Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or the characters

The evidence stacked against Frieza could not be contested. The fact that Officer Trunks's and Kuriza's lives were endangered made Frieza's case a priority. His alleged criminal activity was now a certainty, and he would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The dream the two men shared as children was finally coming to pass. It was surreal; Kuriza could hardly believe it as he sat inside the courtroom.

Trunks sat beside him, and Kuriza was thankful Trunks came despite his injuries and pain. Vegeta was with them which came as a surprise to Kuriza. It made sense, though, that Vegeta would want to see his ultimate enemy put in his place. It would finally close the chapter of his self-imposed mission to keep Frieza at bay in the city.

Kuriza took a deep breath. A part of him was still fearful his father would get off despite his and Trunks's testimony. It was an unrealistic fear. Kuriza had been terrified of his father for a long time, and the man always covered his tracks so well. That's why Trunks went undercover in the first place, and that gave Kuriza the encouragement he needed when his name was called by the prosecutor. He exhaled heavily, nerves frayed, but he stood and appeared stoic. He looked at Trunks, and his friend smiled at him and gave him a thumbs up. It was the reassurance Kuriza needed as he made his way down the aisle between the two sides of the court.

"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"

"I do," Kuriza replied sincerely as he met the gaze of the prosecutor.

The prosecutor was a young woman named Videl who had made a name for herself in the city. She was usually involved in these high-profile cases, and thankfully she did not look at Kuriza derisively. They were on the same side after all.

"Mr. Cold," Videl spoke empathetically, "you have heard the charges against your father. For the record, you were a witness to the attack on Officer Trunks Brief, correct?"

"I was," Kuriza replied.

"According to both yours and Officer Brief's statements, you were Frieza Cold's intended target for the attempted murder charge," the attorney continued. "Can you please tell us what you can recall from the events?"

Kuriza nodded. "Well, Trunks… I mean Officer Brief was in a meeting with my father at the same time he wanted to see me. When I entered his office, he made it clear he knew Trunks's cover was blown. We'd been working together to gather evidence against the organization, and my father figured us both out. He took out a gun and tried to shoot me, but Trunks got me out of the way and was hit instead."

"Other than your association with Officer Brief and the police department, is there any other reason why your father may have wanted you dead?"

"Objection!" Frieza's attorney shouted. "Relevance?"

Videl didn't miss a beat. "It's very relevant. Frieza Cold is being tried for attempted murder. We already have a reason, but would it be enough for him to murder his own son in cold blood? There could be more to their relationship than what we know."

"I'll allow it," Judge Furry replied. He turned his head to regard Kuriza. "Please answer the question."

Kuriza nodded and grew nervous. He met his father's cruel gaze. He'd been avoiding eyes with the man since the moment he took the stand. This was important, and Kuriza couldn't risk being paralyzed by fear. It was strange to the youth when he finally gazed upon his father now. Frieza was still intimidating, but Kuriza didn't feel afraid. Instead, he met his father's cruel glare with one of his own. This was the man who tormented him and his best friend. There was nothing more he could do to them.

"Yes, there is," Kuriza admitted, ready to talk about the details of his past on a public stage. "When I was young, my mother sent me to spend time with my father. I was around eleven, I think, when I overheard my father and uncle arguing."

Videl seemed surprised and even she had no idea where this was going. "You mean the late Cooler Cold?"

A single, stiff nod was the prosecutor's answer. "My grandfather, as most know, has suffered from dementia and is near death at the moment, but his illness started over a decade ago, and Uncle Cooler and my father argued how they were going to handle his businesses and territory. Cooler had a more traditional plan for moving forward, but my father wanted to enhance his own illegal dealings. And before you object…" Kuriza glared at his father's attorney. "My father admitted to Uncle Cooler that he was in the mafia and how he wanted to use the legal Cold empire to bring down his rival, Vegeta Ouji. I heard it all, and I witnessed him murder Uncle Cooler that night."

