Chapter Three

Android?! Ava's world came to a complete stop. The hunter... no android... he looked... he didn't look happy.

"You couldn't just say 17, could you?" His voice was irritated.

"I had to let her know exactly what she's dealing with," Yamcha smiled smugly, happy with Ava's reaction to the android.

Ava's gaze narrowed at Yamcha's voice.

"You need to leave, human, now," she growled.

"But Ava..." Yamcha looked at her shocked.

"Go or this time I WILL KILL YOU!!" Ava glowered at him.

"FINE! But I am telling your brother for your own protection!" Yamcha blasted off into the sky and was gone.

"I do NOT NEED to be PROTECTED!" She screamed after him.

She spun around to face the android. "Not from you or anybody else! I am a princess, damn it! I was trained to protect myself!" Then she blasted into the opposite direction and was gone.

Android 17 put his hands on his slim hips and shook his head. "Well, this puts an interesting twist on everything."

One he really would have preferred not to have. Damn him... no wonder 18 didn't like him. He frowned at the ground. Being an android put off a lot of girls. Some even went as far to say that he was 'unnatural'. They went on and on about how they just couldn't be with something that 'wasn't human'. He was just as human as any guy, just with a few upgrades, that's all.

He sighed wearily and wiped the back of his neck with his hand. Some people have all the luck. He twisted his lips ironically. 18 finds a tolerant monk, Goku and Vegeta, aliens no less, found the only two women on earth who would love them regardless of their species.

He had searched high and low for a tolerant female but almost always ended up bored, either with her attitude or just her. Yeah, some people have all the luck. He shrugged. But at least I'll have some fun. Besides she is different. She has to be, she has a tail for goodness sake.

He brightened, confident again, as he took a step and heard an odd clicking sound. Puzzled he looked down to see a black square. Odd, It's electronic. He turned it over curious and what he saw made his blood boil.

To Ava Love Trunks

He glared at the engraving on the back. His hand tightened, he wanted to break it, destroy it, blast it into a million pieces. He calmed himself with a deep breathe and his brows lowered over his eyes. She will want this back. He thought bitterly not even bothering to activate the device as he shoved it roughly into his pocket.

Who is this Trunks anyway? He snarled to himself. Whoever he is, he had better hope we never cross paths! Then he blasted off in his own direction and was gone.

**

Vegeta jerked awake at the sound of broken glass. Half a second later he found the culprit cursing at her own incompetence.

"Ava?" He frowned in concern. "What's going on?"

Ava looked at him and snarled. "You were always the lucky one!"

Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

"You found a damn mate!" She screamed as she started pummeling him on his chest tears slowly trickling down her face. The tears was the only thing that stopped him from retaliating.

"You don't need me! No one needs me! I serve no purpose! You even refused to let me fight with you against the androids because I wasn't strong enough! You even went as far as to knock me out and keep me heavily sedated!!" She paused in her assault as if confused. "Android..." She sunk to the floor and cried helplessly.

Vegeta blinked at her, unsure of what to do. Ava had never acted this way before. Damn planet!

"Ava?" Bulma pushed passed her bewildered husband. She knelt and gathered Ava in her arms. "We can't help you if you don't tell us what happened." She crooned softly.

"You don't understand, by all rights I should be dead, killed either by Frieza or the androids... by him..." Ava wept brokenly.

"No, Ava, don't say that..." Bulma rubbed her back. "Vegeta was trying to protect you, he doesn't think you're worthless. You should have seen him before you, Ava, no one could talk to him, or understand him..."

Vegeta frowned as Bulma crooned to his twin trying to comfort her. It wasn't working. Fine, we will do this the saiyan way, he sneered.

"Ava!" He barked causing both women to look at him. "Get off the floor this instant! This is no way for a princess to act!" He stated in his most arrogant tone.

Bulma frowned at him in disapproval. Of all times to ring on the arrogant routine-- Ava interrupted Bulma's thoughts as she gently pushed the human away and stood up. Bulma stood up as well and watched in fascination as Ava turned off her emotions like a faucet.

"What does my prince request of me?" Ava's tone was just as arrogant.

"I would request a report from my princess," Vegeta commanded softly.

Ava nodded putting her hand behind her back, braced her feet apart, and with a deep breathe began.

"As my prince knows, I have been on an expedition to find a mate. Sadly, I had failed, and was ready to lead a life of solitude. However, two days ago, I ran across a hunter who had no qualms about my tail, strength, or my ability to fight. He also suited my tastes in appearance. He appeared to be the perfect candidate to become my mate..." She trailed off as her monotone wavered.

Vegeta nodded his head fractionally, "Continue."

With a deep breathe fortify herself she did.

"Today it was revealed to me that he was an... android."

Vegeta looked at her sharply. "Android 17?"

Ava's calm face nearly crumbled before she could hide it. "He is one of the androids you fought against, isn't he?" She looked down ashamed.

Vegeta set his jaw. "Yes and no. I only saw him briefly, it was his sister that I fought."

"They're not enemies, any more. 18 is married to Krillin and they have a baby." Bulma put in hesitantly.

