Hello m'friends! Thanks so much for the great reviews! You all are the BEST! Let's get to reading, shall we?

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own DBZ. :Big sigh: Oh well…

Thoughts

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Melting a Winter Heart

Chapter Three: White Grass

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The clear morning light swept through Bulma's window and shined on her still-closed eyes. Bulma pressed her lids together tightly and turned away from the offending glare. She shivered in her bed, pulling the covers, if at all possible, more tightly around her. It had been a while since it had been this cold. She snuggled her head into the pillow and tried to re-enter the warm dream she had been enjoying.

"ONNA!"

The bellow from downstairs jolted her right out of any hopes of sleep. She tumbled out of the bed and fell smack on her rear. "Ouch…WHAT?" She shouted back, annoyed. Good Kami, sometimes that appetite…

"Come down here! Something's happening!"

Bulma frowned. What did she hear in his voice? Not his usual command, but confusion and…fear? Something must really be wrong. She threw on a robe ran downstairs. "What, what? Where's the fire?" She asked, a little bit panicky. Vegeta gave her a strange look and shook his head.

"It's no fire," he said and grabbed her arm. He led her to the living room window and threw back the curtains. "Look! Since when did your grass turn white?" he asked, completely stumped. Bulma's eyes lit up.

"IT SNOWED!" She cried with joy. "Wow snow! I haven't seen this stuff in years!"

"Before you go off the deep end onna, perhaps you could fill me in?" He suggested rolling his eyes at her childish reaction.

"What?" she laughed. "You mean you've never seen it before? Didn't it snow on Vegeta-sei?" She stopped abruptly and looked at the ground, a little ashamed at bringing up such a painful topic. However, it seemed Vegeta was too absorbed in the white mystery and only shrugged.

"I don't know. I don't remember back to a time when there might have been. It's been too long. What is it?"

"Well, hmm, lemme see… Well, when rain becomes so cold that it crystallizes, you get snowflakes. And when a lot of them get clumped together on the ground, well, you get what we got out there," she explained, gesturing to the window. A wistful smile spread over her face. "It's a wonder. No two snowflakes can ever be the same."

"Hmm, odd. What's the point?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"Well, there's no real point, but it's sure fun to play in!"

"Play in?" Vegeta said, more than a little nervous with her tone.

"Yeah sure! C'mon, bundle up! Let's go outside!" She smiled, inanely happy about the snow.

"What? Me? The Saiya-jin prince does NOT 'play' like a child! No way!" He affirmed, standing his ground.

"Well you're certainly not going to train!" She said, poking her head out from the coat closet. "I'm not putting one of my gravity capsules out there to freeze up and explode! I am not working today I'm playing! And so are you! Now put this on!" She ordered, shoving a thick leather coat, a scarf and some gloves into his arms. He was so surprised that he could barely resist her pushing him into his bedroom.

"Wait a minute! Why do I need all this stuff?" he asked, trying his best not to get pulled into this.

"Duh, it's cold outside!"

"So what? I'll just raise my ki to keep warm."

"You can't do that! You'll melt the snow you dummy!"

"Who's a dummy!" he demanded, secretly admitting she had a point. She only grinned and shook her head.

"Nope, not today Veggie-boy! Today I'm gonna have some fun, and so are you!" She flung the door shut just for emphasis and went to get dressed.

Vegeta just stared at the closed door for a moment, surprised she at how she had pushed him in here so quickly. Why was she so happy about this white fluff anyway? "Baka onna," he grumbled, but decided it couldn't hurt to go along with her, just this once. As he pulled on the warm clothing, he was greatly relieved to see that she'd given him nothing pink this time.

--

"Are you almost done in there?" Bulma called from the kitchen.

"Onna, are you sure all this is necessary?" came his muffled reply. "This get-up is stifling me!"

"Believe me, you'll appreciate it when we get out there! Now hurry up! Gokou and Chi-Chi should be here any minute!"

