"His...teacher...?"

Whis took a sip of his tea, and dabbed his lips with a napkin while eyeing the shocked Saiyan standing before him. One white brow arched up. "Yes, that's right. I don't know why you're looking at me like that, getting mentored never seemed like your cup of tea, anyway." The humanoid chuckled at his own joke for a moment, but grew silent when he realized nobody joined him.

Vegeta tried forcing a laugh to come out, but it sounded more like a joking noise. The slightly red Saiyan cursed under his breath, and grabbed the arm of his still angry and still pregnant wife. "Could you please excuse us for a second, Whis."

The request came out as a quiet demand filled with awkward coughs. Whis shooed him off with chopsticks, opting to eat his rice instead of trying to entertain the prince. Vegeta did a double-take over his shoulder to make sure the God of Destruction's teacher was too occupied with his food to notice him shoving his wife into a bush. He placed two gloved hands on his muscular biceps as he crossed his arms over his chest and looked her dead in the sapphire eyes.

"How long has he been coming here?"

The bluenette mimicked his pose by accident, looking identical. "Oh, so now you want to know what I've been up to!? Gosh, I wish you were as interested in Whis as you were about your family!"

Scowling, the widow-peaked Saiyan pointed an accusing finger in her direction. "Just answer the question. This is for my family."

Without being aware, Bulma rubbed her protruding tummy. A light sigh escaped her lips, reminding herself that her husband had gone on a mini vacation with them not too long ago. Certain events had caused him to leave early, but he still sacrificed something he loved for them. Her hormones were just getting the best of her. "Gosh, I would have to say... maybe every day this week for lunch?"

"WHAT!?"

"Oh, don't look at me like that!" she turned her back on him so she could pretend he wasn't looking like a raging bull. "You've been doing your little training on the mountains. Why does any of this matter, anyway? We're just two friends having lunch! Unless..."

When she gasped and turned around with a blushing face, the prince took a cautious step backwards. "Unless, what!?"

"Unless you're..." she sighed dreamily, placing her head against his shoulder. "Jealous?"

"Tch," he pushed her away gently, but then held her by her brawny shoulders tightly. "Listen, Bulma. This is very important. What's his reason for being here? Did you invite him?"

Bulma punched his armor-platted pectorals with a balled up fist. There would have been no distance between them if it weren't for little Bulla. "Yes, I did invite him, and I'm offering him food in exchange for keeping Trunks and me safe in case another incident like that happens again!"

She squirmed a little where she stood when she noticed her words had turned his eyes dark. Not able to move in his grip, she stood there like a toddler being told to hold it until he made it to the restroom. It was her only defense. "...Vegeta?"

Keeping Trunks and me safe...

His eyes dropped to his gold-tipped boots, looking at them absently while his wife's words took control of his thoughts. His thick dark eyebrows became knitted together. It was a shot to his pride, and he stood there motionless as humility and disappointed swelled up inside his chest. Bulma couldn't depend on him anymore when it came to protecting her and their son, and soon, their daughter. In fact, his daughter could have died after that impact of Bulma falling from Beerus' slap.

"Vegeta... I didn't mean it like that. It's just, well, you know..." she bit her lip, not sure how to explain herself properly. He was always so hard to read. "I know you'll always protect us, and we love you. But things are getting...intense. Goku was a God, and even he couldn't beat that guy..."

Feeling anger take over humility, he dropped his hands away from her and placed them by his sides. He clenched and unclenched them, over and over. Why couldn't he protect them, anymore? Why, out of all the people in the world, she had to bring up him? Kakarot. Kakarot, Kakarot, Kakarot. He'd already acknowledged to himself of being in second place, but now...

His wife felt more protected by Kakarot than him.

All because he had gotten the chance to be a god. Lousy clown took some of his power and couldn't even use it to defeat Beerus.

Oh, how different it would have been if he were the god...

Just to have that one opportunity to best Kakarot...

Vegeta's eyes quickly locked on an area in the bushes that offered a peephole to where Whis was chowing down. A devilish smirk crossed his lips slowly, and a deep and dark chuckle escaped them.

His opportunity was sitting in his backyard.

"HEY!" Bulma huffed, trying to keep up with his husband's quick strides back to her guest. "You wanna tell me what's going on!? You had more mood swings than me back there!"

"Quick, tell me!" he ordered, not looking back at her. "What food haven't you given him?"

