noticed until now with all the fighting and bloodshed. Then again, he never noticed such things. He only cared about battle and looking at the scenery served no purposed, other than a distraction.

When they landed, there was a long, uncomfortable silence. Neither one of them spoke or looked at each other.

"Gine, you're making a mistake," Bardock finally said bluntly, deciding to speak first. "You can't leave. If they find out, you will be executed."

"I know and accept my fate. Whether I die by the hands of my own kinsmen, the Frieza Force, or to a species we wronged in the past, I accept them all. I...just can't do this anymore," Gine whispered, tears threatened to fall down her eyes. "I hate being saved and putting my crew in danger. I hate always fighting for my life. And...most of all, I can't stand what we are. No matter how much my program tells me otherwise, we're not warriors, Bardock." She stared at her hands. "We're murderers. Coldblooded, murderers. I can't pretend otherwise anymore."

Bardock glared at her, feeling his temper getting the best of him. "Then why call me here if you already made up your mind? Why don't you just go like the coward you are?"

"Because I've decided to leave without any regrets," Gine replied before looking Bardock straight in the eye. "The primary reason I'm leaving, despite everything I said, is because...is because... I love you."

His eyes widened when he heard those words. "What?"

She lowered her head. "I love you. I have for a while. But...it took me talking to Planthorr and Fasha for me to realize it." She gave a sad smile and tears ran down her cheeks. She wrapped her arms around herself. "We're so different. You live for battle and bloodthirst, while I coward in the background trying not to die. You are the perfect Saiyan, while I'm a complete failure. And yet...I have fallen for you. It seems life isn't without irony."

Bardock remained quiet.

"I know you must be disgusted by me, but...I had to tell you. For my own peace of mind," Gine said before looking at Bardock again, his face was completely blank. "I will never see you again and...I couldn't bear the thought of leaving without at least telling you how I feel." She backed away from him. "I...I really did enjoy our time together. And I'm sorry for being such a burden to you all this time. I..."

Before she could continue, Bardock grabbed her hand, firmly holding her in place.

"Be quiet. You talked enough," Bardock said forcibly.

"Bardock..." she whispered.

"Now, you listen to me," he said harshly. "Since we're being all truthful here, there's something I have to tell you."

Gine stared right at him, obviously expecting hell and bracing herself.

His eyes suddenly softened. "I love you, too."

She nearly fell over hearing this. "What…what!?"

"I don't know when it happened either. There was no moment," Bardock confessed. "All I knew was that I always rushed to save you above all else without thinking. Even above my own crew and the mission. I didn't realize I had falling in love until... you almost died on me... When it happened, I couldn't imagine my life without you. It was like...I was dying alongside you."

She blinked. "Bardock..."

He chuckled humorless. "Look at me. Now you got me saying this sentimental rubbish. I sound like a cheesy and poorly written romance novel. Your soft-heartedness really is an infectious disease. One that has infected my heart since the day I met you. It's almost pathetic."

"Then, I should get away from you..." she started.

"No," he whispered, bringing her closed. "You may have infected my heart, but I can't help being happy about that. Being near you give me a different joy. One that I have never felt on the battlefield. One that I never knew I needed. Now that I have experience this…love, I don't want it to go away. I don't want you to go away."

They stared at each other for several seconds, lost in thought.

"So...where do we go from here?" Gine questioned.

He grabbed her shoulders. "Stay in the army until your year is up. Then, you can go back to Planet Vegeta. There...we can build a life together."

She jolted in shock. "You...you can't serious!? Are you talking about us bonding? That hasn't been done in generations!"

He smiled. "Then it's past due."

She shook her head. "This is crazy! Bardock, think of the consequences. If you bond with a reject, you will never be taking seriously. Everything you worked and strived for will be for nothing! It wouldn't be fair to Tora, Fasha, Borgos, and Shugesh!" She looked down. "And...think of your bloodline. Your children...they will be tainted by my blood. They may all be born as rejects!"

Bardock snorted and rolled his eyes. "Why would I give a damn about how my children turned out? And my crew will understand. If me getting with you causes the upper crust to go crazy, good. I'll make it to the top no matter who I chose to associate with."

"But Bardock..." She was cut off when he suddenly kissed her.

It was awkward at first since neither one of them had ever kissed anyone in their lives, not even their own parents. Yet, the awkwardness soon gave way to a warm feeling spreading through both of them.

It was nothing like anything Bardock had ever experience. He couldn't remember ever having such a gentle touch. And...it felt good. Very good. It made him feel at eased and for the first time in his life, at peace.

Without either one of them knowing it, their tails wrapped around each other, sending more lightning sensations through their bodies.

Before long, nature took its course and they remained on that cliff side for the rest of the night, under the broken moon.

And with that, Bardock and Gine are officially a couple, finally. It was a long time coming and I hope everything felt natural since romance is not my strong point, especially with two complete opposites. It was tough trying to make Gine a physically a weak person, but also strong. You may get into trouble a lot, but it's more because she's way over her head than her being incompetent. We also get to see other characters from the Dragon World, which is always fun to write.

The question is, where does the story go from here. We will get into some familiar territory, but it won't be quite the same as you remember it. So, look forward to future chapters.

My Guest reviewer, thank you for your feedback. Episode of Bardock has no bearings on this story, so Bardock will not be sent back in time to become a Super Saiyan. Plus, Gine isn't a warrior and never wants to be, which is part of her development as a character.

Cereza, thank you for your review. She was confused because she wants to stay by Bardock's side, but hates being a burden along with other issues with being a Saiyan. Bardock, of course, stops her from going through with it since he feels the same. And, technically, it wasn't the planet blowing up that killed Bardock. More like Frieza's Death Ball vaporizing his body.

My other Guest reviewer, thank you for your feedback. He does love Gine and their relationship is not just platonic. At the same time, Bardock, as he says in this chapter, doesn't care how his kids turn out. Bardock is still very selfish and self-center, so having weak kids doesn't bother him that much since he has no plans to bond with them anyway. If his kids are born strong, he may show some interest, but not enough to be considered a good father. As for Bardock's crew, they are an understanding bunch and will be happy that their commander found happiness. They also like Gine well enough and are understanding of her 'disability'.

Dark princess, thank you for your review. I am going to assume that your review got cut off, but I hope you enjoy the chapter.

With all that said, until next chapter.