Here's the question for the day! I know that not everyone believes in astrology, but for all of you who do… What signs do you think Bulma and Vegeta are, based off their interactions and behavior, and why? I've never avidly followed astrology, but I've been reading more about it lately and I'm interested to hear what your input is on that!

Visions of ash and destruction were running through his head as he slept, and he could feel as she crawled over his body to get out of bed, but it didn't stir him from his dreams. He could tell from the deeply sedated state he was in that it was still quite early – they'd probably only been sleeping for an hour or two. Thinking that she was most likely getting up to empty her alcohol-fueled bladder, Vegeta turned to his side and allowed himself to drift even further into his dreams…

…What really acted to wake him up was the feel of hands. The touch wasn't soft, and they staggered across his bare flesh as if they were lost and having trouble finding their way. Maneuvering lower across his torso with sloppy fury, Vegeta's eyes shot open when fingers suddenly wrapped around his tired crotch. "Woman!" He hissed, fighting back the urge to sit upright. Instead he pushed her hand away, his chest jolting from the feel.

The light was still on. He'd forgotten that they'd gone to bed with the light on! And he was now looking at her with clarity as she pressed herself into his side, her bare breasts nudging his shoulder as if they were some type of peace offering. "You're have such nice arms…" She mumbled, looking nearly asleep with a dreamy grin and eyelids that were opened in slits. She made to grab him again, and Vegeta's hand shot out to catch her wrist. "Stop it." He said, leaning away from her chest as he put her arm back to her side. He frowned as he looked at her face - she was in even worse condition now than she had been when they'd fallen asleep!

"What's wrong?" Bulma replied, coming off a bit more offended than appropriate. Her voice sounding a few octaves too high for the early hour. "You're really drunk." Vegeta stated as he stood from the bed. Letting out an irritated yawn, the saiyan made his way across the room so he could shut off the light for once and for all. "I am not!" Bulma slurred, and the saiyan could tell even through the darkness that her eyes were welling with tears as he returned back to bed. "You just don't want to make love to me!"

"Quiet, Bulma! You'll wake everyone!" Vegeta hissed. "You're still intoxicated. Just go back to sleep."

"That's just an excuse! We did it when you'd been drinking, and you were completely fine with it!" She replied through a sniffle.

"That was different! I was the one who was drunk, and I knew that I exactly what I wanted!"

"But I know what I want, and I want you now! Vege-ta! Please…" Bulma whimpered. "How is that fair?"

"It doesn't matter if you tell me that! You're saying a lot of things right now, Woman! You're still drunk!"

"It's because you think I'm fat, don't you?"

"What the hell are you on about now?!" Vegeta was so taken aback that his cheeks flushed with heat. "Don't… Don't speak of yourself like that – are you mad?!"

"It's true! Isn't it? I'm fat. I'm fat, and I'm getting old, and you don't want me anymore!" Her voice was quivering as she spoke, and the saiyan was just glad that she was obediently keeping her voice down despite her emotions. "You look like you haven't aged a day since you turned 23! And here I am – the Earth woman – growing more saggy each time I wake up! Turning into nothing more than fat… and age." Her words slurred with melodramatic sobs, and Vegeta put a tense hand to his strained forehead in order to keep his composure. Where was this all coming from? Was this really what lingered in the depths of Bulma's mind? Moments earlier he'd been enjoying such a pleasant dream! "That's not true." He grunted. What was wrong with her? He always admired the way she looked physically. In fact, he had rather enjoyed the extra soft padding that her body had taken when she'd been pregnant with Trunks. If anything, it had only added to his attraction to her! She'd lost most of it by now, but there wouldn't have been anything wrong if she hadn't. He found her to be breathtaking no matter what size she was! So where was this all coming from? It was as if she saw a different person when she looked in the mirror than what he did! "That's not true." He growled again, turning his head away from her as if this would somehow settle the matter.

