Chapter Eighteen

"I want you guys to anyone suspicious from entering the building," Sasoli instructed.

"Unless they have proper identification," Goku repeated, pleased to have remembered her prior instructions.

Vegeta just crossed his arms, already watching people entering the building.

"Ok, all set," Sasoli clapped her hands together.

"Set," Goku went to stand next to Vegeta.

"Ok," Sasoli turned to Uub, "Let's go check on my mom."

Uub nodded, a bit bored with everything. He was getting a crash course in the inner workings of a business. Not that it wasn't interesting . . . it was just he wanted to read that case file.

It was too much of a security risk to read it and walk at the same time.

So, he was stuck trailing Sasoli to keep up his cover.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" Sasoli's confuse voice brought Uub back to the present.

Ava and 17 stood side by side as if nothing had ever separated them.

"I came to watch," he grinned as he scooped up his daughter in a hug, "Should be interesting, eh?"

"I told him not to come," Ava shrugged and touched Sasoli's hair in greeting.

Uub watched the strands of her hair part through her mother's fingers with something akin to envy. The demi-saiyan's hair was a growing fascination to Uub and he wasn't sure why. He knew other saiyans and they had hair. His Master Goku, for instance, and he had never had the urge to sink his fingers in his master's hair.

"You can't just hang out here," Sasoli frowned at her father, "You'll have to work."

17 shrugged, "Then I'll work."

Ava snorted, "And you'll do what?"

"We could always use more help in the inventing end," Bra appeared with Bardock in tow and threw an arm around her uncle's shoulders, "The more the merrier!"

"It's an honor," Bardock looked like he wanted to bow very badly but was refraining," that you would think of me in your hour of need."

Sasoli smiled warmly at the saiyan, "We need inventors."

Ava nodded at him.

Uub studied the saiyan with interest, he had heard of Bardock through Goku but had never met the saiyan.

"Kakarot speaks of you," Bardock met his eyes before turning to Bra, "I'll met you in the lab."

Bra nodded and turned her attention back to 17, "So how 'bout it?"

Sasoli lifted a brow, her dad an inventor? He'd barely stopped flinching away from Bardock.

Ava was also skeptical and more verbal.

"17, invent, hn."

17's eyes narrowed at his wife.

"You don't think I could do it?"

"You're scared of Bulma and Bardock taking you apart for parts," Ava scoffed, "Or was it Bra?"

"I could invent if I wanted to," 17 insisted, "I know how I work."

"You're going to make more of you?" Ava was filled with amusement, "The world is doomed."

"I'll show you," 17 turned to Bra, "I'll join you, on the dark side. I'll met you in the dungeon."

Bra ran after him, "Wait, Uncle 17!"

Sasoli and Uub glanced at each other with apprehension.

Ava shrugged, "As long as he's not bothering me while I work. Now, where are those secretaries?"

They became more worried, maybe this wasn't such a good idea, after all.

"So you don't know anything then?" 18 concluded, as she mechanically sorted through the papers.

Maron had given a rather bland explanation of everything she knew about Sasoli and Uub's relationship, which was, sadly, nothing.

"No, wait," Bulma lifted a finger to tap her chin thoughtfully, "You mentioned that he's always with her."

Maron nodded, "Investigating."

"Investigating," Bulma smirked, "right."

Maron was genuinely confused.

18 was intrigued.

"Go on."

"Sasoli always works alone," the scientist informed them, "So why would she insist on company all of a sudden?"

"To keep him close and others away," 18 smiled as she caught the woman's drift. "Still nothing concrete."

"You want concrete?" Bulma huffed and picked up the phone. "I'll give you concrete."

Maron just kept working quietly, if she stayed under their radar they wouldn't start on her and Trunks next.

Ava regarded all of the women in front of her with predatorial anticipation. Sasoli had briefed her quickly, these women worked for this building in very much the same way servants would in a palace. Of course, their jobs were a bit different but that was no matter.

What was important was they were attacking their male owners with hopes of mating them. They were reaching above their station, disgracing themselves, the company, and the integrity of the work place.

This would stop.

Ava would make sure of it. She was going to make sure they feared her name.

Look at them, already fidgeting and confused about why they were all gathered together for a meeting with someone they didn't know.

The perfect setting, it was time.

"You're all fired," the female saiyan smirked at all the outraged cries, "Or . . ." she waited for silence ". . . you will be if you do not follow my every instruction."

"Who are you to talk to us like this?" A redhead demanded fiercely only to scream as Ava appeared right in her face.

The women around the redhead backed off, unable to believe that the small spiky-haired woman had teleported from one end of the room to the other.

"I am your new," Ava bit her tongue on the word master and remembered the word Sasoli used, "boss as relinquished to me by Sasoli Briefs."

Ava met the woman's terrified eyes while narrowing hers cruelly, "You would do well to remember you fate rests in my hands."

