Disclaimer: I do not own anything Dragon Ball/ Dragon Ball Z / or Dragon Ball GT related. This story is only a fan made one (obviously) and is intended to further develop my favorite badass of badasses—Raditz since his character isn't very developed to me personally.

Overcoming the Past

Lena awoke three hours later to the sharp sound of her garage door slamming shut. It was forced close thanks to a powerful force vibrating underneath the ground. Lena sighed knowing that "The Prince" was more than likely responsible for the drama. She gathered her wits and headed back to the house where she believed the commotion came from. Sure enough, the oddly paired couple who were letting the world know how much they loved each other only a few hours ago was now letting the world know the contrary. As she neared the house, she assessed the giant hole in the wall that the door she used to leave last night had originally stood. She climbed her way through the gaping opening and directly through the shouting match in the kitchen.

"Don't be coy with me afro puff! I know you are keeping something from me and I swear to whatever God you and that ridiculous hair of yours worships that if your secrecy has anything to do with Yam-poo I will throw you both to the abysmal doom of hell!" the ferocious prince exclaimed.

Great. He here goes again about this. They have been married at least 7 years by now and he is still jealous over Yamcha and the fact that Bulma had cared for some other human being before him. He was relentless over the subject matter and I wondered if he would ever just accept it. And did he just call Yamcha what I think he did? Lena thought as she smiled at herself. Bulma rolled her livid blue eyes as she shouted at Vegeta to do his worst before she stomped out of the hole Lena had just climbed though.

Vegeta remained in the kitchen as he ravaged the countertops of all the food that was prepared for his unyielding appetite. He mumbled vulgar slurs as he carried his food into the dining room area. All the while, Lena had already made her small bowl of cereal and was sitting quietly at the table reading the paper. She began to feel uncomfortable with him staring daggers into her for sharing the table with him, especially with her fighting desperately to remove the smile from her face over his silly attempts of insulting names. Bulma had thrown him off of his game after last night, and now he was suffering the consequences with the mute girl having the audacity to smirk at the argument he had shared with his enigma of a wife.

"What, pray tell, are you smiling about dumb girl?" he finally sneered. Lena debated the pros and cons to ignoring him and leaving or staying there and answering the question. She decided the best thing to do would be both since he would be pissed with either reaction out of her. She grabbed her empty bowl and muttered "Yam-poo" as she ran out of the dining area. Surprisingly, Vegeta did not break anything as he would have had it been Bulma that answered that way. He sat there shocked instead. She rarely said anything and the few times he had actually heard her talk was when she spoke to his wife about girly things and work. Her silent respect for everything and everyone around her impressed him enough that she was the only living creature on this spoiled planet that he did not want to obliterate. Until now.

He had wondered several times if she was even human, but her physicality and intelligence proved otherwise. Her knack for taking stupid and rolling with it meant that she could have even gotten along with Nappa and Raditz of all imbeciles and would remain sane. There had to be a reason for such a female to exist on this planet. None of them behaved like this ALL the time. He abandoned his meal and followed the retreating girl. His curiosity had never bothered him, but this time he succumbed to it. He knew Bulma would not tell him about this girl's past, so to get the answers he wanted he was just going to ask the silent girl himself. If she were to get offended by his interrogation, then oh well. He was good at offending.

"Mute girl!" He called out to her, "I demand to know why you cower away even after you work up the nerve to speak." The one inch taller blonde speculated his attention.

"I guess it's just my personality. Not all of us can be bold and carry an air of authority, Prince Vegeta," she responded softly.

"Bull shit. No one is cowardly until they get pushed into that disposition. I want to know why you are so submissive even when it is not required."

"Um…well…I guess situations from my past may have aided with my introverted personality. I guess I was a bit more outgoing in high school. Sure, but I guess a lot of how I act now is just growing up."

"Stop guessing and just admit that someone battered you into the quiet fool that hides from the first sign of confrontation that you are." The overbearing alien spat. He was actually starting to work his way under her skin. She shook her head to control her fear and poked her right index finger into his chest before shouting at him.

"Let us get some things straight, Prince of all the two Saiyans in existence, I am not a coward. Unlike you, I simply have respect for those around me." The surprised man was about to reply by telling her that she was really showing blatant disrespect to him when she began to confess more.

"Your assumptions are correct. I have not had the most glamorous three years of life before Bulma hired me, but it was only three years and it could never compare to the horrors you and many here on Earth have had to endure. Those awful three years that your wife doesn't even know about shaped me into the young woman I am now, but it didn't change my beliefs. The experience of falling so low humbled me. Do not mistake my patience and reservation for cowardice again. You need to understand that I like to be alone sometimes, but I like hear you and Bulma fight too. I like to chase Trunks around the park when you are too busy. I also like the overwhelming silence I get when I work on the assignments Bulma always has for me. I enjoy the thirty minutes of peace I usually get in the morning before the rest of the house is awake. I like loneliness and I like togetherness. What I don't like is you questioning me and my demeanor," Lena choked out. She turned her heel and marched up the steps back to her bedroom.

Vegeta could only stare at the back of the girl. He didn't intend for her to cave in so easily, but at least he knew now that she could get mad. She was a human after all. Lena blushed as the realization of what she had done dawned on her.

