Bulma, newly dubbed queen of all Saiyans, hummed softly to herself as she methodically sorted her luggage into piles on the bed. Random curses came from the direction of the bathroom, a sign that Vegeta was still rummaging through the cabinets on his quest for aspirin. He had stalked in there about ten minutes ago, muttering incoherently. Bulma had only managed to make out about four words: "Nappa," "Radditz," "woman," and "headache."
Bulma stood back for a moment, surveying the mess before her. She had most of the chest-of-drawers and half of the closet filled; the bed was littered with even more clothing and she still had two suitcases left. All in all, she had packed unusually light. She was about to head out in search of her hostess to ask for the service of one of the many household robots when Vegeta burst out of the bathroom. He was bristling; without a word he stalked past Bulma, slammed open the door, and marched down the hallway.
"Vegeta!" called out his wife as she trotted after him.
He grunted in reply and continued to storm through the Capsule Corp complex, Bulma on his heels. Behind them, she could hear the doors to Gohan and Goku's rooms click open and then the familiar tread of the two Saiyans as they hurried to catch up.
"What's going on?" questioned Goku as he fell in step next to Bulma.
"Who IS that?" asked Gohan, referring the ki that the three Saiyans were picking up on.
Suddenly, Vegeta came to a halt in the middle of the hallway. Bulma ran into his back. She placed her hand on his shoulder and looked up at him curiously. He looked almost....frightened.
"Oh, no," whispered Goku, dread in his voice.
"What does Trunks think he's doing?" hissed Gohan in dismay.
Vegeta clenched his fist and growled in reply; he could sense his son power up to fight the owner of the distorted ki. The idiotic brat was going to try to battle the being alone.
"What?" What about Trunks?" asked the confused Bulma, beginning to feel panicked.
The three Saiyans ignored her question and rushed on towards the garden where the other fighters were waiting. The warriors were all standing, facing the direction of the strange ki.
"It's back," hissed Kurillian.
"That thing that destroyed the village," muttered Yamcha, turning visibly paler.
The younger fighters exchanged worried glances. King Vegeta snarled angrily, infuriated by the others's cowardice. His eyes fell on his counterpart; their eyes locked for a brief moment. The two Saiyans nodded in silent agreement and then headed resolutely towards the front entrance. At that moment Gohan burst into the garden, toting Goten in his arms. Chichi squealed when she saw her unconscious son. Gohan knelt down and placed his "little brother" on the floor while the group circled around them. They barraged the poor child with a dozen questions at once; Gohan's head felt as if it were beginning to spin. He only managed to stare up at his interrogators, blinking dumbly. His attention was distracted as Goten stirred slightly in his arms and whimpered. King Vegeta knelt over the boy and shook him slightly. Goten's eyes fluttered open and he stared up at the sovereign.
"Uncle Vegeta?" he murmured.
"Where's Trunks?" asked the older Saiyan, his voice softening a degree as he addressed the small child.
Goten blinked a few times, trying to clear his mind of the fog that clouded his memory. Suddenly his eyes widened.
"It's Brolly!" he chirped, his voice cracking from excitement.
"What?" hissed Son in disbelief.
"Oh, Kami," muttered Mirai no Gohan.
"Who's Brolly?" asked Radditz, looking at the older Saiyans quizzically.
"The legendary Super Saiyan," explained King Vegeta dryly.
Prince Vegeta's eyes widened in disbelief. Radditz and Nappa flinched slightly. The Earth fighters all frowned. That didn't sound promising.
"What happened to you?" asked Chichi as she cooed over Goten.
"Trunks knocked me out," replied the boy, pouting slightly.
Chichi eyes flashed angrily towards Trunks's parents. Queen Bulma sighed and rubbed her temples tiredly.
"He only did it because he didn't want Goten to get hurt and Goten-kun refused to leave," justified Chibi Gohan.
"You mean Trunks is facing that Brolly guy all alone?" hissed Princess Bulma.
Both of the young Sons bobbed their heads up and down in reply.
"Let's go," ordered King Vegeta as he stood to his feet. He had to get to his son.
The other fighters followed him outside, the women close behind. They came to a halt when they discovered to men perched on the brick privacy wall that surrounded the Capsule Corp complex. A familiar patch with the symbol "RR" was sewn onto both of the men's jackets.
"The Red Ribbon Army," muttered Yamcha.
The taller of the two men smirked. He landed gracefully on the ground before the group and bowed dramatically. The shorter man leapt down next to him.
"Dr. Gero sends his greetings," spoke up the taller man, his eyes glinting.
"What does he want?" snapped Mirai no Gohan.
