"By the pricking of my thumbs,

Something wicked this way comes."

~Second Witch, Macbeth

Eyes opening slowly, she allowed them to adjust to morning. A single sliver of light had escaped through the drapes and crawled across the bed. She looked upon it absently, and sighed softly enough that he wouldn't be disturbed.

Liar.

He had told her he wasn't tired, yet there he lay beside her, dead asleep. Eyes closed, Vegeta never did seem as intimidating as he did awake. Face turned to her, Bulma realized she was possibly the only person he'd ever allowed so close. Especially when he was in such a vulnerable state. Bulma smirked. Vegeta being vulnerable at all was a laughable aspect.

Still, the knowledge that she was so close made her happy. Never before had a trust bestowed upon her reached so deep. Damn it, she wasn't going to cry over this. She was not some blubbering romantic! Or was she?

She used to be.

But it seemed so unlike her now. To love so freely. To cry so easily. That just wasn't her personality anymore. She was used to being strong now, and only caring about herself and Chimera.

Chimera.

What would happen with him? She couldn't bare the idea of living without him. However, now that Vegeta was back… She shook the thoughts away; she'd consider them later. Galvan was still in the picture, and as long as his menacing profile lurked in the forefront, all other factors were merely a shapeless background.

He growled lightly in his sleep, nearly causing Bulma to jump. She suppressed her surprised giggle barely, and looked at him again.

He looked… the same. Two years had only enhanced his perfection. And, upon further notice, his muscle. The man had been working out. She rolled her eyes at the old image of his obsession with the gravity machine. Please!

That night had been so serene. After standing together on the balcony, they had somehow moved to bed. Ironically, they had not made love. Bulma was amazed that they had managed that. Actually, it had almost happened. Almost until she laid down, shut her eyes, and… She winced at the memory, now reborn. Bulma had fallen asleep mid-kiss.

So now, as she contemplated the Saiyan prince before her eyes, she wondered how his libido had allowed him to let her stay asleep. Wonder of wonders that man.

Well, it was morning, and although she didn't mind him getting his rest, she preferred an awake Vegeta to an unconscious one.

Sliding through the covers and over to his body, she planted a soft kiss on his lips. Smiling, she watched as his eyelids jerked open. He growled at her.

"Woman, you should be wiser than to do a stupid thing like that! I might have attacked you!" She grinned and wrapped an arm around his waist.

"Attack me? Ha, I'd take you out!" He rolled his eyes at her, but showed no desire to remove her arm.

"I have a very bad feeling that you're newfound strength will be a great annoyance to me."

"I was always annoying to you."

"True, but you couldn't ever fight back before."

She smirked mischievously at him before answering.

"Well, it seems things might be getting a little bit rougher around the house." He returned her smirk.

"I don't know if that'd be entirely a bad thing," he said, bringing his head down. Seeking out her lips, they kissed eagerly. His hand moved to her waist and then slowly down, causing Bulma to moan. She nearly ripped off her suit, which to her unhappiness, she was still wearing. In fact, her hand was fumbling for the release button at the neckline when…

*Knock, knock* The door flew open, and in came Trunks. Vegeta sat up so quickly that Bulma fell down onto the bed with his movement and bounced with a yelp.

"Morning dad," the boy greeted. "Hey mom!" He added, moving his gaze over his father's shoulder and to his mother's disheveled frame.

"Trunks, it's early," Bulma pleaded, rubbing her eyes wearily. Trunks raised an eyebrow.

"You guys didn't look very tired when I entered!"

No one answered that one.

"Besides," he added. "It's nearly 10 o'clock! Since when did my insomniac parents think that was early?"

"What do you want, boy?" Vegeta finally questioned, running a hand through his hair.

"I want to know why Saliya is staying here." Bulma's eyes widened. She had nearly forgotten the Effian girl. Vegeta seemed to have been quite aware of her however.

"Your mother, with her sentimental nonsense, took her in last night. She came here pleading for help. I think she's trouble!"

"Vegeta!" Bulma scolded, finally sitting up. "You are too quick to assume. She's a nice girl."

"Oh yes, so nice that she was in love with Galvan!"

"She treated me very kindly on the Eckosphere."

"She was one of the people who fed you to Chimera!"

Trunks winced as his mother retaliated.

"They did not 'feed' me to Chimera! They simply offered me to him."

Trunks fought the urge to cover his ears. It was going to get loud soon.

"Oh yes, to a big ugly beast with fangs!"

"Chimera's not ugly!"

Trunks groaned.

"Oh, so you have feelings for him still?"

By now the two were standing up, facing each other. They looked as if they were taunting an opponent before combat. Trunks worried that a real fight might ensue this time, seeing as how his mother did have some power under her belt now.

"I love Chimera! He's my friend!"

"Oh yes, an animal for a friend! Maybe I should go get a gold fish and talk to it all day!"

