Chapter 15

It was just after midnight when Bulma found herself standing outside the door to Vegeta's quarters. She had the entire afternoon to think through her game plan for that night. Her new-found feelings for Vegeta were too sensitive at the moment. She knew that if given the chance she wouldn't hesitate to forget about her resolve to distance herself from him. No she needed to keep a firm footing. She was going in there to help him out and coming out without Vegeta by her side.

Breathing in deeply she knocked hesitantly on the door.

A few seconds after she knocked the door opened quickly and a strong arm grabbed her wrist quickly pulling her inside before shutting the door.

"Eeeeep!" Bulma squealed in surprise at the feeling of her body being pulled roughly inside.

"Took you long enough woman. What were you waiting for the sun to rise before you showed up?!" Vegeta glared at her crossing his arms across his chest.

"Well excuse me. I unlike some people over here actually have a job to do" Bulma glared back matching his stance.

"Tch whatever woman. Look let's sort this mess out quickly so we can make the necessary preparations for tomorrow" he said making his way towards the couch and plopping down unceremoniously.

"Okay... what preparations?" Bulma said uncertainly following him and taking a seat on the couch opposite him.

Vegeta looked at her carefully, determined to stick to his resolve to not hurt her. If he was going to use her, he was going to make sure she knew exactly what she was committing herself to. He would ensure that she had the choice of getting herself involved in his mess. If she didn't want to be a part of his plan, then he would accept it and just try to figure something else out. She was too precious to him and the last thing he wanted to do was to lose her trust.

Vegeta ran a hand through his hair, thinking of the best way to approach this. "Alright woman, I have a plan. But before I get into the details I want to let you know that I am giving you full authority to walk away if you don't want to get involved or if you feel it would be too much for you" he said looking at her dead in the eye.

Bulma arched her eyebrow curiously. "Sheesh always one for the dramatics aren't you Veg head?" she said smirking slightly. "Is what you have up your sleeve so unlawful that for the first time since I've known you, you are actually giving me a choice in the matter? Now you've really got me curious" a playful tone lacing her voice.

"Agggh woman this isn't some kind of joke! This is serious business. The future of the monarchy is at stake here! I'm trying to be the nice person that I am and actually considering your position. Either take it or leave it" he said crossing his arms firmly across his chest.

"Fine fine calm your face. I get it. I'll keep your offer in mind" she said waving him off. "Now onto the juicy details. What exactly is your plan?" she asked rubbing her hands together in anticipation.

Vegeta eyed her carefully observing her eager expression and curious eyes. It was now or never. Sighing to himself he laid out his master plan to her. "Okay woman so this is what I have in mind. Currently my mate situation is such that I haven't found a suitable candidate that meets my criteria and I absolutely refuse to take any of those whores my father keeps throwing at me. If I don't walk into that dining hall tomorrow with the future queen of Vegetasei on my arm I can pretty much say goodbye to the throne for good. But that's the thing. I only need to show up with a potential mate for tomorrow."

Bulma rolled her eyes at his explanation and waved her hand impatiently at him. "I know all this already Vegeta just get to the interesting stuff" she said huffing slightly at his procrastination.

"Kami woman will you shut up and let me finish?" he said angrily. "I'm getting there if you would just listen" Vegeta frowned his eyebrows creasing together.

"Alright alright continue then your highness" she said mockingly.

"Hmph as I was saying, I only need a mate for tomorrow."

"Uh okay..." Bulma said uncertainly not really seeing what he was getting at.

Vegeta continued seeing that she was not picking up on what he was hinting at. Looks like he had to be a bit more obvious about his intentions. Maybe the woman wasn't as smart as she claims to be he thought smirking to himself.

"Let me elaborate since you seem rather slow today" he smirked watching her eyes narrow at him. "So the mate system works such that the prince is required to present his mate to the royal order on the day of his 21st birthday. After this day the mate which the prince chooses has a few months before the official crowning. This time period is normally in force to ensure that the future queen is adequately trained before she has to carry out her duties. But that's the thing, this time period is what I plan on playing with" he eyed her carefully.

