Inevitability

Chapter Three: Feeling

Opening his eyelids, which felt like they weighted a ton right about now, Vegeta looked around, taking in his surroundings. Yes, he was sure it was still his own room. He frowned as he pushed himself up on his hands, rubbing his forehead. Ouch. That actually hurt!

Oh, now he remembered it all very clearly. At least, to the point where he was conscious. Taking a quick glance at himself, the Saiya-jin Prince decided that she could, after all, do at least one thing properly. When he threw his feet over the edge of his bed, he was taken aback by the princess' sleeping form on the side of his bed, her head rested in over her crossed arms. A muscle on the prince's face twitched slightly upwards. She... She had stayed? The whole night? Just to see he was fine?... He shook his head dismissing the pitiful thoughts that began forming in his head as he lifted the almost lifeless body of the Earth princess in his arms. She was light as a feather to him... She couldn't be otherwise, but he could really tell she was light. What was wrong with him?! He was really beginning to sound like an idiot he never wanted to be.

The little wench in his arms, the challenge in his days recently, something that made his day different didn't really seem like a wench at all. She was so peaceful, so calm, so relaxed... She was almost angelic. Almost. For, Vegeta was a pure atheist, he didn't really believe in angels and was not interested in what they actually were. He only knew that this fragile creature in his arms... It seemed like everything the fiery little female tried to hide behind her flaring temper was now showing, while she was asleep. Her cute childish features made her look quite adorable. The Saiya-jin shook his head furiously. What was wrong with him, truly?! He never used that word, adorable. It was hilarious for him to.

Setting her on the soft bed Frieza had provided her 'room' with, the boy turned on his heel, still wondering what was happening to him as he pushed the handle.

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Days passed by our beloved regals and no one seemed to take count of them anymore. The days turned into weeks, the weeks turned to months. The arrogant Saiya-jin prince had avoided the Princess' presence as if she was worse than plague, much to her delight, or so she thought in the beginning. But never had he deserted her when she had to saunter around the spacecraft. He took his duty as a guard to royalty as if it was the thing that would decide his whole future. And, well, it actually partially did, if he failed, but he was nowhere even near to considering failure as an option in his charge.

Bulma was still unbelievingly mad at him because of the accident with her diary, her 'most sacred thing' as she called it when he dropped by to leave her dinner just yesterday. Maybe that was the reason why he avoided her; because he felt guilty, she thought as she was swinging her feet back and forth on the edge of her velvet-covered bed.

At first, the princess was happy beyond belief that she finally had some peace and solitude. But, as the weeks passed, she began feeling so depressed. There wasn't a living soul for her to talk to, let alone doing something together with. It was unusual and bad for someone her age to be depressed. She had a whole adulthood ahead to be depressed, she didn't want to start at the fragile age of nine! It was simply driving her nuts. The deafening silence, the stillness of the room... She thought she was going to die there; no water, no food, no friends, no relatives, no nothing!

Of course, she was over-looking the fact Vegeta brought her food three times a day, the bathroom was connected to her room and... Well, that's all since the diminutive conservations she shared with the prideful warrior, daring to call himself a bodyguard of hers, couldn't really be considered such.

Bulma couldn't believe herself. She had never experienced loneliness in her life and now... She felt like she was in the middle of a desert; that she was trapped behind see-through walls, hitting her fists hard against them, screaming for someone to come, to aid her shattering childhood dreams and hopes. Yet there was no one sending as much as a mere glance at her dying form, no one wanted to give her a hand to pull her out of this obscure pit called loneliness.

The girl didn't want to feel so alone; she wanted to talk to someone, anyone at all. She was even up to starting a conservation with Zarbon and his ugly companion Dodoria but she dismissed the insane thought. She wouldn't speak a word with those spineless monsters even if they were the last men in the Universe!

The princess was so desperate in her need of attention that she thought about her home so blinded with sorrow every passing day. She often thought of taking one of the emergency space pods to go back to her homeland, ignorant of what the possible outcome could be after her bold action. She craved for her father's pleasant compliments on her great looks and her mother's loving embrace; about her tutor's words of praise to her genius and about her favorite garden just below the balcony of her private chambers. Oh, how she needed the sweet comfort of the garden now. To know that her parents were close to her, that they'd protect her no matter what.

Protect. The first name she could currently associate to this verb with was the Saiya-jin prince's.

