Hey everyone! Miika here with another chapter of this crazy little thing! I want to thank everyone who has decided to follow and favorite this piece. I want to give a shout-out to my beta, once again, for all of his hard work (and keeping me on task and all that funny business). You do good.

Heads up on this chapter- gonna be a slightly different pace, not so much on the action or adventure side of things, and possibly a little bit of OOC for a couple people. Any questions on why, I can answer in PM or pinpoint the logic in the next author's intro, if asked by several people. But hopefully, you all love it just the way it is.

DISCLAIMER: The following is a non-profit fan-based work of fiction. Dragon Ball Z/GT/S are all owned by Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, and Akira Toriyama. Please support the official release.

Chapter 36: Return to Normalcy

"Oh, Krillin! I didn't know you had more friends!" a shrill voice pierces the air with obvious fake enthusiasm. She walks up to me and smirks. "How many old people are you friends with?"

My jaw clenches at the question. I'm not vain or real "into" how I appear, but her attitude strikes a nerve. Along with her posture, a hand resting on a pink-draped hip jutting out while the other hand flips her hair over her bare shoulder. As odd as the similarity between her and Bulma strikes me, the lack of intelligence on this hussy's tongue stands out more.

"He and I are about the same age," I state calmly, only for the words to fall on blocked ears.

Her sky blue eyes shift next to me. "Oooh, and who is this tall order?" I turn in time to see a brush of pink stain my mate's cheeks. "My, and I'll bet you're all muscle, too." The way she coos in his direction brings my blood to a boil.

"Uh, Hayashi, would you care to introduce yourself to her?" I listen to Krillin's poor attempt to wave my attention away from my mate and the… arm candy. Who happens to be practically eyeball-fucking him. The fluttering of flirtatious eyelashes, how her gaze drops below his waist- though, with his height, isn't so difficult to do, but nonetheless- and the soft puckering of her pink glossy lips…

Raditz's hand grasps my shoulder, and a soft murmur in my mind tells me he thinks her display is unattractive in all ways. My blood cools down to a simmer and acquiescing Krillin's request, I bow slightly.

"I am Kin Hayashi, a longtime friend of Krillin's." I raise from my bow and gesture to my left, where Raditz still stands. "This is my fiance, Raditz."

"'Raditz'? He doesn't have a last name?" she asks. Krillin steps in.

"Oh, he's Goku's brother, so it's Son, dear," he intercepts her attention, and I sigh with relief. I tell Raditz to play along, though I can feel his protests. I watch as my short bald friend links an arm with hers while they head inside. My mate crosses his burly limbs over his chest and follows the pair with a small shrug. I look around and feel no one else's ki out on the beach. I guess everyone's inside then.

Once I enter the crowded house of my first master, I notice the gang around the small table in the center of the room, with furious Bulma and Chi-chi being held back by Yamcha and Gohan. I'm willing to bet that bimbo made another quip about our age group. Oh, if only I could just scare the shit out of her.

"At least I don't smell like raw seafood and cheap perfume, you fraudulent gold digger!" Bulma shouts out in a rage. The air becomes still. No one makes a sound as they shuffle away from the two blue-haired females. Even my mate backs up a couple steps to stand next to me.

"Oh, you really think an old hag like you can go toe-to-toe with me on anything? Hah! You've got another thing coming," the bimbo stares at her as though she had won. My friend's eye twitches.

"First off, this 'old hag', as you put it, is a member and vice president of one of the largest corporations in the world. And secondly, the phrase is 'another think coming.' So, if you want to do the world a favor, go plant a few trees for all the oxygen you've wasted, you silicone-injected nitwit!"

"Hey, these weren't cheap, you bitch!"

Oh shit. No one calls Bulma Briefs, heiress to Capsule Corporation, a bitch.

Her face becomes redder than the blood dripping from Master Roshi's nostrils. Her hand raises up high to strike the trollop down. Though if she had known better, she'd know that this is her most devastating attack- it's worked on most of us in the past, and I can only imagine how strong she's gotten since those days. At the last minute, however, Krillin steps in the way, the blow leaving a welt the size of a softball on his shiny bald head.

