Here I am, about a year and a half later, attempting to pick up on something I had started with such high hopes. I re-read the first four chapters of this fanfic about a month ago and decided that it still has potential. I think I stopped writing it because things just got kind of busy and I didn't feel the urge to write anymore. But I miss writing now. I miss this and I've made a decision to finish it till the end. So, here goes..

there's hope

"Oh Shit! Sorry!" Bulma recoiled quickly and shielded her eyes, hoping to give Vegeta at least some privacy. She was surprised when all he did was laugh, and even though she was curious to know what was so funny, she kept her eyes averted, afraid to look.

"Stupid woman, what are you doing?"

"Uh, i-is it ok to-"

"I'm back in my bed, so stop being so childish. And it's nothing you haven't seen before", he reminded her. Bulma turned her head around and looked at him, glaring right into his dark eyes.

"You're the one who runs into my room like a madwoman in the middle of the night, and now you're angry?"

"I didn't know you slept naked", she muttered, stepping into the room, clutching the book and papers in her arms tighter.

"So, what did you want?" Vegeta asked, patting the space beside him on the bed. He moved with a casual air about him, a slight hint of taunting in his voice. He was playing around with her now, seeing how far he could push her before she cracked.

Bulma sighed and walked over to the bed, sitting atop the covers and keeping a safe distance. The sheets below her felt vividly familiar, their texture and smoothness already memorized long ago by her fingers. Stupid, stupid Vegeta, she thought angrily, her face turning bright red. She was extremely thankful that it was rather dark in the room.

"I've got it", she repeated stupidly, stalling for time as she quickly tried to collect her thoughts. Her mind had momentarily stopped working and the current situation that Vegeta had somehow forced her into did nothing to help.

"What have you 'got'?" Vegeta asked, leaning forward so that his upper body was just inches away from Bulma. She swallowed and moved slightly away, her heart pounding furiously in her chest. She was more than certain that he could sense her nervousness.

I can't let him win, she thought. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she began, "S-so, I was trying to think about more than just the moon. You know, the moon itself doesn't actually have any light. It just-"

"I know, the light is reflected from the sun. That's been established".

"Did we talk about that already?"

"No, but it's common sense", Vegeta sighed.

"Okay, okay. I was looking at one of your books and there were these really weird drawings from a long time ago that some philosopher drew up. It had to do with the positioning of the sun and the moon, and how, during different times of the day, the amount of energy passing between the two objects varies. No one believed him and they just disregarded his theories as nonsense, but it somehow got published, and the more I looked at them, the more I realized… V-vegeta, please stop that", Bulma was at the edge of the bed now, one leg already over the side and the other one ready to follow.

"Stop what?"

"You know what you're doing! Can you at least try to be professional? Just a little?" Bulma squeezed her eyes shut as her other foot hit the floor. She was trying her hardest to stay on the bed, but it really was rather difficult.

"Professional?" Vegeta chuckled, "who said anything about being professional?"

"I-I agreed to help you. I thought we-"

"But no one said anything about being professional. Woman, you are the mother of my child. How much more professional can it get than that?"

Bulma had nothing to reply with. She'd always prided herself on being good at arguing, always able to get the last word. But Vegeta had left her speechless.

"That was a mistake", she murmured quietly after a moment of silence. "And, besides, it was necessary to help us win. You saw how the future Trunks turned out. A super saiyan, and quite good looking too, no thanks to you".

"Your words contradict themselves", Vegeta replied smoothly, "how can it be both a mistake and a necessary action?"

"Well, I can't think straight with you breathing down my neck like that. It's really disturbing, alright?" Bulma retorted.

"Really? Disturbing?" Vegeta smirked, "Because that's not what the rest of your body is saying". He leaned closer, and even though Bulma couldn't see anything in the darkness, she could imagine the way he looked, like a predator that was slowly closing in on its prey. Sad thing was, the prey was just as eager to be taken away.

