That hall went silent for a long moment as Chi-Chi sagged against Bulma.

"He… he went to save you," Bulma said softly. "That was three days ago, He should still be pretty far north... We'll send for him." She promised earnestly. "Come on, let's get you fed and rested,"

Chi-Chi nodded, the knowledge that Goku wasn't there seemed to make her lose her will to keep upright. It was a great effort to steer her out of the throne room before Vegeta eventually caved to his nature and scooped her up. Bulma noticed her cousin Marron looking scandalized.

Bulma lead them to the guest room closest to her own, calling for chambermaids to draw a bath and bring food and water as she went. Chi-Chi was so exhausted though, that by the time they got there she was asleep. Vegeta laid her down on the bed and stepped away. The change seemed to rouse her because she sat up and pushed off the bed and looked around in a haze.

Bulma stepped forward. She probably understood how she was feeling better than vegeta did. She knew what it was like to find yourself exhausted, cold, and emotionally devastated at a foreign castle, and at their mercy.

"It's okay, you can rest and then we'll talk. You're welcome here for as long as wish."

"Okay." Chi-Chi said, and blinked around the room.

"Rest now, it's-"

"No. I want to be clean first." She said a little rudely, but Bulma paid it no mind.

"Of course." Bulma turned to Videl. "Please fetch her some night clothes to wear. She can use some of mine, and bring few more women to help get her washed and to bed."

"Yes, Princess." She said quickly and ran off to comply.

"How did you get here?" Vegeta asked as soon as they were alone.

"Escaped, walked, took a boat, walked some more." She grunted and sat down in the nearest chair.

Vegeta looked suspiciously at her. Bulma frowned at him, and the two guards hanging close by.
At least they were both women.

Vegeta didn't bother trying to get anymore information out of her before the tub was brought in.

"I'll talk to her in the morning." He said as the staff hustled to get the tub filled with hot water.

"Yeah, i we /i will." Bulma said, and Vegeta understood what she meant, and excused himself. They wouldn't want him in the room when she stripped.

Poor Chi-Chi could hardly stay awake long enough to bathe. In fact, Bulma was certain that she'd fallen asleep while Videl washed her hair and Bulma scrubbed at her healed wounds. It was an obscene amount of dirt and filth that required the tub to be emptied and refilled twice before they were done. Finally, after an hour of hard washing, Chi-Chi was done.

She dried off enough to pull a loose but comfortable silken night shirt on, and climb into bed. She hit the bed so hard and fell asleep so fast that Bulma wasn't entirely convinced that she hadn't fallen asleep mid-step and just plopped onto the soft mattress.

Videl tucked her in, and secured the netting around her bed, before she and Bulma left for her own room down the hall.

"I've heard rumor of her strength." Videl said softly. "She was a warrior princess, after all. But I'd never thought she'd have… Escaped the Colds on her own." Videl whispered in awe.

"I didn't even think it was possible." Bulma agreed. "She must be truly incredible. That would explain why Goku was still so deeply in love with her while I was in the North. We all thought she was dead. The Colds made it look like she was dead."

"That's what everyone thought." Videl agreed. "We didn't even know she was alive, that's why I turned the guards away when they came to me this morning saying she'd turned up-"

She was cut off by the sound of a loud slap that echoed through the hall.

Bulma had turned, and slapped her hard across the face.

The sound of it seemed to reverberate in the air for a long moment. Videl looked shocked as she stood there- cheek red from the force of it.

"You are not my equal. You do not know everything. You have been very forward with me today. You've corrected me, made a schedule without consulting me, and now I find you kept information from me. A sovereign Queen had to spend all day in line barely alive, because you didn't believe her. Because you didn't pass on a message to me. You, little girl haven't any clue as to the goings on in this world. Did you know that Frieza sent her hair with a note to the north, telling them she was alive, and a hostage? Of Course you didn't because you weren't there, and since you're i not /i princess, or queen you're not privy to this information. But still you made a decision after being my lady in waiting for less than 24 hours. What if she had died out there. Waiting to get help." Bulma spoke with a tone of quiet fury. Tears welled up in Videls eyes.

