Chapter 68

Having done her duty since she lost the race, Mihoshi takes off the marigolds and dries her hands with the dishes all done. The person usually responsible for this chore has gone to watch her mother outside. She looks to the two still in the kitchen and smiles across to Ayeka, waving to Vegeta does not get her a response as he is busy. The kind hearted blonde takes her leave to find her partner who is more than likely supervising the sparring match that is about to begin. Bottles clink and Vegeta calls out to her, not by name but by gender, and hands what alcohol he has found to Mihoshi. Very carefully she holds and balances them in her arms as she asks why he is giving these to her, he is not kind to her and does not give her gifts. Vegeta instructs her to store them within the cuboid device she uses as an inventory. Stripping away a vice that takes away what little reasoning and decision making ability Ryoko has is going to be met with sulking in a few hours time when she discovers this. Mihoshi nods and says that she will do this, Vegeta quickly catches two bottles that come tumbling out of her grasp. After a bit more fumbling the bottles are warped into the prismatic storage device and Mihoshi asks if there is anything else she can help with. Vegeta sends her on her way.

Ayeka stands from her seat with her red eyes on Vegeta for strangely enough he has not immediately left to go training. She questions him as to whether her mother is safe fighting against Ryoko. The Saiyan grins and assures her that despite her mother's rustiness and Ryoko's advantageous techniques the battle will go to Jurai due to emotion. She does not question what he means by that, so long as her mother will not become the second Juraian to be defeated by Ryoko. Nerves begin to enter her as he is still looking at her and not exiting the room. She shyly glances about to see if there is any reason he is still in a kitchen devoid of cooked food.

"Ryoko is wrong. Lady Ayeka, your body is not unwomanly and neither is being slender unattractive."

Her face rouges as Ayeka stands in silence at such an unexpected and large compliment to herself and her beauty. He was thinking of her and observing her as a woman. She appreciates this greatly that he is siding with her against Ryoko's insults. Ayeka nervously smiles at her prince and can think of no words to say in response to this. Her eyes open wide as she sees his hand move into view. It stays there, hanging before her face, and Vegeta smugly grins. He teasingly states that she did not move to avoid his touch and her cheeks burn all the more so. Those words trigger a thought in Ayeka's head. It disappoints her but it is to be expected by a man with a new born vendetta.

"Is … are your words kind to me to spite her? I-I only want you to say such things-"

"If I prefer you to Ryoko? If that is the requirement it is met. If it is love then your dates better be something special." Vegeta shrugs and walks off to continue training.

Fists strike at the air and growls of frustration grunt out. No matter how many strikes are struck the target is still not met. Vegeta can sense Goku's energy and at best he knows that for all his might he can only serve to keep their powers equidistant, gaining against Goku takes more than he can physically give. A day has gone by and his ray of hope is that there is no significant change in how his rival maintains the third transformed state. The Saiyan manages half an hour of training and outside the match commenced several minutes ago after Misaki and Ryoko changed into their outfits for battle and agreed upon rules for the match so neither suffers pain. Vegeta ignores their ki. His son is looking for answers. Vegeta launches a powerful kick and almost over balances with the high gravity eternally trying to crush his body. He is getting distracted. His anger grows. Vegeta tries to focus yet his family are not things he can swat from his mind so easily.

Quicker than lightning his hand slams down on the main console and a person thumps to the tiled floor. He hears a childish cheer from outside as well as a haughty laugh from Ayeka. The inevitable error was made and Misaki should have learnt something from that blow. Her body is still phasing as she clutches at her stomach. There are two marks on her outfit, one sternum and one just below her diaphragm. Winded and in pain, Ryoko groans on the floor. Vegeta senses the ki of Misaki – it is raised above her norm and flowing properly into her arms.

"You became over confident in your defences and let your guard down. Anger channels ki well, what jeers led to your downfall?" He shows no sympathy as he states her mistakes. Vegeta stands over her.

Blood and breakfast are heaved out of Ryoko's mouth. She groans and struggles on the floor, trying to get to her knees. Following those massive blows she is in a sorry state. Teleportation and flight gave her dominion over her opponent. Misaki's great speed could not keep up with instantaneous movement or the added dimension of flying. Adding in her phasing ability she became untouchable. Brandishing her sword to ward off her foe there was nothing for Ryoko to fear. At any moment she could teleport behind her and stick the Queen like a pig with her manifested energy weapon and end it. Ryoko insulted Misaki. It was boring after minutes of dodging and not being able to do anything against the Juraian powerhouse. She was unable to attack her, to hit her she would have to stop phasing and that would put her in danger. Ryoko was wound up at having been pressured into this and with knowing that Vegeta dislikes her and is maliciously doing this against her. The pirate spoke out against Ayeka and that was all Misaki needed to push her over the edge and claim victory.

Ryoko holds a hand out to Vegeta now that she has managed to get to her knees, her other hand holding her wounded stomach. She holds her head down and does not look at him. He multi-forms and his weaker counterpart taps the back of his hand against hers. They disappear from the training room. The main Vegeta blasts at the stinking stain on the floor and turns the gravity back on. A bang rattles the metal door and he tells Misaki that Ryoko is not in here and to not currently disturb her or him.