"Well, it would have the same brains as you!"

"Excuse me woman, for not being as intelligent as you are!"

"If you were, you'd know when to give up!"

"Ha! Me, surrender, never!"

Trunks scratched his head. Sighing, he took a deep breath.

"Fine then! Bring it on!"

"I will!"

"Ok!"

"SHUT UP!!!!" The two halted to a silence, stunned by the sudden sound. Their son stood before them frowning with his arms crossed. He looked like an angry parent who had come to mediate a fight between two children. Bulma looked to Vegeta and then him.

"He started it!" She implied, pointing an accusing finger at Vegeta.

"The hell I did!"

"ENOUGH!" Trunks demanded. "Both of you, stop it."

They both growled and crossed their arms. Trunks smiled. It had been a long time since he had seen this "heart warming" scene. He couldn't believe he had missed it.

"All right, when this stupid arguing is over, I have news for you both! Galvan is on his way soon, and we all need to get ready. That means training, sparring, making sure mom's 'Blood Rage' stays in check, and figuring out who does what. We need a strategy," Trunks lectured.

Bulma looked to the floor thinking for a moment and then looked back to Trunks.

"Chimera! He's a brilliant strategist. Believe me, he's helped out quite a few times."

"Yeah, but that was just with you. How does he do with groups?" Trunks asked.

"Just the same," Bulma replied. "He's old and he's wise. He's seen much in his life, and he knows how to store information and use it to his advantage."

Vegeta scoffed at her words.

"I'm just as wise with battle! We don't need aid from an animal, I'll provide the strategy."

"Vegeta, your ego would overpower any possible attempt at strategy," Bulma replied. Vegeta turned swiftly to Trunks.

"Boy, I have a new idea! We'll just throw the woman at Galvan! Let her annoy him to death. Then he'll rue the day he ever challenged us!"

"Oh!" Bulma shouted. "Then I guess you rue the day you married me!"

"Oh no!" Vegeta answered, in obvious sarcasm. "I'm the happiest man alive!"

Trunks' sweatdropped as he watched his mother's face turn a crimson hue. Her anger was frightening. Vegeta laughed back at her rage, unaffected by its potential.

"Umm… dad," Trunks said softly.

"What's wrong woman? Did I upset you?" Vegeta mocked, continuing to laugh at her anger. Bulma growled and brought her clenched fists forward.

"Dad…" Trunks yelped, his voice barely audible with fear.

"Just look, boy! The woman's gone mad!"

Bulma's ki was seething, but she kept in suppressed. Trunks shuddered. As soon as Vegeta hit the right buttons, his mother was going to explode.

"Can't speak, woman? Well, isn't that just a blessing!" Vegeta smirked as he watched her aura glow around her, crackling. Trunks' eyes were wide now.

"Vegeta," she said coolly.

"Yes?" He answered smugly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Shut up." Her calculating stare brought Trunks to a halt, but it obviously didn't phase his father.

"Make me," he replied. Trunks grimaced.

Wrong answer.

In a sudden blast, Bulma reached up, as if her hands sought to snatch more energy out of the very air. Her ki soared in a single moment, blazing with frustration. She screamed, releasing her unrest, radiating power. Trunks took a step back and cast a slow glance to his father.

Vegeta looked rather beside himself.

"Dad…" Trunks whispered again. This time, Vegeta paid him attention.

"What?" He replied, not taking his eyes off Bulma.

"Run!" It seemed to both Saiyans a very good idea, and no sooner had Trunks put forth the idea than they were flying towards the balcony.

"Come back here!" Bulma demanded, her ki seeming to augment her very voice.

"Go!" Vegeta yelled, pushing Trunks forward. In their haste of flying out of the room, they took the drapes in their wake.

"Bastards!" She screamed. "My curtains!"

Oh shit.

Lunging forward, she flew after them.

****

Trunks fought against the fabric that covered his view. While attempting to fly and remove the coverage at the same time, he could hear his mother's enraged shrieks as she followed. Finally, he removed the curtain, only to come within inches of hitting a tree.

"Gah!" Whirring up high into the air, he scanned the horizon for his father. Finally he found Vegeta's silhouette, only a mile away. Flying at breakneck speed, he came up beside him.

"Is she still behind us?" Vegeta asked, as if too nervous to look back. Trunks turned his head around to see a bright being approaching through the sky.

"Yeah… she's still there."

"Where's Kakarott when we need the baka? He'd calm the woman down!"

"Well dad, if you hadn't instigated the fight, we wouldn't be flying our asses off."

"Watch your mouth boy! Now where the fuck is Kakarott?" Trunks rolled his eyes.

"He's back at the palace."

"Shit."

"Yeah, so what do we do?"

"Why don't you negotiate with her?" Vegeta offered.

