Chapter

"Wake Up"

When Chi Chi awoke, she had to sit still for quite a long time to gather her bearings. In the first minute, she noticed that she was not in her bed, and wasn't that quite worrying in and of itself? By the second minute, she'd felt her stomach churn in a not-too-familiar way that made her press her lips into a thin line and pretend she didn't taste the burp that rose in her throat. Once the third minute ticked into place, Chi Chi had been awake for long enough to fully realize what had happened last night—albeit in a rosy haze—and she was at the point where she could feel hot shame crawling up her spine.

She sat there, miserable, and not moving. Underneath her, she could feel the deep rise and dip of Junior's chest, and her body went with the motions. Pressed flat against his chest, she could feel the cold of his body, and realized that she herself was freezing. Skimpy dresses and cold neighbors did not insulate well.

Chi Chi bit her lip, and twisted slightly, burying her face into Junior's shirt, because what else could she do? Get up, alerting Junior and having to come face to face with the fact that she'd drunkenly crawled up on her neighbor and—oh God! She'd grabbed her breasts in a pathetic attempt at humor! She was in her goddamned thirties, not a sixteen-year-old girl!

Chi Chi wanted to die—well, no. That wasn't true. She wanted to not exist, and there is a distinct difference in the two. She wanted to not have to face Junior, or the consequences of her actions. She didn't want to have to face him and talk about this issue. So she sat there, and allowed herself to lapse back into a semi-conscious state, her head a little sore as she lay there.

The only thing that finally woke her was the sound of voices.

Underneath her, she could feel Junior snort as he himself woke up, and his muscles tensed beneath her. Inwardly she cursed, because she wasn't getting a choice now. Her hungover self was about to have to deal with everything that was going on, and really, she just wasn't ready for any of this at all.

But then her thoughts caught back up to her and she wondered whose voices she could possibly be hearing on Junior's roof.

Chi Chi pushed herself up, staring at the roof door which had just swung open. From it came two Namekians, and someone about them looked familiar…

"Piccolo!" a small Namekian was cheering, and went to rush forward, but was halted by a very firm hand placed on his shoulder. The larger one behind him held him in place, critically regarding Chi Chi. She flushed, and hurriedly scrambled off of Junior, who looked equally embarrassed as he flicked his gaze between Chi Chi and the Namekians. Chi Chi noticed—a little guiltily—that Junior had dried blood crusted underneath his nose.

"Piccolo, what are you doing?" the large on was staring with disdain, and Junior shifted uncomfortably. It was then that Chi Chi realized—it was Nail and Dende! She'd seen the two in countless pictures down below. She was a bit shocked to see them. She knew Junior had mentioned them coming around but… there wasn't something entirely different in seeing an image come to life.

"I uh—she fell asleep," Junior grunted, and quickly rose up from the lawn chair. Chi Chi winced as she spotted the giant drool spot on Junior's shirt. Well, that was embarrassing, and realize just added another thing that would make Chi Chi want to erase this memory from her mind.

Nail's eyes slid to her, and Chi Chi tugged at the straps of her dress, attempting to cover as much skin as possible.

"Um… nice to meet you," Chi Chi muttered, flicking her bangs as she looked directly at the asphalt. Nail snorted, and tossed his head to the side, crossing his arms. She noticed that his outfit was weird—the same with Dende's. She'd never really seen garments quite like what they wore, and it was disconcerting.

Dende wore a long robe that hung to his feet, where she could see strange orange shoes protruding from beneath. His robes had a strange symbol on them, with a red vest tied in the front, crinkling the fabric. Around his neck, he wore a large scarf, which rose all the way up to his chin. Nail had a similar scarf and shoes, but his pants were large and baggy, with a simple vest thrown over a strange tunic.

Chi Chi was staring, and she knew it.