In as minimal a way as he can, Vegeta gets Ryoko down onto her bed. She lies there panting and with her cyan hair covering her face. He stands and fetches a pair of gloves, not knowing whether this improves Ryoko's ability to stand his touch or not. She swears at the pain and at having to ask him to touch her to help her out. Jurai has beaten her and that fact adds to the sting. To come crawling back to him is humbling, as it was planned to be, and she wants him to help her and just maybe to forgive her as well.

"This is counting as your time with me. Do not soil these sheets by throwing up again. What do you want from me, Ryoko?" The ball is in Ryoko's court now, she came to him and so he asks what she expects him to do with her. He is strict in his tone. Vegeta snaps his gloves.

"Could ya nurse me better like you did Ayeka? … If -if you have to touch me then remember that I'm a delicate flower." She peers out at him. Ryoko's voice is quiet as she requests his aid. She realises that with her injury there is not much he can do.

Her body is trembling. Ryoko grabs at her hands to keep them from shaking. Her tongue is moving within her mouth and she warily eyes the Saiyan lording above her. The taste is back. The mistake of teleporting into his training room first brought this to her and now her mistake of donning his wife's special costume has. Ryoko hurts. There is pain and there is blood.

A glass of water is held to her face. The cold glass is refreshing against her skin. Her feline eyes look up. Vegeta makes no other motion with the cup. She goes to take it. Ryoko's arm trembles too much to hold it properly without spilling it. Despite this she tries, her other arm joins the fray to steady it. Her body is in physical pain from a beating. The sharp and golden eyes dull and lose focus on the cup. Telekinesis lifts the glass up and she drinks on instinct as liquid enters her mouth and swills away the remnants of her bloody vomit.

Vegeta snaps his fingers and her eyes dart to him, her elfin ears raise and she coughs on the water still in her throat. The cough hurts and pains her damaged diaphragm and rib cage. She grimaces. A meowing comes from the doorway and Ryo-Ohki bounds up onto her injured mistress and protectively seats herself on the pirate's body. In her skintight black and crimson garment Ryoko blinks her eyes and forces herself to think on the here and now and not let herself be taken away into the darkness behind her. Those blows thundered through her with force many times greater than she could muster and now with comparison Ryoko sees how great Vegeta was holding himself back when he tore into her. Her internal haemorrhaging should stop in around 5 minutes with her regenerative cells. As she announced to him earlier, Ryoko's mind will not heal so quick. She holds at her arm, it is still there, she snorts out of her nose and shakes her head.

"Why did I have to get beaten up?"

"That was only two hits. I did not count how many when you attacked me but it was a lot more. Why did you wear Bulma's outfit?"

"Why did you let Ayeka kiss you?"

"You're not doing the same. Princes do not make a habit of kissing lips that spewed up on their boots mere seconds ago. My question, answer."

The pirate cannot avoid him. She lays her head heavily down on her pillow. Ryo-Ohki watches Vegeta. She does not have a quick answer. The truth is confusing. He will not let her change the subject. Ryoko shrugs for words alone will not convey what was going through her disorganised mind then. She tells him to go ahead and read her mind and to get it over with. Vegeta declines. The easy route is not a path he takes, nor will he let her off by forfeiting her admitting her reason. Ryoko does not understand why he will not read her mind and see why she did it and how sorry she is for her mistake. The fraying strings of her mentality loosen with another pang of pain from Misaki's blows. Red eyes shine before her eyes. She holds her pet and strokes her.

"This ain't good, Vegey. I'm having a little meltdown over here and ... and - and I ... Is ...Is guilt it? Ya not reading my mind for guilt over- over the a-a-attack?"

Nostrils flare. A hand around her throat. Vegeta exhales. The smell of her own smoked flesh fills her nostrils. Part of a growl joins Vegeta's exhalation. Tasteless and violent kisses are forced onto her with her head slammed against a rocky wall. The Saiyan's brow frowns. Red eyes burn. He senses a disturbance in her ki. Devastating words and then teeth rip into her ear. A cabbit meows with worry at her mistress. All encompassing darkness devouring her save for the light of Vegeta's energy. Fingers snap repeatedly. Savage hands grope at her exposed chest. A gruff voice calls out to her both from outside and then from within her head. She goes to lean back on an arm no longer there and hits her head on a wall. The bed depresses next to her. Her back is split open. Vegeta urgently calls her name.

Ryoko comes to after a few minutes. Clinging to Vegeta with a cold sweat over her skin, pants explode out of her as her eyes see the present again. Vegeta cautiously and lightly pats her on the back of the head, not wanting to cause a further relapse from his touch. Her golden eyes stay open as she stares at the bedroom wall, her chest heaving and aching, the taste of blood is back and a bit of sputum is on her lips.

"You're smelling better today, Vegey." Ryoko's mouse like words are joined by her fingernails digging into his back. She feels his hand leave her head and her grip tightens. "Don't leave."

"I'm not leaving you, just trying to abide your rule." Vegeta calmly reassures her that him retracting his hand is not a sign he is going back to train. His nose can smell an unpleasant pong from over his wet shoulder. He shall treat this like he has any of her other nightmares. Through his own chest he can feel her heart racing a mile a minute and the vibrations of a slight wheeze in her panted breaths.

"More water please or ... something to take the edge off." The disgusting taste in her mouth has to go. Ryoko is frightened. That was a very heavy attack. She can feel the skin of her attacker - for not being alone she will pay this price of touch.