"WHAT? You invited that baka and his harpy wife?" He roared. Bulma grinned. If there was one thing that DID frighten Vegeta, she was sure it was Chi-Chi. This was the first time it had snowed in at least five years. She hoped to Kami that Vegeta wouldn't be a total drag on her today. Well, she'd gotten him to cooperate so far.

"Of course I called them! They're my best friends! Now chop-chop!" she quipped, zipping her coat over her green sweater. Wow, this was going to be so much fun!

"Since when do you order ME around onna?" Vegeta grunted as he emerged, still fiddling with the plaid scarf. He looked up and took in her form-fitting white coat and tight jeans. Kami, doesn't this woman own ANYTHING that isn't so damn provocative? She turned and at the sight of him all bundled up Bulma couldn't restrain a pleased giggle and clapped her hand like a little girl.

"You look great Veggie! Let's go!" she squealed and grabbed his hand, leading him outside. As soon as they set foot outside, they both slipped on a sheet of ice covering the sidewalk and screaming skidded into a deep snowdrift. Bulma popped her head up first, feeling rather like a rabbit and looked around. "Whoa, what a ride, huh Vegeta? Vegeta? Hey where'd you go?" Her answer came when he burst from the pile of snow and flew about a foot above her.

"Good Kami that's cold!" he gasped, lowering himself to the ground. "How do you stand it?"

"You won't notice it once you get that ol' heart pumping!" she assured him, patting her gloved hand over his chest. She turned towards the road, missing the shock and annoyance on Vegeta's face. What's with her touching me all the time?

"HEY! Bulma! Here we are!" Bulma turned towards the sound of the call and grinned when she saw Chi-Chi waving at her, Gokou's arm circling her waist.

"Hey guys! What kept to you?" Bulma asked, hugging her two friends.

"Well, I was gonna transmit us here, but Chi-Chi insisted we walk and take in the scenery," Gokou explained.

"I don't see why you're always in a hurry with those silly techniques Gokou," Chi-Chi sighed. "Why go blasting off everywhere when you can…"

Vegeta fought to tune out the woman's incessant lecturing. Kakarrot's either a world-class idiot or impossibly patient to put up with that harpy. Me, I think I'll pass.

"Guess that's true Chi," Bulma interjected. "But enough talking, let's have some fun!" With that, she fell on her back, spattering snow upward. Vegeta watched as she opened and closed her long legs while raising and lowering her arms. Gokou and Chi-Chi followed suit, but Gokou's legs remained still. "Come on Vegeta, what's the problem?"

"What are you DOING?" he asked, truly puzzled with this strange ritual.

"Making snow angels, that's what!" Gokou grinned, jumping up. Before the prince could react, Gokou had rushed over and pushed him down into the snow. "Your turn!"

"What? Me? Absolutely not!" he said, scrambling to his feet. Bulma got up and looked at the clear outline of his body.

"That's okay. Not ALL Saiya-jin are meant to be angels. Hmm, good outline…needs something," she hummed. A spark ignited in her eyes and she bent near to it. "No peeking now!" She warned, placing her finger into the snow. Slowly she stood and admired her handiwork. Vegeta looked over her shoulder and had to hold back a grin. She attached a tail onto the imprint of him.

"Not bad," he admitted, and smirked, "For a silly frivolity!"

"Oh don't be such a stiff Vegeta!" Gokou smiled, playfully punching him on the shoulder.

"I am not a stiff, this is just childish!"

"Oh is that SO?" Bulma challenged, crossing her arms. "Well fine! Prince Vegeta, I challenge you to a battle!"

"Pfft. BWAHAHAHAHA! Right woman," Vegeta snorted, "Like YOU could ever defeat me!"

"Hmm, maybe not in hand to hand combat, but look who has no experience in snowball fights!" Bulma grinned.

Gokou punched the air. "Yeah! How do we do teams?"

