RATING: PG-13

PART: part 2/unkown chapters

PAIRING: Vegeta and #18

WARNING: Swearing

DISCLAIMER: All Dragonball GT characters belong to Akira Toriyama and the producers of Dragonball GT. I do not own any of the characters, or anything to do with the characters. Blah, blah, blah...You get the point.

Note: Juuhachi= #18, Onna= woman, Tousan= dad, Okasan= mom, etc...you prolly know all that already. :P



Glimmering sunshine streaked down upon the family picnic, glistening in the dew while the spring breeze lazed about the cherry blossom trees. Voices of many a family bounced in the midst of the grassy park with a strong declaration for the beautiful season.

Off in a corner, the moody prince sat without sound. Grounded with a haughty frown, he did not move, shadowed away from the rest of the scene.

"Go long, Goten!"

A young, laughing call broke into the sounds of the surroundings. The teenaged owner chucked a spinning Frisbee through the air, the toy whirling with a sharp buzz at its magnificent speed. It flew over the grass, but was suddenly clamped onto between a set of jaws.

The two boys burst into hysterical laughter when Goten eventually landed on all wobbly fours. The orange Frisbee protruded awkwardly from his trembling lips as he tried desperately to keep his hilarious composure.

"All right, Goten-chan!"

"Disgusting..." The soft murmur was barely a flutter in the wind, belonging to neither teen.

"Turunksu! I told you to stop making Goten play fetch and come have some lunch!" A familiar voice, scolding and serious, halted their playful actions. There Bulma stood by the picnic blanket, it's pale color centered with a massive picnic basket. A disapproving frown wallowed upon her dazzling face while she merely dared the teens to continue their gallivanting. As well, backing up the blue haired Onna's scold, was an unsurprisingly, just as annoyed Chichi, who stood cross-armed by her side.

"Goten, get over here!"

The boys could merely sigh with a familiar annoyance. As usual, their fun was ruined before it even began. But, disobedience was an undesirable option when it came to their mothers. Spitting out the orange Frisbee and with one last look to the other, they brushed themselves casually off, sauntering up to the picnic area with a pout in every step.

He merely watched the boys sulk away, frowning at their poor display of maturity. Such a powerful bloodline, but so little show of it. It was almost depressing to see potential like that going to waste at outings...like these.

"Vegeta-kun! You too!" The man cringed in the depths of his shadowy corner, holding down the surge of rage that followed her shrill voice. "Better hurry before Gokou eats it all!"

The haughty saiyan prince raised the bottomless blacks in seas of white he possessed for eyes. With a half-heated squint into the noon sun and past other moving bodies, he could make out the Onna's ushering form. She waved her frail arms in the cool air with a beckon for him to come join.

The familiar urge to close his eyes and ignore the annoyance rose up in the back of his furrowing mind. It was a hope that she'd get the message and leave him be, alone in his little corner of the world. But, and from time to time, he did forget...he needed to remember exactly who he was dealing with.

"Vegeta!"

"What!?" he snapped, uncrossing his sinewy arms to smack his thick fists on the fertile ground. "Can I not have a moment of peace without you disturbing me once?"

The woman took a step away from the picnic basket and a step closer to him. She glared across the grassy void to where he sat against the tree.

"No! Now come and get some lunch! Either that or go hungry until supper, because Gokou's not going to be leaving any leftovers!"

A growl and an "Aw man, Chichi, this is great!" from behind, supplied Bulma's case.

Vegeta frowned even harder into the sun as he contemplated. However, and as usual, his stomach won the futile battle, forcing him to drag himself up from his spot with a grunt and a groan. Murmurs of, "Stupid Kakarotto..." left his lips all the way to his now smiling wife's side.

"You're a pig, Kakarotto," he finished, plopping down onto the warm material beside the famished saiyan. Little bits of food flew freely in all directions, forcing Vegeta to wonder if he would end up wearing most of the baka saiyan's gluttonous binge.

"Hey, Tousan!" Trunks blurted quickly around the chicken thigh he hungrily ravaged.

"Hey, Vegeta-sama," Goten mimicked.

"Hn..."

