Chapter Seventeen:

"We're leaving."

Bulma snapped to attention and turned around from her spot on the floor. She'd been cleaning the hardwood flooring under the prince's dresser for the past hour. She didn't know why she hadn't cleaned it in years, but now she was paying the price—dust was stuck to the floor, through a thin layer of sticky yellow stuff… whatever it could be. And once she started scrubbing, it started to stink. So, here she was, an hour later, finishing up. She'd managed to move the large piece of furniture just enough to get under it, but moving it back was going to be a problem. She stood and faced the prince, wiping her brow with the back of her forearm.

"What do you mean, leaving?" she asked, frowning at him. "I have a lot of work to do today. I can't just follow you around until you get bored and send me away. I'll never get anything done that way."

It had been four days now since the ordeal with the dungeon, and after that night… Vegeta was back to ignoring her. After they'd come back from the kitchens, he'd stopped talking to her. He wasn't even making rude comments anymore, and she even found herself missing them. Or at least missing the sound of his voice.

"Watch your tone, woman. My temper is on a short fuse today."

"You mean shorter than usual?" she said, rolling her eyes. She got back on her hands and knees and continued scrubbing the floor. She was more annoyed with the fact that he was finally talking to her, rather than anything else. And he had the audacity to start ordering her around like he was the boss of her… Even though he was.

"Fine," he replied, and she didn't like his tone. "Then I'll go alone. I won't be back for several days. Have this place spotless by the time I get back. If I see a single stain, you'll be punished for disobedience and slacking."

"Several days?" she replied, glancing his way. She knew to take his threats in stride, but that caught her attention. "You're leaving the castle?"

He didn't respond, but he was still looking at her. She lifted an eyebrow at him, but it made his frown deepen. He looked away for a moment and folded his arms. When he turned back, he started glaring, and Bulma almost laughed. It looked like he wanted to say something, but he couldn't. She rolled her eyes again and turned back to the floor.

"Okay, then. Don't tell me. I don't need to know, anyway. Have a safe trip. I'll be here."

"Woman," he barked, and Bulma sighed and turned back. "Pack your things."

"I told you. I have a lot of things to do, and I can't—"

"That's an order."

"Really?" she frowned, pointing to the floor in front of her. "Have you even looked at this mess?" Then she smirked. "And when have I ever listened to your orders anyway? I'm not going to start now." She knew she was treading in dangerous waters, but she couldn't help herself. He hadn't said a word to her in three days and now, all of a sudden, he thought it was okay to pull her from her job—her real job? "Why do I have to go? Doesn't it make more sense for me to stay here, where I can get things done?"

He gritted his teeth as he glared, and she just watched him, trying to understand. After talking with Chichi, and after finally admitting how she felt, she knew that she would have to try harder to understand him if she wanted things to work out, but it was so… difficult. The way he acted never made sense to her. Even now, what was his goal? She knew he had a superiority complex, so maybe he was just ordering her around to prove a point… but it didn't seem that way. He wouldn't just start after not talking to her for days. And she hadn't done anything to provoke him, either.

But he wasn't answering her. Which either meant that he didn't have a reason, or he didn't want to say it. Maybe he didn't even know the reason why. But how was she supposed to figure it out?

"Fine," he growled, turning away. "Like I said, woman—spotless."

Was he seriously pouting? He was such a child sometimes. She mentally rolled her eyes, thinking it wasn't safe for her to do it to him again, and went back to scrubbing. She wiped her brow again with her forearm as she heard his footsteps behind her as he walked towards the bath she'd prepared for him ten minutes ago. She could still hear the water running, and she hoped it hadn't overflowed. Another big mess was the last thing she needed right now—

A lightbulb went off in her head and she stopped cleaning for a moment. He was pouting. He never pouted… Or, she was the only person he ever pouted about…

She immediately stood and followed him, and by the time she stepped onto the tiled floor, he'd already pulled his shirt off.

