Yay! An update! Real life sucks so I wrote to keep my mind off of it. Enjoy and please R&R!
"This coffee tastes different."
Usagi cringed a little at the tone of his voice and hunkered down behind her computer. "I thought you'd like it, Mr. Briefs. Sorry, I'll fix another pot."
"Never said I didn't like it. Just said it was different," he grunted.
She sighed in relief and continued to do her work; she knew why he was in such a black mood this morning but she couldn't let on that she knew. He'd woken up stomping downstairs loudly and into the kitchen, and had then given her a look that she hadn't even been able to describe. So she'd just tried to stay quiet and give him his space.
Usagi jumped a little as a kiss to the top of her head broke her out of her thoughts.
"It's good, Usa. Thank you," Vegeta sighed into her hair, trying not to give in to either urge running through him. One was to call her out on being Sailor Moon and confront her about the night before; the other was to swipe the computer and the papers off the table and tip her back onto it and take her. "Your plans for today?"
"I was going to have Piccolo take me into town today, but I can't find him. I think I have an idea where he's at though," she giggled. "So if you don't mind, I'll drive straight over there and then have him accompany me."
He sat down across from her and shook his head slowly. "I don't want you going out alone," he said firmly, "but," he added as she opened her mouth to protest, "you can take Kakarot's grandbrat with you."
"Huh? Pan? Why?" Usagi fluffed her hair in confusion when Vegeta grinned and chuckled. "What's so funny?"
"You're going to play Cupid, woman, that's what's so funny. You take Pan out 'shopping'," he said, winking his fingers in the air in little quotation marks, "and I inform Trunks as to her whereabouts. They'll take you to the Namek, and then the four of you will split up. Sound fair?" The slow grin over her face told him that she was more than happy to hook Trunks up with the object of his desire. "Good. Now call Gohan and tell him you'll be picking her up. Say that you want a woman's opinion on something."
"That's actually a great idea," she snickered, whipping out her untraceable cell phone. "Just let me confirm Piccolo's whereabouts… hang on…" She dialed the bakery quickly as she stepped out of the room, and when Makoto picked up she blanched a little, at a loss for what to say. "Hi… um… see, I was looking for a friend of mine that should be there, but I'm not sure if you've actually seen him."
"Ooook?" Mako's voice replied slowly. "What's he look like?"
"Well, you see… he's green, has pointy ears and wears this whooshy white cape and—"
"Yeah, yeah. I know him. He's hiding in a tree out front and thinks I can't see him. He appears to have great hearing, too, since the moment I said that he moved to another tree. And another… and another… damn if this isn't fun watching him dart around. Now the roof… hey! Who is he anyway? I've been thinking 'stalker' for a couple days now, but he never bothers me, even when he follows me home and thinks I'm unaware of him. Hell, who are you!?"
"Um… uh… I'm a friend of his. And he's just keeping an eye on you for me…?" Usagi answered hesitantly, groaning a little at the knowledge that her answers would only cause more questions.
Oh, and they did. "And why in the hell would I need someone to keep an eye on me!? I can take care of myself just fine, thank you!"
"Look, Makoto… please just do me a favor and suspend disbelief for one moment. There's something that may or may not be after you, and I asked my green friend to just keep an eye out for anyone hassling you. It's something that you don't stand a chance against, and—ah! Nope! Shut it, Mako!" Usagi said quickly when the former Senshi of lightning started cussing her out. "I know you're an awesome fighter, Mako. But this thing is even better than you, and the green guy is, too. So do yourself a favor and don't run him off, ok? He might be the only thing to save you if you're attacked."
"Whatever." Click.
"That went well," Usagi muttered dryly as she put her phone away.
############################
The drop-off with Trunks went just fine, but it took a lot of convincing for Usagi to get them to just go while she waited on Piccolo. The moment they were out of sight she used her disguise pen, changing into a long-haired brunette with glasses and green eyes before she got to the bakery. "Come on out, Piccolo," she chuckled, looking up into the trees.
"Don't know why I bother fucking hiding," she heard him mutter from above. When he dropped down he locked eyes with Makoto, who was just glaring at them from behind her counter, and he flushed a deep purple in embarrassment. "She hates me now, I know it," he whispered. "Dunno why I care though."
