Dragon Ball Z Ruled by Secrecy

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything. Just my Husband, laptop, my 3 dogs and a very overactive imagination… Dragon Ball Z and any songs mentioned in this fic DO NOT belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted amusement.

_**Summary: **_My point of view on events immediately following the Buu Saga and how things possibly could have gone between Bulma and Vegeta. My submission for the Google Community Light/Dark Challenge. Word prompt: Closure. Rated: Teen for some mild language.

The Word Prompt I went with is _**Closure**_ as per the specs of the challenge, but the thoughts and ideas of this were initially inspired by the Muse song Ruled by Secrecy months ago. I just wanted to submit this piece for the challenge because I thought it fit perfectly with some of the prompts and I haven't participated in a challenge in ages!

Not gonna lie, I really, really, REALLY struggled with this one. I've been working on it for ages…

HUGE thank you to Dragonbabezee for betaing and editing this for me about a month or so back… It was awesome to have a second pair of eyes to go over it and thankfully she picked out a few major issues that I completely missed. Ha haa! Thanks again! For any who haven't, go checkout her work! It's amazing. I can't say enough good things!

_**Ruled by Secrecy**_

_**Repress and restrain. Steal the pressure and the pain. **_

_**Wash the blood off your hands, this time she won't understand.**_

_**Change in the air, and they'll hide everywhere. And no one knows who's in control.**_

_**You're working so hard, and you're never in charge. Your death creates success, rebuild and suppress.**_

_**Change in the air, and they'll hide everywhere. And no one knows who's in control.**_

_**Change in the air, and they'll hide everywhere. And no one knows who's in control.**_

_** ~Ruled by Secrecy- Muse**_

Vegeta landed on the balcony of the bedroom he shared with Bulma; the woman he had chosen as his mate and life partner. He stood there, unsure, for what felt like hours. Unsure if he should enter her quarters; unsure if he would be welcomed. She had nodded and smiled at him back on the lookout, but that had been in front of everyone else. Perhaps she had been waiting to ream him out in private?

He knew he had done things in the past that had been hurtful to her. Both intentionally and unintentionally. She had always been able to look past it and forgive him, never rejecting him from her home, bed or heart. He never understood it. He never even appreciated it until now. Why was that?

Probably because this time he knew he had screwed up royally. Yes, he had fixed it by wishing all those he had murdered in the stadium back to life, but it still hadn't changed the fact that he had done it in the first place.

And she had witnessed it.

That is what alarmed him the most; that she had seen it. Not only that, but she had been mere feet from the blast. He argued with himself now that he had known her position, where she had been in the stands that day; that she had been in no real risk of being hurt in the blast, but was she really? He knew he had not been thinking of her at that moment. If he had aimed a fraction more to the left, she would have been destroyed along with everyone else that had perished in the stands that afternoon.

The thought now bothered him immensely. It bothered him that he could have been the cause of her death because of his carelessness and petty rivalry with Kakarott. It also bothered him that he had not given her nor Trunks even a second thought until Kakarott began throwing their names in his face. Even then, in the mental state he had been in, he had violently rejected that they held any meaning to him in his life. Kakarott, however, had seen through it and had called him out on his denial.

Now he stood here, unsure. Unsure of how to redeem himself and mend things with the woman. How could he? She had given him everything. Her time, her home, her resources. She had even given herself to him, knowing what kind of man he had been in his past. He had resented her for supposedly making him weak and changing him; or so he had thought. Now, looking back, he realized she _had_ changed him, but it had been for the better. The changes he had made because of her were not something to be ashamed of as he had been viewing it all these years.

Kakarott had been right all along; his family was the key to his greatest strength and here he had been too prideful and stubborn all these years to see it. Now that he had, he feared she would turn him away for good. He would understand and accept it if she did. However, he had no idea where he would go or how he could cope if she did do such a thing.

The universe held nothing for him. The dream of becoming a galactic overlord and tyrant no longer appealing to him. This mud ball planet called Earth held more meaning to him now after all these years than if his own home planet of Vegeta-sei had still remained.

He turned towards the sliding balcony doors, which were opened. He wondered if that was a positive sign from the woman or if it was because her bedroom was too warm inside and she wished to have the cool night breeze flow through the room? Never had he been so unsure of how to approach her. Normally in the instance of an altercation between them, of which he almost always had been the instigator, he would just waltz in and demand her forgiveness as though nothing had happened in the first place.