There was a commotion in the court, and Judge Furry called order. Kuriza wasn't surprised. The mystery of Cooler Cold's disappearance had been an ongoing, investigative nightmare. Although Cooler was by no means an innocent and fair businessman, no one expected him to vanish off the face of the Earth. There were always whispers: that he abandoned his family because of Frieza's dealings, that he was murdered by a disgruntled employee, that his brother may have done away with him. Without a body, weapon, or witness, the case was seemingly abandoned.

The truth was far more complex. Kuriza admitted to Trunks what happened during the visit when he saw his friend at school. They were only children at the time, and Frieza made it clear that he would kill Kuriza if he ever went to the police about what he saw. Because of this, the two boys decided it would be best to keep it close to the vest and utilize it when it could do the most damage, once Frieza was no longer a threat. Then, when Trunks became an officer, the two youths went to Chief Piccolo and told him everything, just in case, and asked that Piccolo keep it under wraps until the undercover assignment was over.

Once the room settled down, Videl asked, "Why didn't you come forward sooner with this?"

"It would have been foolish to do so," Kuriza replied.

"How so?"

Kuriza released a sardonic chuckle. "Please, miss. Let's be real for a moment. I was only a child, and my father terrified me. Just because I was his flesh and blood… Obviously he didn't care whether I lived or died. I was just a child who existed. Besides, even if my life wasn't at stake, it would have been my word against his. Even if the police believed me, my father had much more power and influence than a timid eleven-year-old boy. I also had no idea what he did with Cooler's body or with the murder weapon. What good would it have done to come forward then? Whether or not I'm believed now doesn't matter to me. I can only offer it as another reason why my father wanted me dead."

"Thank you, Mr. Cold," Videl replied sincerely, "for your testimony and for the risks you were willing to take." She turned to Judge Furry. "I have no more questions for this witness."

Judge Furry nodded at the woman and looked at Frieza's attorney. "He's your witness now, Tagoma."

The attorney smirked and stood from his spot. He approached the stand and looked Kuriza dead in the eye. "You're real brave, kid," Tagoma said, his tone a bit mocking. "No one is denying that."

"Thank you?" Kuriza replied questioningly. He looked out and met Trunks's gaze. His officer friend shrugged and nudged his head at the attorney. Kuriza could hear his friend's unspoken warning. Pay attention to the man and don't let him turn him around.

"I'd like for you to recount the events of that day one more time," Tagoma requested.

Videl shook her head. "Objection. Asked and answered."

"Not true," Tagoma replied. "Mr. Cold here only spoke of the moments leading up to the shot. I want to know what happened afterward."

"Why?" Kuriza asked. "It has nothing to do with this."

Tagoma smiled a sickening grin that reminded Kuriza of his father. The lawyer addressed the judge. "I promise, Your Honor, that all will me made clear shortly."

"I'm not a fan of theatrics, as you well know, Tagoma," Judge Furry remarked, "but I am interested to hear this myself. I'll allow it, but tread carefully."

"Understood," Tagoma agreed. He met Kuriza's perplexed gaze. "Now, Mr. Cold, please tell us about what happened after Officer Brief was shot."

Kuriza tried very hard not to think about Trunks lying on the ground, bleeding to death. It was probably the worst moment of his life, where his friend and brother nearly died because of their promise. For some reason, his father's lawyer wanted to hear about the events after, maybe to dig at Kuriza's emotions and make him lose his composure. Kuriza had to be careful with what he said. His earlier testimony was already damning enough.

"My father was disappointed that he didn't succeed in killing me," Kuriza recounted. "Trunks managed to tell me that he had his gun on him, so I held it on my father and demanded he drop his weapon."

"Were you planning to kill him?" Tagoma interrogated.

"Objection. Kuriza Cold is not on trial."

"True," Tagoma replied. "Withdrawn. Please continue, Mr. Cold."

