A/N: Aaaaaannnndd, here we are! Thank you to beaucoup riant (Thank you so much! Hope you like this new installment!), Lisa8507 (Yes, the family dynamic with Trunks is going to be VERY interesting once he gets back! Definitely not going to be the same as it was haha), TheLazyKunoichi (I love when people tell me that, I'm only sorry I haven't finished the story yet! But I want it to be fully complete when I do. Thank you!), Lostin2004 (Ugh, thanks! That particular thing, transmitting their emotions, is what I strive for when I'm writing, so thank you for saying that!) for their reviews! You guys definitely help get this out! Hope you all enjoy!

Chapter 27:

Trunks was picking the blade up seconds later, fitting the sword grip to his hands experimentally.

"Look at that," Krillin murmured as Trunks arced it slowly in the air.

Nappa snorted. "It will look nice on display, but what is this, a scrap sale? All useless items must go."

"It's not useless!" Gohan protested, watching Trunks wave it around with unsure hands. "It's a weapon that plenty of people use on Earth."

"Proof that it's useless," Nappa answered. "What is the average power level on Earth, 5?"

Dende had crept closer to Trunks as they squabbled, purposely giving a wide berth to the sword's path, though Trunks stopped as he approached. "Guru told me the story. Namekians don't use weapons like that, but it belonged to another warrior who came to our aid in a time of need. They say that the warrior never left Namek, and he put down his sword forever once he lived here. But the sword was the only possession that remained after his death. Guru believes that it was meant for you to receive."

Trunks felt chills as he heard the story. That's what it was: a story of some legend from before he was born. How could he be deserving of such a gift? Meant for him? An alien with no connection to Namek beyond coming here for their dragonballs to save his mom?

"I won't ever put it down," Trunks promised into the air. It felt right to say it.

"Saiyans use their fists, boy."

"I'm not only Saiyan." Trunks wrapped the scabbard around his back. Nappa shook his head, but didn't object further. Trunks turned to the group. "Well, I guess there isn't anything else to do. But Goku, I have to ask you a favor."

"What is it?"

"I need you …to take my mom back to Earth."

Both Goku and Krillin looked surprised by this, eyebrows raising. "Wait …you want us to take her? Back to Earth? Without you?"

Trunks' head moved to nod automatically. "Yeah. It's …I want her out of danger. But there's a bigger problem I have to deal with, and I want her far away from it when I do."

Goku looked newly alert at the hint of another potential enemy, and though Gohan was not in Trunks' line of sight, he felt him edge closer. "What do you mean?"

Trunks swallowed. "Frieza. The guy who runs everything, including the Saiyans. If everyone is going to be safe, he needs to be stopped. And I might be the only one who can stop him."

The Earthlings were silent. But Nappa looked his nose down at Trunks, and the question he asked was surprisingly honest and restrained, given the mockery of before. His eyes were flinty. "Can you, boy?"

Trunks slipped the sword into the scabbard and walked out of the lookout, the rest following him a pace more slowly. It was instinct, all instinct that acted in him. Once out in the open, he stared up at that pale sky. He had learned a lot under it, and he thought of Guru and Guru's words to him, and then he knew…

It was the answer to his most dire question: was it only in his mother's death that had done it? Was it some kind of trade-off: to access that power and lose her at the same time? His energy hummed into the air and they all stopped short, wary of the shift in the breeze.

And he erupted.

Sea-blue eyes opened, clear to see despite the golden haze that whipped up around him. Everything he was and was capable of …he put it out of himself and it was so easy…

"Trunks?" Krillin cried shrilly. "What the heck?!"

It was the second time he had done this, and his awareness was so much more acute than it had been the first time. He turned to the rest of them. Goku's eyes were wide, but fascinated, and only more surprised than Gohan, who had seen a glimpse of it before, and Nappa, who was smirking in satisfaction.

Krillin had stumbled backward, right into Dende, who looked terrified. Trunks closed his eyes briefly, focusing on controlling his ki to understand how it worked without losing the power. The shining, mist-like barrier would not dissipate, and he realized that his control of this state was novice. The desire to keep pouring out his energy felt overpowering, but he knew that sustaining such a thing wouldn't make sense. It was an unwandered state, and he would have to figure out how to use it so that it didn't control him, but he controlled it.