Never would he apologize or explain his actions and never had she made him. She didn't always give into him right away, but he always saw it as a challenge to see how long until she would succumb to her weakness and accept him back completely. It was always in those moments he made it up to her the only way he knew how; giving into her over and over again until she could not deny that she would always burn for him as he would for her. Yes, he was just as much a weakness to her as she was for him.

But this time was different and he knew that.

He knew he could not just come waltzing back into her bed and act as though nothing had happened. Never had she been on the receiving end of his pent up rage or been in the crossfire of an attack; not since the androids anyway. He had made a promise to himself after that incident that he would never put her in harm's way again. Sure it had not been his attack that had nearly ended her life; he had merely chosen to ignore her and Trunks in that moment. He had still been too selfish and prideful to admit to himself how much he valued their presence in his life. Even then, he had never apologized for not lifting a finger to save them. She had voiced her displeasure but he had eventually been able to mend things between them over a short period of time.

But this time was different.

This time, he had very nearly killed her. Not intentionally, but he knew that he could have. Had she not been sitting where she had, he would have killed her and in the state his mind had been in, he would not have even noticed much less have cared. What did that mean?

He stood there a few minutes more pondering what he should do. Should he even bother returning? He was not sure. If the woman did not want him around anymore, he would understand. However, he did not want that. There was a time when he would have been elated that the woman did not want him. He could have pretended back then that they did not matter and he would have left. For a time, perhaps until he realized once again that the universe had nothing better to offer him. He knew that it would not have taken him long to come to that conclusion and return to her and his son.

He had accepted that; or so he had thought until the wizard Babadi had possessed him. He wasn't sure even now why he had allowed him to take over his mind and soul. Sure the desire to out best Kakarott on the battle field had always been his number one motivation during his gruelling training sessions, and he did on most occasions put his training before his family duties; but never had he thought that he would give up his family for the power to be able to do it. Several years ago, most certainly. But recently, no.

He slowly crept into their bedroom, noticing Bulma in bed already, laying on her side, facing away from him. He could tell though from the way she was breathing that she was still awake. He stood there for a moment contemplating what he should do. Was she waiting for him? Did she even know he was here? Did she want him to leave? He did not know and for the first time that he could remember, he felt a pang of guilt and shame. He had no words for her but he did not know where else to go but back here and back to her.

After several more long moments deliberating over what to do, whether he should stay or go, he finally removed his armor and his flight suit, tossing them to the side on the floor, leaving himself only clad in his briefs; taking her silence as a good sign, he slowly crawled into their bed next to her.

He felt her tense somewhat, and his heart sank. Never had she recoiled in fear of him. It had been one of the qualities about her that had first attracted him to her in the first place; that care-free fearlessness she had. It had driven him border on insane on more occasions than he could remember, but he had loved that she never showed him any fear. No matter how vicious he was to her or how many times he had broken things in front of her in a fit of rage or threatened her physical harm or even her life on the rare occasion he was royally pissed off. Still, she always stood her ground and refused to back down and cower away from him. He had loved that about her.

They both lay there silent, tense, awkward and not touching for a very long time; neither one wanting to start what would surely be a very long, unpleasant conversation; but both knowing that it had to be done if either one of them were to sleep that night.

"You came back," She whispered to him so quietly that even his sensitive hearing barely heard the words leave her mouth.

"Do you want me to leave?" he asked.

She shook her head and shrugged. "No. Yes. I don't know, Vegeta," she sighed. "Is this where you really want to be?"

He was silent for several long moments as he tried to think of a way to answer her. "I do not know where else to go, but if it is your wish, I will be gone by morning."

"So is that it then?" she asked, a slight edge in her voice now. "Is that all I have ever been to you? A place with free room and board and training facilities; endless food and a willing body to fuck whenever the mood strikes you?"

"No," he answered.

"Then what?" she asked. "What is it that I haven't done to make you happy? I thought… I thought that things were alright between us; that you were happy. After Cell, things seemed to get better.

"You took an interest in Trunks, you decided that sharing a room with me wasn't so bad but I've kept your room just as is should you change your mind. I keep up with your ridiculous demands for upgrades for your gravity room and I give you your space; I never object when you decide you want to go train or brood or do whatever it is you like to do for days or weeks at a time in the wilderness or wherever it is you like to go; I never complain or ask you of your doings or whereabouts when you go on these little excursions, so I know it isn't that I have guilted or insisted that you stay.

