Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or the characters

Wasn't planning on writing another chapter this soon, nor was I planning on posting for this story for a while. Still, it's Thanksgiving, so I wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and this is the only story I have a chapter prepared for, so yeah. Anyways, I hope you enjoy. Have a good day, everyone!

Vegeta was dreading this meeting with Frieza. He couldn't believe that the man had the audacity to threaten him into it in a room full of people, either. Though it felt like he could have avoided this mess, he realized that Bulma's life would have been in jeopardy. Between Frieza and Zarbon, Vegeta had no trust in what they would do. If Zarbon could hurt a female child, what could he do to a full-grown woman?

Speaking of which, Vegeta was watching Bulma as she got ready for the day. Though he hadn't told her anything the night prior, she had picked up on his mood so easily. Not wanting to concern her until he knew what Frieza wanted, Vegeta attempted to distract her paying for her to go to the spa that morning while he was meeting with the man. He hoped to divert her suspicion just until he had more information, and after the meeting he would tell her what was happening.

The two businessmen later met in the hotel restaurant bother ordering breakfast to start. The waiter came with their orders and quickly placed them down so that he could escape the clear tension as Vegeta stared Frieza down and Frieza grinned at Vegeta. Frieza chuckled as Vegeta drank his mimosa. "Alcohol already, Vegeta? And so early, too."

Vegeta placed his glass down on the table before gesturing to Frieza's glass. "You're one to talk. Wine so early?"

"Well, I do love a good glass of wine," Frieza remarked, "but we aren't here to talk about our drink of choice. Let's get right down to business."

"Gladly," Vegeta returned. "You wanted this meeting, so start talking."

Frieza smirked. "As you wish," he crooned. "The reason I wanted to meet with you is because I believe I have an idea that would benefit both of our companies greatly. For the longest time, I've been wanting to delve deeper into a specific trade, yet I didn't have the resources. No one company would."

Vegeta scoffed and leaned back in his chair crossing his arms over his chest. "What trade would be that costly to invest in? Would something like that even be worth it?"

"It would," Frieza answered, smirking. Vegeta didn't know what it was about this man. His threat to Bulma aside, he seemed to have this chilling demeanor. The veteran businessman wondered how Frieza even managed to get this far in the business world with his deals and reputation. Who would work with him? "You see, I am a strong proponent of supporting armies in their endeavors, and I have always hoped to create a weapons division to supply the armies of the world with whatever they need. Of course, the research and science is pretty intensive, and the materials required to build any weapon is expensive. I am looking for a partner, Vegeta, and I want it to be you."

"No," Vegeta curtly stated making Frieza frown slightly. "What purpose is there for a weapons division in my company? We are a company focusing on home improvement and technological advancement."

"The purpose is simple, Vegeta," Frieza countered. "You see, I believe you'll agree with this statement. War is inevitable. The human race always has some form of conflict or power struggle somewhere in the world. Despite this bubble people tend to live in, war is occurring elsewhere, everywhere. Armies are fighting every day to keep the peace in their own countries, not to mention what our soldiers do behind the scenes that people do not know much about. It's a profitable industry, and one that we should get involved in right away. War is the future, Vegeta. A cynic like you could appreciate that."

Vegeta flinched internally. He used to be incredibly cynical, especially after Ella died, after he left home and became his own man. When he was involved with that gang, he never saw anything but fighting, crime, and lives lost. The world was kill or be killed, and he understood it well.

Raditz pulled him out of that world and showed him a different aspect to the world. Vegeta was still cynical, and he was aware of the problems that existed outside his friend's apartment. The pain of his past could never disappear. He had to figure out how to heal himself. It took years before he could process any of his emotions.

Meeting Bulma reaffirmed hope in his life. He still was aware of problems that existed outside his own world. His focus was on his father's company and saving jobs. He was aware of global conflicts, but there was little he could do about it. He was only just starting to figure out what he was fighting for in his own life let alone the world.

