Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or the characters

Well, how did I do getting through this story? XD This is probably the shortest time it's taken me to write a story since I first started writing fanfiction, though it's not nearly as bad. LOL! Anyways, as I said before, I guess it was easier since I had the history mapped out already. And now, here we are, the final chapter! I'm very excited to get to the next phase of the story, which I will be calling Camaraderie. I'm insanely excited to work on this next segment. You'll all see why ;) Enjoy! And keep an eye out. If I have my way, I'll start posting within the day (I don't know if it's possible, but fingers crossed!).

Vegeta couldn't believe what was happening. It had started as a regular day. Kakarot came over so they could train for a few hours, and then Zorn summoned Vegeta to his father so that he could either learn about the new policies or attend meetings with foreign leaders. The prince hated that he was taken away from training. These meetings were nothing but a hindrance in his progression. Kakarot would normally tease him whenever he said such a thing. It couldn't be helped, the way Vegeta felt. One day, King Cold would strike back, and Vegeta needed to be ready. In the years of peace, other Saiyans became satisfied with the new lifestyles. Vegeta was not.

His parents tried to get him to lower his guard, but Vegeta knew better. They'd betray him again. The only aspect of his life Vegeta could admit his paranoia was that he sometimes feared his parents would harm him, even after all these years. He would admonish himself, remind himself that he was physically stronger than both the king and queen. Kakarot certainly kept him on his toes over the years.

"You will be attending school at a university on Planet Earth."

Vegeta's eyes narrowed. Why would his parents send him there of all places? From what Vegeta saw on the Earthling stations, they were nothing but gossiping busybodies who would impose themselves where they didn't belong. They weren't shy about their relationships, adding the act of mating to their shows. Even their sports were infuriating. They were no warriors. What could Vegeta possibly gain by attending?

Apparently a 'good, multicultural experience'.

What did Vegeta care? He didn't need to learn their culture to be a decent ruler. The Saiyans hardly interacted with Earth. The planet was used as an intermediary or vacation planet. They hardly ordered resources and tools from the Saiyans, so it didn't matter. The Saiyans and other allied planets would send them resources on a whim, and also offered their protection. Vegeta had nothing at all to gain from this.

Frustrated, Vegeta turned off the television device. His father suggested he watch some Earthling entertainment to learn more about them. Apparently, he had come in on the one show that he detested more than their poorly thought-out sports. It was something called "So You Think You Can Dance Dirty?" Disgusted by the dancers and the commentators, Vegeta had to turn off that filth. How could anyone find that entertaining?

He found himself at his favorite Saiyan restaurant he stumbled across years earlier. It had been around the time he was a teenager. It was the night of the alliance festival and he needed to escape. He hated celebrating, for all the event served to do was remind him of his past sufferings and pain. He remembered those days clearly. He could time where he was weeks before, letting Jaco go to warn his parents which instigated Frieza to torture him. Vegeta shuddered at the thought.

The waiter greeted him and spoke in the native Saiyan language, instead of the new universal language all the allied planets adopted, just as he had the first day Vegeta found the place. It was a small place in a shady crux of the downtown area, but the smell of the food had drawn the prince. Its smells were so familiar, the last real restaurant that served solely Saiyan cuisine. All the other places still served some Saiyan dishes, but they were embellished now. No, this little cave restaurant was the one reminder of Vegeta's time before Frieza, and so he frequented it ever since. Of course, he was skeptical at first. He wondered if any of his people would poison him. Eventually, it became a place where he felt safe and comfortable that didn't involve going to the outskirts.

As Vegeta consumed his meal, he thought about what was in store for him. He was going to a planet where he would be even more limited in his training. Technically, it wasn't fully legal to use half of his abilities, and he couldn't get into a fight with a random stranger for he would either kill the bastard or wind up in prison either way for assault. He growled and shook his head. Earth was not a place he ever wanted to visit.

Vegeta begged his parents to send him anywhere else. He could see the apprehension in his mother's eyes, which, he found out from Nappa, was because the queen didn't want him to be sent away at all. She only agreed to it because the king convinced her it would be a good experience for him. The prince had been stunned that his mother tried to get him out of it. Why she gave in, Vegeta had no idea. Maybe it was because she was pregnant with another child so her argumentative mentality was tampered.

