I really appreciate all the reviews and feedback, as always. I hate that it can take me so long to update at times, but I can't always predict events that will happen in my life and sometimes I have to put writing on the back burner. As you know there were a few storms that devastated different areas this year. I don't want to say which one, but the area that I live in was affected by one of those storms and it was a bit overwhelming in my personal life for a bit. What I can say is that I truly enjoy getting to update and no matter what I will always go back to this story whenever I can. Thank you so much for understanding! I hope that you enjoy this chapter!

"I don't like this."

Vegeta was standing in his living room, arms tightly crossed over his chest. In front of him were a dozen or so workers, some of which were taking measurements while others actively unloaded boxes. Bulma was standing at Vegeta's side, her eyes bright as she willfully ignored the statement he'd just made.

The workers had just finished setting up furniture in Trunks' designated room. It had completely come to Vegeta's surprise when, instead of exiting his home at once, they began to mess about in the rest of his house.

"I thought they would leave." Vegeta continued. His eyelid was beginning to twitch as he watched a worker dropping a box onto the floor, which resulted in a loud bang that echoed through the halls. Bulma's own teeth gritted at the sudden noise, internally hoping that whatever had been dropped hadn't been the chandelier.

"Woman." Vegeta growled through gritted teeth, exasperated by the lack of replies on her part. Her silence said it all. She knew exactly what was going on – this had been part of a plan. "Woman," he repeated, "What did you do?"

Bulma let out a sigh, as if the answer was obvious. "Come on," She said, a hand clapping onto her hip. She turned and shot Vegeta a mischievous grin. "You told me to make all the accommodations I need, didn't you?"

It was now Vegeta's eyebrow that began to twitch, instead of his eyelid. His mouth felt dry, even as he ran a tongue over his gums, searching for words to express what exactly he was feeling. "How do your required accommodations result in this?" He resolved to turn back towards to room, gesturing his hand at the chaos unfolding in front of them. Vegeta's eyes settled on a random worker, who was in the process of pulling down some of the red drapes covering the living room window. It was unfortunate for this handyman that Vegeta had focused on, the Saiyan really did love his red drapes. More than he'd wanted to admit, but sure enough when Vegeta saw this strange man ripping them from the wall it was enough to finally snap his temper.

"You!" Vegeta erupted, his voice booming through every hall of the house.

It was enough to make each handyman in the room jump. They all took part in glancing over their shoulder, each hoping that the words hadn't been directed towards themselves. When the Window Man saw that Vegeta's eyes were locked on his own he gulped. He immediately pushed the drapes away, throwing his hands into the air as if the say 'hey, don't blame me, I was just doing what I was told to do.

"Ve-Ge-Ta!" Bulma said, putting stress on each syllable as if that somehow would make her sound much more stern. "Don't scare them!"

"That man tried to defile my home." Vegeta growled, raising a finger to point it at the handyman. "And all these peasants are doing this because of your word!" He slowly turned to shoot a glare at Bulma, who raised her eyebrows in return.

"Don't you want it to look nice in here?" She teased.

"It already looks nice in here!"

"But Vegeta," Bulma replied, her voice dropping into a whisper. "Don't you want it to be very nice?"

The saiyan's eyebrows raised, and he felt his throat tighten into a stiff gulp.

Tadashi checked his wrist watch, noting that it was already noon. It was Tuesday, and for the second consecutive day Bulma had been absent from work. The blonde intern was still shaken by his encounter with Vegeta a few days earlier, with a sinking feeling in his stomach that seems to grow worse with each passing moment. The way Vegeta barked, his voice lifting every hair on Tadashi's body. The way Vegeta had stood, his posture demanding and threatening, making him appear as if he were three meters taller than he really was… There was no other way to think of him other than as a beast, and the idea that Bulma lived with such a thing did nothing but worry the blonde intern. The last time he'd seen her, Bulma had seemed so preoccupied – so frantic and worried. That had been one of the reasons why Tadashi chose to pay her a visit and deliver the pile of documents she'd left on her desk, hadn't it? And now, after falling subject to Vegeta's wrath for the second time, Tadashi had no doubt that the beast had something to do with her anxiety.