"Geez, Bulma! You weren't holding back, were you?" he cries out with a couple tears in his eyes. Bulma slowly regains her composure, and stomps past my mate and me, and out with a slam on the screen door. The other blue-haired female caresses the welt on her boyfriend's scalp with caution, though he flinches away from her touch. He stands up and follows the same path Bulma took before him, but I can't be sure if he's going to apologize to her, talk to her, or just needs some air after what just happened.

"Raditz, I'll be right back," I tell him softly and I place a hand on his arm gently. He nods a single time before I leave the tension-filled atmosphere to find either of my best friends. The first thing I see is a hunched-over ball with a crown of aqua. "Bulma," I start off, but words fail me. Comfort? Praise? I sit down next to her on the beach and watch the waves slide up the sandy trail before receding. "Thank you." As she raises her head, the sound of her sniffling becomes apparent.

Her hand wipes at her eyes, clearing them of excess tears spillage. "What are you thanking me for? I ended up hitting one of my best friends out of pure rage directed towards someone else. And he seems real happy with her. If anything, I'd be the catalyst for breaking them up." I wrap an arm around her in a display of comfort. "Plus, it doesn't help my mood that Yamcha keeps soaking in her barely-covered goods."

I think for a moment, trying to find the right words to say. And it hits me. "Well, look on the bright side: If the two of them do break up, we won't have to deal with her flirtatious manners around our men and bragging about how young she is," I reason with a grin towards the sky. "Besides, I'll bet she's ten years older than us, and likes to play off thinking otherwise." This earns a giggle out of my friend.

"Thank you, I'll stopping sniveling then," she says with a smile beginning to form. The way she said it turns the gears in my head. It sounds like something a certain prince would say…

"Have you been in touch with a certain someone?" I ask. She stands up and brushes the sand off her clothes, only stopping to lend me a hand.

Bulma glances around before turning her attention back to me. "I did talk to him once since he left. I may have gotten sloppy drunk and started crying about something, I don't remember, and he said that. It's the only thing I can remember from that conversation, to be honest." I take her hand, careful not to crush it, or pull her down to me.

"Does Yamcha know?" She pauses, and her gaze shifts downward in guilt. Her reaction speaks more than whatever she could say, and her and I both know it. "I won't tell him if you hadn't. Mostly because it's not my business."

Bulma and I walk around to meet the others to find the gang outside in a crowd. I turn to her in question, to which she shrugs.

"What's going on?" Bulma asks before I do, running up to meet them.

"Hey, B. They broke up…" Do my ears deceive me?

I walk over to Krillin, his head bowed in defeat. I kneel down in front of him and hug him. It doesn't matter if he returns it or not, but I want to show him that, regardless of my presence or lack thereof, I'm there for him whenever. Slowly but surely, I feel his arms wrap around my torso tightly in an embrace and the soft sound of sniffling.

"You're stronger than this, Krillin. You're going to pull through, and you're going to forget about her. I promise you," I whisper loud enough for only his ears. Soon after, the sobs subside. His arms fall to his sides, and I release him.

"Hey, Hayashi," he says meekly. "it's funny, the last time Raditz was here, he wasn't as good of a guy as he is now."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask with a raised eyebrow. My gaze shifts over to my mate, his attention stolen by the undulating sea.

"Well, he offered to, what was it again?" Krillin asks of my mate. This ought to be good...

Raditz's body relaxes in a sigh. "Remove her still-beating heart and toss it into the ocean." I feel the blood drain from my cheeks. I've told him several times about that!

"Yeah, that. And as you may have guessed, I didn't want that. But it's the thought that counts!" my short bald-headed friend nervously laughs, an obvious shrug-off of Raditz's threat. I guess he did say it to cheer him up, and that's pretty admirable.

I walk up to my mate and, despite our slight height difference, peck him lightly on the cheek. "Thank you."

