X. Aftermath

Lost and Fondness

Shades of Crimson

The walls were constructed flawlessly of a rare stone found on a planet that had long since been destroyed. The stones could deflect Ki blasts and were virtually indestructible by forces of strength - especially lined so thickly as the wall before him.

However, he knew that it had been proved to be an infective form of armor because of it's weight and inflexibility, so it was used only in expensive prison cells such as the one he was being held in.

His onyx orbs continue to study the stone before him, pretending to ignore the other two Saiyan's who had just entered and trying his best to ignore the thoughts that tried to plague his mind from the events of just five minutes prior.

He cursed under his breath. It had only been five minutes and he was already having a hard time ignoring those events. They had actually only lasted about two minutes - but the entire ordeal had seen to take hours. He had seen her step towards him - her perfectly curly aqua tresses blew slightly across the creamy skin of her neck and whispered against her pallid cheeks. How he had wanted to let the shock over come him - to run to her and to take her in his arms. To kiss her mouth passionately and run his hands through her flawless hair, down her sculptured arms, and to rest them on her hips that had become slightly rounder than the previous time he had seen her.

It wasn't a shock though. She was a woman now, and she no longer bore the sharp edges of her reckless youth anymore. He frowned, she had been a girl when he had known her - those times they had fucked in the training room and on his bed - but now six years had aged her quite nicely and he knew that his emotions had ceased to falter over the years.

At the same time when he had seen her and had wanted to kiss her - the other part of him had wanted to wring her neck. He wanted the satisfaction of hearing her bones break beneath his fist. She was a royal! His eyes narrowed, Freeza's daughter at that. She had told him that she was of some nobility on planet cold.

His fist collided into the stone, causing his knuckles to writher in pain. She had known his hatred for them - he had always made that much apparent - and she had lied to him! And yet … apart of him hated her so much for it and the other part of him was still numb of thought.

He remembered meeting Tien and having a sort of mutual respect for the man. He had hated his father, just as Bulma had, and had been teaching her son to do so.

"Fuck."

His low growl echoed deeply against the stone of the cell. His Saiyan companions exchanged worried looks but allowed him to remain crouched against the stone in pain and thought without a word.

She had a son. Though she had told her son about his destiny and had brainwashed him into not only hating Freeza (his grandfather!) but into believing that he himself was some "savior of the universe." Vegeta smirked, he was hardly a saint.

However, in the back of his mind a part of him ached at the thought of her with another man. It sickened him so much that he tried his best to ignore all thoughts. Then, realization dawned upon him. That boy was older than ChiChi and Kakerott's brat. That had to mean that she had conceived him six years ago. He frowned, apart of him hoping that the boy was his. The other part, still glaring ahead in hatred at the woman who had caused him to look weak before his audience, was sickened to have spilled his seed into a woman who could tie his heir to that of Freeza's empire.

Clearing his throat, Kakerott tried to capture the prince's strayed attention.

His dark eyes shot up at the grinning Saiyan and he frowned, "What?"

Kakerott smiled sheepishly, "So … Vegeta … that was, interesting. ChiChi told me that she ran into Bulma the other day but told me not to tell you. I guess … well, now you know she's here!"

Raditz frowned, "And the fucking princess of the universe."

"I noticed."

Raditz chuckled at the prince's short retort. "At least we know you have exquisite taste, my prince."

Kakerott nodded eagerly, "And I'm real glad you didn't kill her Vegeta. That would have been terrible!"

Raditz looked briefly from the one man to the other, "You were so ready to kill her Vegeta, I'm surprised your restrained yourself."

"I wasn't ready to." He said with a frown, "I was rather taken back when she appeared."

Kakerott nodded lightly this time, "Uh … and because, she's your friend - right?"

The Saiyan Prince ignored the two men and went back into his numbing thoughts as he studied the stones of the stark walls before him.

Nearly half an hour later they were allowed to go to the training facilities and Vegeta, always eager for the chance to train, jumped on it. However, he knew he was more eager to allow himself a temporary releif from the insanity the woman was slowly driving him into.

Kakerott was the only one who stayed behind and watched as his Saiyan companions and Piccalo retired to the training rooms.