Vegeta. Oh, how many times had she already tried to begin a conservation with the proud male. She had not even once succeeded. To her long, stretched questions he responded with short, quiet and even one-syllable words, generally 'yes' and 'no'. But right now, she didn't care how he retorted. She just needed someone to listen to her. If there was one thing the girl was absolutely sure in was that the prince would always listen to her, even though they weren't quite considered 'friends'. They weren't even close to being friends. Yet, she respected him and she deeply hoped he did too.

Another bizarre thing to Bulma was having nightmares. She had never had nightmares in her whole existence and now not even one night passed that she had a peaceful slumber.

And one of these nights she couldn't take it any longer. She decided to act upon it and act upon it now.

"Vegeta?" It came out more as a question than a statement as she meant it when her eyes roamed around the dark room. The marine haired girl wasn't even sure if her companion was back from his daily training, although she could swear she heard the water running in the bathroom not so long ago.

"What?" He snapped back at her, alarming her his presence on the bed. She smiled in the dim room and walked over to him, sitting on the floor next to her bed, feeling his cold gaze over her features despite the obscurity of the premise. How could he see her anyway?

"I had a bad dream." She stated sincerely and burrowed her face in the pillow she had brought with her.

"I do too and I can do nothing for you. Now get out of my room, I have to sleep." She heard some rustling and she supposed he had shifted on the bed so his back was facing her. Well, too bad, she thought, she wasn't going to give up that easily.

"If you have nightmares, why do you sleep?" Her question was quiet and soft. As if trying to ease the pain that the nightmares caused. His frown wasn't evident to her, but Bulma could imagine how he had reacted to her words.

"Since when are you so worried about me?" He snapped again as he craned his neck to look at her. When she didn't respond he growled and lit the lamp over his bed. The girl's face was still fixed in an expectant facade. He sighed and placed his back against the bed board.

"Even if you have nightmares, you have to sleep." He explained so uncharacteristically calm for himself. "Otherwise you will begin to diminish until you reach the pit of your... exhaustion." He paused when he thought about a fitting word.

"But... If you can't have a peaceful sleep, you will feel like a rag in the morning." Vegeta quirked an eyebrow. Since when did she know such a things, a princess like herself would never understand what a real nightmare is. Like the ones he was having. He slapped himself mentally for bringing that topic up in his mind.

"Your body has to regenerate during your sleep. You can't just stop sleeping because of being afraid of your dreams. That is simply the stupidest thing to be afraid of." His onyx gaze glared at her in a scolding way. She looked away and sat on the edge of his bed with a sigh.

"But... I'm so scared." Bulma hugged her pillow close of her chest and again burrowed her head in its fluffiness. Vegeta sighed. This was going to take longer than he imagined. And he had to be at the training chambers at exactly five o'clock in the morning this day. The princess' sudden shriek made him jump lightly and glare at her yet again.

"W-w-what is this thing?!" She was in absolute shock not to note that she had already seen the Saiya-jin's furry tail before. He snorted and observed just what his tail thought it was doing. The princess inched away and it continued to snake around her hand in a... comforting manner?! He snatched it away and shifted on his other side before she could get the hint.

"That's my tail, you idiot." He snapped and looked accusingly at the 'thing' in question. It continued to waver around the air slightly. The princess giggled and began smoothing the fluffiness of the tail. Vegeta felt that his throat was nearly vibrating by the tickling purr that fought for release of his mouth. He squashed it and pushed the girl back.

"Don't touch it, don't ever touch it!" He hissed between his clenched teeth.

"Why were you so surprised to see it was over me? Isn't it yours?" Bulma had dismissed his warning as if it was just a child's play, and to her it maybe was, but the prince glared yet again at her.

"Not that it is any of your concern," he began accusingly, "but I still have to learn how to control it." A giggle escaped the girl's lips again as she looked at the furry attachment to the boy's figure shift swiftly in the thin air.

"You seem to have forgotten your little pathetic problems." He muttered as she continued to follow his tail's movements with her eyes when they shifted to him and narrowed. What happened next he would have never thought she would even dare do.

"You're such a jerk, Vegeta!" She sat on her knees and slumped the pillow over his head, giggling in the process. It didn't take the Saiya-jin long to regenerate from the shock and push the girl off of himself, only to have her sitting on his stomach looking down at him with her characteristic childish naivety. Yet, the teenage prince wouldn't like the thoughts that threatened to plague his head unleash further.

