Author: Becky L. Sly
Title: What If: Namek
Genre: Romance/Adventure
Rating: T (there will be cusswords, violence and some non-explicit sexual situations that may not be appropriate for all readers)

I just own the plot. All characters belong to Funimation, Toei Animation, and Akira Toriyama.

Chapter 9 – The Eternal Dragon

"So… what did you call this machine again, Vegeta?" Krillin murmured to the Saiyan Prince, his concerned gaze fixed on Goku inside the healing chamber, observing as the water slowly covered his friend's entire body, a ventilator carefully attached over his nose and mouth.

After their final fight with Captain Ginyu, Vegeta had led the four Earthlings to the inside of Freeza's ship in order to heal Goku. At first, Krillin and Gohan seemed unconvinced about his offer, however, Bulma was the first to encourage them to follow Vegeta, and Goku quickly agreed with her.

"It's called a Regeneration Chamber," Vegeta answered coldly, also peering at Goku in the water. The younger Saiyan's hair floated and swayed as he became completely submerged inside the chamber. "It'll have Kakarot's strength back in no time."

Krillin and Gohan were in awe, watching their friend in the chamber, somehow feeling less worried now about Vegeta's intentions. Goku glanced back at his son and his friend, then his eyelids suddenly weighed heavily over his eyes. He closed his eyes slowly, allowing his weakened body to be comforted by the water's gentle motion, as it was treating his wounds both externally, and internally. It was barely noticeable, but he was already able to feel his body healing from the inside. It was nothing compared to a Senzu Bean, however, he was more than satisfied with that. Not to mention, there were no needles involved!

"Are you sure my dad's okay in there?" Gohan whispered, unsure, his little index finger gently tracing the glass of the chamber, as a worried expression settled upon his young features.

"The liquid inside is made up of a powerful regenerative substance," Vegeta murmured, diverting his eyes away from the chamber, then heading away from the Earthlings. "It'll penetrate every pore, healing him from the inside until his cells regenerate. If no one interrupts the process, he'll be just fine."

Krillin glanced at Vegeta over his shoulder. "That sounds cool… and creepy," he whispered the last bit to himself, noticing that Vegeta seemed to be looking for something. A startling revelation came to the bald warrior's mind suddenly. "You were inside one of these when we found you earlier here, right?"

"Yeah. And?" The Saiyan Prince asked wryly.

Krillin scratched his chin for a moment, remembering the day they came to rescue Vegeta. "So, Bulma probably took you out of one of them. That's why you were acting so strange once you came out? She stopped the process?"

Vegeta snorted something before closing the distance between him and Krillin, grabbing the small man by his gi and lifting him up from the floor slightly.

"Do you want to test me now, baldy?" He hissed angrily, his obsidian eyes glowering into Krillin's.

Krillin gasped in surprise, taking Vegeta's hand out of his gi with no resistance. "Kami, Vegeta! We can't even talk with you!" He barked angrily, stepping away from the angry Saiyan.

Vegeta crossed his arms over his chest, then Gohan caught his attention.

"Mister Vegeta… sir," Gohan murmured hesitantly, observing that Vegeta nodded for him to continue. "How long will it take until my father is fully healed?"

Vegeta sighed heavily, glancing one more time at Goku inside the chamber. "This chamber is an old model. It'll take more time than usual to heal him. But, I suppose it won't take longer than an hour or so."

"Old model?" Krillin questioned, walking closer to Gohan. "What happened to the new ones?"

Vegeta huffed at them. "Some idiots destroyed the other chambers back in the infirmary. We only have this one now."

Gohan and Krillin quickly glanced at each other, realizing that Vegeta was talking about them. They had made a massive explosion in the infirmary in order to create a distraction, like Vegeta had demanded. They didn't think back then that they would ever need to return to Freeza's ship, much less need to use some of the chambers that had exploded.

"You were the one asking for a big distraction!" Krillin countered Vegeta bitterly, eliciting an apathetic shrug from the Saiyan.

"I suppose it doesn't matter anymore," Vegeta murmured absently, stepping away from them, and walking towards the corridor. Krillin frowned at Vegeta one more time, noticing that he had an unsettling expression upon his face, as if he was searching for something again.

However, before Krillin could ask himself what Vegeta was thinking, the Saiyan Prince returned to them

"Where did the Earth woman go?" he asked absently, not looking back. Krillin blinked a few times before understanding entirely what Vegeta was asking.

"Do you mean Bulma? I saw that she entered the ship with us," Krillin said, massaging the back of his neck for a moment. "I bet she's looking around the ship or something. She's probably not very far, though."

Vegeta hummed softly, considering Krillin's words for a moment, not able to see the bald man's quizzical expression as he stared at Vegeta's back. The fact was, ever since Vegeta had dropped Bulma on the ground after she jumped onto him to get away from the Namekian frog, the Saiyan Prince had this strange feeling that she was somehow ignoring him.

Suddenly, Vegeta turned on his heel, his attention back on the two Earthlings in front of him. "As for you two, I think a little upgrade from those tattered garments wouldn't hurt."

