Chapter 10

"Mom!" Bulma yelled. "Get this royal Pain in the ass some food before my butt turns red!"

"There you two are! Having a late night?" asked Bunny. She hiked an eyebrow and winked at Vegeta, seeing her daughter slung over the Prince's shoulders.

"Hn," Vegeta grunted, not in the mood to battle wits with someone who wasn't armed. Not as well armed as the woman he carried like a sack of flour.

"God mom it wasn't that… I mean..." Bulma wailed. Vegeta swatted her backside again and cackled mischievously as he swing her around.

"Hurry up and get me some food dammit," Vegeta interrupted. "The woman has work to do, and she's wasted ENOUGH Time…"

"Oh… I can see that I'm not the only one who was working late," Bunny giggled as she saw Vegeta swinging Bulma in ever increasing circles.

"Oh god, you stop now!" Bulma begged. "Vegeta… your royal highness, would you mind before I puke?"

"You're no fun," he smirked, plopping her on her shaky feet. "If you're going to fly in space you need to improve that weak sense of balance."

"No thanks to you, Mr. hot shot 'I've been in space'…" Bulma snorted at him.

Bunny giggled as Vegeta put considerable distance between Bulma, staring at an invisible spot on the wall. He grabbed one of the chairs and tugged it out, while Bulma caught the edge of the counter. It took a while for the room to stop spinning in circles. Yet he had actually been playful, despite her butt which felt a bit tender from his slaps. If he really had wanted to hurt her he'd have done far worse.

"If that's his idea of flirting, I'm doomed," Bulma groaned.

Bunny handed her a cup of coffee. "So… sweetie I checked and saw that your bed hadn't been slept in… is there something you'd like to tell me dear?"

"Mom, please tell me you cooked something…" Bulma begged as she saw her mom frying something in a pan she hoped was for her pursuer.

"That's not all that's been cooking," Bunny grinned, pressing her hands together. "Do you have some good news for me, young lady… and young man? Don't worry; I want ALL the details…"

"I was in the lab mom!" Bulma said, gasping at the knowing wink in her mother's eye.

"What are you babbling about," Vegeta mumbled, not turning his head to look at the two women standing there.

"Oh come on… I know what young people nowadays do, and your secret is safe with me… I did so hope that you two would see what was right in front of your face…" Bunny giggled.

"Where the fuck was she when they handed out brains?" Vegeta mumbled.

"Oh stop it will you," Bulma growled at him.

"Weren't you in the lab all last night?" Bunny asked, nudging Bulma in the ribs. "What were you doing if you weren't working?"

"None of your damn business," Bulma and Vegeta growled in unison, flopping into chairs at the kitchen table. Both exchanged shocked glances, and then glanced quickly away. Bunny grinned in triumph when she saw the matching shades of pink spreading over Bulma, then Vegeta's cheeks. They glared in opposite directions, pretending that Bunny did not exist.

"You should keep your strength up then," Bunny said in the awkward pause. Vegeta released his breath in a huff, grateful for the huge stack of pancakes Bunny set in front of him. Bulma flinched as her plate clattered before her, grasping her cup of coffee and hiding her face behind it as she swallowed half of it. Grabbing his fork the Prince began to pick at his food, dumping a considerable amount of maple syrup overtop first.

Bulma panted, and then picked miserably at her food. Bunny was singing under her breath again, while Vegeta said nothing. It would be so much better if he was insulting her, instead of this odd silence grating on her nerves. A nervous flip flop in her stomach cancelled any desire for the food before her.

"What the hell are you staring at?" Vegeta glowered at her. "If you're not going to eat those…"

"Take 'em," she mumbled, shoving her plate towards him.

"Hmh," he said in triumph, adding them to his plate. He glared at her mother grinning mischievously. Bulma grabbed the nearby paper and buried her face in it. Vegeta grinned behind his forkfuls of food, loving to see her squirm uncomfortably on her seat. It was so obvious what her idiot mother thought, and so fun to play with Bulma's mind.

"Mom… um… It's NOT what you think," she said.

"What honey?" Bunny called.

Just when it couldn't get any more uncomfortable in Bulma's reality, she heard her father calling out, "Is that my little inventor I hear?"

"Oh no, Dad?" Bulma asked. "When did YOU get back?"

