The sun had now set in the distance and still he pressed forward. All this flying was taking its toll on him, yet still his energy remained. Snapping out of his fast paced speed he fell towards the ground, allowing his ki to slow his fall into a precise landing. He frowned as he landed beside he wrecked capsule house, as Bulma was nowhere to be found. His lip curled in a snarl of displeasure and he was about to shoot off into the air again, when his bright emerald eyes widened and looked in the direction of a rapidly rising power level.

He was just in time to bring arms forward, covering his face and attempting to shut out the sudden wave of wind and debris. If memory served him well it seemed that it was the arrogant man, Vegeta's power causing the turmoil. As the energy subsided, his muscled arms unfurled and dropped again to his sides. He spat on the ground and grunted, having that body guard around made things complicated, it was time he went and found out what was going on. He leapt into the air and began to fly towards where he had felt the greater power burst forth.

As he neared, he could feel another energy, flickering softly under the feral fury of Vegeta's. He recognised the soft almost weak energy as Bulma. So, the princess had decided to go out on her own, perhaps he had taken far too long after all. He cursed under his breath as he came to that scene, watching as the wild haired man stood staring at the blue haired woman sat a few feet from him, poking at the make shift fire place.

With clenched fists and his mouth set in a grim line, he slowly lowered himself a few feet away from the pair. Hid emerald eyes sparkled in the glow of the fire as he took in Vegeta's condition. He smirked and chuckled softly to himself, with the arrogant man in his current state he was far less worried about him.

His voice echoed over the sounds of crackling wood, in a friendly manner, but he had a biting, spiteful edge to his voice.

"I see you two have found each other again. Your parents send their wishes Miss Blulma, and I have everything that you asked for."

He reached into the satchel at his side, and removed the container of capsules his eyes flickered over to Vegeta before smiling warmly at Bulma and holding them out to her.
His eyes scanned the battered Vegeta once more and he could not help openly smirking at the man.

"I had thought you were one of the strongest men I had ever come across, Vegeta. But seeing you now has made me think that perhaps I was wrong. To leave yourself so vulnerable is not all that wise after going around threatening people, when you have no idea of their power or ability..."

Serigon softened his barely concealed threat with a warm, sunny smile, but his eyes were hard and gleamed with malice.

Bulma jumped a little with a surprised yelp when Serigon suddenly landed near them. She slowly let out a relieved sigh and raised her head from the warmth of her jacket and gave Serigon a sunny smile.

"Ah! There you are! I am sorry I left the camp, but it became so cold and I went in search of firewood."

Bulma bit her lip as she concentrated on standing without staggering, then focused on walking over to Serigon without limping or falling over. Showing weakness in front of Vegeta was enough, she wasn't going to wince or stagger in front of Serigon as well. She took the case and opened it to see how many there was before nodding and placing the case in the pocket of her jacket.

"Thank you very much for getting these for me, Serigon. I really appreciate it. I do hope that my Mother didn't give you too much trouble?"

Managing to walk back to the fire without shuffling or staggering and plonked herself back down next to the fire, sighing contentedly as she was once again engulfed in the welcoming heat.
She was about to open one of the Capsules which she knew contained food when she heard Serigon speaking to Vegeta. Her bright blue eyes widened in shock, tinged with fear for the red haired warrior. Was he threatening him?

Bulma knew that she could get away with it to some degree, they had known each other for so long, and they knew which buttons to press and which to leave the hell alone. Serigon however, well... Vegeta didn't play nice with strangers.
Bulma shuffled to the side and glared at Serigon and beckoned wildly for him to come and sit beside her, not quite sure what Vegeta would do in the condition he was in.

"hahahahahaha! Serigon is so funny, isn't he Vegeta? Of course he knows you're absolutely fine and completely capable. You are the Prince of all Saiyan's after all!"

Once Serigon was close enough, she grabbbed his wrist and pulled him down to hiss in his ear.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?! He'll take that as a challenge, you idiot!"