"So, you are the Super Saiyan," Nappa pronounced, and Trunks was amazed that he actually looked pleased and maybe even proud. "Never to be seen in my lifetime, or ever more than a myth. And here it is…"

"How? How are you doing this, Trunks?" Goku was the only one to step closer to him, bent forward in curiosity.

There was no point in holding this state now that he knew he could do it, so he began to power down carefully. He had never done so consciously before and it took him a moment to figure it out. His hand clenched hard and he narrowed his focus until he could picture a descent. Like running headlong down a mountain, he felt like if he tripped, it would mean death. It probably didn't, but he was not eager to find out.

His ears were filled with wind until it faded, and Goku was still asking questions. "—Vegeta know? Is this something all Saiyans can do? Can you teach me?"

He grasped onto that last question. "I don't know. This—it happened when Mom died."

"Oh." Goku was disappointed. He surely believed that the only way to access this was if you lost someone dear to you. But Trunks didn't believe that was the only way.

"I talked to Guru about it," Trunks continued. "He said it 'wasn't about desire, but about need.'"

Goku chuckled deprecatingly. "Well, I don't know exactly what that means, but maybe I'll find out someday. We all need things sometimes!"

Gohan had been silent, and Trunks did wonder what he was thinking about, but Nappa cut in. "Now that you've retrieved your power, boy, we need to return to Vegeta-sei. We don't have a moment to lose, either."

"What? You think Frieza is coming for the Saiyans?" Trunks asked, actually wanting Nappa's input in this. Nappa shrugged, but it wasn't careless.

"All I can tell ya is that once he realizes that the Ginyu Force is gone, he's going to be suspicious. And it's only a matter of time before that leads to us."

"Okay," Trunks said. "Okay…" He was inclined to believe that. He turned to his Earth friends. "Look, I hate to ask this, but …can you make the trip? I want my mo—"

"You got it!" Goku shouted eagerly, before Trunks could even finish, waving his hand in the air. "I mean, I doubt she'll actually go with us, knowing Bulma, but I was hoping you'd say that!"

Trunks' explanation died as the rest of them looked to Goku. Nappa's lip curled, but he didn't object. Dende, however, had his eyes wide with apprehension and Trunks was reminded of all the little Namekian had just lost, in one way or another. Dende wanted to go back to Earth, not to a planet filled with beings that terrified him. He had to ask.

"Are you okay with that? I can't promise that there won't be some excitement or anything …but I can't take my mom back to Earth myself, and I'm worried about her."

"That's …all you want us to do?" Gohan inquired steadily. "Get Bulma?"

"I won't ask you for anything else," Trunks said. "But I know she's in danger. She always has been…"

He and Gohan shared a look between them and Trunks felt a connection, an understanding pass between them. He remembered Gohan's apology from before …Gohan wouldn't let him down. Whatever happened to Gohan in his Ginyu fight, it had changed him. Trunks didn't know whether it was for better or for worse, but it was something he could count on.

"Well, I guess if you think that your mom will actually come with us…" He chuckled sheepishly.

Trunks actually thought Goku was right …she'd probably have to be convinced, and he wasn't sure even he could do it… But this was her life, again. He wasn't prepared to lose her ever again.

"We can do whatever you need us to do!" Goku exclaimed, clearly not interested in Trunks' reasons in the first place. "Let's take care of Frieza so he doesn't bother any more planets!"

Dende had yet to speak, but then his jaw set and he squared towards Trunks. "If this is part of the journey, then that's okay. Don't worry about me. But also," his face changed into something less reassured, "don't let them kill us…"

"Nobody is going to try anything." Trunks would make completely sure of that.

Nappa, on the other hand, was looking around at the Earthlings, again unimpressed. "I don't know how you got here, but do any of you fools actually know how to pilot a ship? Because I'm not driving slow so that weaklings can keep up with me. Vegeta-sei is at stake!"

Gohan raised a hand. He wasn't nearly as cowed by Nappa's coarseness anymore. "I pressed a few buttons, but Dr. Briefs can communicate with us and nearly do it remotely. 'S how we got here…"

"Almost anyone could pilot," Krillin chimed in, with a less confident look towards Goku.

"And we'll make sure that you're able to follow," Trunks said sharply, but he was looking at his father's lieutenant. He really would have rather travelled with Goku, Gohan, and crew, but he couldn't let Nappa be a jerk. "Whoever is driving…"

"Let me go on your ship," Gohan's voice was sudden and Trunks was brought up short, along with everyone else.