A glance at the teen boys and then around the circle of friends (none of which his, of course) brought the saiyan prince eye to eye with the whole group of human half-wits. Of course, it included Kakarotto's and his own saiyan kin, as well as--and he had to snort with disgust when he caught the gaze of the humanly dressed, Namekian--Piccolo meditating at a distance by a clutter of trees. Piccolo looked down upon the hungry families, emotionless.

They were all here...

Dragged together by the forces of feminine persuasion once again. Bulma and Chichi had obviously been the ones to put this whole 'mistake' of an outing together. Hanami-the spring viewing of the new cherry blossoms in a family park, a little bit of food here and there, and...What did Bulma call it again?

Yes, a festival, that's what it was, something supposedly new to the celebration. Down, beyond the trees and shrubs, rising up from the Earth like a strange, freakish part of nature, it stood. Vegeta could faintly hear the music droning somewhere in the background, it's chime bringing on a dull headache to the saiyan's head.

Kami-sama, what a cheap waste of time.

The women had so insisted, stating that it was to be an interesting experience. Bulma herself had specifically said that the trip would be a great chance for bonding, being out in the sunshine together, the blossoms sprouting and blooming upon the trees. Vegeta could practically feel the shudder welling up in his spine, remembering her utter the word 'bond'. A man and woman bonded...not a whole bloody group of weak lowlifes!

He had no idea why he'd let that baka Onna drag him into this. Every single damn time...

Looking back at the picnic basket filled with food--one of many in the park- -and then back around to all the feeders, Vegeta sighed inwardly. He grabbed a protruding chicken leg gingerly and began to scarf the fowl down as mannerly as he could manage. Or, at least a little more mannerly than he could say for the saiyan beside him.

Well, at least the chicken was good...

"Gokou, slow down when you eat, you're going to choke!" Chichi suddenly piped up, scolding as she wiped at Gokou's lips with her paper napkin. "Besides, you're making a mess!"

"Chichi!" the saiyan whined. He pushed away her busy hand. "Stop babying me, would you? I'm a grown man! Let me eat!"

Bulma snickered across the table, getting a soft glare from the protesting Gokou. She lowered her fork and, in turn, chuckled at the ebony-haired wife. "Chichi, let the poor man be. The whole reason we're out here is to relax. Take a break from playing mommy for a while."

Chichi sighed. "Bulma, I don't think anyone will be relaxing if this big awful brute starts sputtering chicken left and right! I know I can't relax when he's stuffing himself like that!"

Gokou rolled his eyes, ramming another meaty leg into his already full mouth. "I'mf nof gonna choke, fokay?" he burbled, swallowing with a loud "GOLP!" and turning to the silent saiyan prince at his side. "Our women worry too much, ne, Geta-chan?" Gokou laughed. He forcefully nudged the form beside him.

Vegeta shoved the muscled arm away and grunted with a shuffle down the bench. "Get the fuck away from me, idiot."

"Hey, you! Watch that language!" Chichi blurted out of no where, startling Vegeta momentarily. "You may be able to say things like that at home, but not here! I suggest you still that tongue!"

Instantly, he was angry and on the defense. Vegeta readily opened his mouth to send a couple more artistic words of profanity her way, but instead a steady hand on his shoulder from Gokou halted his actions.

"Hey, come on, you guys. Like Bulma said, we're here to enjoy ourselves. Let's not start any cat-fights yet, all right?" Gokou winked humorously at the saiyan prince, desperately trying to share a smile. "Come on...Vegeta?"

"I wouldn't bother, Gokou. You know Vegeta's going to be an ass until he ruins something. I'm surprised he hasn't blasted this whole park into oblivion already."

Everyone glanced around from face to face, only to shuffle around and turn to stare beyond the group. The calm feminine voice picked up again, a haughty mock hidden in the tone.

"Isn't that right, Vegeta?"

Vegeta glared with a scowl so strong it could have lit the air around him into a fiery blaze. Slowly, step by step, he watched the female form stalk into view, a child by her side and a stout man behind. He put down his chicken piece onto his napkin and crossed his arms with a daring glare, staring into those devilish eyes.

"Well, well...even the slut android is here to join the fun. I hope you brought your thong, you bitch, because the entertainment here sucks."