"I have tried to be as easy going as I can be; Vegeta, no one on this planet would be alright with giving their spouse the freedoms I give you; not even that, I don't _give_ you freedoms, we aren't married, you aren't my prisoner or tenant, I am more than happy to just let you come and go as you please, be independent because I _know_ that's how you are and I accept it.

"I even respect that you don't like lots of fussing and emotional crap, even though there are days where I really need that and I sometimes wish you would reciprocate somewhat; but I don't expect it of you and I never demand it because I know it's not who you are," she continued, not in an angry tone, but a dejected almost monotone that put him on edge. Never had she spoken to him in such a way that he could not pinpoint her emotions.

"I never ask anything of you; not even for you to have a role in Trunks' upbringing. I have never expected or asked you to have a part. I let you do what you are comfortable with and count it a blessing every day that you are still with us and that you even show an interest in Trunks. Believe it or not, you are so good with him and he adores you more than you will ever know, and certainly more than you deserve.

"So what is it, Vegeta? What have I done to make you so apathetic towards us that you would go on and do what you did? Is there something I've missed all these years? I know I have my moments of moodiness and bitchiness and I can be messy; but all in all, I think I've been pretty damned good to you. Okay, I'm not some powerful warrior woman that you would have been destined for had your planet not been destroyed and you had been able to claim your birthright, but I have tried to be everything you could ever want to make up for my shortcomings."

"You are."

"Obviously not!" she said harshly, now that she had begun speaking her mind to him it was becoming harder to keep her emotions in check. He only wished she didn't start to cry. She didn't cry often, but he couldn't stand it when she did.

"There is no one else I would choose to spend the remainder of my life with but you and Trunks."

"That's what I thought all this time," she agreed. "I thought you had finally accepted us and that I actually really knew you."

"You do know me, Bulma." He replied. "You know me better than anyone else ever has."

"Apparently I don't, Vegeta." She sighed. "That day at the stadium, I don't know what the hell that was, I don't understand it; I'm not even sure I _want _to understand it, but the man that returned to the stadium and entered that ring was _not_ my husband. That's all I knew.

"Your voice, the way you carried yourself, even that awful, evil smirk; god Vegeta, that smirk!" she exclaimed, pausing a moment to reel in her emotions before she lost herself to them and the hurt she was feeling. The last thing she wanted was to cry in front of him, she refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing how deeply grieved she was over this. "That moment you blew up the stadium, Vegeta; I was looking at a man I did not know, a man whom I thought I knew just as well as you know me. At that very moment, I truly had no idea who you were,"

"At that moment, you were the furthest thing from my mind." He replied, knowing it was a weak argument, but unfortunately, it was the truth. She hadn't even entered his mind.

"Obviously!" she replied angrily. "Vegeta you nearly killed me! Had that blast hit a few meters over, I would have been killed with everyone else. Why did you do that? Never mind why, I don't really care why, but _how_ could you do that? I thought you were happy here with me; with us. I thought we had built up something meaningful all these years since the Cell games. Was it my imagination, or was that just an act?"

"No," he whispered.

"Then what happened?" she demanded. "Can you tell me? I want to understand, I do. I don't usually ask you anything or why you do the things you do but I need to know, I need to figure this out. Is there a way you can explain it to me so that I can understand it?"

He reached for her, in an attempt to pull her close but she managed to pull away from him. "No. Not this time, Vegeta." She said getting up and out of their bed and heading towards the door. "It's going to take a lot more than that to fix things between us this time."

"Bulma," he called, getting out of bed after her. "Wait." He said, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist and pulling her close before she ran out their bedroom door.

She stiffened against his embrace for a moment and once again his heart sank; he could remember back in his youth loving the feeling of people being terrified of him, revelling in the panic, chaos and flattery that he was so well known for throughout the universe that the mere mention of his name would throw some into a state of such revulsion and distress that he looked forward to their reactions; it had been exhilarating. Now, it was the last thing he wanted to feel; he would have been happier if she hated him. Hate he was used to and he could relate to; he could understand it completely.

But fear? The only person in the whole entire universe that he had ever cared about, was afraid of him and he had no one to blame but himself.