She felt his lips lightly graze the sensitive area between her neck and shoulders, sending a shiver through her body. Her hands loosened and the pieces of paper slid out of her lap. A second later, the book she was holding clattered to the floor as well. Tears threatened to spill out of her eyes- not tears of sadness nor happiness, but tears of confusion, because she didn't know what she wanted at that moment.

Everything felt too familiar. Everything, from the intoxicating scent that could only belong to one person to the way the her body was reacting, felt familiar, causing the same rush of memories and images that often resounded in her head to flood over her. She was well aware of what she getting herself into, and even though she knew the consequences better than anybody else, she couldn't put up any resistance.

Before her mind could register it, Bulma found herself turned around on the bed, Vegeta's face dangerously close to hers. She could vaguely feel his fingers run down her arms before he slipped his hands behind her, encircling her waist with his strong arms and pulling her against him. He kissed her everywhere but her lips, lingering on certain, sensitive spots on her neck before moving down to her collarbone. Bulma squeezed her eyes shut as she continued to fight her inner battle. Her mind, and what sensible part of her that remained, was screaming, warning her that this wasn't what she'd come here for. The rest of her, which ran on pure human instinct, did nothing to stop. She was still tentative about embracing Vegeta's actions, but at least she wasn't forcing him away.

She felt one of his hands slide lower, along her waist and down past her hips, where his fingers curled around her leg and pulled it around him, causing her to lose balance and topple onto him. Even if she'd wanted to stop now, there wasn't much chance of Vegeta letting up. So you're just going to pretend you can't do anything? The nagging voice in her mind was definitely becoming annoying. Couldn't it just let her forget everything just for a little bit?

I can't do this again, she though desperately while her body betrayed her, arching naturally towards Vegeta as he ran his hands down her back, pushing her closer to him. You're not supposed to be the one who gives in first, remember? You're only doing this because Trunks deserves a father! Oh, shoot, Trunks! I forgot about Trunks!

Bulma's eyes snapped open as the imagine of her baby clouded her mind, causing her to quickly scramble off of Vegeta's lap. How had she ended up there again?

"Trunks!" she sputtered, "I-I forgot, he's still in the lab. Sorry, Vegeta, this has to wait". She dashed out of the room and down the stairs, and only after she had let herself into the lab did she catch the double meaning of her words. She made a quick mental note to explain to Vegeta later that she'd meant their discussion on her findings would have to wait, not the…other thing.

Trunks had quietly fallen asleep in the lab and was sprawled out across the blanket underneath him, his chubby arms and legs pointing in all directions. Bulma couldn't help smiling as she gently scooped the baby into her arms and carried him back to his room, placing him in his crib and covering him with a blanket. She considered returning to Vegeta's room, but decided against it. And for good reasons, too.

It wouldn't hurt to wait until morning to relay all her ideas to Vegeta, but more importantly, she knew she wouldn't be able to return to that room without doing something she would regret. With a defeated sigh, Bulma sat down in the chair beside the crib and busied herself with staring at the wall. The effects of the coffee she'd been drinking hadn't run out yet, so she was nowhere near tired. It was quite ironic, actually, that the one night Trunks was silent, she didn't need to sleep.

Again, her thoughts nudged at her, tempting her to go back to Vegeta's room. It was the opportune moment, with Trunks asleep and all, but she fought herself, forcing her body to remain in the chair. She had to think things through more carefully. Vegeta always seemed to gain the upper hand and she couldn't quite figure out why. She doubted that he ever planned things out the way she did, or gave his actions any thought, for that matter. And she was supposed to be the smart one, wasn't she?

"Seriously, what am I doing wrong?" Bulma murmured aloud. There was a folded blanket sitting on the stand beside her chair. Bulma picked it up and wrapped it around her body, then curled herself into a somewhat comfortable position on the chair and fell asleep, her head leaning against the bars of the crib.