Juuhachi cringed and snarled, bringing up a shaking fist. But, before she could blurt back a remark, another voice piped up behind her.

"Hey, Gokou! Yaumcha! Gohan! Good to see you guys!" Fully ignoring the clash of attitudes moments before, they all shared an enthusiastic greeting or two. Waving and shouting, expressions of gladness to finally have the old gang together again, were passed back and forth.

"Kurillin-chan! Hey man, you finally made it!"

More welcoming words followed quickly. Nevertheless, a scalding line of gaze still held between the saiyan prince and the android. It slowly broke only as Vegeta smirked at the angry Juuhachi and turned back to stuff another leg in his hungry mouth. He fully ignored the "baka no midget" and tried to scarf what he could before Kakarotto remembered the meal.

"Good to see you, Marron! Juuhachi, why don't you take a seat? Did you all bring anything? No? Aw, well, grab some grub! There's already plenty enough to feed 15 saiyans," Bulma joked with a pat to Vegeta on the back. "Or, at least 7!"

Brushing back a lock of blond hair, Juuhachi nodded to her old friend. She wandered up to the picnic blanket to look down on all the smiling faces, though she herself felt a little faded inside. Krillen squished himself into the circle to be seated beside Yaumcha. The small man passed a slap of the hands and a nod in recognition of his old friend. Marron slid in between Bura and Pan, instantly diving head first into conversation. Still, Juuhachi stood behind, gazing roughly at all the happy grins and chewing mouths.

Her stomach churned once, sickening and painfully.

Vegeta watched her from the corner of his vision, trying to focus slightly on the food before him. He was a little confused. He had expected to see the usual vibrant, stuck-up Juuhachi. One that was always witty and ready to land a fatal verbal blow on the saiyan prince without hesitation. Well, she'd obviously begun the meeting accordingly. But, for some odd reason, she seemed...different now, worn even. Juuhachi's hair hung limply and lifelessly around her pale face. Her clothes seemed to barely cling to her body. Her expression was as empty as empty could be with a hint of depression in the tiny corner of her ocean-like eye. The emotion twinkled on and off with every slow blink she took.

The real face behind the mask? She was never this distant.

She even seemed a little crude. Definitely worn...like she'd spent an eternity without sleep.

Vegeta didn't realize he was staring until he suddenly found himself gazing into pure blue. Juuhachi lifted the corner of her thin lip in a snarl meant just for him, daring him to keep on his rude staring. The prince only blinked and snarl back with an equal annoyance. He took a huge, dark chunk out of his chicken leg, still glaring at her from the corner of his eye, imagining he was taking a chuck out of a certain blond instead.

"Juu-chan? You O.K?"

The android cringed inwardly as she always did when anyone chose to use that ridiculous name. Bulma looked down the picnic table, an expression of concern plastered to her beautiful face. "Aren't you going to sit down?"

She chewed on her answer a bit before murmuring, "I'm not very hungry...I think...I think I'll just go sit down in the grass for a while."

"Oh," Bulma mouthed, a little a taken back. Chichi broke from her conversation with Videl and Gohan to look at Bulma, then Juuhachi, confused.

"Well, hon, if you're sure."

"I'm sure," Juuhachi smiled weakly. She glanced back at a now staring Krillen before she wandered away, walking around laughing children and sitting couples upon the ground. As she shuffled along the grass there was little composure to her tired body.

"Is she all right, Krillen?" Chichi whispered, not even turning away from the android's retreating form as she spoke. "She looks a little down."

Krillen sighed as flashbacks of the morning ran clear through his own tired mind. "Yah...yah, she's fine. I think she's just having a bad day, that's all." He watched his wife drop down in front of a large group of cherry blossom trees a little in the distance. The android shifted around until she faced away from the picnic. Krillen narrowed his eyes as she leaned against the cool bark, only a little of her visible around the trunks. "Just a bad day...," he repeated.

Chichi couldn't tell if his words were reassurance to her or himself.

The small man turned back, a smile re-plastered in place. He heartily passed a joke to Yaumcha about how strange Earth woman were getting now a day. Somehow, Juuhachi was going to be the death of him. Yaumcha laughed in reply, defending off a scolding hand from Chichi.

