AN: Sorry! My computer died and I was left retyping my chapter on my palm without anywhere to update, the horror . . . But here it is now so enjoy! Oh, and stay tuned for the epilogue! Michelle

Chapter Thirty-Three

Sasoli cursed as she felt him start his pursuit. She had thrown it farther then she'd thought. It had to be here somewhere . . .

There!

She leaped over the pile and took the top chunk while dropping another storage capsule onto the delicious pile. It poofed the moment her feet touched the ground and she darted toward to claim it when Uub appeared.

With a startled yelp, she gave up the capsule in favor of escape. She had maybe a second for him to retrieve the capsule and give chase.

She'd use it well.

She bit into the chocolate and swallowed. She repeated the process until it was gone, thankfully she had grabbed a chunk on the smaller side and it was gone quickly.

If she'd had a mirror, she'd have seen chocolate smeared all over her mouth, cheeks, and chin like a child.

She didn't care what she looked like at the moment as she dodged Uub's attempts to grab her.

"You don't know what you've done," his fingers brushed her back.

She put on a little more speed, she just needed to wait for the sugar to hit her bloodstream which wasn't going to happen until her body digested the chocolate.

Her unique physiology allowed her to digest food almost instantly but like a human that function was shut down in the middle of a fight to preserve energy.

She was going to have to trick her body into thinking it was safe for a moment which wasn't going to happen with him on her ass like this . . .

Wait . . .

She was tiring, Uub could tell now, her movements were giving her away. He'd catch her eventually, she couldn't go on like this forever.

Damn, she was hot.

The moment he'd seen her chocolate smeared face, he'd become even more determined to catch her. She was his wife now and nothing could change that.

She was too tired to even dodge, he noted as she continued in a straight line.

She smiled to herself secretly and waited until he was almost close enough to grab her. Then she curled into a ball.

Uub tripped over her, he had been going too fast to stop so quickly. He went tumbling at high speed, knocking into trees until he came to a stop.

He quickly got to his feet and sent out a probe for her energy and was surprised to find it exactly where he'd tripped over her.

Sasoli powered down and was breathing deeply to calm her racing heart.

Uub entered the clearing hesitantly, she was up to something . . .

Her heart sped almost of it's own volition as the sugar hit her bloodstream and she was off.

Her speed and increased dramatically and he found himself having a hard time keeping up with her.

Sasoli on the other hand was trying to calculate how much time she had left in her boost.

Her tail trailed behind her, an unconscious attempt to preserve energy.

Uub lunged for her only for her to change direction again. He was never going to catch her at this rate.

That's when it happened.

He saw her tail.

And he made a decision . . .

. . . he grabbed it.

Sasoli hit the ground.

The only reason he didn't trip over her again was because he had prepared himself for any other sudden stops she had in mind for him.

Sasoli was instantly on all fours, snarling like an animal.

"What are you doing!"

Uub maintained a firm if careful grip on her, "I'm trying to win."

"LET GO!"

"Nothing's dirty remember," he actually surprised himself how calm he was being in the face of her hostility. "Want to give up now, Sasoli?"

"No," she snapped, sorting through different scenarios to get him to let go. She could go completely limp and maybe in his concern he'd let go to check on her. No, he might expect something like that. She could start crying and claim he was hurting her so he would loosen his grip which would allow her to yank away. Or-

"You know you never let me explore your tail, Sasoli," he gained her attention effortlessly, "I've been curious ever since that night."

She met his heated eyes and a shiver ran up her spine.

If she could get him close enough, she could grab his tail, evil smirk, an they could have a draw. Who ever let go first wins.

No too risky. It could go either way.

"Don't touch me."

He raised a brow, "Then give up."

"Never," she regretted the word as his expression turned sly.

"I see," his eyes wandered down the length of her tail, "I know what happens when I stroke with the fur. What happens when I stroke against it?"

Her face was blank, she either didn't know or refused to say.

Didn't matter.

He was going to find out anyway.