Vegeta returned from the GR the next morning to find Bulma in the kitchen, scooping bits of a banana with a spoon and feeding it to Trunks. He stood in the doorway, staring at the strange scene for a while before making his presence known.

"I left your food in the oven so it stays warm", Bulma said automatically, not bothering to look up. Vegeta, sensing that something was out of place, made no reply and headed for the oven, opening the doors to reveal a generous portion of breakfast. He noticed after a while that everything on his plate were foods he particularly liked, and wondered briefly if the woman had done that on purpose before pushing the thought aside. There was no reason for her to do something like that, so he must have been over-thinking it.

"You can tell me about what you were so eager to share last night, woman", he announced, picking up his fork. Bulma paused, mid-scoop, but kept her eyes on Trunks, who was staring intently at his father.

"Can we talk about it after this? Everything's downstairs in the la- oh, they're in your room, actually", she remembered.

"I'll get them then", Vegeta agreed. He was slightly surprised at their conversation that morning, wondering what it was that made them so polite with each other. He knew that, on his part, it was because he didn't want to piss off the woman and ruin any chance of getting her help that day. But she, on the other hand, didn't seem to have any reason to be nice. Something was still off in the way she acted; not just her strangely cordial way of dealing with him, but in the way she acted as well, as if she were somehow trying to keep her distance.

When he'd finished everything on his plate, which didn't take long, Vegeta stood up and headed for the door, pausing as he was about to step out of the kitchen and mumbling something about taking a quick shower, before he continued the rest of the way to his room. He could hear Bulma holding her breath, and only was he halfway up the stairs did he hear her let it out.

Something's wrong with the damn woman again, he thought, pushing open the door to his room. Why do I even care, anyways? Oh, right, I can't afford to have her in a bad mood today. He stripped off his clothes on the way to the bathroom, leaving a trail of dirty laundry behind him; It was the most efficient and quickest way of showering. He yawned as he stepped into the shower and shut the door behind him, automatically reaching out to grab the soap. Damn, he was tired.

After the woman had barged in last night, then disappeared as quickly as she'd appeared, he had been left alone in his room, unable to fall asleep. Of course, there was good reason for his insomnia and he was surprised to find that, for once, it wasn't a nightmare that kept him up at night, but the thought of a woman.

Bulma-he disliked her name to some extent, because it didn't really do her justice- was the most baffling person he'd ever come across, human or not. Sure, he'd had his fair share of weirdos back in his earlier days when he worked under Frieza, but this woman was different. She wasn't outright crazy, although she sure did act that way sometimes. No, it was more that she had layers to her personality, that she was someone who couldn't be fully understood in a single glance. He yawned again. Why was he even trying to understand her? Sure, she intrigued him to an extent, but he'd always believed he was above such pointless interests. Even if, say, he did have her all figured out, then what? It wasn't like she was some enemy he could conquer. She was just a weak, earthling woman, for crying out loud! But still, he couldn't help wanting to know every detail of her being, to have everything figured out, so that he could have completely control over her life. That'd be kind of cool, wouldn't it?

Vegeta rinsed the soap off of his body and shut off the water, groping for his towel. He wrapped it loosely around his waist and made his way out of the bathroom. He remembered that the day had been pretty nice out, so he stepped over to the curtains and pulled them open. He couldn't even remember the last time these curtains were opened, but the new feeling of the room was refreshing.

Sunlight streamed in from the windows, creating a pattern of shadows on the floor that matched the bars on the window. Vegeta pushed opened one of the window panes, allowing fresh air to flow into the room. There was a slight, cool breeze that felt surprisingly nice on his skin, which had been pelted with hot water just moments before.

He saw the book and papers scattered on the floor as he approached his bed. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he remembered why the material had fallen there in the first place. He picked up the pieces of paper and tucked them inside the book, then set it on the bed before slipping off his towel and putting on fresh clothes. He closed his eyes for a moment and quietly sat, listening to the house. The woman was in the nursery, putting the brat into his crib. She would, no doubt, be looking for him soon.