However, Vegeta remained silent as he gazed questioningly in the android's direction. He didn't know what the hell was going on, but it definitely didn't read normal in his books.

"Okasan, can Goten and I be excused? We wanted to go play some more Frisbee and maybe head down to the games already." Bulma looked down at her teenaged son, an eyebrow slowly rising.

"What? Already? There's still plenty of food left. Sandwiches...cake...Come on, chow down, boys!"

Trunks grinned sheepishly. "Aw, mom, we're bored AND stuffed! Please!" Goten murmured in agreement beside the pleading boy.

"Ugh..." Resting her blue stranded head in her hands, Bulma laughed. "You boys are more childish than Gokou at times. Fine, go ahead."

"But...," Chichi piped," have a little dignity this time, won't you?" She looked up at Goten with a half smirk, something a little uncharacteristic of her.

Someone snorted in the background.

"You know, Okasan?" Bura broke in as the boys happily bounded away. The two older teens had begun to roughhouse where the hill that the eating took place upon began to ascend. The festival was far below. "I think Marron, Pan and I are going to go sit somewhere else for awhile. You know...we've got 'stuff' to talk about..." She smiled with an exchanged wink between her and her mother. Wiping her hands carefully on a blue paper napkin, the young girl ended, "And we need a little privacy."

Vegeta rolled his eyes in despair as his daughter smiled at him too. It seemed his whole damn family was going human...He was beginning to wonder where all this supposed saiyan pride had gone.

'Disappeared without a trace...' he thought silently, scowling into his food with almost a pout.

Bulma, of course, didn't mind at all, waving the girls off with a boundless smile. The girls got up and started to saunter in the opposite direction of Trunks and Goten. Obviously, though the older teens would be fairly busy, they didn't want to be getting any sudden surprises from the mischievous boys.

Children away, now only the adults remained to entertain each other. Still, happy faces drowned out the empty spots at the table. Each face was glad for the still familiar company.

However, a certain someone remained in thought, unsatisfied with the calm. His curiosity had been growing in the pit of his mind, a dangerously dark place, drawing him back to Juuhachi's slumped form over by the far trees. She still sat there as motionless as death.

Well, he'd just have to find out a little more then, ne?

"So...Krillen..." Krillen stiffened mid-sentence, surprised to hear that low, gruff voice speak his appropriate name. He looked up at Vegeta slowly, not knowing exactly how to respond. Half the table quieted in a mysterious silence.

"What exactly is up with your onna? The truth this time..."

Krillen blanched slightly. A bile made of anger rose suddenly in his throat. "I don't really think it's any of your business, Vegeta." The small man stared into the prince's smirking eyes, trying to hold down the rage welling within.

And Gokou, as usual, saw the opportunity to intervene. He quickly turned the conversation a little less hostile. "Calm down, Krillen. Everyone is worried about her, all right? She really doesn't seem...well. Are you sure she's O.K?"

"Speak for yourself, you saiyan no baka yarou."

"Wh-? Uh..." Krillen sighed, looking back to her still form. "She's fine! It's just...we had a little...fight...this morning."

The whole table "oh'd" and "aw'd", making Krillen jump.

"I didn't really expect her to respond like this..."

"You stupid little man...You actually think that's why she's being such a pout?" Vegeta prodded. "Give me a break, ningen."

"Wha-?"

The saiyan prince leaned in even closer to Krillen, playing on the small man's expression like a deadly game. "You humans are so clueless sometimes..."

"Excuse me?"

Vegeta smirked even wider. "I bet I know where this little fight of yours took place. In the bed, ne? Not performing well lately, mop-top?

"Vegeta..." Bulma warned. She gazed fully at the saiyan prince, raising a thin blue eyebrow. He merely looked smugly away.

From the look of Krillen's bunched up face, he was beginning to definitely show he was having enough...And as Vegeta looked over to where Juuhachi sat and back at the short man, his eyes flickering with that familiar mock, the last string was pulled. All the anger from the morning rushed through his tiny veins like a spark to gasoline. No sooner had Vegeta looked away again, he jumped up, balling his rough fists in front of him. His plate, now forgotten, dropped to the ground noisily.