"It has to be! You aren't attracted to me anymore! Why else would a man turn down such an eager girl like me? I want you so bad, Vegeta – you have no idea – and you aren't even intrigued! It's because I'm-"

He turned, pulling her into his body and pushing her face down into the muscles of his chest in order to cut her off. "It's because I don't fuck drunk girls!" He hissed. "Now stop it and go to sleep!"

Bulma pulled away to speak again. "But why? Am I really that sloppy when I drink? Do I really disgust you with how – "

He forced his eyes closed, letting out a deep sigh. "Alright." He muttered.

The Bluehead softened in his arms. "Alright?" She slurred back. Even with her inebriation, she was in disbelief. What had changed his stance so drastically?

"Alright. If you insist, then I'll give it to you so hard you'll beg for mercy and won't be able to leave bed for a week. But first, I want you to go downstairs and recalibrate the server in my gravity room so that I can spar with a hologram of myself. I've come to realize that I'll never be able to locate a decent sparring partner on this pathetic ball of dirt, and I want to be able to battle with a figure of myself that has been programmed with artificial intelligence."

"What?" Bulma cooed. "I can't do that right now!"

"Oh?" Vegeta turned to look at her even though it was dark and he couldn't see a thing. "You can't do something as simple as that, you say? And why would you say such a thing?"

"I'm too - I'm… I…" Bulma sputtered, not wanting to admit to the saiyan what he'd been telling her all along. "It's too late-"

"It's because you're drunk, and you know it. If you can't perform tasks that would be easy for you to do in your right mind, then why should shagging be any different?" Vegeta growled, pulling her face back into his chest as she began to protest once again. "Honestly, Woman! Stop it! Is an act of respect such a strange concept to you? Do the people on this planet really have no ethics?! The men apparently batter their mates, and the women are shocked when someone doesn't want to take advantage of their vulnerability? For Kami's sake! You're drunk and beside yourself, and you're being irrational! I don't care what you say, I don't want to do you in a state like that! I just want you to go to sleep, Woman!"

"Respect?" Bulma's voice was muffled by his chest. "You mean it?"

With a sigh Vegeta threw his head back. "Of course I do, Woman! Now will you please cease with all this and just let me sleep while the sun is still down?"

"Oh, Vegeta!" Bulma's slurs became more cheered, and she twined her arms around his neck. "You really are such a sweetheart! I love you!" Vegeta responded by eliciting a low growl, trying to will himself back into slumber as she squirmed against him with clumsy affection. He'd only watched her down two wine glasses! How was it that they had affected her in such a strong way? "I love you!" Bulma cooed again, reaching up to plant a wet kiss across his cheek with an exaggerated smacking sound.

"Okay." Vegeta replied, his eyes still closed as he gave her arm an assuring rub. This was disturbing. If this was how she handled alcohol, he couldn't help but wonder in horror what type of ordeals she may have gotten herself into in her past!

"You're… so… sweet. You know that? You're the nicest man I've ever been with, Vege…"

His eyes shot open. "How many men have you been with?"

"Just two… but the other one never said things to me like that." Her slurs softening, it sounded as if she were finally drifting to sleep. Vegeta growled under his breath, her grip around him loosening along with her lightening breaths. He had known about her last relationship, and he was somewhat glad to hear that there were no other men to surprise him… but still. Yamcha – the bastard! He'd known that guy was a piece of manure, but based on what the Woman was confessing he hadn't even had the decency to keep to himself during her nights of indulgence. With another growl Vegeta turned away, clamping his eyes shut and trying to clear his mind as the little Woman beside him began to elicit small snores. He was going to have a very hard time getting back to sleep…

...

"Fah-der!" Little Trunks crowed as he popped his head through the cracked door. "You said we will train!"

"Well, plans have changed." Vegeta cracked back, feeling stiff in the chair he'd been sitting in for the last 3 hours. Not pleased with this news, Trunks toddled into the room to take his dad by the hand and give a tug so hard that the saiyan had to grab the arm of the chair to keep from toppling over. Having already been on edge that morning, Vegeta let out a growl and pulled himself back into the seat. The boy was stronger than he gave him credit for, that was to be certain. But if he hadn't been so damned tired, there was no way that pull would have been as successful as it had been! The saiyan was in an exceptionally bad mood that morning. Discontent with the images that Bulma's words about Yamcha conjured in his head, Vegeta hadn't gotten a wink of sleep after the episode with the Bluehead, and now he was grumpy.