"Just early this morning dear," Dr. Briefs said, walking in to give his wife a peck on the cheek. He walked over with outstretched arms to see Bulma sitting there next to their houseguest, trying not to look at him.

"Hi dad…" she said, letting him peck her cheek as well.

"Are you staying up all night in your lab again, little girl? You're going to end up like me you know…"

"Kami forbid," Vegeta grumbled.

"Hello there, young man… I see you're all suited up for your training. I do hope the GR is working well…"

"If you hadn't been away it would…" Vegeta shot back. "Where the hell were you anyway, not like I CARE?"

"Hmm, someone got out of the wrong side of the bed today, didn't they?" dr. Briefs shook his head. He took the chair next to his daughter's right, while his wife set out the breakfast plates.

"Bulma was up all night in her lab with the young man," she said, leaning close to her husband.

"Is that so, young man? Were you two having some late night experiments I should know about?"

"Mooom!" Bulma wailed. "Shut up already…"

"Stop that damn noise," Vegeta held his hands to his head. "It's none of your business WHAT the woman and I were doing. What do you think normally goes on in a lab anyway? Now shut up so I can eat."

"Humph, well if you two ARE doing what I think you are, I'll have you know that I expect my little princess to be treated RIGHT. She's had one too many bad breakups…" Dr. Briefs said. Bulma hid her face in her hands, wishing the floor would swallow her up.

"What ARE you going on about, you old fool?" Vegeta snorted, digging into his mountain of scrambled eggs. "I can't follow a word of your idle prattle!"

"Oh Kami, I'm NOT here," Bulma groaned.

"I hope your intentions towards my daughter are honorable, sonny… that's what," Dr. Briefs said, looking pointedly at Vegeta.

Hiking a dark eyebrow, Vegeta regarded him suspiciously as if he'd sprouted a second head. "For your information, you old fool, I'm NOT sonny, nor am I in ANY way related to you. And SECONDLY, you'll address me by my proper title, or at the very LEAST my proper name, got it?"

"Yes that's all very well, but you MUST understand that my little girl has needs, and you WILL have to learn that just because you two might have some plans to hem… spend time together in rather…"

"Dad, knock it off, it's NOT like that!" Bulma cried.

"Dear, it's nothing to be embarrassed about, how did you think YOU got here?"

"Mom, enough!" Bulma wailed.

"This is getting out of hand. Shut up all of you!" Vegeta exploded, slamming his hand on the table. "What the fuck are you babbling about, you insane bakas? I can't think with your idle chattering in my ears!"

"Well, that language isn't necessary, my stars," Bunny sniffed.

"I'm simply trying to make you understand that if you are planning on getting involved with my daughter…"

"Old man, let me get this straight. You think that the woman and I… are…" Vegeta asked.

"Well, aren't you? I mean your bed wasn't slept in, and you DID leave early from the party… and well…" Dr. Briefs said.

"Dad, no way!" Bulma shouted.

"You can trust us dear… if you two ARE having a relationship… we'd just like to know if you plan on…"

"Oh this is too fucking funny…" Vegeta smirked. "Can you believe this?"

"Kami, I'm so not here. Vegeta, please let's get the hell out of here, fix your ship and GO! I can't stand being here a second more…"

"Yes, I think its high time we did go…"

"Oh, so you ARE…" Dr. Briefs said.

"Old man, I'm taking a trip, and the woman is coming with me. Got it? And you won't have to worry your silly head about anything INDECENT because unlike some people, the Prince of Saiyans doesn't involve himself in casual affairs…" Vegeta said as he leaned close and grabbed Dr. Brief's coat. "So don't even INSULT me with your sick dirty little fantasies… got it?"

"Now hold on," Dr. Briefs said.

"Dad, nothing's going on… it's just… I'm fixing his ship and we're taking for a test flight!" Bulma yelled. "GOT IT! I'm NOT sleeping with him! We were just working in the lab together and I fell asleep! Vegeta found me and woke me up!"

"Why didn't you say so?" Dr. Briefs stammered.

"Because you didn't shut up long enough. Anyway, what I chose to do with the woman is our… my business," Vegeta snorted, getting up from the table. He grabbed a tray and threw his sizeable portions on it, then grabbed Bulma's hand in his other. Marching out with his breakfast and Bulma, he left the two parents scratching and shaking their heads.

"Well I never…" Dr. Briefs shook his head. "Young people!"

