Credit where Credit is due:

Many thanks to MegaKat for giving me permission to use her Saiyan language throughout this story.

Words used in this chapter:

ji'ta ch - 'fighting family'

ten'ta - 'Big Guy', a nickname Nappa uses for Vegeta

ve'ho - prince

Vegeta padded down the hallway towards Mess Hall Three. He ran one hand through his freshly washed hair in an attempt to tame it. Without Raditz to groom him, it stuck out in all directions. Still, he walked with his head held up high and his talisman by his heart. After a week of normalcy, his confidence had mostly returned, along with his attitude.

Frieza had gone off world a day after their arrest and release; it seemed as if the tyrant had dismissed the Saiyans as simpletons, which both relieved and irritated Vegeta. It might have been another game to lull them into a false sense of security, but Vegeta needed the return of his routine and the resulting stability to recover.

He swiped the lift pad with his thumb and tapped his foot while he waited. Nappa stood by his side, a giant protective shadow that - most of the time - Vegeta drew some comfort from. Although his pride had returned, the slight hesitation remained, and the presence of his guardians was a touchstone that kept him grounded.

"I'm starving," the Prince complained, and his stomach rumbled in assent. "Raditz had better hurry up."

Nappa checked his padd again. Earlier, he had sent Raditz a message about mealtime, and Vegeta had seen fit to put on an 'addendum' of his own before Nappa could stop him. "Calm down, ten'ta - Raditz said he was gonna meet us there. Did you really need to threaten him earlier?"

Vegeta sighed, and rolled his eyes. "I was just kidding, Nappa."

Nappa raised an eyebrow. It was reassuring that Vegeta's odd sense of humor had returned, but there was still a sharp edge to it.

"Telling him you'd hurt him if he was late doesn't sound too funny."

"Psht. He's too sensitive." Vegeta rolled his shoulders, then folded his arms in a casual manner.

Nappa sighed, the ever suffering parental figure. Sometimes, he wondered about the boy. They rode in awkward silence down twenty floors and joined by other soldiers also going for their afternoon meal.

"So ... It's my birthday in two days," Vegeta said, in an attempt to change the subject.

"I know, ve'ho. You've been reminding us for three days straight." Nappa rumbled. "Like I could forget."

Saiyans did not celebrate birthdays for the most part, although they did keep track of the passage of years. Vegeta eagerly awaited his sixteenth birthday: then he would be able to move about the Empire without needing his guardian. It was also an important time in a young Saiyan's life when he or she was able to choose their life path, have a family, and given an official voice in councils. Sixteen was also the minimum age when a Prince could challenge his father for the throne, or ascend to it ... not that there was anything left to rule over.

Even though the actual date did not matter much, Nappa had made a point to mark a day for the Prince and give him something to look forward to. Usually, Nappa just took him out to the Noodle Shack or bought him new clothing, but it was less about gifts and more about making Vegeta feel special. Vegeta liked the attention it brought, and he looked forward to being spoiled ... although Raditz would point out that was a daily occurrence. This particular year had been difficult for the Prince, and every year that he survived under Frieza's rule was worth celebrating.

When they exited the lift, the midday queue overflowed into the hallway. Instead of joining in, they stepped aside to wait for Raditz and go together. Cutting in would cause an argument, and the Saiyans had been working hard to keep a low profile since their humiliating public arrest. In the past, any trouble usually resulted in them being banned from the cafeteria ... no big loss, really ... but with two growing boys, they could not afford to miss any meals.

"Where is he? I say we get in line and he can just sit with us," the Prince complained.

"It won't kill ya to wait, Vegeta. It's just a couple minutes."

"It might," Vegeta replied, lashed his tail once, then wrapped it around his waist.

What is taking Raditz so damn long? Vegeta fretted as he scanned the hallway for the familiar tall figure. The line moved forward agonizingly slow. Vegeta thought he would starve to death before they got to the counter.