"Because you think she's cute," Usagi giggled. "It's ok, Piccolo, it sort of comes with the territory of having a penis. Don't worry though; I'm trying to figure out a way to reverse it. " She was about to say something else when the bell on the door dinged and it flew open, and Usagi found herself cringing as she stared at a thoroughly pissed off Kino Makoto. "Eeek! Mako! Don't kick me! Damn it!"
"Who are you!?" The princess of Jupiter snapped at her, backing her up into a tree, pinning her in place with an elbow at her throat.
"She's Sailor Moon in disguise," Piccolo grunted from behind the angry brunette.
"Oh? Well, shit. That changes a lot," Mako said with interest, backing up to study the woman in front of her. "So, what's after me and why?"
"Someone that uses powers like mine, which is why you wouldn't be able to fight against them," Usagi sighed. "But I can't tell you why. Please just accept that, alright?"
"Senshi business, I take it," Makoto said lightly. Turning to Piccolo, she sized him up with an appreciative eye and winked at him. "So, green bean… what's your name?"
Blushing even brighter than before, his eyes a little wide as she stepped towards him, Piccolo scurried back and twitched nervously. "Um… Piccolo."
"Kino Makoto," she said with a sultry little smile as she sauntered closer, holding out her hand to shake.
"I know," he muttered, still backing away, shooting a giggling Usagi a "Help Me!" look before leaping back into a tree and away from the green-eyed predator smiling up at him.
"He's awfully shy," she chuckled. "I like that, it's pretty cute… and I love a challenge." She turned her grin on Usagi, who was still laughing, leaning against the tree for support. "So, I'm assuming that you're taking off with big, green and sexy for a little while. I'll try to stay out of trouble until he returns, I guess."
"Oh, hush. You're embarrassing him," Usa giggled. "He's totally not used to being teased."
"So I've noticed." Mako looked up and smiled at Piccolo, who was peeking down through the branches nervously. "I was just kidding around, honey. You can come on down."
The fuck she was, Piccolo thought, vigorously shaking his head as he gripped a limb tightly.
Despite a couple more attempts to get him down, Makoto finally just laughed as she went back inside, and Piccolo eyed her warily through the glass when she winked at him from behind the counter and wiggled her fingers at him. "Why did she keep trying to get me to come down?" He mumbled out of the corner of his mouth, not once taking his eyes off the beautiful woman that was simply smiling at him. That smile was doing funny things to his stomach, just as it had since the first time he'd seen her.
"She likes you, Piccolo. It's a good thing," Usa chuckled. "Now come on, and I'll fill you in on what happened two nights ago before we start some shit."
Usagi let him scoop her up and take off into the air with her as she gave him the quick version and his jaw simply tightened in response. "So, what's your plan?" He finally grunted.
"We're going to have a talk with the head boss of the Triads. I can teleport, so if I say to grab me, you need to do it fast. Moon Cosmic Power, Make Up!" She finished with a shout. "Ready? Land a few blocks from here. We're going in from the ground level," she said, pointing towards a parking garage.
"Why exactly are we going to talk to the Triads?" Piccolo wondered aloud as they landed.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," she replied simply, fiddling with her gloves as she led him through a set of doors and into an elevator. "Stay close to me and don't talk, ok? I would have called Prince, but…" She shrugged a little and blushed. "I didn't think he'd go along with something like this, and his mouth would have likely ran away with him if he'd agreed to it."
"So he's Prince now, huh?" Piccolo chuckled. Well, at least the name was fitting.
"Seemed odd to moan 'Casper' in bed," she admitted, turning an even brighter shade of red.
"Ah. Not a bad pairing if you ask me." Usagi opened her mouth to respond, but the elevator door opened just then and they were greeted by a dozen armed gang members pointing guns right at their heads.
"Well, that confirms my suspicion of cameras on the elevator," she deadpanned. "I just want to speak to your boss. I have a proposition for him that he will find very profitable for your organization. No tricks, no fighting. Just talking, I swear it on the moon."
"Let them through," a voice ordered over the intercom.
Both Sailor Moon and Piccolo blinked in surprise at how easy that had been, exchanged a look, then shrugged. "Onward and upward?" She asked. When her Namekian friend just nodded she led them through the throng of men eyeing them suspiciously, right into a large office. "Mr. Chen," she said with mild surprise. "I wasn't sure if you'd made it out the other night."