The unfinished glass hovers through the air and to her lips where she greedily drains it. She does not know how blood came into her mouth. She has no recollection of when she started hugging him. Ryoko quietly tells him that something along the lines of this led her to wearing Bulma's bunny costume. Vegeta nods and accepts this reason. This is as resounding an answer as he needs, she was in as little mental control as he was. Her fingers loosen up on his back and a grimace fills her face. The touching is now an issue and she sits back up. Ryoko's face is deathly pale. Her stomach hurts. Vegeta rises to his feet. Feline eyes see something drip off of his back as he stands.

"I-I didn't get it on the sheets. ... Oh crap. Oh fuck. Sh-should-sh- isn't it supposed to get better with time?" Ryoko clutches at her skull, panicking and scared. If every time she gets hit hard enough to cause pain this happens then life with Vegeta will not work for her. She has thrown up on him, almost twice. Her body hurts.

Warm ki fills her up, Vegeta shines and glows, all shadows are dispelled from the room. He hushes her as he lifts his black and soiled gi off so he is just in his white under-shirt. The smell of blood on his body is nothing new. He speaks to her to calm down and that he is not planning on having her fight unless she wants to, she will not get attacked again and that guilt is a definite reason that he does not want to see inside her mind. She says that she is guilty too, still trying to atone. Vegeta nods and says that he understands and that serious matters take a lot of time to fade away, and that sometimes the pain only lessens and never truly goes away. Ryoko understands. Her cabbit is held to her face and Ryo-Ohki licks her. Having had to rework his multi-forms so that his current iteration in this bedroom has enough power to transform, Vegeta carefully watches her face to keep a check on where her mind currently is.

She shuns herself away as she hears the door opening. Ryoko wants to hide her shame from whomever is intruding. Her actions stop when she sees it is another Vegeta. In his hands he holds a steaming bowl, this other multi-form then vanishes as her Super Saiyan Vegeta takes the bowl. The shining Saiyan kneels by the bedside. Ryoko can smell it, food, warming and freshly made food just for her. He has prepared soup for her and she manages a faint smile. She did not think he would be so literal when she told him to nurse her like he did for Ayeka. Vegeta holds a spoon out. Ryoko has emptied her stomach since breakfast and Vegeta can account for the foods no longer ingested in her gullet, replacing these will make her feel better and aid with recovery - even though Ryoko is not feeling hungry or in the mood to eat. She looks at the food and thanks him. Ryoko takes the spoon from his hand and feeds herself. The soup is lumpy and almost painfully hot as it singes her tongue, Ryoko does not care and gets it down her with the hopes it will stay within her longer than breakfast did. Vegeta asks if she is feeling better.

"Much. Thanks. I'm healing. And sorry for up-chucking on you. Moments like these, you're a good hubbie. Are-are you still mad, I can get hit again." She smiles at him, happy with this treatment, before her smile fades and Ryoko goes to repay the favour by seeing what she can do for him. Going through that again, and without Vegeta for she has spent her allocated time with him, would be hell yet she will undertake it if it will clear her of her crime to his marriage. Ryoko passes the empty bowl back to him and he sets it down, shaking his head at her as this prospect is not one he desires.

"And bring more hassle on myself? I see now. You have angered me, and it was my failings that led you into this."

"No. I have accountability in this, you can't steal that from me, Vegey." Ryoko stands firm. Like with her teleportation out into space she cannot let Vegeta be the sole bearer of responsibility, she is a grown woman and capable and strong enough to accept her own errors. She has done wrong, she will make it up to him. Ryoko nods her head at him. A none physical punishment would be preferential. Vegeta smirks back at her.

"Good, because you still have not been let off the hook. No beatings, I couldn't trick Misaki into it again anyway. You've only gone and progressed to a point where I dislike you less than ... Kakarot!" Air burns hotter as Vegeta snarls out the detested name. Vegeta's fists clench.

They both can sense this ki. Outside the house, alongside the Juraians is a mountain of pure power that is second to none. Reigning in his transformed state and descending to his base form, Vegeta stands up with his eyes focused on but one individual. Sitting on the bed a second person is beginning to have a dislike for this Earth raised Saiyan for interrupting the mood they had going. Ryoko tests by tensing her chest and stomach muscles and with no pain she thinks she is back in working order, Vegeta will not be nursing her any more anyway. Two teleport from the room. Ryo-Ohki's ears become attentive as she leaps off the bed and out the room to find where everyone has gone to after leaving her.

Goku amicably waves at Misaki and takes note of her training gear. He greets the two other Juraians and answers Sasami's questions saying that Goten is busy doing homework and so cannot play yet. Goku goes right back to talking to Misaki about her training and a guilty look fills the mother's face. Instead of answering this, Misaki sees an easy out and something pertinent that this friendly man should know. She points behind him and tells him that his wife is walking somewhere with a purpose. The smile on the Saiyan's face drops as he freezes with fear. Turning his head about he sees that indeed his wife that he brought with him is storming off away from him. Even without ki sensing he can read those emotions. Vegeta and Ryoko pop into view, no word comes from his rival's lips before Goku excuses himself and jogs off to catch up with his wife. The veins on Vegeta's pronounced forehead bulge out at this indignity of being disturbed and then ignored.