"Did loneliness turn you into what you are?" Her question was unexpected and it took him time to register that she even spoke.

"What does it mean to you?" Bulma sighed.

"You won't even talk to me, let alone do something with me. I don't want to sink into sadness. I don't want to be of those kids that have to grow up faster than they should." She explained as she crawled off of her bodyguard, much to his delight.

"You have already turned into one." He muttered, gaining her attention yet again, urging him to continue. "Being royalty means being mature from the day you can understand what people tell you. You have to learn manners, how you should walk, and talk, even how you should breathe properly so the 'public' doesn't take a wrong hint. Your life isn't yours anymore. It is your kingdom's."

"Has your father told you that?" The marine haired girl asked interestedly.

"No." He stated simply, making her sigh. She sure hoped they weren't beginning the 'yes' and 'no' conservation.

"Your mother?" She decided to play along if that was what he wanted from her.

"No."

"Your uncle?"

"I have no relatives." Vegeta's stern voice retorted before she could continue with her guesses. His face was now in the darkness so she couldn't even see the expression he was making. Otherwise, she would have noted the zoned out facade he had. He was thinking yet again of his home, his people, and the ones he respected - his father. Even though his father had dismissed his mother a long time ago because 'she was spoiling him', Vegeta still respected the old fool. They never had a father-son relationship. Their was more like a emperor-prince's bond.

"Did you love your mom?" Her question was soft and yet he heard it quite clearly. When he turned around he noticed that she had crawled with her arms over his chest. The saiya-jin growled and pushed her off.

"I don't remember my mother." He answered sincerely. Why did he continue this senseless conservation anyway? He needed some sleep!

"Did you grieve for her?" Her interrogation was beginning to annoy him.

"None of your business, I think." He snapped at her and she smiled sadly.

"So you did..." Vegeta opened his mouth to comment when the girl continued. "I miss my mom and dad dearly too. I have never been alone my whole life. I don't want to be. I was used to attention. I thought it was granted since I was royalty. That I could do whatever I wanted without being scold by anyone, just because I am royalty. I never had nightmares. And now, it all comes crashing down upon me. I'm far away from my parents, my friends, my maids, my clothes, and my homework even... And I can do nothing about it because it was not someone else, but my father who sent me here!" She looked away, sorrow reading clearly in her eyes.

The prince couldn't do anything. He had never found himself in such situation before. But he was not even expected to do much. The tiny female snaked her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Just like home..." She muttered as sleep took over her slowly.

The Saiya-jin prince held a breath when his heart skipped a beat. What was happening to him?! Why was this girl's closeness doing this to him? He hoped it was because of stupid puberty hormones. Yes, it was definitely stupid hormones. He glanced at the clock next to the bed. Well, he had some time to rest before having to be in line with the other soldiers, or more like, toys Frieza had to instruct for the purging mission that was going to a few days away from now.

The boy didn't feel when he fell asleep and on of his arms covered the fragile figure beside him, placing his head over hers. If he ever saw himself from a side-viewer's place, he would've said she was slowly but seemingly changing him. The evidence of this was his first dreamless night for the last few years...

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Ah, now wasn't that just so sweet? And sorry for getting the chapter out earlier, but I found time to write now. '' So.... Whaddya think?

Oh, and don't worry, of course they'll grow up. But they have to at least learn to stand each other now, so they could... Okay, I won't spoil later chapters. I was planning on making this the last 'childhood' chapter, but I had to separate the other part. This just seemed a perfect place to end it. So, please review and tell me what you think about it. I need your support you guys!!

Alright, all of you are aware of the fact I never put an Author's Note in the beginning of a chapter. But I couldn't stop myself now. I was like "Oh my God.... Oh my god!!! They have all reviewed!!!" I had to take a grip on the lil' glass table that the computer is placed not to have a heart attack or something. You guys almost got me, me, of all people, Ms. I'm The Ice Queen And Nothing Can Get To Me, me, nearly into tears of joy!!! I do admit I sometimes cry over stupid things, but never of joy. And you all nearly managed to do it!! :)))))) You have no idea what your great support means to me. It really melt my heart. Seriously... I couldn't help but write the next chapter right now. I am aware that maybe some of you won't want to read it right now, but I just had to take it up! Since it is ready anyway. ;)

I love you guys. I love you so much. So very, very much.