AN: Sorry about the wait. Busy weekend, a little sick. You know how it is. Anyway, enjoy! Ü


The Downfall of a Heartless Man

Chapter 5

The woman, it seems has put all of our past indiscretions behind her. She treats me the same as she did...before, but a little different as well. I notice she is always staring at me and when I look back at her, she glances away at something else. Her face reddens, not with anger, but with a different emotion all together. It took me a few times to recognize it, but when I did, I was surprised. Embarrassment? From her? It is almost too outrageous to believe. Ah, but I suppose all creatures succumb to it everyone once in a while, even the strongest.

She also gets up in the morning before I do to cook my breakfast, which is something she didn't do before. As I understand it, 3 AM is an unusual time to get up for humans, but she does it with a small (and considerably weary) smile. Of course, she goes straight back to bed as soon as she's done, but I have to admire her. Ah, but I admire everything about her.

Sometimes I fool myself into thinking the woman has developed some sort of attraction to me. Why else would she go out of her way to please me? But then I remember that she is only doing this to help me train harder so that I can defeat the Androids. That's all. She doesn't love me. She can't!

Can she?

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A few days after that fateful night, I am awakened that morning by her familiarly irritating, but lovely, voice. "Vegeta!!" the woman screeches from downstairs. "Breakfast is ready!!" I groan and glance at the clock with a scowl. 7 AM!! What the hell?! I should have been up four hours ago!

I jump from the bed and rush through the exceedingly time-consuming tasks of showering and tail-grooming. When I finally make it down the stairs and into the kitchen I am startled to find the whole damn family INCLUDING Kakkarot, his bitch, and his brat seated at the table waiting for me. My anger and frustration bubbles. "Oh Vegeta! I thought you'd never wake up!" the woman squeals, looping her arm through mine. "What the hell is going on here woman, and why did you wake me up so damn late?!" I demand quietly through clenched teeth. " Oh, I just thought you would enjoy some company and you need some rest Vegeta honestly..." I stop listening as I realize how close she is to me, and I momentarily go dizzy from her touch. Her soft, warm skin and smouldering blue eyes tempt me to take her right there.

Then I notice the uncomprehending stares of everyone and I push her away. But I am gentle. I don't want to hurt her.

" Uncle Veggie!" shrieks Kakkarot's half- breed brat as he swings his short arms around my legs. I stand aghast as the rest of the room bursts with laughter. The only thing that keeps me from killing the damned boy is the stern look in the woman's eyes.

" Gohan!" screams Kakkarot's woman pointing a judging finger in the brat's direction. "Gohan, you know better!"

" Awe Mom, I was just joking." he whines, then looks up at me with a wide grin and winks. He backs away and sits back down at the table by Kakkarot. " So Vegeta, how's the training going?" asks the baka. What is with these people?! What makes them think that I speak to such low class creatures as themselves?! They have gone mad!

Yet, I must be even madder because I answer him. " Wouldn't you like to know Kakkarot?" I goad impishly. He laughs heartily and I realize that I have gone dangerously soft since living in this damned house. If I had any sense whatsoever I would leave this crowded kitchen and begin my already delayed training.

But as unsettling as it seems, I stay. Mostly for the company of the woman and the food, but also for something else. Comradery. Yes, I have fought in many battles along side Kakkarot and it is not unusual for Saiyans to bond with their battle partners and their sickening families. No matter how revolting or annoying they may be. But, the feelings do not go beyond that. We are not friends, not buddies. Just comrades.

I gaze listlessly at everyone around the table as they take turns speaking, but I don't join in their laughter and conversations. I simply observe and eat. Sometimes they will speak about something interesting, such as when the woman and her scatter brained father debate about increasing the G.R's power tenfold, allowing me to train even harder and more thoroughly. The woman cringes at that. " He already trains enough!" she argues hotly. I smirk inwardly. She worries about me too much.

But most of the time Kakkarot's woman is blathering about the brat's schoolwork and "how wonderful" he is doing. I snort at this. They fawn over that damn child far too much. He's liable to get an even BIGGER head than he already has.

