AN: Another week, another chapter. Now we get to see how our favorite couple handles this new hitch. Enjoy!

LEMON CONTENT AHEAD

Chapter 14

Bulma didn't understand. What had happened? Once her brain had finally cleared enough to think, she realized that this must be the bonding she and Chichi had talked about. Truth be told, they had never discussed what it truly meant other than it was a more powerful connection than marriage, one that trumped legal contracts of partnership. To separate a bonded pair was tantamount to murder because for the bonded pair, that's what it felt like—death.

While her sensibilities balked at the thought of being dependent on anyone else to such an extreme extent, she was more concerned with this new development. Did Chichi keep this a secret? Why? Did she not think this was relevant?

"She likely didn't know," Vegeta said aloud in response to her unuttered questions.

Bulma threw up her hands. "Okay, stop that!" she exclaimed. Vegeta gave her a look, as if to say, 'What do you want from me?' She gave him a look that said he shouldn't expect any other response with such a shocking circumstance. "Why would she not know?"

Vegeta looked suddenly uncomfortable. He looked away, and while Bulma couldn't hear any specific words, she could sense the turmoil and uncertainty—likely related to how she would react.

"From… what I have read… this kind of bonded response only happens in very rare cases; in those individuals who are… particularly well suited. It is a reaction that builds on an already deep connection. It's actually where the phrase 'of the same mind' comes from." Vegeta was gauging her reaction to this new information.

"Where would you read about this sort of thing?" Bulma said the first question that came to her mind, which elicited a chuckle from her prince. She would focus on the learning aspect.

"We have an extensive collection on all topics in the royal library," he replied.

"What made you read about it…?" she hedged. He must have been feeling the same thing she had been feeling.

He cleared his throat, looking to the side, clearly uncomfortable with discussing this sort of thing. As far as Bulma was concerned, however, they needed to discuss it. Very few saiyans experienced this phenomenon, and apparently their circumstance was even more rare than that. "I had felt… a connection from the second I first saw you at the recruitment event, and it had been building steadily by the day. After the night I came to your room… there was no denying what this might be. So I researched."

Bulma nodded. "My research resources were much more limited, but I did the same thing," she commented.

"I didn't realize Kakarot and his woman were actually bonded," he mused.

"It's not something they advertise," Bulma replied, shrugging. "I didn't know much at all about it until this all started and Chichi told me it sounded familiar. I meant to talk to you about it, but… other things came up." She paused as reality came crashing back to her. 'What are we going to do…?'

Vegeta was silent, looking at her body in his lap, his hands running up and down her back leaving sparkling trails in their wake. She began to feel her body respond, even in such a confusing, fraught situation as this. She wasn't alone as she felt him stirring beneath her.

"I don't know," he whispered as he leaned in to cover her lips with his own, pushing her down to the floor once again.

Bulma eventually made it back to her room in time to clean herself off and get a few hours of blissful sleep. Upon waking and examining herself in the mirror, she was glad to see that the bite marks were low on her neck on the way to her collar bone. She was also pleased that most under clothing included a mock neck which covered it nicely—she was not yet ready for this to go public. Not with all of the controversy that would be sure to follow. She didn't know what to do about this, but right now her priority was her lab. They could figure all of that out later.

The day was a delightful blur. She was satiated in a way she hadn't been for nearly a week with an even deeper satisfaction than before, she supervised her new lab with colleagues who were smart and eager, and her body and mind were full.

'Your mind has been buzzing all day,' she heard in her mind as she was tinkering with her new project, accompanied by a pleasant warmth in her head.

'And yours has been consumed with training, as usual,' she sent back. His physical energy as he was training was something she could feel through the bond, and it fueled her.

'What are you working on? I don't understand what you're doing.'

Bulma snorted to herself. 'Stop eavesdropping.' While she couldn't hear him chuckle, she could feel it. 'I'll tell you about it when I have it more hammered out and know it can work.'