He had planned on going to the outward communicator and contacting ChiChi for a short chat when, instead, a visitor approached his cell. His chest nearly busted in excitement when he mistook the hooded, obviously feminine, figure for his wife. But was not entirely disappointed when the hood was removed and the aqua haired princess stood smiling weakly in its place.

"Bulma!" Kakerott spoke, his voice full of excitement.

Her cerulean eyes darted around the empty cell and she turned her attention back to the man before her and smiled joyously.

"Goku! Gods, it's so great to see you."

He nodded happily and moved closer to the bars to stand facing her, "Yes. I'm glad you're doing alright as well!"

She frowned, "Goku - I wouldn't call your present state alright. I've moved ChiChi and Goten into my wing in the palace for the time being, but I don't know how much communication with you my father will allow."

"Your … father." Kakerott frowned slightly, "I can't believe all this Bulma. Vegeta's going insane - and I'm not entirely sure if it's of anger or jealousy or surprise or … what."

The woman before him nodded knowingly, "I'm going a bit crazy myself, Goku."

"You came here to speak with him?"

"Yes." Her voice was low as she spoke, "But I'm a bit relieved I missed him."

"The boy." Kakerott began as he watched her cerulean orbs sadden slightly, but he continued, "Who is his father?"

"Oh Goku …" She said, her eyes sliding shut, "I had thought you all dead for so long."

"Bulma, you moved on." He frowned a bit, "It's alright."

Her eyes snapped open and narrowed slightly, "Moved on? Feh. Hardly."

The Saiyan blinked, "So … then … he is Vegeta's?"

She frowned, "I know I can emphasize with Chi for bearing a half Saiyan, that's for sure."

He laughed, clearly overjoyed.

Bulma allowed a kind smile to graze her features, "Your son looks so much like you. And our boys - they're becoming great friends."

The Saiyan smiled back at her, "I'm glad to hear it."

"Please don't tell Vegeta, I would like to tell him myself - if that's alright."

From behind them, a half curious voice growled almost angrily.

"Tell me what?"

In a fit of surprise, Bulma turned to face the Saiyan Prince for the second time that day. Her white teeth dug into her lower lip as she gazed perplexedly at him.

He seemed unmoved by her presence as he brushed passed her and entered the cell, "What woman? What more do you have to say?"

Her cerulean eyes studied him with a shocked expression. His cool composure bothered her greatly and she allowed a perturbed expression to graze her features. Crossly she replied, "I have nothing to say to you, Vegeta."

He chuckled at her changed composure and shrugged, "Well if that is all - I would like to get what I came for."

Kakerott frowned at him, obviously angered by his friend's actions, "No Vegeta - I would not like to spare with you at the moment."

He shrugged lightly in reply, "Alright. Later then."

Turning on his heel the blue haired woman glared at his back, "You fucking prick. Don't act like we have nothing to talk about!"

"What," he said, turning around, the harshest expression she had ever witnessed held in his dark eyes. His features twisted in anger and stress and a sense of hatred she had never thought he could feel towards her, "Woman, could we possibly have left to talk about?"

"Nothing." she replied shortly with a frown, "If you're going to be like this … then, nothing."

She forced her mouth into a smile, "It was nice to see you Goku. I hope you have a good day and I will send ChiChi by soon." She turned to the other Saiyan present and glared haughtily at him, "Good day to you too, Vegeta."

"Good day to you.:" He glared at her, his onyx orbs glazed with a livid expression, "fucking Ice-jin princess."

She froze in her place and turned around, fuming. Her chest heaved with each breath she took. Her beautiful features twisted into a scowl and her small fists compressed into a pair of tight balls at her side, her knuckles turning white with her furious squeezing.

Kakerott blinked at her expression and frowned, "I'm … going to train now. Later Vegeta, Bulma."

He nodded at the pair and scampered off.

They ignored his presence, both present and absent, and continued to glare at one another.

Vegeta smirked, "What woman? Didn't think I would notice?"

"Vegeta…" He voice trailed off, her composure letting up a bit and showing her true vulnerable nature. Vegeta hated the way she softened. He hated it because he liked it so much. He wanted to reach out and hold her small frame in his arms. He wanted to feel her rocking sobs against his chest. He wanted to comfort her, but he didn't know how. So instead he continued to glare at her.