Raditz joined them by slamming into Nappa's broad back. After some joking around between the two, Vegeta sighed. "Really? I'm starving to death, and all you do is embarrass me in public? I want to eat before the Ginyus show up," he snapped and was pleased when they stopped screwing off and followed him in.

Vegeta took one of the trays and tried to squeeze in between Nappa and Raditz for safety ... but as usual, he was jostled around by the other soldiers. He was sure it was on purpose. A meal in the cafeteria was not complete without at least one individual pushing the Prince around, or issuing a challenge in the foolish belief that the littlest Saiyan could not or would not retaliate. Sadly, that tended to be true. Once, Vegeta had lost his temper and responded to the taunts with force. He had trounced the other soldier and sent him to medical, but Zarbon had gotten wind of it and taken their dining privileges away for 'being troublemakers'.

So, Vegeta restrained from getting into fights in public ... but oh how he wanted to teach those cowards a lesson that he was not to be trifled with. And one of these days, if it was worth it, he might just take one of those low class PTO dogs up on it again. There was only such much the Prince of Saiyans could take.

Vegeta busied himself by scanning the room. He looked for a place to sit where they could have their backs to the wall, or at least away from the most active troublemakers, when the line finally moved forward.

Raditz was engrossed in his tablet, grinning like an idiot, and not paying attention to his surroundings. As a result, Vegeta jabbed a finger in Raditz' ribs, causing the youth to look up from his padd.

"Hsst. Move it, Raditz! What's so important you have to keep staring at your tablet?"

"Nothing ... you wouldn't care about it anyways." Raditz shuffled forward but kept his eyes down. The response just about guaranteed that the Prince would have to take a look.

Vegeta tried to glance at the screen, and scowled when Raditz held it up out of his view, practically held it over his head as Nappa chuckled. He missed the playful look on Raditz' face and went straight to pissed off. He felt his face turn red with frustration. "Are you mocking me? Let me see, right now!"

"You're no fun," Raditz sighed, and huffed.

"I am not here to entertain you," Vegeta snapped. He did not see the humor in the situation, and did not like being reminded of how short he was.

Raditz snorted again, then allowed Vegeta to look at the images. It was just easier that way. "Fine, Vegeta. See? They're just progress pictures that Master Zarbon has been taking of me over the past few months of training. Happy now?"

Vegeta saw numerous images of the adolescent in various poses and outfits: Raditz flexing, Raditz performing kata, Raditz doing stretches. Some of the positions seemed a bit strained, and made him feel ... uncomfortable, although he could not explain why. None of the stills really seemed to have anything to do with martial arts or combat readiness.

"Lemme see those, Raditz." Nappa held out one hand, took the padd, then swiped through the series. With each new image, the former Commander's expression grew more serious and he started to rumble deep in his chest. "I don't like this. I'm gonna talk to Twinkletoes."

"I think they look nice," Raditz complained, and his tail twitched around his waist. The smell of upset came off of him and Vegeta wrinkled his nose. "Master Zarbon says they're very tasteful. And it's to keep track of my muscle development as I go through puberty. What's wrong with that?"

"Hmph. Twinkletoes has never taken images of me." Vegeta curled his lip in disgust at the thought of being alone in a studio with Zarbon. "... not that I'd want him to."

"Of course not ... you're too young."

Vegeta's eyes darkened. "I'm not - "

"I know, sorry. Sorry." Raditz tried to forestall the storm.

"Speaking of that ... my birthday is in two days," The Prince gave a not too subtle reminder. Two days and eight years until he was free to do as he pleased without repercussions, no longer to be told he was 'too young'.

"Yeah, Vegeta. We know."

The queue moved again, and this time Vegeta did not have to shove Raditz. The trio moved forward and held out their trays to receive the daily allotment of slop, then moved out into the public area, alert to trouble. Ever since their public humiliation in the Mess Hall by the Ginyu Force, and the more recent house arrest, they were extra cautious. Once all three had picked up their drinks, they found seating together. Once again, Vegeta found himself in the middle, crushed by the two behemoths on either side.