Walking off with no real direction but to just get away, Chichi strides away from the lakeside and towards the surrounding forest. Her anger at this moment eclipses Vegeta's. She hears her other half coming up behind her and she tells him to leave her and carry on talking about fighting and ignoring her as always. Chichi then falls over a root, face first into the grass. Rage boils over. She kicks her leg out on the ground and the offending tree splinters. Her eyes see her husband stood by her. Her brow furrows deeper still. Now some of her best clothes that he persuaded her to wear are dirty. Goku sees the look on her face and sheepishly approaches with more caution than he would any foe.

Arms across his chest, muscles itching to attack, Vegeta glares constantly at the lone other of his race. Behind him Misaki has gone over to Ryoko and profusely apologises for her anger getting the better of her and hurting her in their friendly sparring match, the pirate waves it off and says she was antagonising her. Ryoko then points to Ayeka and tells her that laughing at her getting hit was mean, Ayeka retorts that if Ryoko was a bit lighter on her feet she might have dodged that. The mother disapprovingly looks down at her daughter. Ayeka is only looking at her own rival, she can easily tell that someone was getting special attention from Vegeta instead of rightfully serving a punishment.

"What about my birthday, you idiot!" Chichi roars and it echoes across the lake.

Fuming with rage she bears down on the strongest living warrior and intimidates him. She was not consulted, she was not asked, her opinion apparently does not matter, Chichi is not happy with the news of this tournament that they are going to - even her. Their lives are disrupted again for fighting. Chichi grabs the front of Goku's orange and blue gi and he raises his hands in surrender. If it were just a normal tournament she could look past it. Goku has invited her to go across the galaxy on her own birthday. Her husband forgot her special day. To top it off he remembered that Gohan could not go and so she will be missing her own son, and her father, on her own birthday. He had this one chance. Goku told her he was taking her somewhere special to make it up to her. Chichi prettied herself up, giddy at the prospect that after years she might get treated to something by her husband. Instead she sees Vegeta's house. She yells her anger at her husband. Goku apologises in vain. The excuse that he is not good with numbers does not worm him out of this, not when they have been married 20 years. He has lied to her and she wants to go home.

A strong hand holds Chichi's and a soothing yet authoritative voice tells her to release Goku and to not damage trees. Misaki shall be the intermediary in this domestic spat as she can smell violence brewing. The Juraian Queen is shocked and hides her worry as she fails to budge Chichi's hand an inch. The frowning face turns to look at the bosom of Misaki. Chichi is not a tall woman, she is shorter than Vegeta and so Misaki towers over her. Used to dealing with Piccolo and her father's great height this does not deter Chichi. In no uncertain terms she tells this busy body to mind their own business and goes back to growling at the meek Goku.

"Hey, hey, wait, look see. When I said special I meant I was bringing you here to meet people-"

"Another fighter. Do not lie to me again, Goku. You came here to see Vegeta about the tournament!"

Trying to wave her off with this excuse of some unknown woman in training gear is not swaying Chichi, it infuriates her further. Even for him this is low, lying to her so openly for his selfish desire to fight. Chichi has a lot of jobs around the house to do today and this nonsense she decides will be cutting into the hours she spends daily cooking for her jobless husband, that and he shall be sleeping on the sofa tonight.

"No, no, no, that's not- well a bit but - This is Misaki. I brought you here to make some friends. She's Queen Misaki of some Jurai place where the tournament is. I know you've been having trouble with this so ... surprise?" Goku corrects the misunderstanding that Chichi had mistakenly made, he said special but he did not say a place he said a person to her. He points his hands towards the blue haired and grey skinned woman in hope that Chichi's grand fury will die down.

Misaki smiles and properly introduces herself and removes her hand from Chichi and states that she was the one to invite Goku and his family to the Juraian tournament. The frown remains, transforming from one of anger to confusion. Goku seizes his chance and slips from her fingers. Chichi takes a few seconds to get her head around the fact that this tall woman is the head of an intergalactic empire, and she was very rude to her a second ago. The hands of Goku rest on his wife's shoulders and he introduces his wife to the Queen, Chichi looking bemused all the while. Pieces are clicking, she should have seen this coming. For one she dressed up and Goku is still in his training gi, something she chalked down to him ripping another outfit and trying to hide it. She looks behind her at her smiling husband. He has brought her here for her sake and to help her with an issue he feels guilty about.

Almost a decade ago when her husband widowed her she found a lot of kind souls and hearts in the village at the base of Paozu, the mountain they live on, welcomed her with open arms. She was expecting her second child, a single mother raising a soon to be teenage son with no income and only surviving off of what her father could bring in. Her neighbours helped her with great acts of charity and fully welcomed her into the community. Chichi made many close friends as they supported her through the hard first few years after Goku's death and Goten's birth. However, swiftly after one of the happiest days of her life when her husband returned from the dead she found that she had lost it all. Goten was overjoyed at finally having his father around and did not keep it secret. Many assumed it to be a new man and that she had moved on. Then one day they saw Goku and a few from the village recognised him. Resurrection is not an idea many believe in. Chichi was shunned and alienated. Branded a liar who deceived them out of food and money, a shameless mother who even told her own children that their father had died instead of the truth which they saw as him leaving her. It is a long way to the next large shop she can buy food from or see other human faces. She does not blame Goku – if given the choice she would always choose her husband and father to her children over friends - but he sees his hand in this, and a deeper cost to his choice after battling Cell. Now he shall help her find some new friends and he hopes Misaki can fill that role.

