Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ

Chapter 13: The Vow

Chichi was nervous to say the least. Kakarot had taken her into the capital to a Holy Man's home. Only moments ago she had given him her answer and now this was actually happening; she was going to be married. The Holy Man, Nip, was eyeing her like he was trying to uncover some secret plot she had. She had the impression that he didn't like her very much. Apparently you needed a holy man or elder to officially marry someone. Being an alien they also needed an approval from a royal but thanks to the queen they had that. Nip was suspicious of the approval and even called Nappa to confirm it. But he was still hesitant because they didn't want to wait for any family and comrades. And it also didn't help since they were at his home and instead of a temple at such a late hour.

"Are you sure Kakarot? I know your father well and if he approves of your chosen mate then he would more than likely wish to be present."

Kakarot winced at that. He knew that his father was going to kill him but he couldn't wait. He couldn't risk losing Chichi. "My father will come to respect my wishes in time."

Nip frowned at that answer and turned to chichi. "And what of your father?"

Chichi grasped Kakarot's hand for support and said "He does not approve but we have the Queen's permission and that is all we need."

Kakarot squeezed her hand back in comfort. Chichi was glad that she could lean on Kakarot. At this very moment her father was probably getting suspicious of her whereabouts. She had never felt so torn in her life. Part of her wanted to scream and say wait my dad has to see me get married but she didn't want to start her life over. She wanted it to continue. She had a dream that she wanted to continue and she wanted Kakarot to be a part of it.

Nip nodded his head and got a ceremonial rope tie from across the room and walked over to them. He placed their hands on top of the either and tied the rope around them. "May the God of the universe bless this union and you have proud warriors to carry your names with honor. May you uphold a level of comradeship with each other that cannot be eclipsed with anyone else. May only your deaths be the end of this union. Will you uphold this vow?"

"Yes." They both said at the same time.

Nip then took the rope and tied it into a knot and extended it to Chichi. "You two are now mated. You must join physically to make it official."

Kakarot bowed to him and Chichi followed his movement. "The two of you may leave now. And do try to patch things up with both your parents, especially Bardock. He is highly respected and does not deserve such treatment."

Kakarot nodded nervously. "Thanks!" He then Grabbed Chichi's hand and led her out of the house. "So we are mated now."

"Kakarot please kiss me."

"Sure." He said right before he kissed her lovingly on Nip's doorstep.

Chichi smiled at him and said, "It's tradition to end a wedding ceremony by saying, "You may now kiss the bride."

"Oh, well that's a silly tradition."

Chichi was a bit offended. "Why do you think that?"

Kakarot smiled at her and said, "Because it's something that I'm going to be doing forever." He said right before he kissed her again as her new husband.

The Next Day...

Vegeta gave a curious look to Bulma as her eyes roamed over the school grounds. "What are you looking for woman?"

Bulma sighed heavily as she looked past Vegeta and saw Raditz and Turles approach. She crossed her arms annoyed. "I'm looking for Kakarot. Chichi's father called me last night and said that he couldn't find her."

Raditz and Turles who had heard her looked at each other. Raditz then turned to her and said, "Kakarot didn't show up last night either. We never really keep track of each other but he missed dinner last night and breakfast this morning and that never happens.

Turles's frown grew deeper into his face. His brother had been acting stranger than usual these past couple of days. "We tried to communicate with him but his scouter was turned off.

A look of worry brushed across Bulma's face as a fear that was in the back of her mind came to the forefront. "They couldn't have..."

Vegeta groaned as he heard Bulma's trailed off sentence. He quickly became angry at the obvious answer to what happened. "That idiot."

"What?" asked Turles.

Bulma gave a curious glance to Vegeta. Apparently he had found out about the proposal and she was curious how that conversation went, but that could wait later. Bulma looked to the Sons of Bardock and said, "Kakarot proposed to Chichi."

Raditz gave a confused look. "Proposed what to her?"

Vegeta crossed his arms in complete annoyance. "He asked her to be his mate. They are probably mated as we speak."