"He sent us to make sure you don't interfere with Brolly's fun," replied the shorter man.
"Who the hell are you?" growled Prince Vegeta.
"Android 11," stated the shorter man.
"Android 12," said the taller man.
"At your service," they finished simultaneously.
"Androids?" croaked Queen Bulma. She grabbed Chichi and Princess Bulma's arms and dragged them backwards, placing herself between the younger women and the androids. "We had better stay out of their way."
King Vegeta stepped forwards and sneered at the two men before him.
"Androids?" he drawled, looking unimpressed.
He spat at them. Android 11 raised an eyebrow.
"Get out of my way," snarled King Vegeta, moving forward.
"I'm afraid we can't do that," replied Android 12.
He and #11 shifted into a fighting stance. King Vegeta smirked. The two androids yelled and rushed towards the Saiyan. With a shout, Vegeta jumped to the Super Saiyan level. The ki rush tossed the two androids backwards. 11 and 12 stood up and stared at the blonde warrior in disbelief. Distracted, they did not notice Radditz and Nappa disappear and reappear behind them. The two Saiyans delivered twin kicks, sending their opponents flying past Vegeta and directly into Kurillian and Yamcha's fists.
The two androids staggered to their feet. This was not going as planned. They had not really expected to win the battle, but they had not planned on being slaughtered like this.
11 and 12 released ki blasts, knocking down Kurillian and Yamcha. Immediately, Mirai no Gohan and Son appeared in front of them. The two Saiyans released their own ki attacks; the androids found themselves involuntarily airborne once more.
Once they had righted themselves, 11 and 12 attacked once more. 11 faced off against Tein this time; 12 focused on Prince Vegeta. It was difficult to keep up a steady attack with the other warriors weaving about through the fray. The androids were forced to defend themselves more than actually attack.
Out of the corner of his eye, movement caught Android 11's attention. The younger blue-haired woman was creeping away along the side of the building. Princess Bulma was trying to sneak off towards the lab so that she could fetch the scouter she had stored there. She figured it would come in handy with the fight with androids since it could register non-ki related energy levels. 11 smirked. She would be an easy target.
Android 11 disappeared from the middle of the ring of fighters that had encircled him; he reappeared before Princess Bulma. The woman squeaked and back-peddled, but she wasn't fast enough. Android 11's hands darted out and wrapped around her slender throat. He began to steadily apply increasing pressure. Bulma gagged and clawed helplessly at the man's arms. He just smirked ruthlessly.
Suddenly, Prince Vegeta appeared next to her side, his eyes glinting dangerously.
"Get your filthy hands off of her," he snarled, punching 11 hard in the stomach.
Android 11 grunted and released his hold on Princess Bulma's throat. She gasped as air once more filled her lungs. She felt her knees give out beneath her, but Vegeta wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to his side and steadying her. he held his arm out, palm facing the android that was bent double.
"Big....bang..." began Prince Vegeta, pulling his ki into his palm. Princess Bulma buried her face in his shoulder to protect her eyes from the light of the gathering ki bomb. She felt him squeeze her waist slightly in response. "ATTACK!"
Prince Vegeta released his ki attack. The blast ripped through 11's middle; the android collapsed into a smoldering heap on the ground. Prince Vegeta released Princess Bulma and stalked towards the other android.
Android #12 gasped as he watched his comrade's demise. He began to back away, looking around desperately for an escape path. Piccolo blocked his way.
"You're not going anyway," commented the Namek.
#12 tried to scramble away from the alien, but Piccolo lashed out with a swift side kick. The Namek's foot caught the android in the neck, decapitating him. The body fell with a soft thud as the head rolled lazily across the lawn.
King Vegeta did not hesitate after the battle; he immediate took to the air, speeding off towards where he could sense Brolly's erratic ki signature. His stomach knotted as he felt Trunks's ki steadily diminish. He jumped to the second level of Super Saiyan to boost his speed. Behind him, he could sense the others struggling to catch up with him, but he could care less about them. He had to get to Trunks.
By the time the warriors had arrived, there was no sign of Brolly. King Vegeta began to panic as he touched down; he could no longer sense his son's ki.
"Trunks!" he yelled desperately.
The warriors split off, searching frantically. King Vegeta began to feel sick. There was no sign of his son.
"Oh, Kami," he whispered desperately.
"Don't worry, Vegeta. We'll find him," reassured Son, patting the short Saiyan's shoulder.
King Vegeta snorted and bobbed his head. Still, he couldn't stop assuming the worst.
"You're Majesty!" rang out Nappa's voice from the other side of a small tree grove. "We found him!"