The red haired warrior carefully hid his malicious smirk as he was pulled down next to the blue haired beauty and took the opportunity to snuggle close to her and wrap one arm around her waist.

"A challenge? I was simply stating a fact."

He did not bother to lower his voice, and even slid his bright eyes over to look at the exhausted man. he took off his own jacket and placed it around Bulma's shoulders.

"I do apologize for it taking so very long, but your parents can be a bit too accommodating. I can see why you seem so, sheltered at times."

He chuckled and rubbed his hands, placing them close to the fire before cocking his head to one side and looking rather puzzled.

"What's a Saiyan?"

Her small hand tightened on Serigon's wrist, and her fingernails dug into his flesh. Bright blue eyes widened further, glistening with shock and fear for the man in front of her. Licking her lips nervously, she slid her eyes quickly over to look at Vegeta before pulling Serigon closer and wrapping one dainty hand around his flame red tresses. With a soft, yet angry growl she gave his hair a sharp tug before hissing furiously in his ear.

"Are you stupid? Were you dropped on your head as a child? Are you bloody retarded?"

Bulma took a deep breath and counted back from ten in a low whisper, trying to gather her thoughts as she glared at the red haired man in front of her. She did not need to look at Vegeta to know he was probably angry. She could feel his bubbling energy behind her, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

"Look, you're really best off not commenting on Vegeta's current condition. And keep your voice down! All you're doing is digging a deeper hole for yourself, one which Vegeta will gladly bury you in if you keep this up!"

In her worry for the gullible young warrior, she had completely forgotten that due to heightened Saiyen hearing, the arrogant Prince could probably hear every word she was saying, so it wouldn't really matter how quietly Serigon spoke. Lowering her head to rest on the warrior's shoulder she groaned softly, how did she get herself into these messes?

A small smile graced her lips as she felt the coat being wrapped around her. Along with the heat of the fire, she was starting to feel a little bit better. He was a good man, and it seemed like he was about to have a very bad day.

"Try not to say anything else so foolish... and I believe Vegeta is the best person to tell you about Saiyans. If of course he is up to telling you after what you insinuated."

Vegeta was half turned away from the red headed male as he landed near the glowing fire, though he sensed him coming from afar—even in his weakened condition. Bulma's predictions were true and the mighty Saiyan did pick up the foul insults that bubbled carelessly from Serigon's mouth.

In an uncontrollable fit of rage, his body seemed to fly into an aggressive autopilot bent on the self preservation of his pride. Vegeta's wounded and bloody hand was flipped upright and his stained palm was pointed directly at the still unknown man. Within the possessive curl of his fingertips, a small ball of energy began to accumulate and continued to steadily swell as words of anger exploded from him.

"I won't be spoken to by such a weakling! Say one more word to me and I won't leave enough left of you for the scavengers to find!"

The warmth of the rising flames between them even appeared cold in Vegeta's sharpened eyes, which were narrowed tightly on Serigon as Bulma scolded him for his carelessness.

Yes, he is the Prince of Saiyans and currently wasn't a very happy one.

The excessively proud warrior gave one quick look to Bulma, who was currently closely cuddled with the wanderer he caught before. He already didn't like the man before this encounter and now he only had another reason to add to his increasingly growing list. In his glowering stare was a look of warning meant for the young woman, obviously not approving of the company she kept. There was a wrenching feeling in his gut as he looked upon the man and woman in each other's arms. He didn't understand it, all he knew was he didn't like it.

Vegeta wasn't responsible for what happened to Bulma if she sided against him. She knew the consequences of such irreverence.

"Keep your dog on his leash."

The gathered energy in his palm was extinguished by his enclosing fingers as his hand tightened into a sore fist. Without another word, he turned away from the warmth of the fire and from Bulma and her pet, stepping from the destruction and into the darkness where the light wouldn't reach. In the depths of the shadows, he found a quiet place where he set down to rest, nearly collapsing from fatigue in doing so.

He didn't give second chances very often. It was remarkable that the red headed pest was already on his third. Vegeta quietly swore on his pride and honour that it would be the last one given to him, whether Bulma was there or not.