He got back to his feet, picked up the book, and left the room.

Bulma was still in the nursery, leaning over the crib when Vegeta walked in. He leaned casually against the door frame, waiting to see how long it would be before she noticed his presence. It wasn't really a fair game, because he knew her human senses were inferior to his, but still, it was something amusing to do. Bulma was quietly humming as she reached a hand into the crib and gently patted Trunk's head. The child was fast asleep, wrapped in a colorful blanket decorated with different baby animals.

Vegeta let out a small cough to announce his presence and Bulma jumped, turning to give him a glare before returning her attention to the baby. It took all of her self-restraint to not shrink away as Vegeta stepped up behind her, placing his hands on the railing with his arms extending around either side of her so that she was trapped between the crib and his chest.

"He's asleep. Stop stalling", he stated simply. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to not shiver as a trail of warm air trickled down her back.

"Then, please move", Bulma finally uttered.

Vegeta waited a moment longer before obeying. He took a step back and crossed his arms, leaving just enough space for Bulma to quickly slip away. She edged past his body and paused at the rocking chair beside the door to pick up a strange looking set of shiny, transparent objects with a slight metallic tint to them before stepping out the door.

"Come on", she said. Vegeta followed her, giving one last glance at the crib standing in the middle of the room before quietly shutting the door.

"I've always wondered what this door was for", Vegeta commented quietly, waiting behind Bulma as she fumbled with a set of keys. There was a door, just one of many in the upstairs hallways of Capsule Corp., that Vegeta had never seen being used. It sat quietly at the western end of the house, and every time Vegeta passed it, he would pause in front of it and listen intently, hoping to catch even the slightest hint of what was behind those doors.

"This was my bedroom when I was a child", Bulma explain as she pushed open the door. "I lived here until I turned 16, then I moved into my current room. I had one of those "teenager" stages where I refused to be associated with anything that would make me seem like a child".

Vegeta stared at her blankly, obviously not understanding the intricacies of human life.

"Right. Nevermind", Bulma grinned. "My dad has the housekeeper tidy up this place once in a while, so it's really clean. No dust or anything like that".

"I've never seen a housekeeper around here", Vegeta retorted.

"That's because she comes early in the morning. You're normally in the GR at that time", Bulma replied. Vegeta blinked. Apparently, the woman was quite aware of his daily routines. The thought brought a small smile to his face before he quickly wiped it away, replacing it with a look of nonchalance.

"Why'd we have to come here?" He asked, changing the subject.

"I'll show you. Here, sit on the bed and look this way", Bulma instructed. She waited until Vegeta had seated himself on the pink, frilly bed, then stepped over to the largest window in the room and flung open the curtains.

"I see… my gravity room", Vegeta snorted, "Are you going to tell me you spy on me every morning from this place?"

"What? No, I don't even come in here", Bulma rolled her eyes.

"Then hurry and explain, woman".

"Ugh", Bulma groaned at Vegeta's impatience, but did as she was told. She sat down beside him on the bed and opened the book in her lap, pulling out the pieces of paper that had been tucked in. "As I was saying last night", she began, "the energies of the sun and the moon heavily influence each other. The moon glows at night because of the sun's reflection, but think about it. The exact location where we are- also known as the place where you would be if you wanted to receive any of the moon's energy- is in between the sun and the moon. It seems weird, but because both celestial bodies are not visibly present at the same time, the power that each one has diminishes. Therefore, except during a full moon, the time where the energy from the moon is felt strongest on Earth is during sunsets, when the sun and moon are occupying the sky at the same time. I created a few of my own diagrams that combined what the researchers put together centuries ago and came up with a time table. Then, I cross examined that with the almanac I got the other day, and…Vegeta? Are you following what I'm saying?"

"No. Not really", he hated to admit incompetency in any form and Bulma was well aware of that fact.