Ava looked at her with confused and bruised eyes. "How can androids have babies?"

Bulma blinked at her. "Well... 18 says that they're basically people, just with built-in gadgets."

"So he's real," Ava breathed with renewed hope, "and he is not an enemy."

"An android, Ava?" Vegeta raised an eyebrow.

"A human, Vegeta?" Ava raised her own defiantly. She tensed slightly ready to defend herself if he disapproved of 17. Will you approve?

Vegeta chuckled not missing her defensive reaction. "As princess you have the right to choose whom you mate to."

She smiled and tossed her head. "As prince you have the right to say no to such a pair." Ava bowed and flew out the broken window. He approves.

"What just happened?" Bulma demanded.

"She realizes it's not up to me," Vegeta turned to smirk at his mate. "How bout we go back to bed."

**

"17? What are you doing here?" 18 found her brother sitting at the edge of the beach glaring at the water. He had his knees drawn up to his chin.

"I thought you wanted me to visit, sis," he nearly hissed at her.

She lifted a blond brow. "Usually, when you say 'soon', it means in about six months."

He sneered as he hugged his legs. "Well, excuse me, for not being predictable."

18 frowned as she crouched next to him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he bit off, "Everything's just peachy!"

"Something happened with another girl didn't it?" 18 looked out over the ocean getting into a more comfortable position.

17 sighed and closed his eyes. "Remember the wild woman posing as a ghost?"

"Yes," 18 looked at him from the corner of her eye. "What about her? Don't tell me she rejected you?"

"She didn't have to," he twisted his lips ironically, "for a ghost she has suitors up the wazoo."

"How did she accomplish that if she lives in a haunted section of the woods?" 18 frowned.

"I don't know. All I know is Yamcha was bothering her and then she beat him in a fight by showing superior technique and skill." He smiled.

18 lifted her eyebrows in surprise. "She must be formidable."

17 frowned. "She is..."

"Then what's the problem?" 18 looked at him.

17 looked at her with a blank expression but she could see his eyes smoldering.

"She's already taken."

18 frowned in confusion as he tossed her a small black square. She turned it over in her hands, seeing the engraving, she looked at her twin indecisively.

"Whose Trunks?"

"I have no idea, nor do I care, all I know is he got to her first." 17 glared at the sand that dare cling to his shoes.

18 tapped the square against considering. "Is she really worth all this trouble?"

17 snapped his gaze to hers. "What does is matter, 18? If she is with a normal guy, she won't consider being with me."

18 looked at her twin shrewdly. "Did you watch this?" She waved the square at him.

17's lips quirked making him look like his old self. "No."

"Can I watch it?" She asked him blandly.

He turned back to the ocean. "Only if you do it out of my range of hearing."

"Coward." 18's mouth curved.

17 shrugged. "I guess I am not ready to see the competition that's all." He looked at her sardonically. "But I guess you don't understand. You didn't have to beat any doors down to get to Krillin, did you?" He smiled as he heard her stomp off with a muttered, "Fuck you."

When he sensed that she was far enough away he sighed and rolled his shoulders. The first interesting girl I meet and she's taken.

"17?" 18 was suddenly behind him.

"Hmmm?" He stood up and absently brushed the sand off his pants.

"The girl...what does she look like?" 18's voice sounded confused.

"She maybe an inch shorter than me, completely lean, with wild, spiky, black hair, a sharp little nose," 17's voice became almost dreamy. "Black eyes that can spit fire at you. Have you ever seen black fire and wanted to be consumed by it?"

"Yes," 18 answered making 17 look at her. "I see it every time I look in Krillin's eyes."

"Oh, yeah," he chuckled softly, "I forget about your monk some times."

"17, if you really want this girl you have to fight for her," she told him softly.

"Yeah, I guess your right." 17 grinned suddenly, "There's no fun getting what you want easily."

"Spare me, your fun," 18 replied tartly sensing that the crisis was over. "And for your information I did have to beat one door down for Krillin." She lifted her chin.

"Oh, really?" 17 eyes narrowed fractionally.

"Yes, a blue thing called Maron," 18 shuddered.

"Maron?" 17's eyes widened.

"Krillin said that he only wanted two women in his life and so his daughter would blot out the one mistake in his heart." 18 rolled her eyes. "So I only beat him up a little bit."

"Sorry for dragging you down, sis," 17 laughed as he gave her a quick hug, "It's just... since you got married I feel like a broken piece of a puzzle and I don't know where I fit in."

18 tilted her head. "Maybe you will fit together with this girl."

17 laughed again. "Listen to us, getting all mushy, married life for you has changed both of us!"

18 smiled as her wild brother blasted off to parts unknown.

"18? What's going on?" A male voice sounded behind her.

"Nothing," 18 frowned at Krillin, "Does Vegeta have a sister?"

Krillin blinked at her. "Yeah, a twin sister, why?"

"A twin?" 18 blinked.

"Yeah, why?" Krillin shrugged.

"Because 17 just fell in love with her!" 18 laughed as she started walking to the Kame house while Krillin trailed after her. "Broken pieces, indeed!"