The water was cool, and it soothed his overworked muscles as he sunk further into the stream. Releasing a long sigh, he shook out his dark hair, which was growing quite long and unruly for a boy his age from Chikyuu. Of course, he reminded himself, he wasn't just a boy from Chikyuu. He was of a warrior race, and if his blood weren't half human he'd have no issues with untamed hair, as it would stay put like his father's and Vegeta's hair seemed to.

He wondered if it were a genetic trait Saiyans developed after spending months and months away, training and fighting and traveling. There was no time for manly men to get haircuts and so they adapted. Gohan had to laugh at the thought of, if his theory were correct, how his uncle Raditz's must have looked as a child.

"What're you laughing at, Gohan?" The small, shy voice of his companion posed.

Gohan turned to the grin-skinned boy and smiled. "Nothing much. I was just reminded of someone."

"Oh," the boy smiled the genial, pure smile of his and nodded, "okay."

Gohan was grateful for the companionship of the small Namekian boy. He was even more pleased that the green-skinned alien favored Kami more so than Piccolo. When Gohan had been found, bloodied and shattered in an open field, he was sure he was a goner. He'd tried moving his small limbs, to get to his feet or hoist himself up with his arms, but they were broken and so he'd taken to closing his eyes and trying to sense Bulma's ki. He hoped she was okay, but his head ached too much for thought, so instead he was lulled into a deep, dreamless sleep. It was probably hours before he'd been discovered, and when he'd opened his eyes he thought he was staring into the eyes of Piccolo.

The man introduced himself, in a deep, gravelly voice, as Nail. He then said something else, which Gohan was unable to decipher through the haze of his pounding headache. Then a small boy smiled at him, gentleness in his eyes that caused Gohan to relax. Placing his hands on him, the boy healed Gohan's major injuries and, when Gohan was able to sit up, offered him some water.

Gohan had sipped the water and told the pair about Bulma, who he was still unable to sense through his throbbing head. He could feel the surge of various power levels around them, but hers was so tiny it was difficult to place. He then told them about the pair of warriors he'd taken down, and how he'd used up nearly all of his energy in fighting the final opponent.

Dende, the small boy who had healed him, informed him that they had been doing a good job of laying low. He then smiled, once more, and told Gohan in his small, honest voice how they'd found him and sensed his pure heart.

Gohan and Dende splashed around in the cool water. The half-Saiyan was grateful for the friendship, and though Nail had given him the cold shoulder ever since he'd inquired how it was possible that two males from Namek were here, Dende had been nothing but affable to young Saiyan.

"We're not males, per se," Dende explained. "Namekians are different than other races. We are sexless, and Freiza was unsure of how to deal with us in his little game.

"He's been upset with us for sometime, and forced us to enter. He thinks we're hiding something." Gohan noted the way Dende paused, but made no move to question his new friend. "Nail volunteered to fight, but no one else stepped up so we had to go into a raffle. We're not fighters by nature, but Nail is strong. We thought he would do well." The boy stopped and stared down at his tiny palms. "Lord Guru was originally called when one of Freiza's soldiers demanded a raffle, but I volunteered to take his place. I'm not a good fighter, but I can heal Nail, if I need to."

Gohan smiled; it reminded him of Bulma's bravery. He was glad that he'd found the Namekians, or, rather, that they had been the ones to find him. They were, by far, the nicest set of warrior he'd run into since being on Cerius. He hoped that when they found Bulma she'd be more inclined to ally herself with them instead of Vegeta. They were much more pleasant, even after he'd apparently insulted Nail.

"How is your head, Gohan?"

He rubbed his temple, and grinned. "Definitely better, thanks to you."

"I think after our swim we should go look for your friend." He paddled around the water and stared off into the distance, where the other Namekian was meditating. "Nail is antsy to move on, and if your head is feeling better then perhaps you'll be able to sense her."

"Good plan," Gohan nodded, once again concentrating in hopes of sensing Bulma's small energy. She was alive, he could feel it, he just wasn't sure how far she'd gotten. He hoped she'd faired better than he and wasn't injured. However, she was in possession of the Senzu beans, and she was smart. Bulma would okay.

"This is fun," Dende said after a silence settled between the pair of young boys. "Apart from all of the danger, of course."

Gohan laughed, but he couldn't argue. He was actually starting to enjoy himself here.

Her arms were crossed, and as he stared at her profile from the corner of his eye, he noted the way her nose was turned up.