"Vegeta," she said, and he turned to her, narrowing his eyes. "Where are you going, anyway?"

"Servants don't need to know such things."

She sighed. "Just tell me."

"You don't give orders to me. Know your place, or I'll put you there."

She smirked, trying to hide her laugh. Recently, his threats to her were just jokes, as if she knew he wouldn't follow through on any of them. That must have been really recent, though… Because not long ago, she would start shaking when he threatened her. Because he'd always been serious—he'd punished her plenty of times in the past. But those days felt like a lifetime ago, and now… she could only find humor in his words.

"Vegeta," she laughed. "Don't be so tense. Just tell me where you're going." She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Where we're going. Okay?"

"You're not going. I've changed my mind," he sneered, and she wasn't sure why, but she looked at him in a way she'd never looked at someone before, and he body moved without thinking.

"But I want to go," she said, stepping towards him. She watched him frown and narrow his eyes. She stepped until she was barely an inch from him. He made a strange noise from his throat and immediately looked off to the left. She didn't bother looking—she knew it was just a blank wall there. She gently wrapped her arms around his bare waist and snuggled into him, feeling him jump. "You wanted me to go just a second ago. What happened? You don't want me to go anymore?"

She tilted her head and looked up at him, and finally he looked back down at her. And moments like these were how she knew he cared—and how she remembered that he did, even when he acted like he didn't. He frowned again as he narrowed his eyes, and he didn't hold her back. But he didn't push her away either. And his expression was… uncomfortable. And just as she realized, he looked away again, back at that blank wall. She smirked, those familiar butterflies hitting her stomach again. This was how she knew.

"Hey," she whispered, leaning up. She put her mouth right next to his, waiting for him to turn back to her and meet her mouth. She watched him grit his teeth for a moment, and it took him quite a few seconds, but he eventually turned and she kissed him, both with eyes open, and pinned to the other's face. "Where are we going?" she asked again, and he went back to looking away from her before he answered.

"I have to scout a new planet," he said, and then he paused, waiting, still not looking at her. Bulma knew he wanted her to let go, and although she didn't want to, she pulled back and released him from her weak grasp. He turned towards the sink and started running the water on cold.

"Scout a planet?" Bulma asked, as he gently splashed his face and turned the water off. He finally turned and looked at her, and this time it was her who became uncomfortable. She felt her eyes want to wander, but she forced herself to meet his gaze.

"We're looking into what their species is good for. Our initial scouts reported that the people are physically weak, much like Earthlings. They also can't reproduce with Saiyans, which means that we'll probably end up making them slaves. Although, the planet has excellent living conditions, so we'll see what we can do with that."

"Is this something that you usually do?" she asked, tilting her head. She couldn't remember him having to do work like this in the past.

"I've done it a couple of times. My father only sends me when he believes the planet is important. Also, I look alike to them. So do you. They have the appearance of a Saiyan or an Earthling, so we'll blend in. We need to make sure they don't know they're being scouted until a decision has been made on what's to be done with the planet and her people."

"So… what do we have to do there?" she tilted her head.

"You get to cook and clean," he snorted, obviously thinking that was amusing. "I am confirming previous reports and making one of my own. It's… involved. It's things like… how violent or passive of a species they are, how difficult it is to reproduce, their physical stamina, natural reactions, resistance to disease… things like that. We're just going to live among them for a few days and watch."

"Sounds like a vacation to me," Bulma said.

"I'll make sure you stay busy."

"Thanks." She rolled her eyes. "How long do I have?"

"Less than an hour," he said, quickly stepping towards her. Bulma jumped and took a few steps back, until she realized that she was being pushed out of the garderobe. "Don't make me late," he said, before shutting the door in her face. Bulma frowned, and stood there, glaring at the door, until she heard the water get turned off, and the slosh of him getting into the tub. She knew just from the sound that some of it hit the floor and she mentally groaned.