Never had the thought of creating a weapons division entered his mind. He wouldn't do it, because he knew what it would mean. "Anyone would be able to purchase any weapon either of us were to create. We could very well be contributing to the destruction of our own country, not to mention countless others that wouldn't be able to afford it. It's a fool's game, one that should not be played. I will not be your partner in this endeavor."

"Listen to reason for a moment, Vegeta," Frieza droned. "That is a valid concern, but you should know more than anyone that this world is survival of the fittest. If a country is so broken that it couldn't afford the proper equipment or if two parties were to buy our weapons and fight each other, it is up to them to figure out how to survive. If they can't, then it is just the way of nature."

Vegeta's eyes narrowed at the businessman sitting in front of him. Twice he claimed to know Vegeta's character, claiming him to be cynical and understanding of survival. It didn't sit well with him. None of this did. Leaving his meal behind, Vegeta abruptly stood up and turned away from Frieza. "You're insane," he stated firmly, "and I would never do business with a madman." He didn't cast Frieza another glance as he walked off, for he didn't want to see what was going on in Frieza's mind. Vegeta was certain that he would see Frieza's rage if he did. There was nothing left to be said, anyway.

The day went off without a hitch, and both Goten and Trunks were ready for practice. After school ended, Trunks had called his mother who had just met up with Vegeta for lunch. She seemed to have had a good day, a relaxing day. Vegeta had paid for her to go to the spa, and Trunks was thankful that she was taking time to rest and reset her batteries. It made him feel better about his concerns.

He started talking to Miss Gure about them, and the woman kindly explained that that was the reason she wanted to speak with him in the first place. Trunks had so much going on around him and he always tried to make the world better for the people around him without acknowledging that he needed to take time for himself. He needed to come to grips with his fears and accept them while also trying to focus on living in the moment instead of worrying about things that would not happen and had yet to come into action. Trunks assumed he got that horrible habit for his mother and wondered how she did it for so many years. He definitely had a new respect for his grandma and Goku. Of course, both Goku and Goten did the same thing, so Trunks figured that's why Goten was able to help him. Fear and anxiety was annoying. Trunks felt awful for his friend having an actual disorder. At least his was based on overthinking and not a hormonal imbalance. He still wished he could take on some of Goten's pain. He wished he could take on his mother's pain. And of course, he wished he could take on Mai's pain.

Perhaps that's what Miss Gure meant about overtaxing himself.

He felt better after talking to the woman, and they agreed that for now they'd make it a weekly thing unless he needed to come in to talk about anything urgently. Once he was with his friends again, he suggested to Goten and Mai that maybe they could talk to Miss Gure as well. She was really kind, objective, and knowledgeable and she didn't make him feel like crap. When he expressed the guilt he felt, she talked him down. Like his mother had said, Miss Gure told him that no one deserves to suffer the way that his mother or Mai did, and that his mother had done a good thing trying to make up for that life instead of becoming her father. He was reminded of a time when his grandmother had said she had been given a decision when she was pregnant: to become her mother or become the mother she wanted. His grandmother had hated her mother back then, and she did not want to have that relationship with her daughter, so she chose not to behave that way. His mother had expressed that if it wasn't for her mother, she'd be a completely different woman. Trunks believed it.

His friends weren't too keen on the idea, but they both said they'd think about it. For now, he and Goten were getting pumped up for practice, the girls and Gohan watching them from the stands. Trunks looked over and saw Mai smiling at him. He smiled back and waved only to hear the new coach clear his throat. Trunks turned around and saw Piccolo staring him down. To be honest, he was surprised when the tall man decided to stay on at the school permanently as a gym teacher and coach. He wondered why he did it. After all, the man seemed to be really serious about martial arts. Surely he had bigger dreams than working at their school. "I need to talk to you for a minute," he said, his voice stern leaving no room for question or refusal.

Trunks sighed. "Okay, what did I do now? I wasn't late."

"No," Piccolo agreed before he looked up at his group of friends in the stands. "The day you were, though, I overheard your conversation with your friend about the girl. Only reason I haven't gone to anyone yet is because I only heard bits and pieces and didn't get the full story. So, I will ask you. Is anything going on where her life is at risk? If so, I need to report this."