She moved back to the front of the room to fast for the women to catch.

The women gasped.

"All of your fates rest in my hands and I will deal with you as a whole or individually as I see fit."

Her smirk had the slightest bit of a evil tint.

"President Zarah won't stand for this!"

Ava ignored the outburst, they would learn soon enough.

"My son, Zarah," startled gasps, "is currently in a jail cell," gasps of dismay, "President Bulma Briefs has given all the power I need."

Silence, pure and unadulterated silence.

"Now, let's go over the rules, shall we?"

Ava smiled.

"Are we clear on this?" 17 demanded.

Bra and Bardock rolled their eyes in unison.

"No experimenting on the android, got it," Bardock eyed 17 in a way that made him uncomfortable.

"You're not that interesting, Uncle," Bra was already knee deep in parts, "Mom, has your blueprints at home."

"WHAT!" 17 was horrified.

"Really," Bardock abandoned the android for Bra, "Can I see them?"

"No," 17 also moved to Bra, "I demand that you either destroy the blueprints or give them to me! The rightful owner!"

"You can't destroy them!" Bardock was outraged.

"They're mine! I can do what I want!"

Bra tuned them out as she became aware of the phone ringing.

"Capsule Corp."

"Bra, what's up with your cousin and her partner?"

"Well, nothing really," Bra shrugged as the two males continued to argue in the background. "Wait, actually, she's been territorial."

"How so," Bulma was clearly intrigued on the other end.

"I invited Uub to eat with me, you know, to catch up."

"Uh huh."

"Sasoli not only said no for him, she also made sure I knew he was going to be too busy with her working."

"I knew it."

"Why? Did something happen?" Now Bra was intrigued.

17 and Bardock glared at each other.

"Let me put it this way," the machine snarled, "I want to get a complete sequence of your DNA so I can isolate the gene that produces your saiyan tail so I can mass produce it for the world."

Bardock actually paled as his tail tightened around his waist.

"But . . . there's no logical reason for you. . . no human wants a tail . . ."

"I want to see if I can do it," 17 smirked triumphantly.

"No," Bardock's brow lowered threatening over his eyes.

"Exactly my thoughts and feelings on the subject of my blueprints."

Bardock blinked and crossed his arms in his thinking pose, as 17 tried to call it.

"You can't deny you're a technological breakthrough," the saiyan met 17's eyes.

"Just as you can't deny the saiyan tail is a wonderfully sensitive appendage."

Confusion flashed in Bardock's eyes while 17 just grinned slyly.

Ava.

The name floated between them and the knowledge of exactly how 17 would know the sensitivity of a tail.

A very male smile appeared and was shared.

Bardock shrugged his shoulders and exhaled sharply in a display of bemusement.

"You reckon' we 'ave an agreement, partner?" 17 twanged as he put out his hand.

Bardock grasped it after he recognized the earth movement.

"I reckon so," Bardock mangled the cowboy accent but the attempt made 17 smile.

"Are you guys about finished?" Bra had long since finished her conversation with her mother and was important to begin.

17 nodded while Bardock looked mildly sheepish.

"Good," the saiyan female clapped her hands together with excitement, "Let's see what you guys can do."

Uub and Sasoli did not find their day so productive but with the new people in place, they would finally be free to make progress . . . tomorrow.

"All right," Sasoli picked up all the paperwork, "Now we just need to drop this off to Aunt Bulma and we're done for the day."

Uub glanced up from his case file and nodded.

After they had run all over the building putting everyone in place, they had retreated to Sasoli's office for paperwork. She had to fill in all the papers, and in her parents' case, create identities so everyone would be accounted for and get paid.

Uub had wisely used the opportunity tot read more of the case file only to become more frustrated. Besides the tape, victim profiles, and interviews with the staff, all the file contained was conspiracy theories from Himbon and arguments from Beasely.

Uub was going to have to do everything from scratch.

Silently, he followed his female companion through the building when he noticed her movements were a bit sluggish. They're running her ragged. I've just been following her around and I'm exhausted.

"Hey," Uub stopped her outside Bulma's office, "Don't worry so much, everything's going to be fine."

She nodded sharply.

"Of course it is, I'm going to make sure of it."

Her hand grasped the door handle.

He covered her hand.

"That's exactly what I'm talking about. You don't have to solve everyone's'' problems by yourself."

His eyes locked onto hers.

"I'm going to help you."

The door opened.

Uub and Sasoli snapped apart.

18 arched a brow but was otherwise emotionless.

"There you are. Bulma was wondering what was taking so long."

Sasoli flushed a bit, "I'll be faster next time."

18 met her niece's eyes, "You're running low. Go home and recharge."

Sasoli nodded and handed 18 the paperwork.

18 watched them as they walked away, side by side. Her final thought was Bulma maybe right.

She shut the door.