"Right so how exactly?" Bulma asked still confused as to his actual plan.

"I plan on taking a temporary mate, so to say, just for tomorrow's celebration. After which I'll still have a few months to choose a proper queen. I'll then break off with my temporary mate and take my chosen queen as my true and final mate." Vegeta said cringing slightly at how selfish he sounded. There was no honor in his plan at all and he knew it. At this point he wouldn't blame Bulma for flat out refusing him.

Bulma frowned slightly at his explanation. "But wouldn't that give the future queen less time to prepare herself for her duties? I mean if you plan to do this your proper mate might not receive adequate time to receive her training which could be quite devastating in the long run" she said thoughtfully her finger tapping lightly on her lips as she pondered over his plan.

Vegeta nodded slowly. "That's why I plan on finding a true mate as soon as possible after the birthday celebration."

Bulma huffed slightly eying him carefully. "Vegeta how do you plan on finding a mate in such a short time when you've been unable to do so for months?" she crossed her arms and stared at him accusingly.

"I'll just do it alright" he said starting to get annoyed. "Besides what other choice do I have? This is the only plan I can see that will remotely stand a chance of working especially with my father constantly on my back about this mess."

Bulma slapped her hand against her forehead in sudden realisation. "Damn that's right I completely forgot about your father! There's no way he'll never suspect something is going on. Especially since he knows that only the day before you hadn't chosen a mate as yet" she said running her hands through her hair slightly anxiously.

"No worries whoever I choose will have to be a pretty damn good actor" he said smirking at her.

"Ugh you and your criteria. That's what got us into this mess in the first place" she shook her head slightly at him. Vegeta felt something within him stir at her use of he word 'us'. It was reassuring that she hadn't outright abandoned him at this point. She was quite incredible for not straight up running away from him especially after all the trouble he seemed to cause her.

"What can I say a prince like me deserves the best" he said arrogantly crossing his arms across his chest trying not to reveal to her the thoughts currently running through his head.

Sighing at him Bulma decided to just let his comment slide. They had more pressing matters to deal with. "Alright so let's say that I agree with this plan of yours. Have you decided on who your temporary mate is going to be? Or do you expect me to perform my magic you seem to think I have and make a perfect woman appear before you?" she asked exasperatedly.

"Not this time woman. I've noticed your magic seems to have run out" he smirked at her.

"Ha ha very funny Vegeta" she said smiling slightly and rolling her eyes at him. "So then I can take it that that means you've chosen somebody? Who is it?" she asked curiously her head tiling slightly to the side.

Vegeta suddenly felt quite nervous and a sudden heat build up inside of him. Why was he getting so anxious to tell Bulma that he had in fact chosen her as his temporary mate? Was it because that he was afraid of what he would do if she rejected his offer or was it because he was afraid of her rejection at all? Considering his recent confusing feelings about her he had a sneaky suspicion that it was probably the latter.

Steeling himself for whatever response she might give him, he smirked and looked her straight in the eyes.

"I'm looking at her"

Vegeta watched as Bulma slowly digested what he was saying. Her face changed from confusion to downright shock to something more interesting. Curiously he watched as a slight blush coloured her cheeks and a bashful expression cross her face. However before he knew it her expression had steeled itself back to one of shock. If he hadn't known her for as long as he had, he would have probably missed that slight change in expression. Now that was certainly interesting and definetly something he hadn't been expecting. Could it be that Bulma was harboring some hidden feelings for him? He felt something within him jump slightly at the thought. Immediately he quelled whatever he was feeling to deal with the issue at hand, he'll sort out all this feeling nonsense later.

"Wha-...wait...me?" she stuttered still in shock.

"Yes you woman. Did I not make myself clear?" he smirked crossing his arms across his chest and leaning back into the couch cushions. He would be lying if he said he wasn't thoroughly enjoying her reaction.

"But...but...I...I'm not even saiyan" she squeaked out.