"Why'd ya wanna do that, Gohan?" Goku asked.

"To talk to Trunks," he answered simply. "Krillin, you can do the piloting, right?"

"Well, sure, if that's what you want…"

"It's what I want."

Goku brought a hand to his head. "Oh, what am I going to tell Chi-Chi about this?"

Trunks shifted toward Goku, still somewhat startled about Gohan's offer to join him. "What did you tell her in the first place?"

"That we would be back soon?"

"What the fuck is a Chi-Chi and who cares what it thinks?" Nappa sneered. "This is a matter for warriors!"

"Dad, she's never gonna know how long we were supposed to take," Gohan broke in. "Don't worry about Mom."

From his dim memories of Gohan's mom, Trunks was pretty sure that her anger was something to worry about …but that wasn't his problem, he guessed. His own mother was enough for him to worry about.

"Well, now that that's settled," Krillin clapped his hands. "Time to go, right?"

Trunks was pretty sure that Krillin just didn't want to have to deal with Nappa anymore. But there was no reason to delay this, nor did Trunks want to. He wanted to see his mother for himself—that she was alive and safe. And now—he thought of the Legendary state that was his—now he was powerful enough to keep her that way.

Trunks nodded. "Let's go."

VBVBVBVBVBVBVBVBVB

Too early in the morning, Bulma had wrenched herself out of Vegeta's arms and stumbled out of the bed. His hand twitched toward her, and he suppressed the impulse and allowed her to throw on her clothes with all lack of grace in her hurry.

"What are you doing?" he grunted as he watched her top slide down over her stomach.

"Getting out there!" she exclaimed in a huff. "That mineral or whatever isn't going to examine itself…"

She turned herself right into him, who had zipped out of bed at her words faster than she could sense it, snagging the wrist that held her trousers. "You are a foolish girl. Always running so blithely into danger…" His eyes were hot.

She rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, I won't forget to bring your big, hulking, babysitter…"

"Heis not the only one to be accompanying you while you go on this accursed expedition."

"I'm bringing some techs! I'm not extracting samples all by myself…" Her enormous blue eyes blinked up at him as she wriggled away, hopping on one foot to tug the pants on. He nearly smiled, but he never found it to be in his best interest to encourage her, so he stifled it. She was so naïve at times…

"That's not all. I will be surveying your little project, Woman."

Bulma straightened immediately and turned to him. "Huh?"

"You heard me."

The silence in the air had a scent to it. Uncertainty? Bulma took a slight step back and her brow wrinkled. "But I thought that…"

"What?" he growled.

She shrugged. "I thought that …you'd go train …since you didn't, last night. And the—" she waved her hand around in the air, and for some reason, he understood that to be babbling, Bulma-sign language to indicate his business with the Elites, "—stuff with your guys. I mean, you probably haven't properly trained in—"

"Are you trying to keep me from attending your excavation?" he said suspiciously. "If this is about Frieza, then this is the most important thing to oversee. What are you planning, Woman?"

"Ugh, nothing, I—" She sighed and it sounded frustrated. "Do you have to go with me?"

"Oh, now I know that you are planning something!"

"No, it's just that you being there, it makes it more difficult, Vegeta!"

He rolled his eyes. "I promise not to threaten to kill any of your little minions today. Satisfied?"

"Hardly." She stalked over to him and jabbed his chest with her finger, looking up at him. "Look, buddy, you just need to remember something when we are out there, okay? I am in-charge!"

"You're not in-charge!" Vegeta denied. He was King, after all. He couldn't have her getting any ideas…

But she had already moved into one of her fiercer moods, and faster than Vegeta had known her to go. She raised herself up slightly on her toes and their noses brushed and those angry eyes swallowed her face in his vision.

"I AM, bucko! With this, out there, if you want your stupid, red planet to be saved and for me to build something amazing, you better not tell me what to do out there! I don't care if you think it's dangerous or if you don't agree, because I'm the scientist!" She threw her hands up. "And hello, I'm the Queen, too! Doesn't that mean anything, anyway? Or are you just gonna proclaim me the freaking Queen and then just—"

"Are you done with your inane chatter? Or are you going to stand there and continue to rant like a harpy while we lose daylight?" Vegeta sneered back, nearly biting her as near to her as he was. He probably wanted to bite her, but like most of his desires …it simply pulsed underneath his skin.