They had been walking for miles, but the woman refused to be carried and there was no way in hell he was going to lower himself to ride inside of one her contraptions. He knew that her machines could only travel so fast, and they were probably making better time walking. Not to mention if someone spotted one of her ridiculously bulky flying devices they risked being shot down, and there was no way such a weak woman would survive the blast. Not that the latter had any influence in his decision making.

However, he continued to watch her, unaware why her haughty snarl and narrowed brows infuriated him so. She was angry, that much was apparent. Angry with him, he guessed, for refusing her advances. Not that he hadn't wanted them exactly; no, a small, nagging part of him wanted to give into the vulgar woman's words. Yes, it had been a long time. And, yes, she was not the least fortunate looking being he'd come across. Quite possibly, in fact, the most attractive partner he'd ever had accompany him on a mission. He'd wanted to, the first time her lips had crashed into his, back her into the nearest and have his way with her. He also wanted to hold onto his sanity, and so he'd turned her down.

The truth was, he knew her fairly well, and he'd seen the confident smirk that grazed her lips when he'd caught her, slick with moisture and naked in the stream. She wanted the upper hand, and that was something Vegeta would never afford her.

They kept walking, the only sounds that interrupted the silence were the smashing of dried foliage below their feet and the occasional snap of a twig. He closed his eyes, smirking. He couldn't hear it, but he could feel the woman seething beside him. She was probably trying to punish him by not talking. His smirk widened at that thought; the only time she'd opened her mouth the entire day was to bitch. The silence, though awkward, was welcomed.

It was strange how well he knew her. He could interpret her anger, just as he understood her earlier actions when she had so boldly tried to lure him into having sex with her. She had confessed to it being a matter of hormones, of which he could relate, but it was despicable the way the ballsy little female had attempted to play seductress. And how she'd almost succeeded. Though she'd moaned his name, so casually, as though she'd wanted him to return the sentiment. He grunted. As if he would ever lower himself to being tempted by such a physically inferior woman. It was deplorable.

He watched her as her eyes flashed and cheeks flushed, and he read the heated emotions as they flickered across her face. When he chuckled, however, she stopped walking, crossed her arms and shot him a pointed glare.

If looks could kill, Vegeta was quite sure Bulma would have possessed all the power of the ever-elusive Super Saiyan.

"What?" She snapped, hugging her crossed arms closer to her chest. "What is so funny Vegeta?"

Rolling his eyes, the Saiyan simply frowned, and continued walking.

"Not so fast, mister. You just lost the quiet game and now you are going to listen to what I have to say." She paused, got a hold of her scattered thoughts, all of the angry, conceited, vengeful judgments that had been flittering through her head, hoping she could recount each one of them to throw back in Vegeta's face. "I wasn't fucking with you, you stupid jerk. In fact, I believe I was trying to fuck you. Now, I know you aren't the kind of man who falls prey to women, even a woman, such as myself, with such exceptional charms, but I offer you an afternoon of no-strings-attached sex and you think I'm messing with you?

"I understand you've had a hard life, Vegeta, believe me, but not everyone is out to get you. So stop being so paranoid, especially when it comes to me."

His back was to her, so he was a little surprised when he heard her grunt as she brushed passed him, continuing on their trek as though her little outburst hadn't just occurred. She was the most frustrating woman, no, person he'd ever had the displeasure of meeting. He was looking forward to the day someone on this lousy planet finally got around to offing her.

Though, there was still that nagging voice, somewhere deep inside his core, which hoped he'd have the opportunity to take her up on her offer before that day inevitably came.

Gohan took into the air, keeping pace beside the pair of Namekians. He was sure he'd felt Bulma's energy to the west, and so the trio had taken off in that direction. The young Saiyan smiled as he felt the familiar energy and honed in on another, much more powerful, though equally familiar ki alongside her.

"Alright!" He said, turning his head to face Dende, his small fists outstretched as the wind that whipped around his hair took with it some of his voice. "Vegeta's with her!"

"Vegeta?" Dende asked, the small quake in his voice doubting if that was such a good thing, despite the tone of Gohan's words. He'd heard of Vegeta before, and wasn't anyone on this planet a destined enemy?

"Yeah," Gohan explained, "he's been helping us. He's a Saiyan, like me."

