AN: Hey everyone! Well, this feels awkward. It's been quite some time since I updated this story. Just when it was getting to a good part, too. I'm sorry about that. I think I've said it before, but things have gotten really hectic, and it will probably remain that way until the end of the year. I am still doing all I can to update as often as possible, believe it or not. I hope this little chapter feels worth the wait. :) Thanks for sticking with me on this.

Stirring from a dreamless slumber, Vegeta's eyes were upon the dozing Bluehead as soon as his lids opened. Her head resting on one of his biceps, she was facing him with a careless expression as she slept. Her pale skin was smooth, with not a single worried crease upon her forehead, and it was clear that she felt completely safe with him. There was no day or night during space travel, and yet to Vegeta it felt like a calm morning every time he woke with her curled up like this. And, each morning, all he'd do was study her, amazed that she was actually there in his arms. Those moments were always so peaceful, but then reality would all come back to his drowsy mind, and he would quickly find himself in a panic.

Had he done the wrong thing?

When Vegeta had given in and agreed that she could join on the trip, he'd been so emotionally exhausted. With his stamina, such fatigue was a state he was not accustomed to, which had rendered him vulnerable enough. Relief and pride that she'd risked so much to be with him had overridden his rationale. And now she was with him… She was tagging along on this trip. It was haunting to wonder if it wasn't too late to turn around and take her home, despite the progress they'd already made in distance. Yet he could never quite bring himself to do this, in spite of himself. It would be so easy to redirect the ship, especially when she was asleep... But then the memory of her sad and desperate eyes would come back, and his rationale would be compromised yet again.

What he couldn't understand at all, and yet was amazed by the most, was her determination. The saiyan had done all he could to push her away, to leave her behind, and yet she'd equally done all in her power to stay. Bulma had even gone as far as to develop a new piece of technology! How many women would be capable - or mad enough - to do that? Why did she care so much!? When it came to him, what was there to even miss or desire? Vegeta didn't know why she would do such a thing - the concept was so foreign to him... And yet, he rather liked it...

He liked it, damnit!

Despite his better judgement, he liked that she admired him so much. He liked that she seemed as if she'd do anything to be with him. He WANTED her to feel that way, and that way only for him! And it terrified him that, even though he didn't understand her mind at all for doing such a thing, he also somehow understood her sentiments completely. The saiyan had nearly gone mad with his own yearnings for the Bluehead before he'd discovered her on the ship, hadn't he? If the roles had been reversed and she were the one leaving, he was fairly certain he'd do whatever he could to follow her...

At some point during his ponderings, Bulma woke up. Before Vegeta knew it, she was staring back into his glazed eyes. She smiled, placing her fingers to his cheek, effectively encouraging him to come out of his mental angst. The Bluehead rather enjoyed waking like this, with Vegeta laying right in front of her and looking so thoughtful as he watched her. His eyes, so dark and bottomless, seemed to never blink when he was in this mood. Without even a crack of his intense expression, he put his hand to Bulma's wrist, holding her in place as she cupped his cheek. And he let out a deep sigh.

"I like this." She breathed, her voice groggy with residual sleep. "... I like you..."

He just sighed again, finally closing his eyes for what seemed like the first time since she woke. The Bluehead only continued to smile as he relaxed into her palm. She'd noticed that, since their departure, he hardly ever told her she was wrong for her affections towards him. Unlike his behavior on Earth, now he simply accepted it when she professed her feelings or claimed to trust him. Not once had he dismissed what she said, turned her away, deflected, or argued about her adoration. He just let her say what she wanted to, and in return he usually responded with an unspoken gesture. A sigh, a kiss, a smirk... Whatever he opted to do, it always felt as satisfying as if he were returning her sentiments ver batum.

"Gohan's been awake for a while." He finally muttered, which was not what she'd been expecting him to say.

"Training or eating?" The Bluehead pulled back from his cheek, recognizing that he was ready to commence with being a hard-ass for the rest of the day. She sat up and stretched her arms over her head, groaning as she felt the tightness in her stomach. "Speaking of eating, I'm hungry."

"You should be." The saiyan's eyes moved from her face to her stomach, which seemed to nod at him as she adjusted her posture. It had been weeks since the start of their journey, and her belly had been transforming. Lately it had started taking the shape of a pleasant little bulge, and when he looked at it he was reminded of a little ball that he always wanted to prod with his finger. Sometimes he really would poke her, curiously wanting to see how dense her stomach was. But all he felt was the comfort of soft inviting flesh, rather than the hard cocoon that felt would be more suiting for his growing child.

"We're getting low on food." Bulma sighed, throwing the blanket off her body. "I tried my best to stock enough for us all, but that's hard to do with you and Gohan's appetite."

