Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or anything to do with the Boys over Flowers franchise.

Chapter 20: Convince me

The Queen drummed her fingers on her throne and pressed her back against her chair. She loved being the only royal in the throne room. Her son and his so called wife had already gone to school and her husband was attending to business. So she had the room to herself. It was in moments like this that she truly felt in charge and the most powerful. And as she looked down at the Sons of Bardock that were bowing before her she smirked as she was about to put that power into good use.

"Are any of you going to speak or will I have to drag this out longer?"

Raditz, Turles and Kakarot kept silent as their eyes were on the ground. They knew that it was only a matter of time before the Queen would summon them. The royals took their orders very seriously and expected everyone to obey them.

Cellena wasn't surprised by their silence, she smirked in amusement at their stubbornness. "Saiyan men. No species can compare. Now it is obvious that Vegeta had some help in getting into the situation that he is in. One moment he could care less about that girl and now he is on the path to mating her. I know there was nothing on my end that provoked him into this ridiculous situation so that only leads the three of you."

Raditz was a firm believer in reaping whatever seed you sow, but he still did not want this punishment for his brother. "Your Highness, perhaps it was Bulma's own doing that allowed Vegeta to remember her."

Cellena laughed at his response. "Do you honestly think me for a fool? I am smarter than you think. So since you are the first to speak, and did not even try to deny that one of you are responsible than that means...that you are trying to protect someone else." The Queens eyes slid to Turles. "Do you have something to say?"

Turles was about to speak but Kakarot placed a hand on his shoulder and stood straight up. "It was I your Highness. I told Vegeta the truth about Bulma."

Cellena narrowed her eyes. "I see." The Queen stood up as well and then stepped down from her throne. She walked right up to him and struck him across his face. It was hard enough for Kakarot's face to turn to the side and leave a mark and she was oh so tempted to do more severe damage. "I am starting to think that you are smarter than everyone else thinks Kakarot. If it were either of your brothers I could have very well carried out my plan, but you..." The queen clucked her tongue. "I have to think of something truly special."

Raditz and Turles looked at each other confused then stood straight up. Raditz was hesitant but he asked, "My Queen, you will not banish Kakarot?"

Cellena frowned and crossed her arms. "How can I banish someone that I publicly bestowed favor upon? I would look like a fool." Cellena turned her backs on them and said, "Leave all of you. And this is far from over."

The three boys bowed and left out. Once they got out into the hall and away from prying eyes Turles hit Kakarot on his back and laughed. "Did you pray to the God of the universe or something? How did you get out of that?"

Raditz shook his head. "Did you actually come up with that plan or was that just luck?"

Kakarot laughed as well and scratched the back of his head. "Well Chichi had been on me about helping Bulma and Vegeta. I told her about the Queen's punishment and we started talking about it. We knew that it was a risk but we knew we could deal with the consequences."

Turles frowned at that. "I can't believe you didn't tell us."

Kakarot raised his hands in defense. "The Queen has spies everywhere. Sometimes I think she bugged my house."

Raditz nodded. "She probably did. But I think the Queen is right."

"About what?"

"You are smarter than you look." He said right before he put his brother in a headlock and rubbed the top of his head aggressively.

"Hey cut it out! You guys have to get to school and I have to get back to Chichi."

Raditz let him go and Turles said, "So you are not coming back to school at all?"

"No I am. Chichi wants me to have an education, because she thinks that it help our kid. She keeps talking about him being a scholar or scientist. Whenever I bring up training the child she completely ignores me." He said crossing his arms.

Turles laughed. "Well you are the one that wanted a foreign mate."

"Yea but I wouldn't have it any other way..."

Later that day...

Vegeta was eating lunch with Bulma at school. The Sons of Bardock had told him about their encounter with his mother but decided to have lunch over Kakarot's house. He didn't mind because he liked the idea of spending more time with his new bride. But something was wrong. She had been silent all morning and was even so now. Vegeta picked up his cup and washed down the food that was in his mouth.

"What is it Woman?"

Bulma who was picking at her food looked at Vegeta. "I...just have been thinking."

"About what?"

Bulma put down her utensil and crossed her arms and glared at Vegeta. "You killed Chaya."