She continued, "I'm still the same person I was then. I hate him." She frowned, "Tien and I, we both do. If only there was someone powerful enough to defeat him - but now … there is." She smiled lightly, looking so radiant he wanted to growl, "We have you, you can finally defeat him."

"Yes. I can. And I know how I will do it, too. I will kill him and then his entire family."

Bulma winced at the hatred apparent in his voice. It was directed towards her. She frowned, "You already passed up on the chance to murder me."

He growled lightly at her coy reminder, "I was shocked, that is all. You appeared, someone I had long since forgotten about but was once foolish enough to believe I cared for. I was taken back and was momentarily blinded by the fact that the blood I loath runs freely through your veins."

Picking up a spear that lay beneath the dirt on the opposite side of his cell, Bulma slashed her palm and winced slightly at the pain. Through her blotted vision of tears, both from physical and emotional agony, she seethed at him.

"You fucking prick." She held her hand towards him, "Is this what you hate? Well fine then," she threw her hands down, the spear crashing against the stone floors and echoing against the hollowness of the structure, "Take it. You can made me so that all the blood from my veins is gone - if that will make you feel better."

He knew she knew that she meant more to him. That he couldn't bring himself to hate her, despite it all.

"I will help you," She brought her voice to a whisper as she stepped closer to him, her bloodied hand closing in on one of the bars of his cell, "I can get you into the castle, I can arrange anything you would like. My brother hates him as well - we can both help. But we're on the same side Vegeta." She smiled weakly at him, "We've always been."

"And your son," his facial features remained emotionless, "I see you've raised him to be on our side too."

She laughed lightly, the sound echoing nicely against his cell. He loved the sound but remained as cold as the stone of the surrounding walls.

"Trunks." She whispered, "My son's name is Trunks."

He nodded lightly. He knew - he had met the brat on several occasions.

"He worships you." She smiled brightly, "He wants to be just like you."

"I know," He smirked, "I bet his father hates that, hm?"

She frowned with a short blink, "Only Zarbon and Freeza resent him. It may be because of his love for you, but mostly it is because I ruined my chances of being forced into marriage with Zarbon because of my," she blushed lightly, "affair with a Saiyan on a purging ship six years ago."

He blinked. There may have been shock on his features - he didn't bother to mask it.

She smiled lightly and leaned against him, the best she could manage against the bars of his cell, "It was more than a little affair though. I learned the true tainted nature of the universe. I learned of the full corroption of my father. When Zarbon came to collect me I spent the entire time on the ship looking back. I fucking missed you - I didn't want it to be all there was of us. But how could there be more? I am what you know of me to be … the emperor's daughter. The very emperor that you have been plotting against for so long. He had been plotting against me as well though. He planned on forcing my union with Zarbon quite soon after my arrival so the bastard could be tied to the throne.

"I can't even convey the emotions I had gone through after leanring of my pregnancy. I was relieved and terrified and happy and so alone. I had Launch, my brother's wife, and my brother himself. They were there for me when I told them and when my father shunned me. But I was happy - I had apart of you with me … always. And gods, he is so much like you, Vegeta. Also, I had the chance to teach him of the true nature of universe. Which has," she frowned lightly, "given me a few beatings from that of Zarbon and my father himself, but it has been worth it."

Vegeta growled and tightened his grip on the bars of the cell after hearing this. He couldn't stand the thought of the fragil and beautiful woman before him being beaten for her ideals. However, he didn't expect much less from her father.

She smiled and leaned her forhead on the bars of his cell, "I'm not asking you to take me into open arms, Vegeta. If I had thought that you were madly in love with me I would have long since collected you from space. However, nearly three years ago I decided to look you up. I don't know …" she laughed slightly, a smile lighting up her features, "Perhaps I would be waiting in the landing dock for you with your son to 'surprise' you. I wasn't, and still am not, entirely sure what I was planning on doing … but I know that I cried when I pulled up your file to find that you all had been terminated.

At the time I thought he had had you all killed, but a month ago at the games I realized my bastard father had a much different plan for you all - pawns in his sickening form of entertainment." She smiled at him, despite the previous maliciousness in her voice, "I am glad he kept you alive though. It works rather well in my favor.