Trunks was visibly surprised, but his expression softened. "She was being hurt," Trunks explained. "But she's with my mom and me now. Our friend is a social worker and took care of things. There's a restraining order out against her stepfather, so everything is good now. Thanks, though…for worrying I mean. Is that why you got a job here?"

Piccolo simply stared at the boy before grunting. "Partially," Piccolo replied. "The other was that I was getting bored at the dojo where I worked. We weren't getting much activity. My father is still running things, but I needed a break." He didn't know why he was telling the boy this other than he asked.

"I see," Trunks stated, smiling at the teacher. "Anyway, like I said…thanks. It's nice to actually have teachers that care what's going on and aren't trying to make things worse."

Trunks ran over to Goten, Piccolo watching the two boys, his eyes widened. He didn't really understand the magnitude of Trunks's words considering he knew nothing about this place. To be honest, Trunks wasn't the first student to say that that day, and Piccolo wondered just what was going on with the teachers at this place. Maybe that was something to bring up during the first staff meeting he'd be a part of. Maybe. "Alright, maggots, listen up," he ordered crossing his arms as he looked done at his team. He held such an air of authority and demanded their undivided attention. "We got a lot of ground to cover today."

Bulma and Vegeta had spent some time together since she had returned from the spa. They mainly walked around the blocks to see the shops and just enjoy each other's company. Vegeta never released her hand the entire time they were together, even when she pulled him along to look at different shop displays. Strangely enough, he didn't care that they were being so public with their relationship even when some other businessmen walking around saw them and were whispering with their other colleagues. What he did in his downtime was his business alone, and he was content to just be in Bulma's presence as she excitedly chattered about the instrumental display in the music shop in front of them. He had already figured this out before, but it really didn't take much to get her excited.

They stopped at a small, Mexican restaurant for lunch, and there Vegeta told Bulma the real reason he sent her away. He apologized for misleading her, but he did not want to concern her. Frieza had threatened her to coax Vegeta into meeting with him, and he wanted Vegeta to go into the weapons trade. Bulma gasped when he stated that looking panicked. "Vegeta, you can't," she pleaded. "Don't…please don't. I wouldn't be able to-"

"Woman, calm down," Vegeta chided. "I said, 'no.' I could never involve myself in that trade either. It would just lead to more death in the world, and that's not something I could ever stomach. My father was in the army once, and I guarantee you he would have gone into the weapons trade if he wanted to. His company had the resources to do it all on his own, but he didn't, so I wouldn't either."

Bulma relaxed and laughed weakly. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "I should have known you'd feel as strongly as I do. I just can't handle the concept of death well. Haven't been able to since my father passed. It was so abrupt, and even though so much time has passed it's just…"

"I know," Vegeta whispered. He then cleared his throat. "Nonetheless, I rejected his proposal, and the fact is he still threatened you. With that Zarbon guy working for him, I don't trust either of them. I wanted to warn you to be careful."

"Trust me, I already was," Bulma explained. "He's the one who is hurting Mai, so I was already on edge around him. From the moment I met him, I already felt this weird vibe and my distrust skyrocketed. When he told me his name, I knew I had to be careful. I was so glad you came up to us right after that."

Vegeta nodded and realized that that was why Bulma had looked so fearful and uncomfortable. Now that meeting with Frieza was out of the way, they could actually enjoy themselves, though he would be wary. Other than that, there was nothing left to worry about.

Later, Bulma spoke to Trunks again, this time having more time to chat with her son. She and Vegeta were in their room just watching some television. Her boyfriend had his arms wrapped around her as she spoke to her son. "So, talking with Miss Gure wasn't bad?"

"No, it was actually really good," Trunks admitted. "I mean, I didn't think I really needed it. I ever told her I was only going to put yours and Uncle Tarble's minds at ease. But we talked about a lot of the stuff I was feeling. I told her some of the stuff going on, and she talked me through some of the lingering guilt I was still feeling and about some of the nightmares I've been having. She told me I need to take some time for myself, too, to relax and enjoy what's going on around me."

