When they landed back at Capsule Corporation, Trunks and Jade were greeted by a panicking Bulma who ran them over visually with a fine-toothed comb.

"Where have you two been? I was worried sick! Are you alright? Did you get lost?" Having never seen Bulma in "worried mother" mode before, Jade shrank back a bit behind her tall companion, and let him take the brunt of the affectionate assault.

Embarrassed, Trunks was compelled to try to stop the display.

"Mother. Really, we're fine."

"Just fine? You must be starving. Come on, let's get you something to eat." She grabbed each of them by a hand and dragged them off to the kitchen.

After virtually force-feeding the two young people, Bulma asked casually about Jade's origins other than what she'd already divulged, what she was doing with Vegeta, how she got here…the questions were driving Jade nuts, but she answered politely regardless.

Aside from her arsenal of questions, Bulma was armed with another thing – a matchmaker's eye. She spent the whole evening surreptitiously watching what passed between her son and the new girl. She was fairly sure she'd found a winning combination, despite what they might say.

Bulma yawned and glanced at the wall clock.

"Goodness, no wonder I'm tired, it's half-past one. Come to think of it, we should probably all go to bed." She glanced kindly at Jade. "You must be tired."

Jade nodded affirmatively, despite the fact she wasn't. The trip in the pod and her stint in the tank had contributed to give her a massive case of jetlag.

The three bid each other goodnight, and Bulma saw Trunks and Jade to their rooms. Lying in the massive bed, Jade was far from drowsy and had no hope of falling asleep. She gave in to her impulse and moved towards the bay window, slid it open as noiselessly as possible and floated out the window to sit on the domed roof of Capsule Corporation. Off to one side, city lights twinkled like gems and on the other stars sparkled vividly.

A slight scraping followed by a slight movement in her peripheral vision caught her attention, and Jade braced herself. Raising her fist, she turned and found herself peering into Trunks' stunned face.

"Don't kill me!" he pleaded.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked him gruffly.

"Same could be asked of you."

"I'm counting stars." A pause.

"Couldn't sleep?" he questioned knowingly.

"No. Time passes differently here. And I suppose that's your problem too." He nodded slightly, then as they sat in silence; an idea dawned on him.

"I know what'd tire us out – we never did get that practice in. You up for it?"

"Fair enough." And she took off away from the city lights to a less damageable area in the countryside.

Instead of finding a spot to practice, Jade's mind shifted to the beautiful glittering city. She turned on her heel and flew back past him.

"Where are you going?!" he called frantically.

"Sightseeing. I don't have cities like this where I come from. We can practice any time, but this'll only look the way it does during the night. Come with me," she called to him, and took off towards and far above the lights.

They flew side by side above the glimmering skyscrapers, ducking and weaving playfully between the massifs. Trunks sighed.

"So, this is what my world used to look like." He smiled sadly, found a spot to land on the tallest skyscraper he could see, and related his story more thoroughly to Jade, who listened in sombre silence.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry." She gave Trunks one of his own half-smiles, then found herself yawning, which set off her companion.

"I think we've ditched the insomnia," Trunks added as they flew back to Capsule Corporation, "But I don't think Mother needs to hear about how." He grinned.

After bidding Trunks goodnight, Jade crawled back into her bed and slept more soundly than she had for a long, long time.

Late the next morning, Vegeta had come out of his gravity chamber and sensed the return of his newest, if only, follower. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he decided it was time to test the kid out – see if she was worthy of being in his service.

Feeling as though it were time he started looking like the Prince he was, Vegeta self-consciously made for the bathroom to shower and donned some new armour – the set he'd had Bulma make with the royal symbol on the left breastplate.

Making his way huffily towards the power he sensed being emitted from Jade, Vegeta passed a glaring Yamcha who called snidely after him, "look at you, all dressed up and no-one to rule." The fool would pay for that later. He had more important business to attend to.

He found his new charge in the main living room, chatting to the older version of his son, who was turning his sword excitedly in his hand. Sword? The little bitch of an android broke that thing. I don't know why Bulma kept it.

"Father! Look at this! Jade fixed my sword!" Trunks couldn't help but call out in his jubilation. He'd sorely missed the weapon.

"Hhmph. Whatever. Girl, you come with me – it's time I tested your worth." He glanced at Trunks, who looked slightly miffed at being ignored.

"Come to think of it, you come along too, boy. You'd be a better match for her than I would be. I might kill her by accident." He sneered and walked without another word out of the room.

"He doesn't know?" Jade whispered when Vegeta was safely out of earshot.

"No, and please don't tell him." The pained look flashed in Trunks' eyes again. Then he quashed it and added, "this could be fun."

Vegeta led his young train through the maze of halls and rooms, and only stopped to look back at them when he'd reached his destination – one of the vast open gardens of the complex, relatively free of trees and perfect for his purpose.

Jade stood aside from her newfound friend, and working up the audacity, uncurled her tail from her waist and let it hang gracefully where it fell. She caught the flicker of the Prince's eyes, and felt something akin to jealousy beginning to radiate from his regal features. Without warning, instinct kicked in, and she wound her tail firmly back in its usual position.

Vegeta watched her trying to read him with some amusement – it wasn't often anyone gave a damn about what he thought. He adopted his first language with as much pomp as he could muster.

"Now. It's time you proved your worth to me, girl. Spar with my son and I will decide your value from what I see. Hold back nothing, I will be able to tell if you do." He nodded impatiently towards his son, encouraging him to get things underway.

You're able to tell when someone's holding back? Bullshit you can, Trunks thought in annoyance, but complied anyway.