King Vegeta pushed past Son and ran towards the site. Nappa and Radditz stood at the edge of a newly formed crater. Vegeta shoved them out of the way and leapt down to the bottom of the crevice. He quickly knelt next to the still form of his son. Dark purple bruises were forming underneath the boy's pallid skin; Trunks's clothes were stained a dark crimson with blood from the nasty gashes that marked his body. Carefully, Vegeta lifted his son into his lap. Trunks's left eye cracked open; his right one had swollen shut.
"Daddy?" he managed to croak through dry, cracked lips.
"I'm here, Trunks," assured Vegeta.
Above him, King Vegeta could feel the other fighters crowd around and peer down at him. He could pick up their whispered concerns. Gently, he pulled Trunks close to him and levitated out of the crater. Yamcha and Tien visibly winced when they saw the boy's appearance. Goku and Son frowned, while Goten let out a sob.
"I'll go to Korin's Tower and get some senzu beans," commented Choatzu as he set off in the direction of Kami's Look Out.
"There's always a doctor on duty at Capsule Corp during office hours," offered Yamcha. "We should try to get him back there as soon as possible. Besides, the women are probably pretty pissed that we left them behind."
King Vegeta nodded numbly as he cradled his son closer to him. Son stepped forward.
"I'll take you back now. The rest of you, meet us back at Capsule Corp," he instructed.
The others looked at him curiously as he placed on hand on King Vegeta's shoulder and then placed two fingers of the other hand on his forehead. Son squinted his eyes in concentration. The air surrounding him and the two Briefs began to shimmer slightly. Suddenly, they were gone.
A moment later King Vegeta found himself in the front lawn once more. Princess Bulma was just returning from collecting a helicopter capsule so that the three women could follow after the men. The younger woman let out a scream when the three men suddenly appeared before her. Queen Bulma also screamed, but her's was a reaction to the sight of her son bloodied up. She quickly rushed to her husband's side.
"Trunks-kun?" she whispered as she stroked her son's hair.
The boy didn't respond. Vegeta grunted for her to get out of his way as he marched through the yard towards the medical building of the complex. Princess Bulma and Chichi stayed behind with Son, watching as the worried parents rushed the injured boy away.
The rest of the afternoon was spent in suspense. All of the fighters, minus Queen Bulma and King Vegeta, were crammed into the family room, eagerly awaiting news about Trunks. So far, Choatzu had been the only one admitted the medical wing in order to deliver the senzu beans. At about 7:30, Queen Bulma finally trudged into the room, looking exhausted but relieved.
"How is he?" inquired Princess Bulma, wringing her hands nervously.
"He's still pretty beat up, but he'll be fine," replied her counterpart, smiling warily. "He'll have to stay in bed for the next couple of days, but he should be up and about soon."
"Can I go see him?" asked Goten desperately.
Queen Bulma sighed and titled her head in thought. After a moment, she spoke up.
"I suppose so. But no other visitors," she stated. "He needs his rest. He's already asked if you can stay with him for the night, so go ahead Goten."
Goten smiled happily and rushed out towards the medical wing. He slowed down and began to tiptoe as he approached Trunks's room. He hesitated slightly at the door, peering in shyly. Trunks was asleep on the cot, his head propped up on several pillows. King Vegeta was napping in a chair next to the hospital bed. Goten snuck towards the bed; placing both hands on the blanket, he stared up at his bruised companion. Sensing that he was being watched, Trunks forced his eyes open. A smile spread slowly across his face as he looked down at the young Son.
"Hiya, Goten," he whispered.
Goten's face scrunched into a frown.
"It wasn't nice of you to hit me over the head," muttered the small boy.
"Come on, Chibi. It was for your own good," replied Trunks.
Goten sniffed. Silently, he levitated onto the bed next to Trunks. Making sure to be extra careful, he lay down by his friend's side. Obsidian eyes stared angrily into blue ones.
"Chibi, stop looking at me like that. You're making me feel guilty," protested Trunks softly.
"Hmph," replied Goten as he snuggled closer to his friend.
"Do you forgive me yet?" begged the older boy.
Goten thought for a moment. Trunks smiled as the younger boy's face contorted from the strain of concentration. After a minute of consideration, Goten grinned.
"Yep!" he replied. His face became serious once more. "But don't ever do that again."
"Do what?" asked Trunks innocently, not seeing any flaws in his earlier actions.
"Be stupid and fight alone," answered Goten. Large tear drops filled his eyes. "I couldn't feel your ki anymore. I thought you were dead."
"Stupid. I'm the Prince of all Saiyans. It takes more than some weakling third-class underling to kill me," replied Trunks haughtily.
