Coming down to the wire in this story. Not sure how many chapters are left, but the final battle is approaching and after that who knows. I will say that there will not be a sequel to this story. How it ends is how it ends. I hope I'm not moving to fast, I'm just writing as it flows. Enjoy.

-VP

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Chapter 18

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Tights smirked as she watched Raditz walk down the hall in a wet pair of bathing shorts and a towel. He was perfection and all she wanted was a little taste. She could never remember ever being so attracted to someone in her life and this was tearing her apart on so many levels. This was new and different and she felt so alive. In the back of her mind she felt a bit bad that she'd been here a week and hadn't really talked to her family, but this pull, this need, she couldn't ignore it.

"I know you're following me, woman." That voice … "I know what you want from me."

"Do you?" She answered, surprised by the breathless pant of her own voice.

"Yes, because I want the same thing." He replied as he turned around and she thought she would pass out from the sight of him. All muscles and rivets of dripping water trailing down his skin disappearing underneath the waistband of those blue shorts.

Tights swallowed deeply and heaved out a breath. What's happening to me?

He leaned forward and took her hand in his own, electricity shot up her spine and need settled in her lower belly. An ache echoed deep below and she trembled at the heat coming off his skin as he pulled her towards him. His forehead touched hers and she spiraled out of control as some type of connection was opened and she didn't know where she ended and he began …

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Raditz trembled beneath her touch, memories, and emotions. He knew it wasn't supposed to happen this fast but he couldn't stop himself. His control was shot to tatters and if this had been any other time the bond would be developed further before he took this leap. He normally prided himself on his control and figured that they would, at least, get to talk about things. What he was, what was happening, how she was completely his now and he would never let her go.

Tights moaned, he groaned, and they spiraled together in bliss tumbling about in combined ecstasy before hitting the mattress with a soft thud. He kissed her lips and could never get enough, her hands burned his flesh with the intensity of her passion. He'd never felt an ache like this before.

"We should talk first ..." He finally managed to squeak out, his breath coming out in harsh pants.

"I don't want to talk." She replied, pulling her shirt off and throwing it aside carelessly. Her hands returning to his body and wrapping around his neck to pull him back into a deep kiss.

"I must insist." He tried again as he stilled her hands. "This is going way too fast and I'm thinking that once you know the truth of me and my heritage that you'll try to break our bond."

She paused in her adore and looked into his eyes, her intentions still clear, and he swallowed hard at the smoldering gaze she settled upon him.

"What are you talking about?"

"Obviously, you can't think that your reaction to this situation is normal?" He replied. "I've bonded with you, Tights. If we go further, I won't recover from the loss if you decide to leave me."

"Bonded?"

"Yes, I'm not completely human. I'm a mer, an ocean dweller, a merman." He looked down, not meeting her eyes. He did not want to see the rejection there. "I'm sure you've heard the old legends."

He felt her hand underneath his chin and he met her gaze once more, her hand upon his face as she smiled softly. "I think, in the back of my mind, I had a feeling that something was different. Your brother?"

"Yes."

"Vegeta?"

"He is our Prince. The leader of our people, or what remains of them." He sighed. "You're taking this awful well."

"Well, I've met a few in my travels. I met a hybrid named Jako off the Caribbean coast. He said that his kingdom was in peril and he was in hiding on land." She smiled. "Now, enough talk. I still want you, Raditz."

He groaned as their lips connected once again, the previous fire reignited as they tumbled in the sheets, clothes removed, skin on skin. Raditz left nothing untouched, unkissed, unworshiped and when the finally connected for the first time, two halves becoming one, he knew that he definitely would never tire of her, or ever let her go.

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Bulma awoke, Vegeta beside her, and she stretched with a long yawn. The last thing she remembered about the night before was completing her blueprints for the last attempt at getting Goku's memory back. They were running out of time. Vegeta's informant said that Frieza would wait no longer. He was mindlessly killing any mer that he could find now. She didn't want anything else to go awry, and she definitely didn't want Vegeta to go in blind.

"I can feel you thinking, woman." His voice broke her out of her thoughts and she smiled as she sunk into his embrace. "You can give your mind a break today."

"But, your people."

"They know the risks, they're all proud warriors. I am not indifferent to their plight, but we agreed that I would go ashore and they would inform me as they could. Frieza will die, that much is certain, and even if Kakarot's memory doesn't return we will still do what needs to be done."

"How much longer?"

"Two weeks, no more. I will finish this, even if I have to do it alone. The kingdom will finally be at rest, and life will begin anew." He sighed and brought her in for a kiss. "You don't need to worry about me, I will be victorious."

"You can't stop me from worrying, Vegeta."

"I know, but I can only suggest."

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Frieza finished off another mer even though he wasn't at all hungry. He passed the parts off to his soldiers and slithered back to the throne. It was getting a bit tiresome to pick them off one by one. He knew the prince was still on the shore, hiding. The little shit was beginning to annoy him. There was no way for him to get ashore, he wasn't the right species, so he was confined to the waters waiting.

He despised waiting, and in his boredom he resulted to maiming, torture, and of course, eating his catches. Yet, as time continued to pass without sign of the royal, his patience was running thin. He would drag the coward under if he had to.

"Dodoria, Zarbon."

"Yes, your lordship?" They replied in unison.

"Go forth, follow one of the prince's spies when you find them. The next time they go towards the shallows, drag the prince to me. I will finish him then."

"Of course."

"Do not fail me or else you'll be my next meal. Come back with my prey, or don't come back at all."

The two swam off into the murky depths, out of his sight, and he continued to seethe in silence. Still waiting on his final battle to claim the kingdom and stain it with the last of the royal line's blood.