The thought of Bulma being alone with Vegeta's temper, at the mercy of his mood, stuck with Tadashi for the entire day. Flashbacks of being thrown to the ground replayed in his mind, like a dramatized scene in a made-for-TV movie. By the end of the day, when the intern reported to Dr. Briefs to discuss the status of certain projects, Tadashi was nearly beside himself. Dr. Briefs was always so laid back and careless, and it came to no surprise that he didn't even mention the fact that Bulma was absent for the second day in a row.

"So you'll be in early tomorrow then, my boy?" The professor asked cheerfully, looking over a report that was laying on his desk.

The intern lifted his head and raised his eyebrows. "Early?" He asked, as if to confirm he'd heard his boss correctly.

"Yes. If that's alright. We're behind on a few things and could use the extra help." Dr. Briefs responded by turning in his chair and sporting a grin, his wiry mustache stretching into a deceptively calm wreath, which threatened to comfort Tadashi as he watched. The professor seemed like such a genuine man – kind and caring of everyone he worked with – so how could he be so negligent to the safety of his own daughter?

Tadashi nodded gravely. His boss was asking him to go into work early – asking – as if he even had a choice in the matter! Of course he would do exactly as what was requested of him - what other option did he have? He'd work as much overtime as need be, but if he was going to give up hours of previous sleep, Tadashi at least had the right to inquire about the circumstances…

He did… didn't he?

"Um, excuse me …" The blonde cleared his throat. "But, are we… Are we behind because… some people have been out of the office?" He cringed as he heard the words escaping his own lips. It was a blunt question to say the least, something he never could have imagined addressing to his boss before. Instantaneously Tadashi could feel his knuckles begin to tremble as he waited for the professor's reply.

Oh no, the shy, unconfident boy inside him shuttered. You've questioned a superior – what have you done?! Tadashi could feel his forehead growing clammy in an instant, as cold beads of sweat began to trickle out from his pores. He indulged in a dry gulp, which was followed by a silent gasp for air. His heart was starting to pound now, a thousand WHAT-IF scenarios playing over in his head. He was an intern – a mere intern, and he'd had the audacity to talk back to his boss. He'd be fired for sure – let go for his blatant disrespect of his superiors - his entire career was soon to be over! He'd have to return to school, return to the days of ceaseless studying. He'd probably end up on the streets, begging for change just to pay the-

"Are you alright, son?"

Tadashi's chain of doomed thoughts was broken by the professor's voice. The blonde shook his head, snapping back to reality and instantly feeling comforted by the tone Dr. Briefs had spoken with. There had been no anger or malice in his voice – just concern. Suddenly he became aware that he was in the process of having an overly dramatic breakdown in front of his boss. This was another habit of Tadashi's – one engrained in his very core. He'd overreacted, and Tadashi instantly found himself fighting the urge to blush. He threw a hand behind his head and forced an exaggerated laugh. "Oh, why wouldn't I be okay?" He chuckled, while simultaneously fighting to catch his breath from the mini-heart attack he'd inflicted upon himself.

Dr. Briefs raised an eyebrow and cocked his head, giving the intern a notable side-glace. "Okay, then." He turned back to his desk and began to scribble a few notes down on one of the reports he'd been studying earlier. "We are a bit short staffed at the moment, yes, and that will be the case until further notice. If you could just come in an hour earlier tomorrow I'd appreciate the help. I've asked a few others to do the same, as well."

"Right!" Tadashi replied, forcing another nervous laugh. "I'll be in tomorrow – I'll even come in two hours early!"