The scientist wasn't sure how much of her thoughts and feelings were sent through to him. Was it a constant steam like a broken water line, or was it like a tap where the stream could be at least temporarily blocked. While she enjoyed this connection, she didn't want both of them to lose all semblance of the privacy within their own heads. There were going to be things she wanted to keep to herself and vice versa. She knew he didn't want to be submerged in an ocean of mathematical calculations and scientific innovation all day, nor did she want to be inundated with kicks and punches 24/7.

'Is there anyone we can talk to about the implications of this and how to control it?' she sent through to him, wondering if he could hear all of her musings prior to that purposeful message.

There was a contemplating silence on the other end of her telepathic connection. Finally she heard, with a hint of amusement laced into the words, 'I will tell you that more is being communicated than you would think. While part of me wonders what secrets you want to keep from me, I mostly agree that we need to be able to guard our thoughts when needed.'

Bulma hoped he could feel her eye roll in his own eye sockets. 'And how do we go about doing that?' she queried.

'We can meet with the royal soothsayer.'

Bulma paused her tinkering. She knew of the soothsayer, of course… But that would mean they would need to tell someone outside of anyone in their trusted circles about this development. Couldn't that cause problems?

'Soothsayers are some of the most trustworthy people on the planet,' came the reply. 'They are entrusted with not only the history of our planet and any other relevant off-planet history, but they are also entrusted with knowing parts of the future and not revealing it unless needed in order to not disrupt our existence.'

He had a point. Still… it would be uncomfortable talking to others aside from Chichi, who had more personal experience than anyone else she knew of. But she supposed if this soothsayer was tasked with knowing everything about the planet and their people, who better to ask about this sort of thing?

'When can we… I guess… get in for an appointment? Is that how this works?'

She felt his chuckle through her head. 'I'll see about it and inform you.'

'Good,' she sent back, 'now get out of my head so I can focus.' She smiled at the bristling buzz from his side of the bond and felt him pull away. While she could still get a general feeling, she could only occasionally hear a few words pop through. She went back to working on her project, hoping that they could meet with this walking history lesson sooner rather than later. As much as she bathed happily in this connection, she needed the ability to block out feelings and thoughts when she needed to focus, or to just have her mind to herself for a time.

The urge to talk to someone about this was overwhelming, though. She needed to meet with Chichi later to work through this with someone who was more than just knowledge but was also a comfort and a sounding board. She resolved to hunt her down tonight when she had completed her tasks and had eaten.

Bulma felt a smirk cross her face. She is going to freak.

By the time Bulma closed the door to her room behind Chichi, her friend was a veritable cauldron of energy waiting to burst. All Bulma had told her was that they needed to talk, and after that Chichi was unwilling to participate in small talk.

"Well?!" Chichi all but burst. "What needed to wait until we got here? It's obviously something important!" She was practically bouncing in anticipation.

Bulma shook her head at the impatience but complied. Rather than saying anything, she tilted her head to the side, allowing her hair to slide off her shoulder and down her back, and pulled her fitted undershirt down from her neck to reveal the still fresh bite mark.

Chichi froze, her eyes fixed on the red outline of their crowned prince's canines on her best friend's neck, her mind working through the implications of this. Bulma stood still for as long as she could before her nerves got the best of her. She released the neck of her shirt and straightened up, attempting to meet Chichi's unseeing eyes.

"Chichi, please say something," she said finally, unsure what to make of her friend's speechlessness.

After another moment, Chichi shook her head, seemingly in an attempt to rattle her brain back into coherency. "I…" she started quietly, "I know we talked about it, I just didn't think about… what if it actually happened…"

Bulma didn't know how to respond to that. She couldn't exactly say she disagreed because she had the same thought. Talking about it was one thing; it actually coming to pass was another. Sex could be eventually stopped if it were only that, but a bond? That's a much bigger situation. From what she could glean about it, it wasn't something easily broken, nor something that should be broken for the sake of both parties involved. But would that matter when the future succession of the royalty family was involved?