Gohan and Krillin gasped at Vegeta's words, not quite understanding what he meant. Without saying anything else, Vegeta turned his back on them once again, glancing over his shoulder for a brief moment, then giving them the signal to follow his lead.

Vegeta led them to another room, which looked similar to a changing room or something to that nature. The Saiyan Prince was being carefully followed by the Earthlings, who were taking their time to look around warily inside the alien ship. They noticed Vegeta stopping in front of what seemed to be a locker, and after entering a digital code on the wall panel, the locker door opened, revealing several of the uniforms units inside.

"Here. Put these on under your regular clothes," Vegeta muttered, tossing some navy-blue spandex garments to the floor for both Gohan and Krillin. Vegeta turned to the locker again, grabbing two pairs of white gloves and white boots, before tossing them on the floor as well. "Hurry up. We don't have much time."

The Earthlings nodded at his words, and quickly got undressed in front of Vegeta, trying their best to look as casual as possible. "I guess we should probably believe Bulma, and trust Vegeta with these things, don't you think, Gohan?" Krillin said while taking his gi off, and quickly grabbing the navy-blue spandex under armor on the floor, then pulling it over his body.

"I guess so," Gohan murmured quietly, as he folded his socks up carefully on the floor. "At least he's helping my father, and giving us some new armor."

"Here," Vegeta's voice caught the two of them off guard. They turned their heads, gazing at the Saiyan Prince holding two sets of upper armor in his hands before walking over.

"This is the armor I was talking about. It's an older model than mine, but it should work just as well." Vegeta said, tossing them both their new armor.

Krillin took a moment to examine the armor he was holding. "How do I put this thing on?" He asked himself, examining the armor from all angles, trying to find an opening for his head.

Vegeta snorted impatiently in response. "Slide them over your head! If that doesn't work, I can come over there and force them on for you."

Krillin swallowed hard, glancing briefly at Vegeta, before spreading the armor's collar, finding that it could stretch very easily.

"They're expandable, remember?" Vegeta continued, with a sneer. "I was wearing one of these when I battled the two of you back on Earth."

"Wow, cool! It's so stretchy!" Gohan exclaimed excitedly, pulling the material as far as he could, and eliciting an odd sensation in Vegeta, that he couldn't quite explain.

A few minutes later, both Gohan and Krillin were fully dressed, looking very much like Vegeta at that moment, with their armor on. They were excited by the idea that they could potentially gain some extra protection during a fight by wearing them.

"Gohan, I think it'll be a good idea if I go to see Master Guru," Krillin suddenly said, eliciting a gasp from the young warrior. "I know I might run into Freeza, but I think it may be our best shot to learn the correct password to summon the Eternal Dragon."

Gohan nodded at his words, clenching his fists. "I'll go with you!" He said, with gusto. However, Krillin shook his head dismissively to the young boy.

"Stay here and look after Goku and Bulma," Krillin said, curtly. "I'll be back in no time." Krillin then quickly turned around, and ran towards the exit of the ship, before blasting off at full speed, heading toward Master Guru's location.

Vegeta and Gohan followed Krillin's path to the outside of the ship, watching as he disappeared from their sight, and into the green sky. Vegeta looked around at the ground, noticing that all seven Dragon Balls were still there in the grassy blue field, laying right out in wide open for all to see.

"In the meantime, while you wait for your baldy friend to return, you'd better keep your eyes on the Dragon Balls," Vegeta grunted huskily to Gohan, stepping away from him, towards the ramp of the ship. "If we lose those, I'll be totally pissed," he smirked slightly, his back turned to Gohan. "I'm going inside. For now, check on that clown," he said, heading inside of the ship, leaving Gohan behind, all on his own.

Once Vegeta entered the ship, he took the opportunity to lean against a column for a moment. There was something bugging him, and now that he was all alone, that thought was constantly running through his mind, making it almost impossible for him to think about anything else.

It was only a matter of time until Freeza reached them. And, without the Dragon Balls ready in time to wish for his immortality, Vegeta couldn't stop wondering what would happen next. Especially with a certain person.

Vegeta snorted angrily, as those ridiculous thoughts clouded his mind once more. He began to walk again, trying to search for Bulma's ki inside of the ship. He was determined about what he needed to do. She couldn't be there once Freeza arrived; he needed to somehow take her away from the Dragon Balls, and the battlefield. He remembered his fight with Jeice, and how she so stubbornly tried to get in his way, probably trying to 'help him', or whatever she had tried and failed to do.

If he wanted to defeat Freeza, she couldn't be there. He knew he could be distracted by her, always subconsciously wondering if she was okay; if she was still alive. He had a bit of the taste of it during his fight with Captain Ginyu; he was sloppy, distracted, and if it wasn't for Kakarot, Vegeta would be a frog now. And that was all because she distracted him earlier, by just barely avoiding being hit by Jeice. Vegeta knew that now, even though the truth tasted bittersweet on his tongue.

The Saiyan Prince sighed heavily, trying to regain his focus. He knew there was no use of lying to himself anymore. He needed to be sharp, and have his mind clear if he wanted to achieve his immortality. An unsettling thought resounded loudly in his mind. What if Freeza somehow finds Bulma and hurts her deliberately, or indirectly during our fight? Even more; what if she gets killed? Would I care?