She didn't even try to fight herself out of his embrace; she knew she could never win, but she was still very uncomfortable with him being so close to her, touching her. "Please don't touch me," she whispered defeated.

"You are afraid of me," he commented, pulling her closer still into his arms, burying his face in the crook of her neck from behind.

Her only reply was a nod.

"I would never hurt you," he said, turning her around so she was facing him and embracing her securely so that she would not flee from him, but tenderly so as not to crush her or frighten her further.

"I don't believe you," she whispered. "I believe right now you wouldn't; but how do I know that the next time you are faced with the choice between the utmost power or universal domination and Trunks and I, that you won't jump at the chance again and not give us a second thought?" she asked angrily. "Do we mean that little to you?"

"You do not understand what happened,"

"Alright, fair enough," She said quietly. "But I don't even know if I want to know, Vegeta. What's done is done. Sure you wished every one back that was killed at the stadium and you sacrificed yourself to try and destroy Buu, but you still did it; you still allowed yourself to be taken over."

"Not at first, I did not." He answered. "And once I realized my mistake, I was able to break free of his influence. It took me losing myself and realizing that to willingly give myself to him would mean giving up everything that I am; my pride, my identity, my freedom to make my own choices.

"After the death of Frieza, I swore that I would never again allow myself to be a slave to anyone else, ever again." he said, looking down at her, wishing she would look at him.

She didn't say anything to him and as the seconds dragged on into minutes of deafening silence, he couldn't fight the feeling of panic beginning to take hold of him as it slowly began to dawn on him that he very well may have lost her; for good this time.

He took her chin gently and brought it up so she had no choice but to look at him; he could see the hurt and anguish in her expressive blue eyes. "That still doesn't answer my question, Vegeta," she said.

"What is it you want to know?" he asked.

"Was any of it real?" she asked. "All of this time, the last couple of years, I thought everything was finally coming together; that you had put your past behind you."

"Yes and no," he said. "I have told you time and again the man I was long before we ever met. I warned you many times that I was not a good man and you always dismissed it, insisting that there was some redeeming quality hidden beneath the surface no matter how many times I insisted that there was not. I grew comfortable and complacent here in this life we have built. I wanted a reason to be able to regain my pride and my sense of self-worth, go back to a time in my life where everything was so simple! Destroy or be destroyed; over power your rival at any and all cost was how it was.

"You have asked me time and again to share with you my past and I have indulged you and told you stories, yet you still do not get it, what kind of man I was."

"I only wanted to understand you," she cried. "Is that so bad? You know everything about me and I know so little about you even after all this time!"

"Yet you were given a glimpse of who I _really_ am and who I really can _be_ should the circumstances arise and did you like who you saw?" he asked, a dangerous edge to his voice.

She was silent a long time as his gaze bore into her, making her feel very uncomfortable the longer he stared at her. However, unbeknownst to her, the longer the moments dragged on with her silence, the more he was beginning to feel he had lost her.

"Well?" he barked, shaking her slightly, beginning to grow impatient with her and her silence. Never was she so quiet and impassive with him; it was frightening him that he _really_ had done it this time. Had he actually broken her? As many times as he had wished it in the past, had wished she would be more subservient to him, he wished more than anything that that wasn't the case here. "Did you like what you saw?"

Bulma winced at him, "No," she whispered.

"Do you believe me now?"

"Yes," she answered quietly. "But that's not who you are anymore."

"You still believe that?" he asked credulously.

"Is the man whom I saw in the stadium, who destroyed all those people easily and without any remorse the same man that is standing here right now with me in our bedroom?" she asked.

He loosened his hold on her. "No."

"Is there any risk of that man making an appearance again?"

"No," he answered again.

"How can I be so sure?" she asked. "I thought the man you were had died on Namek, at the hands of Frieza. I first met you on Namek; and yes, you were frightening and bent on destruction and revenge. You were selfish and only out for your own interests, but you changed. I don't know how, but you changed, or I at least thought you had. You made me believe that you had; something changed when you came and settled down here. I like to think that maybe it's because of Trunks and I, that we meant something to you, but maybe I have just been deluding myself all these years."

He shook his head at her. "You are right, I have changed. It was that change that I thought I had resented all these years."

"You changed for the better, why would you resent it? Does that mean you've secretly resented me all this time?" she asked, sliding down the length of the door so she was sitting on the floor now, leaning against the door, her knees up to her chest, her arms wrapped around them. "Have I been that blind?"