"Well…" Dende seemed awkward, but he held a smile on his little face. He looked sweet as could be, while Nail remained a silent wall of judgement behind him. Dende went to say something else, but paused, as he noticed something. "Oh, is that a little human boy, too?" His antennae twitched in curiosity, and Chi Chi turned to see Gohan emerging from the tent with several books in his grasp.

Gohan blinked owlishly at the entourage in front of him. He glanced at his mom with a seemingly disbelieving glance.

"Is that kid holding your books?" Nail snapped, narrowing menacing eyes at Gohan. Both Chi Chi and Junior tensed, giving each other quick looks as they shifted slightly. Dende merely shushed Nail, and waved a hand through the air.

"Books are for knowledge, Nail," Dende replied simply, and took a few paces forward. He approached Gohan, a large smile on his face. "Have you been using these?" Dende tilted his head, then, the tips of his ears flicking.

"Um… yes," Gohan muttered, fingers tightening on the binding of the books. "Mr. Junior lets me use the books, and the telescope…" He bit his lip, but Dende continued his peaceful look.

"Mr. Junior, hm?" He turned, then and Chi Chi could see the amused look that he gave Junior, who in turn managed to look more uncomfortable than ever before. "Well, I hate to be rude and dismissive of new guests," the tiny Namekian continued, "but I would like to speak to Piccolo alone, is that okay?"

Chi Chi moved to grab Gohan, but the little boy resisted his mother's attempt to get him.

"Ok, but just so you know, he doesn't like to be called Piccolo." Gohan jutted his bottom lip out, and stared up at a surprised Dende. "That's his daddy's name—not his." Chi Chi glanced to Junior, who had an odd expression on his face.

"Oh, yes, of course. I'm sorry, I do know that he goes by Junior now," Dende leaned back, and nodded. "I suppose old habits die hard. But I will make certain to remember that in the future. Thank-you."

Chi Chi took this opportunity to reach for Gohan, and he obeyed, moving to set down the books. Dende halted him, however.

"Please, take them with you. So long as you take care of them, you're free to borrow all of these books."

Gohan beamed up at Dende, and hurriedly scooped all of his books back up. He rushed over to Junior, then, and attempted to hug the large Namekian with the pile of books in his arms. Junior rolled his eyes, and took pity on the kid, jerking him into a rough embrace, before releasing him.

"Go on, kid," Junior grunted, and motioned towards Chi Chi. "If your mom allows it, you can come back over tonight." Nail made a disgruntled noise, but Junior ignored him, and Gohan grinned, rushing over to his mother.

When the left, Chi Chi cast one glance over her shoulder, where she could see that Junior's family had already converged on him.

Chi Chi heard a loud scream from the living room, and poked her head over the counter. Behind her the pan was sizzling while she looked with amusment at Gohan. The little boy was hunkered under several blankets, with hands clasped firmly in front of his eyes as a woman on-screen ran away from a shadowy, non-descript figure.

"Honey, can you tell what's happening from behind your fingers?" Chi Chi giggled, to which Gohan shakily turned to look at her.

"I-I gotta get better at watching these movies… so I can stay up with you and Mr. Junior." His shoulders quaked as he slowly turned back to the TV. He promptly jumped and screamed, and Chi Chi attempted to cover her quavering laughter. The movie itself was so old that she didn't feel particularly worried about him watching it. She herself had seen it as a kid, and had laughed at the absolute absence of anything fearful.

She pulled out her phone, snapped a picture, and sent it Junior's way. After his cousins had appeared last night, and she'd had a day to overcome her embarrassment, she had called him to discuss what had happened. Junior had rather quickly turned her down in favor of discussing his cousins—and Chi Chi was rather grateful of that.

It wasn't long before he had replied, and she smiled.

Green Bean

A movie night without me. I think I should

be offended.

You're more than welcome to join. But

beware—it's a very scary movie.

Might be too much for you.

Ha. Ha. Can you hear my laughter through

the walls?

Anyways, I think I might. My cousins have already

pushed me too far.

Chi Chi frowned at that, before sending an encouraging message.