"Dear, don't worry… I'm sure they'll behave themselves…" Bunny reassured him.

"That's not what I'm worried about…" Dr. Briefs said, wiping his forehead off. "That man has a foul mouth on him. I just don't want to see our little princess get hurt… if it were anyone else I'd be panicking just about now… This going up into space business doesn't seem natural… unless they're going up there to spend some time alone and do what young people their age do"

"I'm sure they ARE together… you see the way they were avoiding each other's glances? Who knows, when that young man brings our little girl back, we might see grandchildren before you know it!"

"Well, he'd better fess up, because people will say things. At least he's got some intelligence in that head. Unlike her last boyfriend…" Dr. Briefs shrugged. "I hope he does the honorable thing if he DOES knock her up and marry her! If he's a so called prince…"

"Maybe I should dust off those wedding plans…" Bunny grinned.

"It WOULD be nice to see her settle down. I only hope that she gets him to clean up his language. Phew!" Dr. Briefs sighed. He picked up his mug of coffee and took a sizeable gulp.

"Vegeta, put me down!" Bulma protested. He dropped her into one of the seats by her workbench, then resumed eating the breakfast he'd swiped.

"Stupid old goat," Vegeta commented. "Can't mind his own fucking business. Serve him right if I did blast this place into the next dimension…"

Bulma yelled right into his ear, "Vegeta, you'll do NO such thing, or you'll never get off this 'third rock from the sun'! You wouldn't DARE blow up my parents, buster!"

"I won't… I'm only joking woman, so shut up and let me eat in peace," Vegeta waved her away. "Can't get away from this planet SOON enough. How much longer till we're ready to take off?"

"How long of a test flight are you suggesting?" Bulma asked him, snagging a piece of bacon off his plate. He turned to the sizeable pile of hotcakes while she grabbed one of the dozen donuts he'd swiped from the kitchen counter.

"Depends on how much fuel," Vegeta said between mouthfuls. "Now hurry up…"

Bulma sighed with pleasure as she bit into smooth creamy chocolate icing, covering a freshly baked vanilla donut. She followed it up with hot coffee, glad that she'd grabbed a mug of it while she was dragged out of the kitchen.

Within a few minutes Bulma finished her donut, and cleared up the breakfast dishes. "Well I'm gonna get a shower and change before we launch," she said.

"You can do that in space," Vegeta said.

"What, and have you walk in on me? No way… you get your stuff together, and I'll show up in CLEAN clothes, thank you very much!"

"Just hurry up, woman, I'm anxious to see if the repairs work," Vegeta snorted, tossing the plates on the tray. She grabbed it and marched out down the hall. Neither she nor Vegeta noticed Yamucha and Ami poking their heads around the corner to peer into the hanger.

"What are we doing here again?" Ami whispered, buttoning up her dress.

"Spying on them to see what they're up to. I just KNOW that guy's up to something… he's got some kind of hold over Bulma… she's not been this into a project since that ship to Namek…"

"I don't know you guys… maybe we should just get Goku to talk to them, or Piccolo. I don't like sneaking around…" Krillen whispered.

"You hear that, they're planning on taking that ship there up… we've got to stop them… before Vegeta kidnaps Bulma. I just know he's trying to escape fighting the androids…" Yamucha hissed back.

"Um, well whatever we do, we'd better do it soon. They're talking about launching and refueling…"

"I don't know, Yamucha," said Krillen.

"Why is he insisting on taking her with him? He could just take the ship and leave… I wouldn't care. But he's got Bulma going with him! Doesn't that mean something to you?" Yamucha asked.

"Why don't we just stow away on the ship someplace and keep an eye on them. If it's nothing, it's nothing. Then we can just convince them to turn around," said Krillen. "If we're in trouble, then we can radio back to earth…"

"Sounds good to me," said Yamucha. "You girls better stay here."

"No way, we're going too," Yumi whispered.

"She's our friend," Ami nodded. "They've got to be supplying the ship, so maybe we can climb into a crate and when they load it in the cargo hold…"

"Don't be stupid… we should get into a safer place. We'll need cushioning for G force…" Krillen whispered. "Let's go get into some spacesuits, and get onboard while they're still working. We'd better keep our ki shielded from Vegeta…"

"Right… this way," Yamucha nodded, leading the way down the hall to the workshops where various equipment was stored.