"Get out of my sight. I'll decided what to do with you in the morning." Bulma spat.

Wordlessly, Videl turned and ran down the corridor.
"See to it she doesn't flee the castle tonight." Bulma told a guard, who nodded, and ran to comply. "Thank you." She added politely as he ran off.

She went to her chambers on her own, and went through her routine quiet alone, and quite pleased to do so.

But as she lay in bed, she found sleep impossible to to summon. She longed to drift off into nothingness, but as she did she couldn't stop her thoughts from swarming buzzing around her mind. Videl's shocked hurt face after Bulma had hit her, Chi-Chi's blood caked body, and somehow worse of all the thought of seeing her father's body tomorrow.

It had been weeks since he'd died. And yet being back here was somehow much worse than being away from home. No matter where she looked, she could see him. She couldn't separate him from her memories of this place, and she didn't know if she wanted too.

Try as she might, she couldn't sleep. She kept imagining her father stepping into her rooms to speak with her about the day. To give her advice, or scold her, or ask for a favor. She sat up, and looked around. Last night she'd been so exhausted that she'd fallen asleep without thought. But now… this room held too many memories of him.

She remembered what Vegeta had said yesterday about wanting to share her bed. He was in a guest room, with no memories of her father. Maybe, if she were there with him she'd be able to sleep. To forget the stress of the day? It was risky, but after another few hours of trying and failing to fall asleep she caved.

She knew how to get there without being caught. She'd done it a lot as a child when she just wanted to stay up late talking to her friends who visited from other Kingdoms. She put the bar on her door so no one would be able to enter, and pulled on her simplest grey cloak and stepped out onto her balcony and called to Ember, who came fairly quickly. She didn't need to think it, deliberately. He knew. She climbed onto his back, and he flew her around the castle and landed quietly on Vegeta's balcony.
i' He's alone./i Ember told her, as she slipped off his back and tiptoed in through the closed curtains. He was laying in bed, very much asleep from the sounds of his snores.

Feeling very childish, she crept across the marble floors and sat on the edge of his bed. He didn't wake. She considered just crawling in with him, so he would find her when he woke, but she didn't want to intrude if he didn't want to take the risk. With a glance at his door, she saw he'd already bared it.

"Vegeta" She whispered.

Vegeta

"Vegeta." Bulma's soft whisper pulled him from his restless sleep. His eyes flew open and he sat up in alarm until his sleep raddled mind caught up. Bulma was sitting on the edge of his bed, looking pale and flushed.

"Bulma." He said, looking her over. His mind took in the clues. Her guilty expression, the way she fiddled with her hands and chewed her lip told him she'd come for a reason.

"I'm sorry to wake you, I just couldn't sleep and… erm…" She looked away from him and down at her lap. He understood at once, and pulled the covers back.

"Come on." He said. She flushed, but looked relieved and delighted as she shed her cloak and crawled into his open arms.

The sheer night dress did nothing to hide her body from his eyes as she snuggled up to his side. She was so warm against him. It was like a dream to see her curvy soft body crawling towards him. He held his arms open for her, and she slipped into them, her face pressing against his neck as he snaked his arms around her and pulled her into the middle of the bed with him.

"Wait, wait." She whispered, breathlessly, and crawled to the edge to lean over and messily tuck the netting under the mattress. Vegeta didn't care about bugs, so she'd only barely finished before he was pulling her back to him, causing her night dress to pool at her armpits. She stifled a nervous giggle as he held himself over her and admired her naked form.

God she was stunning. Her smooth milky skin, the elegant deep curve to her waist and the wide arch of her hips was mesmerising. He slipped his hands into that soft nook and leaned down to press his face into the bend of her neck and inhale her sweet scent. God her skin was soft. He just wanted to let his hands roam over her forever. To sleep every night with her soft curvy body pressed against his.