"And yours."

"Hey!" She was in the middle of pulling her nightshirt off, but she paused in mid-act so she could shoot him an incredulous look.

"Why do you always take it as a bad thing when I say that?" Vegeta smirked back. "It's good you're finally starting to eat your share. You should have been doing that long ago."

"Well, it's a touchy subject…" She was actually blushing.

"Seriously, Woman, do the people of Earth not understand the concept of survival at all? You need food to live."

"Yeah, and with the amount I've been consuming, it won't be long before my body completely changes." She was frowning, looking down at her own torso thoughtfully. "What'll you think when that happens? What if I become twice as big as I am now? I won't be the same person I was when we met, and you'll be regretting your words."

"That's stupid." He folded his arms behind his head as he continued looking up at her from where he lay, and there was no hint of a lie on his face. "Who cares if you grow? It doesn't matter what size you become - of course you'll be the same Woman you are now!"

She bit her lip as she pulled a strand of hair between her fingers uncomfortably. Feeling awkward at how she had suddenly blurted out her insecurities. Feeling unsure of how to respond to the saiyan's reassurances, despite how comforting it was to hear those words leave his lips...

"What is it with the human being and their bizarre affliction with eating? I will repeat myself - you NEED food to live. What is there to think about? You're SUPPOSED to eat! Your body will adapt into what it's meant to be, and that should make no difference to you, damnit! You're still going to be the same insufferable woman - just as much of a pain in my ass as always."

"Hm, well..." Bulma smiled awkwardly, fluffing a bit of her hair. "Well, thank you."

"Thanks? For what?" Now it was Vegeta to stand from the bed, but it was to follow her lead and get dressed as well. "All I did was state facts."

"Which was nice of you to do, so I'm expressing my gratitude."

"The fact that you think me explaining how food works is a nice gesture... How bizarre..." He shrugged before pulling one of his spandex shirts on. "Your race has some progress to make, Woman. That is, if they don't all die of starvation first."

"Well, since we're on the subject of food, we're going to need more of it. We'll run out soon."

"Noted..." Vegeta had already put thought into this, and he'd already punched coordinates into the navigation system that would bring them to a planet they would soon be passing by. They were due to land the following day. With a grunt, the saiyan pulled his boots on over his spandex pants before looking up to nod at the groggy Bluehead. "Gohan and I will take care of it. We'll stock up on supplies tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" She sighed. "I figured there'd be somewhere we could stop at today."

"Of course, there's a few pit stops we could make... That is, if you'd like to consume poisonous substances that will turn your intestines into ash before bringing you to an excruciating death." Vegeta looked so casual as he spoke... "Or, if you'd prefer a menu consisting of nontoxic options, we'll just wait and make the stop tomorrow."

"When you put it like that..." Bulma has gotten dressed and was following Vegeta to the bedroom door. "I guess we'll just need to ration our supplies, then. You and Gohan will have to eat light today."

"Of course, you'd have us two making the compromises..." He looked over his shoulder before pushing the door open.

"Of course!" Bulma smiled back, making sure to exhibit all of her pearly whites. "I need food to survive, after all..."

.

"Don't mind Mr. Vegeta! He's actually really nice!"

"Would you stop saying that?!" Vegeta and Gohan were trudging out of a covered shop, carrying two capsules loaded with groceries as they went. The saiyan prince had yanked the boy by the wrist as he'd started babbling, pulling him for the door as they briskly made their exit. "Stop telling everyone that I'm nice!"

"But, you are! And I can tell you're scaring them!" Gohan replied. They had been moving from shop to shop since they'd landed on this dessert planet, having left Bulma back in the ship. Vegeta had been adamant that he not be seen with her, concerned that word of him traveling with a strange woman would somehow make its way to Frieza. He'd been snarling and yelling at any local that made the mistake of looking him in the eye, and Gohan didn't like seeing the consequential jolt of terror that would rise on their poor faces. "They're really frightened of you, Mr. Vegeta."

"Good." The saiyan prince grit his teeth. "I am supposed to be feared! It's better they tremble at my presence than assume I've grown soft. If they cherish their lives, they'll keep their mouths shut about my being here."

"But-"

"-One more public word about my alleged kindness, boy, and I will destroy a village just to rebut your claims." He was speaking low now, as if to make sure Gohan was the only person who would hear him. "The only reason I haven't already unleashed my wrath is because Bulma asked me not to."

"Do you think she'll like any of the stuff we got, anyway?" Gohan was attempting to change the subject, but he could feel his own temperature rising from Vegeta's threat. He respected his mentor, but the idea of any innocent civilians being hurt was something he couldn't take lightly. He didn't understand how the saiyan could be so comfortable with saying things so horrific. "I mean, I don't know if she's going to like this food..."