Turles was quiet but Raditz exploded. "Impossible! The virgin?"

His exclamation caught the attention from nearby students but one glare from Vegeta made them all rush into the building leaving the 4 of them to continue their conversation in private.

Bulma started to anxiously tap her foot on the ground. "Chichi told me that he gave her an earthling proposal. I didn't think she would even accept it."

Raditz still couldn't believe it. "But that's impossible he would need an approval of a royal to mate an alien!"

"My mother gave it to him yesterday." Vegeta added.

"Are you serious?"

"No I'm telling a blasted joke, because I'm a funny guy. Of course I'm telling you the truth."

Raditz shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe he would be this stupid."

It was at this point that Turles could take no more and pointed an angry finger at Bulma. "This is all your fault!"

Bulma's eyes became large and offended. "How is it my fault?"

"You earthling sluts putting your claws into Saiyan men! That's how it's your fault!"

Before Bulma could say anything Vegeta already had his hand around Turles's throat and had powered up enough to almost crush the man's windpipe. "That is enough! You have known for years that your brother is an emotional fool. Call my Woman out of her name one more time and I will end your life." He ended by shoving him away.

Turles looked like he wanted to attack and Vegeta smirked at him welcoming him to do so. But Turles instead gave them all his back and flew away. Raditz turned to Bulma and Vegeta also upset. "I know you do not have to report to me about anything your Highness, but a heads up would have been greatly appreciated...from either of you." He ended by looking at Bulma.

Bulma opened her mouth but Vegeta spoke first again. "Like you said, I don't have to report to you."

Raditz didn't say anything else and also flew away. Bulma took her hair out of its pony tail and ran her fingers through her hair to think. "Why would your mother approve of it Vegeta?"

"I don't know."

"She is your mother."

"And unfortunately that fact gives me no further insight on her actions than anyone else."

"But it doesn't make any sense Vegeta. She doesn't even care for me so why in the world would she let Chichi-"

"I said I don't know! But I will find out."

Bulma crossed her arms again and looked at the ground. "Thank you."

"What for?"

"For standing up for me. You didn't have to attack Turles-"

"You are still seen as my Woman. Anyone who disrespects you is also disrespecting me. And that's all there is to it."

Bulma rolled her eyes. "You know Vegeta, it's really quite amazing how many opportunities are given to you to actually be sweet but you love passing them up don't you?"

He smirked that smirk that she loved and hated all at the same time. "Destroy them is more like it."

"Whatever." Bulma mumbled as she readied her hair tie to put her hair back up.

"Don't."

"Don't what?" Bulma said pausing her movements.

Vegeta turned his head toward the building giving Bulma a side view. He didn't mean to say that word out loud, but now that he had she was waiting for a response. "I prefer it down."

Bulma blinked in surprise then gave her own smirk as she saw a healthy shade of red grow on her "boyfriend". "Alright. I'll oblige you this time."

"Whatever. I'm going to go home and try and figure out what my mother is up to."

"I'll go with you."

"Very well then." He said as he pulled her against him.

Bulma couldn't help herself. "Don't swoon over me as my gorgeous hair swirls around you in the wind."

Vegeta growled at her then pulled her over his shoulder. She protested and screamed as he handled her like a cave man. "Can't have your "gorgeous" hair in my eyes now can we. Don't want to fly into a building." He chuckled as he lifted up into the air.

In Bardock's personal lab at his home...

Bardock kicked over a table and sent all of its contents flying across the room not caring what it was. He looked at Raditz and could not believe what he had just heard. "Your brother...he is the most ridiculous Saiyan...What is wrong with him?"

Raditz shrugged his shoulders. "I've been asking that for years and my question hasn't been answered yet so good luck."

"Where are they now?" He growled angrily.

"Can't find him. I tried tracking his scouter and I couldn't because it was turned off."

Bardock stormed over to one of his computers and started typing madly. "I'll find him." After a few clicks he looked to the door. "It says it's in the hallway!"

At the moment the door opened to reveal Kakaraot. "Hello Fa-"

Bardock phased in front of him and grabbed his color and then slammed him into the nearest wall, not caring of the cracking in the plaster. "Have you lost your MIND?"