It was at this that Dr. Briefs turned back to the young man, raising his bushy eyebrows and shooting him a perplexed look. "One hour is enough." He said, all cheer dropping from his tone. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Of course! Of course! Just a little – hehe – tired, that's all!" Tadashi's desperate grin was so wide that he wasn't sure if his jaw wouldn't be too sore to chew his dinner later that night. "Boy, would you look at the time? I'm keeping us – I'll just be going now, and I'll be in tomorrow morning – two hours early!"

Dr. Briefs watched, his mouth dropped open, as Tadashi turned and ran from the lab. The boy bounced on the soles of his feet as he went, as if he were trying to be as quiet as possible with his steps. "One hour is early enough!" Dr. Briefs repeated, calling after the intern as he left. Tadashi disappeared out the door and the perplexed professor's eye's widened. "There's something wrong with that boy…" He muttered to himself. "Perhaps he's been working himself too hard…"

As Tadashi ran for his car, feeling mortified at the idea that his boss now thought he was crazy, the intern couldn't help but to grow more upset. He wouldn't have been as concerned, or as emotional as he was, had it not been for Bulma's absence. He was certain that it had something to do with Vegeta, and he needed to make sure she was okay… He was starting to grow angry at the thought that Vegeta had made him look like such a fool in front of his boss, and Tadashi needed some answers…

…

It was about 6 P.M., and things at Vegeta's home had been relatively calm for the last hour. The worker men had left for the day – mostly in part because the Saiyan had lost all of the patience he could manage for what was happening to his house. He'd finally had enough, and through gritted teeth he ordered the men to leave – the only thing holding him back from blasting them out of existence was the thought of staying in Bulma's good graces. He didn't like it, but if this was what it took to make her happy about staying at his place, he would tough it out. It was worth not having to live with Mrs. Briefs anymore – very much worth it.

Vegeta was walking through his living room and analyzing his furniture, which had been rearranged and scattered about. The couches had been replaced with softer and bright looking specimens, and an oriental rug had now been outstretched across the floor. The Saiyan thought the room was odd, but somehow he found that it wasn't as bad as he'd initially expected. With a nod, Vegeta looked up to grin smugly at the drapes which covered his windows. Indeed, they were the same drapes he'd defended so sternly.

"Hm," Vegeta grunted, turning and making his way for the stairs. Bulma may have gotten the new couches she'd wanted, the new rugs, the chandelier, the marble table… She may have gotten nearly everything she'd demanded, but the red drapes had stayed. Which one of them had truly won after all? The Saiyan was pretty sure it'd been him…

..

Vegeta found Bulma upstairs in the room she'd made for Trunks. She sat, cradling the boy, in the large cushioned rocking chair that had been delivered earlier that day. As she swayed back in forth in the chair, looking down at her dozing son, there was a serene smile on her tired face. Her eyelids appeared heavy as she looked to make sure Trunks was asleep. And a moment later, as Vegeta continued to watch, Bulma looked up at him and gave him a smile.

That smile.

It was enough to make the Saiyan forget about his frustration with the changes that had been cast upon his home. To see that heavenly look on his Woman's face. To know that the three of them were alone – alone in his palace – with no chaos or cluttering noises taking place downstairs as the Woman's parents performed a number of chores or yelled at their TV. It was the quiet environment he'd been craving for so long, and he was now sharing it with his kin.

"I think he likes it in here," Bulma whispered calmly, carefully pushing herself up from the chair to make her way to Trunks' new crib. "He fell asleep so quickly today."

Vegeta didn't reply. He let himself lean against the doorframe, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched his woman set down their son. Her arms now empty, she straightened and turned back to the Saiyan. As silently as possible, she quick-stepped out of the room and palmed the door shut behind her as she went. The two now standing alone in the hall, she began to walk towards the stairs.

"I'm sure you're getting hungry," The Bluehead said without looking over her shoulder. Vegeta was silently following her as they made their way downstairs. "I suppose I could try and cook something – but I'm nowhere near as good in the kitchen as my Mom. It'll take awhile to get something made. Or, I was thinking, we could also order food to be delivered."

