Thank you so much for the reviews you guys gave me on the last chapter. I know it was something that was unexpected, and I'm grateful to have received such a positive and supportive reaction! ^^ You guys really do keep me going!

Did that really just happen?

To say she was overwhelmed would have been an understatement. Bulma clung to the sheet that covered her body, still catching her breath from what she'd done with Vegeta. Yes, as she sat in silence and replayed the scene, she was pretty sure that she and Vegeta had just taken part in some completely random, completely enjoyable intercourse.

Intercourse?

With Vegeta? After she'd been trying for so long to move on? After she'd been so upset with him throughout the day? Sure, she'd been tempted before, but up until that point she'd always been able to keep herself together. "Oh, no..." Her jaw was quivering. This time she'd really lost control, and she'd done it so eagerly. Was it because she'd actually been concerned about how long it took him to return home? As upset as she'd been, there was no denying how pleased she was to see him come out of the closet clad in only his boxers...

There was only one certainty among the disbelief and confusion swarming in her mind, and all she was really sure of at that moment was that she felt vulnerable. She was laying naked in his bed... He could be coming back in at any moment, and she was laying naked... in his bed!

Bulma threw the sheet off and dove across the room for her tattered robe, though her body fought back in the process. She could feel bruises forming under her skin, and she winced at the sensation. The only other time that she'd felt this much pain after sex with Vegeta was their first time. When they'd first done it he'd been completely wild, though he showed remorse afterwards. After that she'd ached a few times as a result of their love making, but he'd generally treated her much more gently and she hadn't felt as bad as the first time again. So, it came as a surprise that she felt so much pain now - was it because he'd grown much more strong since the last time they'd done it, or had he just forgotten that she needed a softer touch? She was a human - she didn't have muscles and pain tolerance the way saiyans did!

Cursing under her breath, Bulma pulled the robe on. It had rips slashed down the sides from where Vegeta grabbed it, but at least it provided some protection for her figure. And then she ran, fleeing through the hallway to dive into her own bed before Vegeta had the chance to emerge from the bathroom and see her in her state. She was sobered from her lust now, and the last thing she wanted was for him to see her naked.

When Bulma's head hit her pillow she let out a sigh. She was safe in the darkness of her room, her thick down comforter sinking into her skin, and at last things felt relatively normal. She was a bit messy after their encounter, but she couldn't bring herself to care to wash up. There was a light headed sensation that came with being so overwhelmed, and at the same time the rest of her body was still in a state of bliss from her own ecstasy.

'I can't believe we did it!' Bulma thought as she snuggled into her pillow. She could feel herself being pulled away as her body drifted to sleep, almost as if her mind was being sucked into a vacuum. The last thought she had was of how much she enjoyed when Vegeta looked at her with lust, just like he had only a few moments earlier. A small smile formed at her lips, though she'd never let him know how flattering she truly found it...

..

Vegeta was surprised at how quickly Bulma had dozed off. In his shock to see his bed empty, he'd immediately turned without thinking and made his way through the dark hall. When he got to her room he pushed the door open without knocking and stepped inside. There was a bit of light from the moon that was shining in through the window, and with it he could see that Bulma was laying with her back to him. Vegeta carefully stepped closer, noting that she wasn't acknowledging his presence at all. Initially he thought she was ignoring him, but as he stood over her he could see that her eyes were pressed shut. Her chest was rising and falling melodically, and her breaths were rhythmic. Vegeta crossed his arms as realization took over, and he tilted his head to the side.

Bewildered and amused all at once, he raised his eyebrows. She really HAD fallen asleep! How had she been able to do it so effortlessly? Was her mind not as overridden as his? The saiyan was so afflicted with his own thoughts that he wasn't sure if he'd get any rest that night - and here lay his woman, completely passed out! Was it a good thing or a bad thing that she seemed so relaxed after their encounter?

His thoughts were interrupted when Bulma let out a sudden moan, rubbing at her eyes and then turning over onto her stomach. 'Well,' Vegeta thought. 'She sure seems comfortable...' He backed away, deciding it was best to leave her be. However, before he returned to his own room, Vegeta made sure to pull her blanket up over her shoulders to ensure that she'd stay warm.