"Hey, Gohan! Mr. Junior said he'll be over here soon." She began scooping food onto a plate, and heard an enthusiastic—albeit wobbly—cheer from Gohan. When she brought him his food, he shimmied down onto the floor to the coffee table, eyes glued to the screen as he mechanically stuffed food into his mouth.

Chi Chi snorted, and took a seat next to him. They'd almost finished their dinner and movie when she heard her door opening and closing. She glanced up to see Junior there, his broad back visible to her as he shut the door. Gohan rose up and launched himself into Junior's arms. The Namekian obliged, giving a lopsided grin down at the small boy.

Chi Chi tightened her fingers around her fork as she hastily stuffed more food into her mouth.

"Fine, then," Junior grunted, and plopped himself down on the couch beside her. She jolted at his proximity, giving him a rueful glance. "Don't say hello."

"I invited you," Chi Chi replied, rolling her eyes. Gohan still clung to Junior's lap, legs thrown out as he held onto the Namekian.

"This movie's super scary, Mr. Junior," Gohan jutted his lower lip out, and buried his face in Junior's shirt. The Namekian snorted, and gave an absent-minded pat. His fingers rested in black hair, with his nails scraping against the scalp.

"Then why not put in something else, kid?"

Gohan bit his lip. "I want to be able to watch scary movies with you…" He lifted his face, eyes wide, and Chi Chi giggled as she visibly saw Junior's face soften.

"Shut it, Milk," he retorted. "And kid, you can watch scary movies with me when you're older."

Gohan sat still for a moment, before giving a wide grin. "Ok. I'll exit out of the movie." He slid out of Junior's lap, and began filtering through the movies.

"So, you aren't enjoying your family reunion?" Chi Chi prompted, pushing her empty plate away from her. Junior groaned, dropping his forehead into his hand.

"They just keep lecturing me. If they're not asking me about my father, it's about accepting the Namekian way." His fangs were bared as he gave her a swift glance. "They're… also very critical of the fact that they walked in on a half-naked human woman on me."

Chi Chi flushed. "Wha—no! That wasn't half-naked!" Gohan turned to look at them, and she could feel her embarrassment mounting. She motioned for him to focus on his movie selections, and turned to give Junior a pointed glare.

"I found a movie, mom!" Gohan turned, pointing at the screen. "It looks funny."

"Wayne's World…?" Chi Chi blinked, and tilted her head. "I don't know… I've never seen it."

"I have," Junior grinned, and Chi Chi hummed thoughtfully.

"Is it appropriate?"

"Oh, entirely." Junior assured her, leaning back. "Actually…" he grew contemplative as he looked at Chi Chi. "The female character seems similar to you."

"There's a lady like mom?" Gohan perked up, and Chi Chi just felt particularly confused. "She must be awesome."

"Just watch the movie," Junior chuckled. "I think it'll make sense, soon."

"All right, honey, go ahead and start it."

Gohan and Junior had just made the trek up to the rooftop, where they were setting up chairs, and popping open the tent so that Gohan had somewhere to put his stuff.

"Mom still isn't talking to you, is she?" Gohan prompted. Junior grunted. "To be fair," he started playing with the straps of his backpack, "you did intentionally liken her to a character that you knew she wouldn't like."

"She kicked people." Junior shrugged his shoulders. "Seemed accurate to me." The tent finally stood, the red fabric stark against the concrete, and he happily pushed his pack off, stuffing inside. He stood up straight, stretching his back as he glanced up at the evening sky. It wasn't dark enough yet, but soon he'd be over at the telescope. He'd brought the books that Dende had lent him, and he was more than excited to start scouring the night sky.

The thought of Dende did make him pause.

"So… Mr. Junior?" A grunt. "If Dende's back, does that mean you won't be running Porunga's anymore?"

Junior nodded, flopping down on one of the lawn chairs. Up here, the floral scent was strong, and the heady smell of the honeysuckles over flowing one of the bushes was wonderful.