He followed and sat down across from her, not touching her as he contemplated his answer.

"You've been telling me for years that you don't belong here with me," she said before he had a chance to answer her. "I always ignored it, but maybe you're right. I'm sorry for not taking you seriously. I'm sorry that giving into Babadi and blowing up a stadium full of innocent people was what you needed to do to finally get me to see that. You can go if that's what you want; nothing is stopping you, no one is holding you back. If you want to go, Capsule 3 is yours. It always has and it always will be. Tomorrow morning I will run a check through the systems, ensure everything is running properly and make sure it is ready to go, that there is plenty of fuel and food and you can go and do whatever it is that you need to do to fulfill your dreams and desires."

"Is that what you think I want?" he asked her, almost offended.

"Isn't it?"

"No," he sighed. "My actions at the stadium had absolutely nothing to do with you; do not make this about yourself. I simply knew that if I threatened innocent lives, Kakarott would finally agree to fight me."

"So you needlessly destroyed hundreds of people just so Goku would fight you?" she repeated.

"Exactly." He nodded.

"My god, Vegeta," she sighed "Do you know how single minded and obsessive that sounds?"

"You should know more than anyone how I get when I have my mind set on something." He replied dryly, in a poor attempt at humor.

"I'm serious, Vegeta!" she snapped at him. "There's nothing funny about this! I still don't know how you could have done that! There had to have been a better way to get Goku to fight you than that!"

"You asked to know and understand what happened, and I am being honest and telling you. Do not get angry with me if you cannot handle the truth about the events we are discussing." He snarled.

"Alright, fair enough," she sighed tiredly. She was emotionally and mentally drained and wasn't sure how much more she could take this night. It had to be almost morning by now, she was surprised the sun wasn't out already.

"And Kakarott is also partially to blame," he added almost petulantly. "Had he just agreed to fight me in the first place, I would not have had to resort to destruction to lure him into fighting me."

"You can't use that as an excuse," she said. "If that's the only valid reason you can give me, then I'm afraid it's not enough, Vegeta."

"You do not think I regret my actions?"

"I don't know, do you?" she replied, her anger surfacing again. "You let Babidi into your mind!"

"Babidi somehow knew that deep down I am not a moral man," he said quietly, looking down at the floor, away from her. "I may have changed throughout the years and may be more tolerant or humane I suppose, than I once was, but I still remain that same man. Somehow he figured that out and he played on those dormant feelings."

"So there wasn't anything you could do?" she asked hopefully, wanting so bad to be able to excuse all of this and place the blame on someone other than the man sitting next to her, the man she loved with every fibre of her being.

Vegeta sighed heavily, looking at her imploring gaze. How could he tell her the truth in such a way that she could understand it without hurting her? He knew that he could lie to her easily right now and blame the wizard Babidi for everything, but he couldn't. "It was very difficult," he said slowly, trying to gather his thoughts. "I did attempt to fight him off in the beginning, but gave into him once I realized how much power I would have at my disposal."

"So you let him," she murmured. "You allowed it."

"I did, yes."

"And you let him take over your mind just because of that, for the power?"

"Partially, yes." He nodded. "I wanted an excuse to be able to revert back to the way I was before I came to this planet. I was the perfect warrior; I had no emotional attachments. I was ruthless and I thought I missed that.

"What Babidi did not count on was my intense rivalry with Kakarott. I had no interest in destroying this planet or being one of his puppets. I only wanted the means to destroy Kakarott," he explained. "He had very little control of me as he underestimated my drive and will to do as I please. I had no interest in serving him. Unfortunately, it was my own fault that Buu was released. My battle with Kakarott dispensed enough energy that Babidi was able to utilize and harness it and open Buu's prison; he did not need me to be one of his henchmen after all."

"Is that why you did it?" she asked quietly, looking at him with concern.

"Why I did what?"

"Why you sacrificed yourself? Piccolo said you destroyed yourself intentionally in an effort to destroy Buu."

He nodded once in reply. "It was because of my foolishness that monster was brought back. He was unstoppable and would have consumed every living thing. I did not want you or Trunks to be destroyed because of my actions and so I had hoped that self-destructing myself would cause enough of a blow to take him with me. Unfortunately it was a complete waste and it all happened anyway despite my efforts."

