Isn't this nice? Me getting fics out early? Yeah….(Sigh) KENDRA ROCKS!!! A hem…on with the fic…

She knew he hated her, there was no doubt in her mind that Mirai Trunks, the future version of her adored little stepson, absolutely despised her.

Of course Usagi had a good idea as to why he didn't like her. She was with Vegeta after all. She knew that in his time his father had died way before he was with Bulma long enough for her to break up with him.

She sighed, this very same train of thought had kept her up every night since the arrival of the lavender haired youth. Usagi had never been the type to just accept it when someone disliked her. She couldn't stand the thought that maybe she'd failed in some way, that maybe it was her fault he despised her.

The worst part was, she didn't feel guilty for being with Vegeta and she never had. She loved him too much to ever consider living without him.

Frustrated, she rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. What could she do?

"Why aren't you asleep?" Vegeta growled grumpily, tightening his hold on her and burying his head into her neck and shoulder. He could tell something had upset her and that, combined with her tossing and turning, was keeping him awake.

"Sorry." She whispered, reaching up and caressing his cheek. Another thought, one that had been bothering her since before Mirai Trunks had arrived, rudely presented itself in her mind. This one, however, she could not keep locked up.

"Vegeta," She began, nerving herself up to how much it would hurt her when he answered yes. "Do you want me to revert to my other form and stay that way permanently?"

He snorted. "No. Of course not."

"Really?"

"Those wings would get in the way when we mate." he said as if it were obvious.

"Well...I'm sure we could find a way around that."

He sat up and stared at her. "Onna, do you want to be in that other form? It seemed to me like that transformation was painful."

She averted her eyes. "It was, but I'd only have to do it once. It's just that...my other form is so much more beautiful than I could ever be, and these stupid scars wouldn't be here anymore..."

Vegeta grunted. "This is ridiculous, onna. I am a saiyan. Saiyans like to fight. People get scars from fighting. Saiyans like scars."

"But I didn't get these from fighting, I got them while I was helpless, chained to the ceiling!"

"You survived five years of torture. That makes you strong."

Usagi's eyes drifted to Vegeta's chest, which had a few extremely deep battle scars marking it. She didn't find them unattractive so maybe Vegeta wasn't repulsed by hers...

But no. She had to many.

"Vegeta, you know I'm prettier in my other form." She said quietly.

"I never said that." he growled, laying back down and gathering her into his arms. "If you must know, I prefer you this way." he snorted. "In your other form you're too... unreal for my tastes."

"Unreal?"

"Like a doll." How could he explain to her how much he preferred warm, fiery gold to cold, detached silver. He himself was a cold person, he needed her warmth to keep him from becoming what Frieza had almost succeeded in making him: an instrument of pure evil.

How could he, Vegeta, put into words that he found Usagi to be the most beautiful being he had ever laid eyes on? That though her transformed form was gorgeous it didn't begin to compare with her true self.

Once again he found himself wanting to say those three words, wanted to say, outloud, how he felt about her.

But he couldn't.

"Don't change." he ordered. It was all he could do.

Somehow though, Usagi understood. She always did. He felt her smile as she snuggled against him, reassured, and was asleep within moments.

It was Vegeta's turn, now, to find himself unable to fall asleep.

The urge to wake Usagi up and tell her that he loved her was unbelievable. He knew, by the look in her eyes whenever they were together, even if they weren't alone, that she desperatly wanted to hear him say it. However, Vegeta also knew that she would never ask him to say it. She was too sweet, knew him too well for that. Although if she asked he probably would.

He'd lost Bulma and survived. Usagi was different.

If he lost Usagi...

He would die. Emotionally, mentally, maybe even physically.

She just meant to damned much to him.

He didn't know how it had happened. And the risk it brought him meant that it was probably a weakness. Never, not even in their most passionate moments had Vegeta ever loved Bulma as much as he loved Usagi when he just watched her from across the room.

Careful not to wake her up, he pulled her closer to him, held her a little tighter. An amused smirk spread across his face. Imagine he thought. The prince of all saiyans tiptoeing around a female.

As a child he'd scoffed at the tales of great, legendary warriors who went insane or took their own lives at the loss of a mate.

But now he understood.

It was dangerous. So very dangerous. And he was loving every minute.

_________________

"No." Vegeta said firmly, the moment he saw what Usagi was wearing. It was Friday and they were getting ready for the party at the kame house. After much pleading and many blackmail threats Usagi had gotten the saiyan prince to agree to go.

The blonde looked down at herself, she was wearing a blue-green bikini.