"Gah! Could you not?!"

+x+x+x+

Raditz and I touch down at our normal training spot by our house. For a majority of the duration of our flight back home, he had asked constantly about a decent training session that didn't end up with me going easy on him. Not that I mean to; it just sort of happens that way.

"You know, I forgot to say how semi-sweet your proposition was to Krillin," I say with a smirk. He gets into his fighting stance, one I've noticed Vegeta take as well. I wonder if it's a common thing with those of us who actually trained- and remember doing so- on Planet Vegeta.

"If you're going to keep bringing it up, Arugelle, I won't do it again," he responds with a snap.

I move back and shift into my battle stance, and dodge back as he launches at me and strikes. I go for a high kick, which he immediately blocks and sends me further back. A flurry of punches come my way, and shield myself from each hit. His leg swings over my head, to which I grab and throw overhead. His mane of spikes whirls around, and he dives down at me. Foot first.

I move nimbly out of the way, his diving kick making a crater in the ground. He shoots toward me to punch me, and phases out of the way in time for me to only uppercut the space in front of me. Oh Kami…

His elbow swings around and hits the back of my head hard enough to send me to the ground. He… he landed a blow! I'm not sure what I feel. Envy… pride… arousal? I stand up and brush off my gi, and glare at him.

"You're going easy on me again," he says while stretching up. His muscles bulge at the movement, and the small droplets of sweat trail down until they can no further. I smirk and swipe at the side of my nose.

"Fine. Try and keep up then." In a blink, I appear in front of him and punch his stomach hard enough to make him double over. My left knee flies upward, a move I plan on him catching with his hands. His hands grip my knee, and I swing my opposite foot across his cheek. What I don't plan on is his lingering grasp on my leg.

"Oh no you don't!" he yells as he swings me around, the world getting dizzy as he tosses me off into the wood. I shoot with the momentum, and he catches up to me. We trade blows and blocks, until our fists collide with each others' faces. Those feelings I felt from the first blow come alive in a burst once more. Envy, pride, and arousal.

"Raditz," I say, his large fist still against my cheek. I slowly dig my fist further into his face, and we break apart for a moment.

"Did you feel it?" he asks.

I stare at my hands and become aware of how warm they seem. "I felt a lot of things."

"Shall we return to our abode?" he offers, with a glimmer of something in his eye- I don't catch it in time to completely see it- and he presents his much larger hand. I reflexively grab it, his fingers twine into mine in an unexpected move. "You know I can tell when you feel our link more strongly, right?"

"That much of an open book, am I?" I grin up at him.

"You practically wear your affections on your sleeve, and I can smell it," he states as though it's not new information.

I sniff the air, the only things I can smell are the florae and fresh water. "Why can't I smell when you are?" I ask in a playfully huffy tone.

He chuckles as we reach the door. "I always am, Arugelle. If this scent ever leaves, I'm most likely dead." I furrow my brows. How am I missing his scent? I point my nose in his direction and detect his faint masculine musk.

"Oh, it's like your…" I stop for a moment as it registers. "Ewww," I groan out in disgust as I remember where and when I had smelt it. Namek, after our landing. He'd spent most of his time in the lower deck "entertaining" himself.

He bends down into my neck and nuzzles it with his nose. "Whatever. You like it," he says, his voice muffled by my skin. The warmth of his tongue caresses at my shoulder's junction point, my reaction being nothing but a rush of blood to my lower parts. I faintly hear his smooth chuckle. "See? You can barely help yourself." My eyes close, and my hands reach into his long spikes. His arms wrap around me, and I feel his toothy grin on my pulse. "You want more?" he asks. I nod my head slowly. "You'll have to beg."

"I beg for no one," I mutter out, but the last syllable gets caught on a small moan. His actions relax my body, and my eyes blink long enough for me to feel my spirit flow out.

I can see me in his arms. How my white tendrils fall down their respective sides. The black spiky curtain of hair surrounding us like a barrier. Us. Together. Wait a minute. What the Hell?! Why am I... outside my body?