Bulma's entire body was rigidly tensed throughout Vegeta's enraged speech. Despite knowing that the Saiyan wasn't as vicious and intent on relentlessly killing as he was when she first encountered him, she was still surprised when he let the red haired warrior live. When the proud Saiyan had held up the ball of deadly Ki, the fragile human woman had thought that it was all over. She was sat pretty damn close to the loud mouthed male, so if Vegeta had decided to end his life, it would have probably been the end of hers as well. Her eyes never left him for one second, watching with wide eyed fear and a glimmer of awe. Bulma had the look of one who had been happily watching the tiger in its cage, until she realised that the bars were no longer there.

She let out the breath she hadn't realised she had been holding in short ragged gasps, and tightened her grip on Serigon's hair. He had spared him, and her. She had caught the warning look and swallowed hard. The human female was beginning to wonder if her new pet was more of a liability than a bonus. If he made a habit of pissing off beings capable ripping off his head with their pinky finger, then no amount of training was going to save her.

Bulma could feel her anger curl in the pit of her stomach like a coiled snake ready to strike. She slide narrowed blue eyes with the flames from the fire dancing in their midst to glare at the foolish warrior. She swiftly stood, yanking sharply on Serigon's hair as she did so. With a flick of her wrist, she let go of his hair, putting enough force into the thrust of her arm to fling him back and away from her.

"Do you have any idea how close you just came to being incinerated?! You have to be the most foolish person I have ever come across. Even if you don't know what a Saiyan is, one look at that man should be enough to tell you not to piss him off! Just because the wolf is injured, doesn't mean it won't fucking bite you!"

She ripped the coat from around her shoulders and slammed it into the ground to try and release some of her anger. Despite the fact that Vegeta could probably make mince meat out of the red haired man, if she attacked Serigon she doubted she'd last very long.


I should have brought the baseball bat...

Bulma thrust her fingers into her long teal hair and tugged at it in frustration, the small sharp pains making her grimace.

"What the hell am I doing... being out here with you two is like being stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea."

She paced angrily back and forth, not even looking at the red haired warrior at her feet. The genius inventor was at a loss of what to do. Even though she didn't agree with Vegeta's methods, she understood why he was angry. Hell, she became furious when accused of being weak, and she was nowhere near as strong as the mighty Saiyan warrior. With a sigh, she looked over to where the proud Saiyan Prince had disappeared and shook her head.


There'll be no dealing with him after this...

Turning to Serigon, her face was blank, but she allowed all her fury to fill her bright blue eyes making them glimmer eerily in the firelight.

"I do not know if I would consider Vegeta a friend, and I know he most definitely does not consider me one. But I have known him a long time, and despite our differences, I have a lot of respect for him. So I would watch your tongue."

Serigon smirked and looked up towards Vegeta without true worry. Regardless of how strong he was, in this state, the red haired male didn;t think that the Saiyan would be able to do much against his now superior strength.

Forgetting himself for a moment, he snarled in anger as Bulma wrenched his hair and tossed him like a rag doll. He had not been expecting that, the blue haired minx was stronger than she looked. Gazing up into her angry blue eyes, he realised that perhaps he had gone too far. Time to try and salvage what he could of his hard work.

Once again wearing the mask of the innocent country boy, he stared up at Bulma, looking rather confused about the whole ordeal.

"I had said nothing insulting. Just because I pointed out the truth doesn't mean I intended to insult him. He is injured, and he threatened me earlier. If I had bad intentions, then this could be a very nasty situation for Vegeta. Especially when he has such a beautiful woman to take care of. How is he supposed to do that effectively in this state?"

He shrugged and smiled gently, running his fingers through his long red hair and looking over to where the proud Saiyan had disappeared.

"I'll go and apologise to him, I have a senzu bean so perhaps a peace offering is in order?"

He slowly stood and moved past Bulma, his footsteps silent on the cold earth as he made his way slowly over to the brooding Saiyan Prince. The firelight shined brightly against his back, casting his face in shadows so no one saw the sinister little smile that played on his lips. what he carried in his pocket looked like a senzu bean and tasted like a senzu bean, but Vegeta wouldn't be getting up again after eating it.