"So? There's nothing in Saiyan law specifically stating that the Queen has to be saiyan. I guess the law makers never thought of the possibility of the prince choosing a non-saiyan as his mate. Horrible miscalculation on their part if I do say so myself" he said smugly.

"Wait...I...but you wouldn't want me as your temporary mate Vegeta. We'd have to act like it was the real deal. Like we were actually mates" she said nervously thinking that he had not thought through his plan fully. She braced herself for his realisation and his forthcoming rejection.

"Yes we would. Weren't you listening to the plan woman? That was the whole point" he rolled his eyes at her mentally patting himself on the back for avoiding her question as to whether he would want her to play that role.

Bulma's mind in the meantime was in absolute turmoil. She was definitely not expecting this. There was no way she would be able to keep her growing feelings for Vegeta in check if she had to go through with his plan. Pretending to be his mate, his lover whilst knowing that such a thing would never come to pass would tear her apart. Her emotions were already unstable when it came to him, especially since she had acknowledged that she was falling for him at a pace beyond her control. No she couldn't do this. Vegeta wouldn't understand her reasons and there was no way she could tell them to him, but she knew if she agreed to follow through with this she would be hurting herself in the long run.

Bulma looked up hesitantly at him. His face was blank and emotionless but she could see every feeling of his swirling in his onyx eyes. He never did master how to hide his feelings from her. Maybe from everyone else but never her. She could see the anticipation and nervousness in his eyes. He was anxious waiting for her response and slightly irritated that he had to rely on someone else so much to decide his future. He was holding himself back, not pushing her, waiting for her to decide for herself what was best for her own future. That was when she realised why he had given her the option to back out if she wanted to. He knew that what he would be doing would be violating her right as a woman. Using her as a trophy before he discarded her for his own means. But that made all the difference.

He had given her the choice.

The Vegeta she knew never bent to anyone's will. He always took what he wanted regardless of the consequences to others. But for the first time he was giving her the benefit of the doubt. At a time which was so crucial to him and could potentially decide his future as King. It touched her heart slightly. She knew how much becoming King meant to him. He was preparing his whole life for this moment. If she had to say no, reject his offer everything he had worked for would be for nought. Bulma wasn't stupid. Regardless of what he would say, this plan of his was his last option. Considering that his birthday was tomorrow there was no way he could find another suitable candidate to be his temporary mate. Especially one that would agree to only be with him as a showcase until he found a true mate.

He truly was a man of honour.

Bulma sighed rubbing the back of her neck nervously. "I don't know Vegeta..." she trailed off softly.

"Look woman. I stand by what I said earlier. I won't force you into this. I am well aware of what this plan entails for you. After that incident with that scar-faced idiot a few years ago I would understand your reasons for not involving yourself with this. I am giving you the choice because I will never let you be used ever again" he said staring at her straight in the eyes.

Bulma felt her heart skip a beat at his words. So he was doing this all to try and protect her feelings. Her face heated up at the thought. If only he knew the real reason why she didn't want to go through with this plan. She would never feel used by Vegeta. Not him. He was always there to protect her. No, she was afraid of hurting herself. Fooling herself into a relationship that could never be. Suddenly Bulma felt very selfish. Here she was trying to protect her own feelings when right in front of her this man was giving up his whole future for the sake of her wellbeing. There was no way she could let Vegeta give everything up for her especially after everything he had done for her. She will just have to suck it up and control her emotions. She owed him at least that much. There was one thing she did know for certain though.

Whoever Vegeta did land up taking as his mate would be one lucky woman.

Bulma breathed in and stared at him confidently having made up her mind.

"Alright I'll do it"

Vegeta stared in mild surprise at the woman sitting before him. He had convinced himself that she was going to reject his offer for sure. There was no way she would agree especially since there was no benefit at all to her if she had to participate in his scheme. So her words were definitely not what he was expecting. But before they proceeded any further he had to make sure she knew exactly what she was getting herself into. He couldn't afford her backing out halfway through.

"Are you sure woman? This is your last chance to back out" he said eyeing her carefully watching her reaction.