"Well, we can't do guys versus girls. You Saiya-jins would kick our butts!" Bulma pointed out.

"Damn straight," Vegeta grunted.

"Gokou's on my team!" Chi-Chi shouted, not wanting to get stuck with Vegeta. Bulma stopped a moment and thought. If Veggie boy's on my team, I won't get to pelt him any! But…Chi-Chi would KILL me if she got paired with him… This won't do at all!

"Hmm, no…I think we should just make it a free for all! No teams, no alliances!" Bulma declared, beginning to scoop snow into her hands. She looked up and frowned at Vegeta, who still hadn't moved a muscle. "Prepare your weapons prince! I'm taking you down first!"

"Hmph. Stupid really," he growled and turned his back on her. Suddenly, something wet and cold smacked into the back of his neck. He groaned as the snow melted and dribbled inside of his collar. He turned one of his deepest glares on her, shocked that she'd even DARE!

"Ha HA! Two points!" she cheered, pulling her fist down to her hip. Gokou patted her on the shoulder.

"Wow! First hit against Vegeta! Impressive!"

"Better get running Son-kun! You're next!" Bulma warned brandishing a new weapon. Gokou laughed as it flew past him and he ran off. Chi-Chi went after him like a shot, pelting him with frosty balls. Bulma smirked at Vegeta, who was still glaring at her.

"Speechless, are we? It's about time. What's it gonna be 'Your Majesty'?" she asked, sweeping a long mock-bow to him. "You gonna let yourself get whipped by a helpless little Earth onna?"

"Not a chance in Hell." Mischief glinted in Vegeta's eyes and he bent down to get his revenge. As he shaped a ball, another puff hit him square in the chest. "Oh, you're just begging for it onna," he warned, smoothing the snow into a perfect sphere.

"Hmm, nice one, but can you throw it? C'mon," she beckoned, making a "bring it on" gesture with an open hand.

"You're going down," he sneered at her and threw it as hard as he could. She smiled and sidestepped it easily and it went sailing into a tree, dissipating into tiny bits.

"Not bad. Now let's see if you can HIT me!" Without another word, she grabbed up some snow and ran off to hide, shaping her next weapon. Vegeta's lips spread into a feral grin, watching his prey speed away.

"Keep running onna. I love the chase."

For hours, the foursome ran around the extensive grounds, snowballs whizzing through the air. Despite his lack of experience with this snow, Vegeta was pleased to find that he was a natural. Even more pleasing was the fact that he was even whipping Kakarrot at this game. He glanced around, searching for Bulma. He still hadn't paid her back for that first sneak attack. Through the cold, he could sense her ki and smirked, levitating high into the air. After a moment, Bulma came into view, her hair a splash of blue against the whiteness.

"Where'd that snow monkey get to?" She growled, glancing around. Vegeta's sensitive ears caught this and his smirk grew darker.

"Just for that one…" he said and dropped the snowball onto her head.

"Ack!" she yelped, instinctively pressing her body down after the impact of the puff of snow. She groaned as she felt it melt and it began to drip over her forehead. She glanced around and then up. She glared when she saw him floating there grinning like a maniac. "You big cheater! That's not fair!" She shouted and hurled her snowball at him. It missed him by a good four feet.

"Well, I fight dirty onna!" he answered, floating up a bit higher to prove a point.

"Come on, coward!" she challenged, knowing she get a rise out of him with this. "You get down here and fight like a Saiya-jin!" she ordered, pointing at the ground. If she'd been closer to him, she might have seen his eyes glimmering with excitement.

"If you insist!" he yelled and streaked towards her. He barely heard her surprised cry as he tackled her into the snow. They rolled down the gently sloping hill, shouting and laughing and trying to stop themselves from rolling.