"You don't know a thing about what's going on, all right? So just shut the hell up!" His voice rang through the park, forcing him to instantly regret the words. As they left his mouth, a sudden, nearly complete silence surrounded from every direction. Birds chirped lively somewhere in the treetops, the only audible sound for what seemed like miles.

Vegeta smiled a sinister smile, picking at his food as if the conversation did not matter. There hadn't been a good argument for hours on this crappy outing...Bulma ignoring his pokes and prods, Gokou turning any insult into an excuse for a laugh(damn that Kakarotto)...

But, Krillen seemed to be in an especially irritated mood today.

'Just what I need'

"Oh I think I do," he stated matter-of-factly. "So do you."

"Vegeta!" Bulma stood over the saiyan prince with a swelling rage. "You promised me before we came here that you weren't going to ruin this for everyone! Why are you doing this now!?"

He stood himself, ablaze at her tone. "I assured you I'd 'try' not to mess this already fucked up picnic while I was here. I didn't promise you anything!"

"Baka yarou! You always ruin everything! I-...I-..." She blinked and looked around, plummeting back to reality. As the angry fog lifted, she realized that she and Vegeta were the only two standing. Everyone else, including Krillen, stared up at them with completely blank faces.

"I, uh..."

"Bulma, it's O.K. You don't need to get mad for me." Krillen glanced at the arrogant prince and then back at his cherished friend. "He can't help it..."

A twitch from the saiyan prince followed by a grunt was the only noticeable response. Vegeta kneaded his nails into the palms of his clenched fists until he could feel a searing pain. This idiot of a shrimp was talking like he was referring to some disobedient child! Where the heck did he get off talking down to a prince like that?!

"I'll have you know, you whimpy piece of sh-"

"Shut up! Shut up now!" The bite of the woman's voice in his ears silenced him with a vengeance. She placed both hands on his t-shirt clothed shoulders, pushing against the fabric, and spun him around with one mighty twist. Before he could even open his mouth to protest, she had him moving away from the table at an incredible speed.

"Go! Go! I'm telling you now, GO! You want to be an ass? Then be it somewhere else! I've dealt with your lone wolf, princely, royal pain in the ass, shit-treating, vegetable headed attitude for as long as I can handle! Now, go!"

One last shove to the back and Vegeta stumbled, half fell, to the ground on one knee. He was incredibly shocked at the woman's sudden actions. Quickly standing and stepping back, his eyes went wide with accusation. Murmurs and chuckles sprouted up behind the Onna's defiant form.

Her eyes read pure fury.

"And don't bother coming back until it's time to go! In fact leave. Leave!" She waved her feminine arms in the spring air as if she was trying to scare off some menacing bird. "I don't want to see your face for the rest of the afternoon!"

Vegeta's cheeks burned a sudden red. He couldn't believe that she was doing this! To him of all people! Him! Who the hell did she think she was?

She obviously thought she was someone that didn't want to put up with his attitude any more. Pointing with a steady finger she gave a final "get out of here" with a jagged motion behind him. And man, did she really mean business...

Vegeta didn't know what to do. She'd never quite blown up at him like this before...She usually had slightly more restraint, more flexibility...

So he did the only thing that he could think to do in the short moment. He turned and wandered, glaring over his shoulder every couple of steps, to stand a ways away. The almost mechanical movement brought him to the thicker tree line, quite a distance from the rest of the group.

And he just stood there.

Bulma gazed after him for a couple of minutes, her eyes still slightly shaking with anger. Every last soul behind her remained as quiet as possible, not a sound uttering from their stilled lips. Then she nodded once with a huff as a last blow to the strangely obedient prince and plopped down hard onto the picnic bench.

The talking ensued, this time with bombarding questions and a slight hint of laughter beneath the surprise.

The prince spun around, not wanting to look at their faces; not wanting to see the mock he'd so plainly given to Krillen only minutes ago. Mock was for sorry ningen losers....not people like him. He couldn't stand to see them looking at him like that.

Why the hell hadn't he argued back?

The sudden thought sprung into his mind, bringing a strange feeling creeping up his spine. He hadn't even shot back a good insult or anything. He'd just walked away...just...like...that...