"You said we will train!" Trunks repeated, scowling up at his dad with a face that reminded Vegeta of the woman that was currently curled around a toilet upstairs. "Last night you said it!"

"I know I said that, Boy, but there's been a change of plans!" Vegeta pulled his hand out of his son's reach, folding his arms across his chest and leaning back in the chair.

"Oh, just go and train with him!" Chi-Chi snapped, having been watching the scene unfold from her bed. Vegeta had been in the room with her for hours. He been propped up in his chair, keeping watch all morning to make sure she didn't leave the bed. Any time Chi-Chi even attempted to kick her feet down to the floor the saiyan would let out a growl, raising his ki to warn the Woman back into her mattress. "Go on!" Chi-Chi continued, eager to be left alone so she could do what she wanted without a supervisor intervening. "You promised him, didn't you?"

"Stay out of this, Lady!" Vegeta ordered before turning back down to his scorned child. "Go and train with Gohan, son. Perhaps we can do something later in the evening, but as of right now I'm busy."

"Umm… Mr. Vegeta?" As if on cue, Gohan stepped into the room awkwardly. "Is Miss Bulma okay?" He gulped as if he thought he'd be reprimanded for involving himself in someone else's business. The irritable prince rolled his eyes, not enthused to have yet another visitor when all he wanted was silence. "Bulma's fine." He sighed. Moments earlier he had been successfully zoned out, and now there were three individuals that were all speaking to him at once! This morning was quickly turning into a mess.

"But, I can hear her from upstairs… She sounds sick. Are you sure we shouldn't check on her?"

"Mommy's sick?!" Trunks gasped dramatically, throwing his little arms in the air. "Oh no! My Mommy!"

"She's fine!" The saiyan was gritting his teeth now to keep from yelling. "Gohan. Take my son into the gravity room. The boy needs a distraction, and so do you."

"Hey, don't talk to him like that!" Chi-Chi snarled, and Vegeta turned to shoot her a look of warning. It didn't take any more convincing for Gohan to see that the saiyan was in an exceptionally bad mood that morning, and he scurried through the room to grab Trunks by the wrist. Without speaking a word, the adolescent began to escort the toddler away as little Trunks cried his protests. It only took a few seconds for the two boys to venture into the living room, the door slamming behind them as they went. Vegeta let out a sigh of relief at the silence that had befallen the room once more, but he hadn't taken his eyes off of Chi-Chi's at all during the boys' ordeal. The two adults sat glaring at one another, an unspoken battle of words taking place between them. Finally, after what seemed like minutes, Chi-Chi spoke. "You shouldn't speak to the children like that."

"They're fine." Vegeta growled back. It was obvious that he didn't care to use sentences that were longer than necessary. Chi-Chi glared back at the saiyan for a few more seconds, frustration brewing that he wasn't backing down from the stare. When she glowered like this at anyone else they'd be quick to become fidgety, but her scowl seemed to have no effect on this man whatsoever! To be honest, he hadn't even blinked! "I don't like you." She finally settled on stating. "My Goku was a much nicer man than you. You're despicable."

"Oh?" Vegeta growled. "I suppose you intend for me to be offended by that silly statement. Believe me, Lady. Coming from you, that is nothing short of a compliment."

...

"Okay. I'm going strong!" Trunks meant to come off as ominous with his warning, but it sounded more like a jest with his tiny little voice blaring the words. Gohan was standing at the other end of the room, curiously waiting as the toddler began his charge. "Pow! Pow pow!" Trunks shouted as he went, circling his fist over his head as if this would give him a competitive edge. Gohan nearly laughed as Trunks caught up to him, the toddler jumping at his face and offering a firm slap. "Hey!" The adolescent grinned, backing away as Trunks slapped him again. "What are you doing? That's not what I showed you!"