At last, they came to a stop. They panted with laughter and Bulma was pleased to find that she'd ended up on top. She grinned wildly. "Well, looks like I came out on top didn't I? How do you like that?" Vegeta stopped laughing abruptly and gave her a wide smirk. In one swift movement, he flipped her onto her back. "HEY!"

He grinned and leaned in towards her with a superior gleam in his eyes. His hands lay on either side of her head in the deep snow. "I like it very much," he purred. Bulma struggled not to let free a shiver. Oh, I can't stand when he does that with his voice.

A second of silence passed, but in that second, Vegeta suddenly noticed things about her that he failed to see before. It seemed strange, but her coat made her seem one with the snow, making it easier to focus on her face. Her cheeks were rosy-pink with exertion and happiness, the melted snowflakes resting on them making her face sparkle in the soft light. Her clear blue eyes were crystalline with laughter, the little snowflakes clinging to her lashes. He never noticed their true color before now, not black but a deep blue. A thrilling sensation that raised the hairs on the back of his neck raced through him. Why is she so…indescribable now? What's going on?

"Alright, you've made your point. Up now," she said, finally out of the throes of her merriment. He didn't move and she tried to slide out from under him. Kami, she had no idea he was so heavy. Slightly annoyed that he hadn't moved, she looked up to glare and caught an unfamiliar look in his eyes…his deep, fathomless black eyes…She'd never seen such a shine in them as she did now. She knew why; she'd heard his laughter herself. He probably hadn't laughed in his life, unless it was under mocking or malicious circumstances. She didn't know when and she'd never admit it, but she had long since memorized every contour and line of his body under the thick leather of his coat. She felt another shiver run through her, but only blamed it on the snow beneath her.

"Cold?" he asked, at last moving off of her.

"Uh…yeah," she gulped and stood up. She found she couldn't take her eyes away from the sky and massaged her arms. Why was it suddenly so hard to look at him? What had she seen in his eyes?

"Onna?"

"Huh?"

"You were spacing out," he pointed out, assuming his usual smirk.

"I was not," she defended. "I was just…"

"Just what?" he asked, stepping towards her.

"Hey guys!"

Bulma whipped her head towards the sound of the voice. Gokou and Chi-Chi were running towards them, both covered with a generous helping of snow. "Where've you two been?" she asked with a knowing smile. She at least knew what they were doing; Gokou never was thorough with wiping off lipstick.

"Oh, we got into a private spat, you know," Chi-Chi nodded, wrapping her scarf more tightly around her throat.

"Ah-ah-ah, too much info, Chi'. Let's go back to the house. I'll make us some hot cocoa," Bulma offered. Gokou's face lit up and Bulma almost laughed as she watched Vegeta struggle not to do the same.

"Great idea!" Gokou exclaimed and scooped Chi-Chi into his arms as he flew off towards the compound. Bulma glanced at Vegeta, secretly hoping he'd be a gentleman as well, but not expecting too much. Vegeta didn't miss her look and scowled.

"You've got to be kidding me onna!" he snorted and flew off by himself. Bulma glared at his ki streak.

"Well, fine, you big jerk!" she yelled shaking her fist. "Dammit, it's cold," she mumbled, tightening the belt of her coat. Before she could take even one step, something behind her swept her up and floated into the sky. "Hey! What are you…dumb question," she mumbled, giving Vegeta a look.

"I'll require your complete silence on this flight," he advised. She grinned and gave him a little salute.

"Yessir, cap'n sir!" she said, her smile never fading even when he scowled at her. There was a burst of warmth as they sped towards the compound. Vegeta's eyes were set on his course and Bulma simply couldn't help sliding hers up to his face. His visible ki around him illuminated his tan skin, and highlighted the strong angular shape. The big wet flakes of snow melted on contact with his skin and streaked off like sweat. She almost couldn't stop her hand from reaching up to trace the damp paths across his cheek.