"With only a few wounds, as you can see," he said bluntly, adjusting his eye patch with the hand that wasn't in the sling.
Moon also noted that one of his legs was in a cast and smirked a little at the sight of Prince's handiwork. "Tell you what. Since you were kind enough to let us in without shooting us… I'll heal you up. Sound good?"
"In exchange for letting you walk back out, I'm sure," he drawled, obviously pleased at the prospect of being rid of his broken bones and lack of one eye.
"Of course! It would be the polite thing to do," Usagi snorted, rising from her seat to immediately put her hands up when four red dots centered on her chest. "Uh, I have to touch him to heal him, gentlemen. Duh."
"It's fine, boys. I don't think Ms. Moon would have come all this way during the day just to kill a lame old man." He beckoned her over and held still when she removed his eye patch to reveal a gaping hole, and nodded a little at her grimace. "That friend of yours punched me so hard it knocked my eye out of my socket. And that was merely a glancing blow. Can you fix it?"
"Hm… hai. But it'll take a little while. May we speak while I do my thing?"
"Of course, Ms. Moon. Lee, bring some tea for all three of us please. Cigarette, my dear?" Chen placed one in her mouth and graciously lit it for her when she nodded slightly, her fingertips exploring the ridge around his eye as she began to use her healing light.
"This may be a little uncomfortable," she advised, using her free hand to puff on her smoke. "Piccolo, you can sit and stay awhile," she added with a smile. "This will take a hot minute."
"I don't see why in Kami's name you're healing the Triad boss," he grumbled.
"And neither do I," Chen admitted suspiciously.
"Because I need your help," she responded simply. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend. And my enemy is Diamond. He nearly killed me the other night after breaking a truce agreement over peace talks. I'm done fucking with him; I'm sure you'd be, too."
"Yes, I would be. Say what you will about me, I've always respected an agreement for a ceasefire. Like right now. So long as you don't act aggressively, you'll walk out of here unscathed. Ah—stings."
"Sorry, it's going to. I'm regrowing your eyeball."
"Just do it and ignore my whining," he snorted, sipping at his tea carefully so as not to move too much. "So… why would you be having peace talks with Diamond? Were you plotting to have me taken out?" He asked curiously.
"Shit, no. I could have done that myself. Diamond's obsessed with me. He has been since I was sixteen, and he refuses to leave me alone. And for the record, he has the same level of powers that I had a few years ago, so he would have no trouble taking you out, either. He's just been toying with you for entertainment."
"He told you this?"
"No, but I know him well enough to know when he's just messing around for sport. Mr. Chen, he's been doing it to me for years," she added seriously. "Anyway, now that I have a… a boyfriend of sorts…" Usagi shrugged and sighed.
"The Ghost?"
"Yeah, pretty much. And he knows, too. He's jealous as hell about it, even though I've been telling him for over a decade that he and I will never happen. So. My deal is this. I call a ceasefire with you for whatever timeframe you and I can come up with, under certain conditions. In exchange, you lose a business rival. Eh, close your other eye for a moment. I want the lids to match up right."
"And after the ceasefire's over?" He asked as he felt a growing ache in his socket.
"Back to the way we were. Hatfields and McCoys. Relax… I'll be done in a moment, just don't tense up… there. All done. Open up for me."
Mr. Chen slowly grinned as he opened his eyes and saw her clearly through both of them. "I'd kiss you if I didn't hate your guts," he chuckled.
"Same!" Usagi laughed heartily, tipping him a wink. "I think I'll take sparing our lives in exchange just fine. Now, the arm. So…? Are you game for our little alliance, Mr. Chen?"
"It's not a bad proposition. But tell me, dear… what exactly would your conditions be?"
"You operate as normal during our ceasefire. Minus anything involving innocent people. No more drivebys. You want to off someone for owing you money? Fine, I guess. I hate to compromise my ideals like that, but by God, leave the innocent bystanders out of it, ok? I know you have kids; how would you feel if it was one of yours getting hit by a stray bullet? Or one of your kids being sold drugs?"
"I see your point and appreciate it, Ms. Moon, but it's just collateral damage in this business. But… I'll agree to your terms. Length of the truce?"
"Hang on. Piccolo, if you'd break that cast open without jarring his leg too much, I'd appreciate it."