"Oh," Dende nodded, focusing on the strong energy ahead. It was unlike anything he'd felt before, far more powerful than the scouts Frieza had sent to Namek. "Well, I guess it's a good thing he's on our side then."

In order to avoid looking or thinking about Vegeta, Bulma glanced up at the sky and studied the clouds overhead. It was only so-so, as far as distractions went, but she wanted anything but to remember Embarrassing Display Two of the day. The first was still burnt in her mind and there was no way she was going to open her mouth and break the silence first…

That is until her foot caught a root and her face planted into the ground.

The grunt she released was what broke her code of silence, and the curse she muttered was just to let Cerius know where she thought it should go.

Sitting up, and avoiding making eye contact with Vegeta, who had stopped walking and was staring down at her with an indecipherable expression, Bulma rubbed her aching cheek. She was pretty sure that the thump hadn't done any damage, but it still smarted.

"Oh man," she moaned, remaining seated on the ground. "What was I thinking? Being here is so not worth shoving in Yamcha's face…"

With that, she started laughing. Vegeta raised a brow as he watched her, face smudged with dirt from the crash, legs slightly bent at the knee as they stretched out in front of her as she laughed. She'd finally snapped…

And then, he felt three power levels approaching, so distant that he had to really concentrate to distinguish them.

"Shut up, woman," he commanded. Closing his eyes, he felt the energies drawing nearer, closing in on their current position.

Sensing his seriousness, Bulma closed her mouth and blinked. "Is everything okay?" she asked, her voice soft. It was strange, she thought, how she could be so furious with him, but when the situation called to be sober she was nothing but loyal and levelheaded.

"Yes," he answered, eyes snapping open. "It's Gohan."

He watched her, lips drawn, as she rubbed the sleeping boy's head. It was rhythmic and motherly and disgusting. The boy had been spending all of his time, unscathed, with a pair of Namekians; there was no use for coddling. Speaking of the Namekians, he craned his neck and watched as the pair sat, on the opposite side of the cave, deep in meditation. He snorted; he was not going to be able to get a wink of sleep tonight.

Back pressed firmly against the cave, he turned his attention once more to the woman and child. It was a far less repulsive sight.

"I'm so glad he's okay," Bulma murmured, a smile adorning her lips. "I was so worried."

There were far too many people in the cave, Vegeta decided. Four too many, actually. He was unsure of how he'd fallen from solo spy, out to kill Kui, take down another few nameless imbeciles, and live to fight Frieza one-on-one to sleeping in a damp cave with a half-Saiyan brat, a weak human female, and a pair of green-skinned peacemakers.

Not to mention they were all four spurting words like 'love' when they got together. He grunted.

It wasn't that Vegeta didn't believe in love, he just didn't particularly like the idea of it. He'd purged planets where beings had offered themselves in place of others all for the idea of 'love'. There was no doubting its universal existence. However, it seemed inconvenient to care about another person that much. Even his closest companions, who he respected more than anything, would be sacrificed or left behind if it meant they were to put him in danger or hold him back from his goals. Vegeta would never be the type of guy to sacrifice himself for the good of everyone. True, he was fiercely loyal to his people, and if his planet were still around, and he were to find a suitable woman, he would be committed to her. He just didn't have the time or energy for that, and certainly not in the midst of the most decisive battle in his history.

So he watched the woman lean her head back against the cave wall and smile at him.

"I'm sorry I flipped out earlier, Vegeta," she said, smile never faltering. "You're a good friend. I'm lucky to have you on my side."

Unsure of how to answer her, Vegeta tilted his head back and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, Bulma was sleeping.

The following morning, Bulma watched Gohan and Dende spar on the ground beneath the shade of a tree. She laughed when Dende tripped and fell, and Gohan let down his guard to fall into a fit of uncontrollable giggles. Bulma leaned back against the tree and smiled as she continued to watch the boys, as their spar had morphed into a friendly game of tag.

Vegeta, on the other hand, sat opposite the grinning woman and playing children. He snarled at the waste of Gohan's talent. They should be beating one another up in order to practice and improve their strength. Gohan had purposefully kept Dende's healing abilities secret; there was no telling what a man like Vegeta would do with knowledge like that. The boy had to suppress a shudder at the thought.

So the afternoon went, and Bulma wished she had her mini-fridge capsule packed full with soda. This was a perfect, sunny afternoon to waste the day away. It was a vast improvement to walking, fighting with Vegeta, and getting the crap kicked out of her, all of which had accounted for ninety percent of the previous three days. Gohan was alive and well, and he was laughing and being a kid again. She smiled at the thought.

