Chapter 4

Nervously, Bulma took in a deep breath and steadied herself, bracing her hands on the edge of her dresser. He didn't know she was home, which was a good thing.

"Use your craft. You'll get him,"

There were so many ways that she could go about this, but only one would work. If he knew she was there and had a chance to bolt, it would only hurt him more. No, she had to use her craft. She had to throw up shields around herself that even the mighty Saiyajin no Ouji couldn't detect so that she could sneak up on him, take advantage of him...and save his life. The only thing that bothered her was whether or not he'd talk to her afterwards. If she did this...would he hate her? He knew about her jewels, but he didn't know what she could do with them.

Bulma took in a deep breath and felt her body relax. She was a queen. He was her consort, her mate, her husband. She could not just sit by and watch him kill himself because he was too stubborn to give in, so caught in some stupid idea that he'd hurt her when he knew he couldn't do that if he wanted to. Not physically anyway. Verbally was another thing all of its own.

"Ok, Bulma, get it together." She took a last, deep breath and threw up the necessary shields around herself, passing through the wall of her room as if she'd always done it. Her craft came easy to her no matter how long she went without using it. Finding him wouldn't be hard at all. A small probe of her surroundings told her that he wasn't in the house or outside, so it was obvious that he was in the gravity room. Mumbling because once she entered the room the gravity machine would disengage and he'd be alerted to another presence, Bulma moved towards her laboratory building and down the stairs to the level she'd set aside for her husband and the permanent gravity room.

She walked on air to prevent her footfalls from making any sounds, paranoid that the Saiyajin's heightened senses would pick it up and he'd run for cover. She couldn't afford to let that happen. Pausing as she reached the door, she couldn't help but take yet another deep breath. God, I'm dramatic...

She opened the door and stepped inside, surprised that the gravity machine hadn't even been activated. However, the door had gotten Vegeta's attention and, exhausted, the Saiyajin climbed to his feet and marched towards the door, glaring at it long and hard before he slammed it shut so hard the entire gravity room shook. Bulma waited a moment, standing undetected beside him, watching for any indication that what Cassandra had predicted was wrong. Unfortunately, when the Saiyajin turned to lean back against the door, she saw it in his eyes, in his body. He was in rut, and it was killing him. She fought the urge to reach out to him, figuring that letting him move away from the door before revealing herself would be wiser. That way she'd have him trapped. Of course...Vegeta didn't react well to being trapped.

Finally, Vegeta moved away from the door, intending to engage the gravity machine when she made her move.

"Vegeta!"

He whirled, his balance almost lost with the action, as his wife dropped her craft induced shields and revealed herself to him. Vegeta shook himself, sure that he was hallucinating, and forced his mind to block out the image of his wife in that sexy little negligee that he loved so much.

"Sit down, you baka!" Bulma growled, holding her palm out, a small burst of gray energy forcing him onto his ass. "Baka, baka, baka!" She glared down at him, aware that he probably thought he was going crazy. "How could you have been so stupid? You should have told me what was wrong weeks ago, Vegeta! Don't you realize what you're doing to yourself? The Saiyajin genetics doesn't allow for this! You can't just exhaust the rut out of your body! It won't work that way with you. The most it will do is kill you," She knelt down in front of him, making sure to spread her legs a little more than necessary. "I'm not losing my husband because he's being a snarly Warlord Prince and won't acknowledge that he has a problem,"

"Woman," He warned, glaring, but he didn't move, afraid that just touching her would be the end of her life.

"I'm going to help you through this, Vegeta, and nothing you say or do is going to change my mind. I love you and I'm not going to let this continue," He growled at her, but he still didn't move and she took advantage in his lack of mobility, sliding herself firmly into his lap, her arms encircling his neck. "Don't fight me, Vegeta. This isn't a battle you can win by training, and you know that. Stop fearing for my life and just take what you need,"

"Get off, onna!"

She glared at him, refusing to budge, her mind made up. "You're in rut, Vegeta. It's going to kill you,"

"Nothing can kill me,"

"That arrogance will if you don't suck it up and just deal with this the way it needs to be dealt with. Don't make me tie you down because I damn sure won't hesitate,"

"You're wrong in thinking you could ever-" Stunned, he stared at her in shock.

"You want to argue with me some more, Vegeta, or are you going to shut up and just take what you need from me?" She removed her hands from his wrists and grasped his elbows, bringing his arms around her waist so that they were almost completely plastered against each other. Her scent filled his nostrils with the movement and he moaned, resting his head against her chest, feeling the rut intensify, feeling his body reacting to her and enticing release from her. "Take me, Vegeta,"

He growled again but it was the hungry little growl she always heard before they made love and relaxed at the sound of it, welcoming the familiar feel of his lips against hers. She moaned in the gentleness of the kiss, feeling herself being pushed down onto the cold tile of the floor, her Saiyajin no Ouji making quick work of their clothes. He paused a moment to regain control over himself before he took her, groaning in relief as he felt the tension in his body easing away.

An hour passed by and after his first release, Vegeta was content to rest and breathe for a moment. Bulma's arms encircled his sweating, exhausted body, and pulled him close to her.

"See?" She whispered, knowing full well that this was no where near over and done with. "You're already feeling better. Next time, please don't be stupid. You're half dead as it is,"

"Quiet," He hissed into her shoulder, shaking his head. "You can reprimand me later when I have the strength to insult you into silence,"

"I'll hold you to that, Vegeta," She kissed his shoulder, holding him a little tighter to herself. At least now she knew she had him, knew she wasn't going to lose him to his own stupidity.