Oh god… succession… I never thought about that… Her mind was racing, and she forgot entirely that Vegeta could likely hear that, or get the general tenor of it, until she felt a spark of shock in her head that was not her own. She instinctively shook her head, sending out the 'not now' signal so she didn't have to try to contend with both of them at the same time.

Chichi's voice brought her back to the room and out of her head. "When did it happen?"

Bulma blinked at her, still trying to focus on the woman in front of her rather than the flood of competing sounds and feelings in her head. "Uh, last night," she replied, her voice sounding distant even to her own ears.

"And?" Chichi prodded, taking a step toward her friend.

This brought her fully back. This was what she really needed to talk with the woman in front of her about. "And it seems you left some parts of bonding out of your earlier explanation."

Chichi looked taken aback in confusion followed quickly by a look of contrition. "What exactly are you referring to?" she asked, barely meeting Bulma's eyes.

"You never told me I could hear inside his head," she scolded. She wasn't actually mad, but it would have been nice to have some sort of heads up. She knew Vegeta had said that she may not have known as this isn't a common bonding reaction, but by Chichi's expression she knew she had hit at least somewhat close to home.

"Well," she started, sheepishly, "I didn't think it was that huge of a deal… It's just what we're feeling and a word or two here and there… I didn't want to freak you out."

Bulma's expression was blank. She really didn't know… This truly was different than what the typical person felt. Chichi noticed her growing stricken expression.

"Bulma, what is it?" For the first time since they had entered the room, the black-haired saiyan approached her friend, resting a hand on her shoulder.

The scientist swallowed hard and met her friend's eyes. "It's more than just that for us," she said, her voice thick. Chichi's eyes narrowed in confusion.

"What do you mean?" she asked cautiously, letting her hand fall from Bulma's shoulder.

"We can… hear more than just that. We can hear nearly everything. I can hear him training right now. I can feel what he's feeling almost all of the time mingled with my own feelings. He can hear my thoughts. We have full conversations. We don't know how to control it, but… I don't hate it. It's like a warm blanket in my head all of the time." The words came tumbling out; her concerns, her experience, her joy.

Chichi had returned to silence at this news. It was clear this was nothing like she had experienced herself, and she didn't know what to think about it. She had to decide if she was jealous of this apparently stronger connection or not, but after a quick thought decided she was not. She enjoyed the solace of her own mind. Plus, to be in Goku's mind would be to privy to a revolving door of fighting and food; she might go insane.

Unexpectedly, Bulma felt herself pulled into a tight hug which she immediately returned. This was what she needed. She needed that soothing connection of her friend, the one person she had always been able to tell everything. Even getting the words out to another person besides herself and the other person involved was cathartic. She felt herself burying her face in Chichi's neck, finding that comfort she so desperately needed. While, as she said, she didn't hate it, this entire situation was stressful and confusing. She had needed her friend.

When Chichi finally pulled back, Bulma felt much more calm, as if her back suddenly released all (or at least most) of its tension, suffusing her body in warmth. They looked at each other and exchanged matching small smiles.

"So what are you going to do now?" Chichi finally asked quietly.

Bulma opened her mouth, unsure of what she was going to say, when she was stopped by a pang of loud annoyance in her head. She could feel Vegeta's frustration throughout her head, and then came through, 'Gods, what does this aggravating woman want now?!'

All the tension that had left her body came rushing back in. Kari. She was visiting Vegeta—and from the sound of it, she did this frequently. The logical part of her brain told her that this was normal; she was officially his betrothed—she clenched her teeth at this thought. Surely she had plenty to discuss with him about matters of state and such. The primitive part of her brain, though, was raging with jealousy. She felt like her territory was being encroached on, and she was shaking with the urge to rush to where he was and stake her claim.