The Namekian nodded as he set down his tea and examined the plaster carefully before simply zapping it off. "It's a Dragon clan skill," he explained absently before returning to his seat, listening intently to the rest of the discussion. The Queen of the Stars was definitely a damned fine negotiator; he could learn a thing or two from her.
"I was thinking a few years, honestly," Usagi said wistfully. "Trust me, I need the vacation."
"Yeah, I don't see that happening, but I expected the opening offer to be ridiculous," he replied pleasantly, putting her cigarette out for her when she'd smoked it to the butt. "Hm… leg itches."
"It's normal," she said absently. "And remember that I'm helping you eliminate a rival in drug trafficking, gambling, investments, and etcetera. I'm doing you just as big a favor, Chen."
"Not even including the healing, you'd be right. Hmm… a month after Diamond's dead."
"Oh, puh-lease. I know you can do better than a month, Chen. Let me take a well-earned vacation. Did you know that I also work like, sixteen hour days at my regular job? How about a year. Well, er… a year and a month. I wouldn't want it to end just before Christmas; that's my favorite holiday."
Chen sighed a little and smiled despite a little shake of his head. "I'll tell you what, Ms. Moon. I'm feeling very generous right now. Six months. And the week of Christmas until the day after the New Year so long as I'm boss. Just like a school break."
"Mr. Chen," Usagi said brightly, beaming happily, "I think we have a deal. And you're lucky I got to this leg; it was healing all wrong. It's fixed now, though."
Chen flexed his leg and smiled at her as he shook her hand. "We have a deal, Ms. Moon. Lee, see to it that our deal is known by even the pushers out on the street by the end of tomorrow. No kids, period. No more drivebys, and Ms. Moon, her green friend and The Ghost are not to be touched. Anyone disobeying will be shot. Understood?"
"Yes sir," Lee said quickly before leaving the room.
"So, Ms. Moon… how are we going to do this, exactly?"
Usagi just grinned and tried not to bounce in place; she was finally going to be rid of Diamond and get a vacation! "God, I haven't been this excited since I was a teenager, please forgive my reaction!" She giggled. "A real vacation… ah, it's just too awesome after sixteen years of kicking ass and taking names."
"Everyday?"
"Everyday," she confirmed. "Alright… I have a bit of a plan hatching on this one, but I really need to talk to my other friend first and make sure he doesn't have a better idea. The Ghost is ridiculously good at coming up with strategies." Usagi slid a pen off Chen's desk and jotted down her superhero hotline number. "Just give me a call if you want to talk, otherwise I'll call you tomorrow morning. Sound good?"
"Sounds perfect. In the meantime, I'm going to take a walk and test out the new leg, Ms. Moon. In fact, let me escort you to the door," he offered with a gracious sweep of his arm.
#################################
Prince jumped in surprise when Sailor Moon immediately leapt on him and hugged him tightly, kissing him senseless as she squealed with happiness. "Whoa… definitely didn't expect that," he chuckled. "I take it you called me with good news?"
"THE BEST! I took Piccolo with me to see Mr. Chen, the leader of the Triads, and I enlisted his help in taking out Diamond and the Yakuza!"
Vegeta's face immediately fell and hardened, and Usagi stared at him in surprise when he yanked himself out of her arms to lean against the far wall… and far away from her. "What, Prince? I… I thought you'd be happy. No more Diamond, no more Yakuza, and Chen has agreed to a ceasefire for six months. No more drivebys, no kids or innocents involved in anything whatsoever."
"And what happens when he goes right back to pushing crack on little kids in late June?" He rumbled softly, his ki trembling in anger as he tried not to scream at her. "What happens when someone else just rises up to lead the Yakuza? Moon, you actually allied yourself with the fucking enemy," he snapped, still keeping his voice low. "I never thought of you as one to compromise. Ever. I thought you were always all or nothing."
Tears welling up in her eyes, Sailor Moon's fists clenched tightly and her mouth opened several times before she spoke, her voice thick. "I wasn't compromising, Prince," she whispered. "I just wanted a break… and this was the closest thing I could get to it. There'll be bad men and crime everywhere in the world, no matter what I do. I'm just taking the devil I don't know over the devil I do. Anyone's better than Diamond. I… I thought you'd understand that, Prince. And six months of just being normal… fuck my standards. I'd sell my very soul for that."