Kuriza grew a bit more hesitant, and he observed irritation and confusion on his friend's face. Trunks glared at Tagoma. "My concern wasn't really myself at that moment," he explained. "I told my father he was going to let me go so I could take Trunks to the hospital. Trunks…he told me to leave him." Emotion filled his eyes, and he met Trunks's guilt-filled gaze. "But I couldn't do that. While I was trying to support him, Zarbon showed up. He was going to kill us, but—"

It was impossible to figure out when, but Kuriza realized he'd momentarily left the courtroom. He was back in his father's house with his friend dying and talking nonsense. Zarbon was threatening to end them, and then Vegeta and his friend showed up to rescue them. Kuriza snapped back to reality before he said it, but when he saw the victorious glint to Tagoma's eyes, the son of Frieza Cold knew where this was going.

"But? And let me remind you, Mr. Cold, that you are under oath."

Kuriza grew angry but kept his voice even. "We already told the police everything, so it's on the record, but when Zarbon was about to kill us, Vegeta Ouji and his friend came in and rescued us. I was able to get Trunks to the hospital. End of story."

"His friend, huh?" Tagoma jeered. "Don't you mean his subordinate?"

Amber eyes widened. "What do you—?"

"Is it true that your friend, Officer Trunks, is the son of your father's—as you put it—rival?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Kuriza replied, exasperated.

"He's right, Your Honor," Videl interceded. "This isn't relevant to the case."

"It is indeed relevant," Tagoma countered. "After all, it could be reasoned that Officer Brief orchestrated this whole thing to get Frieza out of the way so that his own father could take over Mr. Frieza Cold's alleged territory."

Kuriza grew angrier, and everyone could see it, but he needed to keep his cool for Trunks's sake. After all, they were prepared for his connection to the Ouji family to become public knowledge after the case. Trunks wasn't bothered or wary.

That's why Kuriza could say, "Officer Brief did everything by the book. In fact, Vegeta Ouji went to the police to try to assist us. This was not an attack by the son of a rival family. This was a childhood dream and promise kept between two friends. Another reason my father no doubt wants me dead, but I wanted to be a cop myself and bring down his organization."

Unexpectedly, even Judge Furry had something to say. "I've entertained this line of questioning long enough. Bring it back to the facts of the case, Tagoma, and don't deviate again."

"My apologies, Your Honor," Tagoma replied albeit reluctantly. He took a breath and then faced Kuriza again. "Last question, Mr. Cold. Did you do anything to provoke Mr. Frieza Cold that led him to take action?"

"Ugh, objection," Videl hissed. "Your Honor?"

"It's fine," Kuriza interjected as he regarded Tagoma. "I'm not sure where you're from, Mr. Tagoma, but my father tried to kill me because I assisted in revealing his crimes. Do you think it was okay for him to try to take my life for that?"

Tagoma glared heatedly at Kuriza, but quickly put back on his professional mask. He turned to Judge Furry and said, "I have no more questions for this witness."

Judge Furry nodded at Kuriza. "You may step down."

Kuriza headed back to his seat, and Tagoma called Trunks to the stand. The officer breathed out a huge sigh, and he found his father's hand over his fists. Trunks didn't even remember when he'd grown so tense and clenched. He relaxed his fists and put his hands at his side.

"You okay?" Vegeta asked Trunks before Kuriza returned to the aisle.

"Yeah, Dad," Trunks replied, a soft smile on his face. "I've got this."

Slowly, mindful of his injuries, Trunks stood up proud and tall. With just a bit of difficultly, he sat down at the witness stand and faced the court. The courtroom deputy clerk approached the stand to swear the officer in. When the clerk finished running through the oath, there was only one thing Trunks could say.

"I do," Trunks said in response as he met the gaze of Frieza's attorney. "I have nothing to hide."

Bulma stirred her tea absentmindedly as she sat in the kitchen of her sister's apartment. The two women had spent quite a bit of time together since Bulma returned to the city. Vegeta and Trunks thought it best for her to avoid the trial altogether, but she couldn't keep fully away. So, here she sat with Tights as they listened to the happenings from the kitchen. The blue-haired woman sighed and decided it was time to face it now that her son was on the stand.

Tights joined Bulma when she sat down on the couch and smiled when she saw how good Trunks looked despite his recent brush with death. The woman couldn't even imagine how terrified her younger sister was the night her son was fighting for his life. It must be quite the relief that after today, Frieza would never be able to harm their family again.