"Bulma, what's wrong?" she dimly heard Chichi ask her at the same time as she heard, 'Calm down, woman, she does this all of the time.'

'Like that's supposed to make it better?' she shot back, shaking her head in frustration. She remembered she was with Chichi when she felt her friend's reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Bulma," she said, concern in her eyes. The blue-haired scientist felt herself growl deeply in her throat causing Chichi's head to snap back a bit at the shock of hearing that come from her long-time friend.

"That… woman is with him…" she said darkly, struggling to contain herself. She had never felt this way; this intense territorial conviction within her. It was overriding her normally logical thought processes and filling her with what she considered an unevolved need to claim what was hers in front of anyone and everyone and to rip the face off of anyone who tried to touch her property.

Property? What is wrong with me? She forcefully shook her head, and then her whole body, hoping it would rid her of these complicated and strong emotions. Once again, she felt the calming feeling of her mate in her head, the mirth traveling through her body.

'You are defending your bond. We are each others' property.'

Bulma frowned at this. 'I don't like the sound of that…'

'Like it or not, that's what has happened. I belong to you, and you belong to me. And as saiyans, we defend what is ours.'

While it wasn't a thought that Bulma preferred, she knew the truth of it. Felt it in her bones. She was his, and he was hers. She knew instinctively that if there were any threat to him, any attempt to take him away from her, she would fight fiercely to the death, and it wouldn't be her dying.

When she returned to her own head, she found Chichi staring at her patiently. Bulma wondered if this part of the bond was something Chichi also experienced, and from the knowing look on her face, she knew it was. She could relate to Bulma's sudden and unexpected feral reaction in response to the threat to her claim on her mate.

"I know that feeling," Chichi smirked, confirming her suspicion. "You should have seen how I reacted the first time another female accidentally brushed against Goku as we were walking down the street."

Bulma let out a snort. She could definitely picture that. She took a deep breath, finally getting herself under control, before speaking again.

"This is all so complicated. I don't know what the future brings at this point," Bulma sighed. She paused for a moment before perking up. "The future! Vegeta suggestd we see the royal soothsayer to discuss his knowledge of the bond and its history. But he can see the future, right? Maybe I can ask him…"

Chichi gave her a doubtful look. "You know Goku's father has been apprenticing under the soothsayer. I don't think they just give that information out. Telling people about their future can alter the future."

Bulma frowned. She had entirely forgotten that fairly recent development. It had come as a bit of a shock when they had found out that Bardock had been having visions of the future—and had apparently been having them for quite some time. This new revelation had only been mentioned in passing, and if she recalled correctly, it was right before they left on their mission. No one really went into depth with her about what happened and what it meant. In fact, so little was told to her that she had lost it from her usual steel trap of a mind, and even Vegeta's mention of a soothsayer didn't jog her memory.

"Okay, so…" Bulma started slowly, "no one really told me what happened with that. I think I was told he was seeing the future and now was apprenticing, but I don't remember anything else. I didn't even associate it with the soothsayer Vegeta talked about."

"To be fair, your mind was wholly preoccupied when we found this out," Chichi replied. "I'm not sure I even bothered to tell you anything in depth."

Bulma blinked. She was surprised Chichi didn't give her the entire, lengthy lowdown immediately when she had found out, and she herself must have been really distracted considering she didn't even remember the conversation and barely remembered that she was told at all. "Well, the time has come," Bulma said, crossing her arms. "Spill."

Chichi smirked at this; this was a familiar Bulma. Then she pulled her blue-haired friend to the couch so they could really get into it.