"And how long would that take?" The Saiyan replied. He'd known that food delivery was a thing on Earth, but he wasn't sure if he'd every personally experienced it himself. He was capable of preparing his own food – though the meals he made weren't nearly as succulent as the food that Mrs. Briefs could make. And Mrs. Briefs always seemed to be cooking – even when nobody in the house was wanting to eat. There had never been a need to utilize Earth's food delivery system, but now that the opportunity was presenting itself to him and Vegeta was intrigued.

Bulma was about to respond to Vegeta's question when the Saiyan suddenly stiffened. In a split second his entire posture had changed, going form at-ease to an extreme alert. He turned from her and began to glare off into a specific direction. To Bulma it appeared as if he were just angrily studying a wall. His chiseled features looked even more defined in the dim light as he focused on whatever it was that had caught his attention, and Bulma couldn't help but to find herself on edge.

"What's wrong?" She asked, her tone dropping with worry.

Vegeta didn't respond, his eyes still locked in the opposite direction. Suddenly, after several seconds of silence, he spoke. "Stay here." He ordered, not an ounce of cheer in his voice. It frightened Bulma to see how suddenly serious things had become in just a matter of seconds. What was about to happen? She watched with fright as Vegeta went marching out of the room. She could see now that he was heading for the front door. Her mind raced with possibilities, and the only thing she knew to expect was that some sort of altercation was about to unfold.

It wasn't that she felt threatened. There wasn't any doubt in her mind that Vegeta could withstand anything that might be outside. If it was an intruder that was attempting to break in, Vegeta would whip them inside-out before they could even know what was happening to them. The fear that was simmering through her veins came from shock – from the sudden change of air. Fear of the unknown. But, despite how worried she'd suddenly become, Bulma knew that she couldn't be harmed with a bodyguard such as Vegeta. And so she found herself silently stalking after him, to anxiously see what had caused the sudden shift of mood.

As Bulma stepped into the entry way she could hear Vegeta's voice growling from outside. Someone was out there, and it was obviously somebody who wasn't welcome. Her first thought was that it might be Yamcha – but that didn't make much sense. What reason would Yamcha have to pay them a surprise visit? The Bluehead jumped for the window that was beside the door and she lifted back its curtain to peek out.

Her eyebrows widened.

The man who was being confronted by Vegeta certainly wasn't Yamcha.

But why? Why on Earth was Tadashi here?!

.

"I have told you several times to stay away, and yet you continue to impose yourself on my family" Vegeta was growling. He could feel sweat forming at her temple, his breath growing more shallow. It was bad enough that Tadashi had come by several times looking for Bulma, but he'd now shown up yet again. And this time he'd arrived acting as if he were ready for a fight.

"I want to see Bulma. You've done something to her!" Tadashi was yelling back. "You're the reason she'd been acting so strange!"

The only thing that was keeping Vegeta from picking up the twerp and throwing him off into the distance was the surprise at how hostile the blonde man was behaving. It was something that Vegeta assumed Tadashi wouldn't have been capable of. "She won't be speaking to you tonight." The Saiyan growled, crossing his arms. "I am going to tell you once more to leave, and that is the last warning you'll get from me."

"Is that a threat?" Tadashi yelled. "Are you threatening me?! With what? Is this how you talk to her?!" His cheeks were turning red, and he shook his head. "I knew it!"

Vegeta took a step back and cocked an eyebrow. What on Earth was the beta male speaking about? As if on cue to answer his question, the door opened and Vegeta turned to see a worried looking Bulma stepping outside. Vegeta shot her a look that told her to go back in the house, and in response she glared back.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, now looking past Vegeta to Tadashi. Her voice was harsh, yet there was an underlying tone of concern. It was the worry for this puny fiend Vegeta could hear that made his stomach turn in a fit of rage. At the sound of her voice Tadashi turned, and the anger in his eyes dropped as saw her face. "Bulma," He gasped. "What did he do to you?"