"I said pow!" An exasperated Trunks replied, as if this explained it all. Why wasn't Gohan cowering at his feet and begging for mercy? He'd just landed a surprise attack on him!

"Pow, indeed." Gohan dodged another slap, taking Trunks' hand into his own and bending down to be face level with him. "Hey now, remember." He folded the child's fingers into a fist. "If you're going to hit, you need to hit like this. Remember?"

"But that's too easy!" Trunks gasped. Clearly, he knew how to throw a punch. He'd grown up watching his father do it, and the toddler had proven his capabilities with Gohan during their sessions before now. But he'd put a lot of thought in taking his friend by surprise, hitting him with slaps that the guy surely wouldn't be expecting. So why wasn't he backing down!? Why was he laughing!?

"I know you think using fists is too easy, but that's because you're really good at it!" Gohan stood back to full height, looking down at Trunks with a reassuring smile. "And that's why we need to keep practicing, understand?"

"No." The toddler replied, rolling his eyes. Clearly, if he was already good at something, then shouldn't the next step be to move on and focus on new moves? "No?" Gohan replied, taken aback by the serious tone in the child's voice. The toddler grinned to hear such confusion in his friend's tone, and he held his hands up above his head. "Pow pow pow!"

...

Bulma was cooking something in the kitchen now. Vegeta and Chi-Chi could both smell it as they continued to glare at one another. For how long they'd been stuck in this silent battle, neither was quite sure. The saiyan thought that perhaps an hour had passed since the two bustling children retreated into the gravity room – but, then again, he did have a history of losing track of time when he became focused… Vegeta finally broke his watch on Chi-Chi to turn towards the door, sniffing at the air and feeling his stomach drop into a low growl.

"I'm hungry." Chi-Chi announced, as if she were experiencing the same sensation. "Stay put." Vegeta replied, standing from the chair and making his way for the door. "I'll be back for you in a moment." Chi-Chi was glad enough to see that he was finally leaving, and she didn't dare move from the bed while he was still within eyeshot.

Into the living room the saiyan went, quickly making his way for the kitchen. He could hear the sizzling of meat in a pan, the aroma of steaming vegetables and bubbling stew intoxicating his senses. And, just as he'd been hoping, he stepped in to the room to see Her standing above the stove. She looked up to hear him enter, sporting a groggy smile.

"Two glasses did this to you?" Vegeta smirked. The Bluehead looked like she'd only just rolled out of bed, her hair un-brushed and her eyelids heavy.

"I've always been a lightweight." Bulma shrugged, though she did feel slightly embarrassed. She could remember the things she'd said to Vegeta during the night, and perhaps some of her tirade was true. If two glasses of wine could make her this hungover, then perhaps she really was getting old! "I'm sorry about waking you." She said, turning back to the meat on the stove to avoid eye contact. It was always awkward to face someone for the first time after such impairment.

"Right." The saiyan nodded. He thought it was clear that making amends wasn't in order – in fact, he'd let Bulma sleep in all morning while he'd taken watch on Chi-Chi, hadn't he? Without saying another word the saiyan fetched himself a glass of water and chugged it down, excitement brewing at the prospect of eating soon. Whatever the Woman was cooking smelled really good!

"So, how have things been going with Chi-Chi this morning?" Bulma asked, plating the meat and shutting off the stove. She wiped her greasy hands on her pants before carrying two large dishes out to the dining room table. She was planning to assist her pregnant house-guest to the table once she finished setting it.

"She hates me." The saiyan replied. He opened his mouth to make a sarcastic remark on the attitude of Kakarot's wife, but he suddenly sensed something that put him on edge. It was a spark of ki that flared from Chi-Chi's room. A power that suddenly erupted through his nerves before it quickly dissipated. A moment later he felt Chi-Chi's own ki jolting, and the saiyan raised his eyebrows when he heard a yell.

The last few chapters have focused on building relationships between the characters, and this one continued with that but has also begun to move the plot along. Thanks for reading, as always. I hope you enjoyed!