"Thank the stars for small miracles," Junior grunted, propping his chin up with his hand. "I hate all those damn plants."

"How come?" Gohan questioned, small legs quickly carrying him to the tendrils. He was soon plucking the vibrant yellow flowers, pinching the ends off as he pulled the honey out from them. Junior gave him a perturbed look.

"It's all Namekians do," Junior grunted, pulling one leg up to his chest. "Everything back in the colony—that's all there is to it. Shitty old prunes who continue to push their shitty, boring lives onto everyone."

Gohan pursed his lips, tugging out another honeysuckle. "But I thought you grew up with your dad? Why does the colony bother you?"

Junior sneered. "My father lives outside of it—true, but that doesn't mean I didn't still have to deal with it. Since Kami and my father didn't talk to one another, I was constantly being sent as the errand boy. That—and if the old man got too fed up with me, he'd send me there as punishment. They confiscate everything," Junior griped, looking particularly moody. "The only thing to do in that hellhole was to hang around the arcade with Nail."

Gohan glanced down at his feet, where he could assume Nail and Dende were roaming somewhere below.

"I'm surprised Mr. Nail and you were friends…" Gohan giggled. "He seems…"

"Like a prick?"

"That's not what I was going to say!" Gohan denied hotly, cheeks flaming as huffed at Junior. "I just meant… different… from you."

"He wasn't always like that," Junior replied, grinning at Gohan's embarrassment. "But now—he's certainly turned into a boring shell." He shrugged. "Most Nameks do."

"Well, you didn't." Gohan was beaming then, and he trundled forwards, arms reaching up to wrap Junior in a hug. With a snort, the large man acquiesced, his hand resting atop Gohan's messy hair. "And you're the best that there is, Mr. Junior!"

Bulma squealed as she slid into the kitchen, grabbing Chi Chi's hands.

"Okay—so! This dude out there, totally just asked me out." Bulma was grinning, all teeth and lipstick as she wagged a number in front of Chi Chi's face, eyebrows going behind it. Chi Chi blinked in surprise, before poking her head out. Ecstatically, Bulma pointed at the patron who was carefully sipping at his tea, a long braid spiraling down his back.

Chi Chi wrinkled up her nose.

"He's very green," she commented, noting the giant purple baubles that hung from his ears, and the calm look on his face.

Bulma rolled her eyes. "Okay? Not like green's a bad color, am I right?" she elbowed Chi Chi, who promptly ignored her friend's suggestive connotations.

Chi Chi pulled her head back in, shaking her head at Bulma. "I thought you were gunning for Vegeta?"

Bulma shifted slightly, before shrugging. "Well, he doesn't have an interest." She was back to her smiling self in an instant. "Anyways, it's been a minute since I've been out on a date. I'm excited."

Chi Chi sighed, and shook her head. "All right. Whenever you go out, though, text me the vehicle you're in," she began ticking off on her fingers, "what you're wearing, what he's wearing, and where you go. Also—times. Those are important."

Bulma snorted. "Thank-you, mother, but I do have bodyguards, you know?"

"You take them on dates with you?"

"I take them everywhere with me," Bulma replied. "Except here. They're barred from physically entering, but they are in the general vicinity. They get a little extra spending money so they can casually roam the shops."

Chi Chi stared in amazement at Bulma.

"But!" Bulma perkily leaned over, snatching up a plate. "I will certainly fill you in on the details—just because." She headed out the door, and as it was swinging shut, Chi Chi saw that the man was gone now.

She frowned, brow puckering as she turned back to the food. Her phone dinged, however, and she glanced at the message. It was from Junior—a picture of Gohan, four honeysuckles protruding out of his mouth in comical directions.

Giggling, she thanked him for the picture, and pocketed her phone.

Perhaps she could forgive him for his indiscretions.

Chapter

"Unexpected"

"Geez, Krillin, what are you scared of?" Yamcha was rolling his eyes, his long black hair pulled back into a ponytail. The diminutive man next to him grimaced, and rubbed nervously at his bald head.