..

The next morning Bulma was knelt down, wiping oatmeal from Trunks' face as he flailed about in his highchair. With a groan she pulled herself up, grasping the tray of the chair as she went. The muscles in both her lower back and thighs were tightening in retaliation to her sudden movements. "Mother fuuuck," She whispered, placing a hand on her leg and taking in a deep breath.

"Hmm, I thought we agreed not to cuss in front of Trunksie!" Mrs. Briefs was sitting at the kitchen table and eating her own breakfast, watching her daughter's struggle with slight concern. The blonde grandmother hadn't gotten the best night of sleep, and she could see that Bulma hadn't either.

"Right," Bulma muttered with slight irritation. When one was as in as much pain as herself, obscenities were justified! Regardless, she snapped her fingers and pointed at her son. "You hear that, Trunks? Bad word! Don't listen to Mommy when she says bad words, okay?"

"Oo-ie!" Trunks replied, which was his way of saying 'okay'. He threw both of his hands in the air and waved them, delighted at hearing his mother use such naughty language. If his own Dad and his own Mom could both speak such words, then surely they must not be so bad!

Bulma smiled down at her baby, momentarily forgetting about her physical discomfort. He really was growing more with each day, and though he still wasn't walking as much as she would have liked, he was still astounding her with how quickly he was changing. Just a week earlier he didn't have a vocabulary at all, and suddenly he was trying to form words and communicate verbally. It would only be a matter of time before he'd be running around the house and talking her ears off.

Though she was sporting a cheerful expression, it began to drop when he walked into the room. His hair still wet from the shower he'd taken, Bulma could smell the soap he'd used before Vegeta had even stepped into the kitchen. She could feel his eyes on her even as her back was turned, and he swiftly made his way to the table and took a seat across from Mrs. Briefs.

"Good Mornin', V!" Mrs. Briefs sang. "Have some pancakes, will ya?! We've got plenty!"

Vegeta didn't respond, which was typical of him, and he immediately began to serve himself. As the saiyan worked on his breakfast, Bulma moved to the kitchen counter, where she had left her cup of coffee. The Bluehead picked it up and began to take a sip, finally turning to her mother and the man she wasn't so sure about facing just yet. He was already looking at her, and when their eyes locked he shot her a wink. Bulma nearly choked, fighting to maintain her composure despite how badly her heart had just jolted.

This exchange went without notice from Mrs. Briefs, and she happily got up to pour herself a glass of milk. "Seems like you're the only one who slept well, Vegeta!" She sang. "Why, Bulma didn't sleep right and is all sore from it this morning! And I had such a strange night, too!"

"Oh?" The saiyan replied, his eyes still locked on his woman. His pupils seemed to be piercing her own – he hadn't even blinked! Bulma pursed her lips nervously. Desperate to break the eye contact, she turned to watch her mother awkwardly.

"Yeah! I tell ya, it was so weird! I could swear I was hearin' strange noises while I slept, but whenever I woke up they'd suddenly stop! But I could swear they were real!" Mrs. Briefs continued. "It almost sounded as if there was a burglar in the house, thrashin' things around and making a big deal! My husband kept telling me to just go back to sleep, though! He thought I was just dreaming it all up!"

Bulma's eyes widened at the description her mother was giving, hoping that her blush was hidden behind her mug. She turned back to Vegeta, now unable to face her Mom. The saiyan hadn't looked away from Bulma the entire time that Mrs. Briefs spoke, and as she'd told her story an amused gleam flashed across his face. He raised his glass of water to his mouth. "Oh? What did you say the noises sounded like?" His voice rang with concern that was so exaggerated it almost sounded condescending. He took a sip from his glass, shooting another wink towards his woman. Bulma's breath caught in her throat, and she gripped the handle of her mug even tighter.

Oh, how had she gotten herself into this? How could this be happening, and what was he doing?!