He ran a finger long her tail and watched her jaw clench as her eyes went wide. She wasn't in pain, he would have stopped immediately if she was, no, this was something else . . .

He did it again and was rewarded with a twitch of lips.

"Are you ticklish?" He was instantly intrigued and had all the time in the world to quench it.

"No," she lied through her teeth.

He sat down next to her with a cocky grin, "I know otherwise."

Then he started to tickle her, purposely, and watched. He had to admire her, though, she held out for a remarkably long time.

But in the end . . .

"Stop," she laughed helplessly, tears leaking from her eyes.

"Give up?" He asked idly, he had completely powered down.

"N-no," she gasped and continued to giggle.

In the end, he tickled her for about twenty minutes straight before she gave in.

"O . . . kay," she managed.

He paused his torture, "What was that?"

"You . . . win," she panted, her body was limp and her energy gone.

"You promise to talk to me and listen to what I have to say?"

She nodded weakly.

"You'll return my chocolate?" He didn't really want it back but that wasn't the point.

Her eyes closed and she consented.

"I . . . need to . . . talk . . . to you . . . as well," her eyes opened but drooped sleepily, "Saiyan custom."

"Ok," he agreed readily.

"And . . . you need to . . . kiss me," she locked eyes with him.

He was tempted to laugh. They were both a mess, covered in dirt, bruises, blood, and, in Sasoli's case, chocolate. He wouldn't be surprised if he had a cracked rib and she wanted a kiss?

Well, who was he to say no.

He leaned over her and pressed a gentle kiss against her lips, a mere brush really, and was about to withdraw when her hands came up to hold him to her so she could deepen it.

He complied and then Sasoli rubbed something wet on his cheek.

He drew back and felt a buzz go through his skull but it was gone as soon as he felt it. He was about to touch his face when he saw her fingertips were coated in blood. He glanced at her about to ask what was going on when he saw she was asleep.

One answer came when he focused on her mouth, it was bleeding again. It must have reopened when they kissed . . .

He became annoyed. Did she do nothing without a hidden agenda?

He scooped her up into his arms.

He was going to take her to his apartment and when she woke up they were going to have a long -

"He's dominant," 17 wasn't happy.

"It's an easy fix," Ava told him dryly.

Uub regarded them warily, it wasn't everyday one had to confront their wife's parents after they had just brutally beaten them down and made them submit against their will.

"How did you defeat her?" Ava asked him curiously, "I was her main trainer so you could understand my interest."

"You were her trainer but I was the sparring partner," 17 groused, "How?"

"I . . .tickled her until she gave up," he opted for honestly since he was fully aware he was outnumbered but unaware he was chocolate smeared.

"Brilliant," Ava applauded, "I doubt she could have been caught any other way."

17 shrugged unimpressed.

"What do you mean I'm dominant?" Uub asked hesitantly.

"Exactly what it sounds like," 17 glared, "You control the relationship. She is yours to do with as you will."

Ava glared at him.

"What?"

Uub glanced at the woman in his arms who was smiling in her sleep. This was why she wanted him to give in, in the beginning. She wanted the control.

"Uub," Ava got his attention, "Do you want to be dominant? You're human. Would you rather be equals?"

"Yes," he nodded, he didn't want to be dominant. Sasoli was too much of a free spirit to be pinned down. He wanted her to stay with him because she wanted to, not because she had to.

Ava shared a smile with 17 and pulled a round stone, "Then give her this and you will be equal."

He accepted the stone after he maneuvered Sasoli a bit and then said, "Thank you."

Ava frowned puzzled, "For what?"

"For the stone."

Memory sparked in 17 as he remembered what happened when he did the same to Vegeta all those years ago. The saiyan had paled and denied the gift vehemently saying he 'found it' on his pillow.

Ava blushed and giggled, "Oh no. I wouldn't dare. 17 would kill you and Sasoli would be mad."

17 glared and wrapped his arms around his wife.

"You found it."

He took off with his wife in tow.