Goten grinned up at him, admiration shining in his eyes. Trunks beamed back down at him. The two boys then settled down and within minutes were asleep.
King Vegeta opened one eye and studied the two dozing boys. He had heard every word spoken. A faint smile spread across his lips. Silently, he stood to his feet and walked over to the bed. He covered Goten with one of the spare blankets. Making sure both boys were properly tucked in, Vegeta left the room and headed back towards his guest bedroom.
When he arrived, he found his wife thrown out across the bed, her head buried in the pillows, and her body shaking from unhindered sobs. He silently stepped into the room and shut the door quietly behind him. Vegeta rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.
"What are you bawling about, woman?" he stated as a greeting.
Bulma sat up, wiping her eyes fiercely. She glared angrily at the Saiyan in front of her.
"You're asking me what I'm upset about?" she snapped. "Our son almost died today and you have the nerve to ask me what's wrong?"
"He's not dead," replied Vegeta.
Bulma let out an infuriated shriek and threw one of the pillows at him; he easily dodged the projectile.
"Do you even care? Would it even phase you if something happened to me or Trunks?" screeched Bulma, tears dripping down her cheeks.
Vegeta stared at her coldly, showing no visible reaction to her statements.
"Monster!" she yelled, tossing another pillow his way.
Bulma buried her face in her hands and began sobbing once more. A moment later she felt the bed shift from Vegeta's weight as he sat down next to her. She refused to look up at him. Gently, her hands were pried away from her face. Bulma stared blankly at Vegeta through her tears. He cupped her face with one hand and softly began to kiss away the salty tears that stained her cheeks. Bulma sighed softly.
"Stop," she muttered, pushing him half-heartedly away from herself.
Vegeta sat back, looking disappointed. Usually when she was mad all he had to do was tease her a little bit and they would "make up," so to speak. He didn't like it when she was resistant.
"Woman..." he began, but he was cut off by an icy glare from her. Sighing, he tried again. "Bulma...you know that I...I don't like..."
"That you don't like saying that you care," finished Bulma for him. She looked up at him with pleading blue eyes. "Would it really hurt to say something just once?"
Vegeta broke her gaze. Memories of everything that had happened to him when he was a slave to Freeza flooded back. The experiences he had gone through had left him feeling empty inside. The only time he felt at peace was when he was around this crazy, demanding woman. Sighing, he leaned forward and whispered something in her ear. Bulma blinked.
"What does that mean?" she asked, her brow furrowing as she tried to comprehend the strange words he had just told her.
"There isn't a Saiyan phrase for the words 'I love you'," explained Vegeta. "What I said translates roughly to mean 'You belong to me,' which is the closest thing to words of endearment that you will ever hear from a Saiyan who wasn't dropped on his head as a child."
A small smile crept across Bulma's face.
"See? Was that so hard?" she giggled as she wrapped her arms around Vegeta's neck.
"You have no idea," he muttered darkly in reply.
Bulma giggled again and began to teasingly kiss his neck. Vegeta smirked. They were finally going to get to "make up."
Princess Bulma headed down the hall towards her counterpart's room. She halted in front of the door, giving it a sharp rap. Without thinking, she swung the door open.
"I just wanted to let you know that there's leftovers in...."
Princess Bulma trailed off as her mind registered the scene in front of her. Her counterpart lay on her back on the bed, with Vegeta straddling her. She had been in the process of removing his shirt before the younger woman had walked in.
From down the hall, Prince Vegeta noticed his hostess standing in front of a room looking dismayed. He smirked and sauntered towards her.
"What are you gawking at, woman?" he asked as he came to a stop beside her.
He turned and looked in the room also. He and Bulma both stared awestruck at their older counterparts.
"Do you mind?" snarled King Vegeta, glaring at the two intruders.
"S-s-sorry," muttered Princess Bulma, quickly shutting the door.
From the other side, she could hear the older self laughing hysterically. Turning a deep shade of red, she turned towards Prince Vegeta, who was staring open-mouthed at the now closed door. He turned and looked at her, his own face mirroring her blush. They quickly looked away, each murmuring various excuses, before setting off in opposite directions down the hall.
From behind a corner in the hallway, Radditz and Nappa glanced at each other. They had just witnessed the entire embarrassing scene. They grinned wickedly at one another and then turned to their newest partner in crime. Mirai no Gohan smiled back at the two older Saiyans.
"This is going to be fun," he commented jovially.
"That's the spirit," replied Radditz, slapping his nephew on the back.
With that, the three Saiyans set out to find Prince Vegeta. They had some serious teasing to do.