"You've been having nightmares?" Bulma asked, concerned. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to worry," Trunks explained, "but this time, mom, I mean it. I'm okay. I'm not going to let them bother me. It's like you and grandma always say. We can't control what we dream, and dreams are just that. Everything is okay and nothing bad is going to happen."

Bulma sighed, but she calmly said, "Well, if you're sure, but if the dreams still bother you, just call me. I'm here for you."

"I know, mom," Trunks responded, his voice light. "Thanks. Anyway, grandma just made dinner and called us down. I love you. I'm really glad you're having a good time."

"I love you, too, Trunks," Bulma told him, grinning. "Have a good night. Remember, I'm here if you need me."

"Roger."

The line cut dead after that, and Bulma placed her phone on the coffee table. "Good news?"

Bulma glanced over at Vegeta and nodded. "Yeah. He's talking to this new guidance counselor at the school. She's as sweet as pie. So much better than that other one who was out to make my son look like a delinquent."

Vegeta scoffed. "He is anything but that," he remarked. "Some people shouldn't be working with children. It's good that Trunks is talking to someone. I never had that luxury when I was his age. If I had spoken to a counselor, it would have gotten out, and if my father prided himself on anything back then it was image and only his and his company's image."

The woman frowned and moved to kiss Vegeta's cheek. He responded to her action, pulling her away so that he could kiss her lips and hold her close to him at the same time. She shivered against him, unconsciously pushing herself closer to him, causing him to smirk into the kiss as his tongue darted out and he explored her.

A knock on the door interrupted them.

Vegeta growled under his breath and then got up to answer the door only to find Nappa, Raditz, and Lime on the other side. "Yes?" he grunted irritably.

"Oh boy," Raditz laughed. "Hope we didn't interrupt anything."

Vegeta turned away to hide the blush forming on his cheeks from his friend's inquiry. "What is it?" he questioned again.

Nappa chuckled. "The three of us were about to grab dinner and wanted to know if you two would want to join."

"That sounds fun," Bulma agreed coming up from behind Vegeta. "What do you think?"

Vegeta shrugged. "I could eat. Let's go."

Ms. Snake was very irritable, not that that was anything new. Most of her students had gone to the new guidance counselor. She didn't care much for Miss Gure. Anyone who let the children get away with calling them by name was the reason these teenagers thought they were so deserving of everything. It allowed brats to get away with being troublemakers.

Case and point: Trunks Hamasaki.

Earlier in the day Paigen came to her to explain what Trunks had done and how he had gotten away with it. "I…they wouldn't let me see you, but I needed to tell someone," the girl nearly whimpered putting on a good show for the woman.

Ms. Snake huffed, but nodded and let the girl in. "Ms. Snake, you have to do something about it."

"About what?" the guidance counselor asked resisting the urge to role her eyes.

"Trunks…" Paigen breathed out. "He…he…"

"What did that troublemaker do now?"

"He went into the girl's locker room at gym class," Paigen explained, her eyes saddened and fearful. "Mai was still in there. I don't know what happened in there." She hesitated in her speech. "All I know is that I don't feel safe with him being able to get away with such a thing."

"What do you mean get away with it?" Ms. Snake questioned sounding completely appalled. "No one will let that deviant get away with it."

"Miss Gure did," Paigen countered. "He made up some story about why he went in there and left out that Mai was in there. I just know it. I heard him and his friend talking about it."

"I'm not privy to Miss Gure's files, but I will discuss it with her, and punishment will be enacted," the counselor assured. "Now, go back to class. Thank you for bringing the matter to my attention."

"Absolutely," Paigen replied. "It's my duty to make sure we're safe."

Ms. Snake nodded and watched the girl leave, her phone ringing in the next instant before she could speak to Gure. "Ms. Snake."

"Yes, hello, Ms. Snake," Zarbon's voice came over the line. "This is Zarbon, Mai's stepfather. We met once before."

"Ah, yes," the woman replied. "What can I do for you, Zarbon?"

"I was hoping that you would be able to give me an address to one of my daughter's friends," he explained. "You see, it's been a while since I've heard from her, and I'm very worried. I already called the police, but I cannot give them a residence. I tried calling her, but she won't answer."