"It's ok", she replied quickly, "you just need to know that the strongest you can get without fully transforming is by using the moon's energy during a sunset".

"Ok, that makes sense", he nodded. He had noticed fluctuations in his power levels at different times of the day. "But then, why'd we have to come in here?"

"I looked at the blue-prints of this house last night after I realized this", Bulma explained. "This is purely coincidental, but, the way this room was built, with this large window here and that smaller window up there, well, that's where the sunset and moonrise are visible. One through each of those windows. And anyone standing in this room would be in a direct line of contact with both objects".

"So why can't we just do it outside?" Vegeta asked.

"Well, you could. But I mean, if it were that easy, then I'm sure even you would have figured it out by now, right?"

"Just get to the point, woman".

"Geez, what is with you always being so impatient? Fine, look, see?" She held up the objects she had picked up earlier in the nursery for Vegeta to see. "These are slabs of glass created in my dad's lab, not yet available to the public. They're best used for their magnifying qualities. So, if we put these in front of the two windows, any light energy from either the moon or the sun is magnified. And depending on how many pieces we put, the new intensity could be anywhere from 20 to 100 times greater".

"So we're going to take the energy that comes from the sun or the moon and focus it? And you're telling me that if I stand in the right spot in this room, then I'll be receiving that energy?" Vegeta sounded skeptical. It seemed to simple and too easy to be true. Something this basic should have been figured out long ago.

"Yeah, that's the basic idea", Bulma nodded. I can't guarantee that this will work for sure, but it's worth a try, isn't it?

"Would I be able to reach super saiyan?" Vegeta asked.

Bulma looked at him for a moment, eyes slightly blank and deep in thought. "I don't think I know enough about your saiyan anatomy to answer that", she finally said. "What exactly is super saiyan anyways?"

Vegeta snorted. "You wouldn't understand even if I explained it".

"You really think that?" Bulma challenged, "try me".

"No. It doesn't matter. All you have to concern yourself with is the fact that more energy is better". Vegeta stood up, reaching out his arm to take the glass panes from Bulma. "Let's try this thing already, we're wasting time".

"Wait, Vegeta, it's not the right time of the day yet. The sunlight has to be coming in from that window", Bulma reminded him gently.

He gave her a look- half embarrassed, half impatient- then asked, "Well, can we at least put these thing in the window?"

"Yeah, of course", Bulma nodded, "I'm just gonna go grab a ladder to reach that higher window up there".

"Woman, are you really that dense?" Vegeta snorted. He took all the pieces of glass in one hand and scooped Bulma up in the other, then proceeded to float effortlessly up towards the small, round window near the ceiling.

Bulma yelped in protest as Vegeta lifted her toward the window, demanding that she begin installing the glass planes at once.

"I can't work like this!" she yelled loudly.

"What's wrong with this? Hurry up!" Vegeta replied almost as loudly.

Bulma, realizing she wasn't really in a place to bargain, considering she was about 10 feet in the air with no ability to fly, snatched a piece of glass from Vegeta and began to work, grumbling to herself.

The pieces of glass had already been measured out early that morning according to the blueprints of the house. They fit nicely in the round hole that the sides of the window created. As the last piece of glass popped in with a small 'click', Bulma couldn't help but smile a little.

Yes, she was doing this for a jerk who was nowhere near appreciative of her efforts, but despite the circumstances, she was proud of the little accomplishment she had just... well, accomplished. She would have been extremely happy, if it weren't for the fact that Vegeta was still supporting her in mid-air, waiting for her to explain that she was done.

"That's it?" he asked skeptically, looking quite reluctant to believe her.

"Yep! That's the genius of it", Bulma motioned for him to bring her back to the ground. "You don't always need super advanced technology. This is just a very basic concept, and once you understand the underlying principles, it's not that hard to figure out a way to execute the technical aspects of it".

Vegeta set her down and looked at her strangely. Bulma had a hunch that he didn't understand some of the things she'd just said.