*******
Sorry that it took me awhile to post. I have a 15 page paper due next Tuesday. *runs around screaming hysterically* So it might be awhile before I get the next chapter up. But I will try to post again ASAP. Anyway, enjoy.
~ladymoonlight
Bulma stood back for a moment, surveying the mess before her. She had most of the chest-of-drawers and half of the closet filled; the bed was littered with even more clothing and she still had two suitcases left. All in all, she had packed unusually light. She was about to head out in search of her hostess to ask for the service of one of the many household robots when Vegeta burst out of the bathroom. He was bristling; without a word he stalked past Bulma, slammed open the door, and marched down the hallway.
"Vegeta!" called out his wife as she trotted after him.
He grunted in reply and continued to storm through the Capsule Corp complex, Bulma on his heels. Behind them, she could hear the doors to Gohan and Goku's rooms click open and then the familiar tread of the two Saiyans as they hurried to catch up.
"What's going on?" questioned Goku as he fell in step next to Bulma.
"Who IS that?" asked Gohan, referring the ki that the three Saiyans were picking up on.
Suddenly, Vegeta came to a halt in the middle of the hallway. Bulma ran into his back. She placed her hand on his shoulder and looked up at him curiously. He looked almost....frightened.
"Oh, no," whispered Goku, dread in his voice.
"What does Trunks think he's doing?" hissed Gohan in dismay.
Vegeta clenched his fist and growled in reply; he could sense his son power up to fight the owner of the distorted ki. The idiotic brat was going to try to battle the being alone.
"What?" What about Trunks?" asked the confused Bulma, beginning to feel panicked.
The three Saiyans ignored her question and rushed on towards the garden where the other fighters were waiting. The warriors were all standing, facing the direction of the strange ki.
"It's back," hissed Kurillian.
"That thing that destroyed the village," muttered Yamcha, turning visibly paler.
The younger fighters exchanged worried glances. King Vegeta snarled angrily, infuriated by the others's cowardice. His eyes fell on his counterpart; their eyes locked for a brief moment. The two Saiyans nodded in silent agreement and then headed resolutely towards the front entrance. At that moment Gohan burst into the garden, toting Goten in his arms. Chichi squealed when she saw her unconscious son. Gohan knelt down and placed his "little brother" on the floor while the group circled around them. They barraged the poor child with a dozen questions at once; Gohan's head felt as if it were beginning to spin. He only managed to stare up at his interrogators, blinking dumbly. His attention was distracted as Goten stirred slightly in his arms and whimpered. King Vegeta knelt over the boy and shook him slightly. Goten's eyes fluttered open and he stared up at the sovereign.
"Uncle Vegeta?" he murmured.
"Where's Trunks?" asked the older Saiyan, his voice softening a degree as he addressed the small child.
Goten blinked a few times, trying to clear his mind of the fog that clouded his memory. Suddenly his eyes widened.
"It's Brolly!" he chirped, his voice cracking from excitement.
"What?" hissed Son in disbelief.
"Oh, Kami," muttered Mirai no Gohan.
"Who's Brolly?" asked Radditz, looking at the older Saiyans quizzically.
"The legendary Super Saiyan," explained King Vegeta dryly.
Prince Vegeta's eyes widened in disbelief. Radditz and Nappa flinched slightly. The Earth fighters all frowned. That didn't sound promising.
"What happened to you?" asked Chichi as she cooed over Goten.
"Trunks knocked me out," replied the boy, pouting slightly.
Chichi eyes flashed angrily towards Trunks's parents. Queen Bulma sighed and rubbed her temples tiredly.
"He only did it because he didn't want Goten to get hurt and Goten-kun refused to leave," justified Chibi Gohan.
"You mean Trunks is facing that Brolly guy all alone?" hissed Princess Bulma.
Both of the young Sons bobbed their heads up and down in reply.
"Let's go," ordered King Vegeta as he stood to his feet. He had to get to his son.
The other fighters followed him outside, the women close behind. They came to a halt when they discovered to men perched on the brick privacy wall that surrounded the Capsule Corp complex. A familiar patch with the symbol "RR" was sewn onto both of the men's jackets.
"The Red Ribbon Army," muttered Yamcha.
The taller of the two men smirked. He landed gracefully on the ground before the group and bowed dramatically. The shorter man leapt down next to him.
"Dr. Gero sends his greetings," spoke up the taller man, his eyes glinting.
"What does he want?" snapped Mirai no Gohan.
"He sent us to make sure you don't interfere with Brolly's fun," replied the shorter man.
"Who the hell are you?" growled Prince Vegeta.
"Android 11," stated the shorter man.
"Android 12," said the taller man.