The Bluehead stepped out further from the door, thinking to put herself between the two men. She needed to neutralize this situation before it escalated into something that she wouldn't be able to control. As she made her way closer to Tadashi she could see the look of pain in his face, and she raised her eyebrows in return. "What are you doing here?" She repeated. "Tadashi, you shouldn't be here."

"Yes I should!" The intern replied, his lip starting to tremble. "Bulma, what- what has he done to you?"

"What do you mean?" She replied, her voice growing softer. It was as if whispering would be enough to send Tadashi away without an altercation on Vegeta's part.

The blonde intern gulped, and with a quivering voice he spoke. "Your skin – your face… Bulma-"

The Bluehead put a hand up to her cheek, and for a split moment her vision tunneled. A jolt of electricity had shot through her core with the pain of touching her wound. Somehow, through the commotion of the day, she'd managed to forget. She'd completely forgotten that she'd wanted to avoid being seen by anyone that she encountered on a regular basis. It had slipped her mind, and in an effort to prevent Tadashi from being seriously injured by an enraged Vegeta she'd run outside, once again forgetting about the bruises and cuts that had been inflicted on her body. She'd made the mistake of presenting herself to the intern, for him to see. And now she found herself speechless, her finger pressed to her cheek, the events of the weekend plummeting back at his question. What had happened to her?

"You shouldn't be here." She gulped, starting to feel overwhelmed. Like a deer in headlights, she'd found herself put completely on the spot.

"I knew it, but I didn't realize how bad it was until I saw this." Tadashi replied.

Bulma looked up and her eyes widened. "Are you – " She hissed. She was whispering as softly as she could now, as if somehow she could preserve some of his dignity by keeping her voice down. "Tadashi – why are you crying?"

The blonde intern let out an audible choke, and he made for Bulma, his arms opening wide. All he could think to do was pull her away from this house, to take her far away. To a place where she'd be safe from the hands of the beast. He didn't get very far in his advances, though, because a split moment later Vegeta was standing a mere half-meter away, putting himself between the intern and Bulma.

There was no joke or amusement on Vegeta's face, and he looked as if he were ready to move in for the kill. "You will not come any closer." The Saiyan growled. "You are not to return here ever again, do you understand, boy?" His voice curled as he ended his sentence, the word "boy" coming out as if he were somehow going to use it as a weapon.

"Vegeta," Bulma said softly, and the Saiyan could feel her hand gently placing on his shoulder.

"Don't try to calm me, Woman! This trespasser's actions are unacceptable!"

"Vegeta, something's wrong with him. Just let me talk to him for a moment."

The Saiyan turned and shot her a look, as if he were questioning her intelligence. "He was going to try and grab you, didn't you see? This Beta isn't to be trusted!"

"I wasn't going to do anything to her – not anything like you've done!" Tadashi crowed. The two stopped looking at each other to lay their attention on the intern, who seemed to have pulled himself together and dried the tears from his eyes. "She doesn't need to be here. Bulma, please, you have options. How long has it been going on? How many times has he done this to you? Don't let him lay a finger on you ever again! Please – you deserve better!"

Bulma's eyebrows widened, and her grip on Vegeta's shoulder loosened. Suddenly it was clear what Tadashi was thinking, and his actions no longer seemed quite as irrational. No wonder he'd become so emotional and upset! She felt her cheeks growing red in horror. She put a hand over her mouth as she attempted to think of something to say, but she was at a loss for words.

"What… What?" Vegeta looked from Tadashi to Bulma, and back to Tadashi again. "What are you implying, boy?"

But Tadashi didn't need to explain. Vegeta knew. Had Tadashi seriously suggested that the wounds on Bulma's face had been caused by the hands of the Saiyan prince himself? Was this really such an issue on Earth that Tadashi could reasonably make such an assumption? Vegeta always knew that the humans on Earth were of an inferior species – but this?

