Super sorry for being MIA, I had some family emergencies going on and what not but here is a new chapter and chapters will be regularly posted every week. Let me know what day of the week would you guys prefer? Saturday night had been the previous schedule but . want to know if there's a better day for you. V is character I wrote to help me through tough days so if there's a certain day of the week that coming home and knowing there's a new chapter of this that would make you feel any better just let me know.

Also, special shout out to Foxglove for staying on me, thank you for the reminders and encouragement, I'm so glad V could be a happy place for you.

V

V watched Vegeta struggle for words. His face drawn into one of fear and panic. There was nothing Vegeta could do about the Ginyu force. He could dance around Frieza, Frieza's men were not all that strong, except for Dodoria and Zarbon. The Ginyu Force he only called in when he was getting impatient or bored. But even then, the Ginyu Force could take them out without a problem. They were never in the game to begin with. V's best hope was to buy the other's enough time to find some sense and leave her here.

"I can take them." Vegeta stammered

Not even Vegeta could lie to himself about something so big. The Ginyu force was stronger than anyone V had ever met, on top of that they were ruthless and possibly even worse than that… they were extremely annoying. They can't even just kill someone, they have to do their dances and strike a hundred poses. The time Raditz and the others left her with the Ginyu force was just cruel and unusual punishment.

"They're going to kill you first." V took some comfort in that knowledge, she shouldn't, her dad wouldn't like her to have these thoughts, he wouldn't be proud of her for wishing death upon anyone. Worse still, even if she could stop the Ginyu Force, she wouldn't she would let them kill Vegeta, she'd probably even enjoy it.

It didn't matter anyway, dad was not here and she was not strong enough to stop anyone. She would have just that much more time. "Frieza still thinks I'm with him, you stole Frieza's pet and his dragon balls."

Vegeta's face shifted from fear to rage as he advanced on V. "You think this is funny?" He growls snatching V from the ground by her shirt "you think any of this is funny, if you don't get your useless friends over here and on our side, you're going to be next and then them." Vegeta was angry and afraid and V knew there was no worse combination, fear makes people desperate.

"My friends are going to be gone before the Ginyu force finish you off." V sneered.

"You're even more of an idiot than I thought! If you think Frieza is going to let anyone off this planet alive, you're a complete MORON!" Vegeta yelled at V.

"We'll make a great distraction." V glared at Vegeta. Vegeta threw V to the ground "I can't believe so much stupid can fit into such a tiny useless creature." Vegeta huffed "It's a wonder why Frieza kept you, he always did like to keep company that makes him look better."

"Sounds familiar." V pulsed herself back to her feet and glared at Vegeta.

"I need that Dragonball," Vegeta muttered "Once I get the dragon ball I'll be unstoppable."

"Good luck with that." V couldn't help but smirk a little, most of the lines she was using on Vegeta right now were lines he used on her.

"You little runt." Vegeta turned on her, eyes raging. "don't you get it?" he seethed "if I die, your best shot at defeating Frieza dies too."

"My dad will save us and we'll go back to Earth." V barked back although it was only as the words left her mouth that she realized she was waiting for her father to save her. She trusted him, she'd come to believe in him as the others do.

"That low level Saiyan." Vegeta scoffed "at least you'll all die together." Vegeta relished this laugh because nothing else was all that funny. The little brat was right about one thing, Frieza would send the Ginyu force after him first. V was still Frieza's pet as far as Vegeta knew and he'd want her back alive for as long as she entertained him.

"He's already beaten the odds once." V said "he can do it again." V felt herself opening back up. The line that connects V and Gohan growing brighter, V cut it off before Gohan could notice, no V thought if Gohan feels me open back up he'll think I want him to come and save me.

"death isn't so forgiving the second time around, Veroca." Vegeta sneered "Get your friends to help me or I'll kill you just for being a nuisance." V held her arms out "go ahead."

Vegeta chuckles "Always were a stubborn brat." energy swirled around his hand "well, Veroca, I can't say I'll miss you." Vegeta smirked at her "but I will say… this is long overdue." V just glared at him. She wouldn't flinch, she wouldn't be weak, Gohan would not feel an ounce of fear from her. Although there was most definitely fear crawling under her skin, she was more angry than anything. She survived Frieza up to now and Vegeta is the one that gets to finish her off. At least with Frieza no one would laugh at her death, I mean, who could beat Frieza?