"Why am I always stuck in the middle, are you trying to kill me?" he complained, and slammed an elbow into each man's side, then placed his tray down. "Shove over."

"You're not always in the middle." Raditz rolled his eyes, then shifted over. He began to eat, still scrolling through his tablet. "There, your Highness. Happy?"

"Don't move too far from him, Raditz. We stick together for safety," Nappa reminded, then began shoveling his food into his mouth. "Better eat, Vegeta. We're low on supplies, so this has to last until dinnertime."

Vegeta stared at his tray. He glared at the shapeless mass that squatted in the middle and swam in a dubious liquid, then sighed. It was true that Saiyans could and would eat just about anything, but that did not mean they had to like it. He wondered if the fare was better in some of the other mess halls, or perhaps they saved the worst food for when they noticed the Saiyans in line. Regardless, he was ravenous. He kept checking their surroundings as he ate, and thought about recent events ... but not too much.

Without warning, Raditz leaped up from his seat and knocked Vegeta's tray with one elbow. Food spilled over the edge and onto the Prince's lap.

"What the hell, Raditz?" Vegeta was livid. Not only was food being wasted, but now his new clean clothes would be stained.

Raditz did not offer an apology; he climbed onto the top of the table, to the shock of their fellow diners: scattering trays, spilling drinks, and earning him curses from nearby hungry soldiers. His tail frizzed and stuck straight out; the acrid smell of fear came from him. His breath came in short gasps. Then he launched into the air, over the heads of men, and landed in a crouch, his eyes wild. Raditz dashed down the length of the cafeteria at full speed, then out the double doors.

The room went silent, and everyone stared as Raditz scrambled out of view, long hair trailing behind him. Vegeta and Nappa just stared at each other for a few confused seconds. What had just happened? Then they noticed another man rise to his feet as well, one of the several Elite warriors. He was a nasty individual who had come close to blows with Nappa in the past. He sprinted after Raditz, and was right on his tail.

"Okay." Nappa stood up and pushed his chair back. "This isn't good."

"I'm coming with." Vegeta was on his feet and moving before Nappa could tell him to stay put ... but his guardian did not even try to argue. Anyone who harassed one Saiyan would have to deal with all of them, and Vegeta was itching for a fight. Besides, no one had the right to pick on Raditz ... except for Vegeta.

Nappa's great strides ate up the distance as he barreled down the hallway at full speed. Vegeta took to flight, even though he was not supposed to fly in public places, in order to keep up. They were able to track Raditz and his pursuer's Ki signatures with their scouters, but Vegeta could hear Raditz yelling as they ran into the bowels of Sublevel Ten. LIke most domes on FP-79, it was a maze of corridors that almost seemed made to confuse people.

"... Stay away from me!" Raditz' voice echoed back. It had risen into the upper registers and sounded jagged with terror.

Vegeta and Nappa followed their scouters, and Raditz' voice through many turns, and never seemed to catch up until they approached a T-intersection. "To the right, ve'ho. I think this is a dead end. Get ready to fight."

"When am I not?" Vegeta grinned, and began to gather his Ki.

As they turned the corner, they heard the sound of running feet coming towards them. Then Raditz ran past them and actually knocked Nappa out of the way with his shoulder as he fled. His dark eyes were wide and blank with terror, as if he did not see them at all.

Right on his tail came the wiry blue reptilian Elite; head adorned with spikes, armed with sharp claws extended. He too ignored the Saiyans and ran past them in the opposite direction before turning another corner. It was such an odd situation that Nappa and Vegeta stopped and stared at each other for before turning around and continuing their pursuit.

When they located Raditz again, he had collapsed into the arms of Zarbon and was bawling. The blue Elite slid to a stop and crouched at the teal General's feet, effectively cornered. There was nowhere else for him to go.