She draped her arms lightly around his shoulders and slipped one hand up his neck and into his hair. Delightful shivers vibrated through him at the touch.
"I should go." She whispered, her voice barely audible.
"You just got here." He growled. "And now you're going?" He pushed himself up just enough to look into her beautiful blue eyes. She looked deeply conflicted.
"I know, I just- I wanted to share your bed but it's not fair. It's not fair to do this to you."

He raised a brow at her. "Do what, to me?"

"To… come crawling into your bed when I've no intention on… when we can't… make love." She flushed, and broke eye contact.

He sighed loudly.
"I don't recall saying there was a price to sleeping in my bed."

"Well- well i no /i but what else were you supposed to think when I-" She started, and he groaned in annoyance.

"You came to me and said you couldn't sleep, so I took that to mean you thought you would be able to sleep here, with me." He said.

"Oh! Well, yes. I thought it… would be easier to sleep in here, with you near me… I find your presence so comforting, and I've almost no memories of my father in this guest room soo…." She trailed off.

"Yet you think that just because you're here, and naked, sex is somehow required of you?" He asked, unable to keep the annoyance and confusion from his tone.

She didn't answer.

"Bulma, I'm beginning to hate southern men." He said cooly, and pulled her back into his arms. "Southern men may not value affection beyond sex, but I do." He said firmly. She looked up at him, eyes wide and surprised. Her surprise annoyed him too. If most southern men were like this, it was no wonder so many women here turned to one another for pleasure and comfort.

"Thank you." She whispered, her voice cracked faintly and tears filled her eyes.

Deep affection for her welled up in his chest, and he couldn't stop himself from kissing her as softly as he could. She arched up against him, her chest pressing against his and her soft hands weaving wonderfully into his hair. He eased onto his side next to her and held her tightly against him.

She wriggled the night dress off over her head and tossed it to the foot of the bed, and out of the way. This was much more comfortable. He ran his hands up and down her back again, loving the deep vally her lower back formed before arching out into her wide hips and shapely backside. She kissed the parts of his neck and jaw she could reach, and made a content little sigh as he squeezed her rear.

"You're amazing, you know that?" She said between tender kisses along his jaw. He snorted playfully and turned his head to nibble on her ear.

"That seems like an understatement when all you really have to compare me too are these southern so called "men"." He joked, voice husky. She chuckled, her tone somewhere between agreement and exasperation.

She wriggled closer to him, hiding her face against his neck. He ran his hands up her back again, his chin tucked on top of her head while her breathe slowly evened out.

His arm felt a little numb, after a while. But he didn't care. Once she was asleep, and there was no more friction against his member, it started to relax. With her soft breathe on his neck, her sweet smell filling his nose and her soft flesh under his hands, he fell asleep and slept better than he had a in a long time.

The following morning, he woke up when he felt a chill on his chest to find her slipping out of his arms and tucking him in with the blanket.
"Woman." He groaned, and reached for her to pull her back to him, his mind still thick with sleep. "It's still early."

"I need to get back to my rooms before my lady in waiting comes to call. If they do, and I don't answer there'll be a panic." She whispered, though she lingered long enough to crawl back over and kiss him. She hummed contently as they parted, and smiled fondly at him. "You are so handsome." She breathed. "Thank you, for last night."

He was tired enough that he forgot to smirk, and just smiled dopily up at her.

"I love you." He said, without a thought as his eyes drifted shut. He could still feel her warmth on his lips. The bed shifted, and things were still.

The next thing he knew someone was knocking on his door.

"King Vegeta!" Cabba called, his voice heavily muffled through the thick wooden door.

"Coming!" Vegeta grumbled tiredly. He was torn between wanting to stay in bed, and wanting to leave. The place wasn't nearly as inviting as he'd have liked without Bulma there to warm the sheets.