"Get away from her!" Veltro's voice pierced through V's angry thoughts, an energy blast matching his signal exploded just in front of her and the next second Veltro was there on her left, an arm on her shoulder and Gohan was on her right holding her hand and Dronare stood behind them, a guardian not of earth but of his son. The same way Goku and Piccolo always stood behind Gohan.

"What are you doing here!" V growled at them. It came out harsher than she intended but this wasn't a game, Vegeta was going to kill her for being annoying. Now he was going to kill them to hurt her and then he was going to kill her. V knew Vegeta's game better than anyone. He learned from the best after all. He learned from the galaxy's most feared tyrant, Frieza.

"It's okay, V." Gohan squeezed his sister. "you don't have to fight alone, we can fight together."

V froze and turned wide eyes on Vegeta. "you planned this," she accused "you knew they'd follow your energy." V's hands balled into fists.

"Not a complete moron after all." Vegeta chuckled and turned his eyes on the Namek. "if you want your brat to survive, you'll help me fight the Ginyu force."

"NO." V stepped ahead of all of them. "get them back to the ship, Dronare." V squared off with Vegeta "we can't beat the Ginyu force."

"The who?" Gohan asked grabbing his sister's wrist "what's wrong, who else is coming?"

"The Ginyu force." Vegeta repeated for her. "They're Frieza's elite fighters and they're here to get the dragon balls."

"Leave with Gohan and Veltro." V ordered Dronare "We can't beat them, they won't even have fun killing us."

"We can fight together." Gohan said optimistically. V grabbed Gohan's arm, Gohan flinched, she'd never been this rough with him. "no, we can't." V snapped at him "they're too strong, stronger than piccolo, stronger than Vegeta, stronger than Dad!" V exclaimed "they'll kill you and they'll kill Veltro and they'll kill Dronare and Bulma and any chance we have of wishing Piccolo back to life."

"Calm down, Veroca." Veltro placed a hand on her shoulder. V's eyes were full of fear and panic. Veltro hated to see it, it wasn't like V to be like this. She'd been afraid with him before, annoyed but never so much that she couldn't control herself.

V's hands dug into Gohan's arms. She could feel she was hurting him but she couldn't make herself let go either.

"Veroca." Veltro says curling his fingers around her wrists "it's okay."

Dronare stood watch over Veltro and Gohan and V as Vegeta stood there impatiently, Vegeta needed these weaklings, if for nothing more than a few bodies to throw in his path.

"It's not." V whimpered finally allowing Veltro to remove her hands from Gohan's arms.

"It is." Veltro disagreed "we can fight together, we can win."

"You don't know them like I do." V's body trembled in barley contained fear "you haven't seen what they can do."

"But I have." Vegeta barked "and just like Zarbon and Dodoria, they can be killed."

"Not by us." V yelled back at him "just because you already got all of your friends killed doesn't mean I want the same for mine!"

"what difference does getting killed now or later make!" Vegeta snapped at her "where's your Saiyan pride?"

"With the rest of the Saiyan race." V yelled back "Dead!"

"Weakling!" Vegeta raged "pathetic, useless, brat!" Vegeta charged forward, Veltro stepped in front of V, Gohan stood beside V and Dronare appeared in front of Vegeta. He met Vegeta's eyes.

"It seems my son is ready to fight for his friend." Dronare's voice rumbles, V watched the tensions thicken.

"Then he'll die with her." Vegeta threatened.

"If you make a move against my son." Dronare didn't blink as he stated Vegeta down "I will have to stop you."

"You won't be anything but another nuisance." Vegeta clenched his hands into fists, Dronare readied to fight but V froze, her sense reaching out and touching the five powerful energies heading right toward them.

"Oh no…" V gasped.

"What is it?" Gohan asked, Veltro glanced over his shoulder at her.

"It's too late." V shook her head "it's too late!" she yelled in frustration. "go." She shoved Gohan thirty feet away toward their ship "go, leave!"

"Veroca!" Veltro grabbed her hands again but V threw him right after Gohan "go, now go!" she grabbed Dronare's arm "you have to get to out ship, take them off this planet Dronare, please!"

Dronare froze when he felt the energies. He had felt more powerful and dark energies in the last two weeks than he had his entire life with these invaders.

"Go, Dronare please!" V begged him. Dronare moved to listen but the energies were here.

"Well well well…" V froze at the sight of the four elite soldiers. She swallowed her fear and tried to regain some composure but Gohan was too close to this, Veltro had never seen people like this and Dronare, Dronare was like her. He was going to have to watch the person he loved the most murdered right in front of his eyes… and he won't be able to stop it.