Bulma swallowed hard, trying to keep her emotions in check. Hearing him talk about it brought back the anguish and pain she'd felt as soon as he had perished. She got on her knees and shuffled towards him on the floor, wrapping her arms around his neck and began to cry. "I was so afraid, Vegeta," she sobbed.

He didn't reply. He only returned her embrace, pulling her into his lap, and let her cry.

"I knew," she croaked out between her heavy sobs.

"What did you know?" he asked her.

"I knew the moment it happened," she said, looking at him. "I knew something horrible had happened to you. I felt it; I don't know how or why, but I felt it when you died, I knew. Before Piccolo returned with Trunks and Goten, and told everyone what had happened, I already knew."

Vegeta frowned and nodded at her, carefully brushing the tears away off her left cheek. Relief flooded him when she did not flinch at his touch. "We share a bond, you and I."

Bulma rolled her eyes at him. He had spoken of it a few times here and there since the beginning of their affair many years ago that Saiyans bonded with their mates. She had always assumed he was speaking figuratively of course.

"I told you before, Woman," he said to her. "We share a bond that is unbreakable. I had refused it for a long time, but when I decided that I wanted to remain here with you, I allowed it to form."

"So what exactly does that mean?" she asked, her breath still hitching from crying.

"It means that we are bound to one another," he said. "That is all. I feel you and your energy."

"I thought you are just really good at sensing someone's energy signature."

"I am, but this goes much deeper than that. It is not so obvious to you because you are human; I always assumed that since you are not Saiyan that a complete bond would never be possible. That you felt what you did both surprises me and doesn't at the same time."

She nodded and buried her face into his chest again, relishing the feeling of having him close to her again. When he had died she had assumed she would never know this feeling of comfort and contentment ever again. Sure she was still upset with him for everything that had happened, but ultimately she was just glad that he was here, safe and sound with her again.

"So where does this leave us?" she asked, leaning back to look him in the eye.

"What do you mean?"

"Where do we go from here?" she clarified.

"Do you wish me to leave?" he asked her. "I would much rather remain here."

"Even though Trunks and I are nothing but a weakness to you?" she asked almost bitterly, she hadn't meant to sound so harsh when she asked that, but it had come out that way anyway. "Can you live with that, knowing you never really got your wish of the perfect life or immortality and universal domination?"

Vegeta was silent a moment as he considered her words. He thought back on all the different events throughout his life. No, his life certainly hadn't turned out anywhere near close to what he thought it would be, nor would he ever be able to pursue the things he thought he had once wanted. He realized right then that he _did_ get his wish after all; it was only different from how he had pictured it all this time in his obsessing over the past and everything he _hadn't_ been able to accomplish; he had never dwelled ever on the things he _did have _or the things he _had _accomplished. He had a mate that he was proud to admit to and he had an heir whom he was fairly confident would exceed his expectations and possibly his own strength one day. He could live with that.

"I got my wish," he said almost absent mindedly, speaking before he could think better of it.

"What do you mean?" she asked with a puzzled frown.

"I just realized that I got exactly everything I ever wanted right here on this mud ball with you," he said slowly as he thought on it. The idea of it finally dawning on him. "I only wanted immortality to defeat Frieza, ever since his demise that has not been something that I wanted.

"All I ever wanted was to regain my honor and freedom; I have that. I have that here, with you and with Trunks. I would not have that had I not settled here. I wanted nothing more than to be known and respected as the strongest and the greatest warrior in the universe and instead, I _am_ among the strongest. I can live with standing beside Kakarott as an ally.

"I am not the next galactic overlord that I always thought I would become, but I do not need that and I do not desire it. Everything I could possibly want is right _here_," he finished, squeezing her gently for emphasis. "That is if you will still have me?"

Bulma smiled a small smile at him. "Of course I still want you, you stupid pig-headed Saiyan! You got a lot more than you bargained for you know; I love you. I know you don't like hearing me say it, and I don't know why I love you, but I do even after everything you have done, and even though you can hurt me _so_ much." She said, hugging him tightly, burying her face in his neck in an effort to pull her emotions together; she did not want to start crying all over again. "I couldn't turn you away even if I wanted to. When you died, I was so angry with you for what you had done at the tournament. My initial reaction was grief even though I kept trying to tell myself it was for the best that you died if after all this time that's what you wanted was to go back to a life of mayhem, destruction and evil then I could no longer be with you but it didn't matter. I can't feel that way, I can't hate you even after everything we have been through." she said angrily as she wiped tears away again.