Vegeta blinked in confusion. "So?"

"So? You killed her instantly and you don't even care!"

Vegeta pushed his plates away and counted on his fingers. "1, you didn't like Chaya, 2, I didn't like Chaya, 3, My mother wanted me to mate Chaya, 4, she threatened you and lastly she was ruining my breakfast!"

"And those are reasons to just kill someone?"

Vegeta looked at her like she was crazy. "Yes! I have killed others for far less."

Bulma shook her head. "And that's what scares me."

"Woman you are not making any sense. You are afraid of me killing people that wish to do you harm?"

"No I am afraid of people losing their lives over nothing."

"Do I need to go over the list again?"

"This goes beyond Chaya. Vegeta, my planet is gone."

Vegeta narrowed his eyes. "I had nothing to do with that. That was Kakarot."

"I know but I can't stop thinking that someone out there sees you as their Kakarot."

Vegeta rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration. "But you like Kakarot."

"I know. And Kakarot changed his life. He won't even purge anymore."

Vegeta leaned back in his chair and sighed. "So that's it. I was wondering when this was going to come up. The answer is 'no' Bulma."

Bulma set her jaw and straightened her back. "I didn't ask you anything."

"Oh but you were well on your way. Purging is was what we do. You knew this before you laid eyes on me. That is not going to change."

Bulma could feel her frustration turn to anger. "There are other ways. What about diplomacy?"

Vegeta laughed. "Diplomacy? Woman, do you have any idea how big my Empire is? Other planets know about us. If they want to willingly participate in the expansion of the Saiyan empire then they reach out to us. It's not the other way around. Everyone else is just hoping they get overlooked so that they won't have to share their planets wealth. Purging is a last resort."

Bulma's fists tightened. "That's a lie."

Vegeta scoffed offended. "Excuse me?"

"My parents told me that they didn't even know that there was life outside of our planet. They had no clue that there were conquering aliens. So unless Saiyans purposely send infants to negotiate, then what you just said is a lie."

Vegeta cracked his neck and glared at his wife. "I didn't mean to be so harsh to you but you leave me no choice. It is true that there are planets, like yours, that we send our infants out, like Kakarot, to purge planets without them knowing of our existence. The type of purge depends on the type of resources on a planet. If the planet's biggest resource is water, or animal life, or plant life then we don't care about the people. And we didn't care about the people on yours either. The ones that survive a straight purge like that are worth keeping because they proved to have some value in their surviving skills."

Bulma didn't even know how to take that. "So you are justifying what happened to my planet? I could have died."

"You survived. So you deserve to be here."

"My planet was completely destroyed!"

"It wasn't supposed to be."

"But all those people-"

"Were weak!" Vegeta said slamming his hand on the table, rattling the dishes.

Bulma took a few calming breaths and looked back at him with sad eyes. "How can you care about me, and not care about the things that I care about?"

Vegeta leaned back in his chair and grabbed his cup. He drank the rest of its contents and looked back to his wife. "What you care about is gone. You need to get over it."

It felt like a slap to her face. She knew this conversation was going to be painful and she was not going to just sit there and take it. "Get over it? You want me to 'Get over it'? Well excuse me Darling but I don't believe anyone could simply just get over the destruction of their home world. If you were in my position I doubt you would either."

Vegeta snorted in amusement. "Please Woman. I know how to let things go."

"You are such a liar! If that was true we wouldn't be here right now! If someone had come along and destroyed what was yours, took away your throne, and birthly right you would carry that throughout your entire your life!"

"Woman-"

"Don't even deny it because it's true! You have everything handed to you on a silver platter-"

Vegeta grabbed her arm and hauled her closer to him with a growl. "It is true that my life is filled with riches. But do not think that I did not have to earn anything. From the moment I was born I had to prove that I was worthy of the throne and it hasn't stopped. I haven't even achieved the Legendary yet and do you think that a people will want a new king that was not stronger than the previous one? I have fought and killed and nearly died many times to get where I am, and I am not there yet. So yes I have more than you but it's not nearly enough. Everyone has problems but if you can't solve them then you need to Get Over It."

He let her go and leaned back in his chair and gave her look that dared her to say something else.

