A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed my other fics! You guys are the awesomest of the awesome!!!!!!!! This one's for youuuuuu!!!!

Chapter Twenty: Funny Feelings

Bulma had managed to shrug on her maternity nighty when Vegeta had eased into their room. She felt his eyes on her as he dropped on to the bed. "It's sort of early for you to be turning in, isn't it?" the woman asked as she let her hair fall from its ponytail. The reflection of her husband in the mirror offered a small shrug as he peeled his shirt off of his body.

"Not really."

"You're being huffy," she chided, crawling under the covers of their bed. Vegeta only offered her a glare as he folded his shirt, placing it neatly on the nightstand.

"I am not 'huffy'," he snapped, placing his now-organized pants on top. Bulma smashed the urge to laugh at his apparent OCD-ness. Sure, she had always known that he was neat, but since their union, and his moving in to their newly-renovated master bedroom, his cleanliness had reached new heights. He folded his dirty clothes and either set them on the floor, or in the hamper. His boots and gloves were always placed in the same location, in the same position, each time he used them. Funny, but a tad annoying, especially when she had the misfortune of moving them on accident. Nothing went beyond his notice.

Vegeta crawled into bed, raising his arm, ready for her to 'snuggle' up to him, as she found necessary to do every night. Tonight was different, apparently, as she was still on the other side of the bed. The open rejection stung, but his pride screamed too loudly for him to crawl closer to her. "What?" He asked, when all she continued to do was stare. His arm dropped heavily back on the sheets.

"I love you," she replied with a small smile.

The Prince blinked, then smirked, reaching out to her and pulling her towards him. He kissed her deeply, holding her as close as he dared without crushing her. There was no way he could say those words to her. Once was hard enough, and he was sure she had held him in some sort of mind-lock for him to admit such a thing. He could express his feelings, as he always had. At such things he excelled.

Bulma pulled away, gazing up at his form as he hovered above her. "Stop worrying," she whispered, tracing his jaw with her hand. "The more you worry, the more I freak out."

He smirked, landing on his side, ruffling the covers back around them. "Would you rather I not care?"

"Well, err, no, but—" He placed a finger to her lips.

"Sleep. You need your strength. And there's no way we'll be able to get any form of rest if you keep running that overtly large mouth."

Her only answer was a pillow to his face.

"Stop being so damned horny and zip me up!" It was now the day before Christmas Eve, and as usual, the company Christmas party was to be held in the conference room of the business office. Bulma was sure there could have been a way for her to get out of it, but with the torch soon to be passed into her hands, she had no choice. And if she had no choice, her husband definitely had no say in the matter. None whatsoever.

Vegeta stopped the kissing-assault on her neck, mumbling out an apology. He couldn't quite explain what it was now about his mate that made her so appealing. A sort of glow radiated from her that made her irresistible. With a gulp he zipped up the back of her dress, aware that time was not on their side for the idiotic party that he had been conned in to. All the better, he gathered, as she would need a bodyguard to keep all the filthy whelps away from his wife.

He adjusted his tie, annoyed with it. "I thought we established, some time ago actually, that ties and I do not get along." With an about-face, he stood before Bulma, watching with some satisfaction as her eyes trailed his body.

"It's a suit-and-tie party hun, you have to wear it." Damn, did he look good! He wore dark slacks with an overcoat to match. His royal blue button-down shirt made his natural tan seem so much more sexy than it already was. Boy, was she in love all over again.

"I'm married to the new boss. Why the hell should I have to abide by their rules?"

"Because I'm the boss," she purred, wrapping her arms around his neck. "And I say so." Vegeta gulped as he stared down at his little vixen. Defeated.

Vegeta had kept his steps even with Bulma for the most part, a protective arm around her growing waist. His hand rested against the small curve of her belly, almost as if he could shield it with his fingers alone. Unbeknownst to the guests and employees, he very well could, but their innocent, human minds need not know that.

They bounced from group to group, couple to couple, individual to individual, greeting each and wishing them well for the holidays. Well, Bulma had done most of the talking. Vegeta had merely nodded and shook hands with the employees he knew, and elegantly presented himself to the guests he did not know. There was no doubt that his blue-haired Onna was surprised, but he had felt it necessary. Not only had he promised to be on his best behavior, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was horribly wrong. His father had expressed his concern before they had left, taking him to the kitchen while Bulma rounded up her parents.

"Stay close to her at all times," he had warned, "Something…evil…looms in the air tonight."

