AN: Okay so, Good news and bad news:

Bad news - I am currently on a break from this story (if you didn't already surmise). I'm kind of at a loss as to how to proceed with the next phase of V&B's story.

Good news - I'm feeling amped about this thing again so I'll probably not be on hiatus for much longer. Fingers crossed.

I made some changes to this chapter -minor ones. Been revisiting some of my favorite romance novels this past few months so I'm sufficiently inspired for what comes next *wink wink*

Chapter 9 (Blood On His Gloves)

Bulma kept replaying their conversation over and over in her mind, trying to consider Vegeta's backstory with an objective eye -and failing spectacularly. Damn him.

She wanted to resent him for the things he told her he'd done -hate him for all the innocent blood on his hands. If he had told her sooner that his so called 'warrior race' was actually a bunch of sadistic mercenaries destroying whole civilisations for profit; she'd have told him a long time ago just where he can go stick an electric eel and would have then proceeded to find herself another island to explore. Things were much more complicated now. He was not good -he might be a prince, but he was no one's hero. His people even went as far as sending their infants to purge planets with low level life forms. Fortunately for Earth the baby Saiyan that was sent here hit his head forgot all about his mission, and if said Saiyan didn't happen to be stronger than Vegeta at present, Earth would have been space dust a long time ago. The Saiyans were a rotten bunch, in her opinion and according to Vegeta's history -he was no better.

But… Try as she might though, the only emotion she could find within herself for him was pity. His story was tragic and the man who spilled his emotions to her the previous night was, in her opinion, a broken man.

Taken at a young age to go and kill for a galactic emperor, his planet -his people - held ransom by his servitude: she could not fault him for his cold exterior and jaded heart. This Freeza character stole his heritage, Bulma thought angrily. He turned Vegeta into a monster so that, even had he managed to regain his crown he would not have been the leader that his people deserved. His mind had become warped and his heart hardened against the pain and suffering of others. He spent all those years in that tyrants service, hoping and clinging to the promise that he will one day surpass his enslavers when he achieved the Legendary Super Saiyan and repay all his enemies for all the injury they've caused him. All that horrors he endured, and in the end it was all for nothing. His planet was destroyed and the young Vegeta lied to about its destruction. His vengeance -his rage -was almost tangible to her when he recounted his desperate search for the means to become stronger following the death of his planet. The futility, his sense of failure and humiliation when he faced his own death on the planet Namek, all these emotions flowed from his story and buried itself deep in her heart. His hope and envy when he realised another low born Saiyan had achieved what he considered to be his birthright and defeated Freeza in his stead. Then after his resurrection, she could almost feel the voids left behind within him -the absence of a purpose. And so he falls back into the familiar cycle of vengeance and the desperate pursuit of power to best his enemy, blaming this Kakarot character for stealing his destiny from him and now training furiously again to regain that destiny. Pride: this was what Bulma sensed is the driving force behind his actions now, and her heart wept for him and for the little prince who had everything taken from him.

Bulma thought back to the moment they shared in front of the fire. The knee weakening, gut clenching moment where he had offered her exactly what she wanted, what she planned herself to get out of him. Her body heated at the memory, proving that even after his horrifying tale, she still craved his touch.

It was strange: rather than being repelled by all the bloodshed and violence in his dark backstory, Bulma felt more drawn to him now than she ever was. She could not identify the man in his story with the one she had come to know and care about. Sure he was prickly and a little bit crazy, but there was still light left in him. She witnessed it in those rare smiles he gifted her with, and the considerate way he'd share his food -his possessions with her, and damn if Bulma wasn't a sucker for fixing broken things. All he needed was someone to pick up the pieces and glue them all back together and Bulma's ego was just big enough to consider herself for the position. Then surely she'll find the noble Prince she sees shining through the cracks of his broken psyche.

Her primary mission to mate with this man had evolved into so much more than that. Bulma wanted to keep him. A foolish and illogical course that will probably end badly, she admitted, but it might turn out to be one heck of an adventure and the blue haired warrior princess always favored adventure over soundness of mind anyway.

With a new goal set firmly in heart and mind, she began to plot once more.

Bulma may be inexperienced when it came to carnal relations, but she wasn't dumb. She saw his earlier proposition in the woods for what it was the moment put the subject of her sexual expertise on the proverbial table.