Vegeta suddenly stopped his pace, his mind racing wildly with all sorts of emotions as the unspeakable truth finally became clear.

Yes. I would care.

He punched the wall as hard as he could, trying to figure out how he had let things come to this point. He was the Prince of all Saiyans, and he, of all people, should know better than to let these weak emotions take control over his mind.

"Fuck," he hissed angrily to himself, massaging the bridge of his nose with his fingers. He was trying to cease the thoughts running rampant through his mind, when suddenly, he was aware of Bulma's energy nearby. He glanced up at the corridor, being able to sense that she was not far away from where he was now. He resumed walking, heading towards the control room.

Vegeta placed his hand over the wall panel, commanding the steel door to open before he entered the room. However, of all the things he expected to see in there, the scene that welcomed him was definitely not one of them.

Bulma was standing with her back turned to him, as she was leaning over the table in the center of the room, working on something with her head down. But, more importantly, Vegeta realized that she was not wearing pants, for some reason that was beyond him. Here she was, almost bent over the table, with her navy-blue, lacy underwear exposed to his very eyes, while still wearing her upper clothes.

Vegeta held his breath a moment, not quite believing that she was almost naked in front of him, but not wanting to divert his eyes either. She hadn't noticed him yet, so he took the opportunity to glance over her body.

She seemed very concentrated on whatever she was doing. Her left foot was absently scratching her right leg, while she was humming some odd melody again. He remembered that it was the same melody she had sang while she was 'fixing' the Dragon Ball radar for him, a few days ago.

His eyes scanned her pale legs, traveling all the way up to her round butt, that was nicely framed by her lacy underwear. Vegeta had to admit, the sight was not disappointing at all.

"What are you doing?" Vegeta decided to speak, against his better judgment. If he continued to spy on her like she was his prey, he didn't like to even think on how that would end.

Bulma screamed loudly just as soon as she heard his voice. She jumped frantically in mid-air, turning around to see him staring at her, completely ignoring the fact that his cheeks were slightly red, since her own face was burning hot with her fervent blushing. She glanced down at herself, noticing that she was still wearing only her underwear.

"Vegeta! You jerk!" She shouted angrily, trying to conceal her body with her hands as best she could. "Turn around!" She begged, but he didn't move.

"Why would you be wearing only your undergarments, on an alien ship?" he asked coldly, secretly enjoying how embarrassed she was. She jumped around, reaching for her pants over the table, then using them to cover her panties.

"It wouldn't be the first time," she answered wryly, and he widened his eyes at her remark for a moment. "Now, could you please turn around? Are you not a prince?" She teased him, and he snorted at her, sighing heavily before turning around, giving her a little privacy to put her pants on.

"Still, you haven't yet answered my question," he murmured huskily, his back still turned to her. "What are you doing?"

Bulma huffed something he couldn't understand, pulling her pants completely up and tightening the belt before speaking with him again. By the tone of her voice, Vegeta could tell that her mood was soured.

"Well, I was fixing the radar that some idiot broke when he tossed me on the ground like garbage," she grumbled bitterly, making Vegeta whirl around to face her, seeing her completely dressed, much to his disappointment. "And, I was removing the glass pieces from the back pocket of my pants before they could stab me!"

Vegeta hummed at her, taking a moment to walk over to the table she was working at, seeing the broken device laying there. The front part of the screen had shattered in pieces. He finally assumed that maybe she was angry with him because of it.

"Well, it's useless now, anyway," he murmured, crossing his arms over his chest. "We've already collected all seven Dragon Balls." He tried to give her some sense of logic, but his comment only seemed to sour her mood even more.

Bulma scrunched her nose up, imitating him, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "That's so typical of you! You care for nothing other than yourself!" She yelled bitterly at him, making Vegeta blink a few times. "Once it's useless to you, you toss it away like it's nothing!"

Bulma passed by him angrily, bumping her shoulder into his, reaching the table and grabbing all the little pieces of her device. She encapsulated them into one of her spare capsules, not glancing at the confused Saiyan Prince next to her.

Vegeta knew she was giving him a cold shoulder, but he was clueless as to why. She was very upset about her radar, but he didn't understand her motives. Suddenly, a clever thought came to his mind. He still needed to follow his plan of getting her out of the way. Maybe, he could find a way to make her less annoyed as well.

"Do you have the tools to fix it back over at your accommodations?" He asked, and Bulma glanced at him, bewildered.

"Yeah… I guess," she said hesitantly, frowning at him.

"Well, let's go there before Freeza arrives," he said bluntly, and Bulma gasped at his suggestion.

"What?! But, the Dragon Balls…" she began, before Vegeta cut her off.

"Your baldy friend is searching for someone that could grant us the password at this very moment," he murmured huskily at her, his obsidian eyes locked on her big blue ones. "Kakarot is healing inside the regeneration chamber now, and his brat is taking care of the Dragon Balls as we speak."

Bulma stared at him, intrigued, trying to understand what he was plotting, without much success. Was he trying to be kind to her? Trying to compensate for the way he had treated her in front of her friends earlier?

