Disclaimer: Dragon Ball Z is owned by the absolute genious Akira Toryama. I do not own these characters, or make any prophet what-so-ever off of this story. I write it out of respect for Akira, and his wonderful characters.

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Chapter Three; Sparring

Vegeta sat at the far end of the table at dinner. On one length was Kakarot, and on the other were Nappa and Radditz. Across from him, almost twelve feet away, was Bulma.

Nappa, Radditz, and Kakarot ate shamelessly, not questioning eachother's presence. Bulma ate very dantily, still on her first small plate. Vegeta wasn't eating much at all. He was too nervous.

"Well, I'm stuffed.", proclaimed Nappa.

"Me too.", Radditz chimed in, "Can we leave?", Radditz asked.

"Knock yourselves out.", Vegeta replied. When they eyed him strangly, he realized that he had just used an expression from Earth. "Ahh... you can leave."

Kakarot jumped up with them, and ran out. He was alone with her again.

"The food is good.", Bulma said.

"You can thank the cooks for that. I had nothing to do with it."

"So, what have you been up to for the past year, Vegeta."

"Nothing really. I've just been sitting around here. Occasionally, I would train, but not often."

"Are you ok?", she asked.

"I'm fine.", he replied. 'Tell her! Say it!' He changed the subject. "It's nice to know that if you ever die again, you will be brought back."

"No someone con only be brought back with the dragon balls once.", she said.

'Tell her! You never know when it will be too late! What would you think of yourself if she died again?!', his thoughts were screaming at him.

"Vegeta, talk to me.", she said.

'That's it! I'm going to tell her now!' "Bulma, it's just that I-" The butterflies in his stomach overcame his words.

"Come on, Vegeta, I care about you. I don't want you to have to hide anything from me. It hurts my feelings that you can't be honest with me after all we've been through togather." She sounded so sad.

'Ok. Now I tell her no matter what.' "It took me a while to realize it, but, I truely-", he stood up, feeling sick, "I can't do this." 'Did I just say that outloud?!'

"Why, Vegeta? Please come back!", she cried as he ran out the door.

'I don't beleive myself! Does she have to be dying on the ground for me to be able to tell her the truth?! Am I such a coward?! No! I am the Prince all of Saiya-jins, the legendary super Saiya-jin, defeater of Frieza, and rular of the universe! I am not afraid of anything!' He walked back in, and saw her crying into her hands. "Bulma, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I hurt you." She jumped from the chair and hugged him. He didn't even feel it. then again, he was wearing armor. "Stop crying, Bulma, everything will be fine."

"What did you want to tell me?", she asked, "Please."

"I- am so sorry."

"That's not it.", she said, looking up at him. He wiped a tear from her eye ever so carefully. "Please."

"Can't you figure it out?", he asked.

She looked into his eyes, with a dtermined look on her face. "No, your blocking it from me. I can't." It should have been so obvious. Was it really that hard for her to believe that he was capable of love? He sighed. He had made her think that way, hadn't he?

"You must be tired." He picked her up, and carried her back to her room, and put her on her bed. "Get some sleep. I'm going to get you a room prepared with gravity control tomarrow so you won't have to sleep in that harness."

"Sleep well, Vegeta.", she said.

"You too.", he said. 'Say it, moron!!!' He walked out.

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The next morning...

"Chi-chi, I have some bad news....Yeah. It's about the trip...No, no. No one's hurt. I just found out that the trip may take londer than I thought...Ah, I think at leaste about four more weeks...Stop yelling, please. I'm sorry that I forgot to calculate the trip...Alright...Bye.", Goku said, turning off bulma's communicator.

"How'd she take it?", Bulma asked, with a yawn.

"Pretty bad, but better than I thought." He looked at her. "Are you ok, Bulma?"

"I didn't sleep well last night.", she said, remembering having cried to herself for hours.

"Oh, that's a shame.", Goku replied, "Must be the strange beds."

She nodded.

"Kakarot."

"Oh, hi Radditz.", Goku replied.

"Come on. I need a sparring partner.", Radditz continued.

"You'll kill me.", Goku replied, "I can barely even stand up anymore, letalone spar with someone who's...what? Five times my strength?"

"Why don't you just spar with a saibaman like you always do.", Nappa said.

"Mind your own business Nappa." He turned back to Goku. "Come on. I'll go easy on you."

"Alright.", Goku replied, getting up.

"Don't get yourself killed, Goku.", Bulma said, before they walked out. They were like a bunch of big kids.

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"Ah, Kakarot. Glad you've come to train with us.", Vegeta said.

"Vegeta and Nappa too?", Goku asked.

"Kakarot.", Vegeta said, "We have discovered a full-proof way of making weaklings stonger. Sparring partners will be; Me and Radditz, Nappa and Kakarot."

"Oh man, Vegeta.", Radditz said sadly.

"Fine with me.", Nappa replied, and put out both his hands, "Hit me. Come on! Don't hold back." Goku jumped toward him, and began punching with all his might while Nappa blocked everything with one hand. "I told you not to hold back! Is that the best you can do?!" Nappa punched him on the ground. He hit it face first with a horrible force. He didn't even want to try to get up. "Is that all you got?! Get up weakling!"

"I don't like you.", Goku proclaimed. He looked over at Radditz and Vegeta, where a similar seen went on. Radditz punched with all hit might, then was hit painfully to the ground, except Radditz got back up.

"You will hate me even more after this.", Nappa said.

"Wha-?", Goku began, before Nappa kicked him in the side. He couldn't breath, and hoped that nothing was broken.'

"That's enouph, Nappa!", Vegeta yelled, "The point is to train him, not kill him!" He looked down at Goku. "Can you get up, Kakarot?"

Goku struggled to his feet, clutching his abdomen, and deperately trying to take in a breath.

"Don't worry. Nappa's natural animal fighting instincts get the best of him some times. I'll put you in a regeneration tank. Come on." Vegeta started walking, and motioned for him to follow.

"A what?", Goku managed to choke out.

"Just come on." They walked for a little while, then came to a room. Vegeta typed in a code, then they went in. Vegeta motioned to some strange-looking chair. "Get in there, and put this on." He haded Goku a plastic mask.

"Alright." Goku did as he was told, and soon, a feild of glass came between him and the outside world, and the whole thing started to fill up with liqued. Goku screamed a little, than Vegeta pushed a few final buttons, and Goku felt himself pulled into slumber.

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Vegeta walked out of the regenaration room, and decided to go get something to eat. He stopped dead in his tracks, as he felt a power so high it my have beaten Frieza.

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From The Author: Thanks again to my reviewers. Bye!