"So it turns out" Chichi began, "that Bardock had been having visions of the future for many years. He actually had known that Goku and I would be mated and bonded before we did." Bulma's eyes widened at this. That was a bit disconcerting—to know that someone could know intimate details about you not due to any indiscretions but simply seeing it happen as a premonition. And she thought Vegeta having unfettered access to her head was invasive…

"Finally it got to the point where he couldn't control them. They would invade his mind at all times of the day, and the physical reactions he had to them were becoming noticeable to others, especially Gine." Bulma nodded. It made sense that Goku's mother would be the most privy to this type of change in Bardock. "When she finally confronted him, he no longer had the will or desire to deny it and told her everything. Eventually they agreed to go meet with the soothsayer—because who better to advise on this situation than him?—and do you know what he said to them?"

Bulma shook her head, completely rapt at this point. Chichi reveled in the role of storyteller when it came to a good gossip story.

"He said, 'Took you long enough! I've been waiting for you for years!'"

Bulma let a chuckle burst from her lips. "Well of course he had… that makes sense."

Chichi nodded. "Apparently he started having visions of his apprentice years prior and just waited for him to come see him. That seems to be a weird sticking point with the whole seeing-the-future thing… Very rarely can they see when it happens, just that it will. Or even might happen, depending on what choices we make in the interim. Because every decision we make affects the future."

Bulma shuddered. That was an uncomfortable thought. "So I won't learn my future at this meeting?" she questioned ruefully. Chichi smirked at her and shook her head. "Well at least now I won't ask like a fool."

"I'm sure it's a common question," Chichi chuckled.

They slipped into a companionable silence, both thinking about all of the new information they had learned. Bulma knew she had dropped a pretty big bomb on Chichi, and while the reminder and extra information about Goku's father was sizable, it didn't compare to finding out her best friend had bonded in a very significant way with the crowned prince—who was already betrothed. Hell, it was a lot for Bulma to take in, and she was living it.

"Well, I should probably let you get some rest. I know I need it after all of this," Chichi said softly, laying a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder.

Bulma smiled at her. "Thanks, Chichi. I don't know how I would have handled this without you."

Chichi's mouth quirked up in a sardonic smile. "Oh honey, you wouldn't have."

Bulma lay tucked up against Vegeta's chest wrapped in the blankets of his large bed in his personal quarters later that night. Vegeta had expressed understandable interest in the new development of Goku's father being associated with the soothsayer after Chichi had left, because of course he could pick out what had been discussed. Something that large couldn't be hidden in Bulma's mind even if she knew how to. She had gone to him so they could discuss it in person rather than the awkward hearing/feeling mental discussions for a topic so potentially fraught and serious. However, the second his door opened and their eyes connected, matching their already taut mental connection that had been building as the distance between them shortened, all thoughts of discussing fathers and soothsayers and anything at all was thrown to the side along with their clothes. The door was slammed behind her and she had leapt into his arms, onto his lips, and onto the bed. It seemed every experience was enhanced in an exponential fashion. She had wondered while bathing in the aftermath, taking in the scent of his skin, how long it would be like this. She loved it, but if she had this reaction whenever she saw him, it was definitely going to make being near him in public incredibly difficult. Like it wasn't already…

"So should we be concerned about Kakarot's father being involved with the soothsayer?" Vegeta asked, breaking Bulma out of her reverie.

Bulma looked up at him with a smirk. "I believe it was you just earlier today who said, and I quote, 'soothsayers are some of the most trustworthy people on the planet.' Are you changing your opinion on that?"

Vegeta frowned, his eyes flicking down to hers with annoyed acknowledgement of his own words. "Well, that was before the soothsayer's apprentice knew one of us personally," he lamented peevishly.

Bulma chuckled lightly and melted further into his body, for a second considering the thought of her never leaving this bed and his side. She felt the rumble of approval in his chest. "Bardock may have known me nearly all of my life, but he is one of the most honorable saiyans I know. I'm sure he will be the picture of discretion. And it probably won't even be him. He's just the apprentice, after all."

She felt Vegeta's tension dissipate from his slightly. That was probably the best she could ask for, considering.

"Also, we should consider," she hedged, "what Chichi had suggested… that he already knows. And has for a while." She felt his body tense again. "She said he knew she and Goku would bond before they did. So… it's likely we are expected."