"I can fly even faster, now. We'll reach your accommodations in no time," he hissed, his impatient tone starting to cut through his voice. He stared at her as she considered his offer. Suddenly, she smiled cockily at him, causing Vegeta to contemplate if she had figured out his plan.

"Fine. But only on one condition," she said, blinking her eyelashes flirtatiously, eliciting a hard swallow from him. "We can fly over there, but only if you carry me on your back."

Vegeta clenched his teeth. What a vulgar woman, he thought to himself. He knew that she was testing him, and he wondered if she knew what that meant. It wasn't common for a Saiyan to carry another one over their backs, only if there was something intimate between them. First, she had appeared half-naked in front of him, and now, she was demanding to be carried like that. Things were not turning out the way he had planned.

However, deep inside, Vegeta knew that he needed to be focused on the bigger picture. He needed to get rid of her, so he wouldn't be worried about what happened to her during his battle against Freeza. Damn it Bulma, he growled internally.

"Fine. Let's finish this," he said cheerlessly, turning his back to her once again, not able to see Bulma smile excitedly at this new development. She quickly ran over to him and jumped onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck, while her legs were around his torso.

Vegeta held her by the back of the knees to give her support, being glad for a moment that she couldn't see his face. He carried her like that to the outside of the ship, blasting off at full speed once they were outside, ignoring the fact that Gohan was watching them with quizzical eyes.

"Bulma… what are you doing?" Gohan asked himself, observing as Vegeta and Bulma flew off into the sky, leaving Gohan once again, alone with the Dragon Balls.

Bulma had wrapped her arms around Vegeta's neck comfortably, while he was holding the back of her knees as they flew towards the Capsule Corp. accommodations. She could tell that he was flying very fast, but, seeing as she was over his back, the flight wasn't at all terrible like usual. In fact, not having her stomach or bones crushed over his body made the journey quite pleasant to her, being seated in a comfortable position.

She glanced over his features, seeing his eyebrows furrowed into his signature scowl. Bulma had no idea why he had agreed with carrying her on his back. He had always seemed reluctant about doing it before. Deep inside, she had a feeling that he was trying to make up for his rude behavior. She smiled coyly to herself, feeling her cheeks burning slightly.

"So… a Zeni for your thoughts?" She said softly, close to his right ear, startling the Saiyan Prince slightly. He glanced back briefly at her, intrigued.

"What?"

Bulma snickered a little at his quick reaction. "It's a thing we say on Earth," she murmured softly, making Vegeta raise one eyebrow slightly. "We say it when we want to know what is on someone's mind," she continued, biting her lower lip slightly as she observed him. Vegeta glanced away from her, focusing his attention on the path ahead of them, considering her words for a moment.

"I was thinking… about my planet."

Bulma jumped in surprise, not expecting that he would actually answer her question. "Oh… I see," she whispered hesitantly, trying to find the right words to say. If he was showing her a small fraction of himself from behind the wall he had created around himself, she didn't want to lose this rare opportunity. "Do you… miss it?"

Vegeta only shrugged at her question, not glancing at her. "I don't care. It's just the way life is," he said bluntly, and Bulma sighed, deeply.

"Well, I guess it doesn't have to be like that anymore, right?" She murmured tenderly, smiling softly at him. "Once you defeat Freeza, you'll be free. You'll be able to do whatever you want, right?"

Vegeta was caught off guard by her words. He glanced at her again, seeing her smiling back brightly. What was she saying? She was saying that she trusted him to defeat Freeza? Did that mean that she had faith in him? Vegeta snorted angrily, diverting his eyes from hers, making Bulma's smile fade away from her lips.

"You have no idea what you are talking about," he said somberly, without staring into her big blue eyes. However, Bulma chose to tighten her arms around his neck ever so slightly, attempting to show him support.

"Well, maybe you should enlighten me, then," she said, inching her face near his, trying her best to hear his voice through the wind whipping through her hair. After a moment that seemed like an eternity, Vegeta finally decided to speak.

"You have no idea how powerful and evil Freeza truly is," he began to tell her, his voice grave and low, while his eyes were focused on the flight path ahead. "He destroyed my home planet. He killed everyone there, just because he was afraid of what we, Saiyans, could have become. He blew everything up and he is proud of that, I'm sure."

Bulma listened mindfully to his grave words, feeling her heart aching from the pained words coming from his lips.

"He killed my father," he hissed angrily, allowing Bulma to hear the growl rumbling inside his chest. "We worked so hard for him. We did everything he asked for, and more. He took me from my father when I was just a little boy..."

"He made me do whatever he wanted," Vegeta continued, his gaze fixed on the horizon. "He said he'd kill my father if I didn't. I did everything he asked, and he killed him anyway, along with everyone else."

Bulma started to sob silently onto his back, feeling her vision starting to blur with her hot tears, as the revelations of his saddening past touched her heart deeply with sorrow, and resentment for Freeza.

"That's why Freeza must be destroyed once for all," Vegeta spat huskily, before sighing heavily. Bulma gazed into his obsidian, beaming eyes. "He made me what I am. I cannot let him do it to anyone else."

