A/N: This chapter was inspired by the song "King of Anything" by Sarah Bareilles.

The lyrics didn't fit with the entire chapter, so I didn't add them. But as you read the first section if you have it playing you'll see it how I saw it.

We're coming up on the final five chapters! I have them all plotted out and semi drafted...and they should all be pretty long. I'm considering a sequel-ish type of story but only if people express some sort of interest. Then again, I may write it anyways for fun :)

As always, thank you for everyone who's stuck with me and kept reading my story! I appreciate all your comments, praises, and demands for more lol Thank you!

Bulma tapped her fork against the glass of water that distractingly sat in the middle of the table rhythmically. Occasionally a drop of water would be knocked out and slid down the tall glass creating a small pool on the cloth beneath. She held her head in her hand leaning on her elbow as she stared through her reflection, out the window and watched the people walking by with jealousy. She would do anything to be outside right now. In fact, she would do or pay just about anything to be anywhere but here right now.

She looked at the man sitting across the table from her through the corner of her eyes. Yamcha hadn't changed that much and yet he seemed different. She sighed, remembering the first time she had seen him. Tough, rugged, a man living off the land. A warrior feared and deadly against his foes. He was talked about, admired, and mysterious. When did all that change? Comparing him to Vegeta he seemed dull and average. A typical human with typical motives and a decent strength about him. He was average and she had moved on to the extraordinary.

He seemed nervous, his foot tapping underneath the table occasionally bumping the top and making the glass of water jiggle. He ran his fingers through his hair that had recently been cut short against his head. It made him look more mature, older without aging him. He looked around the room, focusing on the ceiling, the floor, the waitresses at the bar, and then poked his attention to the girl dining with him.

He blushed when they made eye contact and Bulma wanted to grin. Just like when we first met…he can barely make eye contact with me.

"So how's training going?" she asked to cut the tension.

"Good… I mean, Great! I mean…well, it's going…" Bulma raised her eye brow at him in doubt.

"So what have you really been doing instead of training?"

"What do you mean? I've been working hard…how uh, how's your house guest doing in his training?" he asked with a slight sneer.

"Vegeta is uh…well…he trains almost all the time." She blushed and adverted her eyes from his. Yamcha didn't miss the change in body language though.

"Almost all the time? What does he do in the other time then?" Me. She wanted to blurt out.

"Oh…you know…eating a lot…You know how Goku always was with his appetite. It is definitely a Saiyan thing." She lifted the glass of water and took a long sip.

"Yeah, that kid always did know how to pound down the food." He chuckled at a memory from long ago. "So how have you been?"

She wasn't sure how to answer him. Should she be honest? Tell him that the months had flown by and that she had almost forgotten that she had made a commitment to him? Tell him that she had fallen head over heels for the very man that had killed him and also brutally attacked him mere months ago? She bit her lip. Debating internally whether or not she should protect the man she'd loved for so many years or give him the benefit of the doubt and hope he'll be happy for her.

"I've been…I've been great Yamcha. How have you been?" she watched him slowly let out a breath of air and start to smile.

"I'm glad you've been good. Truth is I wasn't sure how this conversation would go but…I mean, if you're sure you're doing good and that you're happy…" she laughed at how nervous he suddenly was.

"I'm very happy, What are you so nervous about?"

"I've met someone Bulma… I… I know that well, technically I think we were still together but after Vegeta snatched you up and you didn't exactly fight back… I mean, I know physically you couldn't do much but I also know you're not a wimp. You don't just go along with something you're against just because you're outmatched. I felt like I'd lost you and then I met Callie and…"

"Yamcha!" Bulma laughed, relief pouring over her in waves. "I'm happy for you! Really, I know things between us sort of…well, ended oddly abruptly but I mean, maybe this is how things were meant to be. You know?" he smiled.

"I do. It still sad though, I mean, you were the first girl I loved… I always thought we'd grow up, settle down and you know, have a bunch of kids."

"I know, I felt the same way… but…people change." She reached out and put her hand over his, squeezing lightly at the life that could have been but never would be. They sat in a comfortable silence for a moment reminiscing on their own.

"So speaking earlier of Vegeta…what ever happened between the two of you?" she pulled her hand away from his and coughed nervously. "Last time I saw, well, both of you…he had dragged you off spouting off angry sentiments that 'you would be his'." He laughed. "Like you'd be stupid enough to fall for a guy like him."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" she demanded, a hint of anger in her voice.

"Oh come on Bulma, the guy lives his life murdering those weaker than him and wishing he could kill the ones that are stronger. He's incapable of actually caring about a person other than himself." Her eyes glazed over in anger.