Uub blew out a breath and then flew to his apartment.

It was broad daylight when he got there and he had to throw her over his shoulder in order to get the door open.

Sasoli had grumbled a protest.

He didn't notice his neighbor gasping in the window.

He got the door open and laid her down.

"Uub," she blinked trying to get her bearings, "Is this your apartment?"

"You're awake," he smiled, "Listen, we have to talk."

"Yes, we do," she sat up, "A lunafair is-"

"When you ate my chocolate-"

They both stopped and were sheepish.

"By saiyan custom," she started again slowly, "We've . . . just committed to each other. This . . ." she touched his cheek " . . . is my submission. I am yours."

Uub ducked his head, "I haven't been entirely honest with you either."

She blinked, she hadn't expected that reaction.

"You see," he met her eyes then, "According to my traditions . . . we're married."

Her eyes widened.

"Police! Open up!"

The couple turned to the door with disbelief.

"You have ten seconds to open the door!"

Uub opened the door and blinked when ten guns were pointed at him.

"What's the problem?"

"We got a report of a suspicious person with a mohawk," they looked at his mohawk, "carrying the body of an unconscious, beaten-"

"Uub!" A snarky fellow detective exclaimed in disbelief, "I never thought I'd see the day when you fell."

"Sorry to disappoint, Dan, but this isn't the day," Uub's tone was just as nasty.

"Do you have a woman with you?" Dan made a show of glancing around, "Or maybe the witness made a mistake and it was a man? After all, it doesn't look like a woman could do that in self-defense."

Sasoli wandered into the doorway, "What's going on?"

"Oh my god," Dan paled, "Ma'am are you ok?"

She lifted a brow and shrugged.

"You're a monster," Dan glared accusingly at Uub.

"Why is he a monster?" Sasoli glanced between the two men confused.

"Look what he did to you," Dan was all sympathy.

"Look what I did to him. Does that mean I'm a monster as well?"

"What ever you did in self-defense ma'am-" Dan tried to explain.

"I attacked him," Sasoli gestured to her body, "This was his self-defense. I guess I'm the monster. Arrest me."

Dan looked to Uub for help.

Uub just smiled and hugged her from behind, "Remember my ex-girlfriend? We got back together. She's a lawyer."

"Are you saying a woman cannot beat a man?" Sasoli was pissed, "What if he wanted to press charges? Will you ignore him? That sexual discrimination. I think we should sue the police department."

All the cops glanced at Uub for help at that one.

"Sasoli, here," he slipped the stone into her hand.

She blinked and opened her hand to see the stone.

"A moonstone."

The cold eyed lawyer transformed into a girl with starry eyes.

She shut the door on the cops.

"Do you know what this means?" Sasoli turned to study his eyes.

"It means we will be equal," he stated simply.

A hesitant knock.

Sasoli yanked open the door, "What?"

"Are you sure you're ok, ma'am?"

Sasoli sighed, "Yes, but I am going to attack him and tear off all his clothes," she glanced at Uub, "Are you ok with that?"

Uub made a show of thinking it over, "Do I get to defend myself and tear off yours?"

"Yes, unless the police have a problem with it?" Sasoli sent an inquiring glance at them, "You know, with defending yourself against me."

When they just stared at the couple with a mixture of surprise, awe, and longing, Sasoli shut the door on them.

Then she opened it again.

"Oh, before I forget, I'm here of my own free will and if you continue to knock on this door I'll consider it harassment and sue accordingly."

The door swung shut and the police beat a hasty retreat.

"That was a bit much," Uub was amused.

"Did you want them to stand there all day," Sasoli shook a bit of dirt out of her hair. "Honestly, you'd think they'd get the hint to leave the first time."

He just regarded her warmly.

She opened her hand again and regarded the stone, "You didn't have to do this," she closed her hand, "I would have defeated you eventually."

"I guess I wanted to save you the trouble," Uub lifted her chin, "Besides, in my customs, I guess you would be considered the dominant."

