Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or Vegeta, but that doesn't stop me from creating impossible situations where I get to think about him naked.

Chapter Five

Mind and Body

"Vegeta! I found him. I found Trunks!" Bulma burst into Vegeta's study in a whirlwind of excitement. Her cheeks were flushed red and her eyes glittered with happiness. The glow that used to shine out from the inner most part of her soul had dulled during the passing months, but her news caused that light to illuminate once again.

Vegeta stood in front of his desk, awaiting her entrance. As the weeks had gone by, Bulma had become skilled at hiding her once open hearted emotions from Vegeta, forcing him to rely on his ki sensing ability. With every passing day, Bulma pushed herself ruthlessly, existing on minimal sleep and even less food, until only sheer determination drove her. Worry had grown within Vegeta and almost without conscious realization, he stretched out his senses to touch her flickering ki every few minutes to reassure himself that she was safe.

So when her ki had approached his door he had been ready for her. As she raced across the room towards him, he could not suppress the sorrow that engulfed him. He should have felt her elation the moment she made her discovery, but her forced mental separation left him feeling hostile and untrusting. Without the ability to see her thoughts, she could plot against him just as she had done with Frieza.

He shook his doubts away as she reached him, flinging herself into his arms. He held her tight, relishing the feel of her body against his, stirring the dormant sexual tension that simmered just beneath the surface. The strong predatory animal inside of him was aroused by the scent of his mate and it mixed with the feeling of homecoming that bloomed at her mere presence. How he had missed having her, warm and loving, in his arms where she belonged, not the distant artic wind she had become, blowing through the room, leaving him cold and barren.

She pulled back, her shimmering eyes locking with his, gleeful tears streaming down her cheeks and over her upturned lips.

"I have the location of Trunks!" She gasped happily, while waving a collection of papers in her hand. "He was taken by slavers." Her voice became tainted with disgust and Vegeta tightened his arms around her in comfort.

"It doesn't matter. We will retrieve them. Have you found their hideout?" He questioned, his own happiness thumping dully in his heart at her words. Finally, the Gods were smiling on him. Once he retrieved their son he could go back to having his mate permanently in his arms and no longer would he have to worry about her leaving him.

"He is being held by a very prosperous slaver on Atha 12, by the name of Saffron." She twisted away to agitatedly pace the room, while Vegeta stood motionless by his desk.

"Isn't that in the Badlands?" He frowned at her, watching as her graceful body stalked by him. The Badlands was a section of space outside the acknowledged borders of the universe. It was inhabited by cutthroats and criminals. He wasn't entirely surprised that was where Trunks had ended up. Leave it to his son to wind up in worst possible place, the slums of the universe.

"Yes. From the information that I was able to glean, he rules the Badlands like a pirate king. Anybody who wants sanctuary has to pay him a tithe, ten percent of their plunder. Many of Frieza's soldiers ended up there after his defeat." Bulma brooded thoughtfully at her words. She had put her network of spies to work, not only trying to repair the damage to the empire after Frieza's fall, but finding her son as well. Her sources could tell her very little about the goings on beyond Vegeta's domain. Although information was cheap to come by it was notoriously inaccurate. You can't trust a criminal to tell you anything but lies.

"I see. Well his pathetic reign is about to come to a close. As soon as I am done negotiating with the Shari-Reeves union, I will go to Atha 12 and retrieve our son." He announced his decision with the confidence of a man who had finally found a way to appease his mate. Bulma stopped her pacing and turned to face him, her silence deafening. He fought the urge to cringe as she opened her mouth.

Bulma counted to ten before replying. She desperately wanted to work out a compromise that would satisfy them both, but Vegeta didn't know the meaning of the word. She knew that the conference was important. Hell, she had set it up, but her son came first.

"The conference could last weeks Vegeta." She stated carefully, making sure her purpose was clear.

Vegeta sighed deeply, rubbing his tired eyes with his hand. "Woman, you know that this is important. I can't postpone it." He glared at her, the deadly murderer staring out at her from the depths of his black eyes. "I can call it off though. I will retrieve Trunks then I will regain control of the empire the way I want to. Do you want that Bulma?" His voice whispered over her, shaking her to her very core.

"N-no." She stuttered before gaining confidence. "I want you to go to the meeting. I was just thinking that you could send some men with me and I could go find him."

Vegeta's jaw cracked under the strain of his temper. He tried to remain calm, knowing that an outburst of anger would get him nowhere. "Do not force me to repeat myself again, woman. You are not going anywhere." He held up his hand to stall her. "If you want me to send men to get Trunks, I will do so. Since you seem so set on stealing my right to personally see to the punishment of the man responsible for this mess then so be it."

"But Vegeta I could go and…"

"No!" Vegeta's thunderous roar shook the rafters and Bulma's eyes widened with fear, before narrowing with fury. She drew herself up, looking down her nose at him.

"Fine." Her icy utterance skimmed up his spine.

"Fine." He repeated back to her, his voice just as emotionless.

She turned on her heel without another word and exited his room with the controlled refinement of a lady scorned. As the door clicked shut, Vegeta turned away, his barely restrained anger erupting to the surface. His hand whipped out, striking the offending heavy wooden desk, ignoring the loud crash as it shattered against the far wall.

"Fine." He muttered again while staring blankly at the empty spot where his desk used to sit.

"Wait, not fine." Slowly Vegeta realized that fine was a four letter word. Bulma had just told him to fuck off, in an oh so polite lady like fashion that only meant one thing. She was intending on defying him.

With a growl of barely suppressed frustration he spun on his heel and followed after his headstrong mate. He entered her room only minutes after she had arrived. She whirled around staring wide eyed as he slammed the door shut, leaning heavily against the frame while his black eyes stripped her of her costly arrogance. Every day that she held herself aloof from the man she loved, caused her enormous heartache, all in the name of righteousness.

The only light in the room was a desk lamp in the corner far from where she stood at the foot of her bed. He glanced around, realizing that this was the first time he had ever been in her chambers. He noted with some sense of relief that she kept the pelt of the snow beast he had slain draped over her bed, a sign that she still cared for him, no matter how much she spurned him.

"What are you intending, Bulma?" He lowered the gravelly pitch of his voice to a soft growl to match the ambiance of the shadowed room and she shivered as his words awoke her sleeping passion. She had locked her desires away as she had worked, afraid of letting them out. Afraid of being touched by Vegeta and losing her determination. There was something about his lips on her flesh, his hands on his skin that drove all rational thought from her mind, leaving her a helpless puddle of wanting.

"Nothing." She muttered unable to meet his gaze. Her eyes skimmed over the bed, but she quickly looked away, staring at the floor instead.

He pushed himself away from the door, taking a step forward. "I don't believe you."

Her head darted up and her eyes froze him with their fury. "Stop right there Vegeta. Don't you dare take another step forward. I don't want you touching me. Period! I mean it." She screamed with desperate conviction. She could not afford to have him within arms reach. He would take away her reason and leave her empty.

In compliance to ff.net rules, I have cut this chapter short. You can view the rest of the story on my website which is listed on my bio. Please remember you must be over 17 to view.

Tempest