"I said it sounded just like a burglar, darlin'!" Mrs. Briefs chimed. "In my sleep I could swear that there was someone' upstairs, goin' through you guys' rooms, and banging stuff around! But whenever I started to get out of bed the sounds seemed to stop! Then, as soon as I'd start relaxin' again, they'd seem to start right back up!"

"Well, how interesting!" Vegeta raised his eyebrows, smirking at Bulma. "What do you think, Woman? Did you hear anything strange last night? Anything that was... banging around?"

With a scowl, the Bluehead quickly shook her head. "No, I didn't hear a thing. Dad was right, you were probably just having a dream." Damn him, she thought, her hands nearly shaking. What was wrong with him?! Vegeta had taken an innocent comment and turned it into such an unpleasant situation! It was just like him to find amusement from this, too. He was taking what they'd done and was rubbing it in her face, right under her own mother's nose! Why, oh why had she let herself give in to temptation?!

"Really? Neither of you heard a thing?! Maybe you guys are right, then..." Mrs. Briefs sighed, scratching her head. "It was just strange because it seemed so real! And it kept me up, too! Oh well... At least Vegeta seems to be in such a good mood today, it seems like he's the only one who got a decent amount of rest!"

This was an ironic comment since Vegeta was pretty sure he was the only one in the room who hadn't slept a wink. He shrugged though, going along with the blonde woman's words and allowing the conversation to transition. He'd had fun toying with his woman - Bulma was so blatant with her embarrassment, and the fact that it all went past Mrs. Briefs' head only added to his joy.

"Well, I'll be working from home again." Bulma finally announced, pouring herself another cup of coffee before she began to limp towards the door. The Bluehead hadn't returned to work since the afternoon she'd fallen ill - since then she'd spent a week telecommuting as she recovered from her ailment. It was a Monday morning, and although she had originally planned to return to the Capsule Corp building that day, her aching muscles deterred her from wanting to go in. With each moment the pain under her skin seemed to worsen, and she had expected that much from experience. She knew that her pain was going to reach its peak by the evening, and gradually lessen throughout the next week. Vegeta was conflicted as he watched his woman move. He was secretly pleased to know that she wouldn't be spending the day with that beta male, but he was also unnerved to see just how much he'd hurt her during their rendezvous the night before.

"See, V? Bulma slept bad and is havin' a hard time this morning. You're the only one who had a good night!"

"Yes, well... It happens." The saiyan replied, pushing himself back from the table and rising to his feet. Without another word he was gone, leaving Mrs. Briefs and Trunks alone in the kitchen. He followed Bulma's trail as she walked down into her father's lab. Dr. Briefs had gone into work that morning, so they it was just the two of them when Vegeta spoke to make his presence known. "Woman..."

"You've got some nerve, you know!" Bulma seemed to have been expecting him to go after her because she didn't act surprised to hear his voice in the slightest. Her tone was strained from her walk, and she had her eyes pressed shut as she leaned against her desk for support.

"What did I do now?" The saiyan asked, knowing fully well that she was irritated by his behavior during breakfast.

"That crap you pulled back there!" Bulma hissed. "Look, you might not care about my parents having heard us, but I do!"

"Oh that?" Vegeta said coyly. "No, I was just asking your mother about her night!"

She turned, poking a finger into Vegeta's chest. "Look, don't you dare think this makes anything change between us!"

"Of course things change!" The saiyan smirked. He put his hands on his hips and nodded. "You want me, and now you can't deny it."

Once again heat began to rise in Bulma's cheeks. She absolutely hated blushing, and he seemed to be doing this to her a lot lately. "I do not! You... You...! You seduced me, that's what happened!" This was quite the accusation to throw at someone, but Vegeta was completely unbothered. "We both know that isn't true."

Bulma was taken aback by his uncharacteristically good mood. Did their encounter have something to do with it? It seemed that nothing was getting to him this morning! She took a few steps back before hitting her desk, unsure of what to say. "You... You still haven't explained to me why you acted the way you did towards Gohan!" She stuttered, desperate for something to grasp at to use against him. The fact that she was only just now thinking of Gohan bothered her. She'd been so upset about the incident at Chi-Chi's house, but ever since they'd slept together she hadn't given it another thought! Was her focus slipping? Had this been some kind of a plan of his?