"Anyways, we've still got to do that window", she pointed to the larger window across the room. Vegeta nodded and crossed his arms, taking a step back so Bulma could get to work.

She put the glass panes against the large window and gently secured them the same way she had done for the smaller window. Again, the pieces fit perfectly.

"Now, then, that's all done. We'll just come back here around 5, okay?" Bulma smiled a little and began heading out of the room. As her fingers reached for the doorknob, barely touching the round piece of metal, a quick rush of wind blew past her side and less than a second later, she found Vegeta standing between her and the door. He'd managed to push her far back enough to make room for himself, but it was still a very small space, such that their bodies were almost touching, but not quite. Bulma stumbled back, the combination of Vegeta's sudden proximity and her own reaction overwhelming her completely.

"Where are you going?" he asked. There was a slight hint of menace in his voice.

"I've got to make sure Trunks is-"

"He's still asleep".

"Oh, but-" Bulma stuttered, unable to find the right response. She knew of Vegeta's inhuman abilities, so of course he would be able to know what Trunk was doing at all times, but that had been her last resort for escaping the room.

"No more excuses" Vegeta murmured softly, stepping forward. He kept one hand behind Bulma's back, keeping her from falling as he continued to step forward, forcing her to back up until the back of her knees hit the edge of the bed. "Wait here with me, woman", the slightest bit of urgency in his voice was not missed by Bulma, who, despite almost losing her mind at the closeness of the man in front of her, still retained some of her analytical capabilities. In short, Vegeta may have startled her for a moment, but she could still sense that he was slowly losing control of himself as well.

Well, two could play at that game. She tilted her head up, forcing their eyes to meet. There was a small smirk gracing his extremely handsome features, causing her heart to thump just a bit louder and faster. It's happening all over again, her mind realized.

Vegeta was not in the mood to mess around with her mind today; he didn't bother with any of the teasing and games he'd tried last night. He gave no warning as he lurched forward, throwing both of their bodies onto the bed. It took just about all of his self-control to remember how breakable humans were, and more importantly, how fragile the one under him was.

"We- we shouldn't!" Bulma managed to blurt out, terrified of the situation she was currently in. It wasn't Vegeta who scared her; it was just more of what was to come if she gave in. Her mind fought an inner battle against the rest of her body, which momentarily distracted her. By the time she managed to gather her thoughts, or what little was left of them, she didn't have enough left in her to fight back. And, in all honesty, she didn't want to anymore.

It felt like morning when the light around him grew more intense, sending surges of energy through his body and forcing him away from his sleep. He was awake before his eyes opened and the first thought that ran through his mind was that he had missed something. He tried to turn onto his side, but stopped when he felt something soft and warm wiggle beside him.

What the… He froze for a moment, his mind panicking at the fact that he couldn't immediately recognize what was going on. Then, as his memories slowly came back to him, he relaxed and sunk deeper into the bed, his arm unconsciously wrapping itself around the figure next to him. He became more aware of the time of day as well- it was very bright in the room because the sun was right outside the window, slowly sinking, but glowing nevertheless.

The woman had been right. He could feel waves of energy around the room, a combination of the sun's warmth and the moon fueling his saiyan nature. Vegeta closed his eyes, a strange feeling coming over him. He felt… happy. Was that the right emotion? He wouldn't know, of course, because he couldn't recall the last time he'd felt like this. Sure, he'd been satisfied or content before, but never just genuinely happy. He had to admit it felt nice, but on second thought, he decided that it really scared the crap out of him.

As he mulled over his thoughts, his fingers found their way into the soft, blue tresses of the girl beside him. They intertwined with strands of hair, each movement bringing a small sliver of excitement to him. He'd never felt such a texture before; it was so sleek, so delicate, and so fragile. It was something he could break without even trying. If fact, now that he thought about it, he could probably break her whole body without even meaning to. That scared him. And the fact that something as trivial as that could scare him, scared him even more.