Kami, he's so attractive…why isn't it ever this obvious? WAIT! What am I THINKING? I'm taken! I have a BOYFRIEND! I gotta stop doing this, it's creepy! She tore her eyes away from his face, only to look straight down. Her heart leapt into her throat at the sight of everything so far below them. She gasped loudly and instinctively wrapped her arms around his waist. His body tensed when she pressed her face into his chest.

"Oh stop it onna! You know I'd never let you fall!" he growled and was inwardly shocked at how nice that came out. Not that he meant it to be but it was the first thing on his mind. Still he didn't find this behavior completely appalling; it was his idea to fly with her after all.

In a few minutes, they arrived at Capsule Corp. Gokou and Chi-Chi were standing on the porch waiting, their arms wrapped tightly around each other. "Gee, where've you two been?" Gokou asked as Vegeta set Bulma back on her feet.

"None of your damn business Kakarrot!" Vegeta growled as he shouldered past him and pushed the door open. Bulma growled softly and marched in after him, followed by Gokou and Chi-Chi.

"Wow. Does he have snow in his pants or what?" Gokou grinned, pulling Chi-Chi closer to him.

"Oh you have no room to talk Gokou," Chi-Chi admonished, wagging her finger in his grinning face. She gently drew her finger down his arm. "You got the same thing out there when we were--"

"Hey guys!" Bulma called from the kitchen, knowing full well what she might be interrupting. "Come on in here and sit down! Drinks'll be ready in a flash!" Smiling, they walked into the warm kitchen, shedding their coats as they came. As they sat down, Vegeta entered the room, pulling a dry shirt over himself. At a glance, Bulma caught a glimpse of his finely toned stomach. She blushed and turned her attention back to the simmering cocoa. Soon, the welcoming smell of chocolate permeated the room. "Marshmallows anyone?"

"Five!" Gokou said cheerfully. Bulma shook her head with a smile.

"You sure there'll be enough room for the cocoa in there, Son-kun?" she asked jokingly.

"In the mug or his stomach?" quipped Chi-Chi, earning a giggle from Gokou and Bulma, and a snort from Vegeta.

"Vegeta?" Bulma turned to the prince, shaking the bag of white puffs temptingly.

"Sure," he shrugged. Bulma smiled and poured out the steaming chocolate into four huge mugs. She felt immensely good about the atmosphere in the room. This was how she liked it: peaceful and amiable, no one going for each other's throat.

"Okay, here ya go." She began passing out the mugs and sat down.

"To a merry Christmas!" cheered Gokou, raising his mug. Chi-Chi and Bulma did the same, while Vegeta just stared at the trio.

"And a happy New Year!" finished Chi-Chi and Bulma nodded raising her drink to her lips.

"Mmmmm," she sighed as the sweet drink slipped down her throat, warming her from the inside out. Similar sighs came from the couple as well and Vegeta managed a less contemptuous smirk than usual.

"It's a miracle really. The onna has finally cooked something that's edible!" Bulma glared at him, and but the insult was lost on Gokou.

"Err, don't you mean drinkable?" he asked. Vegeta flashed a glare at him; how dare he try to correct a prince!

"Shut up Kakarrot," he muttered and drained the rest of his drink.

Bulma giggled and leaned back in her chair. Ha! Not even Mr. Insults over there can spoil the mood! It's too nice for him!

Suddenly there came a beeping from Gokou and he glanced at his watch. "Oops! I gotta go pick up Gohan from school. We'll be late with our sparring session." Chi-Chi flashed her husband a stony glare and Gokou smiled sheepishly, sweat beading on his forehead. "Did…did I say 'sparring session'? I-I meant, err, STUDY session, yeah." Vegeta smothered his ever-widening grin with his hand while Bulma turned aside to hide her own grin.

"Oh, of course you did!" Chi-Chi chided. "I swear, my son WILL be a scholar, mark my word!" She was giving her speech so proudly that she didn't notice Gokou pulling her into his arms. "And one of these days, Gokou, I'LL be the one to-" Her voice was cut off sharply as they disappeared from the room. Bulma pushed out a loud laugh and placed her hands on the table.