Vegeta patted Bulma on the shoulder, the smirk still planted on his face. "It needed to be done, Woman. It was good for him. He didn't care nearly as much as you do. Just wait and see, he'll be crawling back for Round Two before long." And it was with this that his eye twitched, and with a chuckle he added "Gohan isn't the only one who will be wanting a Round Two, though your desires will be of a different nature..."

"You - you can't just decide things like that! Gohan isn't like you, he cares about more than just sparring!" She hissed, choosing to ignore his latest innuendo.

Those words finally took the smirk off his face. Vegeta crossed his arms, his eyes hardening with authority. "There isn't anything wrong with choosing dignity over wallowing in self-pity." With that he backed up. "Now, I'll leave you to your work."

'Why, thank you!' Bulma thought sarcastically.

"Oh, and woman." Vegeta had turned away now, but he was looking at her over his shoulder. "Try to feel better."

"What makes you think I feel bad!?"

"I can tell. I meant to restrain myself, but I got careless. For that I take responsibility. But do feel better. Understand?"

"I never said that I felt bad..." Only Vegeta could take words of concern and turn them into an arrogant command. Nevertheless, Bulma found herself smiling as she shook her head. "You're full of it, Vegeta. If you hadn't held back I'd probably be in the hospital by now."

"Maybe so…" He grinned. "But I was still too careless, and I acknowledge that."

Things were relatively uneventful for the next week. Bulma made a point in keeping her distance from the prince, and Vegeta seemed to respect her wishes - although the good spirits didn't seem to leave him. Every chance he got he seemed to be cracking some sarcastic joke to her. Even though she was refraining from speaking with him in an effort to prove that things were not going to change between them, it was inevitable that they would cross each other's paths when they were staying in the same house. When this happened he was always quick to shoot her a smirk, wink at her, or even make a subtle reference to their night together in a way that only the two of them would understand. While it originally bothered her, after a few days Bulma got used to it, and she even began to enjoy it. This was a side to Vegeta that she wasn't used to encountering for such a long period of time, and there had been more than a few occasions when she found herself thinking about his change of attitude while she was supposed to be working. "You want me, and now you can't deny it." His words rang in her ears, and she wondered if she'd really played a part in his unperturbed demeanor. 'Wow,' She'd think smugly. 'I really was able to do that to him...'

At the same time, although her anger about how Vegeta had treated Gohan had lessened, the saiyan's words on Bulma's temper still lingered in the back of her mind. This was another thought that intruded more than once, and it was on one afternoon when Bulma was sitting at the desk in her room that she really began to ponder things. It had been easy to assume that he'd said it in the heat of the moment, but then again... Vegeta had stood by his words when she'd confronted him about it. Did he really feel as if all she did was find things to criticize him about? Was she really that much of a nag, or was he just unable to recognize the errors of his ways? Bulma hated to admit it, but there were several flaws that came with distancing herself from her man - and the main one was that it made communication rougher for the two. It wasn't as if the two had the best ways of discussing things to begin with, either...

She shook her head, trying to bring herself back to the task at hand. Before her mind had wandered to Vegeta she'd been mustering up the patience to give a certain person a phone call. It might have been a week since her night with the saiyan, but it'd also been a week since her conversation with Chi-Chi. During that time Bulma had been trying to decide what the best way to show she cared would be. And finally she had an idea on what she could do for her friend - it seemed ridiculous at first thought, but most good ideas always did. The only problem was that she would need some help if she wanted to turn her plan into a reality. So, with a bit of hesitation, she finally picked up her phone and punched a familiar number into it.

She took in a few deep breaths, listening as it rang...

...And rang...

...And rang...

But finally, when Bulma was about to hang up, a voice came through on the line.

"Hello?"

"Yamcha, it's me."