"Foolish, weak woman," he chuckled. "You allow yourself to be ruled by your emotions and ridiculous sentiments."

"Ass," she said, slapping him on his chest. "You really have no idea, do you?"

"You would be wise to turn me away and banish me from your home," he said dryly, craning his head to look at her. While he was grateful that she wasn't doing that, he still could not understand why she would still want him.

"Maybe I'm unwise."

"True enough," he nodded, a sly smirk. "Though you find it necessary to remind me time and again how much of a genius you are."

"A technological genius, yea; but when it comes to you, I'm an idiot," she said. "No one else on this planet would put up with one tenth the crap I have put up with from you; yet here I am, sitting in the lap of a mass murdering, emotionally stunted alien and I know I should be running away and screaming for my life, but I'm not. I can't."

"I am not just any alien, Woman; need I remind you that I am royalty, a _prince_," he objected haughtily.

"Yes, you are, Vegeta," she sighed, looking at him carefully, taking in his dark features. He was just as devastatingly handsome now as he had been when she had first invited him to live with her and her family at Capsule Corporation. She brought her hand up and caressed his cheek almost timidly. "A royal pain in the ass that is." She giggled.

He snorted at her and wrapped an arm around her waist as he tipped her back so that she was laying beneath him on the thick, plush carpet. "Insolent wench," he growled at her, leaning down into her as though he was about to kiss her, but not.

She giggled at him before her face went serious again; she wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him to her, taking in his familiar presence, his scent, the feel of his weight on top of her. She was reminded yet again that he had died. She was ever thankful that he was here now with her after everything. Goku had joked to her on the lookout that it had been Vegeta's planning that had saved everyone. He had thought to bring everyone back. One of the wishes he had requested had been that everyone who was not evil that had been destroyed by Buu was to be resurrected and brought back to life. Once the wish had been fulfilled, Vegeta's halo had disappeared. It was official, he had been wished back and was technically included as one of the good guys. She held back a laugh at the thought. Her big bad Saiyan, one of the good guys now. Who would have thought?

She brushed her lips against his cheek. "If I did banish you and turn you away, you wouldn't leave anyway, would you?" she asked.

"Of course not." He grunted. "I will have no one else and neither shall you."

"Possessive, are we?"

"You would not be able to stand the thought of me with another woman just as I would not allow another male to touch you."

"True, but it would be a non-issue anyway since as soon as you opened your mouth, any woman you did manage to get would go running for the hills," she shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "You'd be back."

"You think so?" he asked, looking down at her with a raised eyebrow.

She nodded at him. "Just don't abandon us," she said turning serious again. "I know you don't like to discuss your feelings but please, if you aren't happy, let me know. If you need time for yourself, take it. I trust you. I only want you to be happy."

"I am," he said, resting his forehead against hers. "I shall remain here. This is where I belong."

"You sure you're not just saying that right now because you're trying to weasel your way out of my bad books?" she asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at him. "I'm serious, Vegeta. I somehow made it through when you left me while I was pregnant with Trunks; I eventually forgave you after you didn't save Trunks and I from Android Gero. I made it through that and eventually got over it. I _will_ get over this, but _only _if staying here with Trunks and I is what you want."

He looked down at her, taking in her serious tone and the look on her face and he could tell that she meant it.

"If you don't want to be here, then go. I won't hold it against you," she continued. "It'll hurt like hell, but please don't abandon us without so much as a second thought when the next challenge or the next opportunity that comes up is like ridiculous power or whatever, you know what I mean. I don't think I can do this with you _again_. Especially with Trunks."

Vegeta nodded at her, unsure of what to say. "I am staying," he said. "Not because I have to but because I _want_ to, Woman." He could tell by the way she was looking at him that this would be his last chance to succeed at a life with her; _and he didn't even have to grovel_, he thought to himself.

Though he also knew that she knew he wouldn't grovel and beg her anyway. Most females he had encountered would have demanded he make a fool of himself in order to be put back into their good graces, not her. She had given him a piece of her mind and some of the things she had said had been unpleasant, but now that they had hashed everything out, he knew that they would find a way to muddle through.

"Good, I'm glad." She smiled at him. "Just remember, Super Saiyan two, three or five or whatever, I don't care; if you hurt me again, I will throw you out on your ass."