"Long time no see, Vegeta." Recoome landed between Vegeta and Dronare. He planted his gigantic hand on Vegeta's head and scrubbed his hair down. Even Vegeta, the mighty Saiyan prince… did nothing.

"And Veroca." Jeice landed beside V "you got a bit taller didn't you?" Jeice grabbed her by the tail and lifted her off the ground but she didn't go limp like the last time.

"Why aren't you helpless." Jeice shook her as if she were a broken toy.

"She's been training." Veltro dropped back to her side. "That's not her weakness anymore."

"Didn't know they could do that." Jeice tossed here to the side, bored with his old toy.

"Who are you guys?" Gohan asked helping V to her feet.

They all smirked and V couldn't watch this. She closed her eyes as they went through their motions "we are…"

Oh, I can't watch V thought dropping her head into her hands.

"The Ginyu Force!" She knew they were still holding the pose, like they were waiting for an applause.

"What the…" Gohan trailed off.

"Was that?" Veltro finished Gohan's thought.

"It's just something they do." V felt embarrassed for them but when you're that strong it doesn't really matter what everyone else thinks. V could only dream of being that strong.

"We can take 'em." Veltro stood his ground, the same way he saw Veroca do the first time they met. She was weaker than him and Dronare but she stood her ground, she protected them and Veltro would do the same.

"No, we can't." V shook her head. Veltro glanced back at her surprised.

"You can't give up." Veltro said, "not without a fight."

"I can if that fight will get you and Gohan killed!" she grabbed Veltro and shoved him behind her "just leave, Veltro… please!" Veltro set his jaw and grabbed V back, he'd never been so angry at being told what to do until that moment.

"No and you can't make me either." Veltro pushed V to the side and squared up to the Ginyu force who had just resumed normal stances.

V watched Veltro, he was different, he was really different. He's a Saiyan V thought giving up on trying to get him to leave. She turned to Gohan hoping maybe she could get at least one of them to see some sense.

"If all of us are dead, then there won't be anyone to wish us back." V tried to reason. Gohan smiles at her looking very much like their father "then we better not lose." He grabbed V's hand "Dad will be here in time." he said, "We just need to wait for him." V watched Gohan's eyes, she opened the link just the slightest bit and she could feel the purest trust she had ever felt. She felt Gohan reaching toward her automatically, eager to mend the physic connection.

"You're one of the Namekians, aren't you?" Recoome poked at Dronare. Dronare grit his teeth at Recoome.

"Of course he is." V snapped flying between them.

"hey, it's Veroca!" Recoome grabbed her "look how tiny you are." Recoome laughed and threw her into the air. V used to have to just fall and catch herself, now she pulsed her energy and she torpedoed back down toward he others.

"Hey!" Recoome exclaimed excitedly "you can fly now!" Recoome grabbed her tail and flung her in a circled over his head. "you can fly now!"

Gohan and Veltro looked on at the massive oaf, how could powerful, stubborn V be so afraid of someone like that?

"Quite it!" V growled her face turning a deep shade of red. "I'm not a toy!" her voice squeaked a pitch higher than normal making her face even more red.

"Who's you're new friends?" Berter's gravelly voice came from just beside V, she looked out to see him standing there, arms crossed, towering over all the others. His eyes shifting from Dronare to Veltro to Gohan. Berter looked back to Veltro.

"We've got another stray." Berter moved toward Veltro, Veltro refused to back down but the closer Berter got the stronger Veltro realized Berter was.

"What's a Saiyan doing on Namek?" Berter knelt and pulled Veltro's tail out from around his waist.

"I live here." Veltro said sternly, at the very least, he would sound brave.

"You'd think these monkeys would at least get one thing right." Berter laughed "if you're going to send a child to wipe out a planet make sure it remembers what it's supposed to be doing." The Ginyu force all laughed at him. V didn't have to have any kind of psychic ability to know Veltro was getting annoyed.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size!" V yelled at him, Recoome continued to spin her around, it never did take much to amuse Recoome.

Berter stood back up and turned to face V "I don't see anyone my size." Berter smirked. "Perhaps you were thinking more along the lines of Vegeta?" Berter turned to Vegeta, Vegeta tried and failed not to flinch under Berter's gaze.

"I'm talking about me." V pulsed her energy to stop Recoome from spinning her but he held onto her tail.

