It was late morning when I stumbled into the kitchen. "Good morning, Quinn," greeted Bulma's mum.

"Good morning," I returned, "What smells so good?"

"Oh, it's just waffles. The syrup is on the table."

I licked my lips eagerly and sat down. Bulma's mum piled the steaming waffles onto my plate and I readily chowed down.

"So, have you heard?" asked Bulma's mum, handing the dishes to a domestic robot who then piled them in the dishwasher.

"Heard what?" I asked around a mouthful of waffle.

"We have a new house guest."

I watched her as she picked up the dishes in the sink. "Really? Who?"

Just then Bulma walked in, her glasses perched on her nose. "Mum, I've gone over the company project papers, where's Dad?" she queried, pulling the glasses off and rubbing her eyes. Noticing me, she smiled. "Hey Quinn, how was your night?"

I smiled back, "I slept some." 'And spent the rest of the time thinking of him,' I added to myself. "So who's the new house guest?" I asked, popping another forkful of waffle into my mouth.

"Oh, you heard?" she said, "It's Vegeta."

I stopped chewing. "Who?"

Bulma grinned. "Yeah, I know," she began to gush, "I was shocked to see him too, but I guess he was killed by Freeza's men and we did wish for all those killed by Freeza and his men to be brought back but it was such surprise because we weren't expecting it and he didn't have anywhere else to go besides he would want to use the new gravity room my father and I are working on and it would be so much easier if he stayed close by so I went ahead and invited him to stay here and he didn't want to at first but when he heard about the gravity room he agreed so now he's staying here and there you have it." She grinned at me, not at all breathless.

I stared at her, my mouth still full. After a minute, I managed to swallow the waffle. "So is he staying near the gravity room?"

"Yes, he will be. The gravity room's not up yet, it's going to be put out in the courtyard. It'll be right in front of your balcony. In fact…" said Bulma, her face thoughtful for a minute, "I think he's staying near your room."

"He's what??"

"Yeah, he is," Bulma nodded, "I told Dad to show him to a room overlooking the courtyard, on the guest wing. There are only two: yours and another one, now it's his." She smiled at me again.

I looked down at the waffle on my plate. I suddenly didn't feel hungry.

"Don't worry," said Bulma, misreading my silence, "He's been pretty civilised so far, hasn't tried to destroy the world or anything."

'Kami, destroy the world?' I thought, 'Maybe my world… the one I don't want to return to because of him.' Wait, what was that? Uh-oh, this isn't good.

"I-I think I'll take a walk," I mumbled, getting up.

"Wait, you haven't finished your breakfast," said Bulma's mum, but I was already out the door.


'I can't believe this,' I thought as I raced into the woods. 'He's already got me and we haven't even said a complete sentence to each other.'

I ducked a branch, angrily pushing the leaves out of the way. Why was I willing to give up an entire life, one that I had already lived for over twenty odd years, just because of him? I smiled to myself. And my mum thought I was determined to be single. Here I was, considering altering my entire existence for a guy… no ordinary guy though.

'He's a prince,' I thought, 'I always said I wanted a Prince Charming. Though I doubt 'charming' is the word to describe him.' I smirked as I leapt over a moss-covered log, feeling the soft moistness on my fingers.

I reached the stream where I'd stopped at yesterday. I recognized my staff sitting on the ground by the gurgling brook. Sighing, I picked it up, looking over the dark wood. I looked around. There was no sound except for the running water and the wind through the trees. I looked down at the creek and leaned the side of my head against the staff, wishing that my worries could flow away so easily. 'But they won't,' I thought, shutting my eyes.

I froze as I felt a hand on my hair, running through it once. I knew that presence. He was there. "Vegeta," I murmured, not opening my eyes.

"Who are you?" I heard him ask, the tips of his glove lightly brushing my cheek. "Are you some vision sent to invade my thoughts, to haunt my dreams?"

'Haunt his dreams? Invade his thoughts?' I thought, 'He's doing a good deal of invading and haunting himself.'

I looked up at him, hoping that he wouldn't see the emotion in my eyes. "I am no vision, Vegeta," I whispered. Pausing, I turned back to the stream, gazing at the reflection that was supposed to be me. "But how real I am in this world I do not know."

He stepped back in surprise. "You're that girl from another dimension?"

I looked up at the sky, watching as the white clouds moved slowly across the blue expanse. "Another dimension, another world, another reality… whatever it's called." I turned back to him. "Yes, I am."

"You," he breathed, staring at me, his eyes wide, "You're the one who killed Freeza?"

"I guess so," I smiled sadly, "But I'm not much of a warrior."

"Why not?" he snorted, suddenly his arrogant self again, "You have a weapon."

I looked at him, puzzled. "I do?"

He nodded, motioning the staff I was leaning against. "That's not just a walking stick." He gave me a 'how-could-you-not-know' look.

I looked at the staff. Its wood was unusually hard and it felt heavier than most walking sticks.

"I take it you don't know how to use it." He walked over and held out his hand. Hesitantly, I handed over my staff.

"The wood came from a planet not far from Namek," he said, tapping a gloved finger against the dark wood. "Its structure is such that it can disperse chi energy. It can deflect chi blasts back at the attacker or plunge through an aura to kill the enemy."

I grimaced, amazed at his matter-of-fact way of describing deathblows.

"It is an extremely advantageous weapon," he continued. Then he turned to look at me, "Provided you know how to use it."

"Do… do you know how to use it?" I asked, though I had a feeling I already knew the answer.

"Of course," he snorted again, "As the prince of the Saiyans I am skilled in the use of all weapons known to our race."

"Of course," I murmured, holding back a smile. I stepped up to him, looking him in the eye. I saw a nervous look cross his face as I stopped in front of him.

"Could you teach me?" I asked softly, my gaze unwavering.

I saw him squirm uncomfortably, our faces inches apart. Suddenly I had the urge to run my finger along his cheek like I had back on Namek, and I had to fight myself to keep my hands down.

His breath was shallow. I could feel it warm and moist against my face. His eyes had lost their proud smugness and I could see something else behind those dark pupils, something that I'd seen before back on Namek. I could feel that feeling well up again in the pit of my stomach, spreading like a warm flush up into my chest.

"I…" he said softly, his voice trembling slightly, "I… could."

My head was beginning to cloud over, my thoughts incoherent and hazy. All I could see was his face, looking down at me. His high brow, his intense gaze, his high cheekbones, his lips…

He backed away, then turned his back to me. I felt an instant emptiness as he pulled away, the air rushing to fill the space he had been standing in. I watched his muscular back, the rise and fall of his shoulders. I could see his fists clenching and unclenching around the staff.

"Vegeta?" I saw his shoulders stiffen. I made no move to approach him.

"We'd better start if we're going to get anything done," he said gruffly, turning back to face me. His scowl had returned, his proud stance taking over again. Yet I could see a pained look in his eyes, but only for a moment, then it disappeared under the hard mask.

I nodded silently, stepping over. He handed me the staff and we began training.
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Next chapter: Training, thrashing, same difference...