Bulma nodded confidently, her eyes shining with determination. "I'm positive Vegeta. There's no way I'm going to leave you on your own now. I promised you we would fix this together didn't I? And I don't intend on breaking that promise anytime soon" she smirked at him.

Vegeta felt that strange sense of warmth bubble up inside of him again. This woman was truly something else. It amazed him that she was willing to sacrifice so much for him. Not for the first time did he find himself grateful for meeting her in the gardens all those years ago. He highly doubted any other woman would be willing to give up so much for him for nothing in return. Shaking his head and letting a small smile creep across his face he stared back at her.

"Alright woman, but I'm warning you this is not going to be easy" he smirked back at her.

"Aww you should know me better than that Vegeta. Since when have I ever gone for the easy way" she winked at him.

"Hmpf that's true your always difficult to deal with. I guess now I know why"

"Hey! I'm not difficult. I'm just free spirited is all" she huffed crossing her arms across her chest.

"Right" Vegeta droned not believing her in the slightest. "Anyways I need you to understand the full implications of what you are signing up for" he said his tone turning more serious.

Bulma looked up at his change in manner. Nodding for him to continue.

Vegeta eyed her carefully. "This plan is going to be tricky to pull off. The hardest part being trying to convince my father that our relationship is the real deal"

Bulma's heart skipped a beat at his mention of their relationship. It sounded strange but so natural at the same time. Vegeta had remained as impassive as usual, not even reacting to his own words. No. Focus Bulma. Stop getting distracted she mentally scolded herself turning her attention back to what Vegeta was saying.

"He is going to be suspicious. Especially since it is you I have chosen. He knows that only yesterday I did not have a mate and now suddenly I pitch up with the one woman I have known for years but have never once shown romantic interest towards. He will definetly think we are plotting something" Vegeta said frowning slightly as he tried to organise his thoughts.

"That's why we need to be as convincing as possible " he continued. "I'm going to need you to step out of your boundary a bit and act like we are truly the perfect mates. Nothing too outrageous though or it will seem forced and fake. We'll have to find the right balance."

Bulma nodded at his words. "Just one thing I've been worrying about" she began nervously. "Just how will your father react when you walk in tomorrow with a non-saiyan female on your arm. I mean I know that legally there's nothing against non-saiyans becoming queen, but I've been working with your father for years now and I get the sense that he won't take too well to a non-saiyan entering the monarchy"

Vegeta let out rueful laugh. "That's putting it lightly woman. He will be absolutely furious. Which is all the more reason he would suspect that I am plotting something. He knows that I am not too happy with this whole finding a mate business and he will think I have chosen a non-saiyan mate on purpose just to show him a point" Vegeta scoffed.

"Oh" Bulma said softly. "And...uh...is that why you chose me, just so you could show your father a point?" Bulma murmured feeling a dull pain in her chest at his words.

Vegeta eyed her carefully a bit confused as to her sudden change in demeanour. "No definitely not. I have my own reasons for choosing you and doing so to prove my father a point is not one of them. I have no wish to cause trouble with my father. The only goal I have in mind is taking my place as King of Vegetasei" he said noticing her expression brighten slightly at his words. Strange woman with her strange mood swings he thought shaking his head slightly.

Ever since Vegeta had proposed his plan to her Bulma had the nagging question in the back of her head as to why he had chosen her out of all the saiyan women he had throwing themselves at his feet. Initially she thought it was because he thought that she would be the only one who would be willing to leave him after he found his true mate (regardless of how untrue that really was). But when he had made his comment about a non-saiyan mate ticking off his father, she started to doubt herself. The last thing she wanted was to be used just as a means for Vegeta to show his father a point. But Vegeta's words reassured her that that was not his intention at all. It did make her wonder though as to what his actual reasons were for choosing her especially. Before she could ask him, Vegeta cut her off.

"Regardless of how my father reacts tomorrow, hopefully mother will be able to calm him down" he sighed leaning his head back slightly against the couch cushions tiredly and stared at the ceiling as he felt exhaustion overcome him.

Bulma looked at him curiously. "Your mother? Will she not be as opposed as your father to a non-saiyan queen? I mean surely they both wouldn't want me becoming queen anytime soon".