"Ha!" Recoome laughed "she looks like a balloon."

Gohan could feel how strong this guy was but he was clearly not the brains of this operation. The rest of the Ginyu force laughed with him.

"Let's see if she'll pop." Berter advanced on V, Gohan and Veltro both moved to help her in any way they could but Dronare appeared in front of the two boys.

"Stop." He whispered "Veroca knows how to handle these people, she's buying us some time." Dronare looks to Gohan "she's waiting for your father."

Gohan looked at V as she hovered over Recoome, Recoome trapping her there by her tail. She wasn't angry or scared anymore, she was thinking. She was planning. She's waiting for dad because I promised her he'd be here in time Gohan realized. Gohan had never doubted their father before but he couldn't help but feel the slightest twinge of fear for V because she put her full trust in him and she was betting her life on it. Oh, please hurry daddy Gohan willed the words to reach their father.

"Go ahead and try, you big bully." V challenged the purple alien. V couldn't take any of these guys, they were a hundred times stronger than her but she couldn't help the little bit of relief that the captain here with them. These guys were easily distracted, even Jeice could be played but they would get bored eventually. V only hoped she could keep them entertained long enough for her dad to get here. She could take it.

"A little feistier than the last time we saw you." Recoome chuckled giving her enough leash to face off against Berter.

"A little stronger too." V puffed herself up, channeling every ounce of Vegeta she had lived with and all of her Saiyan pride into one egotistical projection of herself. She smirked at Berter "and faster." She cocked her brow and crossed her arms. Berter narrowed his eyes at her "I hope you're not implying that you're faster than me."

V nodded "That's exactly what I'm saying." Vegeta might just be proud of V at that moment, had she been on his side and had it not been an act.

"How about a little race then?" Berter suggested. Jayce rolled his eyes. "come on, mate, you're not really going to let her get your got like that are you?" He chortled "of course she's not faster than you."

"She needs to be reminded of her place." Berter grabbed V by the collar of her shirt and threw her onto the ground. Veltro and Gohan ground their teeth but Dronare wasn't going to let them pass and Gohan knew he was right. V knows how to handle people like this better than he does.

"You might be fastest in your stupid group!" Veltro yelled for lack of anything better to do, he couldn't just do nothing!

"But V is the fastest in the whole universe and she's gonna kick your butt!" Veltro yelled. V fixed him with a sharp glare just before Dronare did the same.

Shut up! V willed the message into Veltro's head.

Veltro winced with the force of the words 'Shut up' he glanced at Dronare but Dronare wouldn't say that and it didn't feel like Dronare, it felt kind of like…V.

Fine. Veltro tried to send a message back but you can win

V shook Veltro's words out of her head, this wasn't about winning it was about buying time. V knows she can't beat these guys but she can buy time.

Berter motioned a circle with his finger "around the planet, first one to tag their partners hand wins."

"Dibs!" Recoome jumped "Berter's partner."

"Who'll your partner be, eh?" Jeice taunted V "Vegeta?"

"I will." Gohan and Veltro chimed in at the same time. Veltro cast an annoyed look at Gohan.

"Finally made some friends did you?" Jayce laughed "two runts, I guess that makes at least one full one." Jayce laughed at his own jabs, V didn't much care about Jace.

"Gohan will be her partner." Dronare nudged Gohan forward.

"But Dronare!" Veltro exclaimed.

"They're bonded." Dronare said. "She'll have a more accurate reading on him than you."

"You just don't want me to be involved." Veltro accused.

"Partly, yes." Dronare admitted "but you know it's true, V can latch onto Gohan better than she can you."

"But—"

"Pick your battles, Veltro, Veroca needs you too, she just needs Gohan right now." Dronare rested his hand on Veltro's shoulder. The last thing Veltro wanted to do was let Gohan take this one, Veltro wanted to help Veroca but he was already drawing attention to himself and that wasn't going to help Veroca. Veltro closed his mouth but he even though he wasn't happy about it, he'd do it for Veroca. If someone attacked him and Veroca and Dronare got hurt protecting him, he'd never forgive himself.

V relaxed the slightest bit when she felt Veltro cooling down, he'd wait, he'd stay on the sidelines for now.

"I'm here for you." Gohan clasped V's shoulder "please let me in, it'll be easier to find me." V refused to look at Gohan.

"Are we doing this or what?" Berter barked at her. He always did get himself all uppity when someone challenged his speed.