He decided it was best to start the day, and with great effort pushed himself out of bed and let Cabba inside.

Normally he was the sort to wash before bed so that he wouldn't be sleeping in the dirt of the day, but this morning he had a bath to start the day, so that he would be properly clean before the funeral.

After he was dry the Keeper of the Wardrobe entered, carrying a white toga for him to wear. This surprised him some. In the north, black was worn at funerals, but this was the cleanest white he'd ever seen.

It was in the style of the other's they'd dressed him in, only today they didn't secure it with ornate pins, or a belt with a golden buckle, but rather it was tied closed with a modest rope of woven silk and gold threads. He supposed there was some tradition to this, but he didn't know what it was.

"Cabba." He said, realizing he had someone he could ask without shame. "Do all Southerners wear white to funerals?"

"To a kings funeral, yes." He said, eager to answer and be helpful. "Normally, people wear black to funerals, but to a king or queens, everyone except direct family wears white!"

"Why is that?" He asked as he lifted his arm so the Keeper of the Wardrobe could secure the toga with a small pin that vanished into the folds.

"To represent new beginnings, and to separate themselves from the family! You see, it's believed here that the soul of a person can't move on until their body is buried or burned, and they bid their family goodbye. Since a King or Queen would be loved by so many, everyone attending wears white, while the direct family wears black so that the spirit can find them in the crowd! Death is also seen as just the first step in the eternal life! So the white is to celebrate their re-birth in the great paradice!" He said, clearly deeply enthralled with the topic. Vegeta nodded to show he was listening, but he didn't really care.

"How long will Bulma be expected to wear black?"

"The family of a dead king wears black until there's a new king or queen!"

"I see." He said and stepped down off the dias to put on the simple sandals they'd given him. They were weaved of the same white and gold silk threads as the rope around his waist and holding his toga and cape on his shoulders. When he looked up, he was rather surprised to see the Keeper of the Wardrobe holding a crown atop a pillow.

Southern crowns were usually some sort of thin elegant thing, usually gold or made of something just as precious, and cast in the shape of delicate vines with leafs. Even the mens. But the crown sitting before him now was decidedly Northern in style. A thick solid band that came to seven points with one being a little taller than the others. Though unlike in the North rather than gold, this crown was made of white gold and encrusted with beautiful white gems that looked of moonlight turned solid.

Vegeta picked it up, and looked at the inner band. It was padded with soft velvet. Also unlike the North, where if the crown dug a little into your head, than that was just part of the pain you had to bear to be king.

The Keeper of the Wardrobe looked deeply uncomfortable as Vegeta put it on, and made sure it was straight.

"What?" Vegeta asked, frowning.

"Sire, in the south someone else has to put your crown on." Cabba said. "I already explained to him that in the North a King's power is taken, not given." Vegeta gave the boy an approving nod, and he positively beamed at him.

"Try not to look too happy." He teased. "Today isn't a happy day."

With some effort, Cabba nodded and stopped smiling.

Bulma

She only just got back to her room before she heard knocking. With a sigh, she padded across the soft carpets and removed the bar. She stood by the window with her back towards the door before calling "Come in!"

She heard shuffling behind her, and in the reflection of the glass, she saw Videl step in, head hanging.
"Princess, Good morning." She said timidly.

Bulma turned to her.
"I'm sorry I slapped you last night." She said, shoulders square. "I shouldn't have done it. I offer you my blessing to honorably step down as my Lady in Waiting if you wish."

Videl looked up, eyes wide.
"Princess?"

"Do you wish to step down?"

"No, Princess!" She said quickly. "Princess, I'm sorry for my discretion!" The words burst out of her and she fell to her knees before Bulma. "I'm so sorry. Because of me, Queen Chi-Chi was left to suffer all day. I'll never assume to know anything of your wishes again." Tears streamed from her eyes, and Bulma felt a rather large stab of guilt for what she'd done.