Knowing how to pander to someone's ego, the red haired man lowered himself down onto one knee and slowly pulled the pouch which contained the bean out of his pocket. With a friendly little smile, he offered the bag to Vegeta.

"Here, I did not mean to be rude, please take this as a sort of peace offering."

The Prince was poised with his back against a large rock and his legs spread out before him, slouching lazily to conserve and regain his energy. His head was hung low when the fiery headed wanderer began to approach him, keeping his face hiden in the shadows—along with the sadistic smirk that slowly began to grow.

The man had been warned and Vegeta was tired of talking.

Although tired from the rapid expenditure of his ki from earlier, the thrill of an oncoming fight completely overwhelmed his senses, invigorating the part of him that was so worn out from his lack of battle.

The closer Serigon walked into Vegeta's shadows, the easier it would be for him to feel the rise in power level associated with the Saiyan. Still, he made no movement as his prey drew closer, feigning ignorance even as he kneeled before him and offered forth a Senzu bean.

Without raising his gaze, Vegeta quickly lifted his hand and swatted the measly gift bag out of Serigon's grasp. Almost instantly afterward, a near invisible fist rocketed forward with incredible speed directly for the man's open stomach, a connection that sent the pitiful human sailing back toward the fire's warm embrace.

From his position on the ground, Vegeta slowly ascended into the air through means of well controlled flight. He returned to the earth on his feet, now, and began to stride back into the light with his clenched fists prepared to deal some pain.

"I thought I told you, fool. The bratty woman even told you,"

And with that being said, he glanced to Bulma again. His charismatic arrogance seemed to bring out the best in him and he even appeared to be in top form, moving as if he hardly wasted any of his precious energy when trying to break his limits.

"I'll show you what a Saiyan is truly like."

Serigon's hands had shot forward in a vain attempt to block the punch, but his finger tips merely scrabbled at the Saiyan's thick wrist. He landed heavily on his back with a groan and lay gasping in the dirt, clutching his battered stomach. Rising slowly, he brushed himself off and staggered forward a few steps, refusing to look weak and back down in front of Bulma. He would have her...

His gaze looked up towards Vegeta, burning with defiance.

"If you really wish to fight, then I will not back down."

He sneered and keeping his bright emerald eyes on the angry Saiyan, he stalked over to where he saw the little bag had landed and quickly retrieved it.
Although Vegeta was battered and bruised, Serigon found it amazing and interesting that the energy pulsing from his scarred body was still frighteningly powerful.

He quickly moved into a defensive stance and watched Vegeta with narrowed eyes, waiting to see what his next move would be. He couldn't be seen as the one to strike first, if he lost Bulma's trust then the plan would be ruined.

Bulma rolled her eyes and groaned as she watched the human male approach the volatile Vegeta. He really was the most foolish man she had ever come across, and she had met more than her fair share in her time. With a sigh of utter frustration, she dragged the coat to the edge of the fire and sat down with a huff. Vegeta was probably just going to frighten the red haired male and send him on his way; it probably wouldn't descend into anything more serious. Hopefully the human warrior would take the hint and leave with his tail between his legs. It was a shame really, as he had to be the easiest male to manipulate since Yamcha.

Flipping open the case of Capsules, she brought out one in which she was sure contained food and tossed it to the ground. There was a loud popping noise, and a poof of smoke, and suddenly there was a large crate stood where the Capsule had landed. Opening the box with a huge grin on her face, she clapped her hands in delight to see enough food to last her at least two weeks. When it came to things like this, her mother never failed her. She had even thought to put a first aid kit in there as well.

It's a good thing she did too... as it looks like Serigon might be needing it soon...

She winced and bit her lip as Vegeta swatted the bag containing the senzu bean from out of Serigon's hand. Well, at least the red haired man had tried, despite any attempts to befriend the angry Saiyan being futile. She was about to call Serigon away, when the red haired warrior was sent flying through the air. Bulma's eyes widened in surprise. Vegeta must have gotten faster, as she barely saw him move.