"She's uh—pretty terrifying. Have you seen all of the other people that have went against her?" Krillin gulped, and tugged at his t-shirt. Behind him, Goku gave him a conciliatory pat.

"It's ok, buddy. You know that if it gets to be too much, you can always back out. I'm sure Master Roshi will let you." A thumbs up followed shortly afterwards, and Krillin wished that he could glare at his friend. Honestly, if Goku wasn't so damn nice he probably would have said something rude—but as it was, all he could do was give a weak grin.

"Sure, she's brutal," Yamcha muttered, scratching at his chin, "but I think you can take her. I mean, you're awfully short—just aim for the knees, eh?" Krillin elbowed him, which Yamcha laughed off, heading over to the mini-fridge to grab a drink.

Biting his lip, Krillin stared nervously at his laptop. He was seated in their RV—which was currently over-run by disgusting clothes, and discarded cans. Food had piled up in what was once a sink, and Krillin could really feel the stench of it all weighing on him. All three of them were relatively lazy slobs, especially with their hectic schedules.

He had managed to clear off a spot on the kitchen table to set his computer on, and was watching old fights—all of them starring a rather infamous fighter, Android 18. She was famous—moreso than any of them could ever hope to be. Hell, she was probably the only fighter that was this notorious that wasn't owned by the Cold Family.

His frown etched deeper into his face as he watched her on the screen—her movements were deliberate, each step cold and steely. Precision was key. She could almost be described as robotic, but she was too fluid, to agile for that to really stick. Her shoulder-length blonde hair never even seemed to move, and her icy blue eyes never changed.

Every fight was the same. A methodical kill.

And for some ungodly reason, Krillin was set to fight her soon.

He was an okay fighter—sure. He'd been bested long ago, and he wasn't unaccustomed to losing matches. But he was such an unknown entity that, hell, who cared? Roshi kept him on, but he felt sometimes that it was more out of companionship than anything. That, and the old man couldn't get any more recruits. Those that weren't owned joined in on better managed teams, who didn't have weird perverts with turtle obsessions.

Worriedly, Krillin chewed on his nail.

On screen, Android 18 busted open a man's nose, and Krillin absentmindedly touched the gauze that was stationed over his face. At least she couldn't do that to him—not after Ma Junior, anyways.

Behind him, he could hear Goku leaving another voicemail for Chi Chi, the other man rambling on about absolutely nothing. It acted as white noise so that Krillin didn't have to face the painfully inevitable that he was going to get his teeth knocked in by one of the most wonderful fighters he'd ever seen.

Because—hell yeah Android 18 was fantastic? She was powerful, vicious, gorgeous… everything Krillin wasn't. And that was intimidating as could be. Even more so when he couldn't figure out why this fight was happening in the first place. He'd asked Roshi why it wasn't Goku that was fighting, and he'd been told to mind his own business. Apparently someone with more pull power than either of them had something to say about it, and they were to do as that person pleased.

And really, didn't that just describe Krillin's life?

Freeza tugged at his glass of wine, tail thumping in an aggravated fashion against the carpet. His bet with Cooler was still in motion, he had Piccolo Senior to deal with, and now his father had him here to bet on some weird war on what elves should look like?

This was getting ridiculous. All he wanted was to have Vegeta back in his platoon—failure or not—and none of this was helping him. Typically, Freeza would simply send his goons in to gather up the moronic prince, but considering he was dealing with Capsule Corp… well. This required a bit more finesse. After all, directly intimidating that stupid blue twit hadn't helped him one bit. –Hell, she'd even came into his territory.

His teeth tightened around the rim of his glass, attempting to maintain at least a somewhat reasonable attitude as his father sat on a literal throne—large and imposing as they watched a spray of news shoot across the ginormous TV.

"Isn't it odd?" Cold commented, and Freeza shrugged his shoulders.