"Thank you, Videl. Please stand." She crouched down and gently helped Videl to her feet. "It was your first day, and it wasn't an easy one. Serving someone who still grieves the loss of her old Lady in Waiting must have been hard. I made it harder on you, and for that you have my apology. One day it will be your job to whittle out information and requests that I don't have time for. But that will come after you've served me long enough to know better what I need to hear, and what I do not need to hear. We are at war, so that time will not come until it is ended. But in time, you will come to know me, and I will come to know you. Than you will be able to make those decisions without speaking directly to me about it. In the meantime, do not fear anger on my part for bringing me seemingly unimportant or useless information. Alright?"

"Ofcourse, Princess. Thank you for not dismissing me." She choked back a sob, and wiped her face on the back of her hand.

"Excellent." Bulma said with a small smile that she didn't really feel. She had thought offering Videl a honorable way out was the best she could do. Bulma couldn't imagine why she would want to keep working for someone who done something as horrible as hit her.

She enjoyed the quiet while she washed and dressed. It let her think on Vegeta's mumbled words. "I love you" he'd said. Did he mean it, or was he so asleep that he hadn't realized what he was saying? Her mind raced. She knew he cared for her, but love? It was one thing to want to marry someone. Especially people in their position. The fact that they were mutually attracted to one another, and had formed a friendship was about as good as it got for Royals in a profitable marriage. She certainly felt very strongly for him. But was it love?

The keeper of the Wardrobe dressed her in a black silk toga, and the high priest was brought in to place the crown on her head. It was a crown of black gold and black crystals made to look like a ring of vines bearing black roses that sparkled in the light.

She hated this crown. She'd had to wear it when her mother died, but it had been to big for her than. The stylist had been forced to curl her hair around a thick roll of fabric wrapped around her head so the crown would have something to sit on. It had inadvertently started the trend of wearing what seemed to be one thick curl around one's head to funerals. Today her hair was blessedly styled very simply, as was the religious tradition for such events.

Throughout the very ceremonial process of dressing this morning, she longed to go and see Vegeta. To crawl back into his arms and feel his hands on her waist, and his stubley chin against her neck.

But she needed to see Chi-Chi. Both to hear her story, and to get her mind off Vegeta's confession, and the ever looming funeral. But she had to wait until she was properly dressed. She didn't have much time before the funeral, so as soon as the High Priest was done with his prayer, she was on her feet, and rushing as much as she could without being rude to the door.

The guards outside Chi-Chi's room knocked and announced her arrival. Bulma waited for Chi-Chi's called "Come in!" Before entering.

Vegeta was already there. He and Chi-Chi sat in the plush chairs arranged by the fireplace, which sat unlit. Chi-Chi was already dressed in a simple white tunic, wearing a crown in the southern style of white. The stylist had cleaned up her chopped hair, and she looked very pretty now. The short hair showed off her long neck, and heart shaped face.

Vegeta had a lovely Northern style crown of white atop his head. Bulma was surprised at how lovely a job the jeweler managed to do in such a short time. Sadly, there was no time to follow tradition and provide a white crown in the style of Fire Mountain for Chi-Chi.

"Chi-Chi!" Bulma greeted, and bowed as low as she dare with this oversized crown on her had. Chi-Chi and Vegeta both stood, and bowed back to her.

"About time you got here." Vegeta teased lightly. Bulma smiled at him, and crossed the room to Hug Chi-Chi, who stiffened in surprise at the contact.

"Chi-Chi, I'm so thrilled you're here. How are you feeling?"

"Much better now that I'm healed, rested, and fed. Thank you, Princess." Chi-Chi said sincerely..

Bulma sighed in relief.

"Thank the gods. We were worried sick about you. I was in the North when the Cold's message that you were alive got to them." She said, and joined them by the fireplace. She eyed Vegeta curiously. Nothing seemed different about his demeanor. Maybe he really had said it in his sleep. Bulma pushed those thoughts from her mind. It was important that she pay attention to Chi-Chi now.