"At your service," they finished simultaneously.
"Androids?" croaked Queen Bulma. She grabbed Chichi and Princess Bulma's arms and dragged them backwards, placing herself between the younger women and the androids. "We had better stay out of their way."
King Vegeta stepped forwards and sneered at the two men before him.
"Androids?" he drawled, looking unimpressed.
He spat at them. Android 11 raised an eyebrow.
"Get out of my way," snarled King Vegeta, moving forward.
"I'm afraid we can't do that," replied Android 12.
He and #11 shifted into a fighting stance. King Vegeta smirked. The two androids yelled and rushed towards the Saiyan. With a shout, Vegeta jumped to the Super Saiyan level. The ki rush tossed the two androids backwards. 11 and 12 stood up and stared at the blonde warrior in disbelief. Distracted, they did not notice Radditz and Nappa disappear and reappear behind them. The two Saiyans delivered twin kicks, sending their opponents flying past Vegeta and directly into Kurillian and Yamcha's fists.
The two androids staggered to their feet. This was not going as planned. They had not really expected to win the battle, but they had not planned on being slaughtered like this.
11 and 12 released ki blasts, knocking down Kurillian and Yamcha. Immediately, Mirai no Gohan and Son appeared in front of them. The two Saiyans released their own ki attacks; the androids found themselves involuntarily airborne once more.
Once they had righted themselves, 11 and 12 attacked once more. 11 faced off against Tein this time; 12 focused on Prince Vegeta. It was difficult to keep up a steady attack with the other warriors weaving about through the fray. The androids were forced to defend themselves more than actually attack.
Out of the corner of his eye, movement caught Android 11's attention. The younger blue-haired woman was creeping away along the side of the building. Princess Bulma was trying to sneak off towards the lab so that she could fetch the scouter she had stored there. She figured it would come in handy with the fight with androids since it could register non-ki related energy levels. 11 smirked. She would be an easy target.
Android 11 disappeared from the middle of the ring of fighters that had encircled him; he reappeared before Princess Bulma. The woman squeaked and back-peddled, but she wasn't fast enough. Android 11's hands darted out and wrapped around her slender throat. He began to steadily apply increasing pressure. Bulma gagged and clawed helplessly at the man's arms. He just smirked ruthlessly.
Suddenly, Prince Vegeta appeared next to her side, his eyes glinting dangerously.
"Get your filthy hands off of her," he snarled, punching 11 hard in the stomach.
Android 11 grunted and released his hold on Princess Bulma's throat. She gasped as air once more filled her lungs. She felt her knees give out beneath her, but Vegeta wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to his side and steadying her. he held his arm out, palm facing the android that was bent double.
"Big....bang..." began Prince Vegeta, pulling his ki into his palm. Princess Bulma buried her face in his shoulder to protect her eyes from the light of the gathering ki bomb. She felt him squeeze her waist slightly in response. "ATTACK!"
Prince Vegeta released his ki attack. The blast ripped through 11's middle; the android collapsed into a smoldering heap on the ground. Prince Vegeta released Princess Bulma and stalked towards the other android.
Android #12 gasped as he watched his comrade's demise. He began to back away, looking around desperately for an escape path. Piccolo blocked his way.
"You're not going anyway," commented the Namek.
#12 tried to scramble away from the alien, but Piccolo lashed out with a swift side kick. The Namek's foot caught the android in the neck, decapitating him. The body fell with a soft thud as the head rolled lazily across the lawn.
King Vegeta did not hesitate after the battle; he immediate took to the air, speeding off towards where he could sense Brolly's erratic ki signature. His stomach knotted as he felt Trunks's ki steadily diminish. He jumped to the second level of Super Saiyan to boost his speed. Behind him, he could sense the others struggling to catch up with him, but he could care less about them. He had to get to Trunks.
By the time the warriors had arrived, there was no sign of Brolly. King Vegeta began to panic as he touched down; he could no longer sense his son's ki.
"Trunks!" he yelled desperately.
The warriors split off, searching frantically. King Vegeta began to feel sick. There was no sign of his son.
"Oh, Kami," he whispered desperately.
"Don't worry, Vegeta. We'll find him," reassured Son, patting the short Saiyan's shoulder.
King Vegeta snorted and bobbed his head. Still, he couldn't stop assuming the worst.
"You're Majesty!" rang out Nappa's voice from the other side of a small tree grove. "We found him!"