Suddenly the tone in his voice soured. "Bulma? What do you want? Don't you have someone else that you can go talk to?" Leave it to Yamcha to make a backhanded comment that was uncalled for, resulting in the Bluehead rolling her eyes. His suggestion was definitely a jab, especially since he knew that she and Vegeta weren't together... Were they? Now that she thought about it, Bulma couldn't exactly put her finger on what her relationship with Vegeta was...

What an odd feeling...

She ignored the strange sensation in her gut that she suddenly had, not wanting to lose track of why she'd called. "Very funny, but you're the only person I can easily contact. If you give me Krillin's number I'll leave you alone."

"What are you wanting to talk to Krillin about that you can't tell me?" Now, instead of bitter, Yamcha sounded offended.

"Well, to start with, he won't begin our conversation in such a rude way!" Bulma snapped.

"Jeez - HEY! I was only kidding! Calm down! Now come on, tell me why it is that you need Krillin's phone number!"

Bulma sighed. She'd only been speaking with Yamcha for 30 seconds, and they were already nearly in an argument. It was amazing how easily confrontations seemed to follow her around, and once again she couldn't help but to think back on what Vegeta had told her days ago. Maybe she really did find too many things to complain about... So, instead of yelling, she chose to take a deep breath, and slowly she explained about Chi-Chi's situation. Yamcha listened quietly, and when she was done he said "So... Chi-Chi is pregnant... but that still doesn't explain why you need to speak with Krillin."

"Because I want to throw her a baby shower, and I want him to help me."

"I don't know Bulma... I'm not an expert on kids, but isn't it kinda soon to be throwing one of those?"

"Look, I know it's early. And Chi-Chi may not even want anybody else to know yet, but she needs our support. She has a lot on her plate, and I think if we do something for her now it would take some weight off her shoulders. At least she wouldn't have to worry so much about how she'll afford things for the baby! It might help her have a less stressful pregnancy."

"Well, what am I supposed to do?"

Another deep breath had to be taken on Bulma's part. "Just give me Krillin's phone number, like I've asked you several times!" How she'd even managed to date him for so long was something she wasn't sure she'd ever know.

"Take it easy, will you?!" Yamcha groaned, putting her on hold while he looked up his friend's contact information. After Bulma wrote down his number she hung up the phone, happy to finally have a way to speak with Goku's best friend so they could plan something nice for his widow. It was going to require some quick planning since Bulma wanted to shower Chi-Chi with gifts as soon as possible. Hopefully, then, maybe - just maybe, her friend wouldn't have to worry quite as much...

The Bluehead stretched her arms and stood. After the phone conversation she'd just had she needed a break before starting a new one. Bulma walked to her window and peered outside, looking over the landscape as the sun set in the sky. With all of the confused emotions that were circling within, it was to her pleasant surprise that Vegeta was actually out in the yard as she watched. He was standing over Trunks, speaking to him as the infant wobbled on his feet. "Is he encouraging him, or berating him?" Bulma wondered out loud, a soft smile forming at her lips.

... Down in the yard Trunks was teetering as he practiced walking, his feet threatening to give out at any second. "Son, at your age I refuse to carry you anymore! I know you can do this, so you'd better become accustomed to getting your own self around." Vegeta was stating, his hands on his hips as he watched the infant. Trunks stuck his arms out at his sides to maintain his balance. He agreed with his Dad, but at the same time he felt indignant. It wasn't his fault that he hardly had a chance to practice walking - how was he supposed to get much done when the women of the house preferred carrying him over leaving him be?!

"Keep going, boy. You'd probably be running by now if the others didn't coddle you so much."

These words eased Trunk's irritations. At least Daddy understood why he'd hit a plateau! Filled with a newfound joy, he furrowed eyebrows in concentration. If his father wanted to see him walk more than just a few steps before falling, he was going to do just that!

.

... Up in her room Bulma was still smiling. "Aww, look at them!" Her heart was starting to flutter. "He really is good with Trunks, isn't he?!"