"No!" Bulma protested, her tears still hot on her cheeks. "You're not a monster, Vegeta! You're a brave, strong man. You… deserve better than all of that." she murmured fondly, burying her nose into the crook of his neck, taking a moment to take in his masculine scent, hugging him even more tightly from behind.

Vegeta tensed up under her embrace, not expecting to have her so close to his body. He lowered his flight, and finally decided to go downwards, noticing that he had arrived at the location he'd intended.

Vegeta landed on the ground, loosening his grip over Bulma's knees, and letting her step down onto the grass. She looked around for a moment, realizing that they were not at the Capsule Corp. accommodations, as Vegeta had first said they were going. Instead, he had brought her to the cave they had been in before, when she was helping him gather the Dragon Balls.

"Vegeta… what are we doing here?" She asked him hesitantly, noticing how he sighed heavily before turning around and facing her.

"You'll stay here," he said bluntly, his signature scowl upon his face once again. "I'm going back to face Freeza once and for all."

Bulma whined loudly, balking at his words. "You… brought me here… just to leave me?! I am not going to be left behind! I'm coming with you!"

"Don't be absurd," Vegeta said coldly, crossing his burly arms against his chest. "You're useless against Freeza. Even the Namekian kid is stronger than you."

Bulma stomped her foot angrily on the ground, pissed off by his words. "That's it! I'm done being left behind!"

"Bulma…" Vegeta began to counter her, but she quickly cut him off.

"No! You listen to me, your Highness!" She hissed, surging closer to him, her big eyes staring deep into his. "I'm not some piece of garbage you can leave behind whenever it pleases you!" She sneered, feeling a lump forming inside her throat. Vegeta frowned at her for a moment.

"I never said you were," he murmured huskily, causing Bulma to stop her tantrum, and gaze at him with owlish eyes. They stayed quiet for a moment, only staring at each other, making Bulma realize that Vegeta's smoldering gaze was starting to make goosebumps form all over her arms and neck.

She closed her eyes for a moment, sighing slowly, taking a moment to make up her mind. There was something that she wanted to ask him, something that she needed to know. If he was planning on leaving her behind, now was the time to know the truth.

"Vegeta…" she whispered softly, her eyes still closed. "I… I need to ask you something." She finally opened her eyes, and Vegeta was taken off guard by the way her blue eyes were beaming up at him. He swallowed hard, feeling anxious for some reason before nodding at her to continue.

Bulma took a final sigh before closing the distance between their bodies and leaning over on her tip-toes, cupping his face with both of her hands, as her lips met his in a soft kiss.

Vegeta was not expecting it, but before he could do anything, he found himself also closing his eyes as he started to kiss her as well, feeling her soft lips over his, as her tongue gently played with his. Bulma hands slid slowly over Vegeta's neck, grabbing his gravity-defiant hair and pulling him even closer to her, rubbing her breasts slightly against his bulky torso, as she panted between their kisses with her flirtatious motion.

The sensation he felt was like nothing else he could describe. For a second, he forgot about everything he was fighting for. Nothing in the universe mattered other than the woman in his arms, kissing him so passionately, as he had never experienced in his entire life.

However, that second passed by, and Vegeta regained control over his own body. He placed both of his hands over her hips, squeezing it for a moment before he could use all the inner strength he had, to cease their shared kiss.

Bulma glanced up at him, panting slightly as she contemplated his features. His expression wasn't hard, but he seemed conflicted for whatever reason. She bit her bottom lip for a second, deciding to finally ask him what she wanted.

"Tell me I'm not crazy," she murmured throatily, leaning closer to his lips once more, trying to capture the tenderness that they had shared before. "Tell me you… feel the same way as I do. That you know that something is going on between us, Vegeta."

Vegeta stared at her, gazing into her dazzling eyes, and seeing how alluring she actually was. Still holding her hips, he pushed her away from him slightly. Bulma frowned at him, not understanding his intentions. Then, she saw a malicious smirk form upon his lips. She hadn't seen him look at her like that, since… their first encounter.

Bulma stepped back from him for a moment, startled by the sudden change in his expression. A shiver went down her spine as she felt that something wasn't right.

Vegeta snickered devilishly to her, his voice, more laced with malice than ever before. "You are a fool to think that I, the Prince of all Saiyans, would want anything to do with an Earthling whore like you."

Bulma felt the air blow out her lungs all at once, as if she had just been punched in the stomach. She glanced at him once more, still seeing that evil sneer upon his lips.

She couldn't help herself, and soon her tears started to stream down her face, as her humiliation reached down to the core of her heart. Feeling completely heartbroken, she closed the distance between their bodies, and with all her anger, she cracked the palm of her hand hard across his cheek with a rage-fueled slap that echoed across the open field.

With her blurry vision, Bulma watched as Vegeta stepped away from her, his smirk faded completely from his features, leaving him with a blank expression, delving deep into her eyes. Without saying a word, Vegeta took off from the ground, distancing himself away from her, before blasting away at full speed into the sky, leaving her alone once more.