He chuckled at her. "I don't doubt it."

Bulma nodded at him, content that she had gotten her point across to him and ran her fingers through his hair the way she knew he loved before running them down to the sides of his powerful neck and pulled his face down to hers, kissing him carefully.

She felt herself flush with desire and her stomach flip as her lips touched his almost timidly. Even after all these years, kissing him made her feel like a giddy school girl again.

Vegeta kissed her back slowly, savoring the taste of her mouth and feel of her lips on his. He nipped her bottom lip just a little; his way of asking permission to deepen their kiss and she opened her mouth, allowing him access. He let his tongue caress hers. They remained that way, kissing one another slowly, longingly and carefully for several moments before he broke away from her.

He looked down at her and smirked. She smiled back at him, just glad that things would be okay for the time being. She covered her mouth with her hand, stifling a yawn. He moved himself off of her and picked her up off the floor as effortlessly as usual before heading back to bed and placing her down gently.

She crawled under the sheets and shifted over to the other side, taking his hand and pulling him towards her and into bed. He complied, bringing the blanket over them before pulling her into his arms and holding her close.

Bulma couldn't help but smile to herself as she snuggled in closer to him. "This is nice," she murmured tiredly as she already began to doze off; very rarely did he ever cuddle her, always complaining that it made him too hot and uncomfortable to remain that way for very long.

"Hmmn," he grunted, breathing in her scent and stroking his hand down her side and arm comfortingly as he felt her relax and drift off to sleep in his arms. He nuzzled his nose into her neck, taking in her scent; it always seemed to have a calming effect on him.

He lay there for several moments, still contemplating everything that had happened as she slept in the warm security of his embrace; still completely dumbfounded that she was actually accepting him back into her life after everything that he had done not only recently, but over the years. He knew he had hurt her deeply many times over the years. He had always carelessly brushed her understanding and forgiving nature as stupidity and weakness and had always taken it for granted.

She was such a strong woman, he admitted to himself. His equal in every way that mattered. For him to have made her feel so insecure and dejected and question herself and her value because of his foolish actions was unacceptable to him. Never should his woman feel that way.

_No more,_ he thought to himself. He decided then and there and made a pact to himself that he would never make her feel this way again; he would never hurt her again or be the reason she cried. He hated how he felt right now. Instead of contentment, all he felt was shame.

Shame that he had let his stupid rivalry with Kakarott consume every waking moment in his life until now. _What had it all been for_, he asked himself. He would always be second best. However, after everything that had taken place, he decided that he would no longer resent the other Saiyan for it. He decided he would be proud to fight alongside him if the need ever called for it again, which it surely would.

Truth be told, they had worked quite well together.

Earth seemed to be a target for evil. They would need to team up again one day, he was sure of it. They were the protectors of this planet. They would do honor to what was left remaining of the Saiyan race in this way. They were the last two. It was their responsibility to raise their boys properly. Eventually, both Kakarott and himself would leave this dimension permanently and someone had to carry on the glory and pride of the Saiyan race and continue to keep this planet safe.

Vegeta smirked to himself; he decided that tomorrow he would get up as usual and continue to train. While he could live with not being the strongest warrior that did not mean that there weren't other levels for him to achieve.

Yes, he would make sure he had something up his sleeve for the next time he and Kakarott sparred. He may be second best, but he would make Kakarott work for the privilege of being the best.

Vegeta hugged Bulma closer to him; once again thankful that he had been somehow blessed enough to have her in his life; and Trunks. They were everything to him. Never again would he take that for granted and never again would he see them as nothing more than a weakness.

They were a part of him. They were the sole cause for his salvation and redemption. He had just been given yet another chance to prove to himself and everyone else that he was a good man. He would not waste it, he would embrace it this time around. Earth was his home, Bulma and Trunks were his family; as was Kakarott.

He had meant what he had said when he had acknowledged that Kakarott was the best.

Vegeta's last thought before finally succumbing to sleep was that he had the very best of everything. He had found the best planet to live on, had settled down with the best woman this planet had to offer. His son had nothing but both his and the woman's best qualities running through him and he had the best ally in the universe to fight along with him should the occasion call for it.

Who would have thought after everything that the Prince of all Saiyans who had lost everything would eventually end up having the best of everything? He had the best of everything this universe could offer and then some.

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Dragon Ball Z, Hurt-Comfort