"Moon goddess… if you just wanted a break, then you should have taken one. Not you, nor I, can ever wipe out all of the corruption in one big city, let alone the world. But to make deals with the devil… even if it means you can take a break without worrying about the kids in South City being affected…" Vegeta shook his head and sighed. "That I can't agree with, no matter how good your intentions were. You just can't make deals with those types of people. I know," he added with a whisper. "Because I used to be one of them."
He nodded and looked away in slight shame when she met his eyes. "I'm proof that anyone can change, moon goddess. But… if I were to meet myself thirty years ago, I'd kill him on the spot. I was a very bad man. The worst, in fact. Downright fucking evil and I killed without prejudice. Men, women, children. It didn't matter. It was all a job to me, the same as it is to the gangs in South City. To them it's just business and money; they don't care whose lives they ruin in the process. I wouldn't make deals with the old me, and I won't make deals with them, either."
Sailor Moon just hung her head and wiped at her eyes, unable to look up at him in total embarrassment. No matter how she tried to justify her actions, it came down to the same damned thing. He was right. "I already shook on it," she breathed between sobs.
Prince caught her up in his arms and breathed in her scent as he signaled for Piccolo and Goku. Don't come here, but I need to speak with you urgently. Give me five minutes. "Moon goddess, look at me." When her watery eyes met his he kissed her through his bandana. "I want you to take the week off, period. No matter what you hear or see on the news, no matter how worried you might be about anything. Do you understand me?"
"But, Prince, what—"
His gloved hand covered his mouth and he sternly shook his head. "No questions. You made a deal, and you're going to stick to it. But I did no such thing. So stay home and lay low. I'll be in touch." That same hand covered her eyes as he shrugged his bandana down and kissed her firmly, a low moan starting in the back of his throat as his beast began to purr softly for her in a mixture of comfort and desire.
Usagi blinked when he removed his hand. "Just remember the safewords if you need me," she sighed. "And Prince, I'm sorry, for what it's worth. I… I should have spoken with you first. I really fucked this up."
"Yeah, you did; I won't lie. But we'll fix it. I'll call you tonight."
#######################################
"We need a safe word, Prince."
Vegeta grinned and snorted. "Really, now? Are you ready to start getting kinky or something, Moon?"
Usagi blushed a little before shaking her head vigorously. "No, no. Not that kind of safe word. A word we can use over the phone if there's trouble and we're being used as bait. My Senshi and I used 'banana.' You know, something we wouldn't use in normal everyday conversation. And if we ever did need to say banana, we'd say 'that fruit' instead. It became a private joke."
"Two things you'll never hear me say," Prince chuckled softly, "are that 'L' word and that Namek's name. If you hear either, woman, I'm about to fucking die."
Usagi giggled and shook her head. "Fair enough. I'll stick with banana, it's been ingrained in me for years."
#######################################
"Hey, Vegeta. Where's the fire?" Goku asked seriously, taking in the fact that his best friend was dressed as The Ghost.
"The Namek didn't clue you in, apparently. And before I go into detail, I just want to know what in the hell you were thinking?" He snapped at Piccolo.
"She asked me to come with her. And I'm not one to question the Queen of the Stars, Vegeta. It doesn't matter that I thought the deal she made was a bad idea. I take it we agree?"
"It's the worst fucking idea I've ever heard of," he spat, yanking down his bandana as he glared at the green man. "And since she shook on it, I'm cleaning up the mess. And since you were there, you can't help me do it. You may as well have shaken hands with Chen as well. That leaves you, Kakarot. Ready to wreak some Super Saiyan havoc on the Triads? Your Superman to my Batman?"
"That still leaves the Yakuza," Piccolo rumbled before Goku could answer.
"I'll worry about the damned Yakuza. And Diamond. Usagi wants a break from all the fighting? She'll fucking get it. We'll take out the Triads first, all of them. Then after that, we're picking off Yakuza."
"Shit," Piccolo sighed. "I'll go then, and tell Goten and Gohan to keep a good eye on Mercury and Mars. I've been watching out for Sailor Jupiter."
"Well, Kakarot?" Vegeta asked seriously.
"No, Vegeta. I'm sorry, but I don't kill, you know that. And that's what needs to be done, isn't it?" Goku frowned and shook his head. "If you need help with anything else though, just ask."
"Keep an eye on Usagi, then. Stay over at Capsule Corp for the night and make sure that she stays put, no matter what pops up on the news. I'll be taking Trunks."
