Fanatic - A person marked or motivated by an extreme, unreasoning enthusiasm, as for a cause

A/N: I have to admit, I was feeling quite apprehensive when uploading the prologue, as it has been so long since I've written anything DBZ-related. So, I would like to thank Dani, TRF, Jeril and thepaxilfairy for their reviews. They made me smile. Of course, staring at the computer screen with an eerie grin plastered on my face freaked my sister out quite a bit…

Chapter One

  Vegeta let out a low grunt as Goku placed a well-aimed kick to his lower back. The Saiyan prince flung back his fist and propelled it towards the other Saiyan's annoying, grinning face, only to have his arm firmly grasped and his body flipped backwards.

   "Heh, sorry 'bout that, Vegeta." Goku said, the same grin still plastered on his face as he looked down at Vegeta, who was laying flat on his back. The shorter Saiyan almost immediately jumped up, not enjoying having Goku look down on him in such a seemingly weak position. "Lucky shot, Kakarot." Vegeta grumbled grudgingly, his dark eyes enlarging visibly as he glared at the taller man. "Sorry 'Geta, but I have to go now." Goku apologised and he truly did seem sorry that he had to cut their sparring session short. The expression upon Vegeta's face was unreadable, but Goku predicted that he would not be happy about this.

"And why is that?" Vegeta demanded, his voice even as it projected itself through the crisp morning air. Goku shrugged before answering, "Chi Chi wants me back earlier." A small smirk emerged upon the Saiyan prince's chiselled features at Goku's reason. "Got you on a tight leash, has she Kakarot? Well don't let me stop you running back to your mate." Whilst Vegeta's comment was obviously intended to antagonise Goku, both knew that it wouldn't simply for the reason that Goku was not fazed by things such as that. Giving a slight nod, Goku prepared to take flight. Turning slightly, he looked at Vegeta and gave a small grin. "Y'know, if you ever need anyone to talk to…' He left the sentence hanging as he flew off.

     Vegeta made a face at the spot that Goku had previously been standing on, a low growling noise emanating from deep in his throat. 'Like I'd talk to an imbecile such as yourself, Kakarot.' The prince thought to himself as he took flight, still bristling at the other Saiyan's words. It was obvious to Vegeta that he was more annoyed because it was so obvious that there was something wrong with him rather than Goku offering an ear. Then again, it was unlikely anyone else would notice. Goku seemed to have a sense for people's feelings, though that didn't stop him putting his foot in it time and time again.

   Vegeta groaned inwardly. If Goku had noticed then he was pretty sure that Bulma had an inkling. 'Damn woman.' The prince mentally cursed her. She always wanted to know when something was wrong. She wanted to know what it was, when it had happened and why. 'She makes everything into a bloody federal case.' He thought sourly, though knew his bad mood was down to his problem; he wasn't sleeping properly. It seemed like such a pathetic, insignificant problem for the Prince of Saiyans to encounter and Vegeta had never in his wildest dreams thought something so small as sleep could bother him. When he was training non-stop in space he was lucky if he had a couple of hours of sleep between a few days. Why was it bothering him so much?

   Coming to stop on the grounds of Capsule Corporation, Vegeta cast a dark eye over the tenderly kept flower beds that were spread amongst the sprawling grounds. He knew that Bulma's mother would probably be pottering around, so made his way inside quickly. Letting out a low noise, the Saiyan almost tripped over once he got to the hall. Looking backwards to see what had caused his slip up, he noticed a small, square brown package sitting neatly in the middle of the floor. Muttering curses under his breath as he picked up the box, the prince was internally glad that no one had seen him, especially the woman. No doubt she would have found his tripping up hilarious.

  Entering the kitchen and setting the package down on the table, Vegeta was not surprised to see the room empty. He took a logical guess and figured Bulma would be in her lab, working on some strange contraption or another that had captured her attention. Taking a crate of bottled water out of his personal refrigerator, Vegeta carried it outside as he headed towards the Gravity Room. 'Maybe some training will sort me out.' He thought briefly.

    Entering the building via the kitchen entrance, Vegeta was surprised to see Bulma sat at the table, her nose buried in a magazine. The Saiyan made a slight face at this, though made no aural objection. He'd found from years of experience that telling her just how crap those magazines were wouldn't make the slightest bit of difference. Taking the white towel from around his neck, Vegeta wiped his sweaty face; a result from the extensive workout he had just been through. "There's a letter for you." Bulma spoke, surprise evident in her voice. Surprise was also etched into Vegeta's face as she spoke. "A letter? For me?" He repeated, joining her at the table. "That's what I said." Bulma answered with a grin on her face that showed she was obviously enjoying his confusion. Earning a scowl from the Saiyan Prince, she pushed the padded white envelope towards him that had 'Vegeta' written neatly in black ink on the front. The Saiyan's black eyes gazed at the envelope, aware that Bulma's eyes were on him. "You can read…can't you?" Bulma piped up, her expression showing that she was unsure of the answer. "Yes!" Vegeta snapped, offended by the question. Snatching the envelope, he sneered at her. "Honestly, one would think you've never seen a letter before, the way you're reacting." Bulma rolled her eyes. "I was just asking, Vegeta. After all, you are an alien. How was I supposed to know you could read?" Vegeta's stance had visibly lessened, though the scowl remained on his face. "You forget that I am not a ignorant, third class like that imbecile friend of yours." Bulma returned her gaze to the magazine, trying hard not to take the bait Vegeta was setting for a full-fledged argument. He had been even more argumentative this past fortnight than ever, if that was even possible. Not bothering to look up until Vegeta had left the kitchen, his footsteps heavy as he ascended the stairs, Bulma sighed. She had been curious as to what that letter had contained.