"I love her." He said with as serious face as he could give.

"You barely know her!" Raditz chimed in.

"I know enough. She's the only female I ever want to be with."

Bardock shook him a little bit and slammed him back against the wall. "Well she's going to have to be because Saiyans mate for life. Which means that you are stuck with her...an alien! Do you even know how long her life cycle is or if she can have your children? Did you think of that?"

"N-no-"

Raditz really wanted to punch his brother. "You haven't even tried a saiyan girl."

"I'm not like you and Turles."

"No you're not but you could have at least given a Saiyan girl a chance."

"I'm with Chichi...forever! So you guys are going to have to get used to it!"

Bardock punched his son across his jaw and sent him sliding to the floor. "You don't get to go behind my back and then come in here and tell me how things are going to be! I am one of the most respected Saiyans in the universe and I will get it from my own children! Your mother hasn't even met the girl."

Kakarot touched his face and really wished he was a Super Saiyan at the moment. That punch hurt a lot. "I know but-"

"I am not finished talking! You want to disobey my rules and my house well then you find your own."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying until I feel that you respect your family like you should, then you won't be treated as such. Get your stuff and get out. Come back when you're ready to act like a decent son."

Raditz and Kakarot watched their father walk over to a table and sat down like nothing was out of the ordinary as he got back to work.

Kakarot looked at his brother then back to his father. "Fathe-"

"One more word out of you and I go 'Golden' and you don't want me to do that. I'm showing you enough mercy as it is. Raditz see to it that what I said goes into effect...immediately."

Raditz grabbed his brother's arm and lifted him off the ground. "Come on Kakarot. Let's get you out of here."

Kakarot pulled his arm away and walked toward his room with Raditz following behind him in silence. "You have nothing else to say?"

"I agree with father completely. You need to think about your actions, not your feelings."

Kakarot held his head high. "You all think my feelings make me weak. They don't. They just make me see things differently."

Raditz stopped him and glared at him. "You are a Saiyan, on a Saiyan planet, run by Saiyans! If you don't think like the rest of us then Saiyans will start to think that you don't want to be one of us. And that road leads to treason and treachery. We are not trying to punish you we are trying to save your life you idiot."

"Thanks." Kakarot said sarcastically and continued walking back to his room. Raditz wasn't surprised to see Chichi inside pacing like a mad woman. She stopped once their eyes met and then they glided to Kakarot. "We have to leave."

Chichi looked scared. "Where are we going to go?"

"We will figure something out." Kakarot said as he walked up to her and gathered her in his arms.

Raditz rolled his eyes. "You don't have time for that. Father wants you out of here and I don't think he means for you to take your time."

Kakarot grabbed a bag and started filling it quickly and angrily with clothes and essentials. Chichi watched him and felt bad that she couldn't help this situation and it also worried her about her own father's reaction. He was finished in a few minutes and grabbed her hand to lead her out of the house. Raditz followed them outside like they were thieves that were about to steal something and neither Chichi or Kakarot liked it very much. And just when they thought things couldn't get worse Bulma and Vegeta landed in front of them.

Bulma flipped her now wild hair over her shoulder at the sight of her friend. She was hitting Vegeta and screaming at him to stop treating her like a sack of food when her scouter told her that Kakarot's scouter came online. So they changed routes and came here instead.

"Are you happy now Chichi?"

"What?"

"Are you happy? Because that's how women are supposed to be when they finally marry the man that they always wanted, they become extremely happy. So are you?" She nearly screamed.

"Yes I am!" Chichi yelled right back. "In spite of everything that has gone on, I really do love Kakarot!"

"Ha! Oh please."

"Excuse me?"

"I talked to your father last night. He told me about how he was planning on leaving the planet and taking you with him. So don't act like this is some type of 'Romeo and Juliet I love you' crap. This is about you and that stupid restaurant."

Raditz became angry all over again. "Kakarot is that true?"

Kakarot shook his head. "Her father did want to take her but that's not why she married me!"