"Trictic, I can not believe what I am seeing," Zarbon took one step towards the other. "Are you chasing this boy?"

He did not get an answer. Before Zarbon could react, Trictic rose to his feet in a fluid motion, and stepped sideways into a shadowed cubby just as Nappa and the Prince approached.

"Zarbon, what the hell is going on?" Nappa shouted, and corded muscles stood out on the sides of his neck. His thick tail lashed in fury and he stalked up to the teal aide, fists clenched.

Vegeta stalked past his guardian, and glanced into the crevasse, ready to engage in combat. The small orb of Ki pulsed, and he held it up to illuminate the area. To his surprise, the space was empty. Trictic was simply ... gone. This doesn't make sense. He didn't go by us, or Zarbon. He should be here. He couldn't have just disappeared, could he? When he checked his scouter readout to confirm, it showed only four Ki signatures. It was if the man had literally vanished into thin air.

"This is impossible," Vegeta whispered. Behind him, Raditz began to sob; words tumbled out of his mouth as he sagged to the ground. Tears and snot ran down the youth's face in a humiliating display that the Prince could not bear to watch. He busied himself by trying to figure out how Trictic had slipped past them all ... in plain sight ... while Nappa and Zarbon conversed and Raditz cried like a bitch.

Finally, he could not stand it much more, and leveled a glare that was equal parts exasperation and embarrassment at the long haired youth. Then he scowled up at Zarbon; this was probably Twinkletoes' fault, somehow.

"What the hell happened? Why was that Elite chasing him?"

"Not now, Vegeta," Nappa held up one hand. Vegeta growled; he hated being ignored. Nappa might as well have patted him on the head and said: 'hush up, the adults are talking'. "Care to fill me in, Zarbon?"

Instead of offering an explanation, or responding to Vegeta's question, Zarbon flipped his damn braid and sniffed. "I wouldn't know. Don't worry, Nappa, I'll have a word with Trictic, and then some."

As if that made everything all right, Zarbon waved one hand in dismissal, then turned his attention back to the hysterical adolescent. It was obvious that the haughty General thought the matter was closed. Raditz did not appear to be injured, but Vegeta wished he would stop sniveling. A crowd was gathering and the last thing they needed was to appear weak.

Vegeta felt offended. He was sure that Zarbon knew more than he was letting on, and he could tell by the way Nappa rocked back on the balls of his feet and crossed his arms that he thought Zarbon was lying to them as well.

Nappa growled deep in his throat and looked as if he planned to break Zarbon in half. "What now? He's not hurt ... but he's not gonna go anywhere with you."

"Oh please, Nappa, I can escort him home." Zarbon sighed, then crossed his arms and allowed a tiny smile to cross his azure lips as he taunted the massive Saiyan: "Besides, I don't think you're a match for Trictic."

"He isn't, but I am," Vegeta interrupted, tired of being disregarded. The thought of testing himself against one of the Elites made him grin as he stared up at both adults. It may have sounded like a boast, but it was true.

"Oh fine! Have it your way." Zarbon threw his hands up in exasperation, then patted his student on one shoulder. "I want to know when you have arrived back, Raditz. Your safety is most important to me."

Vegeta watched that stupid smile cross Raditz' face when Zarbon touched his shoulder. The Prince suppressed a shudder. "Can we go now? You've made me miss my lunch."

No one spoke until they were in the apartment. The entire way, Raditz kept looking around him as if Trictic would simply pop up out of the shadows. Vegeta grumbled under his breath about how hungry he was. He stomped in the door, went to the kitchenette, and began rummaging through the cupboards for something to eat. He grabbed a handful of uncooked noodles because he liked the crunch, sat down at the table, poured a glass of water and settled in to watch the show.

As expected, Nappa rounded on Raditz, and poked the long haired youth in the chest with one of his large fingers. "Time to talk, Raditz. The hell was that about? Why the fuck was he chasing you all over Residential?"