Forget about Juuhachi, what the heck was wrong with him?

Vegeta stared in thought down the thinning crest of trees that sprouted from the sodden ground. Down the short, muddy decline of the water's bay lay the park's glistening stream. Its waters winked in a flickering admiration to the sun and the sky, a brilliancy that Vegeta had to squint into as he glared. He leaned to the side and felt the rough bark of an Oak against his shoulder. He continued to stare, glowering into the scenery silently.

"Baka no Onna," he murmured, snorting in disgust. "There is something seriously wrong with that woman. Telling me what to do...ha..."

The prince looked over his shoulder and back at the picnic for a moment, pointedly. They all were chattering like fools again, smiles back in place. Well, they had no reason to be silent anymore. The problem had been removed, hadn't it? Vegeta frowned even deeper as the thought plummeted down to a single word. Problem.

Bulma still eyed him angrily from the table. He could see. Every once in a while a flash of blue would look towards him, anger clouded in their bright midst. He had really done it this time...It was obvious Vegeta's behavior really had been getting on her nerves more than he thought it had.

Though lately, her walls were suspiciously a little less resistant to his normal attitude. Little things like snide remarks or simple looks were beginning to knock her calm clear through, revealing emotions that Vegeta was beginning to find slightly disturbing. He didn't even have to try to piss her off anymore. It just happened.

Of course his usual self was a little over the top as it was. (: P)

For the tenth time, she looked up from the group. Her brows slightly knit together as she searched for his form in the silhouettes of the trees. Vegeta caught her gaze as it wafted to where he stood.

But, she didn't look away. Nor did he. Vegeta could feel her holding back something inside from where he stood; a world of anger, pity, sadness...he couldn't really understand what was reflecting in her eyes.

Damn, that woman was as confusing as hell.

And suddenly...FLASH! There it was! Vegeta barely caught the tail end of it, his eyes blinking with surprise. But, for a moment, the emotion was brilliantly clear. His saiyan mind searched with every ability possessed in his body to understand...to even grasp what the hell that look had meant. Yet, even with the best of his skills, he still couldn't decipher what he'd just seen. Damn it.he probably couldn't have understood if he had a heavy duty telescope glued to the side of his head...But, whatever had glimmered in that Onna's eyes made a bile of heat rise in his throat, so hot it seared in reply.

The feeling rushed down his body like lightning.

"Kissama...," he muttered, and spun around as fast as his body could swivel. Shutting his eyes tight against the waters below, he shivered ever so slightly against the subtle breeze. The burning sensation began to fade its shocking touch against his insides and his hitched breath flowed out evenly in one deep "swoosh".

Damn it all to hell and back again...

He was more than shocked, he was darn well confused. The urge to run, fly away, flee...in whatever form, he just wanted to suddenly leave. Leave the feeling behind, far, far behind.

But, he didn't dare. He could feel her hot blue eyes on his back even then, searing into him. Holding onto him. But, then, she too looked away, averting that questioning gaze...that demanding gaze...

He tried to look as casual as possible, leaned up against the tree. The sound of swishing water was in his ears, as well as the faint chirp of some sort of bird in the trees above. It was spring time...Spring sounds...Spring...think of Spring...

Vegeta shook his head, ridding himself of any remaining concerns. The Onna was full of herself, beyond belief. And if she wanted to be acting like such a prude, then he wouldn't stop her. It wasn't his job to decipher her cracked up little mind. No...Not at all...He could care less.

Still, deep inside, Vegeta knew that that wasn't what the look had meant.

Staring and staring...The scenery ahead of the prince was beginning to terribly bore him. The soothing stream and the call of the birds would have been peace to any other...any other but him. He needed action, arguments, something to do...

His trailing mind wandered over to a familiar form a ways away. Juuhachi blended nearly perfectly in with the trees with her brown garments and her slumped form. Only her hair caught Vegeta's black eyes, twinkling in the noonday sun.

Come to think of it, he was still fuming from that stupid shrimp of a ningen. Screw Bulma...he had business to take care of.