"So, Officer Brief,"the attorney, Tagoma, began. "How did you become acquainted with Mr. Kuriza Cold?"

"We were classmates from a young age and became friends," Trunks replied, focused on the attorney.

"Did you know he was the son of your enemy?"

"Objection," Videl declared. "Prejudicial."

"Agreed," Judge Furry remarked. "Careful, counselor."

"I'll rephrase," Tagoma amended. "Officer Brief, did you know that Kuriza was Frieza Cold's son?"

"I did," Trunks replied. "He told me. And to answer your other question, I don't have any 'enemies'."

"You are the son of Vegeta Ouji, are you not?"

"Relevance?" Videl shot.

"It's fine," Trunks interjected. "I don't mind answering. Yes, I am Vegeta Ouji's son. I found out once I was already undercover."

"Are you truly telling me that you had no ulterior motives in taking this undercover assignment?" Tagoma questioned. "This case has conflict of interest written all over it."

"Mr. Tagoma," Trunks respectfully hummed, "I am good at what I do, and like Kuriza said, we always had the plan to work together on this. It may seem like a conflict of interest to you, but to me, it was about helping my friend and protecting the public, nothing more. Whatever my background and whatever alleged rivalries exist, it was never my intention to bring Frieza down for anyone. I have no ulterior motives."

"I find that hard to believe," Tagoma muttered.

"Counselor," Judge Furry growled.

"Fine, your witness."

Videl stood up and walked up to Trunks. "Officer Brief, how are you feeling?"

Trunks chuckled and said, "That's an odd question to ask me under oath, but to answer, not the greatest." Trunks could hear some laughter from others in the court. He had a feeling his joke would lighten the mood. "Happy to be alive, though."

"Understandable," Videl replied with mirth. "You seem to be in good spirits, so I'll try not to make this too difficult on you. Can you please tell the court what you learned about Frieza Cold while you were on assignment?"

"There's quite a bit I can't reveal just yet due to procedure," Trunks answered, "but I'll do my best to answer. When I started working for Frieza, the first assignment was to eliminate an officer from my precinct. We, and by that I mean Kuriza and I, worked with the precinct to stage a murder which is what led to my acceptance into the organization. Already, that was a crime. Usually, Frieza gave the orders, and his most trusted men carried them out."

"Was Frieza ever suspicious of you?" Videl asked.

Trunks nodded. "All the time. He never did quite buy my cover story. I did my best to keep my family out of sight and mind on assignment, but every so often, Frieza inquired more about my past and background."

"It must have made you nervous when you found out you were an Ouji," Videl observed.

The officer shrugged. "Not really. It didn't change anything. I had a job to do and evidence to gather. It was honestly an accident how Frieza found out, but the fact that he did put the case to an early end. If he hadn't, I'm pretty sure we would have been having a different type of meeting that night."

"Objection, cause for speculation."

"Sustained. The jury will ignore that last statement."

Both Videl and Trunks were unbothered by the strike. "While on assignment, did you ever have any other altercation with Mr. Cold."

"Of course," Trunks replied. "Obviously, I wanted to do everything by the book, and I had no intention of truly harming anyone regardless of my mission. It was one of my first big assignments. He sent me along with his two right-hand men, Dodoria Mage and Zarbon LeBlu, to attack employees of Vegeta Ouji while they were receiving a shipment at the dock."

"Did you know at the time that Vegeta Ouji was your father?"

"No," Trunks declared honestly. "At the time, I had no idea. Soon after, I did, but not then. Frieza was furious when Zarbon told him that I let a man escape. Like I said, I had no plans to harm anyone, and the kid was young. There was no reason to injure a civilian for the sake of an assignment."

"You said that Frieza was furious," Videl stated. "Did he retaliate against you?"

Tagoma stood up. "Objection. Relevance?"

Videl addressed Judge Furry. "It is relevant if there was a history of violence toward Officer Brief before he was severely wounded."

"Sustained. You may answer the question."