Intrigued, Sasoli leaned into his touch, "How so?"

"Well, usually, only the male proposes to the woman by offering to provide a meal for them alone."

Sasoli frowned, not catching his drift.

"You proposed to me, Sasoli, by providing breakfast," Uub's thumb caressed her cheek.

"You accepted it," Sasoli tried to remember exactly when the event had taken place. It must have been the morning after the kiss-

"I was half asleep," Uub brought his other hand to her shoulder, "But I did not break our engagement. All I would have had to do was feed you something bitter."

"Instead you made me something sweet," Sasoli concluded.

"Mmm," he pulled her closer to nuzzle her hair, "Now tell me yours."

"You were strong," she stated simply, "You invited me to your home. You were showing me what you had to offer, what you would bring to a mating."

"So these were the saiyan connotations," Uub remembered, "and it kind of explains the kiss."

"You offered yourself to me on a silver platter," she rubbed her cheek against his neck, "You're lucky I was able to control myself."

Uub chuckled and encircled her waist, "That was control?"

Sasoli slipped the stone into the waistband of her pants and placed her hands on his waist, "Yes, you broke it when you started to touch my hair."

"Oh, is that a fact?" His eyebrows lifted and he kissed her sweetly.

Her lips parted to deepen the kiss when she giggled into his mouth.

He pulled back disconcerted as she placed her head on his bare chest and let her hands explore the defined muscles of his back.

She was still giggling.

"What's so funny?"

Blue eyes flashed up at him mischievously before placing a wet kiss on his collarbone.

While perplexed he still enjoyed the sensation on her tongue on his skin.

Until she started to laugh.

She shook her head and tried to be serious but failed miserably.

"Sasoli," Uub heard the hard edge in his voice and didn't care.

"I'm sorry but . . ." Sasoli sobered for a minute, "Uub, my tail is going to move and if you shove me away again I might have to kill you."

"I'm not afraid of your tail, Sasoli," Uub flinched when it curled around his waist but otherwise made no protest.

A pleased smile crossed her face, "Oh?"

Uub swallowed as her tail tightened and loosened then repeated the motion.

It was . . .

He couldn't help the shiver that ran up his back.

. . . odd. Not bad, just different.

"Be careful," humor lighted her eyes, "It's going to move."

And suddenly he was moving as her tail pulled him closer.

It fell away like a loose rope.

"I could try to keep it under control but I can't make any promises," she lifted her chin.

"I will get used to your tail. It just might take some time," he inhaled sharply and grasped her forearms as her tail snaked up his pants, tip first.

Sasoli slipped her fingers into the rim of his jeans to feel the hot skin beneath, "Hmm?"

The long limb wrapped around his upper thigh and squeezed.

"You ok, then?" She rubbed her lips against his chin.

"Are you going to attack me now," he lowered his face so his lips rubbed against hers, "I wish to defend myself."

There was no giggling in this kiss as they clutched at each other tightly. While they had never been tame, this connection was in a class all it's own.

He lifted her to gain better access to her mouth and she complied by wrapping her legs around his waist, her tail stayed her it was and was actually forgotten in the heat.

They parted for breath and his mouth went down tot her shoulder to taste the skin there.

Sasoli ground against him in the same rhythm as her tail. His hands moved to her hips to guide her movements. Her eyes fluttered open and then she stiffened with disbelief.

Uub paused and glanced up to see what had gone wrong. When he saw nothing he followed her eyes to her wrist.

The stones glowed blue.

"Bra's in trouble," he spoke what they were thinking.

Sasoli was torn, her instincts turned traitor as half demanded she finish what they'd started and the other half raged she go help her family.

"We could pretend we didn't see it," she tried but knew she would never forgive herself if something happened to Bra.

Uub didn't say a word as he started for the door. He'd seen the emotions in her eyes and just as she could never abandon her family, neither could he.

Not bothering to put her down, he took off into the air in a brilliant display of white.