"Sometimes I'm profoundly grateful for that instant transmission thing," she admitted to no one in particular. Vegeta just shrugged and tried not to show his smile. He didn't know what it was. This kitchen was usually a battlefield for the two of them. Only yesterday they'd fought in here, so why did it seem a totally different place today?

"Hey," she suddenly dipped her head down, trying to see his eyes. Quickly he looked up at her with a stone face.

"What?"

"Err, do you want some more hot chocolate? There's plenty left," she offered, feeling very awkward in this moment of truce between them. Still, she actually wanted to be in the same room with him.

Vegeta stared at her for a moment. "Why are you being so nice onna?" he asked suspiciously, leaning back in his chair. She shrugged, smiling.

"Well, you haven't done anything to make me act otherwise. But once you do something rude then I'll treat you accordingly." Vegeta smiled and shook his head. He found, for some reason, he liked being on pleasant terms with her. It was pleasant…and kind of scary.

"So…about the hot chocolate," he reminded her somewhat sheepishly. Bulma's smile broadened. "And stop grinning like that. The corners of your mouth are going to meet!"

"I'll smile all I want Mr. Sourpuss!" She said and poured out some more of the sweet drink. He nodded thanks and took a sip. He gasped loudly as the drink burned his tongue. Bulma instinctively went to him and touched his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Vegeta's eyes suddenly met hers, extreme shock in them. Bulma felt a shiver passing through her and removed her hand from him. He felt mild dismay in his gut when her hand left him, but covered it with a snort. "Of course I am. Don't be silly."

"Oh! Excuse me for caring!" Bulma grumbled and tilted her cup back. She nearly did a spit-take when she realized what she'd said. A look at Vegeta's face told her he was thinking the same thing. She'd TOLD him she cared about him! Not that it was untrue, but she never expected to just blurt it out to his face. Vegeta glanced about, thinking of something, anything to replace this topic.

"Err, onna?"

"Huh? What?" Her head snapped up to face him. Oh please oh please oh PLEASE don't let him ask…

"What exactly did Kakarrot and his mate toast to?" he asked, hoping to Kami that he wasn't blushing. He felt strange about being ignorant of something.

Bulma looked up at him, relieved and confused for a moment, then finally remembered what he meant. "Oh, to Christmas and the New Year; it's an earth tradition called a holiday."

Vegeta stared at her expectantly. "Well?"

"Oh, yeah, I for got. You haven't lived here very long. Hmm, he's really interested in our 'frivolous Earthling traditions'. Amazing. "Well… let's start at the beginning."

Then she began to tell him of the various origins of the holiday, beginning with the traditional religious background and continuing to the various cultural customs. If she hadn't been so intent on the story, she might have noticed a twinkle of interest in the prince's eyes as she told him of the Virgin birth of the Christ Child and Saint Nicholas. It wasn't often he got to learn of a planet's culture nowadays. In the past, he would study a planet's history for weeks before invading. But he'd never heard stories like this. Truly, Vegeta found it interesting and nostalgic; a rare occurrence that something so simple should hold his attention so well. While he listened, old, less painful memories began to resurface…

"And that's it, in a nutshell really. It's a beautiful custom and a wonderful time of the year," Bulma sighed, leaning back comfortably. She glanced at Vegeta, who was studying his mug with a thoughtful look. "So what do you think?"

"I remember a tradition we had on Vegeta-sei," he murmured and Bulma felt a throb in her heart. His voice was softened, almost in sadness. But, he wouldn't have mentioned it if he didn't want her to know.

"Did you?" she ventured, subtly asking him to continue.

"Yeah. It was never during 'winter'. In fact, the weather was never like this. Actually, it took place during he hottest part of the year. There was a large gathering of all the classes and the head scribe would read an account of Vegeta-sei's history beginning with the first battle over the very soil we stood on. Afterwards, there was an enormous banquet and music and a…"

"A…a what?"