"Frieza was brutal after that incident," Trunks remarked. "He ordered me to go through special 'training', which mainly consisted of either him, Zarbon, or Dodoria beating or torturing me. It died down after a while but picked up again after I was nearly killed during a raid."

Videl appeared sympathetic. Trunks could already tell that she was a kind woman who took no pleasure in making a production out of the pain he and Kuriza suffered during the whole ordeal. "You took a lot of risks," the woman praised. "More than any other officer probably would have."

Trunks merely smiled warmly in response. He found Kuriza's eyes, his friend sitting beside his father. The two men were the reason Trunks did what he did, regardless of the risks. "I know, and I would do it all again in a heartbeat."

Bulma breathed a sigh of relief when Trunks was dismissed. Due to Kuriza's testimony, there wasn't much more to ask the officer about his attempted murder, although Bulma did pale when Trunks explained how Frieza's man, Zarbon, threatened to send him to his father in pieces. She remembered Trunks saying it before when he was drugged, and thankfully this time he was far less descriptive, but it was still too much for her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Tights spoke up.

Bulma's blue pools met her sister's warm brown eyes. The woman sighed and nodded. "It was awful. Trunks usually kept the details of his assignments quiet, but he was even more radio silent with this one. I found out about Frieza only after Trunks was shot and in the hospital. I never knew Kuriza was Frieza's son or about the promise the two made. And I was always worried about Trunks's undercover work leading him to his father's organization…"

Tights took Bulma's hands in hers, and her younger sister looked up at her, eyes filled with tears. "He's alive, Bulma, because of his friend and because of his father. It is clear to me that Vegeta isn't like his father or Frieza."

"He's not," Bulma agreed. "He never wanted this life. There were reasons, but I just couldn't be a part of it. I felt so guilty for abandoning him, but even Vegeta said it was better for Trunks and me to be away from his father's people. Now that Frieza is dealt with, Vegeta can finally be free of it all."

The voice of Judge Furry over the television filled the room and earned the women's attention. "Members of the jury, have you reached a verdict?"

"We have, Your Honor. We the jury find Frieza Cold guilty of all charges."

Bulma breathed out a breath of relief, closed her eyes, and smiled. There was never any doubt in her mind that this chapter was truly over.

After Frieza's arrest, it wasn't hard to dismantle the remains of his organization. Trunks and Kuriza gave the officer's superiors the names and aliases of all of Frieza's men. Everyone was arrested and accounted for. It didn't surprise Trunks when Vegeta asked how to go about doing the same for the Ouji organization. Knowing the full situation, Chief Piccolo offered to look the other way for Vegeta and the few members who didn't want to be in the mafia. They all got a pardon, mainly because they never got violent unless they had no other choice. Because of all of this, Chief Piccolo offered Vegeta a new path, one he never considered.

"You have the skills of a career criminal. You could put those skills to good use as an officer of the law."

Vegeta pondered these words over his morning cup of coffee. The sun shone outside, and Vegeta's eyes wandered to the streets below. He never thought about becoming an officer before, and it wasn't a decision he could make lightly, either. Deep in thought in his chair, Vegeta remembered the words of his son when the youth's chief made the strange declaration.

"We'd be lucky to have you." That was Trunks's opinion, but there was also another consideration. "It might give Mom a heart attack, though."

The man sighed. At the time Trunks said all this, Vegeta snickered and told the boy he was probably right. Of course, Vegeta wouldn't be an undercover officer like Trunks was. His face was too prominent in the criminal world. Everyone knew who he was, and after he sold out his father's men, no one would believe he was still on the opposite side of the law.

Vegeta would be lying if he said he wasn't intrigued by the idea. Piccolo was correct when he said Vegeta had skills that were necessary for being an officer. He would also be in close proximity to his son as Trunks transitioned away from undercover work. Vegeta knew he could protect the boy in any situation if he were an officer. Even so, it was dangerous, and Vegeta promised Bulma that he would no longer put his or their family's life in danger. Wouldn't he do just that by pursuing this avenue?