He was quiet for a while. She could hear his thoughts flickering every which way around these reminders before alighting on her in… not so much alarm but more like surprised concern.

"Do you feel ok?" he asked suddenly. She tilted her face up to his questioningly.

"Yes. Why?" she asked. She took stock of herself and her body. It didn't feel too different from normal. There was a new sensation of fullness, contentment, and building energy. But this was only new since the bond—she had felt new and different since then, and it had only been building.

She could hear the general tenor of Vegeta's consideration of these thoughts of hers. What a weird thing to experience—her own thoughts being thought through in someone else's mind. Finally Vegeta nodded in agreement. He had similar feelings of a change in him and his internal workings. It seemed like his insides were altering themselves to accommodate another.

They lay there comfortably, not feeling the need to talk but simply existing with and within each other.

Vegeta finally stirred slightly. "The visit with the soothsayer is tomorrow," he said nonchalantly.

She jerked her head to his. "Already? That was fast. When? I have a team to lead!"

"So do I," he scoffed. "It's in the evening to allow for maximum discretion. It will not pull us away from our normal duties nor will it be during high traffic times."

Bulma thought about this and finally nodded. That all seemed appropriate. She just thought she'd have a little more time to prepare. Prepare questions, her tactical approach, her mind.

"You'll be fine. There's no need to prepare," Vegeta assured her, hearing her concerns. "We already know what we're there for."

"Yeah, but this is also a great opportunity to figure out more about the history. Why does this happen, and why are there different… tiers, so to speak? What does the future hold for us? I mean, I know we can't ask about that, but what should we expect based on precedent? How will this affect your betrothal? Oh, gods, I keep forgetting about that… What will—"

"Shut up, woman!" he interrupted, exasperated with her tirade. "The main things we need to concern ourselves with are how to control our… thought sharing and what the implications are. Any other questions you can cobble together tomorrow. And if you think of anything else after the fact, apparently you have a semi-direct line…" He finished his response with a bit of a resentful tone that made Bulma smirk.

"Well, whatever we find out…" She didn't finish her statement, just brought herself up to him and melded her mouth to his, melting her body against him. It was only meant in as chaste a way as it could be considering their current circumstances, but once their lips met, the spark was ignited. Her mouth opened to his, tongues warring as she climbed on top of him. She could feel his growing hardness in response to their renewed passions, and she could feel herself responding in kind. The heat spread from their connected lips and traveled down to her center, igniting her fire once again. It felt like it never truly went out… like she was always one look, one thought, one touch away from that simmering internal heat blazing into a body-consuming combustion.

With a groan, he detached his lips from hers and trailed his mouth down her neck, resting tantalizingly on the bond mark he had left there, grazing it with his teeth and lapping with his tongue. An intense shiver ran through her body, ripping and uncontrolled, primal moan from her throat. The sensation was so intense she could barely move—she felt it from the center of her head, bond central, as it shot like a lightning bolt through her entire body. It left her panting and desperately grabbing for his length to guide him inside herself.

They sighed together, reveling in the feeling of being connected in every way possible.

'I don't think this will ever get old…' Bulma thought as she began rocking against him.

'It won't,' Vegeta responded, his words resonating everywhere inside her. She brought her gaze back down to his, and his eyes were boring into hers. It was like their first look all over again—she couldn't look away. Her mind was swimming with physical sensations and complex emotions. The feel of him moving inside of her, his fingers digging into her hips, his eyes on her, their commingled spirits and feelings. She began to feel the shiver from deep within her, building as her movements escalated in response. Her breaths came short, and her body began to shake with the power of her climax. She saw spots dance in her vision as she felt him tense up underneath her, his own climax coming just as hard. One word jumped to the forefront of her mind, unbidden and unhidden, as she collapsed against him.

Love.

AN: Hope you enjoyed! Until next week!

- Trixie-chan