She quickly walked over to where she'd been cleaning, and got back on her hands and knees, scrubbing like her life depended on it.

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"I feel like I gave in," Bulma snorted, half-laughing at herself. "I have so much work to do. Now that I started cleaning the nooks and crannies of his goddamn room, who knows what I'm going to find, besides dust and sticky floors. I really should have just stuck it out and told him I can't go."

"What are you talking about?" Chichi laughed. "Isn't this exactly what you need?"

"A vacation? Yes, but not like this, and not in the middle of everything that's going on right now. It feels like running away…"

"That's not what I mean, Bulma. Well, sure, you could use a vacation, but you and Vegeta… going away for a few days… alone." She clapped her hands together as Bulma just shook her head. "Come on! Think about it! Goku was on those scouting missions earlier this year and he told me that this planet is a lot like Earth was. So, if anything, don't you want to go check it out, at least?"

"How does he know what Earth was like?" Bulma frowned, and Chichi looked away for a second.

"He… uh… He scouted Earth, too… when he was younger." She looked ashamed, but Bulma couldn't bring herself to try and make her friend feel better… Goku had been part of the Saiyans who reported that Earthlings were practically good for nothing… She looked over at him, deep in his kitchen work across the room, and silently wondered if he felt like shit about himself sometimes.

"So, that's basically what we're doing, then? You're calling it a vacation, but in reality, we're going to decide whether or not this species gets to go extinct, or become a bunch of slaves… That really puts a damper on things."

"Whether you go or not, it is what it is… So just take the good parts out of it. Maybe you can even help convince Vegeta that the planet is worth saving. And if not, it's still something you should look forward to… I mean, it's just the two of you, right? That means no Saiyans, no guards, no prostitutes, no king… You see what I'm getting at here?" she smiled. "Vegeta can just be with you, and he knows that. It's probably why he wanted you to go so badly."

He was pouting when she refused… Was that why?

She shook her head to clear her thoughts.

"Plus," Chichi continued, "If the planet is like Earth, you can go see what it's like. That's a big deal. I would love to be able to do that. And if you guys are trying to blend in… I mean, you are a guy and a girl, so… you'll probably end up having to at least act like you're together." There was a moment of silence and Chichi sighed. "Aren't you at least a little excited?"

"I made him uncomfortable today," she said, changing the subject. She was zoning out, anyway. "I was in his face and he kept looking at the wall, like I could just do whatever I wanted and he wouldn't have stopped me… Like, I want to believe he cares, and sometimes I can honestly feel that he does. But… when it comes down to something more serious, I really don't think he would choose me."

"Then don't make him choose," Goku said, finally looking up from whatever he'd been helping with, a few counters down. She wondered how much of their conversation he'd been listening to. He wore a tight frown, though. "If you're talking about choosing you over a something like a dinner plate, then you're just being irrational. But if you're talking about choosing you or his people… that shouldn't be something you ask him to do, Bulma."

"I wasn't going to…" She trailed off, allowing some time to pass in silence. "I have like fifteen minutes, and I have to go finish packing, so—"

"I'm not trying to put you in a bad mood," Goku interrupted. "I'm just saying, when you go on this scouting mission with him, try to forget about this place for a little while. Forget about what's waiting for you when you get back and just… just try being there. It'll make you both feel better. Trust me."

"Careful, Goku," Bulma said. "You're starting to sound a lot like Chichi."

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"…and here's the currency that we've collected. I should be plenty to get you through at least three or four days. There's also this card, which can be used to purchase things when—"

"Just put it on the ship," Vegeta barked at the guard. A group of people started scurrying around at the heated tone in his voice, and the ship was prepped and cleared in a matter of minutes. Bulma had thrown her things on the ship already, and she stood behind the prince as he continued giving orders to the people around him.