###############################
"Feel like being my sidekick, boy? I'm going out to be the Dark Knight for the evening."
Trunks chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Only if I get to be Jason Todd. The Red Hood was the fucking man, but Dick Grayson dressed like a flamer."
"The Red Hood was willing to kill, so suit up. Ball cap, black bandana, all black clothes. I'll be waiting in the gravity room."
##################################
Usagi sighed and finally just snapped her laptop shut before tossing it half-heartedly onto the couch. The TV had her full attention despite the fact that nothing of interest was scrolling across the screen, but since she was waiting to see something—anything—that told her what was Prince was up to, she couldn't even concentrate on work.
"Brought food!"
She looked up from the couch to see Son Goku coming in through the back door and shrugged. "Vegeta and Trunks are pulling an all-nighter in the training room. I would have complained, but they need the father-son bonding time."
Grinning ear to ear, Goku merely set the bags of takeout on the coffee table and plopped down beside her. "I know. And Chi-Chi's still out of town visiting her father, so I'm bored out of my skull. Vegeta knew and asked if I could keep you company."
What he didn't and wouldn't mention was the fact that his presence was a Saiyan custom; when one warrior left to do battle and a close friend of his stayed behind, the friend always cared for the mate of the other. Vegeta had done it for Chi-Chi on more than one occasion, and Goku had no qualms about returning the favor. "I guess I don't mind, Son-san… but I may have to pop out for a bit later on if I get a call."
A call? Well… if Vegeta was calling her, it would be an emergency, so Goku figured he could let that slide. But he wasn't letting her leave under any circumstances over something she'd seen on the TV. "Just call me Goku. Here, eat, Usa. What are we watching, anyway?"
"Stock tickers," she lied as she opened a box of sushi rolls and began to devour them absently. Usagi stiffened when the sun started to go down and the newscast switched to a bulletin only halfway through their meal, and she grabbed the remote and turned up the volume.
"This just in… it seems that several large explosions have rocked the inner city this evening. The damage appears to be concentrated near the banking district and—" The female anchor stopped and glanced off-screen for a moment, her eyes widening in surprise. "Apparently there have been three more explosions in the slums as well, and we have an eye witness that swears she saw The Ghost and another dressed like him fleeing the scene at superhuman speeds."
"Fuck," Usagi whispered under her breath, her hand flexing as she itched to reach into her subspace. But not with Goku in the room; he didn't know who she was and she couldn't risk giving herself away. "Goku, I need to make a phone call. Excuse me for a moment, and please forgive my rudeness."
"You're fine," he said nonchalantly, immediately homing in on her ki as she left the room. If she teleported out he'd go after her and deal with the consequences later. He'd prefer that Usagi didn't know that they knew about her alter-ego, but it simply wasn't safe for her to venture into the city right then, superpowers or no superpowers.
"Mako? Yes, I desperately need to talk to Piccolo. It's urgent," Usagi whispered into her phone as she paced the kitchen floor, unaware that Goku's super hearing was picking up her every word.
"I already know," Piccolo grunted on the other end. "Prince's instructions were clear. Stay put and don't go anywhere, no matter what you might think or see. I sent Goku over to watch you, so—"
"YOU WHAT!?"
"He already knew," Piccolo replied flatly. "He's not nearly as retarded as everyone thinks he is; being a simple man is something totally different than being a stupid man. Besides, give me credit, Usagi. Do you really think I'm the type to run my mouth?"
"No," she admitted with a grumble, "you're not. Anyone else that knows I'm Sailor Moon that I'm not aware of?" A very pregnant pause was all the answer she needed as she imagined him fishing for an answer that wouldn't be a total lie. "Who. Just spit it out, already."
"That's not my place," he finally said. "For the record, it's only people that have figured it out on their own; we haven't went around and blabbed it or anything."
"Fine. Whatever." Click. "GOKU!" Usagi snapped as she stomped back in. She stopped when she found him smirking at her in amusement, however, and itched to smack the expression right off his face. "You could have told me that you knew, damn it."
"It wasn't my business. I just happened to figure it out, is all."
"How?" She asked slowly.
Goku just grinned and his hand flew to the back of his head. "Late nights, gone all the time… I can't even sense your ki when you somehow manage to escape, so you must be using some sort of powers to do it. Oh, and your scars. They're a dead giveaway. No one gets shot that damned much unless they're a fighter of some sorts."