Chichi curtsies, she apologises for being rude to a monarch and shoots a look to Goku behind her that he really should have forewarned her properly about this and not just Instant-Transmissioned her as soon as she was dressed. Her raven hair she has in a looser bun with an ornate silver pin keeping it in place - a birthday present from people who do not forget her birthday - but with her fall some hair from her fringe has escaped. She brushes at the dirt on the front of her navy frilled shirt and black 3/4 length pencil skirt and makes herself look a bit more respectable with her current company in mind. Misaki waves off the apology and smiles as she warmly states that her family is responsible for the downfall of Frieza and ending their war and so it should be her bowing to them instead. Chichi knows nothing of a war.

"Kakarot! Is stalling and halting my training a last resort of yours? You come to ask what you sent Gohan for yesterday, come, your Prince will give you an audience but for a short while." Niceties can be damned for all Vegeta cares. No matter what reason his rival has for bringing his wife along he only cares for Goku. The tournament is the reason.

Eyes of thunder close and re-open. Ryoko looks across to Vegeta and back to the now vacant training room. A massive surge in power has taken place next to her. She understands, being split into multi-forms lessened his power and his pride will not allow him to appear weak before Goku even if it means stopping his training for a while. Goku notices the changes in ki as well and starts walking up to the Saiyan Prince to leave Misaki and Chichi to chat. Sasami stands by her sister's side and waves across to her mother who waves back. The smile on Goku's face irritates Vegeta to no end. This other Saiyan has worked out what Vegeta was doing and it interests him, he did not know that Vegeta's arsenal contained such a move.

"Hey, Vegeta, are you using Tien's multi-form technique? Is that so you can keep training whilst-"

"That's a thing is it?! All these years, Goku, for shame. You are learning that, and then you can take me some-place special." Chichi is on her husband again like a tonne of bricks. Him walking away did not mean she stopped paying attention and hearing of a technique like this that will allow her husband to spend actual time with her is not something she will let go of.

A nervous chuckle comes from Goku. He has gone from his wife shouting at him to Vegeta and now back to his wife who is right behind him. For a moment he is about to mention that Piccolo has been able to do this technique and it proves no challenge to him, then self preservation kicks in and he discards all thought of telling his neglected wife how he could have easily been doing this for years. He smiles and agrees that he shall learn it right away as he likes living and eating. Chichi harrumphs.

"Do we have the money to go anywhere?" Goku leans in and whispers a quick question to his wife.

"We've got a bit of income we can spare, not much but enough if you don't break anything. Remember? I told you about those shares in Capsule Corporation." She does the maths in her head to work out how much budget they have to work with. Money from Hercule Satan is an additional source they have, as they are almost family. Chichi nods, her father can look after his grandson.

Lightning crackles through the air and surges around an enraged Saiyan. Ignored for a second time by some human nonsense, Vegeta raises a fist and snarls. Ryoko hovers over to Ayeka, Misaki rejoins the group and watches as Goku shows little reaction to this display of power.

"Silence! You talk over me and this is what you prattle on about. Buying shares in my wife's company on the cheap, exploiting her death-"

"They were left to us in her will, and you're not one to talk still living off her money she left you. Why don't you Saiyans ever get a job? Please say that this tournament at least has a nice reward for Goku to win." Chichi shuts down Vegeta's rant. She is not that low that she would make use of a friend's death to buy shares on the cheap. Her own loud voice silences the Saiyan before she half turns to Misaki for information on the tournament.

Expecting violence or bloodshed, both Ayeka or Ryoko are shocked to see Vegeta take no further action. She shouted at him and openly insulted him and the proud Saiyan prince is currently not attacking her husband or transforming through anger. His fist stays raised, unmoving. Death is still present in his eyes, directed still towards Goku more-so than his wife. Ryoko would whisper something in Ayeka's ear if she knew that Vegeta would not overhear her. The earthling woman knows how to handle Saiyans. Those are the qualities Ryoko herself mimics and exaggerates to appeal to Vegeta. Their eyes meet and Ryoko and Ayeka see they have drawn the same conclusion.

"There is a monetary aspect to the reward, yes. Exchanging it would be difficult, yet I feel Washu could work something out. The main prize however is a knighthood and the ability to make a single request of Jurai to bequeath you. … You've got dragonballs, so I now see how little that might mean. Is there anything else you want to know?" Sensing an uneasy atmosphere and trying to keep things civil the Queen answers concerning the prizes she won several times – one of those requested gifts from the Emperor standing in a navy robe and unaware of the nature of her conception. Misaki glances to Vegeta to check his temper remains reigned in. She can tell little from his expression about how close he is to snapping.

"Yeah, there is. It's probably better if you tell Chichi the details as she's better at remembering them and organising. All I wanna know is how we're getting there. I can't sense anything that far out."

"How many can Ryo-Ohki carry?" Vegeta turns to Ryoko and barks a continuation of his rival's question. He was going to worry about this later or enlist Washu but he shall see what he has to work with and get Goku out of his face as quickly as possible.

"She's meant for a single pilot so not many unless you like it being cosy, and Jurai's a long flight, and they might try shooting me down. Main issue is I ain't letting the two of you on my ship at the same time." 4 or 5 would be an absolute maximum for her cabbit to transport with sufficient resources for the voyage, Ryoko is not intending to let that many on her ship. She is also not one for wanting to fly into Juraian airspace or land on the Juraian's home-world. Ryoko wags a finger between the two adult male Saiyans. She will not see harm come to her little Ryo-Ohki from their bickering and brawling and she smells that she can use this to her advantage in the late game.