I chuckle a few times at their amazing capacity to talk about nothing for so long, but no one seems to notice except the woman. She smiles at me then turns back to intently listen to that infernal harpy as she explains the "importance of discipline when raising a child".

I've had enough of this. I'm wasting precious training time. ERRRRRRRR. The wooden chair scrapes violently against the floor as I push myself out fo the seat. Everyone grimaces and stops their chattering to look up at me. The woman quickly jumps up and grabs my arm. "Where are you going mister?" she whispers almost seductively in my ear.

I smirk at her as I try to figure out exactly what she means by that tone in her voice. I'm interrupted by the woman's mother as she walks up to me smiling vacantly. There is no brain in that woman's head, I'm sure of it. " Bulma dear, aren't you going wash up before you take Vegeta shopping? You can't go anywhere like that and your hair..." I snap my head around to glare at the woman's mother.

Seeing my obvious anger, the woman smiles sweetly and pushes her mother away. " Uh Mom, I haven't really asked yet and uh..." " You haven't asked yet? Well what's taking you so long dear? Go ahead, ask him."

The woman bites her lip in embarrassment and I almost forget where I am and what I'm doing. Kami, I wish I could bite that lip... but the sound of her voice knocks me out of thought. "Well Vegeta...there's this ball...the Satan City Capsule Corp. Ball... and well, of course, the Capsule Corp. is hosting it so it won't be far away, and it's a big thing where you dress up ya know? Well you probably don't know I mean, I'm sure they didn't have this sort of thing on Vegeta-sei..." she rambles frantically. I can smell her nervousness.

She continues on for quite sometime. " Well you see, I was wondering..." What the hell is she getting at?! Kami, if she doesn't hurry up... "Vegeta, willyougototheballwithme?" she practically shouts at me. I squint my eyes in confusion and the woman looks desperately at her mother who snaps out of an apparent daze. " Oh dear," she begins, collecting her thoughts. " What she's trying to say is will you go to the Satan City Ball with her?"

Dress up? Ball? What does it mean?! And she wants me to go with her...like a slave escort?! The Prince of Saiyans is SLAVE to no one!

" Oh me! You don't know what any of this means do you, Vegeta dear?" the woman's mother asks stupidly. " You see a ball is a sort of formal thing..." "Like a political meeting." chimes in Kakkarot. "... and you dress in your best clothes and look as nice as you possibly can...to sort of impress everyone..." "Oh...well, it's not meant to impress people Vegeta, you just sort of go to make a statement. The Ball is Capsule Corps. way of saying we appreciate the city; the people come looking their best to say in turn, that they appreciate us." explains the woman's father.

I understand the function of the ball; there were many of these sort of meetings on Vegeta-sei. But what does any of it have to do with me...and the woman...going together?

" And when you go," continues her father when he notices I'm still confused, " It is custom to bring a date with you. Um...a sort of companion...um... help me out here Goku." pleads the man. " Oh, a sort of mate. Not really a permanent one, but just for the night."

Hmm, the woman and I mates...only for one night. I look up and see everyone surrounding me like starving dogs, anxious for food. But the woman stands on the far side of the room with her hands covering her face in shame and defeat. " So, is that a yes or a no?" asks the woman's mother softly.

I know what she is expecting; I know what they are all expecting. After all, I'm the pompous Saiyan Prince/ mass murderer, not some sweet-eyed-soft-hearted school boy. They presume they have me figured out, that they know who I am.

They presume too much.

I am not a simple minded man to be easily calculated and followed! No one knows who I am! No one presumes to know what goes on in MY mind! HA! As if it were possible!

And so, I do the one thing that will undoubtedly have them all gasping in awe and amazement. I do the one thing the all least expect, especially the woman.

I say yes.

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AN~ ewww short. But the next chapter will be long ( well for me anyways ) and eventful! Now there's a word for you! See you next chapter!! DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! Thanks!!!~Melissa