You idiot! You just confessed a taste your past to that little punk of a prince whose sole intention was to do that! She sighed to herself. She threw off her loose t-shirt and cotton pajama shorts as she glanced at the clothes hanging in her closet. Today is Sunday, so she had no excuse to be hidden away in her garage. Bulma wasn't going to let her work for free, so it was best if she found something else to do on her off day. Bulma had been begging her to go out a find a man, but where does one go to do that? The last time she had a boyfriend was her senior year of high school, and he was the reason she fell to the level she was at before coming here. She didn't feel like shopping, but she didn't want to stay cooped up in the house like she normally would have thanks to the black-flame-hair man. She found a white halter top with red flowers patterned onto it and thought it would be cute to wear to a park. Once she found some jean shorts to go along with it, she tied on a red paid of converse and looked at her reflection in the full length mirror. The halter top was definitely a good idea since it accented her best feature. Surely she could at least have someone admire her as she planned a walk to the park.

The vibration underneath the earth began again. Vegeta had already contacted the other Z Fighters about the first rumble. He was not to be blamed for the earth quaking, but that did not keep him from disregarding it the first time he felt it. Now that it appeared to be a continuous thing, he couldn't ignore it and confirmed with the other defenders that it was a bad thing. He and Goku both agreed that the pin point of the vibrations was starting somewhere in the park that he had just talked a very pissed off Trunks out of going to. Vegeta attempted to warn Lena too, but she acted as if he were invisible as she closed, not slammed, the front door in his face.

Fuck you then, little girl. If you die then you only have yourself to blame. I refuse to be held responsible for your actions. He reassured himself even though he knew Bulma would have a crazed fit if she found out that he let her best friend go out into danger.

Lena's walk in the park was exactly what she needed to shake off her second display of bravery against the overbearing Saiyan. She couldn't believe that she managed to give him the silent treatment. The walk also helped her forget about the days she spent struggling years ago. She looked around at the empty swings and realized that she was alone, at a park, on a Sunday. She retraced herself back to the house in her mind and recalled that Vegeta said something about not going to the park for some dangerous reason or another. She had honestly not listened to any of it and instantly regretted it when the ground beneath her began to tremble like it had earlier that day. She remained stunned on the spot and froze when she heard the rocks under her feet split.

~Back at Capsule Corp before Lena went to the park~

Bulma peered concernedly out of her office window at the two people she respected above all else having a tangible discussion. Kami only knows what Vegeta could have said to her beautiful friend to get her to speak back. She jumped from her seat and ran to the house the moment she saw Lena poke a finger into Vegeta's chest. Their discussion had been an argument apparently and it was all over before Bulma appeared.

"What the hell did you say to get her of all people mad? Wait, let me guess, you acted like an arrogant ass hole?!" The blue eyed temptress yelled at her husband.

"I was only trying to discover why your friend acts differently than you other bitchy females with no sense of volume control. I succeeded in my quest and I will not apologize for using interrogative manners to get my answers. What I want to know now is how you managed to find a likeable person from your species to hire when there were others just as qualified."

Bulma's eyes twitched at his response, but she indulged him since it would mean that he wouldn't bother her or Lena about it anymore.

"She marched right up to Capsule Corp. with a job application she picked up somewhere. She was wearing clothes that were tattered and her hair was so oily that I didn't even know it was blonde. Don't you remember me telling you about her before? Anyway, she looked weak and tired. I read over her application she managed to write out while she waited for her turn at an interview and I recognized her name immediately. About five years ago, three years before I hired her, she was gaining popularity with the top engineering school close to here. As far as I know, she had gotten accepted. I'm not sure what happened after that, but whatever it was left her a hell of a mess. I knew she would have no issues adapting and building the things our company required so I gave her the opportunity she needed to get her life together. These past two years have really improved her look at life. Rumor has it that she made some things under a false impression for some evil genius that almost destroyed earth, but I don't know what it could have been since we never had to worry about it; that I know of! You would have been impressed with her showing up for an elite position looking like a vagabond prostitute while her competitors dressed in suits. She relied on her name and past alone to get her the job, and lucky for her I knew all about the girl she once was."

Vegeta nodded his head in appreciation and left the blue eyed girl stand there in silence as he pondered the aspects Lena and he shared.

"So, she isn't a coward." He muttered and headed to the world-renowned gravity chamber.

~Back at the park~

Lena steadily remained on her feet as she took in the ripping earth in front of her. Why she didn't turn and flee was beyond her as she continued to stare at the ground opening. Her mouth dropped in awe as a mammoth of a living creature climbed out of the hole. She vaguely recognized the armor he was clad in and only so from seeing examples of the legendary wardrobe Bulma kept in the storage of the garage that was given to her. Lena had never felt so small or fragile until this very moment. Her height was a little above average, but this being was larger than any of the Z Fighters she had met since living with the Briefs' residence. As she took in his never ending height, shaggy hair, and muscle, he took in all of her as well.

"You smell of Saiyan royalty. I can't fathom Vegeta mating with someone taller and more better looking than he is, but since you're still alive I'm guessing you are of some importance to him. Tell me, how long has it been since I've been in hell?" Raditz asked first.

"I'm not…important to him that way…I can take you…to where he is…." The female he spoke to managed to mutter out before fainting.