"What!?" she panted, jogging this time to join his side. Bulla didn't like all this moving around and gave her a kick. Her thin blue brows lowered, and her lips went into a full pout. "Oh, you better not be thinking what I think you're thinking! Because if you think that you can leave your pregnant, beautiful wife behind to train with him in exchange for food, it's too late buster! I gave him everything you could think of!"

"Treacherous snake woman," he muttered under his breath, but clasped his hands together in forced enthusiasm when they came to a stop in front of Whis. Both the humanoid and Bulma raised their eyebrows when he dropped to his knees. There was obvious pain and humiliation in his voice that he tried to swallow. "Whis... please take me to your planet. I want to be your student."

Bulma placed her hand on her chest, completely taken aback by what her prideful husband had just said and done. Fortunately, the unimpressed teacher of the God of Destruction stood up and began walking away from the kneeling Saiyan. She stuck up her nose and snickered. "Well, well, well. I guess that little stunt didn't go as planned, did it?"

Dammit all, I've already thrown away so much of my pride in front of him already... The damn Bingo...

"Plan B," he scoffed mostly to himself, and jogged to catch up with the most powerful man in the universe. Seeing him already preparing his staff for exiting, Vegeta blurted out, "Whis, wait! What if I give you the...tastiest food on Earth?"

Whis glanced at the prince from over his shoulder. "Oh...? The tastiest, huh?"

"Yes," Vegeta turned around slowly and looked at Bulma darkly, almost looking like the Saiyan she remembered on Planet Namek. "It's my wife's favorite. Just give me five minutes."

Bulma's jaw dropped, watching the now curious Whis take a seat back down on the bench. "You wouldn't dare!"

The prince was already on the move, knowing that the last thing she would think of to give the almighty Whis would be sitting in the back of her kitchen cabinet and not served on fine China. Coming back through the window he had already damaged, Vegeta moved through the kitchen at lightening speed with the thought of surpassing Kakarot on his mind. He had seen the move manipulated by the cooks a hundred thousands times, since he most often sat right there in front of them and demanded it after training. It was fast, and it was good.

Real good.

Bulma fell to her knees in the grass, imagining her husband in there laughing like a mad scientist or a blood-thirsty Saiyan prince who stole her Dragon Ball. She could already see the bags backed up, the empty bed as usual, and worst of all, no father present for Bulla when she entered this world. She was pounding the grass with her fists when Vegeta came out, carrying a steaming bowl and offering his angered wife a smirk.

Carefully placing the bowl in front of his hopefully soon-to-be teacher, Vegeta backed away and waited. The humanoid slowly dipped his chopsticks in the bowl, bringing out a good amount of instant noodles. He plopped the food into his mouth, gave it one bite, and...

"Here."

Vegeta already had all of his things packed for the long training session on Beerus' planet. It was mostly capsules containing all sorts of food; half for himself and half for Whis, but some of his armor and boots were in his large knapsack as well. A tired and frustrated Bulma had dropped a box in front him before he could say his goodbyes.

"What's this?" he questioned, looking at her backside. Despite the large stomach, her frame was still petite. A flowery sundress hugged her hips perfectly, and still left her room for breathing.

"I made you some new armor," she shrugged. "I'm getting sick of you wearing all that old, ugly stuff."

Curiosity got the best of him. Even he had to admit, that woman had a talent. Secretly, her version of Saiyan armor was his favorite. Gently taking the lid off of the black box with a golden bow, the first part that greeted him was the chest piece. It had gold straps like Bardock's green ones, but the rest of it was white. He pulled it out, looking at it front and back. Underneath where it had been in the box, was a black undersuit with a high neck and seams on the front. White gloves and a new pair of boots were there, too.

After laying it all out on the bed to examine it, Vegeta nodded his head as if were agreeing with something. He looked over to see Bulma was still standing in the doorway with her back to him, waiting for a reply.

"It's decent."

"Yeah, well, glad ya like it. Bye."

When she hadn't received a response, she turned around to see the prince taking off his old chest plate. Her sapphire blues blinked a few times. A sweet smile had replaced her scowl instantly.

"Wow. You must really like it then to be putting it on now!"

Vegeta paused with his hands on the collar of his old blue undersuit. Everything else had already been removed, and the human female was just gaping at him. "Turn around, vulgar woman."