"Whenever you're ready." V bit out "take your time, I'm waiting on you." Berter growled at her, V didn't so much as flinch, she had nothing to lose as long as Berter kept his attention on her. "Then let's go." Berter knelt down, V joined him and Gohan hovered beside her.

"Open up to me." Gohan whispered to V.

Recoome stood beside Berter. "Let's see if the little runt has learned anything."

"alright." Jeice landed in front of Berter and V.

"Please, V." Gohan begged V.

"Ready!" Jeice raised his arm "set."

"V." Gohan tried one last time to get V's attention but V kept her eyes ahead, if she could even stay on his tail he'd demand another race, he's supposed to be the fastest in the universe, he won't settle for winning by a little, he wants to win—win.

"GO!" Jeice yelled, V and Berter took off. V torpedoed through the air after Berter leaving Gohan and Veltro in the dust.

Dronare watch V fly, she's fast he noted. Berter took the lead almost immediately but V held strong, staying right on his tail. She pushed herself faster, faster, I can do it V thought the words to herself I can do this, I can do this V pictured Gohan in her mind. Smiling, happy, innocent Gohan who needed to get home to their mother and grow up and study like he likes and train with Piccolo and Dad.

"Faster." V ordered herself, she felt her walls slipping. Energy swirled around V her own energy reaching outwards, toward Gohan maybe. V tried to reign it in but it that kept her from going faster.

V Gohan's voice reached her inside her head. V pushed against it but she felt herself losing her speed. Berter rushed forward, V stopped resisting and flew after him, she felt her energy grabbing onto his. She wasn't just feeling it, she was using it. Her energy pulled on his and mixed with his, she flew faster.

You can do it V! Gohan cheered her on. Berter's energy was icky, it made V sick to her stomach but she couldn't block that and go full speed. V focused on Gohan I will protect you V swore, she tracked his feel, they were already almost around the planet. This planet was considerably smaller than Earth. V felt his energy along with him. she felt lighter with Gohan back in her head. she powered through. Berter looked back, a smug look on his face. His eyes nearly bugged out of his head.

"Impossible!" he yelled throwing an energy blast back at V. V dodged it with ease, she was faster than he anticipated, she couldn't be this, it's only been a few years since he last saw her, she was just a child.

"Cheater!" she yelled at him more to get him riled up than caring whether he was playing fair. All the better for her, it gave her more ammo to taunt him with and she was going to need all the ammo she could get if she was going to buy them enough time to live through this.

"You're not faster than me!" Berter shouted at her, picking up the speed. V's speed seemed to increase with his and she trailed just behind.

"Still here!" V taunted as the finish line came into view.

"This can't be real!" Vegeta exclaimed seeing V on Berter's trail.

"No way!" Jeice couldn't even hide his surprise.

"Yes way!" V pushed herself faster, this time reaching out for Berter's energy. She felt her energy writhe against it, trying to remain the primary energy as it sampled Berter's. V felt herself going faster, she could reach Berter's leg if she wanted to.

"Go Veroca!" Veltro cheered. Even Dronare was at a loss for words, how did she get so strong so fast? He couldn't help but wonder, it's barely been more than a year or two since he saw her and she must have been ten times as strong and fast. Dronare reached out to her, her energy felt strange, not entirely hers.

"Come on, V!" Gohan extended his hand to his sister.

"Come on, Berter!" Recoome mimicked Gohan. V pulsed herself further, now she was by his side but he was much bigger than her, she wasn't going to win.

"No!" Berter shoved V away from Gohan. V spiraled out of control, losing her grip on Berter's energy.

"Veroca!" Veltro jumped up and caught her just before she could pulse her energy and catch herself.

"Are you okay?" Veltro flew them back to the ground, V gave herself a shake and smirked at Berter standing beside Recoome.

"I knew it." V flew over to Berter "you can't beat me fair and square, you're not the fastest in the universe anymore, you're just the cheaterest." She stuck her tongue out at him and hoped she wasn't pushing hard enough to make him want to fight. Just hard enough to demand another race,

"You little runt!" Berter grabbed V by her collar, she didn't flinch.

"beating me up won't make you any faster." V taunted.

"I was just going easy on you." Berter threw her down "again, this time no holding back." V hopped to her feet.

"You got it." V watched Berter's shoulders knot up in annoyance with her.

"Now!" Berter took off again, V latched onto his energy and flew after him.

perfect, now if I can just keep this up until dad gets here