"Raditz," I mutter out. My physical mouth moves as I say it. Kami, this is weird. "I don't know what you did, but, I'm projecting now."

His ministrations stop. His arms slowly slide down my sides, and he stares hard at my face like I had insulted his mother. "Can we try it like this?" he asks. At this question, I focus on waking up. Please wake up...

My eyes shoot open to glare into his eyes. I feel my chest rise and expand with each breath I take. "I hope that was a joke," I say with deadly seriousness. "For your sake, really."

My mate flashes a grin at me and scratches the back of his head. "So, I take it that killed the mood?" he inquires with a nervous laugh. I nod my head. "Oh well. Can't be helped I guess. Let's eat then." He unravels my fingers from his hair and paces off to the kitchen, and seemingly right on cue, my stomach rumbles.

"I guess I'm hungry, too," I say to myself as I follow him into the kitchen. "Oh, I have a question, mostly out of curiosity." He grunts to tell me he's listening. "How, uh, do Saiyans conceive?"

Everything stops. My heart jumps into my throat, as I prepare for an answer, though nothing comes out immediately. He sighs and stays facing away from me.

"Probably how humans do. Fuck and get lucky, I guess. I was never taught the Saiyan female reproductive system."

I squint my eyes in disbelief. Unless there's something hugely different between humans and Saiyans, I could be pregnant right now. But there should be signs, like how Chi-chi exhibited with Gohan. But if I were pregnant right now, I shouldn't be fighting or stressing out. Like I have been. Shit, should I wait, or should I ask Dr. Briefs? Which one is worse, I wonder.

I purse my lips together and leave the room full of savory aromas, no longer feeling the previous hunger. I pat down my gi for my cell and dial Bulma's number.

"Hey Bulma, could you do me a huge favor? I need to come over tomorrow…"

+x+x+x+

I sit at the dining room table patiently with my hands clasped over my lap, eyes tracing the seemingly arbitrary pattern on the table. Mrs. Briefs had let me in and had also cooed on about how I've been showing up before Bulma's awake time. Maybe I got a little anxious about this dilemma I have- well, still am anxious, no use lying to myself. My right leg bounces on its own accord to shake off some of this extra pent-up energy to no avail.

A yawn snaps me out of my daze, steps creaking down the stairs lure my attention to a fresh and renewed Bulma. Her arms stretch out above her head, and one slowly comes down to cover her mouth.

"Hayashi, I didn't expect you here so early," she says tiredly. I check the grandfather clock in a far corner.

"It's brunch time," I say, but I shrug my shoulders. "Do you remember why I called you yesterday?"

She wipes at her eyes to sweep the leftover drowsiness away. "Of course I remember. Something about your reproductive system," she says without hesitation. I feel my cheeks brighten, and I nod once. "No need to be embarrassed."

"Well, I kind of am. We're about the same age, and I don't know how my lower organs work," I say meekly.

My friend nods in understanding. "Fair enough, so let's fix that. First off, let's get you a test. Either you can urinate on a stick, or in a cup, and you can dip the stick in it."

"A stick, like, right off the tree?"

She laughs for a few moments and returns to her calm state. "No, it's a specialized pregnancy test. You see, your urine will carry trace amounts of certain hormones, and depending on the level of a particular hormone, it'll show if you're pregnant or not. Tends to be more accurate the closer you are to your projected start of your next cycle. Make sense so far?" she informs. I bite my bottom lip nervously.

"I don't think I've had a 'cycle'," I say as I scratch my head in confusion.

She stops, mouth agape and eyes wide with surprise. "You haven't bled ever?" she asks.

"Well, you know I'm a fighter, so I have bled before-"

She shakes her head and hand as though she's physically erasing the thought presented before her. "That's not what I mean. Your female part is supposed to, uh, shed every so often to prepare for pregnancy. Ovaries launch an ovum once a month about, at least, that's how I know how it works with humans," she informs me.

"Huh, I guess that explains a few things," I say while turning my gaze to the high ceiling.