"If I might perhaps drop by before hand I can ferry my daughters and Mr. Goku and his family to Jurai. With my escort you should be safe for passage and entry, Ryoko."

Giving herself a valid excuse to visit at least one other time, Misaki smiles as she solves the logistical issues of separating Vegeta and Goku. Chichi looks behind her at the floating wooden monstrosity hulking in the sky and Misaki confirms that that is her personal craft and with it being a ship designed for a Queen it is not lacking in either comfort, safety or speed. This reassures Chichi little. She has never been to a different planet or gone into space, and that does not look like any kind of vehicle she knows of. Goku senses her uneasiness and remarks on how much energy and power he can sense coming from the heart of that ship and that it will be fun to go on a little holiday to Jurai with his family. The mention of a holiday perks Chichi up, wording it like that at least makes her feel less animosity towards her husband - him organising an exotic holiday far off for her for her birthday. Misaki smiles across at her two children and one of them appears a lot happier with this arrangement than the other.

She has been out played. Nibbling at the hem of her robe, the Princess of Jurai sees this defeat for what it is. Ryoko will have Vegeta in her own ship by herself for the entire journey and she will have the cold void of space separating them. Ayeka cannot be so obvious in denying her mother to go in Ryo-Ohki, nor does she want to upset her mother by voluntarily choosing to spend even less time with her when it is available. A large snorted breath comes from Vegeta's nose. He anticipates a lot of very forward actions from Ryoko if it is just the two of them before they fly into the hornet's nest where Ayeka has the home advantage. Clicking his tongue in dissatisfaction, he turns his back on his rival. If no other question is going to be asked then he will leave, or if it is asked even then Misaki can deal with it and he shall train.

"Also, my Goku has some important training to do with you Vegeta. I'm not taking a no from either of you. Go on and ask." Chichi elbows her husband in the side as she stops Vegeta from leaving. There is still a price to be paid for upsetting her, and a matter of responsibility that the Saiyans have been wrongfully shirking. She glares at Goku until he yields.

" … She wants us to do fusion, Vegeta. After we both got defeated last time she's got worried that I might not be able to protect the kids and Earth and she says it's silly if we don't have this backup to use as a last resort." Sighing out this piece of training that even he does not want to do, both Saiyans feel this rigid aspect of their pride instinctively deny this. Goku has been pressured into this after forgetting Chichi's birthday.

The broad back of Vegeta remains facing them. Fusion is an admittance that individually they are too weak, that their power is not enough. Vegeta and Goku are reluctant to fuse for this selfish reason concerning their strength. There is logic to Chichi's reasoning that there is no harm in having a fail-safe, Vegeta does not want to hear it. Cracks run through the ground and all but one woman recoils from the show of power. Pebbles dance into the air his chest heaves and blue flashes into his eyes. He shakes his head. He shall not fuse. There is no foe he cannot overcome by his own individual merit alone.

"You've got no-one to blame but yourself for bringing that wretched technique with you from Otherworld. Go and fuse with Gohan, leave me out of this." He snarls out this response to shoo the intruders from his land.

"My son and my husband are not going to be the same person! You've already fused so just do it again. What would Bulma say if we all appeared in Otherworld because you were too stupid and pigheaded to practise fusion?" Chichi is adamant on this point that she will not have Goku and Gohan be one. She said she will not take no for an answer and she sticks to her guns, enraging Vegeta further. Her son is busy working on his career and building himself a life outside of the chaos of fighting, if there ever is a fight where fusion is needed it is without a doubt that both Vegeta and Goku will be there not necessarily her eldest.

"I already know how to do the prissy looking moves. This is not something me, nor Kakarot, need to practise. A stupid dance like that is not fit for any with true Saiyan pride."

"Lord Vegeta, her argument has reason. Have you not promised to protect this planet? I know this is not ideal but I was forced into the same predicament. And … and- never-mind, it is only for 30 minutes and you can train through that period." The sound argument of having this Plan B in case of any horrendous circumstance has won over Ayeka. Her voice is downright quiet compared to Chichi's. If this is a way that will prevent Vegeta dying again and her grieving over him she is for it. She knows of the great reluctance to fuse with a rival. Ayeka is careful to keep her distance from him and the palpable fury rolling off of his muscles. She was going to comment on him ridiculing the motions when she knows him to dance and is planning for them to dance on their date yet she does not find the nerve or think it wise to utter.

"Whoa, you learnt fusion too? Did Vegeta teach you? Weird I didn't sense anything." Goku finds an interesting tangent for his curiosity to bite into. Someone else performing the Metamoran fusion technique should show his wife how simple it is for them to do so that he might not have to fuse with Vegeta.

But for the crackling of Vegeta's ki there is not a sound. Ayeka has no answer to immediately give to Goku. Her mother's smile lessens and she walks around to hold Sasami. Vegeta's teeth grind and he looks to the side as Ryoko floats towards Goku. She waves at the Saiyan she hunted to this planet and he waves back in a friendly manner. Chichi sees Ryoko and looks away, shying away from this.

"You wouldn't've. Our fusion was when an assassin came when Saiyans were off planet, thanks for the mind reading skill, it's been useful."