Bulma felt a pain in her arm from where he grabbed her but she refused to show weakness and rub it. She didn't want to give in and she wasn't going to, but arguing with him wasn't the way she had to try a different approach. So she calmed down once again and spoke with an air of finality. "I can't get over it Vegeta because it's still going on. This is wrong Vegeta, purging is wrong and I'll never believe otherwise."

Vegeta frowned deeply and a look of worry ran across his face. "Woman you need to stop speaking this foolishness; it is treason to speak against the King's wishes. Saiyans kill. I have killed billions. Men, women, and children. This is how It is and how it will always be."

"It doesn't have to be for always. You can change-"

"It's not going to happen Bulma. Let it go." He seethed out.

Bulma was at a loss for words. She had pleaded her case and he shot her down in more ways than one. It was true that she knew what kind of person he was and what he did before everything happened, but she didn't expect him to be so closed off. He could change anything when he became King. The fact that he wouldn't even entertain the idea is what hurt her.

"I'm going to class." She said scooting out of her chair.

Before she turned away, Vegeta grabbed her hand and stared into her face for a while. "You are planning something. Whatever it is just drop it. You can not go against the Saiyan Empire. Purging is what we do and to try to stop us could mean your very death and that is something that I wouldn't be able to save you from."

Bulma only turned her head towards the door. "Are you going to let me go?"

Vegeta hesitated and then let her go. He watched her walk out the door and then contacted Turles through his scouter.

"Yes Sire?"

"Watch Bulma."

"You told me this already."

"No, I told you to guard her. I'm telling you now to watch her."

"You want me to spy on her?"

"Don't question me just do it!" He said ending the call. He saw that look on her face and knew that Bulma wasn't going to just let that go. All he could do was try to stop her before she did something really foolish...

Bulma was in her class but she excused herself to go to the bathroom. She had this nagging feeling that she was missing something. She knew how she felt about purging but everyone else seemed ok with it. Sure it was treason to be against the King's wishes but surely there had to be someone that was against it. She turned on her scouter and started going through the media waves. After a while of surfing she became frustrated that everything she found was positive. The only "negative" thing she could see were stories concerning her about possibly deluding the Saiyan Empire with half breeds or The King and Queen possibly trying to keep her and Vegeta apart. But nothing actually against the Empire.

'But there has to be. There has to be aliens out there that feel the way that I do and wants this to stop. But If I find them then what do I do or what do I say? What would be the point? The King still has the final say.'

Her thoughts were cut short as she heard a knock on the bathroom door. She was confused as to who would knock on a public bathroom door and hesitantly yelled out, "Yes?"

Turles came in at that moment and crossed his arms. "You have been in here for a long time."

Bulma's mouth dropped. "This is a girls bathroom! What are you even doing here?"

"I'm supposed to guard you."

Bulma placed her hands on her hips angrily. "From what? Soap dispensers?"

Turles rolled his eyes. "Look, the Prince gave me a job and I'm going to do it. If you don't want me around then find a way to get stronger than a Saiyan. Oh wait, you can't. So get used to me, because I'm not going anywhere."

Bulma started tapping her foot. "That is still no reason for you to barge in here!"

"Well I didn't smell anything so I knew you weren't on the toilet. So you were doing something else."

Bulma growled at him annoyed. "GET OUT!"

Turles examined her for a second then shrugged his shoulders and left out. Bulma was annoyed with Turles the rest of the day. He was there around every corner, not just waiting for her but watching her too. And she didn't like it one bit. She yelled at him continuously and tried to even get his father to kick him out the lab after school, but Bardock didn't care to get involved. But he wouldn't leave her side until she got home, which now consisted of Vegeta's quarters which she really didn't want to go to at the mommet but she needed to talk to him.

She hadn't seen him since lunch and she was still upset. He had just stepped out of the shower when she walked in. She ignored his physique only wrapped in a mere towel and sat down on the bed. "I want Turles gone."

"No." He said without hesitating.

"Vegeta he is completely annoying. He is taking his job way to seriously."

"Bulma you need a guard."

"He's acting more like an insect that keeps crawling on my arm. Every time I think I shook him off, he's there again."

