Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball Z

A/N: This idea has been floating around in my head for some time now, and it's gotten to the point where I have to write it down. This is an AU Vegeta/Bulma story. It begins in the Saiyan Saga.

To understand what's going on, you need to know that Bulma has snuck onto the battlefield, and is hidden behind some rocks, watching as the Saiyans and Earthlings decide to face each other. No one knows that she is there.

PART ONE: Walk in the Footsteps of Another

Chapter One: A Change in Plans

Bulma peered over the rocks that hid her, biting down hard on her lip in order to stop herself from screaming with fear. It wasn't the Saiyans that scared her- in fact, she thought the smaller one was quite attractive, in that dark, smouldering way- it was the little green things they grew.

Those were scary.

Then Tien stepped forward, and the fighting began. Bulma's eyes widened as she watched with disgust as one green thing split it's head open and spat out acid, nearly frying little Gohan. For the most part though, it was all too fast to see.

Then suddenly the green thing was down.

Bulma had to fight the urge not to yell out to her friends when she saw the ugly creature begin to get up again, but before she even had a chance to open her mouth the alien exploded, it's guts spattering on the ground.

Bulma shook as she looked to the smaller alien, the one who she had thought handsome. His arm was outstretched, and an evil grin was plastered on his face.

Monster, Bulma thought. That was the only word for a man who would kill his own ally.

Not for the first time, she watched in awe as her on-and-off boyfriend stepped forward and volunteered to fight the green bugs first. She tightened her grip on the rocks, praying to Kami that Yamcha would be okay. And where was Son Goku? The dragon said he had been wished back.

Suddenly Yamcha disappeared, and Bulma let out a small cry before she could stop herself. Quickly, she crouched back down behind the rock, hoping that nobody had heard her. The last thing she needed was some scary alien finding out that she was there.

Vegeta turned his head away from the fight suddenly, his eyes roaming across the rocks to his left. He had heard something, he was sure of it, something close to a scream. Quickly, he checked his scouter, but nothing significant showed up. He looked to Nappa to see if he had noticed anything, but the big idiot was too engrossed in watching the fight.

Typical, Vegeta thought to himself, and turned his attention back to the Saibamen.

Yamcha knew he had won. The Saibaman was easy to take down, and he realized with a fresh wave of relief that he was now in a different league from the green freaks. He said so to his friends, and turned to taunt the aliens in front of him.

He should have never let his guard down.

Too late he turned around, and then the Saibaman had him. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a familiar flash of blue from behind the rocks.

Bulma, he thought, before the world suddenly went black.

Bulma blinked with disbelief, frowning as she tried to comprehend what she was seeing. Her breath was caught in her throat, and it felt like her heart had stopped. She tried to stay calm, but it didn't work. Her breath was coming quicker, her legs working before she even realized what she was doing,

"Yamcha!" she screamed as she rushed onto the battlefield, throwing herself at her lover's body. "Yamcha!" she cried again, tears running down her face.

Around her, Earth's fighters stared in shock, wondering what the hell she was doing there.

Vegeta couldn't help but smile. In all his life, he had never been so unexpectedly surprised than now, to see some weakling woman run onto the battlefield with no thought for her own personal safety. He eyed the creature appreciatively, noting the way her blue hair shone in the sun.

Ugh, but she cries too much.

"Bulma," Krillin said, stepping forward to put a protective arm around his friend. "Now's not the time for you to be here, the Saiyans are very dangerous. You have to go."

"No!" Bulma screamed, wrenching herself out of Krillin's grip. Before he could stop her, she was marching over to the Saiyans, ignoring the snarls of the Saibamen around her.

"You!" she spat vehemently, poking the smaller man in the chest. "You killed him! How dare you! What is the point of this, you disgusting freak? Don't you realize if you kill us all you won't ever find the dragonballs! We're the only ones who know how to get them! You're as stupid as you look, you ugly little monkey!"

Vegeta's eyes narrowed dangerously at the woman who dared to invade his personal space. His tail unwound to flick angrily behind him, the fur bristling as he snarled.

"You sealed your fate the moment you called me a monkey," he told her, his lips pulling back to reveal sharp canines. He reached for her neck, intending to snap it, when a thought suddenly struck him.

She knows how to get dragonballs, she said so herself. Dragonballs obviously come from Namekians. Namekians come from Namek. Surely, the original planet will house more powerful orbs than the ones on this planet, and I don't have any time to waste… I need to be immortal before Frieza finds out, his spies are everywhere.

"Nappa," he snapped, throwing the noisy female over his shoulder, "change of plans. We're going straight to Namek." He took off, ignoring the screams of the woman as he fished out his controller and recalled the space pods.

Soon. Soon I will rule the universe.