"What kind of barbaric race is the human, after all, if the male is known to strike his own mate? What's wrong with this place?" Vegeta spat, his arms tightening over his chest. To think that on his home planet, even the lower class saiyans were known to treat their mates with nothing but the upmost respect and honor! And it was suddenly becoming evident that this wasn't exactly the case on Earth. "What kind of coward would strike his own Woman, boy? Where did you see such a thing – are you one of them?" Vegeta's voice was no longer full of foreboding, but was now completely perplexed.

Why was the beast that hurt Bulma now talking as if he came from an alien planet? Tadashi's eyes widened. What was going on?!

Vegeta was beside himself now, and he turned back to Bulma as if to ask her to eleborate. "Do they really strike their own women on this planet?!" He balked. Bulma nodded slowly, lowering her eyes to the ground. "Not all of them. Our society does a lot to try and prevent this and to provide support for those situations, but it's still known to happen…" It was then that her voice lowered into a whisper that she knew only Vegeta would be able to hear, as she leaned closer to his ear. "Watch yourself. Remember – Tadashi isn't supposed to know that you aren't from this planet. We can talk about this later."

Vegeta stepped away from her, ignoring Bulma's words. He turned his attention back to Tadashi and looked him up and down, placing his hands on his hips. "What kind of filth do you take me for? How dare you suggest that an upper-class warrior such as myself would stoop to such a pathetic level as to harm my own woman?!" The Saiyan was still perplexed, but the anger was returning to his voice now.

Tadashi was backing away now, surprised at how frightened he was to hear what Vegeta was saying. This man wasn't just a beast – he really was an alien! There was no other explanation for the way he was reacting, and it was too much for poor Tadashi to take. The blonde intern put a hand in his pocket and grabbed at his car's capsule, throwing it out behind him as he continued to back away. "B-Bulma, you sure you don't want to come with me? You shouldn't be here. It isn't safe."

"This is my home." Bulma replied, her tone still concerned but much more strict than he'd ever heard it before.

"I'll talk to you about this next time you're at work." Tadashi said dumbly, feeling as if he were slipping into a clinical state of shock.

"We won't be discussing anything at work." Bulma stepped out from behind Vegeta now, and the maternal look of worry had quickly soured to distaste. "I will be speaking to my father about this, and that's the only conversation you'll be expecting. Understand?"

"I'm only worried about you, Bulma. Look at what he did to you-"

"Vegeta didn't do this to me, and that is all you need to know."

Tadashi was grabbing at the doorhandle of his car now, feeling his mouth growing dry. She'd never spoken to him like this before. She'd never looked so upset.

"Are you mad?" He asked.

"I'm your boss. Do you understand?"

Tadashi nodded, but he wasn't so confident that he wasn't going to be in trouble for what had just occurred. It wasn't his fault though, was it? All he'd been wanting to do was check on her and help! He quickly jumped into his car without speaking another word, and a moment later he was shooting away into the sky.

Bulma was feeling a bit light-headed by everything that had just unfolded, and she turned to see Vegeta looking equally unnerved. "Does your father lay his hands on your mother?" He asked, her eyebrows furrowed as if he were trying to understand a difficult riddle.

"No, he doesn't." Bulma replied. This wasn't something she wanted to talk about. This whole ordeal was just too much for her! She briskly stepped past the Saiyan as she made her way back into the house.

Vegeta turned and went after her. He knew Tadashi would be back – it was as if the boy craved altercations. "You should have let me kill him," the Saiyan announced. "At least punched him in the stomach! He's going to come back, you know!"

All that he heard in response was a long sigh.

Sorry this chapter ends abruptly, but it's getting late and I really wanted to go ahead and publish it. I'm sorry again for how long it takes me sometimes to update. I'll never be happy about that! I try very hard to be consistent but it doesn't always work out for me. I appreciate all of the reviews and understanding messages that you guys send me. It means a lot and I hope you know that!