Leave.... get up and leave... come on, Serigon... it's not worth your life...

The human woman watched aghast as Serigon got up and faced the angry Saiyan Prince. Did this man have a death wish? There was only one thing for it, she'd have to intervene.

Running towards the two warriors, she stood between them both, holding her arms wide to keep them apart. She then turned pleading eyes on the Saiyan Prince.

"Vegeta... that's enough now. You have proved your superior strength in that one move. He is not a worthy opponent, look at him! He won't last two minutes! If you continue this, he might die, and I know you don't really want that!"

Bulma then turned eyes of blue flame on Serigon.

"And as for you... I would get going. Your foolish tongue will only get us both killed."

Vegeta snarled at the red haired man and felt his energy crackling around him. He welcomed it, breathing in deeply he took in the scent of fear and anger that was now all around him. The scent of battle.

"You are nothing but a fool. Who would ever think such a pathetic weakling would dare stand in defiance against a mighty Prince? I've seen this woman put up more of a fight than you ever would."

Vegeta continued his predator's approach on Serigon until the narrowed vision he held on his prey was severed by Bulma's flushed countenance. He didn't really hear the exact words that spilled from her mouth but from the look gracing her face and the restraining hand that pressed against his scarred chest, he easily deciphered she was trying to save a life.

Slowly, his stone cold eyes fixated on and held the image of the woman before him. His facial features hardened into a displeased look, immediately questioning why she would so carelessly jump into the warpath of a Saiyan known for his bad attitude and short temper. She was either considerably more brave than he gave her credit for, or she was as foolish as the man who was about to be crushed.

His lips curled into a soured scowl, showing signs of restraining his immense anger that flowed from him like a raging waterfall.

"Get the hell out of my way, woman."

Vegeta's voice was kept low and quiet, his frustration clearly evident in its growl. The heavy beat of his heart vibrated through his heated chest to her hand, pumping a massive amount of blood throughout his veins in anticipation of the beating to come.

What she had said was true, though. Serigon was nowhere near in Vegeta's league and would easily be felled in a few short moments by his superior fighting skills and incredible strength. It would be very likely that the man wouldn't even land a hit upon the Saiyan warrior.

A hand snaked its way to Bulma's wrist and grasped a light hold on it, steadily pushing her hand from the expanse of his chest until she was no longer holding him back. Vegeta didn't particularly want to cause her harm, although she often wore his patience thin and was overall a pain in his ass. After all, it was her and her unbearable parents that helped to integrate him into Earth's society and gave him a place to stay when he had none.

The more he thought about it, the more she appeared to be a weakness to him. She would be a soft spot of sorts, if his skin wasn't as thick as steel. It was something he wasn't at all used to and it was relatively frustrating.

"This idiot seems anxious to see the afterlife. I wouldn't be a good host if I didn't give him what he wanted."

He then shifted to the side and looked over Bulma's shoulder at the red haired man.

"You there, with the woman's hair! You could save me the energy of killing you by running yourself off a cliff. It would save you the embarrassment of being beaten into a bloody pulp before the eyes of a woman!"

Now, the Saiyan's smug grin reappeared on his lips. The kindling rage within him was dulled only by the pleasure he was taking from dealing insults. However, if he didn't heed Bulma's advice, there was still a good chance he wouldn't be able to walk away from the Wastelands in one piece. It wasn't beyond the Prince's strength to tear a human limb from limb, and they weren't fortunate enough to be gifted with the ability of regeneration like the Namekians were.

"You've already let him get away with too much, idiot. If only this stupid woman wasn't here, he would already be dead."

Even his own thoughts were angry with him.

Despite the fear she felt, Bulma stood firm, her knees locking into place so that she stood tall and defiant and her head held high. The only thing that showed her fear was her shaking hand that was pressed up against the Saiyan Prince's chest. If she turned and ran now, would she be saved? Would the red haired man behind her be able to stop the demon before her? No, she couldn't run. If she did, then more than one soul would die tonight. She stared up into the cold black eyes of the man before her and narrowed her own blue eyes, showing her displeasure.