"What has you thinking so hard this morning?" Bulma's light, jovial tone rang. Vegeta's rigid form relaxed when her arms wrapped around his body and her chin rested atop his head.

"I got an unexpected job offer," Vegeta remarked, choosing full honesty. "It seems the police chief at Trunks's precinct believes I have a future there." Bulma was silent for a moment, but Vegeta wasn't surprised. He couldn't see the look on her face, but he was certain she was pale and wary. "I haven't made a decision."

"Do you want to be a cop?" Bulma asked, genuinely surprised. She didn't sound as upset as Vegeta expected.

"I don't know what I want," Vegeta replied. He gently grabbed her arm, pulled her around the chair, and sat her on his lap. "When I was a child, I always enjoyed those superhero programs Kakarot and I watched, but I knew that would never be something I could be. Once I found out what my father did for a living, I had a path, one I didn't want, but a path, nonetheless. In college, I was forced to take business courses. And then with us…"

Vegeta paused and leaned his head against Bulma's chest. He knew the woman felt incredibly guilty for giving him a hard time, but Vegeta truly moved past that. When he told her he wasn't thinking about the challenges and dangers she would have faced at the time, he meant it. He was up against both Frieza and the Ouji organization as a whole. His father's men weren't loyal to him. How could they be when they suspected he'd done away with his father? It was Vegeta's hubris that nearly cost Bulma and Trunks their lives that day. He was the one who felt remorseful. Bulma didn't need that weight, not after all she'd endured because of her love for him.

"I know you wanted to be with me," Bulma murmured against his ear, "but we're together now. You can take things slow, Vegeta. This is the first time you've ever been free to make choices for yourself. Also, if you want to look into the police academy, I won't stop you."

Dark eyes widened, and Vegeta pulled away to look the woman in the eye. "You're serious," he observed. "What changed?"

"Nothing changed," Bulma replied. "My fears were always this, Vegeta. I didn't want to raise our children within a criminal organization where the threat of death was an everyday worry. After I lost my mother… I couldn't…"

"I understand," Vegeta replied as he took her hands.

"Even with Trunks's assignments, I knew his people would look out for him," Bulma continued. "It was still dangerous, but if Trunks needed help, they would have pulled him from the case. There are protocols. I still hated it, but Trunks always said he needed to do it for himself. He's as stubborn as you, and I couldn't talk him out of it. Now I know why, and he's kept his promise to avoid new undercover assignments. I know the job is still dangerous, but the threat of death isn't looming around the corner anymore. Besides, I'd feel much better if the two of you were looking out for each other, so I'm a little biased."

Vegeta closed his eyes, chuckled, and smirked. "It seems our minds are in sync when it comes to our son. That is one of the most attractive parts of becoming an officer. After what happened with Frieza… This may be silly, but I don't want to be too far away from him. Does that make me a helicopter parent?"

Bulma laughed out loud and leaned forward against Vegeta's chest. "Not unless we're both helicopters, although I had no choice but to give Trunks some leeway. Vegeta, you finally have the chance to get to know your son, and he was hurt recently. Of course you're going to feel like that. That just means you're a good father."

Those two words jolted Vegeta straight down to his core and meant more to him than gold. He reached to stroke Bulma's cheek with his right hand and guided her to meet his lips. He hungrily devoured her, enamored by her support and sincerity. She had no idea what she did to him or how much his passion burned for her. If she thought he was a good father, Vegeta knew he had to be despite the lack of a good role model.

"I love you, woman," he hummed against her lips.

Bulma smiled and threaded her fingers through Vegeta's hair. "I love you too, and I support you, whatever you decide."

Vegeta met the woman's gaze, his eyes full of love and caution. "I promise I'll be careful," he told her, and that was all he needed to say for Bulma to understand his choice.

A/N: I did not expect to write so much for the trial, but it happened so organically that I let it be and cut what I had planned half. It's come full circle to see Frieza finally get what he deserved. There is plenty more to come.

daughterofrisingsun: As always, I appreciate your review :) The family is finally free of Frieza, but that's not the end of this story. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, my friend ^_^