That was another problem Vegeta wasn't ready to face. Little Tarble was born only a few days before he would leave for Earth. He was scheduled to depart in twenty-four hours with Nappa and Kakarot in a new, state-of-the-art ship that was completely different from the one-person space pods he was used to. He had only been in a new ship once before when the scientists needed to test it. He needed something to occupy his time since he couldn't train much anymore, according to his father.

The waiter returned, interrupting his thoughts, and placed a large slab of ribs that was marinated in a jam made of the kulu fruit. It was by far Vegeta's favorite meal that he always ate slowly and savored. As a child, kulu fruit was his favorite. It was one of the only fruits that grew on Planet Vegeta, and it grew nowhere else in the universe.

Anyway, back to Tarble, his mother wanted Vegeta to go and see the baby before he left, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. Something always held him back, some unforeseeable force. He was always at war when himself. There were many times Vegeta found himself outside Tarble's nursery with his hand on the door. A part of him wanted to go in, meet his baby brother, but another part of him didn't. He couldn't afford to bond with another individual, not one he could easily lose. He remembered Frieza every time he passed by, how he threatened to kill Raditz or Nappa just to get to him. With Frieza's father and brother still out there, Vegeta did not want an attachment with his brother. He'd be used against him if they ever did come after them.

There was no way he would let that happen.

Trunks knew the story was coming to an end for he knew a lot about what happened when his father got to Earth. On the first day, his father ran into his mother but did not care since the woman hadn't been paying attention. They all went to a club—whatever that was—where his Uncle Yamcha ended up hitting on his mother, and his dad stepped in. From that story alone, Trunks knew it was best to avoid alcohol at all costs. He did see some soldiers drinking at times and crinkled his nose at their behavior.

When Tarble heard his brother reiterate that he hadn't gone to see him when he was born, the little prince felt a pang of sympathy. He understood why since Vegeta admitted it before. The child didn't hold it against his older brother. He was just happy that most of his memories had Vegeta in them.

"I was adamant about not going to that place," Vegeta stated. "I never expected to meet Bulma or that we'd ever form such a strong bond. Because of her, I felt whole despite my past. She completed me."

The three sat in silence in the garden and ate food that was brought out to them as a nice break. It was pleasant, warm, and not because of the temperature to which they were so accustomed. "I'm glad you met Bulma," Tarble announced. "She's really great. She helped me master that move I couldn't figure out."

"Yup, Mom is awesome," Trunks chimed proudly. He looked to his father. "You both have been through so much."

Vegeta agreed and answered with a nod as he ate his portion. He couldn't deny how amazing his woman was. She brought him out of the darkness of his past, got thrown deep into that darkness and survived, and then bore him a son whom they both adored. Vegeta had told himself for the couple of months, after his parents announced their decision to send him, that Planet Earth had absolutely nothing for him. Going there, to him at that time, was a mistake. Even when he crashed into her the first time, he loathed her. He shoved her to the side when she was about to crash into him. She was just another human.

His entire outlook changed when he overheard her conversations with Kakarot's mate, when he saw her training herself passed the point of exhaustion as he had done so many times. She wasn't this empty woman. She was intelligent, kind, compassionate, understanding, loyal. She was everything he needed in his life, what he had been missing.

"Hello, boys."

A playful smirk formed as he heard his mate's soft and loving voice. "Hello," he greeted back, his own voice lax. "What brings you here?"

Bulma smiled and went straight to her son. She ruffled his hair and made him chuckle. She squeezed Tarble's shoulder, a gentle grin on the boy's face. Then she moved to her husband and engaged him in a kiss, not minding the audience, though she was sure the boys were blushing when she sensed their embarrassment and Vegeta's amusement. "Just wanted to visit my men," she whispered with hints of passion in her voice. "What were you all talking about?"

That snapped Trunks back to reality. The boy came out from behind his hand. "Oh, Dad was just telling us about when he came to Earth. We've been talking about the history and stuff."

"I know," Bulma replied as she grasped her mate's hand and gave him a reassuring squeeze. Vegeta only smirked and pulled his woman down to sit on his lap. She looked to him with affectionate eyes. "So, made it to the end, huh?"

"Of course," Vegeta remarked arrogantly. "Did you expect anything less?"

"Of course not," was the answer he received. "Please, don't stop on my account. Keep going."

For the rest of his story, he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

It was time, the moment he was dreading.

Surely it had never been this difficult to leave a planet.