"Hormones play a huge deal in that respect as well. Maybe we can do a blood test to see if you're pregnant or not, and even test your hormone levels, just to make sure," she suggests. I look back at her, blue eyes gleaming with excitement.

"For my health, or for science?" I ask with a small smirk on my lips. She giggles.

"Both, but mostly for your health," she says as the giggle subsides. Something feels kind of off. She hasn't mentioned her boyfriend, doesn't smell like him, and he's not nearby. And now that I think about it, her eyes looked a little red when she came down the stairs…

"Are you alright?" I ask out of concern.

She shrugs, "I guess, why do you ask?"

I should probably leave it alone, but she is my friend. I push forward. "Well, you haven't mentioned anything about your boyfriend-"

"Ex." That explains it. "Found some photos of him and- well, you remember Hasky, right? The master thief from our adventures? Yeah, those two, together, all over each other. Her! Of all the women!" I blink. That name, if I had a face for it…

"Oh shit!" An image pops to my mind. The woman at the desk in the hospital! No wonder she looked panicked! No wonder her scent felt familiar! Kami, I'm stupid. The signs were so obvious back then. "Well, it's for the better, but if you need me to, I can break him," I suggest, but she chuckles. Still, I linger more on that moment of seeing the thief again until the sound of her clearing her throat brings me back to the present.

"Anyway, Hayashi, let's get some blood work done, and you can be on your merry way," she says to keep our previous conversation going. "After all, it's been how long since you've eaten?"

My stomach grumbles. "About eight hours, I think. I even chose to forgo my training today because I'd have worked up an appetite," I say with little confidence.

"Perfect. Let's get it done then." We walk down to their medical wing, which looks newly designed. I look around, taking in the sterile bed sheets, the monitors, and various tools and supplies on a metal tray. "I'll bring my father in for you."

I sit on the bed, the nervousness lingering from earlier still. The cool air raises bumps on my arm's skin. I rub furiously to rid of the bumps that show my weakness to the cold. The door slides open, and Dr. Briefs walks through with a stethoscope slung around his neck.

"Ah, Hayashi, my dear, how are you?" he asks kindly. This eases my anxiety a little. I nod my head in the positive. "Bulma told me everything, but you can be sure I'll never tell anyone." He chuckles as he draws a syringe connected to a vial. "Now, we'll need a couple vials to check your hormones, and you should be good to go." He glances down at my arm and directs my attention to his face. "I need you to tell me, to my face, your name," he says as he rubs an alcohol-soaked pad against the spot.

"My name is Kin Hayashhhhi-t!" I hiss as the needle slides into my vein. I watch with morbid curiosity as my dark red lifeforce fills the container, and how smoothly he transitions between the full vial and the new one. Once that one finishes, he removes the needle and places a gauze over the hole with a latex-gloved hand. I can understand Goku's fear of needles a lot more effectively- that wasn't too fun.

"So, we'll contact you once the tests come back, but for now, take it easier than usual," he says as he labels the covered vials. "Now, dear, go get something to eat, I'm sure Panchy is cooking up something spectacular."

I smell the air, and sure enough, the heavenly aroma of her cooking wafts through the air. I barely hold back a small dribble of drool and a sigh of adoration.

"You're really twisting my arm here, doc. I'll eat a little bit," I say with a smirk.

So, hope you all enjoyed this. Reviews kinda fuel my fire, my burning inspiration, and my fiery motivation... you guys get the picture. If you like it, have ideas or questions, don't like it, just want to see how I'm doing, want to ask about my dog or the hellspawn, or even want to BS about something else, drop a line in a PM or a review. I try to respond to all of the PMs and reviews I get, but I have the memory of an amoeba. It's a thing I'm working on. So, until next time, Miika, out!

P.S. If you've noticed that the updates are coming more frequently, it's because this story is coming to a close on my end and I don't want to accidentally forget posting them. Overall, this part will be done mid-December. On the final author's outro, I'll give more detail as to what the next part will be. Stay tuned!