"No. I am staying right here. And I will not be ordered around like some peasant!"

A shiver ran down her spine as she glared up at the enraged Saiyan, and a flicker of worry glimmered in the depths of her blue eyes. Bulma did not want an argument, not whilst he was like this, but she was not going to stand down either. Even the beat of his heart nearly crumbled her resolve as it vibrated steadily through her hand and down her arm. Everything about him was fierce, hard as steel and feral.

And she was in his way.

Bulma swallowed hard and only just managed to hide her flinching reaction as Vegeta took hold of her wrist. She tensed her body, awaiting the coming pain but it didn't happen. He held her fragile wrist almost gently, and steadily pushed her hand away from his chest. He had not hurt her. He never did. This was something that she still had trouble understanding. Even in the depths of his most ferocious rages, he always had the sense of mind to be careful around her. Maybe she could save the stupid human male yet.

As he shifted to the side to fling yet more insults at the red haired warrior, Bulma's mouth set into a grim line and her eyes held a determined light.

Oh no you don't....

The small human woman moved so that she was in front of the arrogant Saiyan Prince once more and laid her other hand on his chest. She pressed her hand against him, as if to push him back, even though she knew the man wouldn't move an inch. She stood up on her tip toes to speak softly in Vegeta's ear so that Serigon wouldn't hear her.

"Ok... I admit it... I have been an idiot. I came out here with little to no preparation and thought I could stomach being out here alone and could train myself to fight. Obviously, I was wrong. So, I found that guy. He is gullible and easy to manipulate, I thought he was perfect for my needs, but once again, I was wrong. He is foolish and a liability."

She paused for a moment as she grimaced and fought the urge to take back everything she had just said. Bulma Briefs was never wrong! She was the closest thing to perfection on this planet! What a ridiculous notion that she could ever be wrong! Swallowing her pride, she leaned up to speak in Vegeta's ear once more.

"Despite him being one of the most irritating, sickly sweet, innocent minded, gullible men I have ever met in my entire life, I do not want him to die. He has caused you great insult, and I know that your pride demands that you beat him to a bloody pulp. But will you be able to stop yourself?"

Bulma moved slightly so that she could look at Vegeta's face, moving back a little to give him his space and allow him to think about what she had said. But she kept her hand firmly on his chest. Still speaking low enough that only Vegeta's Saiyan hearing could hear, she continued.

"I will make him leave. Force him out into the Wastelands as far away from you as he can possibly get."

She then gestured to the large crate full of food.

"There is enough food in there to last me at least two weeks. I shall take enough to last me a week and leave the rest for you. I will leave you alone and go to finish what I started. But, if I move away from you... If I turn my back, will that weak human die?"

Serigon clenched his fists in frustration as he felt fear welling up deep inside him. He realised that even as injured as he was, Vegeta was still far stronger, and if Bulma wasn't here, he'd probably be dead by now. The plan must go forward, but he had no desire to die. He would just have to finish what he had started another time

"Flaunt your powers as you will in front of her. I said nothing to regret.. I have grown tired of watching you stomp around here like a child that has had a toy taken from him. Saiyan, Prince, powerful warrior... I have begun to question my first thoughts of you. You seem no more than a tantrum throwing bull."

His energy swelled inside him, engulfing his body in a thin red aura. No more time to waste here, he knew that if he did not leave soon, he would not be leaving with his life. He felt sick to his stomach and a sheen of sweat glistened on his brow. He had never run from a fight before, and he knew the consequences of his actions, but it was time to run.
He leapt suddenly into the air on a burst of power and flew up into the night sky, the light from the small camp fire faded from him and soon his aura faded from view.

