A/N ~ This is my first stab at a serious and multi-chapter fic. Remember that this is my story dammit! If you don't like the way I write it or the direction I head down then go write your own. Also remember that this is post GT Vegeta and he's a bit more of a softy it GT than he is in Z/Kai. He's still our proud Saiyan Prince nonetheless.

Chapter 1: Misunderstandings

Vegeta stood on the balcony watching the stars as he often did.

Bulma knew why. He was looking for Goku. After all these years he was still obsessed with defeating him. She walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. She missed her old friend too. It had been 12 long years since he disappeared riding astride Shenron and leaving earth, quite possibly forever

Vegeta had never stopped training. He continued to grow stronger and stronger as the years drug on. He was still fit and muscular, strong and agile, and always ready for anything. He was, by far, Earth's most powerful defender. No one doubted that, but it was a title that he had recieved by default when Goku ceremoniously left the planet in the hands of his friends and decendants.

Vegeta had wanted to earn it. He'd wanted to become stronger than Kakarrot, and even though he'd grown exponentially in power there was no way to know if he had ever surpassed him. For all he knew Kakarrot was leagues beyond him, and because of this he still trained rigorously on the slight possibility that his rival of so many years might decide to grace him with his presence long enough for a rematch. There was also the fact that he knew was to the only one of Earth's defenders that still trained with any dedication. He only stopped for food, sleep, quality time with his aging wife, and of course he probably wouldn't train tomorrow. The grandkids were coming to visit. He'd most likely spend most of his day telling stories of glories past and of the many great battles he's fought in thoughout the course of his life. Greatly edited for content of course.

Bulma put her other arm around his chest and nuzzle against his left peck. He let her hold him for few minutes. He placed an arm around her waist and led her back inside.

She laid down on the mattress and looked up adoringly at her husband. He laid down beside her and placed his arms around her. He knew the look in her eyes and precisely what she wanted.

He wasn't about to dissappoint her.

"She fell down a flight of stairs..." Vegeta mumbled. The line had been well practiced, and it wasn't the first time he'd visited Korin's Tower at 3 o'clock in the morning,

"Again?" Korin asked disbelievingly.

"I find that hard to believe." Yajarobe stated bluntly, "It's more likely you..."

Yajarobe was cut off by the audible growl of a now very angry Saiyan Prince.

"I did nothing she didn't ask me to do!" he yelled angrily, "Hell, she begged me to do it! Now, if one of you two louts don't hand me a bean in 5 seconds Bulma won't be the only one in need of a hip replacement!" He punctuated his sentence by transforming to Super Saiyan 2.

Before Korin could open his mouth to protest Yajarobe presented the Ascended Saiyan with a single senzu bean.

Vegeta took it and shot the pair a disgusted look as he sped off into the night.

5:00am

Vegeta lands outside the medical wing with bean in hand wishing more than anything that he'd learned Instant transmission from Kakarrot. Two hours was a long time to spend fuming over the accusations he'd recieved from those bean growing nincompoops.

"The nerve of those idiots." he complained under his breath, "at least I set them straight." he concluded silently. All thoughts of his embarassment were swept away as he entered the room Bulma occpuied. She'd taken some sedatives, and put some painkillers in an IV drip so that she'd sleep through the night in case he didn't make it back before morning.

He placed the Senzu Bean on the tray table next to her bed on a napkin by an empty cup, and then ran his fingers through her azure locks. He'd noticed the increase of graying roots for the last few years, but pretended not to. He'd lived long enough on this planet to know the type of reaction that a noticable sign of aging illicited from any earth woman. Bulma's would be thousandfold that of any other woman in the universe.

She roused from her slumber as his fingers reached behind her ears.

"You're back." she drowsily stated as she tried to sit up before remembering why she was where she was in the first place.

"You might want to eat this before those painkillers wear off." he said as he picked up the bean and handed it to her.

"You're a lifesaver." she responded as she took the bean from his hand and popped it in her mouth. She chewed it and felt her hip mend. "I'm so sorry Vegeta." You must think I'm getting too old for you."

"If I truely thought that, we wouldn't have been in this situation to begin with." we retorted with a smirk before adding, "Besides, weren't you the one wanting me to keep going?"

"Looks like I'm going to have to work harder on that new osteoporosis drug aren't I?"

"Either that or cultivate your own senzu plant next to the bed." She giggled as he lifted her and and flew her back to the balcony. They curled up in eachother's arms and fell straight to sleep.

The night was nearly spent and they'd need some rest for when the grandkids arrived in the morning.

7:00am

"What are you doing here, and so early in the morning?" Gohan asked the large white talking cat standing at his doorstep.

"It's about Vegeta..."