Usagi blanched at that and abruptly sat down on the floor. "Mr. Briefs… Vegeta…? Does… does he…? He saw my scars," she whispered to herself. Hell, he'd treated several of the wounds that had caused them.
"Eh… after that whole thing in the medlab, Usagi? I wouldn't be surprised. He's probably just waiting for you to come out and tell him. If you hadn't noticed, Vegeta's a pretty tight-lipped guy, and it's obvious that he's in love with you. He wouldn't have wanted to upset you by saying something."
"He knew before that, Goku. And I know he told you if he did, so don't lie to me," she ordered firmly, staring him down even from her much lower position.
The Saiyan sighed heavily and hung his head for a long moment before nodding slightly. "The second time he helped you with your migraines," he confirmed. "It wasn't as dark and he noted the bullet scars. And you slipped up, Usagi. The first time you said the scar on your thigh was from a childhood accident. The second time you said it was from a gunshot."
"Fuck." Well, she had no one but herself to blame for that one. Vegeta was observant as hell if nothing else, and it wasn't surprising that he'd caught her mistake. "So he… when he…" Usagi immediately wiped at her eyes when the tears started to fall and shook her head in disbelief. "He loves me. He knew it was me when he said it."
"Whoa. He said it?" Goku asked in simple shock. "Vegeta actually said the 'L' word. You're shitting me, right!? Whoa, whoa, whoa! Where are you going!?" He shouted when she stood and started to rush out the back door. He snagged her by the arm when it was obvious that she was heading for the training room, and Goku was sweating bullets at the thought of her going in there to find no one training. "You don't want to interrupt Vegeta during one of these all-nighters, Usagi. Just… just trust me, ok? Let it wait until morning. Besides, he needs this time with Trunks right now. Vegeta's only just realized what a sub-par father he's been over the last decade, and he's trying his best to make it right."
That gently-spoken statement decided Usagi, and she sighed and nodded as she let Goku lead her inside, where the news was reporting more fires in South City, more explosions, and reports of shots fired. Every block they mentioned, every building, and every intersection were well known to her; they were all Triad territories for selling drugs, hiding out, gambling… basically anything. And the latest building reported burning out of control was the Chen's main headquarters. "Damn it, Prince. Please be careful. Please don't let anyone innocent get caught up in this."
"Don't beat yourself up too much, Usa. You made an error in judgment. And Prince has made plenty of those, so he won't beat you up about it too badly, either." Goku realized his slip when Usagi's eyes widened. "Ugh… shit. Yeah, I know him, too. And no, I am not telling you who he is. Dear Kami, he'd slit my throat," he sputtered.
Usagi just let it go and sighed as she went over every little encounter with her boss since he'd discovered who she was, and an awful lot of things suddenly made sense. Yeah, he was definitely in love with her, and he'd fallen hard. But… but Prince… She hated to admit it, but she loved both men. Not just crushes or a deep affection; she was truly in love with both of them. "And I doubt they'd share," she muttered to herself, blushing when Goku obviously heard her and laughed.
"Oh hell, no. One thing they definitely have in common is extreme jealousy. Best that you don't let them know about each other, Usagi, or you'll have a fight on your hands." Goku stiffened and scowled at something on the TV before she could answer him, and slowly shook his head after several long moments. "Arrogant little pricks… I just knew they'd do something like that."
"What… what is that, Goku? What are they drawing with the fire?"
"The symbol of their House," he replied with a snort. "Real mature, Prince. Yeah, write your name in the snow and get shot while you're at it."
"Who is he with?" Usagi asked curiously. "Their build is about the same and you said 'their' House, so I assume they're family? And I know Prince is a little older, judging by a few things he's said."
"It's his son," Goku confirmed. "And don't bring up his age," he chuckled. "By his people's standards, he's physically just out of his teens, and Prince gets awfully sensitive about being called old."
Usagi's phone rang then and she jumped at the noise before bobbling it for a moment and answering it. "Prince!? Are you ok?"
"I'm unharmed, but my… friend. He's shot. I'll meet you at the cabin."
"Goku, I have to go now. Prince's son's been shot," she said quickly, muttering her transformation line before teleporting straight to the cabin without another word.
And there you have it! Shit JUST GOT REAL, yall. MWUHUHAHAHAHAHA…