Of course, Vegeta had only left Planet Vegeta twice: once to join Frieza and now again to go to a place he hated simply from watching its news and entertainment programs. It was even more disturbing when his father jokingly said that he could potentially find a mate since Vegeta wasn't interested in any of the Saiyan women who attempted to have him court them. His face scrunched in disgust. He had no time for a mate. He needed to get stronger. He couldn't do that on Earth.

The prince spent the morning locked up in his room to get in some last-minute training before he showered and changed. He looked to the Earthling clothes his mother bought him and sneered before he dressed in his usual training attire. Despite leaving Planet Vegeta, Vegeta was a Saiyan and he was going to dress like one or similar to one.

Mental preparation was key to embarking the vessel. It had been so long since he travelled in space, about fifteen years total. Any time his father went off-planet to negotiate, he would try to convince Vegeta to accompany him, but the prince just couldn't handle it. He was fearful of what he might do, what memories he'd have to fight off. It wasn't like he could tell his father. Their relationship was strained at best.

Which is why he glowered at the man when he came to see them off.

King Vegeta stood by the ship and waited for his son, his son's friend, and their guardian. He was thankful that Nappa volunteered to go to Earth with his son. The former general would keep him out of trouble. Kakarot would keep his mind centered. He was a little nervous sending the teenager along for he would encourage his son to train, but there wasn't that much they could do on Earth anyway. Vegeta would be able to unwind there. That was the hope.

He greeted his son, but he was met with an icy stare. Still, the king would not back down. "Good morning, son," he spoke. "Are you ready?" Vegeta didn't answer. His glared only hardened. "I trust you will have a safe journey."

"Whatever," the prince grunted as he pushed passed his father. Nappa and Kakarot were already aboard the ship getting ready for takeoff.

Vegeta finally made his way onto the ship. His father saw his pace as an opportunity and called out for him again. The prince looked over his shoulder and saw his father give him a two-fingered salute. It was a sign between comrades, which they were not, and Vegeta sneered at the man before the door closed behind him. He did not notice the man's crestfallen expression.

On the ship, Vegeta needed to strap down, at least for takeoff. Then he was free to do whatever he wanted. That was probably the only good thing. Earth was a couple days travel, and he didn't need to undergo stasis. These ships got rid of the need, allowed people to walk around and live among the stars. It wasn't as bad as having to travel somewhere a week without stasis in a single-person pod. That was a horrible experience that Vegeta had suffered a few times. It was almost as bad as the isolation punishments.

Speaking of isolation, Vegeta did isolate himself during the trip. Horrible flashes of his past came to him while they traveled, and Vegeta honestly didn't want Kakarot or Nappa to witness a meltdown if he had one. It was bad enough he had nightmares and wouldn't be able to resist crying out if he did either of the two nights. He just needed to be left alone. His negative feelings were not helping him much.

Days later, Vegeta was still trapped within his own mind, but Nappa's voice called his attention. "Prince Vegeta, we are nearing Earth's atmosphere. Get situated for the landing."

Vegeta sighed with derision. "Fine Nappa. Make sure the idiot gets buckled down as well."

"Right," Nappa muttered.

Vegeta took a seat and prepared himself for landing. He still wasn't looking forward to whatever the mudball planet held. He knew he was going to hate his time there. What he didn't know was that he was wrong, and he would bump into the love of his life that very same day.

The couple watched as Trunks and Tarble ran around the garden racing, wrestling, and playing. The children were having such a blast. Bulma lifted her hand to stroke Vegeta's cheek. She was still sitting in his lap, his grip tightened around her as her hand ran itself through his feathery hair. He sighed in contentment, thankful the boys were nowhere near as he stroked her thigh. He chuckled when she gasped and outright laughed when she smacked his hand away.

"Not here," she chided, hissed in a whisper. "You're still so impatient."

"Your fault for being desirable," he teased before he nipped her nose with his lips. "Your scent is different. What did you do?"

Bulma grinned and impishly bit her lip. "Well, there's a reason for that, actually," she started to explain. Vegeta could sense her delight and gazed into her eyes. Her mate's curiosity made her feel incredibly giddy. "Well, I went to the doctor today. Remember the dizzy spells I was having last week?"

"Yes," Vegeta replied, his brow furrowed. He had been so concerned for her, but then the spells passed, and Bulma was back to normal. She started increasing her food portions, but nothing too heavy. "Is everything all right?"