She felt the heat flare in her face as she recalled how easily he subdued her. How she worked herself into quite the temper in embarrased indignation one moment, only to find herself firmly pressed up against that rock hard chest the next -a suspicious shaft-like protrusion resting hard against her stomach. He was freakin hard all over! She thought amused. His arms felt like a steel cage, trapping her against the hard planes of his body. In that moment he was warm, and he smelled sensational. He melted all of her resistance even before he uttered those dark temptations into her mind: brief glimpses - his fantasies - of the things he had in store for her. Visions of sweat slicked skin grinding against each other -of hands stroking and squeezing, mouths tasting and teasing. The intensity of his lust for rammed her like a Great White Shark -a sensation she knew intimately. It triggered opposite reactions in her body and her mind. Her limbs felt so weak, so pliant, instantly submitting itself to him. Her mind, though, was terrified by the unfamiliarity of it all, while the idea of sex with Vegeta loosened her body with lethargic heat, the reality of the situation chilled her to the core. She was fertile now, and having sex meant the possibility of babies. Therein the possibility of a son, which meant the long awaited heir to their throne. A male heir would also mean the unification of the land and sea, according to the prophecies. It was so much responsibility. Was she ready to become the mother to uniter of the realms? The task seemed monumental. Did she even have choice in the matter? This thought scared her the most. She hated the fact that the Neptune-forsaken prophecy made her no more than a pawn in a god's game. It made her feel boxed in, and with Vegeta's arms around her even more so. And Vegeta: how did he fit into the plan? Didn't he have the right to know what the consequences of her consent could be? Should she even be making this decision so lightly. After all, she knew nothing of the man Vegeta was. These doubts flitted through her mind while staring into the his molten eyes. He must have seen her indecision because the next moment she was standing alone again, feeling bereft without his arm wrapped around her, and vulnerable because of it.

Well, she thought bitterly, she asked him about his past and now she knew exactly the sort of man he was. He had the blood of billions on his hands. Surely the gods did not mean for this destroyer of civilizations to sire the saviour of their civilization. Then again, maybe by some cosmic joke this was exactly what they have in mind. Deities enjoy those sort of ironic twists when weaving the tapestry of fate -or so Marron tells her. Either way, she had come too far in this to turn back now. Vegeta offered a part of himself to her that he did not have to when he informed her about his past and she'll be damned if she squandered the opportunity.

She needed to show him that she was worth his confidence and his respect and she knew exactly what to do to prove it to him.

It's been a week, Vegeta thought. A week and not hair or tail was seen of his blue haired sea-goddess since the evening he recounted his past to her. Vegeta was cursing himself for his candidness -he should have just seduced her and been done with it a long time ago. If he thought she was a distraction before, frolicking around in barely-there armor and bare porcelain legs, it was nothing compared to her just avoiding him altogether. Vegeta wanted to know what was going on in that enigmatic mind of hers -did she hate him? Was she disgusted with his past? Did her body still crave his as much as he did hers? The current status of their relationship left Vegeta with a restless agitation -a kind of emptiness that needed to be filled with... something.

He could still feel her though, at the opposite end of the island -her ki spiking erratically for hours on end. He guessed she was probably training -as per his advice -to utilize her ki without the trident. For Vegeta it was a ray of hope that she was still on his island and that she was practicing what he thought her. He may still win her over. Vegeta did not know when exactly she became so important to him -and he did not particularly like it either. He kept trying to remind himself of the vulnerability attachments caused, but with a resigned sigh he admitted that it was too late anyway. He cared for the damned woman. The only thing to do now was to attempt mending their somewhat frayed bond. With that thought in mind, Vegeta decided to go check up on his latest student.

He landed far off to her side, as silently as he could. She was sitting cross legged on the beach, facing the ocean. Her trident was stuck in the sand, standing upright before her. The blue gem embedded in its center bent the rays of sunshine through it to reflect a rainbow in the mists blowing from the sea. She seemed magnificent, serene and otherworldly as her teal tresses blew softly in the wind.

Her hands were cupped before her and a ball of blue energy was flickering unsteadily above them. With her brows furrowed in concentration, Bulma rose carefully from her seated position and began walking towards the ocean. As she entered the surf, the waves in front of her began to shrink and flatten, becoming still around her form, meanwhile, the energy in her hands grew bigger and more stable.