King Vegeta pushed past Son and ran towards the site. Nappa and Radditz stood at the edge of a newly formed crater. Vegeta shoved them out of the way and leapt down to the bottom of the crevice. He quickly knelt next to the still form of his son. Dark purple bruises were forming underneath the boy's pallid skin; Trunks's clothes were stained a dark crimson with blood from the nasty gashes that marked his body. Carefully, Vegeta lifted his son into his lap. Trunks's left eye cracked open; his right one had swollen shut.
"Daddy?" he managed to croak through dry, cracked lips.
"I'm here, Trunks," assured Vegeta.
Above him, King Vegeta could feel the other fighters crowd around and peer down at him. He could pick up their whispered concerns. Gently, he pulled Trunks close to him and levitated out of the crater. Yamcha and Tien visibly winced when they saw the boy's appearance. Goku and Son frowned, while Goten let out a sob.
"I'll go to Korin's Tower and get some senzu beans," commented Choatzu as he set off in the direction of Kami's Look Out.
"There's always a doctor on duty at Capsule Corp during office hours," offered Yamcha. "We should try to get him back there as soon as possible. Besides, the women are probably pretty pissed that we left them behind."
King Vegeta nodded numbly as he cradled his son closer to him. Son stepped forward.
"I'll take you back now. The rest of you, meet us back at Capsule Corp," he instructed.
The others looked at him curiously as he placed on hand on King Vegeta's shoulder and then placed two fingers of the other hand on his forehead. Son squinted his eyes in concentration. The air surrounding him and the two Briefs began to shimmer slightly. Suddenly, they were gone.
A moment later King Vegeta found himself in the front lawn once more. Princess Bulma was just returning from collecting a helicopter capsule so that the three women could follow after the men. The younger woman let out a scream when the three men suddenly appeared before her. Queen Bulma also screamed, but her's was a reaction to the sight of her son bloodied up. She quickly rushed to her husband's side.
"Trunks-kun?" she whispered as she stroked her son's hair.
The boy didn't respond. Vegeta grunted for her to get out of his way as he marched through the yard towards the medical building of the complex. Princess Bulma and Chichi stayed behind with Son, watching as the worried parents rushed the injured boy away.
The rest of the afternoon was spent in suspense. All of the fighters, minus Queen Bulma and King Vegeta, were crammed into the family room, eagerly awaiting news about Trunks. So far, Choatzu had been the only one admitted the medical wing in order to deliver the senzu beans. At about 7:30, Queen Bulma finally trudged into the room, looking exhausted but relieved.
"How is he?" inquired Princess Bulma, wringing her hands nervously.
"He's still pretty beat up, but he'll be fine," replied her counterpart, smiling warily. "He'll have to stay in bed for the next couple of days, but he should be up and about soon."
"Can I go see him?" asked Goten desperately.
Queen Bulma sighed and titled her head in thought. After a moment, she spoke up.
"I suppose so. But no other visitors," she stated. "He needs his rest. He's already asked if you can stay with him for the night, so go ahead Goten."
Goten smiled happily and rushed out towards the medical wing. He slowed down and began to tiptoe as he approached Trunks's room. He hesitated slightly at the door, peering in shyly. Trunks was asleep on the cot, his head propped up on several pillows. King Vegeta was napping in a chair next to the hospital bed. Goten snuck towards the bed; placing both hands on the blanket, he stared up at his bruised companion. Sensing that he was being watched, Trunks forced his eyes open. A smile spread slowly across his face as he looked down at the young Son.
"Hiya, Goten," he whispered.
Goten's face scrunched into a frown.
"It wasn't nice of you to hit me over the head," muttered the small boy.
"Come on, Chibi. It was for your own good," replied Trunks.
Goten sniffed. Silently, he levitated onto the bed next to Trunks. Making sure to be extra careful, he lay down by his friend's side. Obsidian eyes stared angrily into blue ones.
"Chibi, stop looking at me like that. You're making me feel guilty," protested Trunks softly.
"Hmph," replied Goten as he snuggled closer to his friend.
"Do you forgive me yet?" begged the older boy.
Goten thought for a moment. Trunks smiled as the younger boy's face contorted from the strain of concentration. After a minute of consideration, Goten grinned.
"Yep!" he replied. His face became serious once more. "But don't ever do that again."
"Do what?" asked Trunks innocently, not seeing any flaws in his earlier actions.
"Be stupid and fight alone," answered Goten. Large tear drops filled his eyes. "I couldn't feel your ki anymore. I thought you were dead."
"Stupid. I'm the Prince of all Saiyans. It takes more than some weakling third-class underling to kill me," replied Trunks haughtily.
Goten grinned up at him, admiration shining in his eyes. Trunks beamed back down at him. The two boys then settled down and within minutes were asleep.