"You don't know him Yamcha, you don't know the first thing about him." She snapped. He laughed at her reaction.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I do! In fact, I first hand know that he's that heartless of a person…he murdered me for the fun of it, and nearly killed me again just because he was in a pissy mood!" she shoved her chair back and stood grabbing her bag on the way.

"You know, he's had a hard life…and it doesn't help with clueless humans set out to judge and condemn him for things he did when he was younger and I might remind forced to do!" she tossed some money onto the table and started to walk towards the door. Yamcha sat in disbelief for a minute, his mouth hanging open before he jumped up after her.

"Wait a minute!" he said grabbing her arm and forcing her to stop. "Are you seriously telling me right now that you're defending what he's done? That you agree with him?" she tried to shake her arm free and refused to answer him. "Oh Kami…" he breathed. "You love him!"

"So what if I do?"

Yamcha stared at Bulma with wide eyes. He studied her carefully, looking for the girl he had known, the girl he'd grown up with. Bulma - with her sharp tongue, quick temper, and inability to realize when it was time to back down. Bulma – The girl who had taught him what it meant to love and be loved, bringing him out of his shell. Bulma…she was arrogant, confident, always looking to prove herself and show she was the best…

His jaw dropped momentarily when she turned to face him. Her eyebrows seemed to be knitted together, pulling her face into an angry scowl. She crossed her arms against her chest, giving her the image that she was larger and more powerful than she really was. She was Vegeta.

"What Yamcha…why are you staring at me like that." He shook his head. She was his from the beginning, even before Vegeta had ever come to this planet… he could see that now. And he could see ability to love the man he felt was a monster. After all, he himself had fallen in love with Bulma, the Saiyans approximate human female equivalent.

"You guys were made for each other weren't you?" Bulma wanted to yell at what he meant by that but she could hear it in his voice. It wasn't an insult. Yamcha genuinely felt it. He may not like it, but he acknowledged it.

"Probably not, or else we'd probably at least be the same species…but we're all the other's got. I'm his, he's mine."

Yamcha nodded, accepting though not approving. He opened his arms for a hug, hoping she would take the invitation.

"Friends then?" she eyed him curiously looking for a hint of betrayal. Kami Bulma…you're being as paranoid as Vegeta now… she groaned to herself. Putting a small smile on her face she went to her old lover and her good friend and hugged him back. Taking in for the last time the way his body felt against hers, and the smell of his skin. A personal gift she would keep for her memories for the love that once was.

"Friends, always."

Sometimes Vegeta wondered if he relied on his sense of smell too much. It was a rare concept for him that he may be "over" thinking a situation, but as the faint smell of his woman caught his attention he considered perhaps this was one of those occasions. The scent was weak and diluted with the pungent odor of the scar faced man but it was undoubtedly hers.

He tried to follow the man with his eyes. Expecting to be lead straight to his woman. He would then demand answers from her. Such as, why he had come inside from training to hear her mother speak of this luncheon between the two ex-lovers? Why had he not been asked before she decided to roam off? And most importantly what was the purpose of this get together. Were they hoping to rekindle their lost relationship? Was he hoping to challenge Vegeta's place as her lover?

He ground his teeth in frustration. She should not have left without tell him her intentions on this "get together". So he watched, and waited, and followed. Stalking Yamcha and silently mocking the other man's inability to sense that he was being followed so closely.

They had walked for what seemed like miles but had actually only been several very crowded blocks. Vegeta continued to follow the scent and crinkled his nose in repulsion to the mixture Yamcha's odor was having on his beautiful mate's smell. Polluted, ruined and destroyed. The scar-faced man's smell was over powering and killing the lush beauty of Bulma.

When he saw the flash of blue he stopped cold. He could only see the back of her head and body as she sat turned away from him. He watched with a hate filled stare as Yamcha leaned over the park bench she was seated on. It seemed to happen in slow motion, the people walking in between his vision and his target were non existent. Crystal clearly he watched the other warrior bend over behind the woman and kiss her neck. MY neck he growled.

He could see the contours of his lips pressing against her soft skin, the same skin he had kissed only hours ago. His heart pounded wildly, his chest burning in anger. The Oozaru screamed and beat wildly to be free. Someone beside him screamed as pebbles and dirt began to be pulled free from the Earth. Lightning began to spin inside his head and his vision was blurred with the blood rage coursing through his nervous system.

He could feel his control being torn away as he imbedded the image of his lips on her neck into his mind. Slowly, as if mocking him, Yamcha looked up away from the woman and smiled in his direction.

"Oh Hey Vegeta." His world went black. Power erupted from his fingertips, filling his body until he was felt he would explode from it. Delicious, Wonderful power he screamed. He could feel the change, he could feel the power of the Super Saiyan taking over, pushing him to extremes. He flew at the man knocking any humans in his way to the ground, sending them flying in every direction – bodies crashing into buildings, cars and other people.