She was using the energy from the waves, Vegeta noted with awe. What happened next however astounded the Saiyan Prince even more. She dissipated the energy, but not into the air, as he usually did, but back into the water. A giant wave suddenly rose up before her and completely engulfed the woman. Vegeta panicked, wondering for an instant if the weight of the water might not have crushed her before logic reminded him of what she was. Vegeta could make out her steadily pulsing elevated ki level from within the wave. He felt it approach him. She emerged then, completely dry, surrounded by a solid barrier of water. The look of concentration on her face had Vegeta smirking in satisfaction. With grudging pride he admitted that he gave the woman far less credit than she was worth.

Manipulating the natural elements is a step up from general ki control and requires a complete and in depth understanding of the flow of energy associated with each element. Not surprising, her application of his teaching lead her to turn to the element she was most familiar with: water.

She had gone above and beyond his expectations with her accomplishment and the demonstration of her power was a turn on like no other, he thought hotly. His woman was strong.

Having no doubt already noticed him, Bulma paused just out of the water and turned towards him. The self satisfied smirk she threw his way was more informative than a million words to Vegeta. It told him that the demonstration had been solely for him, as a means to seek his approval. Her stance was proud, daring him to find fault where none was present. Outwardly Vegeta still donned an impassive and stern persona. Even though he was relieved that she seemed to bare him no ill will after their conversation, he was still unsure as to where they stood with one another. It was Bulma who then broke the ice by talking.

'You're wrong, you know' she started. His face must have shown his confusion for she continued.

'I still have a responsibility towards my people. Even though I might not be at my post, their expectations will not change'

'Oh?' Was his seemingly nonchalant reply. Vegeta chest tightened, disappointment flooding through him. She was rejecting him after all. He understood however. She was good, more than a blackheart like him deserves, he would taint her with his touch. She hesitated and Vegeta braced for the finishing blow.

'That dragon deposited me here for a reason.' She continued, oblivious to Vegeta's stone cold demeanor and rapidly hardening heart. 'I needed to find you... I think we need to have a child together.'

Whatever Vegeta was expecting, it certainly was not that. His shock was evident by his quick gasp, followed by violent coughing and sputtering as he choked on his own spit. Bulma was blushing furiously as she wrung out her fingers in helpless embarrassment.

'Woman you have truly lost your mind.' He said once he had managed to get his spasming lungs under control. The woman cringed.

'It's the only thing that makes sense!' She shouted defensively. 'My people want a son and the prophecies speak about an heir to both land and sea.'

'Are you sure I'm the one you're looking for to father your precious heir?' He asked bitterly. Suddenly feeling very objectified: a means to an end, which in this case would be someone to sit on an underwater throne. 'I'm a murderer, Woman, I kill for pleasure. I'm not father material. Besides, I'm not even from this planet.'

'Oh? If you didn't want to mate with me why else did you proposition me the other night? You know I am fertile -If I had agreed I would have probably been expecting right this instant.'

'Sex does not necessarily lead to procreation, Woman. Did your people not have contraceptives?'

'Contra-who now?'

Vegeta was dumbfounded, suddenly realising how horribly mistranslated both his proposition and her acceptance thereof had been. When he had cornered her a few weeks prior, his lust filled brain failed to fully comprehend the impact of his offer. After considering it however, Vegeta would be lying if he said he wasn't slightly pleased that she would still consider him to father her child, however impractical he knew the idea to be. It meant she still wanted him, despite his past. He was just about to address the woman again when a familiar figure suddenly appeared before her. Vegeta did not even have time to register his own surprise when the figure turned towards him. His orange gi was shining unusually bright, but it was nothing compared to the brightness of the moronic grin the fool was sporting: Kakarot.

"Hi Vegeta, boy have you been difficult to track down." He said, making his way over to where Vegeta stood. Resentment flared within the elite Saiyan, the only outward sign of it being the clenching of his fists. His face remained impassive however and his stance deceptively casual. Vegeta glanced over at Bulma, who was on her ass in the sand. She had fallen backwards when the earth saiyan teleported in front of her. Her eyes were wide as saucers as she stared at the newcomer, but she seemed otherwise unharmed. He decided to dismiss her for now and focused his attention back on the unwelcome visitor.

"Kakarot," he said by way of greeting "what do you want?"

Kakarot paused, glanced back at Bulma, who by then had visibly relaxed and seemed instantly intrigued as she now observed the stranger. He turned back to Vegeta with that idiotic expression of embarrassment, and his hand went up to scratch at his unruly mane.