Vegeta looked up at her somewhat sheepishly. "A…dance."

Bulma's eyes lit up brightly. She'd have never guessed. "Really? A dance?"

"Yes," he answered, happy that she wasn't laughing at him. "We were a warrior race, but we weren't always such savage fighters. We were a strong, cultural race. Before…you-know-who showed up, we were very in tune with our culture."

Sadness tugged at Bulma's heart, and she suddenly felt an urge to hug him, comfort him in some way. But she only sat listening. "What…what was Vegeta-sei like? Did it look like Earth?"

"No. There was almost no blue or green on it," he told her, though lately he'd grown fond of those colors. "The sky and water were blood red, and the land was a golden yellow…and fragrant. Strange, there was fragrance, but no flowers. There were two suns, one was yellow, the other blinding white. I think the best part about the planet was the night. The moon was blue, a soft blue. That coupled with the dark red of the sky made everything shadowed, allowing the stars to shine bright. The Saiya-jin life was ruled by the stars. Every birth yielded a new star." He paused for a moment and let out a quiet laugh. "My mother told me that when I was born, mine was one of the brightest. She said that it prophesied I would become the Legendary: a Super Saiya-jin."

Bulma felt her eyes prickle with tears as she listened. She couldn't believe that this man and his entire race were once peaceful. But, then again, he was a child once too. The whole planet, that entire race and all their beautiful culture lost because of that bastard Frieza! Yet, all was not lost. The Saiya-jin prince still lived, and better yet, he remembered. She sniffed a little loudly, catching his attention.

Vegeta's black eyes focused on her face. Her eyes shimmered, their blueness almost fluid. Was she crying? Why? She noticed him staring and looked down at her napkin.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice definitely tear-softened. "Sorry you lost so much. Nearly all I've lost has been wished back. I don't know what that's like."

Vegeta stared at her. She really did care, didn't she? Not wanting her to get too emotional, he continued. "I have lost much onna. But, I haven't lost everything. I still have my strength, my pride, and my destiny," he said proudly.

"To become the Legendary," Bulma breathed quietly. She looked up at him, her eyes no longer sad. She stood and went over to him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I believe you will Vegeta. You'll do your race proud."

Vegeta's eyes raised to meet hers. He saw understanding and respect in their incredible blue depths. Such eyes… he couldn't help thinking, and their beauty made him smile at her. He stood up and turned away from her, making a move to go.

"Going to train?" she asked him. He grunted in response. She smiled at his retreating back and began clearing the table. "'Kay, I'll get lunch ready. Vegeta?"

"Hmm?" he turned to look at her again. She was looking at him with an almost sad smile.

"Be careful out there."

That simple phrase shot through Vegeta's very core, filling him with that strange emotion again. He tried to shake it off. "Quit worrying about me onna."

"Then quit calling me onna," Bulma answered trying to bite back a smile. He gave her a smirk and without another word, walked away to train. Bulma shrugged and began pulling out ingredients for a nice hot lunch. As the pair took to their respective tasks, they realized that perhaps they understood each other a little bit more.

--

Dawn M.: Now sandwich-less Wow a long one huh? So, Vegeta's having feelings for our heroine hmm? And speaking of my Veggie-chan, I'm happy to say he's come back to me!

Vegeta: Stuffing his face at the moment Dncffmuhvighykn!

Dawn M.: What the heck was that?

Vegeta: gulp DON'T CALL ME VEGGIE-CHAN! I am a WARRIOR! Not somebody's cute little boy toy! Get it? Fighter! Killer! Bad! Evil! I LIKE DEATH!

Dawn M.: I know…(Huggles him) But I still wuve yoooooou!

Vegeta: NO! NO! Get away! HEEEELLLLPPP!