"Shall we use weapons, my lord?" Jade asked in all seriousness.

Vegeta snorted.

"It appears the boy is eager to be reacquainted with an old friend of his own, but you can't fight him that way. You have no weapon." The girl is more foolish than I thought, he added in his head.

"If your son fights with a sword, then so shall I, if it pleases my Prince."

Vegeta snorted again.

"What, going to pull a sword out of thin air? I insist you show me how."

"Very well, my Prince."

A quick flex of her long fingers, and Jade held in her hand a gleaming, jewel encrusted broadsword. Vegeta tried in vain to stifle his shock, and Trunks smirked to himself in satisfaction.

"How the hell did you do THAT?" Vegeta gave way to some of his amazement and let a fraction of the pomp slip.

"May I speak freely, sir?" Despite the fact he was losing his cool, Jade maintained her deference towards Vegeta.

"Yes, of course," he snapped, "And I told you to stop that."

"It's the Mage blood I have. The sword itself was just a child's trick," she added in a tone verging on bitchiness before she caught herself, but couldn't help adding, "If I could give your son back his tail, I think I could manage a weapon, wouldn't you suppose?"

She WHAT?! That just wasn't possible! Tails don't come back! And yet, as he glanced at Trunks, sure enough, he had the tail that had been removed when he was born. What kind of witch is she?

Struggling to maintain his characteristic aloofness, Vegeta faltered a little before proclaiming:

"Very well, we'll speak of that later. Now you have your weapon, show me what you can do. And Trunks? That goes for you too."

For all her tricks, this girl can't match the power of a Super Saiyan, he sniggered to himself.

Nearly startled out of his gold-toed boots for the second time in as many minutes, Vegeta drew in a sharp breath as the strange girl nodded to him, the stood facing Trunks in Super Saiyan form. He was compelled to call out to her:

"Where did you learn to do that?!" Jade faced him, keeping one eye on Trunks, and replied simply

"I told you I surpassed my father when I was ten, Majesty."

"Whatever. Get on with the blasted match." Temper fraying, nerves ragged, Vegeta was becoming impatient with everyone and everything.

Jade drew the long, curved blade in front of her chest, and in an unexpected gesture raised the other hand to blow a kiss to her opponent. Trunks was so stunned he fell off-guard, and she used this momentary lapse of concentration to attack.

Clever little thing, Vegeta thought in spite of himself.

A fast and furious battle ensued, but few blows managed to find home – Jade was too fast and Trunks far too skilled with his weapon of choice to let her land a blow. Again, the pair was far too evenly matched to be effective against one-another.

Throwing air-punches and locking weapons isn't going to impress the Prince, and I need this, Jade thought viciously to herself. To hell with this sword crap, I'll take him out the old-fashioned way!

And she did. Dropping the broadsword to the ground, Jade streaked forward, took Trunks' feet out from under him, and caught his chin with her fist as he fell down.

Bitch! Trunks took a moment to wipe away the blood that ran from his lip. But it was clever; another part of his mind told him. Well, two can play at that game!

He took to the air, and feeling out the ki of the girl who moved so fast that she couldn't be seen with the naked eye, instinctually struck out. He opened his eyes, and to his great satisfaction, his fist rested on the dark silk of the plait at the back of her head. He hadn't caught her, but almost.

Jade was stunned. But it's my own fault, I was too cocky. She turned in perfect synchronisation with Trunks' movements and the two danced around each other in a way that was so natural to both of them it was strangely beautiful.

Cunning little wench, Vegeta gloated inwardly at the wise decision he'd made taking the girl under his wing in his own peculiar way.

"Enough!" he called out sharply.

In quick obedience, Jade let go of the arm she'd twisted behind Trunks' back and he let the energy blast forming on his other hand dissipate. They floated easily to stand in front of the Prince.

Vegeta surveyed the two young warriors critically. Blood still ran from where Jade had clocked Trunks in the mouth, and it seemed the girl was favouring one shoulder, hiding it well but for the spreading bruise appearing there.

"It appears my faith in you has not been misplaced. Very well Jadali, I accept your offer." The girl bowed her head gratefully. Seeing in her stance that she was losing the formality that irritated him, for effect, Vegeta added ominously, "Do not disappoint me. Now, scat. I have better things to do than play with children."

He stomped off without another word.

Jade studied her boots blindly, a half-smile on her face. She had noticed in the short time she had been there, that the Prince hardly ever called anyone by name; and he had used hers twice in as many days. Musing to herself, she didn't notice Trunks talking to her.

"Hello in there?" she smiled up at him, and he continued. "I said I'm going inside to clean up. Mother will have a fit if she sees me like this, even though it's not serious. You probably should too, unless you fancy the idea of an afternoon in the regen tank."

Jade shuddered – she hated that thing with a passion.

"You're right. I don't want to upset her." She moved to go inside, but he stalled her verbally.

"I'm going into town to meet Gohan and Videl when they finish school. You want to come?"

"Might as well, I've got nothing else to do and I'd rather not face Twenty Questions inside, if you know what I mean." She shot him a knowing glance. In the short time they'd know each other, Trunks and Jade had come to understand each other incredibly well for strangers.

"I'll wait for you in the kitchen in about half an hour."

"Half a what?" She looked puzzled, and Trunks remembered his language wasn't really hers, let alone measurements.

"Never mind. I'll be in the kitchen in a little while." He touched his lip, which still stung somewhat. "By the way, nice right hook."

Author's Note: Thanks for reviewing, all! I promise I'll make a more pointed effort to upload this in future…yeah, I'm a lazy, lazy individual.