He wanted her, badly. He didn't necessarily care if she knew it either… One of his arms had rounded her waist and gathered her closer while she made her little speech, and she had been too heated to pay it attention. Now, she was staring up at him, and tentatively settled one of her tiny arms on the one around her, as if she wasn't certain if he would fling her away. She was so foolish…

Her mouth clamped shut as he leaned toward her in the same way she had the night before, to him. He reveled in her silence and growled the next words in her ear. "When we are out of the palace, with your little slaves …you get to be …in-charge."

He felt her shiver and he nipped the soft lobe of her ear before drawing back. This tension, he decided he liked it. It was another challenge of its own.

"Enjoy it while it lasts…" he told her. He expected an angry retort. Instead, he heard nothing but childish excitement in her voice at what she considered a victory, able to regain composure in no-time flat. It was always this way when she got an idea in her head.

"Oh, I will…"

Sometime later, they were at the shores of that memorable lake and Bulma was most certainly in-charge. She marched between her techs like a battle commander, wetsuit plastered to her form, giving orders with such a steadiness that those around her were in constant movement.

Bok hovered near her, parting the way as she moved toward her orange lieutenant and asked him to retrieve something with a long, unpronounceable name. It was only when she secured a mask to her face that Vegeta felt the blasted beat in his chest become rhythmically faster. He strode to her side, to ensure that she had made all proper precautions.

"Do you have a contingency plan if your theory is, in fact, incorrect? Or if it begins to drain you and isn't working through ki, but life force? Because then you'll be dead, Woman."

"Why, how enlightening, Your Majesty!" she said sarcastically. Her voice was distorted through that soft mask and her eyes resembled that of an Arlian's. It was disturbing.

"Yes, I've mapped everything out already. Loid is leading the sampling team and I've got a set of techs with the lowest power levels in the unit. We'll be going in pairs, in the case that something happens. And that's even to say that your story isn't just one to scare the little Saiyan children and there's something actually down there."

"You seemed to think so when you were babbling on about it," he observed.

She grinned, that mouth the only part of her that looked remotely normal. "Oh, I think it's real," she told him confidently. "I've already had my sign… now you'll get yours."

Impulsively, she kissed his cheek and he snarled, though didn't move out of her reach. He had to admit that with her anger over Trunks, a small part of him (that she would never know about) was pleased to receive it. "What have I told you?" he demanded instead, glancing around at the baffled and terrified slaves.

She winked. "That's for while I'm gone. Try not to miss me too much."

"We're in no danger of that," he said glibly, but the reassurance of her words did something to him that made him feel slightly more in-control. Or at least, that she might possibly know what she was doing and they wouldn't soon be fishing her corpse out of the water. He wondered if she knew this when she made her little jokes, as she called them.

"Jiol, we're up!" She beckoned a blue one to her side and waved at Vegeta. "I'm going now. Tell Bok to 'stay' or he might try to dive in after me and get himself hurt."

"The signal," Bok rumbled, shaking his head at her words. "Just remember—"

"Yeah, I know, I know!" She tugged on a thin rope around her waist. "Twice on the dog leash, so you know that I'm alive and well and you don't get disemboweled, I'm not gonna forget, alright?"

Bok flushed a little under Vegeta's watch and the King guessed that Bok had taken his woman aside to impart what vengeance he thought would be wrought on him if she lost her life, whether her guard could help the loss or not. And he was right to do it, because Bok's life was certainly forfeit if hers was, in Vegeta's eyes…

"Great…" Bok muttered through gritted teeth and some embarrassment. "'Cause I don't swim..."

Without any further introduction, Bulma took her partner and dove beneath the water, until not even a ripple was left of her submersion. Vegeta turned away from the sight and lasered onto her assistant. "You there!"

Loid jumped, almost dropping his recording instruments. Vegeta always wondered if he had one of those nervous conditions that Saiyans sneered at. "Your Majesty!"

Vegeta crossed his arms. "Is what the Woman wears enable her to breathe underwater? And if so, how did she come about producing it so quickly?"

"It was pr-priority!" Loid stammered. "Bu—The Queen consulted with the techs of an aquatic race to make some adjustments …and many of those materials were already on hand."

Bulma had loved to order things that came from those few, Saiyan vassal planets, or even those from the PTO. She had to be discreet, unless his father had paid any notice. But he supposed that it was always bound to benefit her somehow, in the end. Most of her foolish habits eventually did…

Vegeta thought about refusing to look at the calm surface of the water, avoiding the wait that this would become… But what did pretending really serve, except a refusal to confront the enemy? Vegeta fixed his gaze on the water, and Loid hurried away, likely to accomplish something that would ready them for the sampling and testing.