He saw Yamcha's eyes flash wide in fear before his hand was at his throat. Squeezing, crushing his throat. He roared in victory as the man below him scratched madly at his hands, clawing as if this would force Vegeta to relent his grip. Vegeta laughed madly, drunk off the power he felt wash over him and the death that was soon approaching in his hands. He raised his free hand and forced the core of his hatred into a ball of energy. He would end this human's miserable life! Would blast him into a million charred fragments and ensure he would never again attempt to take what did not belong to him.

A small shriek of fear pierced his attention. From the corner of his eyes he glanced at the source and saw a woman covering her mouth, tears pouring down her face. She was terrified as she stared at him slowly killing Yamcha.

He blinked hard, noticing for the first time that her cheeks were too rounded. Her nose too wide and her eyes not the right color. Her hair was blue, but she was not his woman. She was not Bulma. Her smell was completely different as well and Vegeta cursed loudly as he finally allowed himself to breathe in completely. This woman reeked of the scar-man's odor and her neck – a faint mark of a kiss.

He wanted desperately to close his fingers completely and crush the man's windpipe below him. Instead he pulled himself free and snarled in Yamcha's face.

"Stay away from Bulma." He didn't wait for a response but took immediately off into the sky. He needed to be alone and think about what just happened. Had he tapped into the hidden power of the super Saiyan? Was his need for the woman the key to unlocking his true potential? Was his time and energy spent training wasted? He only needed to…care? His head spun. This was all wrong. The super Saiyan was a legendary warrior! Not…lover!

He cursed. Nothing was making sense anymore.

Vegeta paced back and forth on the roof top of capsule corp. He could feel Bulma's energy immediately below him, in bed. Possibly awake waiting for him though most likely she had fallen asleep. It was pitch black, the moon only the smallest of crescents. He didn't need the light though. He let the darkness consume him completely, willing it to creep into his mind, his lungs and his heart.

Today's events had worried him greatly. It was one thing to be possessive as he knew he would be…it was another thing to be sloppy and confuse his mate for any female with blue hair who had a trace of her scent nearby. Had he really grown that attached? He growled low in his chest, his fists balling from anger. He had felt an attachment for the female who matched him in spirit and strength but he had never meant to let it sink this deeply into himself. To become a priority was unacceptable!

He stared up towards the sky wishing for answers knowing of course he would never receive them. It had always been times like this that he would seek out Nappa and ask about what the other Saiyans would have done. Obviously that's not an option any longer. He tried to imagine what the other warrior would have said to him. Laughed, been shocked into silence…Vegeta knew Saiyans felt bonds and possession, though generally there was also an underlying battle for dominance. You could never fully trust or respect your life partner since they were constantly trying to break you down and force you to submit. In the best situations where a partner willingly submitted on their own…the female typically died during child birth anyways so long term attachments and feelings of love were impractical.

"Curse this damn woman and her hold over me."

He thought of her smile. The way her skin seemed to glow when she first saw him. He pictured her big blue eyes and how they seemed to drag you in. The way her tongue could bite through even the meanest of words and come out smiling.

He loved her. He couldn't ignore it or deny it. But he didn't want to. He didn't want to need her like this, to care what happened to her. He needed to focus on himself, on his strength and abilities. She needed him to focus on training. She needed him to save her planet, to protect their lives. Without him, there would be no her…and now it looked like without her there would be no him.

He lifted him into the air easily and slid down the domed roof until he was level with her window. Pushing it open he walked in and stood over her as she lay asleep in her bed. He memorized her, the way she slept, the way her mouth was open just the smallest bit, and the form her hair took scattered across the pillow. He would need these memories when he left her.

She didn't stir as he peeled his shirt off, folding it quickly and dropping it on the floor. His pants soon followed, neatly stacked as well. Lifting the covers he slid in next to her and pulled her close. Pressing his lips against her neck, burning the unpleasant memory of today out of his head and replacing it with the present. Her smell was all her. A mixture of the two of them. He hugged her, wanting all of her while he still had the chance.

She sighed happily in her sleep and snuggled closer tossing a free leg over his thigh, pulling him in. Sleepily she blinked a few times and smiled up at the man embracing her.

"I thought you'd be gone for a while or I would have waited up for you." She mumbled. "Where' you've been all day?" she nuzzled her head under this chin enjoying the warmth of his body.

"Thinking."

"Don't hurt yourself." She teased. He pulled away from her enough to kiss her. He started gently, slowly building the pressure giving her time to wake up. She seemed to have the same idea in mind as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back with purpose.

It was morning before they finally were able to sleep.

3 R/R!