"Isn't this the female you brought on your last off-world assignment?" a man said, and she turned to find a familiar pink-skinned brute. She'd seen him once before, and from what she remembered, he had a special talent for getting on the prince's nerves. "Hello, little girl," he spat. "Enjoying your special treatment?" He took a longer look at her before turning back to the prince. "This is the same girl that riled you up about a month ago. Looks like she's growing on you, doesn't it? Apparently, her behavior wasn't terrible enough for her to be punished… Or maybe you just avoided scarring that pretty face of hers, and the rest of her is in ribbons. Oh, what I would give to see her undressed…" Bulma gulped.

"Get lost, Dodoria," Vegeta said flatly, rolling his eyes.

Dodoria… Bulma remembered him, now. He was sent to this planet to assist in the military, as per King Cold's request. There were a number of soldiers he'd sent to Planet Vegeta, if Bulma had her information right. And this large, pink-skinned man was probably one of many.

"The ship is ready, sire," a man said, running up to the prince and saluting, standing straight and still, staring above the prince's head to avoid eye contact.

"Good," he replied, and he started saying something else, but Dodoria stepped in front of Bulma and looked her up and down. He stepped again so that he was between her and the prince and her heart began to race a bit when she couldn't see him anymore. She tried looking around him, but she couldn't see past his width and the thick armor he was wearing around his chest and stomach.

"Tell me what he's done to you, little girl. Maybe I can report it back to my king and have you saved. Maybe I'll even let you clean my bedchambers." He stuck out a dark red tongue and swiped it across his thick pink lips. He reached forward and immediately grabbed the side of her face with a large, sweaty hand, wiping his palm against her and dragging her closer. He leaned towards her, and she yelped as he pulled her again, forcing her to step forward. His hand was like a brick—solid and stronger than she could ever be. He smiled, and she almost reeled from the stench of his breath. She raised her hand to strike him—

"Dodoria!" Vegeta shouted. And, not taking his eyes from her, the pink man's smile widened slyly. Bulma gulped again and lowered her hand as he released her, still smiling. She didn't like his expression. It made her more nervous than anything she'd experienced in a long while.

"Yes, my Lord?" Dodoria asked, turning and bowing to Vegeta, getting extra low to the floor. But Bulma knew it wasn't to be respectful. His voice was sarcastic. "Anything else I can do for you before your departure, my Liege?"

"Get lost," he repeated.

"Of course, my Lord." He bowed once more and then he was gone. Vegeta turned away, not even looking at her. He gave a few more commands before heading towards to entrance to the ship. Bulma slowly followed him inside, noticing that it was quite small, as far as Saiyan ships went. She watched the back of his head as he walked, and lowered her gaze to his shoulder blades, and down to his backside. He wore traditional Saiyan pants, giving Bulma a skin-tight look at the muscles in his legs, too. But before the butterflies could reach her stomach, the door lifted up and closed directly behind her, making her jump. She heard the engine quietly rumble and she knew they were already moving. And fast.

"We should arrive in a couple hours," he suddenly said. "You can relax over there," he added, pointing behind her. He hit a few buttons on the control panel before the glass front was covered by a metal sheet that extended down from the roof. Bulma watched it block the view of space before turning and finding a large couch behind her. There was only one, and another smaller chair, and a table between them. There were two seats at the control panel, and a small open space between both ends. The ship was smaller than the prince's chambers, which was surprising to her.

"It has autopilot?" she asked, watching him sit in the cushioned chair and propping his feet up on the glass table between them. She sat down on the couch and looked over at him. The ship was smooth—if she'd woken up here, she would never be able to tell that they were moving at such a speed. She wouldn't have been able to tell that they were moving at all, to be honest.

The prince ignored her and kicked off his boots, sliding them to the floor and revealing his dark blue socks. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. But Bulma wasn't tired, and she knew he'd only been awake for a few hours now. She leaned forward.