Raditz threw his hands up in the air. "God of the Universe help us all! Turles was right! You Earthlings are trying to take advantage of us!"

Bulma's jaw became lose with that one then tightened with a ferociousness brought on by being wrongly accused. "Shut up Raditz! I'll have you know that I did absolutely nothing to make Vegeta and YOURSELF become attracted to me. Now what Chichi and Kakarot did was stupid but it is quite clear that you Saiyans chased us. It is not the other way around!"

Vegeta snorted. "Well it's still up for debate when it comes to you Woman but that is a conversation for another time." Bulma became red with fury but he ignored her. "Kakarot you better hope that you don't end up becoming my mother's puppet."

Chichi grasped Kakarot's arm. "So what if the Queen wants him to do her bidding. As far as I can see she is the only one that has shown us an ounce of kindness."

Bulma shook with anger. "She's the one who told me the truth about Kakarot! The one that destroyed our home and killed your mother! Why in the world would she want you two to get married if it wasn't for some type of plan?"

"I don't care we are together and I'm not leaving!" Chichi yelled back.

Bulma sneered at her friend. "For a restaurant Chi? You might as well have signed up for the pleasure district because you have become nothing but a paid whore."

Silence descended upon all of them as Bulma's harsh words hung in the air. Tears sprang to Chichi's eyes but instead of ignoring the pain, she unleashed it. She literally jumped on Bulma and slapped her with all her might. Bulma tried to slap her back but just ended up somehow rolling her onto the ground and started pulling Chichi's hair instead as the girl underneath yanked on her armor.

Vegeta and Kakarot snapped out of their amazement of the pitiful girl fight and pulled the girls off of one another. Bulma tried to kick her as Vegeta swung her away. "We ARE DONE being friends! Do you hear me Chichi?"

"Fine! If you think I was ever capable of doing what you claim I did then you don't deserve to be my friend after all these years!"

"Good riddance!"

"Let's go Kakarot!" Chichi screamed as she buried her face into his neck and they blasted off.

Bulma touched her face and winced at the pain as she watched her best friend disappear into the sky. She then walked over to Vegeta and murmured "Let's go."

He nodded and flew her to his room. Bardock didn't stayed very close to the palace so he was there in a short moment. After he sat her down on the balcony, he saw her touch her face again. "You'll need to get some salve on that or it will bruise."

Bulma chuckled. "I guess that's the Saiyan way of asking, 'are you ok?'"

"Are you?"

"No. No Vegeta I'm pretty far from it." She said as she walked over to him and buried her face into his chest as she cried.

Vegeta had no idea what to do and stood there not moving. He had seen her cry before but not in this kind of depressed state.

"Just hold me for crying out loud." She mumbled into his chest as she sobbed.

He grunted and then placed his arms around her hesitantly.

"She was my best friend...my only friend. I am completely alone now."

"Woman don't be ridiculous I am standing right here letting you soak my armor with your tears. You are not alone."

She laughed a little at that and pulled away. "If you are all I have then that's pretty pathetic." She said wiping her eyes.

Vegeta smirked at her. "What you call pathetic other's would call a blessed occasion."

"Cursed is more like it. Now about your mother." She said walking away from him and going to his bathroom to splash some water into her face. She grabbed a hanging hand towel and winced as she touched it to her face. She started to reach for the salve, but Vegeta had already snatched it up. Before she could protest he was already taking off his gloves and gently putting it on her face.

Bulma watched the concern that spread over his face. She at that moment wished that she hadn't pledged to take control of his life and manipulate him. She knew that Vegeta also wasn't a real boyfriend but...

"This feels too real."

"What are you talking about?"

Bulma's eyes became large as she realized she had said the words out loud. "I...you confuse me."

"How so?" He asked as his fingers gently smoothed out the salve on her face.

Bulma frowned. It was really hard to concentrate with him touching her face like that. "It's one thing to put on a show for other people but you don't have to act like you care in private Vegeta." She ended by stepping away from him.