Misaki and Chichi share a similar disheartened reaction to Ryoko's words. The only human in this crowd recalls the events of a couple of nights ago when this cyan haired woman appeared at their house and greatly disturbed the peace. It was never something she feared, before she even knew she had married an alien it became part of the norm for Goku to head on to Korin's tower for a few days heeding a warning Kami had given him. Seeing that aftermath and what it had done to the strong Ryoko, the desperation it had led her to, she counts herself lucky that Goku keeps better track of those days than her birthday.

"Good thing that Vegeta's too stubborn to let anything control him and you seem happier now." He smiles at Ryoko and speaks of the elephant in the room, he is relieved to see her in an improved state and that he might have been of some help.

"At least I have a mind to be controlled. Don't go bringing that up, unless you could say for sure your wife would leave with fewer injuries than Ryoko. And leave my wife out of this, if you want to use emotional blackmail against me I will start using my own methods to end this." The roar of Vegeta resounds across the lake. His humiliating failure will not be made light of by his rival. He points at Chichi and she recoils at the threat. Too much has been spoken of about Bulma and her wants. She wanted life and he knows how that turned out. He transforms into a Super Saiyan and sparkles in the morning sunshine.

"Without training whatever our fusion is, it won't be able to transform properly like Gotenks couldn't at first. Please can you do this for me? I don't ask much." Blonde hair rises off of his forehead as Goku transforms to match Vegeta's power. Threatening his wife will not make him back down. He knows what Chichi wants of them and he knows that a new fusee takes time to adjust to their body and power.

"And low class trash has no right of asking anything from the Prince of all Saiyans."

Super Saiyan 2's are now on the scene. Bio electricity whizz around the two. The gap between their power is present. Vegeta steps closer to his foe. A hand reaches out and touches their sizzling hot torso's. Misaki stands between the two mountains of ki, she will not allow a fight to break out.

"Excuse me, but I do not condone such elitism, nor do I find it to be true. Mrs. Chichi, if I remember this correctly your husband told me that your father is the King of Ox, is this correct?" Misaki looks over to Chichi and a harsh and condescending laugh comes from Vegeta.

"The Ox King, yeah, he's my dad." Answering the random question, Chichi confirms who her father is, looking confused at Misaki as to why this is relevant when her husband is about to get into a fight with Vegeta.

"If your father is a King then by definition, well Juraian standards at least, that makes you a daughter of a King and Princess Chichi. Then through marriage he is Prince Goku. Technically Prince Vegeta holds rank still as his is the royal blood, not a title through marriage, but surely both as princes there should not be talk of any 'lower class'. Have I got this right?"

"This Cow Princess has less royal blood running through her veins than Ryoko. A bandit lord with a fancy and meaningless title is all her father was. And Earth titles mean nothing. He was born a low class Saiyan, he remains low class, and always will." Vegeta shreds apart the pathetic excuse Misaki was weaving together to put an end to his second favourite insult behind 'clown'. He mocks Goku's family and insults his wife. He wants Goku to swing first or show him his lesser Super Saiyan 3 state. The Saiyan Prince jeeringly laughs and pushes aside Misaki's hand from him. Ranks outside of Saiyan culture are of little importance to him.

"... Unless he challenges you for the crown, right? Classism's something I have a few niggles with. Isn't that how Saiyans work, the strong defeat people and take what they want. Just go ahead and fuse. I've seen you doing sillier dances."

She floats forward and tries to face her fiancé with the same gusto that Chichi is able to show. Ryoko will stick up for Misaki's point on this elitism, a similar brand to the sort she had to endure during her youth - though siding with Jurai for this she dislikes. This most dangerous of ideas she dangles before the two, for Goku is stronger and could settle this now. She sticks her tongue out at Vegeta for she knows this to be an irrefutable custom of Saiyans, he could not back down if he wanted to and will get sucked into a fight the same way she was with Misaki.

Goku and Vegeta both descend. Neither want to fight the other at the moment and spoil their upcoming match in the tournament, they cannot go all out on this unprotected planet. One last growl comes from Vegeta's throat. He turns his head to eye Ryoko and she twirls about back in the air to Ayeka, and to avoid his stare. Misaki lets out a pent up breath and steps back now that the situation seems to have defused. Chichi gives Goku a sharp prod to the back for going along with Vegeta's power play, and gives a stern evil eye to Vegeta for calling her a cow. Gritting his teeth, the Saiyan Prince swallows his pride and walks to the side of Goku.

The two look at the other and they equal out their ki. Goku thanks Vegeta for this. The prince says nothing. This is something Bulma would push him to do, and he does hold a rightful responsibility to do this. He cannot ignore his wife, or fail to hear her own argument conjoined with Chichi's. Disappointing Bulma further with another failure he will not do. Vegeta will surpass this petty limit of himself for her. He spreads his legs at shoulder length apart and points both arms away from Goku, who mirrors him exactly. Misaki looks on in wonder, getting to see fusion for the first time. They circle their arms overhead and step together, raise a knee and dart their arms back away from the other and then the most powerful being is born.

Light blinds the retinas of all around. A pained meow comes from Ryo-Ohki as she walks full on into a wall. A confident laugh of two voices comes from the brilliant whiteness. Birds caw and fly away in droves from the boughs in the forest. The light coalesces and the women cover their eyes to see if they can make out anything. One brief yelp bursts out and is quickly silenced. Ryoko turns her head for the ki has moved. Half a minute passes before any of them can blink their eyes into making out the lakeside again. There is no-one stood there. The Juraians look about and Ryoko sullenly pouts and whispers some mean things under her breath.