"Of course, she will!" The saiyan prince grumped. "Have you seen her lately? The Woman hardly chews before swallowing anymore! She'll be just fine! All she'll care about is that's it's edible."

.

"What the hell is this?!" Bulma was staring, wide eyed, at the pile of food that Gohan had decapsulated on the counter. The boy looked at her blankly, trying to decide if her question was worth answering, or if he should just let Vegeta deal with it.

As if reading his mind, the saiyan prince stepped into the kitchenette at that precise moment, the deep clearing of his throat announcing his presence. "It's food."

"This?" Her cerulean eyebrows crinkled as she turned to the stonefaced man. "You call this FOOD?!"

"Well, yeah..." Gohan said.

"Look at it, Vegeta! How are we supposed to live off this?!"

The prince's eyes trailed to the assortment of bowls that were strewed across the counter. Without a word, his pupils drew back to Bulma's. It was clear that he saw no issue with the haul, and likely didn't understand what her grievances were about. "Are you serious?" She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "It's a bunch mud!"

"Not all of it!" Gohan offered. "Look, Miss Bulma. This stuff is orange. It's not mud!"

She looked from Vegeta to the child, and her wide eyes narrowed as she examined what he held in his hands. "That stuff," She growled. "Is BUBBLING. It looks like a bunch of tar! It's nothing but orange sludge!"

"Woman, you said you wanted food..."

"Exactly! I wanted food! Not TAR! I can't eat that?! I mean, wanted... I... I don't know, I've been craving something more along the lines of strawberry shortcake, or bean pastries... I was thinking I'd get something like that... Definitely not TAR!"

"Miss Bulma, it really doesn't taste bad!" Gohan tried once more, stepping closer. Just as he did, the thick substance in his bowl recoiled. A large orange bubble oozed to the top of the goo, popping with a loud belch as the bubble reached the surface. He looked down at the bowl, as if this had been purposeful and he'd been betrayed. His argument had been completely defeated.

"Eventually you'll learn to lower your expectations." Vegeta grumbled then, scowling at the back of Bulma's head. "We aren't on Earth anymore. Did you really believe that civilians on foreign planets would consume the same type of food that you're accustomed to? Be glad that this will suffice with your nutritional needs, Bulma, and get used to it."

"Hmph!" She shot back with a flip of her hair. "Well, excuse me for having TASTE! You two ENJOY your muck! I'm suddenly not hungry anymore! If you need me, I'll be in the bath!" And then she left, her bare feet clapping across the tiled floor as she marched through the main room. Looking deflated, Gohan set the oozing bowl back down on the counter, his eyes narrowed as he studied the goop. "I told you she wouldn't like it."

"Whatever." Vegeta went for a drawer and fished out a spoon. He took a few steps away, before he paused. And then he went back to the drawer, this time also retrieving a knife. He snatched the bowl of orange monstrosity that Gohan had been sporting, and he furiously stabbed his spoon through the mixture before moving for a seat. "Spoiled Earthlings..."

.

Bulma sighed as she eased back into the steaming tub of frothy water, her back slick against the porcelain. She clapped her hands together, laying them carefully on her stomach as she closed her eyes. If she had to guess, she'd say she was about three and a half months pregnant at this point. That seemed to be the most logical calculation, for she was fairly certain that the baby had been conceived the very first time she'd had sex with Vegeta.

That in of itself was crazy, to be certain. For it wasn't impossible to get pregnant after just one rump - but what were the odds? What were the odds that they had been staying together for weeks, and that they happened to finally consummate whatever their relationship was at the precise moment she was most fertile? Bulma had a theory on that, though she had no way of studying or proving her hypothesis. Could it be that her fertile state had released pheromones that made her irresistible to the saiyan? Or perhaps there was some opposite type of science, rendering him irresistible to her when his sperm was most apt. It was interesting! He certainly had far more adept senses than her, and that possibility of either didn't seem too far off...

But now she was already three and half months along, and her concerns over these impending changes were starting to consume her every waking moment. Her appetite had become insatiable as of late. Was it because she really didn't have much else to do other than eat? She'd already completed the shackles for Vegeta and Gohan. While they weren't strong enough to completely conceal their ki, it certainly dimmed their auras enough to have made Vegeta laugh and insist on using them each time they trained. Bulma had also already finished fixing her dragon radar. What was she to do without any other projects?