Her smile faltered, however, when Vegeat jumped to his feet. She watched as he stood, spine straight and fists compressed, the skin over his knuckles turning white from the pressure. A muscle in his jaw twitched as his eyes widened in disbelief. And then, just like that, the innocent fun had been sucked out of their perfect day.

Gohan and Dende had stopped laughing. The half-Saiyan was staring off into the distance, face blanching. "Wha-" he stuttered, "what is that?"

"Gohan," Vegeta commanded, as Nail appeared before them, "tell me what you sense. I can only feel two."

"Two of what?" Bulma asked, watching the faces of the four warriors exchange tight glances. "I can't sense anything guys, please, bring me up to speed."

"Five," Gohan answered. "And they're all strong. There are two coming towards us, and the other three are in the opposite direction. They're… they're… Everyone else I can sense is dying."

Vegeat cursed and dropped his hands to his side. He thought Kui and a few others were all Frieza would send.

"The Ginyu Force," he explained, stretching out his muscles in preparation of a fight. He hadn't been able to sense power levels the last time he was around them, but the nagging sense of familiarity was there. Gohan's confirmation that there were five in total was evidence enough. "They're Frieza's elite mercenary platoon. They're also a bunch of idiots."

"Strong idiots, though," Nail spoke, starting to prep his own body for the inevitable battle that was to come. The pair of power levels heading their way were strong, both nearly matched Vegeta. He realized that if they were to win this, he would have to give it his all.

"I don't have a weapon," Bulma panicked, watching what she could only decipher as poorly concealed fear sweep Vegeta's features. The words 'I'm useless' hung from her lips, but she refused to speak them.

"Bulma," Gohan shot her a look of confidence, reminding her, not for the first time, of his father. "Take Dende and get to a safe place. You still have the Senzu beans?"

She nodded.

"Good. We may need them, so don't go too far."

"Gohan…" she spoke, watching the boy as he stretched his small limbs, cords of muscles bunching beneath his tanned skin. "You're going to fight?"

He nodded, and she didn't argue. With one, last fleeting glance at Vegeta, she wished the trio luck. "Be safe," she added, her blue eyes never leaving Vegeta's. He grunted as Nail thanked her for taking care of Dende. Bulma took the small Namekian's hand in her own, and the pair took off towards safety.

"Can you sense them?" Bulma asked, breathlessly.

Dende nodded as they slowed their pace, now several kilometers from the others. "Yes. Still no fight."

"It's two against three though," Bulma smiled, "an easy victory, yeah?"

"I hope so," Dende said, his face distant as he felt the pair of powerful kis closing in on their friends.

A few kilometers away, Vegeta watched as a pair of armored figures descended from the sky to land before them. He felt the energy of the Namekian spike, but Gohan remained calm as the studied the pair. One was burly and blue, with scaly skin and pink eyes. The other was significantly shorter; standing beside one another he did not reach the other's shoulders.

He stopped forward and smirked at the odd trio, and locked his eyes on Vegeta. "So, Vegeta," he began, tapping his scouter, white hair billowing around his shoulders. "Glad to see you're still alive and well." He laughed. "Guldo was really hoping you hadn't made it."

"Jeice," the Saiayn hissed, never in the mood for small talk and certainly not now, "care to let me in on what the Ginyu Force is doing here?"

The humanoid laughed, his voice thick with accent. "You didn't really think Frieza would be coming in person, did 'ya?"

Burter, the larger squad member, smirked as the pair shared a personal joke. "We're here to clean up his mess. Apparently things were taking too long here."

Gohan heard Vegeta growl and then, without giving anyone direction, he watched as the Saiyan Prince charged towards the small, red-skinned alien.

Jeice look taken aback, unaware that Vegeta was his enemy. "Woa, Vegeta. We're not here to take you out," he tried to reason between blocking the angry Saiyan's blows. "Just help us take out the Namek and the little guy. You can ride back to base with us."

"You should not be here," Vegeta growled, sending a swift kick to his opponent's stomach, which caused him to hack up blood. Wiping his mouth, Jeice surveyed through his scouter that Vegeta's power level had increased immensely. With a fleeting glance at his fellow platoon member, he turned his attention away from the Saiyan and paid for it by energy blast to the chest.