"You know he had planned on giving me to Zachary, Zarbon's brother, before you killed him."

Vegeta looked her over with a frown, "Yes. I heard his pathetic proclamation of love and then wiped the floor with his pathetic, cocky ass."

She nodded halfheartedly, "Yes, yes. That worked rather well in my favor as well. Thank you, Vegeta."

"It wasn't entirely for you, woman."

She smiled at the smirk that had grazed his features. His personality was still intact after all of these years, and she was glad for it.

Vegeta's thoughts, however, had skewed to thoughts of Zachary. If he had known that the sick, green freak had planned on touching what was his then … He frowned as he cut his thoughts off. Was he really in a place to label Bulma as his? The beautiful princess of the entire universe was hardly his property. However, the way she talked and looked at him and confessed her affection towards him … well, he had the impression that there was something there. He was just as clueless as she was at defining what it was.

She looked down at her feet after a small period of silence had overcome them. There was an unspoken agreement they had made and through the silence Vegeta conveyed emotions he would never be able to express verbally.

The fondness he had spoken of nearly six years ago was still present. His eyes told her that. When he nodded his head shortly, she knew that he was thinking about their son. When he smirked when she smiled openly at him - she knew that he wanted to see her again.

"I have to get back to the palace." She said, her eyes faltering slightly as she tried her best to hold in her disappointment, "Trunks … and I have ChiChi and her son staying with me …"

Her voice trailed off and she met eyes with him. They were the same dark and unfeeling orbs that held the same gaze she had always remembered. She wished she could hug him and feel his stone like figure warm her small frame.

Instead, she felt the smile fade from her lips as he nodded shortly in her direction. A short intake of air through her parted pink lips and a nod was all she gave him in turn.

"I will come by tomorrow with my brother," she said before departing, holding his gaze and looking for a tremor of emotion, she was granted none, "We will discuss things future."

There was no need to define the 'further' as she bowed slightly before the prince and exited the prison.

His hands grasped the metal of the bars in his cell as he listened to the fading of her heels clicking rhythmically against the stone floor. When the sound had deceased he dropped his hands to his side and took a seat on the bench to sit in the silence of the cell and let his wandering thoughts take over him.

The raven haired woman took her friend in a tight embrace and kissed her cheek when they pulled away.

The cerlean eyed woman smiled at the woman who had squeezed her so and laughed, "Happy to see me?"

ChiChi sighed at her friend's words, "Quite."

"I'm happy to see you as well, Chi." The blue haired woman's eyes darted around the empty room, "Where are the boys?"

A laugh escaped the other woman's lips. She seemed to be the older of the two, when in fact Bulma was two years her senior, but years of life alone in the universe followed by running from the emperor's army with a group of outlaws tends to bring a look of added adulthood to your features.

"They are training with Tien," her raven hair bounced slightly in the high bun she had pulled in back into as she turned, "They said they were going to grab dinner with him afterwards."

Bulma smiled at her friend. She was glad their sons were getting along so well, and no doubt were having a wonderful time with her brother.

"I met with Vegeta today." She spoke suddenly.

ChiChi nodded lightly, "And?"

"I believe things are … well." She small frown, "For the time being anyway." She tilted her head slightly, "Did you know that he was the legendary?"

The woman in question shook her head, "I didn't have a clue, Bulma. I figured once he had encompassed his birthright he would be flaunting it heavily and … well, would have long since defeated Freeza."

"Yeah," Bulma frowned slightly, "I think he wants to plan it right."

ChiChi laughed, "I never pictured Vegeta being one to bother with dramatic turns and finesse."

The other woman laughed at her friend's words and shrugged, "Well, he is a prince."

A slightly short chapter … I know. I had planned on making it longer, but with my absence of updates I figured it would be enough until I post the next chapter.

Thank you so much to maz2 and TheButterflyNet for all of their support and encouragement. You two really pushed me to update asap. Also - thank you to everyone that took the time to review the ninth chapter!! This one goes out to you and I hope you all will be awaiting the eleventh (much more eventful) chapter.

-Crimson