King Vegeta opened one eye and studied the two dozing boys. He had heard every word spoken. A faint smile spread across his lips. Silently, he stood to his feet and walked over to the bed. He covered Goten with one of the spare blankets. Making sure both boys were properly tucked in, Vegeta left the room and headed back towards his guest bedroom.
When he arrived, he found his wife thrown out across the bed, her head buried in the pillows, and her body shaking from unhindered sobs. He silently stepped into the room and shut the door quietly behind him. Vegeta rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.
"What are you bawling about, woman?" he stated as a greeting.
Bulma sat up, wiping her eyes fiercely. She glared angrily at the Saiyan in front of her.
"You're asking me what I'm upset about?" she snapped. "Our son almost died today and you have the nerve to ask me what's wrong?"
"He's not dead," replied Vegeta.
Bulma let out an infuriated shriek and threw one of the pillows at him; he easily dodged the projectile.
"Do you even care? Would it even phase you if something happened to me or Trunks?" screeched Bulma, tears dripping down her cheeks.
Vegeta stared at her coldly, showing no visible reaction to her statements.
"Monster!" she yelled, tossing another pillow his way.
Bulma buried her face in her hands and began sobbing once more. A moment later she felt the bed shift from Vegeta's weight as he sat down next to her. She refused to look up at him. Gently, her hands were pried away from her face. Bulma stared blankly at Vegeta through her tears. He cupped her face with one hand and softly began to kiss away the salty tears that stained her cheeks. Bulma sighed softly.
"Stop," she muttered, pushing him half-heartedly away from herself.
Vegeta sat back, looking disappointed. Usually when she was mad all he had to do was tease her a little bit and they would "make up," so to speak. He didn't like it when she was resistant.
"Woman..." he began, but he was cut off by an icy glare from her. Sighing, he tried again. "Bulma...you know that I...I don't like..."
"That you don't like saying that you care," finished Bulma for him. She looked up at him with pleading blue eyes. "Would it really hurt to say something just once?"
Vegeta broke her gaze. Memories of everything that had happened to him when he was a slave to Freeza flooded back. The experiences he had gone through had left him feeling empty inside. The only time he felt at peace was when he was around this crazy, demanding woman. Sighing, he leaned forward and whispered something in her ear. Bulma blinked.
"What does that mean?" she asked, her brow furrowing as she tried to comprehend the strange words he had just told her.
"There isn't a Saiyan phrase for the words 'I love you'," explained Vegeta. "What I said translates roughly to mean 'You belong to me,' which is the closest thing to words of endearment that you will ever hear from a Saiyan who wasn't dropped on his head as a child."
A small smile crept across Bulma's face.
"See? Was that so hard?" she giggled as she wrapped her arms around Vegeta's neck.
"You have no idea," he muttered darkly in reply.
Bulma giggled again and began to teasingly kiss his neck. Vegeta smirked. They were finally going to get to "make up."
Princess Bulma headed down the hall towards her counterpart's room. She halted in front of the door, giving it a sharp rap. Without thinking, she swung the door open.
"I just wanted to let you know that there's leftovers in...."
Princess Bulma trailed off as her mind registered the scene in front of her. Her counterpart lay on her back on the bed, with Vegeta straddling her. She had been in the process of removing his shirt before the younger woman had walked in.
From down the hall, Prince Vegeta noticed his hostess standing in front of a room looking dismayed. He smirked and sauntered towards her.
"What are you gawking at, woman?" he asked as he came to a stop beside her.
He turned and looked in the room also. He and Bulma both stared awestruck at their older counterparts.
"Do you mind?" snarled King Vegeta, glaring at the two intruders.
"S-s-sorry," muttered Princess Bulma, quickly shutting the door.
From the other side, she could hear the older self laughing hysterically. Turning a deep shade of red, she turned towards Prince Vegeta, who was staring open-mouthed at the now closed door. He turned and looked at her, his own face mirroring her blush. They quickly looked away, each murmuring various excuses, before setting off in opposite directions down the hall.
From behind a corner in the hallway, Radditz and Nappa glanced at each other. They had just witnessed the entire embarrassing scene. They grinned wickedly at one another and then turned to their newest partner in crime. Mirai no Gohan smiled back at the two older Saiyans.
"This is going to be fun," he commented jovially.
"That's the spirit," replied Radditz, slapping his nephew on the back.
With that, the three Saiyans set out to find Prince Vegeta. They had some serious teasing to do.
*******
Sorry that it took me awhile to post. I have a 15 page paper due next Tuesday. *runs around screaming hysterically* So it might be awhile before I get the next chapter up. But I will try to post again ASAP. Anyway, enjoy.
~ladymoonlight