Try as Bulma might, the feeble human woman wouldn't have been able to hold back the ferocious Vegeta had he completely desired to act on his raging bloodlust. It wasn't the woman's soft words that quelled his anger or the faint physical action between the two, but merely the sight of Serigon fleeing from the Saiyan and his might. In fact, like normal, Bulma's words fell on deaf ears of disinterest, considering the warrior's attention was focused elsewhere.

When Vegeta slipped to the side to try and get a better view, she mimicked his movements and blocked him once again. Although, she was shorter than him and he could see over her without problem, it was still pretty annoying.

Eventually, she backed away and provided him with personal space, yet he didn't reciprocate the inquiring look she was giving him. Soon, the other 'woman' with red hair was out of sight and the lingering feeling of an oncoming fight soon died with him. The Saiyan Prince's mood quickly soured, as he would have greatly preferred benefiting his training by beating the fool into dust.

Without looking at Bulma, he spoke to her.

"Woman, if you were serious about your training, you will meet me at Kami's Lookout as soon as you can."

The Saiyan didn't necessarily say that he would train her personally because he still believed that would be a lost cause. He merely hoped she would learn a thing or two by watching him in action.

Vegeta stepped forward and placed a calmed hand on Bulma's shoulder as he passed her by, making way to the large crate of food. He knelt and rummaged through all sorts of edible delicacies, yet he took only a bright red apple. The flesh of the apple was firm and crunched when the recovering fighter bit into it, devouring the fruit in only a few bites.

"Don't ask any questions. Just do as I say."

His back remained to her when he spoke. Vegeta extended his arm to the side and let the destroyed apple core fall to the ground from his palm. With nothing further to say, he put a single foot forward and then blasted off into the air, fracturing the fragile earth below him and leaving a massive dust cloud in his wake.

Bulma looked behind her in shock and relief as the red haired warrior fled from the dangerous situation he had gotten himself into. She suddenly felt safer, knowing that the fight had been stopped and that Vegeta was unlikely to fly off the handle again. Not for a while anyway. With a sigh she moved fully away from the now calmed Saiyan, and was about to give him a good telling off for the 'Bratty Woman' comment when he told her to meet him at Kami's Lookout as soon as she could. Bulma frowned and crossed her arms in mild annoyance as he did not explain further and merely occupied himself with rooting through the crate of food.
And then he was gone, blasting off into the night sky, leaving nothing but a cloud of dust behind in his wake. Bulma choked and coughed, trying desperately to dust the sand and dirt from her hair. With an enraged scream, she began throwing rocks up into the air where Vegeta had disappeared.

"BLOODY SAIYANS! BEING CRYPTIC DOES NOT MAKE YOU FUCKING INTERESTING!"

With another frustrated scream, she dropped her tired body down next to the dying fire and pouted moodily, staring into the depths of the flames.

"Bulma?"

The woman looked up upon hearing a familiar voice. She stood on shakey legs and stepped away from the fire, but was careful not to step away from its protective circle of light.

"Papa...?"

The lavender haired inventor walked into the firelight and gave his dishevelled daughter a friendly wave. Looking at her appearance, he sighed inwardly, but smiled.

"How are you doing out here, Bulma dear? I must admit, I was a little worried when that young man, Serigon I believe his name was, came to collect more supplies when I was sure you had taken plenty with you. And then when I heard that Vegeta was around..."

Her father's face became stern and he crossed his arms in disapproval.

"Well... I thought I'd better come and make sure you weren't being dragged into anything dangerous. Also... I was wondering if you were ready to come home yet? Your Mama misses you terribly. Come on, Bulma. You're an inventor, not a warrior."

Bulma was ready to defy her father and demand that he allow her to stay out in the Wastelands, but her bottom lip quivered and her bright blue eyes became watery. With a wail she threw herself into her father's arms.

"Oh Papa, I've had enough! I want to go home! I want a warm comfy bed, and mother's cooking, and no horrid dinosaurs and no stupid irritating warriors!"

Dr Briefs chuckled and hugged his daughter.

"Come on then. I'm sure Mama will have dinner on the table by now. If we don't hurry, it will get cold."

He helped his exhausted daughter into the small, black hover car and jetted out of the Wastelands.