"Sire. I heard that a party from the Tech Department had come this way and I wished to see for myself the things you told us all about," Paragus' voice surprised Vegeta from behind. He turned sharply to see the Elite, along with General Cauli, who was standing back a pace. Vegeta's lip turned up as they both offered him a rigid bow.

"And what did you hope to find?" he asked them. He had turned back toward the water, Bulma currently far beneath, he was sure. Bok had relaxed when two firm tugs had come against the rope and Vegeta also felt easy enough to entertain this invasion of their worksite. "I believe I told you that someone would come to the Elites in order to answer your questions. There is serious business to conduct here."

"Respectfully, Your Majesty, we came here in order to pursue answers ourselves without relying on you. We are old generals of the Saiyan army, after all—"

"If it is a question of the planet's security, then I would be part of it, Your Majesty," Cauli cut in abruptly. "I know how devoted you are to dismantling the Cold Empire, and I want to be able to support that, as a Saiyan of standing."

Well, at least some of the Elites wanted to pull their weight, even if they would be completely useless in this endeavor…

"Then nothing to do with your wanting to lay eyes on my Queen," Vegeta remarked.

"The Saiyan Queen, Your Majesty," Paragus said. "The planet has a vested interest in her safety. And the last time we saw her, she was a bit …indisposed."

"Your concern is touching."

Paragus' words were nearly always annoying, always hiding something else …yet, Vegeta didn't detect harm in them. Cauli's presence alone made Vegeta more comfortable. That general did not waste his time with veiled talk, so if they were as one in this, there was less reason to be worried.

Vegeta realized that the techs on the shore had scattered further away at the new addition of the Elites; an even wider berth than they had given Vegeta. Her sniveling techs…

Bulma would likely be furious at the idea of any impediment to her expedition, but he hoped she would stay her temper in the presence of Cauli and Paragus. He nearly laughed at himself: to believe that she actually would exercise restraint was deluded, at best.

If she ever surfaced…

"Colloid!" Vegeta snarled. "Are you able to track their progress?"

"No, Your Majesty." He bowed. "But the—the Queen instructed us to conduct a search and rescue if they took too long to surface."

"And what is 'too long'?"

"Oh …I—"

"The Queen's power level seems steady, and is rising to the surface as we speak," Paragus commented calmly. He did not say how he had learned to track power levels without a scouter (something Vegeta had learned on Earth) or how small Bulma's level was and how sensitive he must be to accurately track it. Or have any questions about why Bulma was under the water in the first place. Or he was just full of shit…

Vegeta's chest rumbled in warning at the water, and ignored the Elites. He had lost his bearings, momentarily. That was why he himself hadn't thought to do what Paragus had. A small lapse. But then Bok took a step forward and Vegeta saw that the rope had slackened.

Bulma burst from the water, clutching something above her head that glinted. "Got it!" she cried with her first available breath, triumphant. "I see-seriously got it!"

"Then come out of there!" Vegeta demanded. "And let's see it," he added, realizing that he might have sounded too worried. When she took those damnable goggles off, his vision was honed enough to catch her rolling her eyes, but then she was swamped by her minions and disappeared in the crowd of them.

Bok moved closer to the commotion and Vegeta could hear Bulma's instructions. "It's fine—pretty safe. But anyone who registers a power level of over 200 is a no-go down there. We'll stick with the teams we had, just in case—Jiol was right behind me. Loid, can you bag this for testing back at the lab?! Those three are for preliminary testing, it all came from the same ore."

So what she said… it had actually been down there. Vegeta shook his head in amazement. Paragus shifted. "Ore, Your Majesty?"

Vegeta glanced at him, having forgotten that he was there. "Her Majesty is working on a project that will aid us. I've told you this before."

General Cauli was frowning, clearly listening to Bulma's words. "A project that is a danger to anyone with a power level over 200? That would exclude Saiyans from handling it."

"You speak too soon, Cauli," Vegeta snapped. "The Woman knows what she is doing, and that is precisely why I said I would send a tech to explain! Now keep your remarks in your own brains, or leave."

Paragus opened his mouth, and Vegeta was ready to take his head off when Bulma wrested herself from the center of her harried techs, eyes still glittering and dripping and chattering. He could see immediately how cold she was, now that she was clear of the water entirely.