Ms. Snake remembered hearing something about Mai among the secretaries and assumed it was because of absences. She really had no idea what was going on with the girl, the fact that child services was investigating Zarbon, or that there was a restraining order against him. It wasn't policy, but in cases of emergencies or students requiring the delivery of their work, she normally gave out the address. There was not much one could do with an address, anyway. "Whose address do you need?"

"Trunks Hamasaki."

The counselor froze feeling dread in her gut. After what Paigen had just told her, and now what Zarbon was saying, she had no doubt in her mind that the troublemaker was doing something uncouth with this girl. With the police investigating, it made it more real to her. What if something really was happening to that poor girl? Her father was clearly worried. Ms. Snake quickly logged into her system and pulled up Trunks's address. "Get a pen ready. I have it right here."

Oblivious to all of this, Mai and Trunks were simply relaxing back at his place. They were in his room lying in his bed, Trunks holding Mai from behind and tracing comforting circles on her stomach occasionally tickling her and making her laugh. Her head was tucked safely under his chin, a contented smile gracing his features. "You know…this is starting to make me lazy," he teased.

Mai only laughed. "You're the one who pulled me down, idiot."

Trunks chuckled. "You've got me there. So, I haven't asked this, but how are you feeling with everything?"

"Relieved," she answered abruptly. "I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm still terrified. I don't think a restraining order is enough to keep Zarbon at bay, and I'm a bit on edge, but I still feel so much safer here…with you. Uh, I mean, you and your mom," she hurriedly corrected herself.

Trunks hummed. "I know what will help the edginess. Goten mentioned earlier that he, his brother, and the girls were going to be at the mall. Let's have Gramma take us. We could play some laser tag. What do you think?"

"That sounds like a plan," Mai agreed.

Trunks rolled over, pulling away from the girl and stretched before jumping up off his bed. "Alright, let's get a move on then." Mai smiled at him and nodded, and then they went to ask Bunny to take them to the mall.

Trunks's grandmother dropped them off there telling them to call her when they were ready to be picked up. Mai stood with Trunks, her hand in his, as he waved to his grandmother as she pulled away from the curb. He glanced down at Mai, grinning. "Ready to kick butt?" he asked lightly, yet enthusiastically.

"Always," Mai replied, squeezing his hand as they entered. They found their friends already waiting for them outside the huge arcade.

"Hey, you made it!" Goten greeted.

"Hope you weren't waiting long," Trunks said moving to give his friend a high five. "What's going on?"

"Oh, same old," Videl laughed. She looked down to Mai's and Trunks's adjoined hands. "Although, I have to ask, what's going on with you two?"

Mai blushed slightly, but Trunks seemed undeterred by their friend's teasing. "We're doing good ourselves. Now, how are we doing this? Three teams of two, two teams of three, or guys versus girls?"

"Teams of two? I assume you mean couples," Videl shot back. "Sounds fun. I'm in, right Gohan?"

"I'm in. Goten, you and Valese?"

"Uh, I…u-uh," Goten stuttered blushing before he looked to his friend. "Is…is that okay with you?"

"Of course," Valese chimed.

Trunks and Mai smirked at each other before looking to their friends. "We're in."

Mai was about to voice her agreement when a voice she hadn't expected to hear made her blood run cold. "Well, well, well," Kuriza's voice sounded. Mai instantly turned to face him, horrified. Kuriza eyed a perplexed Trunks up and down and sneered. "So, this was the friend you were texting. Lavender, right. And you said the person was a girl. You wouldn't by any chance have been lying?"

"Kuriza," Mai murmured fearfully. "I…I was lying because I knew you'd run to Zarbon and tell him, and that's exactly what you did."

"Who is this guy?" Trunks asked Mai sounding concerned.

Mai frowned and cast Trunks a wary glance. "Zarbon's boss's son, Kuriza. I…mentioned him once before to you."