He stepped carefully and silently away from the trees, curving around the backs to stalk through the shadows. His body was camouflaged in the deep shadows of the bending trunks as he practically tip-toed through the brush, towards his equally silent prey. Yes...prey...that was it...stalking his prey in the sun of the afternoon. Vegeta smirked evilly at the nostalgic thought.

Just like old times.

Well...not quite. But, as the prince slowly slunk up behind the blond haired woman, invisible behind the trees to the rest of the picnickers beyond, Vegeta could feel a small push of adrenaline pumping through his veins.

She must really have been out of it not to have heard him by now. The saiyan no Ouji stood above her with a mocking glint reflecting in his dangerous eyes. Not even a flinch of recognition...pathetic indeed. Vegeta opened his mouth to laugh at the withered Juuhachi, sending a blow of ridicule sailing down. Give her something to really pout about...something...

"Do and you die, Vegeta."

He froze right then and there. Vegeta didn't even realize his mouth hung slightly open, a breath of air halfway inhaled. Juuhachi shifted her pretty little head to glance momentarily up at him, snorting as he snapped his mouth shut, and then went back to staring at the banks below.

"Charming..."

"Bitch...," Vegeta muttered for the second time, flopping against the same tree as Juu-chan to rest. His own slight, princely pout withered from his thin lips.

"You're lucky I wasn't trying...would have scared the shit out of you..."

Juuhachi didn't even show she'd heard him. A strange silence flowed in between them, Vegeta crossing his muscled arms in the midst of it. The rustle of skin against skin was incredibly loud.

Vegeta eyed the back of her head, annoyed. Juuhachi eyed the distance, emotionless. The quiet was insane-driven, pounding on the saiyan's ears like gong drums. Voices laughed in the background, a forgotten scene with the two...Music in the distance...Nothing-but-silence where they stood..

"So...," Vegeta broke in. His voice forced himself to shift in a slight uneasiness. Juuhachi still didn't move.

"What?"

"It seems Krillen's got his gi in a knot. I suppose it was your fault, ne?"

"..."

"Pffth...You're both so pathetic...Did I forget to mention you look like shit?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...All right..."

Talk about Bulma being unnerving lately. Vegeta could practically feel the hatred radiating from her body. It was...scary...

"What's your problem, Vegeta?"

He paused, slightly startled by Juuhachi's sudden outburst. Slowly, he uttered, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Why do you always do what you do? Act how you act?"

He narrowed his thick eyebrows with a frown. "You're making no sense, Blondie. I think you've had a few too many whacks to the..."

"You've got a wonderful home, a wonderful, loving wife, aspiring children...And you...the ass of all asses."

"Why you..."

She continued over him, raising her voice beyond his angered one. "You wouldn't know a good thing if it bit you in your ass of all asses."

"Shut the hell up, bitch woman!" he called her for the second time. "As if you know anything about 'good things'!"

She looked up at him again.

"You're married to a mop-top, used to be marble-headed, midget with a daughter that looks like she got shoved through the hedge trimmers and came back out looking like you! You call that a 'good thing'?"

Juuhachi clenched her thin fists tightly at her sides, her eyes narrowing alike his own.

"At least I've got better than you, you freak...Forget the loving wife thing...Who the hell has blue hair anyways? I'd say you have more of a clown squad than a family."

She didn't even have to yell out the comment for it to hit straight home. In a sudden burst, raw and powerful, Vegeta let out a terrifying emotional explosion. Familiar golden wisps began to trail about his form.

"Shut up!"

"No!"

"I said, shut the hell up!"

Rage filled, and battered to the soul, Juuhachi stood up in one fluent movement, her nose nearly touching the saiyan prince's to the tip.

"Well, I say, make me!"

Instantly his hair shattered into a flailing sweep of bright light. Eyes, now a piercing green, stared daggers so sharp she could nearly feel them puncturing her pale skin.

"Don't you ever talk to me like that, you wench..." His low growl forced a shiver down her back. Fear trailed in the pits of her wide eyes. Vegeta could clearly see the almost invisible emotion writhing in those beautiful blues, the sense of power it gave him feeding his uncontrollable anger. The saiyan pulled his thick fist back with a readiness to show exactly how dangerous this prince could get.

"Screw you!"

And with a strong, animal cry, Vegeta brought his hand forward, hard.