Vegeta let out a snort at her words."Ha hardly woman. My mother has been trying to set us up for years. She has even been conspiring with your mother on occasions. I wouldn't be surprised if she faints from excitement the moment we walk through those doors together tomorrow" he said a slight smile on his face from the mental images he had concocted in his head.

"What no way! I didn't know about this!" Bulma said her mouth dropping open in shock. "I knew my mother wanted us to get together at some stage, but I thought she had given up after nothing had happened for years. Your mother though I never could have guessed" she said still trying to digest the shocking information.

Vegeta brought his head back up slowly from the couch cushions and looked at her amused. "You don't even want to know the half of it. It was her who suggested that I come to you for help in finding a mate and who set up the gathering at the pool today. I think she thought something would have happened between us during those moments" he scoffed slightly.

She wasn't wrong though both Bulma and Vegeta thought at the same time. Something did happen between them in the hours that they spent together. Something changed, transformed at a faster rate than either could control. Their feelings for each other had morphed into something stronger and neither of them knew what to do with them.

"Oh, that's crazy though. I just never thought that either of your parents would ever want someone like me as queen" Bulma said breaking the momentary silence as they were both lost in their own thoughts.

Vegeta looked at her carefully. "Don't underestimate yourself woman. My father may not want a non-saiyan to take the throne but that doesn't mean that he would respect you any less. There are very few people on this planet that my father shows respect to, and you should be honoured to be one of them. Your contributions to this planet's technology have not gone unnoticed and neither has what the planet would be like without your efforts. Both my parents have realised this. It's just that my mother isn't as fixated in customs and ways of the past as my father is and is willing to accept you as queen."

Bulma blushed slightly at his words. It wasn't often that Vegeta praised her for her work. Normally he would moan about how inefficient she was in building and fixing his gravity chamber. It warmed her knowing that deep down he really did appreciate her hard work.

"Ah thanks for that Vegeta" Bulma said softly the blush still on her cheeks. Breaking the moment, she stood up and stretched her arms above her head yawning slightly. "Well, it's getting late. I guess I should get going" she said moving towards the door.

Vegeta got up to follow her to the door. "Woman I expect you to be back here first thing after breakfast. I will arrange for the dress fitters to meet up with you here. The birthday celebration is in the evening, but I suspect it will take majority of the day to get you ready. So don't plan on going back to your lab for tomorrow" he said sternly.

"What the whole day?! But I had stuff to finish up in the lab!" she protested turning around to face him as she reached the door.

"Well that can wait till after tomorrow" he said matching her stubbornness.

Bulma glared at him in defeat. "Fine but just this once you hear?" she said poking him in the chest with her finger.

"Pfft no promises woman" he smirked at her watching her temper start to rise again. Before she could retort he cut her off. "Oh and one more thing. At breakfast tomorrow don't try to give too much away. We should probably keep our relationship as mild as possible. Make sure you sit next to me at the table. We need to start this off slow so as not to raise suspicion. Make it seem as natural as possible."

"Right so no pressure" she rolled her eyes at him. "I'll try my best although I think you should worry about yourself for now. From the both of us I'm the only one who has been in a proper relationship before. I know how these things are supposed to work" she winked at him.

Vegeta narrowed his eyes at her. "You may just be surprised at how much I do know woman" he said huskily his voice deeper and softer.

Bulma felt herself heat up at his tone. Okay definitely time for me to go home she thought to herself. She didn't want to do anything she might regret later. With that tone Vegeta used just now she couldn't guarantee that she wouldn't do anything stupid.

"Right whatever you say Veg head" she said turning around to around to open the door. "I'll see you tomorrow" she said before checking that the coast was clear and slipping through the door closing the door behind her.

Vegeta sighed to himself and ran a hand tiredly through his hair.

Well this ought to be fun

Author's note:

Oh goody goody :) Vegeta and Bulma "pretending" to be a couple. This ought to be good!

We're coming pretty close to the real juicy bits! Hang on tight guys!