"What's wrong with it?"

"You're not wearing that." he growled.

"You don't like it?"

He crossed his arms and shook his head. "I like it." he conceded. "That's the problem."

"Now Vegeta, there were skimpier ones at the store. This one isn't even that bad."

He grunted. "You aren't wearing that." he insisted. It was hard enough for him to let her leave the room with the things she normally wore. Now with her in that...

Her eyes flashed. She was getting angry.

"Then what would you prefer for me to wear?" She asked, trying to contain her annoyance.

Vegeta was ready for this question, from behind his back he pulled out a wet suit like professional divers wore.

"Oh? But that would be just as bad. Those things are as tight as your spandex."

Wordlessly he pulled out a giant purple mumu. "This goes over it." he said emotionlessly. Without answering him Usagi grabbed her shoes and bathing suit cover up before storming out of the room.

Vegeta stared at the door in shock until, half an hour later, someone knocked on it.

He grunted a gruff "come in" and the door swung open, revealing Mirai Trunks. The boy cast a glance around the room, as if looking for something. Upon not finding it he smiled.

"Mom sent me to tell you we're about to leave. Eh... Usagi not here?"

Rage clouded Vegeta's face and with unimaginable speed he had grabbed the future version of his son by the collar of his T-shirt.

"Do you think I'm too stupid to see it, brat?" he seethed, glaring with all his might. "I know you despise my mate, do you think I care if you approve or not? It's none of your damned business who I'm with. You have no right to hate her anyway!"

"No right?" the lavender haired hybrid's ice blue eyes hardened. "No right? She took you from my mom!"

For a moment Vegeta's angered expression became one of shock. He shoved Mirai Trunks away from him. "Is that what you think?" he chuckled, surprising them both. "Boy, you're a bigger fool than I thought. Your dear mother left me when you were two years old! She wasn't even a consideration when I met Usagi! Do you honestly think a saiyan would betray his mate like that?"

"B..but..."

Still chuckling Vegeta rudely brushed past him out of the room.

Everyone was by the front door waiting for them.

They looked odd, all wearing whatever baggy things they could find to use as bathing suit coverups. Bulma was, as usual, fashionable while Yamcha looked ridiculous in hideous patterned swim shorts and a shirt that didn't even try to match. Usagi was breath taking, as usual, in a long sleeved, button down, purple dress that reached her ankles.

Chibi Trunks was next to her, holding her hand and talking excitedly about his last sparring match with Goten.

Vegeta rudely cleared his throat.

"Well are we leaving or are you weaklings just going to stand around here all day?"

"We were waiting for you Vegeta." Bulma huffed.

"Are we flying or taking an air transport, mother?" Mirai Trunks asked, trying to prevent a fight between the two. Vegeta seemed to be more confrontational than usual today.

"Flying." Vegeta declared before she could answer.

He purposely walked over to Usagi and grabbed her up into his arms, then took off into the air. The blonde didn't say a word, and she refused to meet his eyes.

He couldn't stand that.

"Usagi..." he growled lowly.

She shook her head. "No. I can't talk to you right now."

"I'm...sorry." He grunted

Usagi's eyes widened in shock, but she didn't answer, just looked away. she did slightly lay her head on his shoulder though.

"You know I love you." he heard her whisper. "but I...I'm still kinda angry."

"Maybe later?" it was half question/half statement.

"Yeah. We'll talk later."

They reached the kame-house within a short amount of time. Everyone was already there and inside the house. There was a small girl sitting in the sand, making a sand castle. Mirai Trunks didn't recognize her, but since she was only maybe four years old, it was perfectly understandable.

As the C.C. group stood together on the edge of the sand the kame house door opened and a tall slim woman, neatly dressed and with perfect blonde hair cut around her chin, walked out.

Mirai Trunk's eyes widened in shock.

"Android!" he seethed.

_____________

18 cast a glance at the group and one slim eyebrow rose gracefully. "What's it to you, future boy?" she asked in her bone chillingly emotionless voice.

The little girl on the beach stood up and dusted the sand from her dress.

"Is it time to come in, mommy?" She asked in a squeaky voice.

"No, the food isn't ready yet. But you need more sunscreen." Android 18 gracefully walked to the beach chair that was set out and sat down, pouring some sunscreen from a bottle into her hand.

"When are we going to swim, mommy?" The little girl asked, coming over to the chair. 18 began applying the sunscreen to her face.

"Later. Close your eyes, Marron, this will burn if it gets in them."