"I'm sorry to arrive at such a sad time in your life. I'm so sorry for your loss. Your father was a Great King." Chi-Chi said respectfully.

"Thank you. I'm so sorry for the loss of your father as well. He was killed when the Colds attacked Fire Mountain, was he not?"

"He was." She said sadly.

"We will avenge them. Our fathers. We'll destroy the Colds, and their armies." She said passionately. Chi-Chi smiled a little for the first time.

"Thank you. I'm sure you have questions for me. Vegeta has been kind enough to wait until you got here so that I wouldn't have to tell it twice."

"I do, of course. If you don't mind we would like to know how you were taken, and held, and how you escaped and came to arrive here. In short- we should like to know everything." Bulma said, and turned to Videl.
"Have out meals brought here, please."

"Of course, Princess." Videl bowed, and left them alone. Chi-Chi smiled gratefully.

"Well, they took me before they gassed Fire Mountain Castle. They must have some sort of sleeping gas as well, because I woke up as they were carrying me away- and I could see it. The yellow gas seeping out of the doors and windows. It was night. Those unlucky enough to be just inside it's range coughing and screaming in pain… It's lucky Goku and Gohan were in the North, visiting his mother. She's very sick, you see- oh!" Chi-chi's mouth formed a circle O and she looked to Bulma. "But, you were there! I suppose that means she's-"

"Healed, yes." Vegeta answered.

"Oh! Oh good! I always liked her rather a lot. She shared my passion for making Gohan a brilliant King. But- back to the story…" Her face fell a little. "They kept knocking me out. I'd wake up just long enough to eat, and drink, and than they'd put me out again. By the time I arrived in their country I didn't know where I was. I just knew I had to get out. I knew they'd try and use me for ransom at some point.

I was there for… for months. They kept me in a small room with several other prisoners. All young women. They'd only come inside to feed us, and…" She swallowed. "Rape us."

Bulma gasped, at the same time Vegeta punched the small table beside his chair and leapt to his feet in outrage. Chi-Chi flinched, and held her eyes shut for a moment while she forced herself to be calm. The table beside Vegeta's chair crumbled.
"My apologies, Chi-Chi." He said after a moment. "I didn't mean to startle you, I simply- cannot believe they would- To dishonor someone, especially someone of your status in such a way-" He looked furious.

"Your anger is just." She said, a cool fury in her tone. She took a deep shaking breath and Bulma couldn't tell if she was trying to calm herself, or gather her courage. "Eventually, they brought more prisoners. Girls from the north. They told me that everyone thought I was dead. I felt more hopeless than ever. No one would come and save me. I was stuck until the Colds either traded me like cattle, or killed me to punish my husband." She glared at the floor. "One evening, while Cold's younger son Cooler was- was in my cell." She left the horrible indication in the air. "I managed to steal some of the pins out of his hat.

"I was going to pick the lock, and get out- but one night… they raped the girl I was trapped with to death. She was only 12. I was so furious- so mad that when they unchained me so more of them could- get to me- I snapped, and fought them. All four. I killed them. I thought I might be a decent enough fighter to get out, but I didn't dare try before. I feared how many guards stood between me, and freedom. I'm a skilled fighter, but I'm not so foolish that I'd try to fight my way out of a heavily armed castle full of guards alone, and unarmed.

"But in my rage, I didn't care. I just acted. Once those four were dead, the two out front came in and I used my chained wrists to fight back. It was a small cell, only one could really fit in at a time. Couldn't swing a sword properly. Once they were dead, I stole their armor, clothes, weapons and keys. Disguised, I moved through the dungeon where they were keeping me, and killed guard after guard. Each of thinking I was an ally until my blade pierced their bellies.