Mihoshi and Kiyone bound out of their room as they hear a scream from inside the house. A more masculine scream follows. They stand ready in the corridor with a new prototype firearm each that Washu decided they could have and test for her. Disarming the safety, the police raise their weapons. The door to Vegeta's room opens. With her hair a mess a woman exits. Grumbling to herself, Chichi does up a few buttons on her shirt, a great blush across her whole face, and then she sees guns pointed at her by two women she does not know. She stops. A man topples out of the room behind her and collapses on the floor. Chichi expects them to eye her with more suspicion but they relax their guard. Mihoshi greets her and holsters her shiny new gun.

"Got ... a very strict time schedule here, Chichi. How about we compromise?" The groaning black haired man on the floor speaks with both the voice of Goku and Vegeta at once.

Kiyone aims her gun to the mystery man and then her gun is gone from her grasp and clattering down the corridor and her headband lowers over her eyes, Mihoshi faces similar difficulties with her hair scrunchy now tying her hands together behind her back. In the midst of this Chichi yells and screams again.

Taller than her husband he stands. One lock of black hair falls down for a minimal fringe on a lessened widow's peak. Those eyes look at her just like Goku's do. He wears a black and orange hemmed Metamoran vest, white trousers held up with a blue sash, black bracers on his wrists and blue and black boots. He smiles at her. She cannot react in time before his hands are on her again. Thrashing about to be let go, Chichi's struggles are in vain. He lifts her up, carrying her in a princess style hold whilst making sure that her arms and legs are restrained. She gnaws on his arm for release. He bounces her up so she dislodges and he turns back towards where his room is.

A foot impacts into the bridge of his nose and a second one clangs into his temple. He sighs.

"What the hell are ya doin'?!" Ryoko lands between him and Vegeta's room with anger in her eyes. She draws her energy sword and levels it with the man forcefully carrying a woman off.

"I've got less than 30 minutes. I'm spending as much time as I can with my wife before I never get to see her again." He walks onto the sword and it smashes into embers, this fusion is well aware of who he is and how much time he has in existence. As a fusion he will only exist in dire circumstances and this is his one time where he will likely be around that Chichi will also be there. He is down one wife in the form of Bulma and will make sure he has no regrets with Chichi as she headbutts against his chest.

"Your wife? She ain't your wife Ve-Ve-Vekarot?" Ryoko will not hear Vegeta's voice say these words, even if only in part. Her Vegeta will not have any part with another woman.

"She is. I love Chichi. Chichi is my wife and you are cutting into some quality snuggle time with the love of my life, so scram Ryoko. This isn't some match you can join in on, not like with Lady Ayeka. And by the way, name's Gogeta, current resident God for this planet." Gogeta has the confidence and ego of someone who has the monstrous amount of power he holds, a trait of all fusions. He gives his name and proclaims that this fusion's woman is Chichi. Grinning as he looks down at the squirming Chichi, he shakes his head at Ryoko for she is not the one he holds the strongest emotions for.

Before anything can escalate he releases Chichi and she leaps from his arms. Gogeta then leans and falls into her arms. She lets him drop. Both women look unimpressed by this man and his actions. They hear movement downstairs as the Juraians figure out where the commotion is, the policewomen have freed themselves and again they see a man laying on the ground. Gogeta complains that it is getting far too crowded and with boredom he scans most of the galaxy and nothing comes close to his power. Grinning up at Chichi he tells her he loves her in front of everybody. The woman blushes. This is not how her husband acts, this is not behaviour she is accustomed to. Ryoko is strongly opposed to this and his aggressive behaviour towards women, Ayeka gasps seeing the fusion of her prince speaking words of leave for another and joins Ryoko in this jealous opposition. Chichi tells him that he is not her Goku and to not mess with her like that. Gogeta closes his eyes, internalising that painful rejection of his self, and gets to his feet. He raises a foot and extends his leg to Chichi.

"You are a girl." Gogeta softly says these words as he gently pats his foot against Chichi's crotch. He smiles at her as a large blush consumes her face, as does a look of confusion.

That takes her back, this feeling of nostalgia, all the way many years to her first meeting with the boy who she later married. Something that Goku did is being redone by someone who is not her husband but at the same time is. Ayeka and Misaki cover their faces at such forward and improper actions and Ryoko lets her sword materialise again. Chichi gingerly steps forward and gives Gogeta a hard shove to the ground. Sat on the ground he smiles back at her, a goofy and carefree smile directed at her, just like Goku does. She has played her part in that recreation. Chichi feels the eyes upon her and has no idea what to do next or what to do with this confusing fusion man that loves her. He gets to his feet and goes to her, she raises her arms in case she has to ward him off again. Her face hot and flush.

"While I have the sense to say it I will tell you that I have and always will appreciate all that you have done for me, and put up with. You're my Princess Chichi. The woman I love. And, our son is on his way." Gogeta holds her and she accepts this embrace. The tone of Goku playing in his chorus voice is hitting her hard with these words. Simple words she has longed for. Mihoshi claps in the background at this touching scene. Gogeta savours the feel of his wife and makes the most of this temporary luxury. Ryoko spins her swords glaring at him as she senses a second fusion taking place on this planet.