"Honestly, daddy, I don't see the big deal." His eyes slid to the screen, mind racing with all that he had to do. Not that he believed Cooler could actually prove a challenge—but he did quite want his prize monkey back.

"That's precisely why it's odd," his father frowned, crossing his legs as he regarded Freeza. "This… thing." Cold clicked a button on his remote, and an image of a squat man filled up the screen, his stats appearing in a textbox beside him. "Why? Android 18 is above such fights."

Freeza resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Of course, daddy. But that's what happens whenever someone incompetent becomes a manager." He splayed his free hand, and threw on his best simper. "Her turning down your contract was clearly a mistake. I bet the viewing for this episode will be particularly low."

Cold snarled, and hit another button, Android 18's figure now filling it up.

"If she has too many fights like this—her value will drop!" He slammed his fist down on the arm of his chair, rattling the thing beneath him. Freeza gave him a droll glance, thinking that this must be where Cooler got all of his dramatics from.

"Well, perhaps you could draft her up a better proposal?" Freeza suggested, wanting to be done with this already. Brooding and planning was hard when he had to consistently appear obliging and sweet to his father. The prices to pay when you're the favorite, Freeza lamented.

Cold groaned, and gripped the bridge of his nose. "I've already tried. I don't understand!" He snarled, and shook his head. "Rejection is not something I tolerate."

Except when Goku did it. Or Ma Junior. And you had his father in your legions, Freeza thought to himself, as he drew closer to his father. His tail swished softly against the carpet, and he placed a calming hand on his father.

"Daddy, worrying yourself sick about this will do you no good." Freeza plastered that simplistic smile on his face. "Honestly, you have so many fighters all ready. Even the lowest of our flea pickers can manage her, I'm sure."

Cold seemed to settle down, just a bit, but he did give Freeza a rather sulking look. "You know that's not true. Hell—one of our best ones, your Vegeta—lost to Goku, who is nowhere near 18's level. Not yet anyways."

Freeza tightened his hands imperceptibly on his father's arm, attempting to control himself.

"Vegeta did indeed lose to Son Goku… but Goku's nothing to snub. Might I remind you that he defeated both the Demon King, and Ma Junior?"

Cold snorted. "Years ago… now, all three of the Androids are rising up. Their weird little family is gaining popularity." He sighed. "I would honestly just settle for 18. She's the most impressive of the trio."

Freeza stepped back, pride still a little sore after the jab at Vegeta. It felt like his father had personally insulted him. Even more agitated now, Freeza turned his glare to his wine glass. He would honestly prefer to see himself out now, but now his father was on some strange rant, which he had to sit and listen to, that vapid look taking place as he delved further into his thoughts.

As long as he'd been doing this, Freeza couldn't believe the amount of stress on him at this point. Too many bets, Cooler down his throat, and Cold flipping out over something that he couldn't control—and to top it all off, Vegeta was lounging happily over at Capsule Corp… He had to find one of the Saiyans to get his anger out.

"It's odd, isn't it—that Android 18 is fighting that loser Krillin?" Vegeta sat at Chi Chi's restaurant, with Junior at the booth with him. This particular booth was the one that Chi Chi delegated 'friends and family' to, so as to keep them compacted and away from her actual customers.

"I don't keep track of fights much anymore," Junior replied, shifting his weight. He rather wished that Gohan was here, but the little boy had requested that he spend some time with Dende, so as to thank him properly for the books. Now, Junior had no doubt that the two nerds were probably yucking it up while Nail stood on in abject disapproval.

"They announced it recently," Vegeta stuffed some food into his mouth, angrily biting at his fork. He chewed solemnly for a minute, before huffing. "It's going to cost that idiot some viewers—hell, she's bigger than Son Goku right now, and she's doing some useless fight that everyone knows she'll win?"

Junior stilled at that. "I'm not familiar with this Android girl," he muttered, sipping at his water. He quieted his disapproval of Vegeta's food habits. Well… he quieted his dislike for Vegeta's everything. "She must be after I left."