"Woman it has been a day. Get over it."

Bulma crossed her arms angrily. "Stop telling me to get over things!"

"Stop being ridiculous!"

"I am the way I am because I married an insensitive jerk that has no problem with hurting his wife!"

"What have I done to you? I told you the truth and you keep acting like I am the one that laid waste to your planet."

"But you are doing to others what has been done to me. Think about it if Kakarot would have killed me then-"

"No."

"What?"

"I will not think about it. You are here. That is all that matters."

Bulma looked at her husband and saw the many barriers that he was now trying to place up. He didn't want her to compare herself to his victims. And perhaps that was the key. The key to stopping all of it. She will let him win this round, but only to regroup and come up with a proper plan. She was going to break down those barriers no matter what..

"Alright."

Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "You are giving up the argument that easily?"

Bulma smirked and walked towards him until she was pressed against his still damp chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck and said, "Vegeta its really hard to argue with you when you're only wearing a towel."

Vegeta knew she would bring it up again but decided to let it go for now. He smirked as well and let his towel fall. "What towel?" He growled right before he kissed her and pressed her even closer against his body.

Meanwhile...

Chichi rubbed her belly as she felt another powerful kick. She, Kakarot and her father were in an air car going to a 'surprise'. But ever since they got airborne the baby in her belly decided to move around and make her as uncomfortable as possible. "This baby needs to get out of me really soon."

Kakarot let draped his arm around his mate and laughed. "Well you still got a couple of months to go."

Chichi sighed and took comfort in the embrace as she watched her father at the wheel. "Well I hope that I have a 7 month pregnancy like Saiyans do."

The Ox King chuckled. "You're 5 months in Chichi. You can last another 4."

"Ha! Tell that to him." She said pointing to the belly.

"We are almost there Chichi." Her father said as he started to descend.

Chichi blinked as she looked around. "Why are we going to the restaurant district?"

Kakarot smiled at her. "Because that's where the surprise is."

Chichi had an idea of what it was but she didn't want to jinx it. Her father landed the car on a busy street and Kakarot helped her out. There were onlookers and some paparazzi around but one glare from Kakarot kept them all at a distance. They tend to follow her and Kakarot everywhere they go. There were articles and stories every day about her pregnancy and the possible affect it could have on the royals. Chichi was starting to learn to ignore them and not let them annoy her so much, after all they were aliens just like her that was trying to make a living.

Chichi looked ahead and saw a big empty building in front of her. Her bottom lip began to tremble and she had to bite it to make it stop. 'God of the Universe please let it be...'

Kakarot smiled and outstretched his arms towards the building. "Chichi...welcome to Chichi's!"

Chichi covered her mouth to stop a sob from escaping, but she couldn't help the tears from falling. "You-you bought me a restaurant?"

Kakarot scratched the back of his head confused. "Well yea. It's what you wanted right? I mean that was your dream?"

"It is, but it's different talking about what you want and then finally getting it."

The Ox King laughed. "Well you deserve it."

"Yea you sure do. Come on inside and let me show you around!" Kakarot said grabbing her hand and leading her inside. It was spacious and had 2 floors, there were stair cases and an elevator inside. The walls were bland and screaming for her to paint them in the warm colors she had always imagined. The kitchen was everything that Chichi ever wanted with big new stoves and massive walk in refrigerators and freezers.

"So what do you think Chi?"

"It's wonderful Kakarot."

"Yea all we need to do is decorate it and hire some people."

"I would like to volunteer!"

The three people turned to the door and saw a man standing there. He was starring intently at Chichi and The Ox King felt uneasy. He frowned at the intruder. "This is a private meeting. We are not opened yet."

The man raised his hands in surrender "I'm sorry, but I have come a long way. Once I heard that there were other Earthlings alive I couldn't stay away."

Chichi blinked at him confused. "Other Earthlings?"

"Yes, I am an Earthling."

Kakarot became silent not knowing what to say and the Ox King still didn't trust the intruder. "What's your name?"

"Yamcha."

Author's Note: Whoa game changer! I know it's been a while, but life happens. This is the first time that I'm having Yamcha in a story. Well review! Because things are going to start to heat up.