Bulma started to whimper, kneeling on the ground as her tears uncontrollably began to dampen her face. She cried sorrowfully, her shoulders trembling with heaving motions, her heart aching inside her chest.

"Stupid Bulma!" She cursed herself, for being unable to prevent more tears from spilling out. "Of all the people in the universe, you just had to fall in love with Vegeta?!" She cried, and only then did the weight of her own words reach down into her heart. She loved him? Bulma sighed heavily for a moment, considering the question herself.

She had been through a lot the last week. She had encountered Vegeta, and experienced a roller-coaster of feelings that quickly went from fear, to curiosity, to care, and then… finally, love. Yes, she had fallen in love with him, and as much as this idea scared her; she couldn't deny anymore what she truly felt for the Saiyan Prince.

"Too bad, he's just another jerk that broke my heart," she whispered resentfully, remembering his last words to her. She had bared to him her entire heart; being completely vulnerable, only to have him insult her, and humiliate her, making it pretty clear that he had no interest in her.

"Why did I kiss him again? What was I thinking?!" She cursed herself, hugging her knees with her arms, remembering everything that had led up to that moment. He had touched her heart with the way he talked about his father, his past. It was like he was showing her his true self; as if he trusted her enough to confide in her that sensitive memory. Why would he do that if he despised her that much, then?

Suddenly, a thought came to her mind. Maybe she wasn't crazy, after all. She knew, deep inside her broken heart that Vegeta, of all the people, wouldn't tell her such a thing if he didn't care about her. Other than that, if he thought that she was nothing but a 'whore', as he'd said, he wouldn't have saved her as many times as he did. He had risked his life, his goals of becoming immortal, to shield her from Recoome's attack. In that moment, Bulma finally realized that he had risked everything important to him to save her.

In fact, here he was again, taking her as far as possible away from Freeza's reach, even if that meant that he needed to leave the Dragon Balls behind while doing it. Suddenly, the realization hit her like a train.

"Vegeta…" she murmured tenderly, as she concluded that he was in fact trying to save her again. It was clear to her now, he did care about her, and he had only chosen to break her heart in order to prevent her from following him back.

"What an idiot! That arrogant, spoiled man!" She hissed with annoyance, getting up from the ground and searching for a capsule inside the front pocket of her vest, her tears now drying on her face. She tossed it on the ground, revealing her hot-pink hover motorcycle. She was ready to give the Saiyan Prince a piece of her mind, as soon as she found him.

"Nobody breaks my heart and gets away with it," she whispered slyly, getting onto her hoverbike and pressing the accelerator. Here I come, Vegeta, she thought to herself, before driving as fast as she could towards the same direction he had brought her.

Gohan was sitting atop a huge Dragon Ball, supporting his chin in the palms of both hands, contemplating the green sky, when he suddenly sensed someone coming towards his direction.

He quickly stood up, trying to see if it was Bulma and Vegeta again. However, the sooner the energy came towards him, the more it was becoming clear. He smiled gladly, knowing that Krillin and Dende were finally back.

"It's Krillin! You made it back!" Gohan exclaimed happily, taking off from the ground to meet his friends in the air. "Dende! I'm happy to see you're alright!"

Dende smiled fondly at Gohan, seemingly happy to see that his Earth friend was also safe and sound. However, Krillin's voice brought them back to reality.

"Wait, I can't sense Vegeta," he frowned at Gohan, who glanced back at him.

"Why isn't he here?"

Gohan scratched the back of his head nervously, remembering the odd events that had happened recently. "Well… he and Bulma kind of ran away… I guess."

Krillin's eyes widened at the remark, gasping for a moment before speaking. "W-What?! He and Bulma did what?!"

"I'm not sure, Krillin," Gohan muttered cheerlessly, also finding it hard to understand what had happened. "All I saw was Vegeta flying away with Bulma over his back. She wasn't screaming or anything, so I guess she just joined him willingly."

"Joined him?! Ah, Kami, sometimes I wish I could be the one to find a hot alien girlfriend, for once." Krillin whispered bitterly to himself, eliciting a frown from Dende beside him.

"What?" Dende asked, but Krillin only shook his head in disbelief, not believing what he was hearing. What was Bulma thinking? And why would Vegeta leave the Dragon Balls behind all of a sudden?

However, a clever idea occurred to Krillin. If Vegeta wasn't there, that meant they could use the Dragon Balls without his knowledge! They would be able to wish their friends back, without having to risk allowing Vegeta to become immortal.

Krillin smirked slyly to himself. "Bulma, your sacrifice won't be forgotten," he said in a whimsical tone, eliciting frowns from both Gohan and Dende.

"Gohan, what Krillin is talking about?" Dende asked shyly to his friend, as Gohan sighed heavily.

"You get used to it," Gohan answered, in a deadpan voice.

"Hush, Gohan!" Krillin whispered, flying towards the Dragon Balls on the ground, followed by the two children.

"Let's summon the Dragon before Freeza gets here."

Vegeta flew as fast as he could back to Freeza's ship. His mind was once again clouded with all sorts of conflicting thoughts, as he felt a strange knot twisting inside his chest.