The smile remained as she shook her head, but Bulma turned around anyway. She remained that way until he cleared his throat, signaling for her to turn around. She immediately began gushing while looking him up and down. "Ooh, I knew that would look good on you!"

He arched a brow at her sudden happiness. "As I said. Decent."

Bulma frowned, realizing that she was giving him the 'okay' to go without actually meaning it. She crossed her arms over her chest protectively, as if she were blocking her heart. "So... you're really leaving, huh?"

Vegeta blatantly pointed to his knapsack behind him, earning an eye roll from her.

"You don't have to be such a smart ass, you know! After everything I have-"

The shutting of the door by her husband quieted her down, and then completely silenced her when she saw him lock it. Feeling as if he could see the big question mark above her head, Vegeta sighed. "I don't want Trunks to see this."

"Wh-"

Silenced again by an act of the prince. He placed his arms on her lower back, but still separated because of Bulla. The little Saiyan princess responded to her father's torso touching her home by giving him a good kick.

"Fuck!"

"Vegeta!"

"Damn," he pulled back a little to look down at the bump. "Not even out of the womb yet and could kill Kakarot's father."

Bulma laughed, and wrapped her arms around his neck to look up at him. "If it's any consolation, I have a feeling she'll be stronger than Pan. She's a half Saiyan, after all."

Her laughter only increased when his eyes lit up at the thought. He took another minute to touch his daughter, wondering if she'd respond again. When he felt a jolt race through his arm, he fought back a smile. "I'll be here to see you, brat. Keep your mother out of trouble."

Bulma quickly grabbed his face, studying his eyes with her misty ones. "Vegeta...do you mean it?"

Instead of answering her, he leaned across to press his lips against her forehead. He figured that would keep her happy for a few months, and when her lips curled up into a pleased smile he decided he might do it again when he came back to see Bulla. Pretending to be angry after he let her go, his woman stomped out of the room to leave him alone with his belongings. He flung the knapsack over his shoulder, prepared to be taken to another world.

Until his son blocked the doorway.

"You're really leaving, Dad?"

The damn eyes he shared with his mother stared at him dolefully, hoping that there would be a 'no' somewhere and they could go back to training in the Gravity Room together. Vegeta placed his knapsack down by his feet and breathed out once. "Trunks, you out of everyone should know how important this is. Don't start whining, boy."

Trunks lowered his head, looking even younger than he was. "Yeah, but... What am I suppose to do without you?"

"Excuse me?"

The thirteen year old blushed, hoping he wasn't sounding too corny in front of his hero. "I mean, who am I suppose to train with when you're not around? Fighting with Goten is fun and all, but it's nothing like ragging on my dad!"

Vegeta smirked, now seeing himself instead of Bulma. "Oh, I don't know about that, Trunks. Your little sister will be here soon and she can already kill from inside the womb. My prediction is, she'll be stronger than you."

Mortified, the boy turned crimson all over. "Sh-Shut up!" when his father gave him the death glare, he retaliated. "Uh, sorry, I mean no way SIR! I'd never let that happen!"

The father chuckled darkly, almost teasing him. He placed a firm hand on his son's ever growing shoulders and cleared his throat. "You're a good kid and a damn good fighter. I want you to keep using my Gravity Room while I'm gone, and if your sister starts walking, throw her in there as well. No excuses."

Trunks smiled. "No excuses!"

Vegeta gave his shoulder a tight squeeze. "Who knows. If you keep pushing yourself beyond your limit, perhaps Whis will consider training you one day."

The blue eyes turned into an ocean. "What!? You really mean that, Dad!?"

The prince flung his knapsack over his shoulder once more, leaving his son to ponder that possibility. He didn't look over his shoulder once, not wanting to see the look in Bulma's eyes or Trunks' frown when it kicked in he was going to be gone for a good while. It was time to briefly leave that part of him behind and focus on whatever Whis told him. His very first teacher was standing right outside the front door of Capsule Corporations, eating an ice cream cone.

"That's quite the luggage you've got there," he snickered from behind the vanilla dessert. "But will it be enough for what I'm going to put you through? Contrary to the popular belief, I'm a very strict teacher. With proper tutelage, you could reach your goal of surpassing Goku."

Vegeta closed his eyes for a minute, not wanting to show any excitement. He knew this was going to be tough, but nothing had ever come easy for him in the first place. "I'm ready."