Even Kakarot and his father had voiced the same opinions on the matter, Kakarot through the phone, and Bardock from the living room. Vegeta had that feeling, that awkward, dirty feeling. He had been the very definition of evil himself, once, and knew that only this sort of eerie aura in the air could spell out doom. And he had targeted the one who had seemed to be the carrier of this "disease".

Shinji Tanaka. The human was the newest employee to Capsule Corp, and had a resume that had literally wowed the CEO's. Vegeta had first suspected the man as he entered the party. The Saiya-jin hadn't had the pleasure to meet him beforehand, and only had Bulma's praises to go by.

He was not impressed.

Fresh out of college, he would be the youngest scientist-engineer on the entire team. Already, he had solved mind-boggling defects in recalled inventions, easing them back on to the market. And he had only been working with CC for three weeks! But as he was announced to the party, he seemed shy, utterly embarrassed, and totally apologetic. Shinji had nearly tripped over his own feet about a dozen times before he had made it to the receiving line. He had barely greeted Dr. and Mrs. Briefs before he had zoomed over to Bulma. The good Doctor shot a look over to Vegeta who had intercepted it in time to see the brat waltz up to his wife. She had shaken hands with him, welcomed him to the annual party, and introduced him to her husband.

"Shinji Tanaka, my husband, Vegeta Ouji. Hun, this is the new addition to the team I told you about." Vegeta had scowled, and grasped the kid's outstretched hand, shaking it with a tighter grip than the rest had received. Amazingly, Shinji had returned it with the same intensity.

The Prince had blinked as the bastard trotted off. Even Bulma had looked mildly shocked that he had been able to take the obviously powerful handshake her husband had offered. She only shrugged it off and welcomed her next guest. But not Vegeta. His eyes trailed Shinji as the whelp greeted his co-workers. Dark eyes narrowed in that direction as he mechanically welcomed guest after guest.

That was no grip for a scientific mind to have. Not a geek like that one.

And thus Vegeta stood, 'mingling' with everyone, following his wife around, but keeping part of his attention on the suspicious newbie. He was shaken from his thoughts as he felt Bulma's smaller hand pat against his large one. He glanced down at her, watching as she broke out into a grin. A smirk was all he could offer her, as her friend still stood before them, swooning at the 'darling' sight. "Could you get me a drink?"

The Saiya-jin nodded, giving her arm a gentle squeeze as he released her from his grip. He glanced over to his right, catching a glimpse of the spiky-haired kid. "Hn," he muttered, stopping just short of the buffet table. His eyes grazed over the never-ending table before he found a bottle of water, Bulma's drink of choice. Grasping it by his neck, he nearly dropped it as his cell phone vibrated in his back pocket. Resisting the urge to fling it out the window, he flipped it open. "What?" he barked, eyes darting around the room to find Bulma.

"So, then I realized I was pregnant!" Bulma had finally been able to get Colleen caught up from the time she had returned from her extended vacation (Namek), to her speedy marriage, and finally to her pregnancy. Colleen was in the middle of congratulating her, when Shinji happened upon them.

"Mrs. Briefs? I—"

"Ouji," she corrected, "I took my husband's name. But it's easier to call me Bulma!" she chirped, offering him some of her attention.

Shinji smiled, shoving his hands into his coat's pockets. "Ok, Bulma. Can I talk to you privately for a moment?"

"Sure! Will you excuse us Colleen?" Her friend nodded and told the blue-haired scientist that she hoped to speak to her before the night was over. Off went Colleen, running into some old classmates before she too walked away completely. "How's that?" Bulma asked, completely facing their star employee.

"Uhm, how bout on the terrace?" he pointed towards the open French doors that lead to the first-floor 'balcony'.

Bulma nodded, following him out to the empty terrace.

A/N: I'm so bad, leaving you guys with this sort of cliffhanger! Course, people are SOOOO gonna hate me for the next chapter, but it provides a twist that I've never noticed in any other fics. So just be warned! This fic is getting ready to wrap up. I know, I know, I can already hear you guys wanting to stab my eyes out, but it's true. I promise that it's not gonna be THE end, but the "end" of "Finishing the Race" is coming up. No need to fear, more will come! I just feel like I've taken on too many fics. This one can "end" because I already have other ideas plotted out, and the other fics will easily be written quickly! As a matter of fact, I haven't even posted two of them, and they're almost finished! So yay on that. Review please! Lemme know what you think of this sudden bump in the road. Guess what's gonna happen! It surprised even me!!!!

Until Next Time,

Ja Ne,

Pearl