"Come on, we just got back! I really don't want to talk about this in front of Vegeta," Raditz pleaded in a whining tone. He reeked of anxiety and adolescent pheromones. The combination of odors made both Nappa and Vegeta feel more on edge, ready to fight.

The implication - yet again - that Vegeta was not old enough and that he should be excluded set the Prince off. He was still keyed up from the earlier chase, and the fact that he had not been able to blow off the resulting tension. Hell, he was the strongest out of the three, and he was Prince, and he hated secrets.

"Oh, what the hell? Why does everyone treat me like an infant? I have just as much right to know as anyone else." Vegeta forgot about his snack. He stood up and stomped into the middle of the conversation. "Whatever you two have to bitch about, you can do it in front of me."

"Language, Vegeta ... and not now." Nappa turned his attention back to Raditz. "You're gonna tell me about it whether you want to or not."

How dare Nappa dismiss him? Vegeta's eyes narrowed, and he uttered a low growl. Nappa and Raditz continued to talk over him - literally - and he did not like it one bit. He tried to interject, but neither acknowledged him. It was as if they had gone suddenly deaf.

"You will stop ignoring me, Nappa! I'm an Elite! I've leveled entire civilizations, committed genocide, eaten the flesh of my enemies! I am your Prince and I demand to be treated with respect. This instant!"

He stomped his foot, and flared his aura out in a show of dominance as he shouted orders at the two older Saiyans, ignoring the irony that he was throwing a tantrum. Both Nappa and Raditz stared down at him, a mix of anger and disbelief on their faces. Raditz looked like he was on the verge of tears again, and Nappa's mouth dropped open.

"Shut up already, Vegeta!" Raditz screamed at the top of his lungs. All of his hair seemed to rise up. His tail frizzed out and lashed, and his face wrinkled in distress.

For a few seconds, no one spoke. Raditz bit down on his tongue, and had the wits to look ashamed.

Vegeta's hackles rose. He felt his aura respond to his mood. He clenched his fists and hissed, launched himself at Raditz, and gut punched the adolescent with as much force as he could muster. He felt satisfied when Raditz fell to his knees.

"I am ve'ho! How dare you speak to me that way!" He raised his other fist, the red tinge of aggression began to eat his vision. He barely noticed when Raditz began to retch.

"That's it!" Nappa grabbed hold of Vegeta's shoulder, fingers dug into the flesh, and yanked him back. "Godsdammit Vegeta, stand down! It's us against the galaxy ... against the universe! Do ya not get that? We're ji'ta ch. Hell, we're family."

The imposing Saiyan glared down at Vegeta, then at Raditz. "If you two can't get along, we're lost. They'll take us out one by one, and then ... no more Saiyans. We can't let 'em win. Look, Raditz, Vegeta's our best shot at taking out Frieza. And Vegeta, Raditz does everything for you without question. We need each other. If you two need to fight - and it happens - go to the training room and solve it there. Got it?"

When it became clear that Nappa was waiting for a response, Vegeta rolled his eyes. He hated to admit that Nappa was right, and he would not apologize to Raditz. "Tch. I still deserve respect."

"And when you act with honor like a Prince, instead of attacking your teammates for no reason, you'll get it. And I'm not just sayin' this to piss you off, ve'ho. It's time to stop these tantrums. Okay?"

Vegeta crossed his arms, part of him wanted to continue to argue, to fight. Raditz got up, and stumbled off to the bathroom to fetch the cleaning supplies, then began to scrub his own mess up while everyone calmed down.

"Now Raditz, c'mon and tell me what happened. Ve'ho, why don't ya go have somethin' to eat. Have anything in the fridge."

"Anything?" Vegeta raised his eyebrows. Nappa never let him eat until he was full from their supplies. "Ugh ... I know what you're trying to do. Tch. Fine. But don't bitch when there's nothing left. You told me I could."