Sasoli gave him a grateful squeeze for understanding, agreeing, and being just as frustrated with the entire situation.

He returned it.

Bra paced in her lab nervously, she'd done it now. Goten was never going to forgive her. Where was Sasoli? She could fix anything and this had to be fixed now!

"Bra!"

"Sasoli, thank god," Bra turned and stopped at the appearance of the couple, "What happened?"

"You had a problem?" Sasoli ground out, while she glanced around for any immediate danger and found none.

Fury flooded her veins, if Bra had called her from something stupid . . .

"I forgot my anniversary," Bra wrung her hands, "Goten, he got me the most beautiful gift, and I didn't get him anything!"

Her distress fell on deaf ears as a vein throbbed in Sasoli's temple.

Uub was also very put out that they had been interrupted for something as trivial as this.

"I need you to go out and buy him something quick," Bra shoved a charge card at her, "You know what he likes right?"

Sasoli nearly broke the card in two when her hand relaxed and she slipped it into her tube top.

Fake cheer appeared on her face, "Bra, don't be silly. All you have to do is get him the four star dragon ball."

Bra brightened and then turned to rummage for the dragon radar.

"That's perfect! You can just - Ow!"

The scientist held the back of her head and glanced down to see a bracelet.

"Do it yourself, Bra, I'm going on vacation. You and this company can survive without me for two weeks!"

Uub nodded and left the lab with Sasoli.

They made it to the ground level when Trunks came running down the hallway, "Sasoli!"

Uub and Sasoli paused, one with resignation and the other with barely restrained fury.

"Yes?" Her tone was sickly sweet.

Uub crossed his arms.

"Bra called me," Trunks paused not expecting that kind of greeting, "She said you were going on vacation?"

"That's correct. I'll be out of touch for-"

"You can't go."

Sasoli's mouth snapped shut, her vision truly tinted red as she regarded her cousin with barely restrained violence.

Trunks was calm and cold in the face of her fire. She couldn't just disappear out of the blue like this, not without proper paperwork. She couldn't get special treatment just because she was family. He was already getting enough flak for her behavior this past week and now she just wanted to take off?

He didn't think so.

Sasoli opened her mouth to, truthfully she didn't know what might have come out of her mouth at the moment, when Uub beat her to the punch.

"What do you mean she can't go?"

Trunks blinked at the blatant hostility in the other man's voice.

"She's been working herself to the bone for you and single handedly kept this company from being shut down and falling apart. No one in their right mind would have gone as far and beyond duty as she did but she did all that and more."

"Uub," Trunks tried to jump in, "This really isn't any of your business-"

"The hell it isn't!" Uub exploded, power level skyrocketed. "I've been with her almost since the beginning and I was exhausted from just following her around. Everyone was using that damn bracelet to fix unrelated problems to the company on top of her other job."

"Uub, what she chooses to do-"

"One of her missions was to make sure you got enough food in prison," the reincarnated Majin would not be stopped, "Anybody could have gone in her place but everyone else was too busy doing their one job! No, she was to be a lawyer, security, a fucking babysitter! She nearly had a breakdown when Zarah was incarcerated! She cried-!"

Sasoli whacked him to stop him there. She'd been watching him with mixed emotions.

The human side of her wanted to swoon, so charmed that he was defending her so heatedly.

The saiyan half was more annoyed. She didn't need anybody to stand up for her. She'd done just fine on her own for most of her life and she didn't need him there.

Especially if he was going to share all her weak moments.

"You cried?" Trunks was looking at her like she'd announced she had decided to become a nun.

"I was hungry," she stuck her nose in the air and refused to elaborate.

"All I'm saying is," Uub had reeled in his temper and power level, "she . . . doesn't have a normal job so I don't see why your holding her to normal restrictions."

"What about your job?" Trunks glanced at Uub, his blue eyes piercing. "They're not going to let you take off without notice."

Sasoli's eyes widened, she hadn't even considered Uub's obligations to his-

"I quit."

"What?"