It had become an absolute obsession to chow down, to the point that it had become an anxiety. It was as if her body was completely aware of every centimeter that unborn child grew, warning her that something bad might be about to happen if she didn't eat. As if skipping a meal was as reckless as jumping into a pool of acid. The only time her nerves weren't shot was the few moments after waking, and once she was completely awake it was all downhill from there. All she could think of was food! She needed food, damnit, and how unfair was it that she'd finally become ravenous when they were millions of lightyears away from anything that was remotely delicious?! Why should she have to be doomed to eat that disgusting viscous goop, when every other girl on Earth got to live in comfort and cake during their times of maternity?

'Well,' She gulped as she thought. 'I guess it isn't all bad... They might all have gotten nice pregnancies, but... none of them are probably still alive...'

"Miss Bulma!" Gohan's voice rattled from the other side of the door, causing the irritable Bluehead to jump and splash herself in the face with bath water. Kami - this sucked! It seemed that things were just getting worse and worse. "Miss Bulma?"

"What is it?!" She snapped, rubbing suds from her eyes. Could she not even brood in peace? What was she supposed to do? Where could she go?!

"I need to use the bathroom!"

"Well, I'm trying to take a bath. You'll have to hold it in!" She turned the tap on, grabbed a nearby washcloth, and held it under the water. Once it was saturated she started rubbing her eyelids clean with it, trying to rid herself of the stinging sensation that came from getting bubbles in her eyes. It worked - she felt a relief from the sting, but her eyes were still watering anyway.

"Miss Bulma!"

She wiped her tears away furiously, trying to keep her breath steady. Jeez - how did she get here? Not even six months ago her life was completely normal. She'd been living her days with the perfect routine, none of her friends were dead, her city had been thriving, and she was even thinking about getting her own place and moving out of her parents' house. To start her own subdivision of Capsule Corp... And now? Now, nearly everyone she'd known in her life was more than likely dead. Her parents and ex-boyfriend were hiding out in some post-apocalyptic bunker, her house was a pile of ash, she was pregnant, hormonal, had no food, nothing to occupy her time, had no luxurious comforts, and she couldn't even take a bath in privacy anymore. 'When we find those dragon balls,' She thought. 'All I want to wish for is for things to go back to normal. I just want a normal life again!'

Suddenly the door flew open, and Gohan came sprinting through the bathroom. "Hey!" The Bluehead shot, but he ignored her as he darted for the toilet. "I- I'm in here!"

But his arms were shaking as he furiously tugged at his pants, ripping away at the zipper. Wide eyed, Bulma turned to face the wall as she listened to the sound of a steady flow of liquid wooshing into the toilet, along with Gohan's deep sigh of relief. "Ahhh..."

"Hmph!" She scowled. She folded her arms over her chest - just in case the layer of bubbles in the water wasn't concealing her body enough.

"I needed this." Gohan sighed. Uncomfortable, Bulma's lip twitched as she listened to the sound of his continued stream. It was rather loud... How long did it take a little boy to empty his bladder?! "I've been holding it in since we left that planet, and I didn't get a chance to go before you came in here."

"Well, would you hurry it up already?!" The Bluehead shot. "Good lord, kid!"

"Will you two just shut up?!" Vegeta's voice boomed from the main room... He was yelling, but it was slightly muffled... Was his mouth full? "I'm tired of listening to you!"

"Hey! Watch who you're talking to!" Bulma shot back. "I'm the one whose privacy is being violated, you know!"

"Ahh..." Gohan sighed again, ignoring the complaints of the adults as he continued on with his task.

Dishes clacked, as if he were furiously shoveling even more gruel in his face. "What – wait, did he see you?!" Vegeta's voice barked back. There was a bit more of an edge in his tone this time, followed by the loud gulping of food.

"Of course not!"

"Oh... Good. Well then, SHUT UP!"

"All done!" Gohan beamed as he flushed the toilet and ran to wash his hands. A second later, and he had left the Bluehead all alone in the bathroom once again. As if nothing had happened. She sat there, nibbling on her lip as she listened to the toilet running. That, intermingled with the slight drip of the sink's faucet, was far from relaxing. What kind of bath was this turning out to be? She could hear Vegeta lecturing Gohan from the other room. "Boy, if she saw your private bits, I SWEAR..."

What a waste of a bath! Now she felt even more aggravated - and it didn't help that she was hungry, too! She was hungry - and as soon as she got out she was going to have to walk out there and eat that disgusting potent gook for dinner.

"No, Mr. Vegeta! I swear! She was looking at the wall!"

"You'd better be right about that, boy! I don't care if you're a child - you're still male, and she shouldn't be exposed to your-"

"God, I can't wait to get to Namek..." Bulma muttered, leaning back to sink even deeper into the tub. Perhaps with water in her ears she wouldn't be able to hear the bizarre argument that was currently taking place out there. "... This ship is getting to be way too small..."

AN: Thanks again. Namek is coming in the next update. :)