Trunks remembered. It was the Saturday after the dance, and she had told him that Zarbon's boss and son were over and she had felt uncomfortable. Instantly, Trunks was feeling protectiveness and slightly inserted himself between Mai and Kuriza in case the younger teenager was to do or say anything to hurt her. He would keep her safe.

It then dawned on him, even if Zarbon had hurt Mai worse that night instead of the dance, that Mai had been hurt the night of the dance as well, and Kuriza and his father had visited. His eyes narrowed at the teenager, angry. They knew Mai was being hurt, and they just let Zarbon continue to harm her. "Anyway," his sickening voice rang, "I just thought that since our fathers are out of town we could do something. Why don't you ditched these troublemakers and come out with me."

"No," Mai countered making Kuriza sneer. "Zarbon isn't my father, and he doesn't control me anymore, so get used to that. As for my friends, they aren't troublemakers, you are, so stay away from me." She looked to Trunks and took his hand. "Let's go." Then she pulled him away with little protest from the lavender-haired teen who simply looked over his shoulder and glared at the angered Kuriza. Their friends went with them, leaving the stranger behind. They decided to ignore what had just happened, Mai even more enthusiastic for laser tag than ever.

Trunks knew she'd want to talk about it later, but for now he agreed that it was best not to let Kuriza ruin their fun. No one brought it up, and the three groups suited up for their "war." They played a few rounds, running around, hiding, and strategizing together. Mai and Trunks seemed to take it more seriously than the others, catching their friends off-guard multiple times as they shot their beams. All in all, it was a good evening and, by the time they returned home, Mai wasn't bothered over seeing Kuriza that night.

Tarble was in the supermarket late having come home from work to find a note from Cabba saying he was out with his girlfriend for the night. He hadn't really gotten the chance to shop since moving in, and Cabba was in desperate need of groceries. He figured he could handle this week's heist himself, and so he drove himself to the only supermarket that would be open this late.

It was practically empty, which was perfect. Tarble hated when stores were crowded and his hearing aids picked up on a mess of different conversations and droning, distant sounds. That was the one thing he hated about amplifying noise, but it was something he learned to live with being partially deaf in both ears.

"Tarble?" he heard a soft voice call out in shock. It took him by surprise when he turned and saw Gure standing there with her own cart. She smiled brightly when he faced her. "I thought that was you. How are you?"

"I'm doing well," Tarble replied, grinning back. "It's good to see you again. I didn't know you lived around here."

Gure laughed lightly. "I could say the same thing about you," she pointed out.

"Yeah, well, like I said…I moved it with my friend, and he lives a couple blocks away," Tarble explained.

"Oh, who is he? Maybe I know him," Gure remarked. "This is kind of a small area."

"Cabba," Tarble told her. Recognition flashed in her eyes. "You know him?"

"Yes," Gure answered. "He's dating my best friend."

"Heh, small world," Tarble stated, a big smile on his face before something dawned on him. "Whoa…wait a minute…"

Gure's head tilted in concern. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Tarble assured her. "It's just that the other night he told me his girlfriend had a friend for me to meet. He had asked if I was ready for another blind date since the one another friend set me on flopped."

The woman's eyes lit up at that. "What did you say?"

Tarble's eyes softened. "I told him I was willing to meet her, but I didn't want to date someone else blindly."

"It was that bad, huh?" Gure laughed.

Tarble nodded, but he didn't look bothered. "Cabba said he would set up some kind of movie night at our place to kind of introduce me and the girl. I can't help but wonder if you were the one he meant."

"I think I am," Gure told him, blushing slightly. "Cabba came over to my friend's place one day and said he had a friend who was really nice and having a hard time. Like you with women, I've had very bad luck with men and he knows that, so I knew he put thought into it. He asked if I was interested, but I didn't have an answer right then. I told him I'd think about it."

"I'm sorry," Tarble offered regarding the woman's bad luck. He knew how difficult it was, especially after he had planned to spend his life with Maron, though now that he had time away from the blue-haired woman, he realized that he was better off without her. His mind returned to focusing on Gure. "So, uh, well," he stammered. "Now that you know he meant me…what do you think?"