It was very frustrating, Jeice thought, dusting off his chest plate, how whenever he'd seemed to get a new set of armor he'd always go and get it chipped.

Gohan watched the exchange, and turned to Nail with a nod. The pair took into the air in the same direction, hoping to lure Burter into a two-on-one fight. Gohan was never too prideful to share a victory, and he was more than pleased that the Namekian didn't seem to posses Vegeta's opinion on the matter, either.

"Oh, I see how it is," Burter laughed, taking into the air behind the duo, "you think you can outrun the great Blue Hurricane? The fastest warrior in the universe, next to Frieza himself!"

Gohan glanced behind him, watching the grinning 'Blue Hurricane' closing in on their position, and materialized behind him. He was unsure of how fast this guy really was when he'd so easily outmaneuvered him. With both fists, he volleyed the back of the large warrior's neck, and send him crashing downward. When Burter stopped himself, inches from the ground, Nail descended upon him.

"They're fighting," Dende explained, and Bulma was grateful for the non-graphic play-by-play. "All three of them. I think Vegeta's facing one and Gohan and Nail have teamed up."

Bulma nodded, staring off into the direction of the fight. She squinted her eyes and tried to tap into some remote force in her brain, but she was unable to 'sense' anything. Opening her eyes, she sighed. Her brains would just have to be put to better use.

Gohan was distracted by a blinding wave of light and turned to watch as a powerful energy blast soared towards the Saiyan Prince and knocked him back a few yards. He glanced from Nail to Burter, and then back to Vegeta, who was standing on his shaking limbs and clutching one of his arms to his side. Gohan frowned, but, before jumping to assist the prince, Vegeta raised his good hand and leveled the battlefield around them. Gohan was suddenly glad Dende and Bulma were at a safe distance, because the perimeter surrounding Vegeta was now void of any life. Thee trees were reduced to burnt stumps and there was no trace of Jeice in the large crater. Gohan was still awed by the power Vegeta possessed.

Burter, however, lacked the ability to sense ki and continued exchanging blows with Nail, who seemed fueled by Vegeta's victory. Gohan watched as Vegeta slid to his knees and, with a sigh, turned back to face the tall warrior squaring away with the equally intimidating Namek.

Nail shouted his name and Gohan nodded in understanding. Switching positions, the young Saiyan flanked the pair and blasted his opponent, while Nail quickly flashed to the other side of the warrior and, as Burter dodged Gohan's blast, hit him square with a wave of energy.

Vegeta was wiped. He felt the energy of Burter drain, but he was unable to savor the deaths of two members of the annoying five-man squadron. Instead, he was too busy berating himself for his narrow victory. Briefly, he felt bitter hopelessness swell inside his core. How was he supposed to defeat Frieza when he was barely able to stand after fighting Jeice? He felt the impossibility of the situation weigh on him as he teetered between consciousnesses. Blinking, he watched as Gohan and Nail stood above him, questioning his injuries.

He grunted, watching as their eyes filled with optimism. They were counting on him, he realized, to be the one able to defeat Frieza. He didn't have time to contemplate what that meant, what his likely demise at the hands of the tyrant lord would mean to these weak, pathetic excuses for warriors that seemed to flock to him, because the woman was running in their direction, little green Namekian on her heels. And she was shouting his name.

Closing his eyes, Vegeta fought to stay alert, just a little longer until the woman's face came into view. She pushed Gohan and Nail aside and knelt beside him, eyes swimming. He'd never seen her look so distraught before.

"Vegeta," she spoke, a small, sad smile inching its way across her lips. "You can forget about me wasting another one of these on you, okay?"

He had enough energy left in him to glare at her, but the gentleness of her voice caused him to simply stare into her eyes. Fishing through her bag, she retrieved a Senzu bean and placed it between his lips. As he chewed, he watched a single tear slip from the corner of her eye, and trace the smooth curve of her cheek. He watched the moisture drop onto his chest plate before disappearing into the fabric of his armor, and he felt himself regaining control of his limbs. Still, he made no move to get up. He couldn't comprehend why the woman was crying. He had even less of an idea why, when she rested her head on his chest, he didn't push her away.

Have I mentioned that fight scenes are the bane of my existence? Thanks everyone for bearing with me though yet another battle.

Also, a GIGANTIC thank you to catgirl26. Without her, I don't think I would have ever had the inspiration to post this chapter. If you have not done so already, check out her story "Vengeance". It is seriously epic.

-LL