"Me?"

"Yes you! You're her son!"

"You're her husband!" Trunks fought back.

"Hell no, don't you sense her ki?" Trunks smirked. Now he had his trump card.

"What's wrong dad?" He asked calmly. "Scared?"

That did it. Vegeta stopped mid-air and growled.

"I am not scared of anything!" Trunks stopped and turned around.

"Then how come we're flying away from mom?" Vegeta seemed perplexed at the question.

"Because… because…"

"Because?" Trunks pressured, jumping for joy on the inside. His father's pride had always been a useful manipulative tool. He just had to handle the situation carefully.

"I'm not afraid!" Vegeta restated, looking nervously in Bulma's oncoming direction.

"Ok, so you're going to stop mom, right?" Vegeta nearly shuddered. However, he controlled himself and crossed his arms.

"Of course! I just wanted to make her burn herself out, that's all. That way when she gets here she'll be out of breath. Then I'll confront her!"

"Sounds good to me!" Trunks asserted. "So I'll just let you do that!" He was gone faster than his father could stop him.

Vegeta growled. That conniving brat, leaving him to face the woman all alone! And that damn woman! Going off and getting so much ki, as if she hadn't been a hand full to begin with!

Sighing, the warrior drifted in the air, and awaited the wrath of Bulma.

It wouldn't be long.

****

'Bulma, what are you doing?'

'Going after that bastard!'

''And why are you doing that?'

'Because he's a bastard!'

'If you were really bright, you'd simply teleport to where he is. However, can you first come talk to Galvan?'

Bulma froze midair.

'Chimera, what did you just say?'

'I said, can you first come talk to Galvan, he's here.'

'I can't sense his ki!'

'He can suppress it.'

'Does Vegeta know?'

'Of course not, he's running from you!'

'Talk to him, I'll go to Galvan.'

'You don't know where he is.'

'I knew that! Where is he?'

'With me! But don't teleport; he can't know you have the ability. Save it for the battle.'

'Ok,' Bulma replied. 'I'll be there soon.'

Bulma attempted to quell her fury. She only mildly succeeded. Allowing the thought of Galvan to enflame her emotions, she instead centered her rage on the true foe.

****

Galvan stood beside Chimera impatiently.

"How long does it take one woman to arrive?"

'I only now summoned her. She can not fly but so fast.'

"I'm very close to leaving. You had better hope your true love makes it on time."

''And just why would I want you to stay?'

Galvan grinned. So Chimera did not deny he loved her, what a nice touch.

"You despise me, don't you beast?"

'You read my mind, Galvan.'

"I can't say I blame you. After all, it was I who imprisoned you for so long. But we shouldn't let something so minute come between us! I can see potential for a lasting friendship."

'Then you must be blind, if you claim to see such nonsense.'

"Perhaps! But it was a beautiful theory. I sense Bulma's prince has returned to her! For she is not with you. You must be so forlorn with grief."

'I'm happier for her than you could know.'

"She broke your heart, Chimera! What's happy about that? She did not bond with you."

'She had long ago bonded to another.'

"How pathetic. Poor beast, you really have nothing to live for anymore."

'I have yet to kill you. That keeps me alive.'

"Don't get too excited. When I blow you away with my power, you'll think differently."

'We'll see, won't we?'

"Yes!" Galvan smirked, nodding his head in relish. "Yes we will!"

As Chimera felt Bulma's ki grow stronger, he realized he had not yet alerted Vegeta. Dreading any communication with the arrogant man, Chimera turned his head to Galvan. The man held an air about him that never seemed to fade. Chimera almost wished that today would be the day they could defeat him.

Death. What a lovely idea.

****

Author's Note: Ok, so not THAT short, still not long! But hey, a chapter's a chapter and that's cool beans for me. But hey, aren't ya proud I'm moving things along! Actually making stuff happen! And yes… the bit today was a lil OOC for Vegeta… but that's why it's A/U and MY fic! (Poetic license, love it till I die). Plus, I felt like lightening things up. Just for one day! Promise it won't happen again!

Alrighty, one more note. A friend of mine is currently circulating a petition to somehow recreate the old forums! If you would like to sign it, e-mail me! (She doesn't yet know I'm doing this, and she's not online, so you just send your stuff to me FIRST! I don't wanna give out her e-mail unless she wants me to!" So come on, be a pal! There's nothing illegal in it, promise! (And if there is, blame JZero!)

***VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE***

If you would like to join the Chimera/Mermaid Update List, e-mail me at Jcool1985@aol.com Seeing as how I can't afford support services, I figure a lot of you guyz can't either! Also included in the list will be any other tid bits I might wanna add (like excuses for why I'm such a super duper procrastinator!) So, throw me a line!

"Wherever he falls, there shall he be buried." ~Eddie Izzard.

Much luv

That is all

~JZero