Mirai Trunks was staring. There was one of his lifelong enemies, calmly sitting on a beach chair, putting sunscreen on a little girl who called her "mommy."

"Is everyone else already here, 18?" Usagi asked warmly.

She would associate with an android.

"Yes. And the foods almost ready. If you see Krillin, ask him why he isn't watching Marron like I told him to." A glint of anger hit her cold blue eyes. "A bad wave could have swept her into the ocean, and she isn't a strong swimmer."

"Well...there he is." Usagi pointed. Some ways down there was a small lump sticking out of the sand. The lump had a familiar noseless face and a shock of black hair.

Android 18 looked up and frowned.

"What are you doing, Krillin?"

"Eh," he gave a small laugh. "You see, it's like this...Goten asked me to play with him and then he buried me in the sand..."

"And you let that happen?"

"He's just a kid."

"Buffoon." She mumbled, a slight smile touching her lips.

_______________

Mirai Trunks cast a distrusting look at 18, now in a bathing suit and laying out on a towel getting a tan. Nearby, Krillin played with Marron in the sand.

One of his friends, married to one of his enemies.

It was wrong!

His gaze moved to where Usagi was playing with Chibi Trunks and Goten in the ocean. Another person he hated.

Wrong. It was all wrong.

Vegeta was grudgingly sitting in a beach chair, his eyes locked on Usagi while meanwhile Bulma and Yamcha were...well, they had disappeared some time ago.

Wrong, wrong, wrong!

Now Vegeta was picking a fight with Goku. Standing quickly he slammed the taller saiyan against a wall of the kame house. Mirai Trunks was the only one close enough to hear what his father said.

"Don't forget, Kakarott. Tommorow morning." he growled

"We're gonna go get the ring?"

The saiyan prince nodded slowly. A smile broke out onto Goku's face.

"I can't believe you're going to ask her!" he said cheerfully. "Who would have thought! You, getting married to Usagi..."

Mirai Trunks looked away, a bad taste farming in his mouth. It couldn't be true and yet...and yet... He looked back to the ocean and glared at the form of Usagi, laughing and appearing to have just so much fun.

Too perfect.

She was too perfect.

As if sensing his gaze Usagi suddenly looked his way and began making her way out of the water.

"Hey Trunks, why don't you come swim with us?" She invited with a huge smile. He stared at her. He'd been avoiding her since the party started, and so hadn't seen her earlier in her bathing suit.

To no utter shock-her arms, legs, back-everywhere, there were long, deep scars. Deliberate scars. As if she'd been tortured.

She noted his stare and she self consciously grabbed a towel in an attempt to hide the scars, that didn't succeed except for maybe her shoulders and arms.

"Anyone ever tell you not to stare, brat?" Vegeta demanded, thumping him on the back of the head.

Usagi lowered her eyes. "It's all right, Vegeta." She said quietly as the irritable man's arms wrapped possessively around her waste. Vegeta glared at the future version of his son, but for once Mirai Trunks didn't notice.

"How...did those happen?"

"How do you think they happened, fool?" Vegeta spat.

"Vegeta..." Usagi reprimanded quietly. "Trunks, in my dimension..." She faltered in her explanation, groping for words. "I was captured by an enemy, and for five...five years they..."

"You don't have to explain it to this weakling." Vegeta grumbled, pulling the blonde close despite the fact she was getting his armor wet. Taking her with him, he returned to his seat and they stayed there, talking quietly, until the end of the party.

Chibi Trunks, who had finally found out who Mirai Trunks was, snuck up behind him, followed by Goten. They each had a sand bucket they had borrowed from Marron. Chibi Trunks' bucket was filled with salt water. Goten's was filled with sand.

Although the small half saiyan knew and understood that the newcomer was him, from the future, didn't mean he liked it and he would take every opportunity he could to show that he was not like 'that dork'.

Grinning ferally. Chibi Trunks jumped up and dumped the contents of his bucket over Mirai Trunks' head. Goten did the same.

"Dork!" he laughed as he and his accomplice quickly flew away from their annoyed target.

Mirai Trunks was just glad they hadn't put the sand down his pants this time. They'd been doing mean things to him all day. In an attempt to get them to stop Usagi had taken them to play. Now that she was sitting with Vegeta, they began their terror efforts again.

It was a very long party, heightened only when Vegeta almost killed master Roshi for looking twice at Usagi.



To be continued

More soon, ne? Review! Oh, If I didn't answer any questions this time, it was because I haven't read reviews yet (actually, I haven't even posted the last chapter yet…) I'll get to them next time!