"Eventually, I managed to free everyone in my dungeon. They took the fallen guards swords and armor, and we snuck out, through the sewers until we found ocean. We stuck together at first, but when we hit the beach, and saw the Cold's men… they scattered. We all went in different directions and I never did find any of them again. So, I fled too. I changed my disguise since by now the Colds had alerted everyone that someone in guards armor was an escaped royal.

"I was so filthy by now though, that all I needed was a tattered cloak, and a long tunic and I blended in with the people. I was still in the Berserker Capitol, Chao. They're all poor there. There are no lords, no ladys, and no citizen had enough to eat unless they joined King Colds army. The people live under constant threat of being gassed if they misbehave. The soldiers just steal everything they need from the people. It's horrible. WIth my new disguise, I snuck onto a tradeship amongst a group of people who'd pitched in to buy bunks on the lower deck. By the time they noticed me it was too late. We were sailing North, and they didn't dare out me for fear of being accused of sneaking me on board. So, I made it to the Isle of Life's Southern most border, and I… walked.

"I hunted for food, stole some along the way. I avoided main roads incase of a Cold Army invasion, but that meant I had to deal with bandits. I killed the ones who tried to steal from me, than traded their stuff for food along the way. I broke my leg, so it was slow going, and I couldn't stop for long. Every time I did, I was accosted by bandits. Nice towns wouldn't take me because of the state of me, and I didn't dare strip to bathe incase someone saw me. A Cold spy or something. The night before last, I made it here and went straight to the castle. Surely, someone would recognize me. Someone here had to know my father, or me. Somehow. The castle guards took pity on me, and went to tell you. While they did, they let me wait by the fountain.

The next morning, they came out and told me they knew Queen Chi-Chi was dead. But they still pitied me, with a broken leg. They told me their Princess and King Vegeta were here, and that the Princess had the power to heal, and that if she came to see the public I could join in, and receive your healing. Than, later that same day you opened your doors. I knew this was my chance. Even if Vegeta wasn't with you, I thought I could beg you to fetch him, that he would prove to you it was me and then… You know the rest." She finished, and looked between the two of them while they absorbed her tale.

She'd skimmed over the worst of it, that much was clear to Bulma.
"Thank you, for telling us all this, Chi-Chi." Bulma said, and reached out to take Chi-Chi's hands into her own. "This will sound unbelievable, but I have… a steed, that can fly."

"I heard word of it, actually. I didn't believe it." She said matter of factly.

"It's true. It's how I escaped the castle the night they came for me. He's… a very intelligent being. He knows Goku. He likes him. I'll send him to fetch Goku, and bring him here. Once he knows you're here- Goku will come." Bulma promised. Chi-Chi smiled tearfully at her, and wiped her face on her hand.

"Thank you."

"I'm sorry that the first thing you must do after getting here is attend a funeral. In fact, you have no obligation to come at all." Bulma told her. "You can stay here, and rest all day. Rest, and lounge and eat, and sleep and feel at peace."

"I won't feel at peace until King Cold is dead." She spat. "But, I will attend your fathers Funeral. It's the least I can do, to show my respect." She stood up, and folded her hands neatly in front of her. She looked a little stiff, and out of place. Bulma could only imagine how odd it must feel to be surrounded by such comfort after months on the road.

"Chi-Chi, I would be honored to escort you, as your brother by marriage." Vegeta said as he got to his feet and extended his arm. Chi-Chi smiled thankfully and looped her arm in his. Bulma felt an odd jealousy at their linked arms. She didn't think Vegeta was attracted to Chi-Chi, nor did she really think Chi-Chi was attracted to him. She just wished she could have walked arm in arm with him to the funeral. To feel his bicep under her hand, and his strong frame beside her. She hadn't realized how much she'd been counting on having Vegeta's support beside her to give her strength as she march towards her father's final farewell. She would do this alone.

Notes: Thanks for reading this fic! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and as always I love reading your reviews so please let me know what you think and tune in next week for the update!