"You want to freeze to death?" he snapped. "Come here."

He unclasped his cape from behind him and wrapped it around her twice. "Th-there's that chivalry…" she muttered, fully draped now.

"I don't understand how your slaves don't have anything for you to change into—"

Her hand pushed against his chest to stop his rant, while her shoulders lessened their shaking underneath his palms and the warmth of the cape. "Alright, don't, I m-might have just found something brilliant and I know you're not ruining it right now! I'm fine, and I really think this is what I thought, Vegeta! Bok approached it and …well—I just have to run some tests and …o-oh, hello."

The brazen girl, hair sopping, waved her fingers at the Elites, who both inclined their heads with respect.

"Hello …Your Majesty," Paragus said with a smile.

Bulma grimaced at the address, something Vegeta noticed she kept doing, but she inclined her head back after a moment. Then she looked back up at Vegeta. "Do you have somewhere to be?"

It was clear that she didn't know how to react when the Elites, known for their disdain for Vegeta's affection toward her, paid her respect befitting a Queen.

"No," he told her. "I'm as surprised as you are. I merely told the Elites that you were working on a project to help against Frieza. And they showed up." He gestured toward them with a hand, going through the tedious introduction. "This is General Paragus. And General Cauli."

They bowed politely again and Bulma blinked, clearly unused to him freely explaining what went on with in the Saiyan Upper Ranks. Then she looked back at them, her eyes squinting in a way that he knew was never good. "Actually," she said suddenly, "…could I bo-borrow one of them?"

General Cauli, for the first time in Vegeta's memory, looked downright startled at the request. Paragus said not a word, but his eyes kept their glimmer of deep curiosity. Vegeta raised an eyebrow back down at her and Bulma elaborated, nodding towards the samples her techs were currently crowding around.

"I was gonna use Bok, but don't Elites have higher power levels?"

"Yes." Vegeta finally understood what she wanted and he shrugged mischievously. "Then pick one of them." He enjoyed that her excitement over a new invention was more powerful than her feelings for the Saiyan Elites.

"Seriously?"

"No." He didn't trust Paragus to be around her, despite the fact that he appeared harmless, if irritating. He beckoned for the other general. "Cauli, you wanted to aid us and understand the plan. Here is your golden opportunity."

The General had reverted back to his stoicism, though it was speculative. "I will do whatever is necessary."

Bulma clapped her hands, the cape slipping down at the motion. "Great! Come with me—okay! I can pull it up myself!"

"You'd better," Vegeta said. "And you'll change immediately when you return to the palace."

"Of course, Your Majesty," she huffed. "General Cauli, right? I'll explain everything on the way."

Her techs were still scurrying around, acquiring samples and surfacing and labeling. "And them?"

Bulma waved her hand dismissively. "Th-they know what to do! I have to figure out how this stuff works and how to use it now. Are you coming with me?"

He wouldn't say, but he had only wanted to make sure she didn't drown from her own recklessness. The backs of his fingers grazed her jaw, less shaky now that she was somewhat warmed, but not nearly satisfactory. "Bok will take you. I'm going to train. You may find me in the Gravity Chamber and you—" he glanced at Paragus.

"If I may accompany you, Your Majesty," he said swiftly, his gaze divided between Bulma and the King. "We might have the conversation I spoke of just the other day?"

"Fine," Vegeta grumbled. "Better to have it said, we will speak."

It was disgusting how little Vegeta wanted to leave the Woman …but he couldn't put aside everything for irrational fears. He had placed Bok by her side and she was in the midst of a new scientific venture. And had to get stronger, and access what Trunks had in order to defeat Frieza. And most of all, he noticed that she noticed …his hovering. Something in the turn of her mouth spoke of it, and was amused by it, though he was sure how he understood such a thing about her.

Paragus was a neat distraction, and he hoped that the conversation proved to be as well, if not perhaps, useful? Nonetheless, a distraction. And Bulma had needed one too, to distract from Trunks' being away and hating Vegeta for letting him go.

Bulma chose that moment to jump into his arms, with the sole intent of humiliating him (he surmised). "See ya later," she murmured. "You just wait to see what I'm gonna create."

"You're getting me wet," he scowled, putting her to arms-length. "And if I come to the lab and find you still wearing this ridiculous rubber thing, you will be a very sorry little human."