An Offering to the Darkness took from Sunset to Sunrise, according to that Serpent Lady. She'd said from Sunset to Sunrise. Well, the sun had set and had risen and had set again. Cassandra still had yet to emerge.

"What's going on?" Juunanagou growled into the air before him, wanting desperately to throw those doors open and jump to his lover's rescue if she needed it.

"It's difficult; all the waiting,"

Juunanagou glanced over his shoulder, his azure eyes becoming sharp, intense as the new presence in the room finally stepped into the light. He recognized the gold eyes immediately. They were Cassandra's eyes.

"Her grandmother's Offering was extremely exhausting for me. It took Jaenelle seventy-two hours to reach the pinnacle of her power. Cassandra's birth right was the ebon-gray, therefore her Offering will obviously take longer. It's an exhausting experience so she'll need your strength when she's through." Saetan SaDiablo studied his great granddaughter's Consort with an intensity that made Juunanagou uncomfortable, feeling as if the man was trying to read him like a book.

"Is there something interesting about my body that has you so intrigued, old man?"

Saetan raised a brow in his direction and smirked at the younger man. "It's remarkable how much you resemble your mother," With that said, he turned and left the stunned Android standing before the doors. "Follow me, Juunanagou. We must talk, you and I."

Two days. Two full days and only now was the rut finally subsiding. He could bare it now, could tolerate that uncomfortable buzzing throughout his body as he moved about the house. Eggs sizzled in the skillet he was staring into, pancakes stacked a yard high placed carefully on a tray next to him. The bacon was done, biscuits and Coffee both arranged next to the pancakes on the tray. Bulma would need her strength, and the energy she'd get from this breakfast and that coffee would perk her up for another round.

Satisfied with the meal he'd made, Vegeta made his way back up the stairs towards their bedroom, becoming terribly aware that the rut still wasn't gone from him. He needed more time to get it out of his system, but at least now it wasn't as bad as before and he knew how to heal it. Curse his stupidity, he should have given in weeks ago. But even now he was afraid of hurting her. She would no doubt have a few bruises after this, not that he didn't have a share of his own. He rolled his right shoulder after setting the food down on her sitting room table and chuckled. "Wench does have a bit of a bite to her," He glanced towards the bed and went rigid at the sight. Bulma's right arm hung limply over the side of the bed and, thanks to the amount of crumpled blankets piled over her, he could barely see the rise and fall of her chest.

"Bulma?" Nervous, he walked towards her and felt sick relief wash through him when she stirred, groaning.

"It's morning already?"

Smirking to hide the nervousness, Vegeta crossed his arms over his naked chest. "Get over here and eat."

"Food?" She sat up in the bed and studied the food with intensity, wondering if he'd be insulted if she put on a robe while they ate. She moved slowly so as not to awaken that predator instinct in him, pulled the thinnest silk nighty she owned out of her closet and slipped it on, grateful that the only reaction she got from him was a husky little growl. "How long have we been at this?"

"Two days," He muttered as he sat down and served her a healthy portion of the food.

"Two days? Really?" Fidgeting now, she grabbed her fork. "Have you gotten the lecture yet?"

"What?"

Startled, Bulma looked up at him, her blue eyes narrowed. "From Cassandra. She's here...isn't she?"

"Onna, there's no one here but you and I,"

"Are you sure?"

Growling, Vegeta slapped a few more pancakes onto his plate and dug in. Cassy? Nothing, not even a flicker of power from that powerful mind to let her know that she was there. Alarmed and growing nervous, she turned her mind in another direction, hoping that Vegeta wouldn't take too much notice of what she was doing. Chi?

Bulma? You ok?

Yes, I'm fine. Listen, Cassandra said she'd be here but-

She's in Ebon Askavi. At the Keep.

The Keep?

The Dark Altar, Bulma,

What? You're sure?

Yes, Geoffrey came and retrieved her shortly after you left the barbecue. She's making her Offering and taking her place on the Dark Throne. Geoffrey promised that we'd all be contacted when our presence at the Keep was required. Bulma, is it done?

Almost,

Then I suggest you get back to it. I don't want Vegeta and Cassandra clashing at the ceremony,

Understood,

Be careful, Bulma, and may the Darkness Embrace you, sister,

"Onna, what are you doing?"

"What?"

"You haven't heard a word I've said," Vegeta growled dangerously, glaring at her. Why was she so damn distracted?

"I'm sorry. My mind just wandered away from me I suppose," She looked down at her half eaten breakfast and glared at it. "You know, I'm not really that hungry," Bulma looked at him through her lashes and smiled. "At least...not for food,"

END OF CHAPTER!

A/N; Ok, so I know that there's a lot of confusion about this, and I promise that most of it involving the jewels themselves will be explained in like…chapter 10 XD. It may seem a while away to you but trust me, it isn't. I'm actually writing chapter 9 right now and the chapters up until then are done. I'll post another chapter on Saturday, maybe another on Sunday. I promise that most things will be explained, especially the whole Court thing and the family ties. Yes, Cassandra and Chi Chi are sisters through Ox King and Leora SaDiablo. I'm telling you this now, even though you'll find out in like…another chapter or so, that Juunana and Juuhachi are not actually brother and sister. XD How's that for another added confusion bonus? It'll all work itself out in time, I assure you. If you have any complicated questions you need answered, post it in with your review and I'll be glad to explain it! Love to all!