Vegeta grunted. "Yes—but just because you're not a fighter anymore, doesn't mean you don't keep up. Whatever. Android 18 is rather recent. She's risen to fame rather quickly, with her fast wins." A rather pompous grin plastered its way onto Vegeta's face. "Not that I'm frightened of her—I'd teach her a thing or two."

"Certainly," Junior grunted, his nails tapping against the table. "Though I do know Krillin… has he gotten any better?" Something akin to guilt lodged itself in his stomach, as the image of a bleeding, tumbling man came to his mind.

Vegeta grinned. "Of course not. Even in your state, you'd probably still be able to handle him just as ferociously as you did back in the day."

Junior leveled a glare at him. "Even in my state…? The hell does that mean?"

"Oh nothing, simply that while you're sitting here playing babysitter to your rival's brat, you've probably softened up a bit." Vegeta shrugged, looking perfectly blasé about the whole thing. For a moment, Junior felt a pulsing around his eyes, and his mind was flooded with vivid depictions of teaching Vegeta just how 'in shape' he still was.

He gritted his teeth. "Lucky you, Gohan's the only thing keeping me from fighting your cocky ass." Junior twisted, giving Vegeta a rather rancid look.

The Prince, however, looked piqued. "What's that? Promised the baby you wouldn't fight or something?"

"Or something," Junior retorted, not wanting to give the satisfaction.

"Fine then," Vegeta leaned in, his eyes narrowing as he regarded Junior. "How about this—a regular test of our general physical fitness." Junior blinked. "Come now, Namekian, are you frightened?"

"Hardly," he snapped, ears twitching with aggravation.

"Then let's do this. It won't be a physical fight, so you can feel free to go all out, without fear of harming your little makeshift family's delicate sensibilities." Vegeta was grinning voraciously, and Junior felt a slight pinprick of anger at the insults leveled at Chi Chi and Gohan.

"Fine," Junior spat out.

Vegeta chuckled. "Good. Now… you'll be helping me out with this." He scanned the room, then, catching Junior off guard. "Woman!" he hailed Bulma, who slowly rolled up, propping one hip out as she regarded the two.

"What is it, Veggie?"

Vegeta immediately flushed, shooting a rater harried look at Junior's smug face.

"Don't call me that! And—listen. The Namek and I wish to have a contest. You need to pick the events, and be the referee." Vegeta was still red down to his neck, but he seemed to be regaining control of himself once more.

"What?" Bulma looked incredulously between the two.

"Tests of physical strength and endurance," Junior replied.

Bulma gave a slow nod. "Ok… when?"

"Saturday. All day." Vegeta tightened his hand into a fist on the table, as Bulma seemed to contemplate.

"Wait… not Saturday. That's when my date is." She shook her head, and Vegeta's jaw set into a harsh line.

"It has to be Saturday."

"Why, you don't have a job? Or friends. Or plans."

"Because…" Vegeta trailed off, before snapping his fingers. "Chi Chi has to be there. Someone has to be there to catch the Namek when he cries." Junior opened his mouth in anger, but Vegeta kicked him sharply under the table.

Grumbling angrily, Junior rubbed at his shin—how the hell Vegeta had even reached him was a mystery.

Bulma chewed at her lip, clearly thinking. "Well…"

"The Namek will be shirtless."

"Deal!" Bulma cheered, and quickly tugged out her phone. "I'll cancel my plans." She squealed happily, giving Junior a rather giddy look. "Saturday can't get here quick enough!" She took off then, and Junior turned slowly to Vegeta.

"What the hell was that? –and I'm glad no one asked if I had plans." Junior's voice was sardonic, but Vegeta waved him off.

"Quiet, Namek, this isn't about you."

"Considering you just volunteered me to be shirtless to something I didn't particularly agree on—,"

"Just—shut up, will you?" Vegeta snapped, and slumped angrily into his seat.

Reviews are loved - also please forgive the rusty chapter. I'm trying to recover from finals kicking my ass