Bulma smirked, because she noticed. But she swept away with Bok without remarking upon it, clutching samples in her small fist, and General Cauli followed along looking thoroughly unnerved.

How he wished he hated her. It was a hard thing to acknowledge that he never had, and it seemed that from the moment she had woken, it was continual acknowledgement.

"We are living in very strange times indeed, Your Majesty."

Paragus was smiling as he stared at the sky, and Vegeta grunted noncommittally.

"Let's go. I've wasted enough time."

"No, I don't think so…" he shook his head. "Not wasted, Your Majesty…"

Rather than understand Paragus' cryptic remarks (he was sure there was more where that came from), he flew off toward the palace, abandoning the techs to their mission and Bulma to hers.

He had his own.

VBVBVBVBVBVBVBVBVBVBVB

Zarbon was standing before Lord Frieza, who watched the dance of a cold fire, silent.

Zarbon was terrified of the Cold Emperor's silences. They usually meant that however close you were to that frozen throne, the worse it would be for you. Something was deep on Lord Frieza's mind, troubling him more than Zarbon had ever seen before, and it was proven by how withdrawn he remained, even after the silence.

"Zarbon."

"Yes, my Lord?"

"What if we assume that something has happened to our Saiyan informant?"

It wasn't unexpected that Frieza was focused on the Saiyan problem—he had been offering many of his resources to that confusing, quiet mess. He had interrogated the young Saiyan prince, blamed the Saiyans for the Ginyu Force's disappearance, and sent Cui and Dodoria to track their last known location with these suspicions in mind, to the point that he had toyed with blowing up Vegeta-sei.

Zarbon just didn't know why Lord Frieza was so certain that those vassals were so dangerous and traitorous. The Saiyans were perfect tools for the Cold Empire: destructive monsters who weren't powerful enough to ever threaten their liege lords.

At least, that's how Zarbon understood the situation. But more and more, Zarbon wondered if Frieza could have …actually …feared the Saiyans?

It made little sense to him that Frieza would fear anything, but it was the only conclusion that even halfway explained his Lord's fixation. Zarbon responded with the only acceptable response: "The Saiyans would have to be put down, of course, my Lord."

"But…" Frieza drawled. He had picked up on Zarbon's hesitance.

"But …the Saiyans are incredibly useful to you, Lord Frieza. Perhaps with some patience—"

"You mean what the little monkey prince assured me that he would do?" Frieza asked. "That plan would require more than patience, Zarbon, as the simian would have to take on the Saiyan King and win, and of course, an expectation that the boy is somehow less treacherous than the father. And I do not trust that!"

"But I have heard that the Saiyan prince hates his father, from nearly all who would know… He could see this as revenge."

"I'm sure that he does, Zarbon." Frieza relaxed further on his throne. "But in time, that hatred will not only be for the Saiyan King, but for me and my harsh methods to make him stronger. He won't see the good that I've done him—being the stupid monkey that he is. And then, my predicament with the Saiyans will be no different than it is now, if not worse."

Zarbon was silent. His Lord made many good points, but still, the Saiyans were as nothing to him. Why worry so much about one planet filled with barely-strong barbarians?

Frieza was still trapped in his own thoughts. "No. No, that's not what must be done… it must be me."

"My—my lord?"

"It must be me," Frieza repeated. He finally looked down at Zarbon. "I must show them my might, Zarbon. A leader can only maintain respect if he proves to his servants that he is to be feared. I never show my strength, because it is so far beneath me …but perhaps I was mistaken. I will deliver a message that the Saiyans cannot ignore! I will kill their strongest King in centuries and leave them with no one but a child to lead them. A child under my thumb. And the boy will watch his father die—a good reminder of what will happen should he oppose me!"

"You may send me, my Lord," Zarbon said immediately. This was really so beneath Lord Frieza, that he had to offer.

"I've just told you why it must be me!" Frieza snapped, his eyes even redder in this ferocity. "I've decided, and I won't say it again. We will make for Vegeta-sei once I tie-up some loose ends. I'm not going to scurry over there hastily, no, I can take my time... Cui and Dodoria will continue on their way to find the Ginyu Force and report back their findings. But this thing will come to an end! Like all unpleasant things must!"

"Of course, my Lord." Zarbon bowed. "Whatever you wish."

A/N: Vegeta-sei is the place to be these days… I don't think Vegeta is realizing just how popular it's about to be... Anyway, let me know your thoughts!