"I was going to tell you earlier," Uub glared at Trunks, "But we got a little sidetracked."

Trunks met the glare evenly.

Sasoli just stared at him.

Uub blew out a frustrated breath, "That's why it took so long for me to come back to you. I was filing my resignation notice and transferring all my cases. I also had to apply for a private investigator license."

"You're a P.I.?"

"Not officially," Uub glanced at her from the corner of his eye, "But I'll be free to make my own schedule and work anywhere I want."

Sasoli's breath caught as she read between the lines.

"I'll be able to work anywhere you go. Whenever you work."

Her heart pounded beneath her breast, that means . . . he'd done all this before he even known what she wanted.

"You can go," Trunks nodded, "Enjoy your vacation."

Sasoli smiled, "I was going to anyway."

"Sasoli!"

She turned at the sound of her brother's voice to find him with Goten and Maron.

"What happened?" Maron was vaguely horrified at their appearance, "Uub?"

Goten cocked his head to the side, "They had a good fight."

Zarah saw the blood smear on Uub's cheek, "You're married!"

Everyone gasped and Bra fell into the hallway with surprise.

"Does he know?" Zarah demanded, this was serious business.

"When did this happen?" Maron was clueless, didn't Sasoli run from him just that morning?

"Congrats!" Goten gave Sasoli a bear hug.

"That was sudden," Trunks was bemused.

"You're married!" Bra got off the floor.

Uub just sighed.

Sasoli was bit more violent as she struggled to free herself from Goten, "Let go!"

Goten doubled over suddenly as he gasped for air.

"Back off," she raged, "Yes, he knows. It happened earlier and we'd like to leave now."

"You can't leave," Maron placed a gentle hand on Sasoli's arm.

Had she been anyone else, Sasoli would have hit first and damned the consequences.

"We should all have dinner together," the blonde was oblivious to the danger she was in.

Trunks hooked her arm and pulled her to a safe distance, "So this is more of a honeymoon."

"Who's dominant?" Zarah was ecstatic, wait until he told Pan!

"I guess you got your assistant spy after all," Goten wrapped an arm around Bra's waist and smiled.

"You're married!" Bra just repeated, she couldn't believe it.

After what she'd seen and heard happen between the couple just that morning . . . Bra would have thought they were finished as a romantic couple . . . or they'd take at least another couple months.

Goten placed a hand on her forehead to check her temperature. She was not usually so slow on the uptake.

"Uub, say you'll have dinner with us," Maron broke away from Trunks and took hold of the other man's hand.

"Maron-" Trunks exclaimed alarmed when a hand shot out and grabbed the blonde's fragile wrist.

Everyone went quiet as Sasoli moved Maron away from Uub as gently as she could considering her instincts were screaming at her to take Uub somewhere private and close their cycle.

"We're leaving," she dared anybody to contradict her.

"Oh," Zarah flushed a bit as he realized the reason behind his sister's behavior, "Yes, go do that."

"Do what?" Uub frowned and when there was no answer he turned to Maron, "What time-"

He found himself thrown over his wife's shoulder as she marched resolutely to the door.

"Sasoli," he blushed, embarrassed. "What are you doing? Put me down."

He was about to struggle when he felt her fingers slid into the rim of his pants.

She yanked and a loud rip filled the air.

He froze.

"If you fight me," she snarled, "So help me, I'll strip you right here."

Her fingers found the hem of his briefs and they tightened threateningly.

Uub didn't even dare offer up even a word of protest. The waistline of his pants was forever ruined and he knew the moment he was on his feet, they'd fall apart.

Besides, he wasn't into public nudity.

Though awkward, since he was taller than her, Sasoli carried him out of the building and flew them back to his apartment.

Then she attacked him and he defended himself.

Afterwards, as they lay in a pile of ripped clothing, random capsules, and a charge card, she turned to him with love in her eyes and said, "We really need to take a shower."

He surprised himself by laughing.

"Yes, we do."

The End

AN: Um, stay tuned for the Epilogue!