"So, what are we doing when we get there?" she asked, watching his face twist a little before he opened his eyes—he tilted his head forward and glared at her. She frowned. "I mean, once we get there… It'll be hard to blend in when we arrive in a space ship. Are the people even familiar with space travel? Do they know that there are other species out there?"

"Yes, they're not as naïve as Earth was," he sneered. "They know about other planets and they're familiar with space ships. Identification has been prepared for us. When we land, we'll be checked in as one of their kind. Then we'll find a place to stay so I can begin my work."

"You're just watching them, right?"

"I'll do whatever I want, woman," he replied, closing his eyes and leaning his head back again. Clearly, he was done talking. He shuffled around in the chair for a few moments before finding a comfortable spot and relaxing a bit… again.

"So…" Bulma said slowly, "What will I be doing, then?" The prince groaned, and she almost rolled her eyes at him. "I was thinking, since this planet is kind of like Earth was… I want to look around. So, maybe when you go out to observe, I could come with—"

"No."

"Why not?"

"You're here to make sure that my living space is properly suited to me. I was told that the places that we could be staying have infestations and aren't accommodating to the needs of royalty. I brought you along to deal with that, not get in my way. This isn't some holiday for you. This is still your job, and you'll carry out your duties as you would back home."

"There's no way you're just going to keep me in one room the entire time…" She trailed off, fighting the urge to make a comment about how he just called Planet Vegeta her home. She'd never really thought of it as her home, and hearing him refer to it that way was odd.

"You'll do whatever I tell you to do."

"Or what?"

"Enough, woman," he sighed, adjusting his position again.

"I didn't agree to come along so I could clean a room for four days. I want to look around, and experience—"

"I said no."

"When you leave me alone, I'm just going to go look around anyway," she glowered.

"Don't expect me to come help you when you get yourself in trouble."

"I've never expected it before. Why would I start?"

He groaned and closed his eyes again, leaning his head back. Bulma watched him, wondering if he could tell that she was staring at his face. But after a few more moments, he tilted his head forward and glared right back at her.

"Four days," he said. "Do you know how much work I have to do in four days? And you want to treat this like some kind of field trip? It's work. It's business."

"No fun?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. And he shook his head. "So, you could swear… that the entire time we're on this planet, you're not going to do anything just for fun?"

"I do whatever I want, woman," he smirked. "You know that. I don't have to swear to anything."

"So, then if you want to have fun, I could—"

"No."

"Why not?!" she shouted, and she watched him wince at her high pitch. "Why did you make such a big deal about me coming if you're just going to lock me in a room for four days?!"

The prince stood. And Bulma's face immediately turned red from the expression he was giving her. He slowly took a step in her direction, and she sat up as straight as she could on the couch, crossing her legs and folding her hands in her lap. She watched him carefully until he stood directly in front of her, looking down at her. Then her eyes darted to the side, and she couldn't stop them as she slouched a little, too. But before she could keep her eyes on the ground for long, she watched his legs bend and he got down on his knees in front of her. Her gaze snapped to attention when his face was below hers and he looked up at her, only a few inches away. She held her breath.

"Do as I say," he whispered. "When the only protection you have is me, you need to obey. Do you understand? If you start doing whatever you want, or leave when I'm not looking, what if you get lost? Or injured? What if I can't find you?"

"When you go out… I just want to go with you," she said softly, looking away again. But then, his head came down and rested in her lap, and she had to stop herself from jumping in surprise. She looked down and watched him close his eyes, and his face calmed—and she remembered Goku's words about being in the moment and being where no one was looking… there were no Saiyans here. It was just the two of them, and she felt like Vegeta understood that even before she did…

She gently rose her hand and placed her palm on the side of his head, running her fingers through his soft, spikey hair. She listened to one of his exhales turn into a sigh and couldn't help but smile. She kept gently playing with his hair until his breathing slowed.

"Maybe," she whispered, "If you finish all the important stuff early… then maybe we could…?" But she never got a reply, because the prince was fast asleep.