Sasoli yawned as she made her way to her office. Truthfully, she couldn't go to sleep just yet. Zarah had given her a final order to follow before he left, and she was going to follow it.

However, she glanced to her side at her partner, she couldn't get it if he was constantly trailing her. She would just pretend to go to bed and he would go away.

This plan might have worked with any other male, but then again, Uub wasn't any male.

First and foremost, he was a gentleman who had been fully intending on walking her out of the building. Second, he was a detective who had concerns about her being the target of a delusional psychotic and was going to make sure she departed from the building safely.

Thus, it came as a great shock to both Uub the man and Uub the detective when Sasoli whipped off her pant suit to reveal the infamous spandex bodysuit and announced she was going to bed. Then started to climb into the vent.

Sasoli snuggled into her fur. She became annoyed when he just stood there and blinked at her.

"You're sleeping in the vent?"

She sighed and questioned her attraction to the man.

"Yes, I am going to sleep in the vent."

As soon as I get that package, she added mentally.

"You live here?" Uub was not usually as dense but Sasoli's sleeping arrangement wasn't computing.

"No," she snapped, feeling defensive.

He was completely flummoxed.

"Then why don't you go home?"

"Because I don't have a home!" Her face fell at the epiphany. "Not right now . . . I haven't made any living arrangements yet, and I can't go to my parents. . ."

"Why?" He was pure concern.

"It's a saiyan thing," came the regretful shrug.

"Your brother . . ." he trailed off when she shook her head at him. "I guess you can't stay with Vegeta, either?"

She shook her head again.

He exhaled slowly and put his hands on his hips.

"Ok, is it against saiyan rules to stay with me?" Uub fidgeted when she just blinked at him. "I have a couch and it wouldn't be any trouble. I mean . . . unless you don't trust me."

"You can trust me."

"No, I can't."

He met her eyes then as her past words echoed in their minds.

"Do you at least trust me that much?"

He held out his hand.

Sasoli couldn't help herself as she just stared at his hand. He didn't know what he was offering to her.

In saiyan tradition, he was offering to show her everything he had to bring into a possible mating as well as an invaluable insight to his mind. He was giving himself to her on a silver platter.

Uub's jaw tightened, she didn't even trust him enough to not attack her in her sleep.

It was a slap in the face.

He started to lower his hand when she grasped it.

"I'm not rejecting your offer," she whispered. "Being part human I understand, it's just a kind gesture but, being raised saiyan, the offer has certain . . . connotations."

He grasped her hand firmly.

"Are they bad connotations?"

She shook her head slowly.

"Then will you come home with me tonight?"

She swallowed.

"Yes."

Ava yawned as she stretched her limbs. It had been an exhilarating day. The secretaries were confused and disoriented, they didn't know whether or not they should obey or rebel. Personally, she was hoping they would rebel and then she would have an excuse to flex her power.

17 was actually quiet for once, though she could tell the wheels were turning behind his eyes.

He was plotting something.

She slid her arms around his waist.

"Ava?" the android automatically embraced her back.

He tilted his head, the question in his eyes.

She smiled.

"This change is good for us."

His eyebrows shot up as her tail joined the embrace.

"I'll say."

Her grip tightened then loosened as a concerned look crossed her face.

"Where's Sasoli?"

17 frowned and glanced around, "She's not here."

Ava shook her head.

17 pulled out his cell phone and dialed Pan's phone.

"Hello?"

"Is Sasoli there?"

"No. She did stop by last night but she didn't stay."

17 replied his thanks and hung up, "She's not at Zarah's."

Ava narrowed her eyes.

"Call Vegeta."

He sighed and dialed.

"Hello?"

17 cringed as Mrs. Briefs came on the line.

"Hey, I was just wondering if Sasoli was there? Spent the night last night maybe?"

"Oh hello, 17 darling, it's been forever since we had a nice little chat. Sasoli hasn't stayed her overnight since she was a little thing. I haven't seen her either, we should get together and have a family barbeque."

"Sounds good, let me know when and I'll be there," 17 clicked off the phone.

"Well?"

"Not there either."

Ava curled her lip as she went to the entrance of the cave. Sasoli had obviously claimed adult rights and hadn't bothered to tell anyone. Her last child had fled in the darkness of the night and was gone.

"She's not coming back is she?"

17 placed his hands on her shoulders.

Ava shook her head, "Our children are both grown and gone."

"Good," 17 snorted," It's about time we had the cave all to ourselves again."

Ava looked at him with wide eyes.

"Think about it," he threw her over his shoulder pleased, when she fought. "No more interruptions. Now tell me about your day?"

He was forced to let go of her when she started strangling him with her tail. She escaped him with a fierce grin already in battle mode. He always knew what to do to make her feel better.

She would talk to Sasoli tomorrow.

End of Chapter Eighteen

AN: Ok, I am almost caught up which means I need to write more. No worrys, I am on the ball and under it so hopefully I'll update around friday. Michelle