"Yeah," she murmured lightly. "Vegeta, we're having another baby."

His mind stopped, and Bulma could sense that. She smiled and kissed his cheek as she waited for the news to process. After all, she reacted the same way. It wasn't a big surprise to her considering how often they were together. Still, her dizziness was not what she expected. When she was pregnant with Trunks, she was more nauseous than dizzy. "When?" he asked her.

"The doctor said I am a couple months along, but I couldn't give you an exact date," she teased before she kissed his lips once again. His grip on her thighs tightened as he responded to her kiss. They were both aware that the boys were still sparring on the other side of the garden, so they didn't mind their public moment.

Vegeta broke away first and smirked at the woman. "Looks like we did it again."

Bulma grinned and blushed. "Uh-huh, about time, right? We need to start preparing for this little one. No offense to you or Trunks, but I'm kind of hoping for a little girl."

Vegeta contemplated her words for a moment before he nodded in agreement. "A girl would not be such a bad thing. She would be the first princess born into the royal house."

Bulma nuzzled her head against his chest. "You complete me," she murmured.

"You complete me, too."

What would he have ever done without her?

The Empire flourished vastly since the defeat of Frieza while the PTO began to crumble. Many of the planets that had been pirated were absorbed into the alliance and were protected by the Galactic Patrol, the Saiyans, and many other powerful races. None of this sat right with King Cold. He hated the three races that tore his son down. Despite what he promised his eldest son, he began plotting against the Nameks, Kanassans, and Saiyans right away.

Those blasted three races were the reason his youngest was dead. It was no secret that King Cold favored Frieza over Cooler. Because of this loss, the monarch started to think up ways to eliminate the son of the leader of each race. He would start with the Saiyans, for they were the ones who delivered the final blow to his precious child. After, no one would be able to stop him from taking control of the universe.

Still, catching the Saiyan prince would be an impossible task. Prince Vegeta was trained by King Cold's brilliant son, after all. There would be no way to catch him off-guard. Cold couldn't even get his spies on Planet Vegeta over the years. Only few alien planets didn't screen very well.

He heard rumors from his operatives on a random planet that the prince would attend school on Earth. Earth was fairly new to intergalactic politics, and he knew enough about them to turn their loyalties. There was a wealthy, influential man who had been warned against entering space back in the day when the Saiyans were purging on their own, before the PTO hired them as mercenaries. King Cold knew about this for he knew his son captured the daughter of this man and most likely ended her. She had been wanted along with her mate for illegally transferring information on their plans to other planets.

To the Arcosian's surprise, the Saiyan prince had been seen with this same man's other daughter and was courting her according to his planet's customs. A bond had already been formed. Knowing this, King Cold decided to make a move. He knew just want he needed to get information on the Saiyan's relationship. The influential Earth man would unknowingly bring him closer to his revenge.

He used a communication system he privately hacked to contact Capsule Corp., the company owned by this cynical man. When surprised, dark eyes gazed upon the alien, King Cold greeted the Earthling. "Dr. Briefs, I presume."

The human's eyes narrowed. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"I only wish to speak with you for a moment," King Cold responded. "I have information of great importance. It is about your daughter."

"My daughter is away at school, and I know exactly what is going on," he snapped. "Good day."

"I'm talking about your other daughter, Tights Briefs." That alone shut Dr. Briefs up. "I have information on how she died."

Sadness reflected in the Earthling's orbs. He didn't want to believe, didn't want to know. He knew she had been attacked by aliens for that's what his distraught daughter cried. He glared at the face on the screen. "I know how she died. She was murdered on our planet by a pack of aliens. I don't need to know anything else."

"Are you sure about that?" King Cold crooned. "Not even who orchestrated the attack?"

He could see the conflict rage in the human and inwardly smirked. Cold knew what the man's answer would be. "I'm listening."

Victorious, Cold stated, "It was the Saiyans. Her mate orchestrated the attack."

A/N: And now it's over, and hopefully this chapter answered some more questions. I hope everyone enjoyed this prequel, and now onto Camaraderie. Everyone make their predictions now. It's going to be a bumpy ride ;)

Thank you to everyone who's supporting this series. I had a blast writing Blackmail, and I enjoyed writing this backstory. I look forward to seeing both familiar and new readers next story. I hope everyone is ready!