Gure couldn't help but smile at Tarble. He looked a little nervous, rubbing the back of his neck, and it was just so endearing. He had nothing to be nervous about. "I think I'd like that," she spoke softly that Tarble almost hadn't heard. Her bright smile actually made him feel at ease. "We've already started to get to know each other, after all, so we aren't stranger anymore. What I know about you, I like."

"Really?" Tarble questioned before his nerves left him. "To be honest, I don't know much about you, but I really would like to get to know ore. You're one of the nicest people I've ever met."

"So, I guess that means we're going out," Gure chuckled. "I guess our friends didn't need to play matchmaker."

"Nah, apparently God did." Gure gaped at Tarble making him a little self-conscience. "D-Did I say something wrong? I didn't mean to offend you.

Gure offered him a smile. "You didn't," she assured him. "Just…the last guy I dated tried to force me to hide my faith and you just took me by surprise is all."

Tarble frowned at that. "No one should ever have to hide themselves," he stated. "And you don't have to worry about that with me. Most of my family are pretty religious, and even if we weren't, it wouldn't bother me."

"That means a lot," Gure chimed quietly. "Thank you, Tarble."

"Of course," the man replied, "though you really don't have to thank me for that. Now, we should both finish our shopping. But…I'll call you tomorrow."

"I look forward to it," Gure told him. "Have a good night, Tarble."

Tarble watched the woman walk away trying to contain his excitement. For days, he had been trying to figure out why he had felt the way he did after meeting with Gure. The realization dawned on him that he liked her, but he had no plans to pursue her. After what happened with Maron, he was afraid to take a chance and prayed that he would have clarity soon.

When he saw Gure this time, he felt no doubt, just unbridled joy. He knew he'd ask her out eventually, but when they figured out that their friends had already been trying to set them up, he went for it. It was hard to believe, but that meant that they would have met eventually, and most likely hit it off the same way. This was as good a sigh as any. He couldn't help but chuckle.

So this was why his sister had told him to pray on it. He'd have to fill her in when she returned.

Dinner was nice, surprisingly, given how Vegeta's day had started out. Bulma amd Lime shared with the three men stories from their appliance store days, some stories actually good. Then Bulma and Raditz took turns telling stories of Bulma and his brother as children and Raditz exposed secrets, finally being able to tell the story of why he gave Bulma the nickname "B-girl." It resulted in Bulma fuming, Nappa chortling, Lime shaking her head, and Vegeta smacking Raditz upside his. The long-haired male didn't dare bring it up again.

Eventually, they finished their meal and dessert, and Vegeta asked Bulma if she wanted to go for a walk with him. The two head to the beach hand in hand, and it didn't escape Nappa's notice that the woman was gazing at Vegeta with loving eyes.

Nappa had known Vegeta since he was a baby. He had been good friends with his father. He had been there for the older Vegeta after the younger took off from the city without a word. The guilt Vegeta's father felt over pushing his son away was crippling and had no doubt weakened the man's resolve when he was receiving his chemo treatments.

Before the elder Vegeta had passed, he made Nappa swear to look after Vegeta when he returned to the city to take over the company. At first, the current CEO had seemed to have this barrier around him and did not garner optimism from the board. Nappa had done his best to get close to the kid hoping he'd warm back up to him, but Vegeta always associated Nappa with his father and kept a distance between them.

Once Bulma came into the picture, Vegeta was still distant, but he was slowly becoming a different person. In the beginning, Nappa hadn't known what to think of this woman. Vegeta's past flings were no secret, but this recently hired woman with a son jumped at the opportunity to date her superior. Nappa had tried to figure out her angle for so long, especially after he heard the rumors circulating the office. Those did little to quell his worries, but the last meeting they had with the board had. Bulma had been solely focused on keeping Vegeta calm and centered. He had never seen the kid look at anyone the way he did her.

Because of that day, he kept his concerns to himself, for he knew there was no reason to be concerned. In fact, Nappa resolved to look after her as well. He was certain she wasn't going anywhere for a long time. She made Vegeta happy, after all.

He hoped his late friend could see that.