... Back down below, Trunks had managed to make his way to the other side of the yard before losing his balance. The child hardly had time to react before Vegeta was standing over him, his arms crossed. "Don't you dare even think about crying, understand? Get up. Now." This might have been the first time that Trunks had encountered deja vu. Just like when his mother was encouraging him to stand on his own for the first time, Trunks found Vegeta's no-nonsense approach refreshing. He instantly got back on his feet and continued to teeter across the yard. His father didn't react to Trunks' resiliency - why should he care when it'd been expected of him? And as Trunks toddled with his fatherly strictly watching, the two boys heard a familiar voice cracking through the air.

"Hey! What are you guys doing?!"

Vegeta turned to see Bulma walking towards them. She was approaching them? After days of giving him a cold shoulder, this was a nice surprise. His expression softened. He had known it'd only be a matter of time before she came around, and here she finally was...

His eyebrows rose and he nodded at her, one side of mouth turning up into a half-grin. He'd been looking at her like this ever since they'd shared a night together, and Bulma hated to admit how much she enjoyed seeing such an expression on his chiseled face. It was only for a brief moment that Vegeta watched his woman in this way before turning back to his son and returning to his previous scowl. "It's about time that the boy learned how to escort himself around without relying on others."

This wasn't exactly what Bulma had expected to hear, but it didn't surprise her. Leave it to Vegeta to be a fan of tough love... The Bluehead smiled and put her hands on her hips, looking down at her baby. "Oh, but he knows how to stand and take steps! He just doesn't seem ready to actually start walking yet!"

"Nonsense, of course he's ready! The only reason he hasn't made more progress is because of everyone pampering him so much. There's no excuse for it." It was then that Trunks fell again. Vegeta didn't speak as he watched the baby pull himself up on his feet. Bulma, however, let out a cheer. "Good job, Trunks! Way to get back up! Yay!"

"There you go, Woman. Coddling him again. This is exactly what I mean."

This wasn't something that Bulma had ever thought about, so she was taken by surprise. "What are you talking about!? All I did was encourage him!"

"Every saiyan should be able to motivate himself. He doesn't need you hovering over him all the time."

"There isn't anything wrong with giving him a pep talk." Bulma turned back towards her son. "Isn't that right, Trunks?!" The boy had the same determined look on his face that he always got when he was attempting to do something that required focus, and he didn't react to her words.

"See? He doesn't need that! Even the way you speak to him sounds as if you were trying to imitate a baby. How's the boy going to learn to talk when you patronize him so much?" Vegeta wasn't scolding, but was rather speaking as if he were explaining a concept to her. Regardless of how he spoke, it was hard for Bulma to not feel slightly offended. In a way it was as if he were criticizing her parenting. "Hm! There's nothing wrong with baby-talk!" She huffed, her voice growing higher in pitch. "After all, Trunks is a baby!"

"You Earthlings and your soft ways. Wouldn't you love to see how the saiyan race handled their offspring from the day they were born..."

"Yah!" Trunks shouted then, interrupting his two parents from their civilized disagreement. He'd managed to get all the way to the space ship, where he was now standing and waving his arms in triumph.

"Way to go, TRUNKS!" Bulma cheered, clapping her hands and jumping up in the air. It was as if she were trying to prove a point. She smiled and looked back at Vegeta, as if to say 'I can handle my son however I want, so THERE!' To the contrast Vegeta simply crossed his arms and gave a slight nod, silently approving of his boy's achievement.

Trunks really had made a lot of progress - could it be that his Dad was doing something right during their time together? Bulma had just stopped applauding when she gave Vegeta a sideways glance. He was standing with his head high, his eyes fixed on Trunks. She looked back at her son and smiled, feeling warm inside as her little family stood together.

It was when she found herself wanting to take Vegeta by the hand and squeeze it that she realized just how comfortable she truly felt in the moment, and that thought alone made her suddenly feel afraid. She didn't want to feel so at ease with him - she didn't want him to be right about their status! He was just too cocky to be right! "By the way, things still aren't going to change between us." She whispered, hoping that her voice sounded convincing.

Vegeta crossed his arms and shook his head, not even looking back at his woman. "Of course that isn't true."