"Vege-".

He looked down. The woman was talking in her sleep, something he'd fully expected from someone who liked to talk so much when she was awake.

"Hmm?" He responded, even though he knew she wasn't really talking to him. It felt nice to have someone talk to him so gently.

"Can you get Trunk's blanket for him?" Ok… she was definitely sleeptalking.

"Sure", he smirked and played along, wondering what she'd say next.

"He's so lucky to have a father like you…"

What? Vegeta frowned. She couldn't possibly really believe that.

"… who'd be able to protect him… even if you don't show it…" Her words were only coherent half the time, the other half coming out in mere mumbles that were completely incomprehensible.

Vegeta shifted himself a little so that he had a better view. There was a small smile gracing her lips, which, when combined with the tiny frown on her brow, formed an image of a loving, but constantly worried mother who could never settle for just sitting still and allowing life to pass her by. That was exactly Bulma. She was always doing something, always moving around, talking- or yelling , Vegeta added- or, even helping. But she was always doing something.

"This silence suits you so much better", Vegeta said aloud.

"What did you say?" Of all the things she could have woken up to, it had to be that line.

"Nothing", he lifted his arm off of her and rolled onto his back to look up at the ceiling. The bright orange rays from the window reflected off the polished walls, causing the whole room to glow warmly. Bulma turned onto her side and looked up at Vegeta, one hand playing idly with a corner of the blanket.

"It's almost time", she said softly.

"I know", he replied.

"Let's hope this works".

"I can feel it".

"Feel it?" Bulma echoed.

"I can feel the difference in energy"

"Really? That's great! I mean, usually I test out my theories, but you know, it's not like I have another saiyan just lying around waiting for lab tests to be run on or anything like that. This is pretty exciting, Vegeta", Bulma was grinning widely now, one hand gripping Vegeta's arm excitedly in anticipation.

"Stop that, woman", Vegeta pulled his arm away and sat up, throwing on his clothes as he got out of bed. Bulma frowned and sat up, watching him as he strode over to the center of the room.

Vegeta sat down and breathed in deeply, as if in meditation. Intrigued, Bulma watched from her spot on the bed as Vegeta's eyes closed. His breathing was deep and even, each breath causing his chest to rise steadily, then fall.

The sunset was growing nearer and the amount of energy that Vegeta could feel passing through his body gradually increased. It was unlike anything he had felt before. Incredible power seemed to flow through him, but even so, there seemed to be a barrier he still couldn't quite cross.

Bulma's voice, sounding faded and distant, spoke to him, "Just one more minute, Vegeta".

He nodded slightly in response and continued to breathe.

The minute passed slowly, and at the very moment the sun and moon were directly aligned, with Vegeta as the third point in that line, he felt every inch of his body surge with power. The feeling shocked him, but at the same time, it was disappointing.

No super saiyan. Nothing.

He had felt stronger for that fleeting moment, but then it was over. And he had felt nowhere near reaching super saiyan.

"I don't think it worked", his voice was dull.

"It didn't work at all?" Bulma asked, stepping out of bed. She wrapped the thin sheet atop the covers around her into a loose dress and walked closer to Vegeta, kneeling beside him.

"It worked, in a way, but it's not enough", Vegeta replied.

"I should have mentioned this earlier, but, the amount of energy that is available varies throughout the month. It's strongest during the full moon. And, since that was a week and a half ago, it makes sense that the energy from the moon isn't as strong right now". Bulma lowered her head and placed a hand on Vegeta's back, her eyes looking up at his with a comforting gaze. As if to say, "it'll be alright", her lips curved into a careful smile.

"Maybe", Vegeta shrugged. The woman had a point. He wasn't happy that he had to wait, but it meant that this wasn't the end yet. There was still some sort of hope.

A/N: The little blurb about the moon and the sun and everything was all made up (obviously) but if you look at it with a twisted sense of logic, it really does make sense :D

Please review, it would definitely make my day!