'You are a fool to think that I, the Prince of all Saiyans, would want anything with an Earthling whore like you.'

It would be the last thing he would ever say to her. But, he knew it was for the best. Bulma had this strange habit of showing up whenever there was fighting going on. If humiliating her was the way to keep her away, so be it. Vegeta was a practical man, and that was the most logical solution.

However, he was not expecting to feel what he was feeling at that moment. It was like his heart was sinking inside his chest. He always had been good at suppressing his own feelings, but, what he was feeling right now was almost too unbearable to hide. It was as if he was hearing all over again that Planet Vegeta had been destroyed.

"Curse these feelings!" Vegeta hissed angrily to himself, clenching his fists while speeding up even more. "I'm a Saiyan Prince! I'm the elite of the elite! I'll not allow those weakling feelings to stop me from getting what I deserve!" He shouted again, not unable to lighten the heavy feeling within his chest.

Vegeta snorted angrily, trying to maintain his focus. However, all his instincts were being blinded by this wave of rage and hatred that was washing over him. He truly hated himself at that moment.

He hated himself for being this weak, stupid excuse for a warrior that couldn't even control his own emotions. He hated himself for being too weak to face Freeza, and beat that bastard once for all. He hated that he had to choose to leave Bulma behind, to humiliate her and lie to her when all he wanted to do was finally take her. If he hadn't forced himself to stop their kiss, he would have stripped off her clothes, right where they were and mated with her, as he was so eager to do since… He even didn't know since when he had started to feel this way towards her.

With that, Vegeta hated himself because he knew, deep inside his heart, that Bulma deserved better. She deserved someone better than him.

"What an idiot piece of shit I am," Vegeta murmured somberly, closing his eyes for a moment, still at full speed. "As if someone like me would deserve anything good in life."

Suddenly, the light in the sky had faded away, making Vegeta reopen his eyes, startled. He stopped his flight, staring at the dark sky above him.

"What… what is happening?" he murmured to himself, glancing all around himself. Suddenly, his eyes caught a strange, immense glowing figure, floating in the sky. He resumed his flight, heading towards the figure, trying to comprehend what exactly it was. When he was finally close enough, the realization hit him, hard. It was a massive, green, glowing dragon in the sky.

"No…no," Vegeta breathed, not believing his eyes. The Earthlings had betrayed him, and summoned the Dragon without him. Within the time he had took to take Bulma to a safe place, they had used it against him.

"Those bastards!" Vegeta growled, infuriated. "They'll never see the light of day again! I'll kill them all!" He shouted, before blasting at high speed towards the Eternal Dragon.

"Quickly, Dende!" Gohan yelled angrily, his gaze fixed on the colossal, and very impatient Eternal Dragon floating above them in the blackened sky. "For the second wish, bring Mr. Piccolo here!"

Dende nodded to his words and turned on his heels to face the mighty Porunga once more. He spread his little green arms out, inhaling deeply before announcing the second wish in Namekian.

Krillin was standing next to Gohan when a glimpse of a strong energy pierced through his senses. He turned around to see where it was coming from, it was becoming pretty clear to him that it was Vegeta.

"Oh, no! I guess Vegeta found his way back here!" He whimpered, his eyes wide, attempting to scan the black horizon for any movements. Dende could hear Krillin's whimpering, and startled with the idea of the terrifying Saiyan coming to them. He squeezed his eyes shut, shouting the second wish desperately to the Eternal Dragon.

"I will grant this wish," Porunga's eloquent voice echoed through space. "The one called Piccolo will be brought to Namek." The Dragon's red eyes glowed for a moment, before returning to their natural state. "Your second wish has been granted."

Gohan and Krillin glanced around eagerly, trying to find Mr. Piccolo. "I'm not seeing him anywhere," Gohan murmured anxiously, unable to sense the Namekian's energy nearby.

"Guys, please!" Dende whimpered to the Earthlings, getting their attention. "Don't disrespect the Eternal Dragon! If Porunga says he's here, he's here!"

"What?! But, where is he?!" Gohan repeated desperately. "So, he could be anywhere here on the planet?" he asked, and Dende nodded nervously at him.

"But, we could use our last wish to bring him here, to our location!" Dende whispered, his eyes beaming worriedly at his friends. However, before Gohan or Krillin could say anything else, Dende screamed, terrified, startling everyone in sight.

Krillin froze in place, as the hackles rose on the back of his neck at the sound of a voice booming from behind him.

"Hello, you fools!" Vegeta shouted angrily at them, his eyes darker than ever, his fists shaking aside his body with the pure, unadulterated rage he was feeling. "You seem a little surprised to see me."

"Ve-Vegeta…" Krillin stuttered, taking a few steps back from the bloodthirsty Saiyan walking slowly toward their direction.

"This… is not what you're thinking… Mister Vegeta… sir" Gohan whispered with a cracking voice, stepping away from the Saiyan Prince as well. "Everything is..uh, fine..."

A vein in Vegeta's forehead was throbbing with irritation. He stepped closer to them, his mouth almost salivating with the hatred in his heart. "I don't think everything is fine," he snapped huskily, his voice grave and serious. "And I will tell you why everything is not fine," he hissed somberly, eliciting sharp swallows from everyone in front of him.