Vegeta placed the salve down and crossed his arms. "Like I said before, you represent me so I can't have you walking around sporting an ugly bruise now can I?" He said it more harshly then he intended, but he didn't know why, but her accusation really annoyed him.

Bulma crossed her arms and examined him like a project then a look of pure surprise glittered her face. "You like me!"

"What are babbling about now?"

"I mean I always knew that you wanted me and your feelings about me before the truth came out are still debatable, but right not now at this moment you genuinely have feelings for me."

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Please. It doesn't matter what species it is, females are all delusional. I want your body and I enjoy your company, but if you think I'm going to be some bumbling idiot like Kakarot then you are mistaken."

Bulma wasn't convinced. "When someone is concerned for someone having a bruise then you like them."

"Woman you are ridiculous."

Bulma took a step towards him and kissed him lightly on his lips and of course Vegeta couldn't resist and kissed her back making the kiss longer than what it was intended to be. Bulma smiled into the kiss and then pulled away. "Thank you. But you better be careful Vegeta, I like the way you are and I don't know if I could handle a 'bumbling idiot' as a boyfriend."

Vegeta sputtered as she walked away giggling from his reaction. He then became humorously enraged. "You are INSANE!"

Bulma laughed out loud at that. "You're falling for me slowly in your own Saiyan way." She said as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Woman-"

"I thought you were going to go talk to your mother?"

"I will." He then walked over to her and grabbed her hips pulling her towards him. "Make no mistake Woman, it is you that will not only willingly give me your body but your emotional, Earthling heart as well. You will in your own silly wording, 'fall for me' and fall so deeply that no man in the universe will ever be able to retrieve you."

"Veg-"

"No you issued a challenge to me just now and I don't lose." He said as he crashed his lips upon hers taking her very breath away. She couldn't breathe and she didn't think she would ever want to if he was going to kiss her like that. It was to date the most passionate and desperate kiss that either had ever experienced and one they wouldn't forget. When it was over both were panting and staring into the other's eyes. Vegeta then smirked and pecked her lips once more. "Challenge accepted."

He then turned and left out of the room leaving Bulma staring after the closed door in blissful shock. "Accepted indeed."

With a proud stride in his walk Vegeta went in search for his mother. He contacted Nappa to find out exactly where and had to change courses when he heard that she was actually in the throne room. When he walked inside both his parents were sitting on the throne.

"Mother, Father." He acknowledged as he bowed before them.

"Ah Vegeta. I was just speaking to your father about you."

"Really? What about?"

The King narrowed his eyes at his son. "Vegeta I have heard about your friend Kakarot mating the other Earthling."

"That mother approved of."

"Yes, but she told me that she did that to test to see how serious Kakarot was with the girl. It turns out he called her bluff. This is not good for you. Once word gets out that your closest ally has become mated to the same species that you are consorting with they will also begin to assume that you will follow the same path. So you must stop seeing the girl."

The Queen smirked with pride. She knew that it would be incredibly easy to convince her mate that Bulma would be a problem after he found out that Kakarot became forever attached to the other Earthling.

Vegeta wanted nothing more than to scream at his mother, especially after the vow he just made to Bulma. But she was playing a game and already used his father, so now he was going to beat her at it. "Father I agree that I should stop seeing the woman but not yet."

"Why is that?" The Queen asked furious.

"Because she has invented something that I think you will want to have and making her become...'emotional' is going to keep her from doing that."

The King contemplated that for a moment. "What is this invention?"

Vegeta was hesitant. He wanted this invention to himself, plus when the project was done he wouldn't have another excuse to spend time with Bulma. So he was going to have to make that vow became a current thing and make Bulma his as soon as possible otherwise he'll end up looking like a fool and he was not going to let that happen again...

"The invention is called...a gravity room."

Author's Note: Things with Bulma and Vegeta are about to get intense. And do you think the Queen is just going to sit by and do nothing? I'll give you a hint, she's not done using Kakarot. And Turles is really upset so could he possibly do something stupid in the next chapter? We're just getting warmed up here folks. Merry Christmas and please Review!