"I uh.. came to check out the unfamiliar power level I felt during my meditation… I was actually trying to lock onto your ki signature when I found hers instead." He then turned to her. "You're quite strong, you know. I'm sorry I startled you by appearing out of the blue like that." When she didn't seem to have anything to say in return, Kakarot shrugged and turned his attention back to Vegeta. "Is she a friend of yours?" He asked with a cocky grin.

If Vegeta didn't know Kakarot to be an oblivious oaf, he'd have sworn that the fool's tone sounded more than a little suggestive.

"That's none of your business, fool. So, I suggest you say what you came here to say and leave." Out of the corner of his eye he saw Bulma stand up and make her way towards them. Kakarot, it seemed was more openly curious. Vegeta tried not to show the intensity of pride and possessiveness he felt swelling in his chest when she stopped behind himself, standing close enough to touch him. She suddenly tilted her head sideways, as if slightly confused.

'This is Kakarot?' She whispered into his mind.

'Yes' was his abrupt reply. Kakarot's eyes flitted between the two of them, confused as he seemed to be making up his mind about what to make of the two of them, before his eyebrows shot straight up and he smiled slyly.

"Ok Vegeta" he said, a subtle teasing in his tone. "I actually only wanted to tell you that Dr Briefs fixed the Gravity Trainer."

Now it was Vegeta's turn to be surprised. With all that was going on between himself and the woman, he forgot about the reparations to the GT. It was another testament to huge the distraction the woman was. His brows furrowed, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed at abandoning his plans of seduction, and the thought angered him. His priorities have been slipping.

No more. He thought passionately, staring hotly into the eyes of the taller saiyan. It was time to get his head on straight. Kakarot recognised the fire immediately and his own stance shifted to meet the challenge in Vegeta's eyes. In an instant, he left the bumbling earthling persona behind and became the battle-hungry saiyan warrior Vegeta despised... and grudgingly admired.

The moment ended too soon, as Kakarot managed to get distracted by the woman once more.

"Hey, you should bring her on over to Capsule Corp." He told Vegeta. "I don't know if Vegeta's told you," he said, speaking to Bulma this time, "but we're training to fight some people who are going to come and attempt to kill off this planet's population in the future."

"-The woman does not speak, Kakarot. You're making an ass of yourself"

"...Oh. Well she doesn't need to be able to speak to understand, or even to fight. I sense a lot of untapped potential in this one Vegeta. With some training, she could be of some help."

"Let me worry about her potential, you're better of worrying about your own power level. Make no mistake, Kakarot -once I reach the level of Super Saiyan and kill off the androids, it's your ass that's going to be next."

"Looking forward to it" he answered with a very Saiyan like smirk, before placing his fingers to his forehead. He was gone in an instant.

Vegeta found himself pacing the beach with restless energy. He needed to leave. Not only the island, but he needed to go off planet. He couldn't risk a repeat of the gravity machine debacle. The only way to ensure a stable, high pressure (and gravity) environment, suitable for optimising his training, is to go off-world and find a bigger planet.

The problem was… he was torn -and it was all her fault. If he left, he had no guarantee of seeing her again. It was insane. She shouldn't mean so much to him. His first priority should always be getting stronger… and yet. He felt lighter around her, less self obsessed. She chased away some of the shades in his bloodstained past. It was an addictive feeling. If he left, he would lose it -lose her and the most frustrating thing about it was that he was doubting whether or not it was worth it.

She knew about his past, the blood on his hands and she still wanted him. He glanced over at where she sat, staring at him with obvious concern and uncharacteristic uncertainty. Her cerulean blue eyes caught his and he sucked in a suddenly labored lung full of air.. She was the only person whose gaze could make him forget all his practical reasonings.

He headed back to her and sat down in the sand next to her.

'I'm leaving,' he started.

'I'm coming along' she stated immediately afterwards. He met her eyes and was pleased to see the determination there. It was settled then, he thought and felt as if a heavy burden has been lifted from his chest.

He would stay and train on earth and hope to Kami that the good doctor's machinery is more robust this time round. It wasn't ideal, but Vegeta considered it an acceptable compromise. Besides, like Kakarot said: she had so much potential. With his help she could easily surpass even Kakarot's weakling team of earth fighters, even better: he didn't need to abandon his seduction plans just yet. He thought with an eager smirk.

AN: Love it, hate it? Review and tell me about it. Thanks everyone.