"Because you two… you summoned the Dragon, didn't you?! Shame on you!" Vegeta growled at them, stepping closer to the trembling Earthlings. "How dare you?! I spoiled you with new equipment, took you in, saved your lives. I even risked everything to save the woman's life, and this is how you repay me?!

Krillin and Gohan briefly glanced at each other, as Vegeta's words weighed in their minds. Vegeta's voice echoed angrily once again across the field, getting their attention quickly.

"Well, you can kiss each other goodbye," Vegeta seethed hatefully through his teeth, his closed fists already glowing with the rise in his power. However, before he could blast at them, Gohan raised his hands in the air.

"Hold on a second!" He shouted at Vegeta, who growled at the young Saiyan, stopping his approach. "You only wanted to use one wish for yourself, right?"

Krillin's eyes bulged with shock towards Gohan. "What are you doing?!" He whispered; bewildered, but the young boy ignored his words.

"We only used two wishes. You can have the last one!" He yelled, and Vegeta stared at him, in surprise. However, without wanting to waste any more time, Vegeta finally lowered his fists and stormed towards the Eternal Dragon.

The Saiyan Prince smirked proudly, passing by the two Earthlings, and grabbing Dende's garments, raising the Namekian child up from the ground, who screamed in terror.

"C'mon, little green man," Vegeta hissed harshly, raising Dende even more in the air, who continued crying, begging Vegeta to stop what he was doing. "Enough with the crying, kid! Say the words, now! Make me immortal! I'm the only one that can stop Freeza!" Vegeta yelled angrily, making more tears stream down the poor green child's face. However, before Vegeta could say anything else, Krillin's voice caught him off guard.

"Dende! Do what Vegeta says!" Krillin screamed from the other side of the field. "We'll all die if we don't do something fast!" He continued, eliciting a hesitant nod from Dende. To Vegeta's surprise, a second later, Dende began to speak the Namekian words, asking for Vegeta to become immortal.

However, before Dende could finish his wish, the mighty Eternal Dragon began to fade away slowly, before disappearing completely in mid-air with a massive, blindingly bright explosion, not leaving any trace behind.

After that, all seven Dragon Balls landed heavily on the blue grass, nothing other than rounded stones.

"W-what?!" Vegeta stammered bewildered, loosening his grip on Dende's clothes, allowing him to drop to the ground. "What happened…? Is this normal?" Vegeta murmured huskily, turning on his heels to face the other warriors, who by the look on their faces, seemed just as surprised as he did.

Vegeta glanced at himself, feeling like nothing was different about him. Was he immortal? Did the dragon grant his wish? "Someone, explain this!" He demanded, eagerly. Dende's figure caught his attention, who had dropped to his knees in the grass, his face sorrowful.

"No… it's not normal," he whispered cheerlessly, making Vegeta blink his eyes a few times, as the boy began to whimper, his little shoulders shaking slightly. "It's Guru...he's gone."

"I'm sorry for your loss, Dende," Krillin murmured from behind the green-skinned child, but Vegeta suddenly interrupted his condolences.

"Wait a minute! That's it?!" He growled, pissed, running over to Dende and getting to the same level as him. "Do you mean to say that once this Guru is dead, the Dragon Balls are completely useless?!"

Dende looked up at Vegeta with wide eyes, his cheeks dampened by tears. He nodded bitterly at the rude Saiyan Prince, who didn't soften his expression. Vegeta squeezed his hands tightly into fists, almost hurting the palms of his hands. He lifted from the ground and turned to the Earthlings, as a strong growl started to rumble from inside his chest.

"You idiots!" He crowed sanguinely, growling at Gohan and Krillin as his blood boiled with rage, heat scorching through his entire body. "Don't you understand?! If he didn't grant my wish, it means that I'm not immortal!"

Vegeta stormed toward them, watching as they tried to scramble away from his reach. "And Freeza is going to…"

Vegeta glanced above them, his voice cracking as his eyes widened in shock at what he was seeing. Krillin and Gohan turned around, only to be horrified by the figure that had just arrived in the air.

"No, please. Don't mind me," Freeza's sharp voice echoed throughout the wide grassy fields, his lethal smile imprinted into his pale lilac features. He levitated in the air, staring down at them. "By all means…" he continued, his eyes glaring with rage at the pathetic beings before him.

"Enlighten me with your ideas."

A/N: Oh, no! An unwanted guest arrived at the party! LOL Just kidding, I know Freeza is such an iconic villain we all do love to hate! ;) Also, I know the chapter ended a little bittersweet, but you guys know Vegeta! He's trying to be a practical man. Thanks so much for everyone that reviewed, followed, favorited and read the fic! You guys are awesome!

This chapter was beta'd by the amazing RoyalBlueRoses! You guys should definitely check out her new fic called "The Laws Of Physical Attraction". If you like a good Vegebul lemonish romance, you'll most definitely love it!

Reviews are always welcome and much appreciated! Thank you so much in advance to anyone who takes the time to write one!