In spite of Nappa's grand speech, they were still treating him like a child. He raided the coldstore, and grabbed everything he could, partially out of spite. He wanted to listen in, but they had retreated to the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and spoke in quiet voices. He considered putting his ear on the door, then decided not to bother. He was a Prince, as Nappa had pointed out, and such things were beneath him. "Hmph."

He had eaten his way through half of their meager stores when Raditz and Nappa emerged. He had not heard screaming or fighting, and at one point he heard Nappa laughing. Both males seemed calm: their tails relaxed, no frowns on their faces, their auras close. Vegeta looked up, curious, but would not beg for information.

"Hey, who wants Dish?" Raditz spoke the magic words. Two things could always calm down a stressed Saiyan: a good fight, and a good meal.

"Th'di!" Vegeta shouted with enthusiasm. A home cooked meal was always better, and Vegeta had to hand it to Raditz ... he could make just about anything taste good. "Um ... I kinda ate all of the noodles."

"What? The dry noodles?" Raditz flung open the cupboards and started to check the remaining supplies.

"Yes," Vegeta said in a defensive tone. "I was hungry, and you made me miss lunch. And Nappa said I could eat anything I wanted. So I did."

Nappa sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Aw, don't blame Nappa for this."

"I didn't eat them all." Vegeta offered up the last packet he had been gnawing on.

Raditz groaned in disbelief. "Augh ... Get your damn boots on, ve'ho. We're going to the commissary. You can't just eat spices."

"We just got home."

"Look, If you go with us, I'll buy you more supplements." Raditz pleaded. "After all, you are the strongest out of all of us."

Vegeta thought about it, then nodded. "Deal."

As they rode up the tram, Vegeta looked up at Raditz, noted the worried expression on the youth's face as he kept checking the corners, hyper-alert to every sound and movement.

"So, are you going to tell us who that was? Don't worry, we're all keeping watch." Vegeta gave a wide smirk. "Besides, let him try that when I'm around. I'll end him."

"Trictic." Raditz voice caught as he shuddered. "Lord Trictic. And he's been harassing me on and off for a while now."

"Really?" Vegeta arched an eyebrow. "I've never noticed that."

"Yes, really. You know, the galaxy doesn't revolve around you, Your Highness." Raditz spoke in a gentle tone.

Vegeta clenched his fists, an automatic response, then noticed Raditz' expression, saw the slight grin and realized that ... perhaps ... Raditz was trying to be playful and not mock him. That, and Nappa's speech about solidarity was still fresh in his mind. He sighed. "Don't make me punch you again."

A/N: As always, I want to say 'thanks' to all for reading and supporting this ongoing story. If you liked something, let me know. If you didn't, I would like to know that as well. Your feedback matters!

Lesleytonyb: Welcome aboard! Thanks for taking the time for multiple reviews, as well. I'm glad you're enjoying the story. I entered into this trying to give a more 'realistic' view to the Saiyans, and Kid Vegeta in particular. I found it hard to believe that a five year old would be a stone cold killer... thus, this fic. You aren't alone in your fondness for Nappa - he's quite popular.

Fangurlsrule: Yeah... if it wasn't for bad luck, the Saiyans would have none at all. Nappa and Raditz do try hard to keep their Prince safe and happy, it just doesn't seem to work. As always, thanks for reviewing!

Vegebulluv: Glad you're still enjoying after all these chapters! ;) So ... what do YOU think happened to Blizza? And... thank you!

Verimol: As always, you ask great questions! Right at the moment, I won't be able to answer some of them, unfortunately. That would be revealing the plot ;) Zarbon may or may not have been used against Raditz - but who really knows what he thinks? I can say that Blizza is a survivor, however. I'm glad that you like my portrayal of Nappa, I always thought it made little sense for him to be a mindless brute and have been expected to raise and guard the prince. Thank you for your kind words, and I hope that you've enjoyed this chapter as well.